Arch Daily |
- Nieuwdok NDSM / Moke Architecten
- Piano House / LINE architects
- Maison Stéphane Hessel / JDS Architects
- SMA254 / SMA Studio
- Hongkun Art Auditorium / penda
- Seletar Park Residence / SCDA Architects
- Walden Dos School / Miguel Montor
- ARoS Art Museum Expansion Project: SHL Architects and James Turrell will Raise an Impressive Semi-Subterranean Dome in Aarhus
- Winners of Day 1 World Architecture Festival Awards 2016 Announced
- The Lantern / Vo Trong Nghia Architects
- Carmel Valley Residence / Sagan Piechota Architecture
- UNStudio + Heerim Win Competition for Resident-Driven Housing Development in Seoul
- Frederiksbjerg School / Henning Larsen Architects + GPP Architects
- Zaha Hadid Architects’ Infinitus Plaza Breaks Ground in Guangzhou, China
- How to Design Theater Seating, Shown Through 21 Detailed Example Layouts
- 8 Finsbury Circus / WilkinsonEyre
- 15 CAD Blocks and Files for Playground Equipment
- Trans-Siberian Pit Stops Competition Showcases Structures that Interact with Frigid Environment
- John Pawson Narrates a Tour Through London's New Design Museum
- PLVS VLTRA / Wiegerinck
Nieuwdok NDSM / Moke Architecten Posted: 16 Nov 2016 09:00 PM PST
The site of NDSM Nieuwdok site is a former ship dock area at the waterfront of Amsterdam Noord in the Netherlands. The area is currently largely derelict and used by early adapters, like Greenpeace, Red Bull and MTV. The remaining monumental industrial buildings allocate small creative businesses and workshops, while new bars and hip festivals indicate the potential attraction of the area. They are signs of what is about to happen, as in the coming years the area will be transformed into a diverse urban area, with housing, office space, hotels and the like, all with a staggering density. Surrounded by the IJ River and some remaining docks, the water has a strong impact on the site and provides beautiful views. NDSM Nieuwdok houses the first school in the area and 380 studios for university students. Situated in close proximity of the last remaining ship dock, noise proved one of the key determining factors during the design process, as the noise level is too high for living to be allowed. Together with specialists architect Ludo Grooteman developed a double glass and aluminium façade. Each studio has both a thermal façade and an acoustic façade, the latter providing an exterior climate while reducing the noise level significantly. Thus all students have an extra bay window for relaxing or other activities. As all bay windows are rotated towards the waterfront it results in a rough, scaled façade. The school is allocated in the double storey plinth. With interior spaces of up to 5,6 meters height, we made the plinth spacious, while double concrete columns sandwich bay windows and give it a robust expression. Together with the brown-red facetted top the building obtains a sort of autonomy that suits the area well. It connects to the strong industrial monuments while having its own autonomous expression. While the building shape on street side is orthogonal and simple, the courtyard is terraced and more complex. The terrace on ground floor functions as exterior space for the students of the school, who can reach the second terrace via a large staircase. The top terrace is the exterior space dedicated to the studios. The wooden floor, benches and tables and the corten steel planters give it a soft and more intimate atmosphere, emphasised by the ship building prints on the glass cladding. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Posted: 16 Nov 2016 07:00 PM PST
A single-storey pavilion of glass, concrete and wood, located in the suburbs of Chisinau.Flat plot of a trapezoidal shape, with three sides surrounded by the existing low-rise buildings, which dictated the shape of the house, but in spite of this plan forms the inner courtyard of regular shape with a swimming pool above which hovers home construction.Clear and concise exterior lines flow into the interior of the house.The house is spread over most of the area, all areas of the house are built around a courtyard.In addition to the common area in the house are three bedrooms of which two children and one master bedroom with bathroom en-suite bathroom and dressing room, as well as auxiliary facilities and a games room.Space home minimalist and restrained. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Maison Stéphane Hessel / JDS Architects Posted: 16 Nov 2016 06:00 PM PST
The competition for a new mixed-use building in Lille piqued our interest both in its unprecedented mixture of program and its prominent triangular site in the heart of the new district of Porte de Valenciennes. The brief outlined a 70-cradle nursery, a 200-bed youth hostel, and an office dedicated to social and economic innovations all collected under one unified roof; a tall order even by multifunctional building standards. Rather than simply dividing horizontally by level or vertically by mass, our solution combines efficient organization with a programmatic strategy that converts the geometric constrictions of the site into social amenities, and resolves the seemingly contradictory functions in an intertwined social spiral. Over the past twenty years Lille has become a European hub; a destination for business and congress, a great place to study and live and also a tourist destination. It is a city with a turbulent history of conquest and reconquest, a heritage as an important medieval city and later on enjoyed and sometimes suffered the title of Northern France industrial capital. The Maison Stéphane HESSEL emerges from the idea of creating an urban catalyst, designed to accommodate the three ages of mankind, from birth, through adolescence, and into adulthood; a volume that captures the stages of human growth. By placing each program at a separate point of the triangle, we maximize privacy at the edges with a continuous gradient of programmatic overlap towards the central, uniting courtyard space which becomes a calm cloister of retreat from the city. The corners of the building are lifted to invite neighborhood interaction and provide spaces for public activities, extending the function of the building beyond its walls and intentionally blurring the line between private and public. Designed to meet strict energy efficiency targets, the Maison Stéphane HESSEL is an environmentally conscious and socially responsible intervention which responds to an ambitious brief with an equally ambitious solution; a hybrid structure that facilitates the life of its users, from nursery to nursing home. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Posted: 16 Nov 2016 02:00 PM PST
Context Concept Materials Space The house is currently a workspace of an architecture studio, however, it can be turned into a family house when needed. The first floor consists of a reception room and a restroom; the second floor a working space, a versatile space and a kitchen. The rooftop is a relaxing space with a garden and a BBQ area. The pots on the house's rooftop use the automatic irrigation system made of lightweight materials with different heights and sizes. These pots help shadow the house and are a place for the architects to relax during working hours. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Hongkun Art Auditorium / penda Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:00 PM PST
From the architect. Penda recently finished a Project for an Art Auditorium on the Southern 3rd Road in Beijing. The venue is located at Xi Da Wang Lu, an upcoming cultural area with Galleries and Museums in its neighbourhood. Next to it Art Auditorium, penda completed the "Hongkun Museum of Fine Arts" in 2013. Penda was asked by Residential and Cultural Developer Hongkun to design a meeting space that hosts lectures, readings, small exhibitions and and area for trading artworks. Within this cultural district, there was a desire to connect the public to artists as well to create a direct link to art itself. Visitors enter the Art Space through a monolithic facade that connects its appearance to the neighbouring Museum. From outside, the facade is mirrored in its centre offering identical doors through the solid exterior on the left and right side. The topic of a centred and mirrored space continues to the interior. Penda inserted a lively box of arches, mirrors and steps that can host lectures or team meetings, and is used as a grand entrance to guide visitors to the lower floor. Here the space accommodates an exhibition and art-depo area. Walking around the box on the left side, guests will reach a art-selling lounge on the first floor, where paintings and art-pieces are traded and a small bar invites costumers to an informal talk. On the right side of the box, a staircase lead employees to an office space on the second floor. The solid centre-cube offers a warm, wooden contrast to its grey concrete-plastered background. The wooden cube is seen from every space in the building and has round cutouts for visitors to peak into the main lecture space. Within the box, visitors immerse into a landscape of wooden arches and circles that are mirrored on each sides and on the ceiling. Inspired by artworks of Dali and Escher, the reflective landscape creates a skewed and distorted reality and connects visitor to art in a direct and interactive way. Rather than looking at an artwork, people can experience the artwork physically to widen their imagination The use of arches is a signature element in many of penda's projects. The neighbouring Hongkun Museum of Fine Arts features Arches and Counter-Arches as one inviting entrance-ribbon to guide people into the Gallery. To connect the Gallery and the Auditorium, penda continued this formal expression of arches and counterarches into the auditorium. "Our love for arches as a structural element, but also as a welcoming gesture and symbol of entrance manifested itself in this project. With the reflective walls, the arches transform from a physical to a intangible element and connect with each other to one endless swing. A space that connects reality and imagination.' This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Seletar Park Residence / SCDA Architects Posted: 16 Nov 2016 11:00 AM PST
From the architect. A meaningful engagement with nature was the driving thought behind the conceptualization of Seletar Park Residence. Upon arrival at the site, the entrance is lined with mature rain trees, greeting the visitor almost ceremoniously before the space extends onwards to open into a clearing embraced by the surrounding terrain. This theme is recurring and impressed – preserved in the design to create a home that first welcomes and lateroffers experiences with nature. Providing a backdrop of simple elegance, the fine edges and sharp lines of the rectilinear forms break down the massing of the blocks while offering a textured fabric through repetition of frames, sun-shading ledges, façade fins and trellises. Rigorous in its application, this fabric lines the site boundaries, forming a canvas onto which a central landscaped court is strongly expressed. To create intimacy in the vast court, the ground plane is separated into two, one of which is sunken and leads down into the basement level via a set of landscaped stairs. The main pool is placed on the higher plane, creating a reflecting vista towards the feature clubhouse, which is furnished for the residents' enjoyment. The water element then breaks down into cascading pools in the sunken half, with large planters interspersed to appear as floating landscapes, and culminates in a tranquil reflective pool and shaded court shared with the other communal facilities of the clubhouse. Spatially, each apartment is provided with a balcony or private enclosed space stretching across the entire length of the unit, thus extending the interiors to the outdoors. These intermediate spaces are finished in timber, allowing the palette of natural materials and colours to flow from private to communal spaces. The interaction of the living spaces with the lush gardens and water courts engenders a sensuous engagement with the elements, resulting in a calming, peaceful environment. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Walden Dos School / Miguel Montor Posted: 16 Nov 2016 09:00 AM PST
Walden Dos School is located in northwest Mexico City, near the border between Huixquilucan and Naucalpan, in the middle of Interlomas, a highly commercial and constantly growing area; its facilities offer daycare and kindergarten. Even though the site provides the project with an incredible commercial potential, it also represents a big challenge, due to specific conditions. It is an urban node, limited by one of the most important avenues of the area on the front and by a river on the back, which makes pedestrian transit almost impossible. Additionally, the surroundings include many vertical-housing buildings that block natural sunlight from the project, at different times of day. These are just some of the determining points that led the way to a proper design for the school. The project is based on the renovation, recovery and enlargement of a pre-existing school that needed a new architectural design to fit the new owner’s educational program. This became the perfect opportunity to come up with a fresh design for the site, providing not only a new image, but also a better response to the difficulties of its location. Children are the main character in this project because they are the ones who inhabit the space. They travel across courtyards, halls, classrooms and gardens, weaving the pre-existing spaces with the new ones. These spaces are constantly flooded with natural light, which allows them to transform throughout the day and become different places every hour. Such spaces are replacing old and dark hallways that are now sunbathed gardens that offer a variety of experiences. By means of multiple perforations made along the building, we provided a sense of orientation, allowing constant visual connection between the inside and the outside, thus giving its users a feeling of safety, which is essential for the proper function of any school. Most of the classrooms were designed to have direct connection with the courtyard – gardens, thus enabling outdoor activities during any class as well as keeping in touch with nature. Without a doubt, another important element in the design was betting on a palette of low maintenance materials with low environmental impact, which added to the landscape design and defining this project as being more sensitive to it natural context. The chosen color palette is meant to contribute to the school´s educational model. It is subtle and simple and it lets children relate its colors to the ones they see natural context like wood, stone, water, vegetation and light, replacing the classic bright and pastel colors found in most schools. We believe that all these intentions define Walden Dos School as an elegant and simple project, committed to improving its student’s lives and their environment. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Posted: 16 Nov 2016 08:00 AM PST With the aim of creating a new civic experience at a central point in the city of Aarhus, Denmark, the 'Next Level' project by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects expands the interior capacity of the ARoS Art Museum through a 1,200 square meter subterranean gallery and a huge semi-subterranean dome. The €40 million expansion plan was born from a collaboration with renowned American artist James Turrell, generating a unique experience of color and light. The horizontal underground space will extend 120 meters below the surface, allowing the visitors to pass through a string of galleries and exhibition spaces before arriving at the Dome. "With its 40 meter diameter, the Dome will form one of the most spectacular spaces ever built into an art museum," explain the architects. The ARoS Art Museum has been promoting the union between art and architecture for several years. In 2011, Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson created 'Your Rainbow Panorama', an impressive multicolored lookout constructed over the original building that functions as a visual link between the museum roof and the Aarhus skyline. In 2020, the building will be reintervened by Schmidt Hammer Lassen, its original designers, avoiding the current tendency to build vertically in order to integrate with the natural flows of the city at the pedestrian level, from the river to the square of the Aarhus Music Hall. 'The Next Level' will extend from the current main entrance of ARoS to the courtyard of the neighboring square Officerspladsen. "The Dome will rise nine meters above ground level. Whilst the first two underground galleries are almost completely hidden, only a change in the landscape hints at the larger building hidden under the ramp," add the architects. The Next Level project will open to the public in 2020.
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Winners of Day 1 World Architecture Festival Awards 2016 Announced Posted: 16 Nov 2016 07:39 AM PST Fourteen projects have been announced as category winners of the The World Architecture Festival's (WAF) 2016 awards on Day 1 of the festival. Winners in 32 categories will be named over the first two days of the conference, and will then go on to compete for the title of the World Building of the Year 2016, to be announced on Friday. The world's largest architectural awards program, the 2016 WAF Awards consisted of 343 projects from 58 countries around the world. Finalists projects will be invited to present their project live at the festival to a "super jury" that includes Kai-Uwe Bergmann (BIG), Louisa Hutton (Sauerbruch Hutton), David Chipperfield, Ole Scheeren, and ArchDaily's co-founder and Editor-in-Chief David Basulto, who will determine the grand prize winner. You can check out the full shortlist here, and see which built and future projects took home awards after the break. Completed BuildingsCategory: CultureNational Museum in Szczecin - Dialogue Centre Przełomy / Robert Konieczny + KWK Promes Category: Mixed-UseMalmö Live / schmidt hammer lassen architects Category: OfficeThe Zig Zag Building / Lynch Architects Category: HouseHOUSE MM / OHLAB - Oliver Hernaiz Architecture Lab Category: HousingCategory: SchoolsGerman School / Grüntuch Ernst Architects Category: Civic & CommunityCategory: Production, Energy & RecyclingFloating Fields / Thomas Chung Category: New & OldBeyazit State Library / Tabanlioglu Architects Category: DisplayThe Waterfront Pavilion / Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp Future ProjectsCategory: CivicHudson Yards Masterplan / Kohn Pedersen Fox Category: InfrastructureIstanbul New Airport / Scott Brownrigg and Grimshaw, Nordic, Haptic, Fonksiyon, TAM/Kiklop Category: Officea.spire / nabil gholam architects Category: ExperimentalBeach Hut, Singapore / Spark Architects On Day 2 of the festival, winners will be announced in the following categories: Completed Buildings:
Future Projects:
Check out more of our coverage on this year's event, here, or visit the WAF 2016 website, here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
The Lantern / Vo Trong Nghia Architects Posted: 16 Nov 2016 07:00 AM PST
Located within Dong Da district, Hanoi, the newly constructed gallery and lighting showroom uses a perforated terracotta façade to create a simple yet significant impact on the surrounding landscape. The gallery is located on the top floor overlooking a large neighbouring tree, while the slit skylights expose the roof garden. This offers a space for architects and design professionals to interact. Upon entering the building, visitors are greeted with a large void. The showroom is carefully planned around the void to allow visitors to view the exhibited product at a glance from the central staircase. The terracotta blocks were traditionally used in Vietnam before air-conditioning. Designed for tropical climates, they allow for passive ventilation and shade from harsh sunlight. The blocks are both functional and inexpensive at £0.42 each amounting to £2,350 for the 5,625 blocks used. Furthermore, the bespoke fixing system allowed for a quick and simple assembly. The existing site proposed interesting design challenges, such as the typically small inner-city site at 72 sqm, adjacent tree and busy streetscape. The foliage overshadows the site, making it difficult for pedestrians to recognize the building from the main road. However, this scenario presented a unique opportunity to consider the existing tree and distracting context whilst maximizing the usable space. This building provides a delicate backdrop to the ever-changing tree. During the day shadows are cast upon the clean façade, bringing it to life. In the evening the building is illuminated from within, acting as a lantern in the city. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Carmel Valley Residence / Sagan Piechota Architecture Posted: 16 Nov 2016 05:00 AM PST
This custom designed private Residence is situated within the Santa Lucia Preserve of Carmel Valley, California. The Architect's overriding intention for this modern 2-story family home centered on achieving an intimate connection between the 'L' shaped residence and its setting within a rolling hillside clearing. Siting the home carefully amidst old growth oaks and framing views architecturally, the connection to nature is reflected by an abundance of vistas that capture the rolling hills, wild life, and broad valley views from almost every aspect of the house, connecting the inner and outer environments seamlessly. Entrance to the home is achieved beneath an enclosed 2nd-story bridge that connects the Main Living areas to the Master Suite. The compressed stair sequence travels under the "bridge" upward revealing a sunny courtyard adjacent to the Main Residence, separate Guest Wing, and outdoor living spaces. Materials such as concrete, weathered steel, and natural cedar mirror the site's native textural and color palette while floor-to-ceiling glass completes the building envelope, connecting the tree canopy to the landscape. Details include: Solar roof, High efficiency plumbing, LED lighting throughout and Operable window coverings for cooling management. Product Description. In order to create the desired "Indoor/Outdoor Living experience" within the home, floor to ceiling glass required special production, installation and engineering. Fleetwood provided an excellent product. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
UNStudio + Heerim Win Competition for Resident-Driven Housing Development in Seoul Posted: 16 Nov 2016 04:00 AM PST UNStudio, in collaboration with Korean firm Heerim Architects & Planners, has won the competition to design the 32 tower masterplan of Eunma Housing Development in the neighborhood of Daechi-Dong, Seoul. The unique project commission is being led by the residents of the Eunma Housing Development themselves, who have tasked the architects with redeveloping their current homes into a new, future-orientated eco-design that can be used as a blueprint for other resident-driven development projects. "Designing a scheme for a resident-driven development is particularly interesting because you are responding directly to the needs of an established community," said UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel. "They know the strengths and requirements of the area and how they want to see their community develop. This local knowledge is invaluable to the design." The winning scheme has been designed around the philosophy of "Live, Work and Play" to cater to a wide-variety of tenants, ranging from families to young professionals. The project will transform an area of over a million square meters, adding over 1,500 new apartments to the 4,424 currently on site. This will be achieved by replacing existing 35 story towers with 50 story towers and pushing parking facilities below ground, freeing up space for a new shared eco landscape surrounding the towers. The master plan has been divided into 4 circular zones and 6 landscape quadrants that react to the condition of the site boundaries, resulting into 24 "bespoke neighborhoods." The site is accessible to the surrounding neighborhood and greater city through two lively street fronts and two nearby metro station entrances. Retail, food, beverage and leisure spaces will also contribute to the neighborhood's urban presence. Each of the 32 towers can be viewed as its own stacked neighborhood featuring sky-gardens and elevated semi-public spaces, but rather than all reaching the same dimensions, the heights of the buildings are tapered to improve visual connection to surroundings. A multi-level ground floor links the 6 tallest "iconic" central towers into one integrated development. The "Live, Work and Play" concept can also be seen in the project's six themed gardens, designed to choreograph movement through the site, define each neighborhood block and inspire education: Curiosity Forest, Excitement Garden, Alluring Urban-ground, Contemplation Cloud, Playfulness Park and Longevity Fields. Above all, the Eunma Housing Development seeks to create comfortable living conditions for its residents, offering cross-ventilation, natural light and a healthy living environment in each unit. Add in spacious building entrances and semi-private elevators servicing 2 apartments per floor, and the resulting community will be one where residents can feel safe and welcome. News via UNStudio.
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Frederiksbjerg School / Henning Larsen Architects + GPP Architects Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:00 AM PST
From the architect. Designed by Henning Larsen Architects and GPP Architects Danish School Building of the Year, Frederiksbjerg School, is the first school in Denmark to meet the demands of the Danish school reform of 2013. The law focuses on learning through movement and sensation as well as openness and community creation. Part of the reform is a demand of a minimum of 45 minutes of movement and activity throughout school hours. The school is situated in the district of Frederiksbjerg in Aarhus city centre. It is already a gathering point for the children and youth of the local society. Inside the building offers a great variety in space, light and materiality, thus creating an adaptable and sentient learning environment with a focus on health and fellowship. Outside the school adapts to its historical surroundings by means of heights and materiality. The school houses 900 students, a daycare facility and a youth club, and after school hours the premises can be used for evening classes, courses and sports arranged by local associations and societies. Large terraces and outdoor teaching facilities contribute to the area by bringing the teaching and school life into the cityscape. The outdoor facilities are open around the clock. Frederiksberg School is organized around a center atrium where the building's four clusters meet and join together. The clusters are built around a shared center-room encouraging various activities and/or quite studies. The 40 activity areas focus on learning through movement and play. These areas are specifically fitted to different age groups and their levels of understanding and motion. The study areas are small niches that create quiet space for individual study. The school shares public playgrounds and outside areas with the surrounding houses and institutions. The playgrounds are supplemented by big terraces on each floor which work as both learning and playing areas. On the rooftop you find playing fields and areas with furniture where you can sit, relax and enjoy the view. Some of the terraces can in addition be used as outside workshops for the classes. All the terraces are open for the public outside of school opening hours. Frederiksbjerg School was recently awarded Danish School Building of the Year 2016. Product Description: Ad. 1: The facades are made from reused brick of which a large part stem from historical buildings of the neighborhood. Some of the oldest bricks used to form the regional hospital of Aarhus, which was built in the 1880s. Others stem from the former Sct. Annagade School, which was built in 1953 and torn down in 2014 to make space for the new Frederiksbjerg School. "It takes more for the bricklayers to work with reused brick because of the stone's variety in shape and color. But the extra effort increases by far the value of the building. The façade appears warm and glowing unlike other new-built brick houses," architect Margrete Grøn, Henning Larsen Architects explains. It is yet rather rare to build projects of such a great scale in reused brick in Denmark, and the construction at Frederiksbjerg did challenge the capacity of the manufacturer "Gamle Mursten" (meaning "Old Bricks") in the process of cleaning the total of 400,000 bricks. Ad. 3: The graphic design concept has been developed in line with the architectural intention. Graphic designers at Henning Larsen Architects have created the visual identity of the building with the keywords openness, kindness, motion, diversity, play, and learning as a common objective. The typography, Deyinyl, is the initial key for the remaining parts of all graphics and signs, repeated both in- and outdoors. The typeface exists in seven selections, with their own unique definition, creating a distinct and clear geometrical expression throughout the building. By varying all seven typographic selections, the designers have created an expression which is both playful, dynamic and fluid. The colors correspond with the additional elements in the new building, where the color red acts as the primary color. The graphics also supports the main maps, maps of orientation, floorplans and glass markings, lockers and signs on meeting rooms and facades. Quotes and inspirational words, adapted to the specific course and age level, are likewise implemented on classroom walls and glass. Here the graphics underline and clarify the spatial traits of the different rooms, while communicating academic useful information equal for students and teachers. Ad. 4: The artistic decorations at Frederiksbjerg School is just as diverse as the school. Sculptures, paintings and artistic installations have been integrated in the building design and placed around the school. Rosen Eken, the Danish artist who have created most of the art pieces at the school, explains her thoughts about her creations: "The task was to create both big extensive creations and small almost invisible pieces. I especially loved the idea about creating pieces that you might not notice at first sight." She has created small goggle-boxes in the walls that you can look through and into a miniature parallel world. The miniature worlds show everyday situations, a birthday party and a motorcycle repair shop. "I work with everyday objects. It has been important to me that the children can relate to the situations and objects that the pieces present," Rosen Eken states. Besides the goggle-boxes, Rosen Eken has created some big wall paintings and bronze sculptures, which pictures everyday furniture and elements. E.g. one of the sculptures are an abandoned school bag. The idea is that the art is hard to separate from the reality. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Zaha Hadid Architects’ Infinitus Plaza Breaks Ground in Guangzhou, China Posted: 16 Nov 2016 02:01 AM PST Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled the design of the Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza in Baiyun New Town, Guangzhou, China, coinciding with the project's groundbreaking ceremony. The 167,000 square meter complex will consist of two building footprints, connected in the air through twin green-roofed skybridges to create a vertical campus for LKK Health Products Group (LKKHPG) and the Infinitus health products brand. Employing ZHA's trademark flowing forms, the building design follows the concept of the infinite, arranged as a series of endless rings that enhance connectivity and following the form of the symbol for infinity "∞". Within the complex, different departments and program pieces, including a new global center for R&D, a Chinese herbal medicine research and safety assessment center, an exhibition center and a gallery, have been arranged around four central atria and courtyards to encourage interaction between employees. On the roof, walking and jogging paths weave between gardens of Chinese herbal plants, providing a place of respite for employees. "Zaha Hadid developed the design of Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza with concepts of integration, connectivity and fluidity. This groundbreaking ceremony continues her renowned legacy," said Satoshi Ohashi, Zaha Hadid Architects Director, China. "LKKHPG has a vision for nurturing better health and wellbeing through their work and important community programs. Zaha translated this vision to create a new workplace environment and corporate culture that fosters openness and communication. The design connects with the city and implements the latest technological solutions and construction methods to create a functional, adaptable and enjoyable workplace." The building utilizes a "unitised insulated glazing system" to maximize available natural light while also reducing energy loss through the facade. Over the glazed wall, perforated aluminum screens serve as a rainscreen to protect from direct solar heat gain, as well as allow for rainwater collection. The screens have been developed with digital intelligence to include sensors that allow the building to adapt based on weather and energy-use, allowing for further reduction of energy consumption. Guangzhou Infinitus Plaza is planned to become a new gateway into the new Baiyun Central Business District, which will include 6 communities developed surrounding the former Baiyun Airport. Running between the two building footprints is Line 2 of the Guangzhou's Metro, ensuring the site will be connected to the rest of the city. The project cost is expected to reach 4.5 billion RMB (approximately $659 million USD). Construction is slated for completion in Spring 2020. News via Zaha Hadid Architects. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
How to Design Theater Seating, Shown Through 21 Detailed Example Layouts Posted: 16 Nov 2016 01:30 AM PST Audience sightlines, accessibility and acoustics all make theater seating a hugely precise art. As part of their set of online resources for architects and designers, the team at Theatre Solutions Inc (TSI) have put together a catalog of 21 examples of theater seating layouts. Each layout is well detailed, with information on the number of seats, the floor seating area and row spacing. These layouts fall under three general forms; to supplement this information, alongside TSI's diagrams we've included the pros and cons of each type, as well as examples of projects which use each format. Read on for more. 1. End StageIn the End Stage form, the entire audience faces the stage in the same direction. Sightlines are kept simple, making these layouts perfect for lectures, films and slide-based presentations. They also fit well into conventional rectangular plans. However, End Stages are not overly successful at creating a close relationship between performer and spectator. Theatres in this form also can't be too large due to acoustic limits. Examples: The Blyth Perfoming Arts Centre / Stevens Lawson Architects Municipal Theatre of Guarda / AVA Architects 2. Wide FanIn this form, theatre seats are placed within a 130-degree angle of inclusion. This brings in the audience closer to the performer, establishing a more intimate experience. This angling also means that the form is better geared towards speech-related performances. Film presentations would be trickier in these spaces, with screens requiring proper positioning – perhaps further back from the stage, to compensate for seats that find their sightlines distorted. Examples: National Grand Theatre of China / Paul Andreu Ulumbarra Theatre / Y2 Architecture Limoges Concert Hall / Bernard Tschumi Architects 3. ¾ Arena¾ arenas see a 180-270-degree angle of inclusion. Hearing and visual contact between spectator and performer is improved, and as audience members can see each other when facing ahead, the sense of inclusion is increased even more. However, conventional film presentations are almost impossible and would require an alternative screen layout, such as a number of smaller screens arranged throughout the space. Examples: Han Show Theatre / Stufish Entertainment Architects Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre / REX + OMA Hardelot Theatre / Studio Andrew Todd 4. Other Layout OptionsWhile the above three tend to be the most common forms of seating layout, they are by no means the only ones. Further options include Arena seating where the audience wraps around the stage a full 360 degrees, common for extra-large theaters like the Royal Albert Hall, and the Vineyard style where seats are arranged in cascades of mini-blocks of varying levels, including the rear of the stage, as seen in the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie. Or even more differently, Bijlmer Park Theatre is a hybrid between End Stage and ¾ Arena, with flexible pull-out seating turning it from one to another, while The Wave's seating takes after its namesake. For more detail on designing auditoriums, including info such as seat spacing and the slope of the auditorium, check out TSI's comprehensive article here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
8 Finsbury Circus / WilkinsonEyre Posted: 16 Nov 2016 01:00 AM PST
From the architect. WilkinsonEyre was appointed for the redevelopment of the former River Plate House, Finsbury Circus, following a design competition in 2011. Their scheme works to the client's overall requirements for an 'exemplary' new office building in this historic City setting. The site, which is adjacent to the listed Britannic House by Edwin Lutyens, has access from both Finsbury Circus and South Place. Full planning permission was granted in 2012 to replace the existing 1980s building with the new scheme, which provides more than 15,000m2 of Grade A, flexible office space with ground floor retail. The main challenge was convincing the City Planners to allow the demolition of the existing building. Further constraints required that the new building should retain a mansard, as other buildings in the Circus, and that the building should not be seen above the height of the existing mansard when viewed from the south side of the Circus. Careful modelling resulted in stepping back the upper levels to create generous terraces, allowing the net area on the site to increase by approximately 23%. WilkinsonEyre's interpretation of a traditional City building has resulted in deeply modelled Portland stone and bronze facades, detailed in a contemporary manner. A portion of the north façade, dating from the 1920s, has been retained with an existing colonnade opened up to form a new entrance. Juliet balconies and dormer windows within the mansard with their crisp, frameless glazing continue the theme of traditional elements given a modern twist. Castings from the building's original railings have been retained and embodied into the walls of the entrance. WilkinsonEyre's proposals maximise the full development potential of the extremely constrained site, whilst respecting the surrounding listed buildings. Entrances on both the north and south provide access to a generous lobby that runs through the length of the ground floor anticipating the change in the movement of office workers to the building following the opening of new ticket halls at Liverpool Street and Moorgate for Crossrail in 2018, also designed by WilkinsonEyre. The building is configured around a central core, providing large column free office space at all levels. A sculptural main circulation stair has been positioned with good visibility from the core to encourage use of the stair between floors. Within the impressive reception a traditional palette of stone, bronze and walnut is imaginatively detailed to provide an uplifting environment for the occupiers. The lift shafts, in translucent glazing, provide both a source of light and movement, with the lift cars casting shadows as they rise and descend. WilkinsonEyre has designed two walnut veneered sculptures which act as focal points within the large space and provide a place to sit. A walnut clad recess in the curved stone wall on the east side of the reception houses a sleek reception desk and provides views into the lower levels of the lightwell. The lightwell brings daylight down through the building and provides a visible connection between floors. An art installation by Carpenter Lowings, commissioned for the project, runs the full height of the lightwell. The dynamic piece, composed of folded stainless steel panels, was developed in response to a brief prepared by WilkinsonEyre that sought both a focal point and device to introduce reflected light into the depth of the building. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
15 CAD Blocks and Files for Playground Equipment Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:00 AM PST With the aim of supporting the design work of our readers, the company UrbanPlay has shared with us a series of files in .DWG format for different models of children's games, playgrounds, and equipment for public space. Files can be downloaded directly in this article and include 2D and 3D files. See all 15 below. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Trans-Siberian Pit Stops Competition Showcases Structures that Interact with Frigid Environment Posted: 15 Nov 2016 10:00 PM PST Competition organizers Bee Breeders have just announced the results of their Trans-Siberian Pit Stops Competition. At 9,289 kilometers, the Trans-Siberian Railway connects Moscow to Russia's far eastern cities. While it historically attracted many adventurers who would later write about their journeys, the railway is largely used for domestic travel today. First place was awarded to Kamvari Architects, who proposed elegant pit stops inspired by the vernacular traditions and materials. Strong geometric forms become striking objects in the barren Russian landscape, while the building configurations allow stabilized interior conditions during winter and summer climates. "The winning project stood out for its unique combination of traditional forms of architecture and the dynamic nature of the railway" - explained the judges. The second place entry, by Jacopo Abbate and Matrina Mitrovic, used a wood fire hut as inspiration for their landmark-style project. Centered around a fireplace, the pit-stop creates light and warmth for fellow travelers. Additionally, the fireplace serves as a structural element for the building.
Anamorphosis, the third place project by Godfathers, integrates itself with its surrounding environment through a mirrored facade. Because of its diverse nature in different environments, the pavilion can be placed throughout the railways, offering various facades.
Other honorable mentions include Bee Breeders' Green Award — presented to Liam Morrow and Elvira Hoxha's Trans-Siberian pods. Nolan Loh's Trans-Siberian Pit Stops was also selected as the Student Award. Read full details of each design including honorable mentions can be found here. News via: Bee Breeders This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
John Pawson Narrates a Tour Through London's New Design Museum Posted: 15 Nov 2016 09:30 PM PST This edition of Section D, Monocle 24's weekly review of design, architecture and craft, explores London's new Design Museum – a significant expansion for the institution at an entirely new location in West London. The interior spaces of the former Commonwealth Institute Building in Kensington, which is Grade II-listed, have been renovated by John Pawson. Alongside the museum's Deputy Director, Alice Black, the Monocle team investigate the thinking behind the relaunch and how the spaces are designed to accommodate a shifting audience. Find out more about Monocle 24's Section D here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
Posted: 15 Nov 2016 09:00 PM PST
From the architect. In the design for the new incubator and multi-tenant building on the university campus in Wageningen, start-ups and knowledge-intensive technological businesses in the agro and food sectors will have a place for research and open innovation. 'Plus Ultra' means 'there will always be unchartered territory to be discovered and explored' (see footnote) and symbolizes the commitment to continuous innovation. Kadans Biofacilities develops Plus Ultra in cooperation with Wageningen University & Research Centre on the southern end of the university campus. The building offers more than 7,000 m2 of floor space for offices, laboratories, (partly)) multipurpose techno halls and various spaces for encounters and informal contacts. The design of Wiegerinck architectuur stedenbouw (Wiegerinck architecture and urban planning) aims at synergy, encounters, cooperation and innovation through a maximally sustainable and robust design that aspires a Bream Excellent certificate. The design of Plus Ultra is as compact and transparent as possible with a virtually square floor plan with 5 floors. The bottom two floors offer space to a varied range of functions: entrance, reception, catering facilities, high "techno halls/labs" and office space. The top three floors are the laboratory/office layers. The floor plans have been realised around a central atrium; on the lab/office levels, the floors between the exterior and interior facades of the atrium have been divided into three "rings". The outer ring (on the facades) constitutes a flexible-use zone that is equipped for use both as laboratory and office space. The central ring is the circulation area that gives access to the interior and exterior rings. Office, meeting or encounter spaces on the atrium facade open up on the inner ring. In the atrium, an elegant wooden staircase spirals upwards from ground level to the atrium facade. On each floor, the stairs lead to a double-height meeting space finished in wood with an open connection to the central atrium. Faced from the atrium, the stairs and the high meeting spaces spiral up into the space. Plus Ultra. Four building cores have been incorporated at the corners of the interior ring. All "fixed" facilities (vents, ducts, toilets, elevators and technical features) are housed in the building cores so that all other available space is open and suited for a wide range of layout options. The cores also ensure the constructional stability of the building. The use of material is quite discreet. The entire construction consists of concrete, wood, glass and metal. Where possible, the structure is the actual finishing. Only the central stairs and the double-height meeting spaces have wood slats cladding. The wood offers warmth and colour to counterbalance the concrete; it creates pleasant acoustics in the meeting areas and the atrium, and offers the option to place installations behind the panels. The design is based on a crystal clear methodology. The floor plans have consistently been realised with a modular width of 3,6 metres. This measure is always divided in piers of 0,9 metres with openings of 2,7 metre wide in between. Vertically, the building consists of floors with a height of 4 metres. This measure is subdivided into floors of 40 cm thick with 60 cm space for technical facilities and 3 metres of free height. This harmonic dimensioning methodology stands out in all interior and exteriors facades and has been turned into a defining feature through facade jumps of 5 cm deep to create shadow lines and to ensure proper drainage from the wood elements. The facades are realised in treated wood and anodized frames. Elegant wood slat screens limit the access of direct sunlight into the building, naturally reducing the cooling load. The screens that run parallel to the glass, also function as visual filters between (the laboratory set-ups) in and outside the building. The east and west facades are fitted with wood screens perpendicular to the windows. These limit heating up by low sun angles in the morning and evening. The screens on the south facade have been designed as canopies to offer protection from the midday sun for the same purpose. The north facade has been realised more level because of the absence of solar load. The facade wood is finished in two wood tones with a subtle difference to emphasize the horizontality of the facade and to make it more dominant than the vertical elements - fitting in with the campus image quality plan. The vertical methodology of floors, technical zones and free space is also reflected in the facades in facade jumps of 5 cm. As a result, the building expands 10 cm on each layer with a vertical widening of the structure. This way, the building - both in outer appearance and through the integrated atrium - refers to its name "Plus Ultra" as well as to the innovation that it will facilitate. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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