petak, 6. siječnja 2017.

Arch Daily

Arch Daily


Is India Building the "Wrong" Sort of Architecture?

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 08:00 PM PST

This episode of Monocle 24's On Design podcast, which briefly surveys the state of Indian architecture and suggests a blueprint for a 21st Century vernacular, was written and recorded by ArchDaily's European Editor at Large, James Taylor-Foster.

In the first half of 2016 an exhibition was opened in Mumbai. The State of Architecture, as it was known, sought to put contemporary Indian building in the spotlight in order to map trends post-independence and, more importantly, provoke a conversation both historical and in relation to where things are heading.

India, of course, is a unique and complex place of inequalities, overcrowding, issues of sanitation—to name a few—which give Indian architects more to think about than simply changing skylines. A nation of 29 states that stretch from the Himalayan peaks to the coastline of the Indian Ocean, it has magnificently diverse range of cultures, languages and architectural styles. Yet, as India experiences the processes of rapid urbanisation in its largest metropoli—such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and beyond—an odd phenomenon is arising. You could say that the "wrong" sort of architecture is being built – and discourse about the reality of Indian architecture today is, on the whole, lacking.

So what do I mean by the "wrong" sort of architecture? In the words of Rahul Mehrotra, a practising architect and Professor of Urban Design and Planning at Harvard, "architects [in India] are pandering to Capital in unprecedented ways – creating what we could call the 'Architecture of Impatient Capital'." In other words, as money flows into certain people's pockets it is manifested, foe example, in shiny glass towers – all built in the blink of an eye.

Vast air-conditioned skyscrapers, while representing only half the story, are both absurd and inefficient in the sorts of diverse sub-tropical climates that India enjoys. When Le Corbusier designed the government compound at Chandigarh, the capital of the northern territories of Haryana and Punjab in the early 1960s, he understood the importance of designing specifically for the city's sun-soaked summers. A European import simply wouldn't do.

One of modern India's giants was the late Charles Correa. He had a finely tuned sensibility that found its aesthetic home in the lyrical qualities of light and shade. It was the quiet progressiveness of the Gandhi Ahsram, completed in 1963, that put his ideas on the map: an interconnected collection of modular huts—on the site of Mahatma Gandhi's home—that together create a meandering pathway, and a memorial to his legacy. These huts provide shelter from the sun as necessary but are also open to the skies and, most importantly, the breeze. It is one of the truest example of what contemporary Indian architecture could and should be, if only progress would allow.

Across the border in Bangladesh (in Dhaka), these ideas are being practised today. Marina Tabassum, who won an Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016 for a mosque in Dhaka, also recognises the power of contemporary vernacularism. Built on a sliver of land donated by her grandmother and with funds raised by the local community, the building is both simple and elegant. Perforated brick walls speckle the prayer room with light, and also allow the building to breathe. It is, in other words, a perfect fit for its home.

India can be the testing ground for raising the quality of life in the built environment for the many – but it must galvanise together in order to really make a difference.

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Church Hill Barn / David Nossiter Architects

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 07:00 PM PST

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

From the architect. The site, situated on the Essex/Suffolk borders within the landscape immortalised by Constable was originally the home farm of the nearby estate, destroyed by fire in the 1950s. It consists of a collection of farm buildings forming a courtyard. The centrepiece of the site with views over the rural landscape is a large barn of cathedral-like proportions. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

Cruciform in plan with a collection of smaller spaces surrounding it, the arrangement sought to provide shelter for different farming activities under a single roof. The barn complex is the legacy of the model farm movement. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

The clients purchased the buildings in dilapidated condition. Having sold their own property in nearby Colchester they decided to reside in a caravan on the site during the build. David had worked on a previous project and was the natural choice of architect. 

Floor Plan Floor Plan

The barn is a Listed structure and the contemporary refurbishment required lengthy agreements with the local planning authorities. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

A large component of the renovations consisted of the refurbishment of the roof. Roofing slates and timber materials were salvaged from the other agricultural structures on the site that were too decayed to be usefully renovated. In order to allow the existing structure to be viewed internally but still conform to modern standards of thermal performance, the roof is a 'warm roof construction' meaning that all of the insulation is located on the exterior of the roof above a new timber deck. 

Sections Sections

The external walls were insulated with sheep's wool and clad with larch timber, which has been left to weather naturally. The original openings have been simply fenestrated with glazing set back from the external wall line. Oversized bespoke glazed sliding doors fill the hipped gable porches, allowing views from the courtyard towards open fields. Two three- metre square roof lights allow day light deep into the interior of the eight-metre tall central spaces. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

It was decided early on during the design process to keep the spaces as open plan as possible. Where necessary partitions and screens are designed as over scaled freestanding furniture. Constructed from birch faced plywood sheets, they organise the spaces, providing privacy for bathrooms and sleeping areas. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

A reminder of the barn's agricultural past, lighting is operated using existing switch boxes and concealed within the existing structure, existing metal grilles and new joinery. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

Polished concrete flooring flows throughout with 10mm floor joints aligning with the spatial demarcation. A biomass boiler is assisted by a mechanical ventilation and heat recovery system that recirculates warm air stacking in the taller spaces. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

Landscaping and planting reflects the internal spaces and is kept simple with wildflower planting and brick paving salvaged from the existing barn complex. 

© Steve Lancefield © Steve Lancefield

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De Bank / KAAN Architecten

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 06:00 PM PST

© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

  • Architects: KAAN Architecten
  • Location: Boompjes 255, 3011 XZ Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Architect In Charge: Kees Kaan, Vincent Panhuysen, Dikkie Scipio
  • Area: 1400.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Simone Bossi
  • Project Team: Beatrice Bagnara, Dennis Bruijn, Marten Dashorst, Luuk Dietz, Giuseppe Mazzaglia
  • Contractor: Pleijsier Bouw
  • Construction Advisor: Pieters Bouwtechniek
  • Water + Electrical Installations: Van Panhuis
© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

From the architect. KAAN Architecten has moved to a new office, marking a page-turn for the expanding architectural practice. The new location is in the heart of Rotterdam, situated along the Maas river, just a few meters from the iconic Erasmus bridge and the firm's award- winning project Education Center at Erasmus Medical Center University. The project has transformed 1.400 sqm of the former premises of De Nederlandsche Bank into KAAN's new open-space headquarters, which encompasses more than 80 workspaces.

Floor Plan Floor Plan

KAAN's new De Bank office is housed in the piano nobile of a quintessential historical building originally designed by Prof. Henri Timo Zwiers in 1950-1955, on the grounds of a former synagogue, which was destroyed during the WWII bombings. The brick façade on Boompjes Street stands out against the river skyline and is characterized by an entrance hall enriched by the mosaic of Dutch artist Louis van Roode, who decorated several public spaces in Rotterdam during the post-war period.

© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

"The notion of sharing of knowledge is at the core of the division of spaces and the interior design of the new office. This rough space has the special gift of an industrial yet monumental aesthetic, a beauty that we decided to exalt through a solid balance between two simple materials wood and concrete."

© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

Dikkie Scipio

The building's striking character and its wide, bright spaces offered the perfect base for KAAN Architecten to design their new office. The beating heart of the project is an extensive working area dedicated to architects. This space is blessed by intense daylight on both sides and offers a unique view of the surrounding water-front. The rectangular floor plan, with its clear proportions, is designed to effectively connect working, meeting and leisure spaces through several long monumental corridors and passages, enhancing fluid interactions between employees, visitors and partners.

© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

Spatial rhythm is generated by the finely restored industrial concrete structure. The rough essence of the material is balanced by a counterpoint of elegant dark walnut wood, which constitutes the main component of the interiors. The harmonious interaction between the warm comfort of the wood and the pre-existing concrete structure, envelopes the atmosphere in a graceful yet monumental feeling. KAAN Architecten has successfully designed a new working space that genuinely represents the philosophy of the office: functionalism with added value. Raw and refined at once, the project revitalizes and reveals the inherent beauty of a building that has, for many years been sleeping while its city dreams.

© Simone Bossi © Simone Bossi

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Rozan Residence / RYRA Studio

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 02:00 PM PST

© Parham Taghioff © Parham Taghioff
  • Design Associates: Yaser Karimian ,Navid Nasrollahzadeh, ,Hamidreza Gozarian, Mohammad Gholipoor, Shahrzad poohfam , Parisa poorshahrab, Ebrahim Roostaee
  • Detail Design Team: Mahmoud Abbasi, Yaser Karimian , Navid Nasrollahzadeh, Hamed Tabesh, Reyhaneh Rezaei , Mina Vakili, Atefeh Lotfollahi
  • Structural Consultant : Kamran Edraki
  • Electrical Consultant: Reza Tavakoli
  • Mechanical Consultant: Mell tech Co
  • Construction: RYRA Design & construction studio (Ebrahim Hosseinpoor, Amir Nilforoushan)
  • Supervision: RYRA Design & construction studio (Yaser Karimian, Abbas Riahi Fard , Farinaz Razavi Nikoo)
© Parham Taghioff © Parham Taghioff

Rowzan residence is a private residential building in 7 story consists of a private triplex unit upon two individual flats .The site is located in Zaferanieh neighborhood, in northern part of Tehran on a steep slope which varies up to 16 meters from south to north which ensures scenic overlooks toward the city skyline. So it was a main purpose in design process to take advantage of this spectacular view, but in the north and east sides there is a camp with student rush, thus minimum opening was preferred to have more privacy and quietness.

© Parham Taghioff © Parham Taghioff
Section Section
© Mehdi Kolahi © Mehdi Kolahi

The project is organized in three parts which settle on the slope gradually. The southern part is the yard and spiral car ramp which connects the street to the parking floor in two height upper. The middle part includes parking area and the twin flats and the northern part devoted to lobbies of the residence , both public and private, and the triplex unit with direct access to the northern alley.Here architects designed a perforated concrete shell safeguarding the inhabitant's privacy from the overlooking neighbors .It acts as a second skin protects the inner transparent mass which has been set back and let it have large windows with maximum possible light. This creates a unique calm in-between place which keeps you far away from the city next to that ,where water pond duplicates light by reflection and the bamboos, potted in oval-shape container ,add life and beauty to the space.This shell continues in the east side, becomes the single skin of the envelope which channels limited light and sight in ,but in the south with sweeping views of the city, it has been cut off to have maximum openness. 

Courtesy of Ali Daghigh Courtesy of Ali Daghigh
© Parham Taghioff © Parham Taghioff

These eyelets and scratches have been inspired by functions behind. In north ,there are enclosures in each floor which oriented them towards a closed-shape and in the east, with open space and spiral staircases, the perforation orientation shaped in a more dynamic way .Diversified depths and length of them not only enhances the dynamism and vitality of the facade, but also boosts the lighting features and the overnight beauty of the building.

Courtesy of Ali Daghigh Courtesy of Ali Daghigh

In the traditional Persian architecture, when privacy and introversion was one of the most significant features, windows have fundamental role in forming the appearance and identifying the architectural characteristics of residential buildings. However, with the progression of time , there is a lack of variety and characteristics for windows and they have lost their historical position. In this project architects tried to revitalize this historical role with an attempt to avoid monotony and boredom in the repetition of these apertures.

© Parham Taghioff © Parham Taghioff

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Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Project in Guangming Village / The Chinese University of Hong Kong & Kunming University of Science and Technology

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 12:00 PM PST

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

From the architect. After the Ludian earthquake in 2014, most of the local rammed-earth buildings in Guangming Village were destroyed. Villagers chose to build brick–concrete houses during the reconstruction period. However, the price of building materials rapidly increased and became unaffordable for most local villagers.

Site Plan Site Plan

This project innovates the traditional rammed-earth building technology to provide villagers a safe, economical, comfortable, and sustainable reconstruction strategy that the villagers can afford, own, and pass on.

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

A prototype house has been built for an aged couple to validate the technology and building performance of the innovative rammed-earth building system.

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

Within a limited land, the design is integrated with the living and semi-outdoor spaces to provide a comfortable and artistic living environment for the aged couple. Double-glazed windows and insulated roof are used to improve the thermal performance of the building.

Plans Plans

To improve the seismic performance, the components of the wall are well adjusted using clay, sand, grass, etc. Steel bars and concrete belts are added to the wall to improve structural integrity and to avoid vertical cracking. The concrete belts are hidden in the wall so that the earth facade could be integrated. The quality of the building materials, rammed tools and formwork are increased. 

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

The result of a shaking table test shows that the seismic performance of the rammed-earth building is significantly improved and can meet the local seismic codes.

Sections Sections

The "3L" (local technology, local materials, and local labor) strategy has been used in the reconstruction project. The outcome could be summarized into three aspects:

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

In environmental dimension, the environmental impact of the houses are minimized. Good thermal and daylighting performance guaranteed a low operating energy consumption.

Sketches Sketches

In economic dimension, the construction and operating costs have been minimized to be affordable to local residents. The villagers themselves constructed the houses mainly with manpower and simple tools. They could easily improve and maintain the houses in the future, and utilize this technology as a means of earning their livelihood.

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

In social dimension, local residents are fully engaged in the entire process of reconstruction. Local government and multidisciplinary university resources are used to supported rural reconstruction. We protected the local traditional rammed-earth construction method and lifestyle by improving its building performance with a simple strategy and local materials.

© CUHKU - KUST © CUHKU - KUST

In the subsequent stage, this anti-seismic earth building system will be applied to more rural projects in Southwest China. This strategy will also provide guidance for local reconstruction policies and rammed-earth building standards.

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The Photo Company / Lovekar Design Associates

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

  • Other Participants: Ajey Deodhar, Shivkumar Ranbhor
© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

The project is a photography studio complex for a young photographer who specializes in automobile, product and fashion photography. 

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

The premise, based in Pune, India, which was earlier a factory complex, was in an abandoned and dilapidated state as it was unused for many years. It comprised of a large factory shed, servants' quarters and a watchman's cabin with a good amount of open spaces in the front. This area was in a no-development zone, hence it was not allowed to build any additional covered structure outside the limits of the existing structures in the complex.  The exercise therefore, was to provide all the requirements while maintaining the footprints of the existing structures. 

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

The Factory shed was converted into the studio for the photography due to its expanse and the height available, while the watchman's cabin and the servants' quarters were converted into an image processing unit and an office respectively. An unused space of about 7' between the new office (erstwhile servants' quarters) and the factory shed was converted into a transition court, which the office looked into.  This court, which is secured with a M. S. Pergola above, provides light and ventilation to the office, which has blank walls on 2 sides. An L- shaped wall flanks the court on the front side, providing some enclosure and housing the L shaped pergola, which highlights the entrance to the office. Linear, multi-colored windows in wood planks, open out the office façade to the paved, landscaped entrance court with existing and added plants and a couple of green benches.  

Courtesy of Lovekar Design Associates Courtesy of Lovekar Design Associates

On the other side of the plot was the main access to the factory shed with a watchman's cabin and an outdoor toilet. This area was worked on by re-designing the toilet, adding a wall that hid the toilet door and creating a frame in brickwork that gave an identity to the space. This frame houses a bamboo pergola with a potted Frangipani and a yellow bench, creating an enclosure for outdoor seating. 

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

Sustainability is achieved by using the existing structure with minimal changes to the architectural footprint. The climate in India being hot, doesn't allow for large openings and use of glass. The structure, therefore, has minimal windows and obtains light and ventilation only through the front colored windows and the side court, which is open to sky. The design character too is minimal, with almost no decoration. Natural elements such as light and air along with architectural characters and colors that are local to the tropical climate of India forms the design language. An unused factory complex was thus converted into a contemporary studio for a young photographer with minimal expenditure and in a short time frame.

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

Product Description. The project needed a raw and rustic feel to it. Hence plain cement concrete flooring, which is called "The Indian Patent Stone", was used for flooring and highlighting a few walls. Other than this, paints in earthen shades were used on hand-plastered walls to give a raw look. The ceiling was painted black, while the doors and windows were painted in bright shades of acrylic emulsion paint.

© Hemant Patil              © Hemant Patil

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8 Burnley Street 'A Place to Live' / SJB

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 09:00 AM PST

© Peter Clarke © Peter Clarke
  • Client: Salta Properties
© Peter Clarke © Peter Clarke

As the name suggests, the primary driver for the final building in the 'A Place to Live' development is the people who live here. Innovative floor-plans, generous balconies, premium finishes, passive thermal control and cross ventilation coalesce to provide the intangible feeling of comfort these apartments embody.  And, while these elements are extremely important to the residents, what the design achieves is far broader. Bold, yet restrained, the result is a curvilinear form that posits rigour of scale and proportion in a single sweeping gesture that is both place making and highly aspirational. 

© Peter Clarke © Peter Clarke
© Peter Clarke © Peter Clarke

Key to the building's appeal is a combination of calm and strength, where the rhythm of line negates the bustle of the intersection. Visually cueing the layered curves of Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim in New York, wide bands of powder-coated aluminium composite seemingly float in space thanks to deeply recessed balconies. The design however, is wholly cognisant of the site and not simply the hero curve of the corner, no matter how dramatic! Each aspect of the building is independently addressed with corresponding shifts in form. Burnley Street is greeted by an undulating curve that wraps around the building and makes a fluid transition to Victoria Street where, rather than continuing as a round, the form makes a slight return. The result is an unexpected and extremely beautiful transition that exaggerates the visual grace of the cantilevered balconies. It also creates a clearly defined corner from which to commence the portion overlooking Williams Reserve. At this point, the character of the building shifts to make a direct response to the Reserve. Here, powder-coated aluminium gently gives way to timber in prelude to the central section's realisation in timber and glass, before switching back to metal for the southern side.

© Michael Gazzola © Michael Gazzola

Occupying a site of approximately 810m2 the sculptural form of the 63 apartment, mix use building demonstrates a tailored response to key drivers inherent to the location: the busy intersection; and Williams Reserve. Pragmatic concerns, raised in shadow analysis, have been mitigated by a stepped layering of floors that ensures minimal shadow impact on the reserve. Additionally this has the benefit of increased sight lines, with no awareness of the upper floors from within 22 metres. And, while this solution is invisible by definition, what it achieves for the overall form is imparted as a sense of lightness a solid block cannot deliver. This is driven home by the extraordinary design that visually floats the whole building above a fully transparent ground floor.

© Michael Gazzola © Michael Gazzola

Supported by tapered oval columns, the upper floors hover above walls of glass that allow Williams Reserve to be viewed from all sides of the building. Superbly leveraging the external aesthetic appeal of the Reserve throughout the entire ground floor, the bold but restrained design joins the calm of the landscape with the buzz of Burnley and Victoria Streets. This sense of calm is enhanced by timber finishes, deep charcoal tones, steel, and powder-coated aluminium, which are used throughout this area as large uninterrupted swathes of neutral tones. The result is a restful palette that draws the eye through the building to the landscape beyond.

Floor Plan Level 01 Floor Plan Level 01

This palette is continued in the apartments, which benefit from generous balconies finished with fine louvres and substantial glazing. Arranged to maximise privacy and view, the floor-plates mimic the individual floor-plans in cognition of neighbours, view and amenity. Completing the building at ground floor are a convenience store and café, plus wellness facilities including a gym, pool and sauna. Indeed, taking full advantage of the lower floor glazing, the pool, which runs along the side facing Williams Reserve, allows tenants to fully engage with the reserve while doing their morning laps!

© Michael Gazzola © Michael Gazzola

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First Look at Kazuyo Sejima's Sumida Hokusai Museum

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST

© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht

In this photoset, Vincent Hecht takes his lens into the recently completed Sumida Hokusai Museum, designed by pritzker prize winner Kazuyo Sejima, one half of the acclaimed international firm SANAA. Located in the Tokyo neighborhood of Sumida, the 4-story, angular structure will house a collection of over 1800 works by world-renowned ukiyo-e woodblock painter Katsushika Hokusai, who lived in Sumida over 200 years ago.

© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht

The museum will feature space for a permanent exhibit examining the relationship between the artist and the region, as well as temporary exhibition spaces, seminar and lecture rooms, and workshop areas to provide more in-depth studies into the artist's work.

Angular cuts in the building's reflective facade will bring natural light into the gallery interiors, where works such as 'The Great Wave Off Kanagawa' will be displayed. The angular geometries will continue into the interiors in the form of walkways and apertures.

© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht
© Vincent Hecht © Vincent Hecht

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Next Hydroponic Plant / CC Arquitectos

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 07:00 AM PST

© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

  • Architects: CC Arquitectos
  • Location: Leon, Guanajuato, México
  • Project Architects: Manuel Cervantes, Lizett Matsumoto
  • Project Area: 1250.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2014
  • Photographs: Rafael Gamo
  • Structure: Mauricio Pantoja, Fernando Calleja
  • Building Services: IESH, Samuel Nischli
© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

From the architect. Located between two production warehouses of leafy green vegetables, the project consisted of resolving the location of offices in a space that made emphasis on the constant interaction of the areas that comprise the administration, to promote a friendly atmosphere, take distance from the corporate condition, and try to approach a community working for common purposes.

© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

As in the case of other projects, I faced a site area that has no limits in the ordinary concept of lot or property. The context consists of agricultural fields that generate deep horizons. This became the second aspect I wanted to address: how to contain work spaces, bring a human scale to the whole, and provide visual breaks. I took advantage of the proximity to one of the production plant warehouses to visually involve the production process.

© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo
Ground Floor Plan Ground Floor Plan
© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

The program is split into a set of volumes separated by short distances, a condition that generates space for green finishes which at the same time cause mobility and encounter, either in the gardens or in the main courtyard. The project is covered by a slab linking the volumes and giving shade, thus, the plant becomes permeable to the wind and protected from the sun, letting daylight through a hole that opens to the sky.

© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

We reserved one of the courtyards for the artist Jeronimo Hagerman to produce a piece there. He decided to take the yellow color of the protective bands for mosquitoes inside the plant to paint the walls of the courtyard. Usually, Hagerman uses vegetation to build his pieces, and in this case he used Cissus Antartica to create a maze of benches and green curtains, which refer to the hydroponics system used in Next.

© Rafael Gamo © Rafael Gamo

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New Agreement Allows U.S. Architects to Earn Reciprocal Licenses in Australia and New Zealand

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 06:00 AM PST

© The Shopping Sherpa via Attribution Engine. Licensed under CC BY-ND © The Shopping Sherpa via Attribution Engine. Licensed under CC BY-ND

For U.S. architects, working abroad will now be easier than ever, as the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has announced a new mutual recognition arrangement with the licensing authorities of Australia and New Zealand. Effective as of January 1, 2017, the agreement allows architects to earn reciprocal licenses that authorize architects to work in the two countries.

"The arrangement is an exciting opportunity for architects seeking to expand their careers internationally," said NCARB President Kristine Harding, NCARB, AIA. "NCARB Certificate holders have been able to pursue licensure in Canada and Mexico for some time, and this arrangement represents a significant step in providing additional benefits to these architects."

So far, 29 of the 54 U.S. state and regional licensing boards have accepted the arrangement:

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Louisiana
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • New Hampshire
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Puerto Rico
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin

This arrangement is the result of over two years of research and negotiation conducted by a special NCARB evaluation team, who determined the path to licensure in Australia and New Zealand mirrors that of U.S. requirements, with emphasis of the three pillars of accredited education, structured experience, and comprehensive examination. The agreement was signed by the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia and the New Zealand Registered Architects Board.  

Similar to the agreement with Canada, U.S. and foreign architects hoping to work in Austalia and New Zealand must meet the following requirements:

  • Citizenship or lawful permanent residence in the home country
  • An active NCARB Certificate
  • A license to practice architecture from a U.S. jurisdiction that has signed the arrangement
  • 6,000 hours (approximately three years) of post-licensure experience in the home country
  • Validation of licensure in good standing from the home authority
  • Licensure in the home country not gained through foreign reciprocity

For more information about the new Mutual Recognition Arrangement and to inquire about earning a license to practice architecture abroad, visit www.ncarb.org/international.

News via NCARB.

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Suvela Chapel / OOPEAA

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 05:00 AM PST

© Mika Huisman © Mika Huisman

© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman

  • Architects: OOPEAA
  • Location: Espoo, Finland
  • Architect In Charge: Anssi Lassila
  • Project Architect: Iida Hedberg
  • Area: 2150.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Mika Huisman, Marc Goodman
  • Client: Parish of Espoo
  • Design Team: Juha Pakkala, Teemu Hirvilammi, Jussi-Pekka Vesala, Hanna-Kaarina Heikkilä, Anis Souissi, Miguel Silva
© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman
Site Plan Site Plan

From the architect. The Suvela chapel was commissioned by the Espoo Parish Union and it will be used jointly by the Espoo Parish Union, the Swedish Parish of Espoo and the City of Espoo to serve the entire community of Suvela. It is a multifunctional building that offers a space for the people of the community to use together for their many different needs regardless of their religious affiliation.

© Mika Huisman © Mika Huisman

OOPEAA embarked on the design and planning for the Suvela Chapel and the nearby community park in 2012.
The goal was to create a building that has a strong identity of its own while also entering in dialogue with the multicultural context of its suburban neighborhood.
With roughly one third of the inhabitants being of foreign descent, Suvela is one of the most multicultural districts in the Helsinki metropolitan region. Cultural diversity is both a rich potential and a challenge to the community. In the design for the Suvela Chapel and the adjacent community park, the goal was to create a building that offers opportunities for a rich variety of activities and provides a framework for the residents to come together in a flexibly adaptable and functional space.

© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman
© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman

Due to the relatively long, dark, and cold winters, communal indoor spaces play an important role as places for people to gather in Finland. Public buildings, such as schools and libraries, as well as churches and chapels offer spaces that are open to all. Providing schools, libraries and churches as places where people can come together on the common ground of a shared space has deep roots in the cultural tradition of Finland. These buildings serve as platforms for a variety of activities initiated by the citizens, thereby facilitating the exchange of ideas through collaboration and working and enjoying life together. They are designed to include communal spaces that offer places where local communities may hold meetings and events and where they can come together around various activities, both in the everyday as well as for special occasions. The Suvela Chapel is part of this tradition in which the architecture of church buildings and chapels offers a framework for a multiplicity of functions and a place for people of the community to come together.

Elevations Elevations
Sections Sections

The chapel offers an approachable and welcoming space with a human scale and an inviting atmosphere. The building serves many functions providing a home base for many different kinds of organizations and forming as a dynamic place of activity. It is first and foremost a meeting place that serves members of the parish and other groups of people in the community alike.

© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman

The local community park with its services is one of the three principal users of the building offering the children and their parents an opportunity to use the space in various ways. There is afternoon care for children after school as well as day care services for younger children. There are spaces for the youth as well as spaces for the various local community clubs to use for their activities. The building offers office space for the employees of the parish as well as for social workers and family services provided for helping people in their various needs in their lives.

© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman

A soup kitchen providing food for a very low cost is operating in the premises as well. The chapel naturally also serves as a place for mass, concerts, weddings, funerals, and baptizings.
The location of the various functions in the different parts of the building is identifiable from the outside. While the height of the building varies greatly with the chapel hall as the tallest part, all functions are placed on just one level, and the building wraps into a single U-shaped entity forming an intimate interior courtyard in the middle. The belfry is embedded in the main building volume providing further closure to the yard.

© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman

The different functions in the building orient themselves around the inner courtyard. The main entrance is placed in a corner where the U-shaped building opens to the courtyard, The main chapel hall with its auxiliary spaces is located in the north-east part of the building. Offices and work spaces of the parish staff as well as additional meeting and group work spaces are located in the middle part of the U-shaped volume. Spaces for children and the youth as well as spaces that are rented out to the city to serve the community park are located in the west part of the building. While the majority of the interior spaces face the yard, the spaces occupied by the community park face outward to the park.

Diagram Diagram

The building is a hybrid structure with wooden as well as concrete and steel elements. A tactile sense of material has a deliberately strong presence both in the interiors as well in the exterior of the building. The exterior shell is entirely clad
in copper to emphasize the unity of the varied volume of the building. Copper was an ecological choice of material for the exterior. It is both durable and recyclable and therefore sustainable. It also ages well and acquires a beautiful patina over time. Local spruce is the material used in the interiors. In the spaces for the children's activities, wood is present also in the outdoor canopies that provide shelter from rain giving the children an opportunity to play outside even in rainy weather. The presence of wood is most prominent in the tall chapel hall where the walls are covered with wooden scantlings.

© Marc Goodman © Marc Goodman

The Suvela Chapel is one of the four finalist candidates nominated for the Finlandia Prize in Architecture in 2016. It has also been awarded bronze in the American Architecture Prize 2016. 

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Tate Harmer's "Big Tent" Wins Competition for new Museum of Scouting in London

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 04:00 AM PST

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

London-based firm Tate Harmer has won a competition to design a new £6 million ($7.4 million USD) museum for The Scout Association (TSA) at the group's headquarters in Chingford, east London. Their proposal takes the form of a big, colorful tent that will tell the story of the Scouting movement within a fun, environmentally conscious structure.

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

The new museum will be located within Gilwell Park, the first place where Scout leaders were trained in 1919, and now a Scout Adventure Center that is home to several national events. The new facility will provide accommodation for these events, as well as new activities for both the Scouts and the general public.

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

The focal point of the 1,600 square meter (17,200 square foot) visitor's center will be the structure's 'Big Tent' canopy, made up of a quilt of brightly-colored Scout neckerchiefs symbolic of the various troops from around the world. The panels will be made from coated polyester, and will span from the perimeter of the central gathering space up to a 15 meter tall timber clock and bell tower. The tent and tower will serve as a beacon guiding visitors through the park's new heritage trail, while provided stack-effect ventilation for the heritage center.

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

The single-story buildings that make up the complex will be constructed from pre-fabricated, cross-laminated timber to minimize construction time on site and clad in timber to integrate into the surrounding mature landscape. The scheme will contain exhibition space telling the history of the Scouting movement, a climate-controlled archive, a new cafe and shop. Opening exhibits will range from founder Robert Baden-Powell's Rolls Royce and Caravan to delicate film and paper items.

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer
© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

The project is aiming for a BREEAM Excellent or Outstanding rating, and will feature finishes that project the Scouting philosophy of self-reliance and sustainability.

"The concept is to provide a space for celebration – a place that is rooted in Scouting history, but also looks towards its future. The new Camp Square will be at the beating heart of Gilwell Park and the Scouting movement, and will reflect the energy and diversity of Scouting in the twenty-first century", says lead architect Jerry Tate of Tate Harmer.

© Tate Harmer © Tate Harmer

The project is expected to be completed by 2020.

News via Tate Harmer.

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Casa do Choro Institute / Ateliê de Arquitetura + Alfredo Britto + B|AC

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 03:00 AM PST

© MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio

© MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio

  • Authors: Alfredo Britto, João Pedro Backheuser, Anna Backheuser e Elaine Fachetti
  • Team: Ilana Luztman, Evelyn Gomes e Valmir Azevedo
  • Construction : Studio G
  • Lighting : Rio Branco e Faccini
  • Set Design : Pedro Lessa
  • Acoustic : Celso Junto e Roberto Thompson Motta Arquiteto Ltda.
Collage Collage

From the architect. The Casa do Choro Institute seeks to endow a city of a place where a preservation, teaching, practice and production of  the brazilian kind of music 0 "choro" will be adequately sheltered.

© MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio

The building that houses the institute integrates an architectural set of great cultural interest for the city of Rio de Janeiro and is implanted in a typical glebe of the center of the city, with dimensions of 10,00 m of front by 21,00 m of depth. A two storey floor planted in the period of predominance of Eclecticism and stylistic freedoms with a facade with clear Moorish inspiration, which earned him a nickname of "Mourisquinho".

© MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio

The implementation of the architectural program necessary for the full functioning of Casa do Choro's activities required a withdrawal of the remaining internal elements and an introduction of a metal structure independent of a new internal spatial organization. It means a presentation of one building within another. The volumetry, its cover with a remarkable dome and a main façade with its mass adornments, iron details and wooden frames were rigorously restored from prospecting and research of photographic material.

© MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio

The new occupation allowed a reception and a small auditorium at the ground floor with capacity for 100 people that allow an agenda with the best of the musical genre; a space to store all the collection of the School of Choro - one of the best in Brazil with space for studie, administration and classrooms in various dimensions in the middle floors and the last floor a bar for students, meetings and realization of "Rodas De Choro. All interconnected by a single prism consisting of a metalic stair and elevator.

Section Section

The contrast between the "old building" and the new is maintained on walls with apparent massive brick and a new metallic structure highlighted in the guava color. The other materials facilitate the maintenance of intense day-to-day movement with a predominance of molded concrete flooring, demolition wood and laminate type coatings.

© MCA Estudio © MCA Estudio

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"Hardcore Heritage": How RAAAF is Redefining Historical Preservation

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 01:30 AM PST

Rendering of Deltawerk 1:1. Image Courtesy of RAAAF | Atelier de Lyon Rendering of Deltawerk 1:1. Image Courtesy of RAAAF | Atelier de Lyon

This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "'Hardcore Heritage': RAAAF Reveals Its Latest Experiment in Historical Preservation."

In the practice of historic preservation, there is often a temptation to turn a building into an object on display—meticulously restored, unchanging, physically isolated—in order to remove it from the flow of history. The multidisciplinary Amsterdam-based studio Rietveld-Architecture-Art-Affordances (RAAAF) situates itself in opposition to this method of dealing with architectural remnants. Instead, it proposes to make history tangible by altering these decaying structures in a way that makes their stories plainly visible. The practice has a name for this approach—"hardcore heritage."

Founded and led by brothers Ronald and Erik Rietveld, RAAAF has completed several projects that together form a kind of built manifesto for hardcore heritage, with the next iteration due out in 2018. The procedure changes with each project—there are excavations, but also deletions—but in every case, the end result charges them with a new special significance. In Ronald's words, the works are "about the spatial experience that triggers imagination."

The first stirrings came in Vacant NL, the studio's installation for the Dutch pavilion at the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale, which cataloged thousands of vacant properties in the Netherlands. The Rietvelds see these dormant structures as resources to be awakened and reused—and their most famous project shows how it can be done.

Bunker 599, which cut a 19th-century concrete pillbox in half, sheds new light on Dutch and UNESCO policies on cultural heritage while making people look at their surroundings in a new way. Image © Allard Bovenberg Bunker 599, which cut a 19th-century concrete pillbox in half, sheds new light on Dutch and UNESCO policies on cultural heritage while making people look at their surroundings in a new way. Image © Allard Bovenberg

Bunker 599, designed with Atelier de Lyon, made the team aware of the vast challenges in preserving structures so they can be truly reused, not just conserved as museum pieces or recycled as anchors for retail. The project entailed reviving a concrete bunker by cutting it in half, transforming it from an inert solid sitting in the landscape to something that could be walked through and interacted with. But experimental approaches like these can often be difficult to mount, Ronald says, because local authorities are wary of diverting public funds to them: "There is a lack of vision on this topic; policies concerning heritage are far too conservative."

After Image shows the world below the Netherlands' terrain, constructed on millions of pillars. RAAAF's intervention reveals part of the exciting underworld of a former sugar silo, where uncovering the foundation of just one silo exposes an enormous concrete cathedral below ground. Image Courtesy of RAAAF After Image shows the world below the Netherlands' terrain, constructed on millions of pillars. RAAAF's intervention reveals part of the exciting underworld of a former sugar silo, where uncovering the foundation of just one silo exposes an enormous concrete cathedral below ground. Image Courtesy of RAAAF

Named a Dutch national monument two years after it opened in 2010, Bunker 599 has thankfully opened up the door to other hardcore heritage undertakings. For instance, After Image, an excavated "forest" of concrete foundation piers that stand beneath a demolished sugar factory in Groningen, is set to open in 2018.

Rendering of Deltawerk 1:1. Image Courtesy of RAAAF | Atelier de Lyon Rendering of Deltawerk 1:1. Image Courtesy of RAAAF | Atelier de Lyon

And if the renderings are anything to go by, RAAF's latest will bring their plays in mass and scale to an altogether more powerful level. Deltawerk 1:1 adapts another Dutch national monument, a portion of the former Dutch hydrodynamics laboratory at Waterloopbos, which once tested one-to-one scale models of engineered water defenses. Now sitting empty, RAAAF and Atelier de Lyon propose excavating the 820-foot-long concrete structure to fully reveal its enormous volume.

Rendering of Deltawerk 1:1. Image Courtesy of RAAAF | Atelier de Lyon Rendering of Deltawerk 1:1. Image Courtesy of RAAAF | Atelier de Lyon

The final stage of the project will involve cutting panels from the tank's walls and turning them 90 degrees. Their huge size and precarious positions recall images of seemingly robust and monumental objects tossed around by wind, storms, floods, or waves. As the seasons change, daylight will spotlight different facets of the structure, even as its original use becomes more and more forgotten. Ronald hopes that it will "open up ways of interpreting history toward the future, rather than just telling stories from the past."

The designers are looking into how their unique take on preservation can be adopted beyond the Netherlands, where they would have greater opportunities to generate the new from the old, rather than simply halting decay. That is the urgent next step, Ronald says. "Preservation by itself doesn't bring us further into the future. We need radical new perspectives."

RAAAF and Atelier de Lyon Reveal a Monumental Tribute to the Dutch Delta Works in Waterloopbos

See more of the Deltawerk 1:1 project here.

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House Cave / UMMO Estudio

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST

© David Vico © David Vico

© David Vico © David Vico © David Vico © David Vico

  • Architects: UMMO Estudio
  • Location: Villarrubia, 14710 Córdoba, Spain
  • Architects In Charge: Andrés Moreno, Manuel Murillo
  • Area: 104.0 m2
  • Project Year: 2012
  • Photographs: David Vico
© David Vico © David Vico

The Cuevas del Pino estate sits in the foothills of Sierra Morena, in calcarenite stone terrain arranged in slightly sloping strata that gives rise to various geological formations native to the area, among which are the caves that traditionally have been used for farming and livestock.

© David Vico © David Vico
Floor Plan Floor Plan
Courtesy of UMMO Estudio Courtesy of UMMO Estudio
© David Vico © David Vico

Historically, the product of these hollows in the rock emerged when livestock watchmen used them as small shelters. Today they have been rehabilitated to form rural housing and accommodate new countryside activities.

© David Vico © David Vico

Both the pre-existing walls and the rock itself enclosed and defined an area of great spatial and material wealth, and for this reason, we decided to focus the intervention toward a fluid and continuous dialogue between those pre-existing conditions and the new architecture, always from a respectful position seeking proximity rather than direct contact.

© David Vico © David Vico

Within this dialogue we have created a new spatial experience that manages to value the tectonic nature of the area through the use of new architectural elements: clean and quiet volumes, bright and ample spaces, use of stone materials for the flooring, such as concrete or marble, glass openings to the south to conjure natural light and handcrafted wooden furniture to give warmth to the cave house.

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17 Templates for Common Construction Systems to Help you Materialize Your Projects

Posted: 05 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST

Earlier this year, Chilean architects and professors Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia from the Federico Santa María University released a book (in Spanish) titled "Sistemas Constructivos Básicos" (Basic Construction Systems)." The book aims to be a tool to help architects translate their plan diagrams into tangible architectural works, as well as to help students learn the knowledge necessary to build what they plan. 

The main teaching objective here is for students to gain sufficient knowledge to allow them to select a suitable and coherent construction system for each of their projects. At the same time, the students can use this to draw generic templates, to describe with precision the position and construction sequence of the building elements to be used.

Below are 17 diagrams from the book showing templates for basic building systems using handcrafted processes, which are ideal solutions for low-rise buildings (up to four floors). The details collected here depict local Chilean construction, and thus show designs which respond to challenges such as seismic activity and the topographic complexity of the coast of Chile. Though currently only available in Spanish, ArchDaily hopes to work with the authors to provide English translations in the future. In the meantime, these templates may still be an important reference document for architects all over the world.

1. Generic section for a 1-story building (from the chapter on Layout and Excavations).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

2. Retaining wall for living space (from the chapter on Foundations).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

3. Improved quincha wall (from the chapter on Raw Earth).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

4. Balloon frame wall filled with adobe brick (from the chapter on Raw Earth).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

5. Post-tensioned rammed-earth wall (from the chapter on Raw Earth). 

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

6. Adobe wall (from the chapter on Raw Earth).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

7. Steel-reinforced masonry wall (from the chapter on Masonry).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

8. Concrete frame wall with brick infill (from the chapter on Masonry).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

4. Balloon frame wall filled with adobe brick (from the chapter on Wood).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

10. Timber shear wall (from the chapter on Wood).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

11. Mixed wood and steel wall system (from the chapter on Steel).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

12. Metalcon ® / Volcometal ® wall system (from the chapter on Steel).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

13. Covintec ® wall system (from the chapter on Mixed Construction Systems).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

14. Structural insulated panel (SIP) wall (from the chapter on Mixed Construction Systems).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

15. 3-layer wall system, part 1 (from the chapter on Horizontal Platforms).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

16. 3-layer wall system, part 2 (from the chapter on Horizontal Platforms).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

17. Window section (from the chapter on Doors and Windows).

Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia Courtesy of Luis Pablo Barros and Gustavo Sarabia

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Want to Understand the Destruction of Cultural Heritage in the Middle East? Start Here.

Posted: 04 Jan 2017 10:00 PM PST

© <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17080649713/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a> © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17080649713/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a>

The Aggregate Architectural History Collaborative has organized a collection of essays, entitled The Destruction of Cultural Heritage: From Napoléon to ISIS, which examines several centuries of the demolition of monuments in the Middle East. With world events like ISIS and the protection of architectural heritage growing to be more and more topical, this collection is a useful tool in considering the role of violence, how ancient architecture is perceived as a cultural entity, what role the media has to play, and beyond.

Tetrapylon in the Great Collonnade. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17513452500/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a> Palmyra site overview. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17700957745/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a> Arch of Triumph (detail), destroyed by ISIS, October 2015. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/akocman/4602306192'>Flickr user Alessandra Kocman</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a> Temple of Bel, Destroyed by ISIS, August 2015. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17078565884/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a>

Palmyra site overview. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17700957745/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a> Palmyra site overview. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17700957745/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a>

In the essay collection, prominent scholars in the field discuss the above issues and more in the hope of expanding readers' frames of reference concerning the nuanced issue of threatened monuments. For example, the introductory essay of the series delves into the historic destruction of cultural heritage, as well as changing motivations for destruction, and the use of documentary imagery to accentuate violence and evoke horror.

Arch of Triumph (detail), destroyed by ISIS, October 2015. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/akocman/4602306192'>Flickr user Alessandra Kocman</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a> Arch of Triumph (detail), destroyed by ISIS, October 2015. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/akocman/4602306192'>Flickr user Alessandra Kocman</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-NC-ND 2.0</a>

This and other essays go on to discuss various views on the subject, including the role of museums in cultural destruction, how Islamic culture is perceived abroad, how cultural damage affects local citizens, whether buildings deserve the same protections as people, Napoleonic forms of looting, and how the structure behind war can be influenced to prevent destruction.

Temple of Bel, Destroyed by ISIS, August 2015. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17078565884/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a> Temple of Bel, Destroyed by ISIS, August 2015. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17078565884/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a>

Learn more about The Destruction of Cultural Heritage by reading the full essay collection here.

Tetrapylon in the Great Collonnade. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17513452500/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a> Tetrapylon in the Great Collonnade. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/128659407@N02/17513452500/'>Flickr user Jiří Suchomel</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/'>CC BY-NC 2.0</a>

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