Arch Daily |
- Gulliver / Hut architektury Martin Rajnis / HAMR
- MMB – Umbau Müllerhaus Berlin / asdfg Architekten
- Townhouse with Private Garden / baan puripuri
- Global Cosmeceutical Center / SEON Architecture & Engineering Group
- Haven’t you always wanted …? / M@ STUDIO Architects
- South Coast House / Vaughn McQuarrie Architects
- cutoutmix Offers Original, Modern Architectural Silhouettes for Renders
- Nuun Jewels Store / Brunoir & Java Architecture
- Times Square Celebrates Grand Opening of Snøhetta-Designed Transformation
- Puxadinho / VAGA
- David Adjaye Named to TIME's List of 100 Most Influential People
- CBR House / Cristián Berríos
- As Roads Become High-Tech, Historic Toll Booths Might Need to Be Saved
- Parque Educativo Remedios / Relieve Arquitectura
- 30 Sites Every Architect Should Visit in Mexico City
- This Photoseries Captures the State of China’s Renowned Architectural Icons
- B&W Building / mzc+
| Gulliver / Hut architektury Martin Rajnis / HAMR Posted: 20 Apr 2017 08:00 PM PDT  © JanSlavík
 © JanSlavík From the architect. A giant airship is rising over Prague  © JanSlavík In 2008 the DOX Centre for Contemporary Art in Prague first opened its doors to the public as the result of a private initiative by its current director, Leoš Válka, and his partners. The reconstruction of a former factory into a multifunctional space was soon nominated for the prestigious Mies van der Rohe Award, and for the past eight years the institution has continued to fulfil its mission: to create a space for research, presentation, and debate on important social issues, where arts in dialogue with other disciplines encourage a critical view of the so-called reality of today's world.  © Petr Králík The construction of a giant wooden airship "suspended" above the DOX Centre is yet another testament to Leoš Válka's personal conviction that is reflected in the DOX Centre's overall philosophy: that even in today's fast-paced, globalized world where nothing that cannot be calculated, evaluated, or predicted is worth risking for, "things can be done differently."  © JanSlavík "The idea to invade the DOX Centre's starkly modern austere concrete-and-glass architecture with a 'parasitic' structure has been on my mind for several years. I first dreamed of an absurdly fascinating organic shape that would contrast with the DOX Centre's existing architecture," says Leoš Válka.  © René Volfík In 2013 he invited internationally acclaimed architect Martin Rajniš, the 2014 winner of the Global Prize for Sustainable Architecture, to join him in realizing what he calls "a dream of 12-year-old boys." For more than two years together with wood and steel specialists they have been working on the design of what finally turned out to be a 42 meter-long and 10 meter-wide structure inspired by the shapes of the giant airships that began to cruise the skies at the dawn of the 20th century.  © Petr Králík The shape of the zeppelin is symbolic. The early zeppelins represented the optimistic ideals of a new era of unprecedented technological advancements. With their remarkable monumentality and hypnotic dignity that would continue to fascinate generations to come long after they had vanished from the skies, they have always embodied the eternal human desire to fly, and have represented a certain utopian ideal.  © René Volfík The airship is to bear the name of one of the most famous characters in utopian literature. Gulliver will serve as a space for reading and public discussions of literature – fiction, poetry and critical writing – related to the themes of DOX's exhibitions, which typically offer a critical view of particular aspects of the contemporary human situation.  Plan This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| MMB – Umbau Müllerhaus Berlin / asdfg Architekten Posted: 20 Apr 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Michael Pfisterer
 © Michael Pfisterer  Plan 2 From the architect. A good friend of mine bought an old house some years ago and asked us to develop a concept for its refurbishment. It became the first project of our Hamburg-based architectural studio, asdfg Architekten: the conversion of an old miller's house into a home for a family with three kids. Due to its history and location, we considered the project a big challenge, but we also saw significant potential for it to become a very unique single family house with a small garden in the center of one of the most popular neighbourhoods in Berlin.  © Michael Pfisterer  Section Because of its status as the oldest building of Prenzlauer Berg (built in 1844), the authorities asked us to reconstruct the facade of the heritage-protected building precisely as depicted on a historical drawing from 1844. We wanted to show the history of the old building, but we didn't want to pretend that the facade would be 170 years old. In an architectural drawing, a line can be interpreted in many different ways: e.g. as a gap in the wall, a section line or a difference in height. The concept we developed was to argue that the lines in the historical drawing could be read as differences in the height of the plaster-rendered facade using ancient techniques and materials. It took us quite some time and many visualisations and physical models to convince the authorities of our approach. As a result of its prior use as a police station and a workshop, followed by many years of vacancy, the house was in a very dilapidated condition, and the interior was divided into many very small rooms. In order to create a generous space, we only kept the outer walls and one massive wall in the middle.  © Michael Pfisterer The staircase, kitchen, as well as the sleeping galleries for the children are 'plugged' into this wall. The main inner-staircase is divided in two parts. The first five steps lead through the big wall on a small platform, where it is possible to experience the full height of the main room. The second part hangs from an open gallery which spans from one wall to the other, creating the parents' working and sleeping spaces, which are separated by a huge sliding door. For the staircase and the kitchen interior, we reused the wood of the old beams of the former ceilings. The old brick walls were left uncovered and are visible from the inside.  © Michael Pfisterer  Elevation The design process was carried out in close consultation with the client, which resulted in many highly personalized and individually created elements. Not only the cabinets, but almost everything, from the shutters to the washbasins and even the bathtub, was custom made for this project.  © Michael Pfisterer This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Townhouse with Private Garden / baan puripuri Posted: 20 Apr 2017 03:00 PM PDT  © Beer Singnoi
 © Beer Singnoi  Floor Plans From the architect. Baan puripuri has completed its latest project of 18-unit housing development located in a vibrant neighbourhood of Bangkok. By creating a modern, light-filled home with a sleek touch of Thainess, the project aimed to maximize the potential of the 3-storey townhouse space and overcome the challenges of living in an urban environment.  © Beer Singnoi A series of vertical concrete shading that divided the façade into compartments of rhythmic dimension establishes a distinctive and unique character. The cantilevered planter boxes as well create standout features that harmoniously integrate nature into the house.  © Beer Singnoi The entrance foyer that acts as a transitional zone between exterior and interior leads to the complete openness of main living area. Unlike most ordinary townhouse, large glazed surfaces allow light to pour into the double-height space and fully open up to a sunken patio wrapped around with vertical garden in the backyard. This harmoniously creates a better connection between inhabitants and nature and would lead to healthy urban living.  © Beer Singnoi  Section The spacious living space and the mezzanine that houses a pantry and dining area are cooled throughout the year by natural cross-ventilation. The large sliding doors on the ground floor allow the breeze to enter the living space through the mezzanine windows.  © Beer Singnoi Second floor master bedroom, with its en suite, walk-in closet and sitting area sprawls across the entire level. Floor-to-ceiling windows in the front and back provide natural light into the room throughout the day. Two further bedroom and a laundry room occupy the third floor. The laundry room, instead of being located in the backyard, has been moved upstair in order to create spacious, resort style living space on the first floor.  © Beer Singnoi Besides, Thai traditional architecture is served as a design inspiration and has been reinterpreted into modern architectural decorative elements such as patterned gouging concrete walls, indented corner of façade shading or even for the furniture collection.  © Beer Singnoi This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Global Cosmeceutical Center / SEON Architecture & Engineering Group Posted: 20 Apr 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Bae Jihoon
 © Bae Jihoon With classical beauty A simple and restrained design, it contains confidence and professional image of product development excellence. It was designed as a elegance that brings rational trust to the site, which is the starting point and the end of Osong.  © Bae Jihoon  1st Basement Floor Plan Healthy beauty is all over the world We designed a simple and modest design so that we could have confidence in the excellence of functional cosmetics development and scientific and professional image. This is the first step toward reaching the goal of fostering the future growth engine industry that the cosmetics industry is aiming at Global Cosmeceutical Center.  © Bae Jihoon The exclusion of colorful ornamental elements is an expression of elegance that leads to a sense of rationality. It reflects the characteristics at the beginning and end of the Osong Biotechnology Complex, and in particular provides a dramatic view to KTX passengers. Focusing on the implementation of healing space based on the static layout with the psychological stability of the tester and the testee who are staying for 24 hours immersed in functional cosmetic research and evaluation. Above all, the low-floor scale planning has become an opportunity to drastically reduce the public area, and it is noteworthy that it provided users with a variety of rich welfare spaces and event spaces.  Diagram Rules for creating beauty All objects pursuing beauty are not satisfied with just what they are seen, but hoping for the perfect beauty that is inherent in beauty. Beginning of the restrained color makeup, it is noted that it was the start of functional cosmetic research and development, and it was reflected as spatial and external architectural vocabulary.  © Bae Jihoon Noise _ To dissipate noise from KTX, a buffer green area is installed, and a vertical louver and a piloti structure are planned.  © Bae Jihoon This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Haven’t you always wanted …? / M@ STUDIO Architects Posted: 20 Apr 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Peter Bennetts
 © Peter Bennetts From the architect. Haven't you always wanted …? 2016 NGV Architecture Commission: M@ STUDIO Architects Haven't you always wanted to run through all that foam at the car lovers? Would you do it if there wasn't another car waiting?  Site Plan  Floor Plan The project titled 'Haven't you always wanted …?' is a temporary pavilion and was the winning entry from a two stage open national competition held in 2016 by the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Stage 1 involved blind judging and received 93 entries from which five architects were selected to proceed to Stage 2. The competition brief asked architects "to consider innovative ways to activate one of Melbourne's great civic spaces, the Grollo Equiset Garden with a thought‐provoking work of temporary architecture".  © Peter Bennetts 'Haven't you always wanted…?' is about imagining a possibility and exuberance of feeling. The pavilion is an experiment driven through two longstanding research projects developed in the RMIT Architecture, "Suburban Realism" led by Dean Boothroyd and Mark Jacques which explores new models for the expression of the civic through urban design in Melbourne's future outer suburbs and ideas around 'dematerialisation' and the 'uncertain object' led by Vivian Mitsogianni. The project brings these ideas together with the ambition of seeing the possibilities that arise, with an equal focus on both the ideas and resultant experiential qualities.  © Sean Fennessy The project asks a series of "what ifs"? What if the scale of the suburbs landed in the NGV courtyard? In this case a suburban car wash is transplanted at 1:1 scale, as type into the city context. But then, there is material or "dematerial" transformation – it becomes ghostly – something else – but only sometimes and only from some views. So is this then the folly in the garden? Or is this what the suburbs would look like if for some reason the roads were covered with grass? Instead of providing an object in the garden that can be clearly under-stood from one position, we explored the 'uncertain object', which can be understood in different ways depending on where it is seen from, and that contains multiple layers of im-mersive effects. Pavilions generally sit empty when not programmed. In this project there is an invitation to participate and engage. You want to move around it because it constantly changes depending on where you are located. We wanted to create moments, where you thought you knew what the project was and then you found something unexpected or surprising which meant that things didn't add up and because of that, it might seem familiar but also otherworldly and strange.  © Peter Bennetts Banal, familiar and readily available materials are used and redeployed as 'saturated ornament'. Each wall is made up of four layers of cricket netting ‐ the grids slightly shifting as you walk around them, constantly masking or revealing, based on your movement and making moire effects sometimes. The object oscillates from highly porous in some views (where the netting walls appear to disappear and where you see through the ceiling and walls), to increasingly dense and solid from other views as the nets become overlaid in your visual field. The uncertainty of surface is aided by the mist that appears periodically in one of the bays.  Section  Section In the pavilion, a saturation of disparate conditions can co‐exist offering a curious state that doesn't quite make sense. It asks 'what if…?'. What if the scale of the suburbs landed in the NGV courtyard? What if architecture could dematerialise? What might an uncertain condition look like and feel like? What joy can we take in an abundance of overlaid grids, cricket nets, mist, porosity and ghostly visual effects? What if the road came to life with vivid pink AstroTurf? What if you were immersed in a grotto‐like field of translucent red? What if architecture shivered ever so slightly in the wind?  © Peter Bennetts The M@ STUDIO competition team consisted of directors Professor Vivian Mitsogianni (Deputy Dean and Head, Architecture & Urban Design, RMIT) and Dean Boothroyd (principal NH Architecture and RMIT Architecture design tutor), Professor Mark Jacques (Professor of Architecture – Urbanism and director openwork), Karla Martinez and Cameron Newnham (RMIT Architecture Associate Lecturers), RMIT architecture graduates Thomas Sheehan and Luke Tuckman, and architecture students Kerry Kounnapis and Leona Dusa-novic. "It's a partnership between architectural practice, RMIT students, graduates and re-searchers, continuing and industry staff who wanted to experiment and test ideas together," Mitsogianni said.  © Peter Bennetts This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| South Coast House / Vaughn McQuarrie Architects Posted: 20 Apr 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Simon Devitt
 Courtesy of Vaughn McQuarrie Architects  Site Plan From the architect. The house is located in a paddock above the sandstone cliffs along the south coast of Dunedin. The brief contained a number of requirements, the use of cedar as cladding, incorporate natural stone from the quarry 800m away, three bedrooms with the option of adding an additional bedroom at a later date and a three car garage that did not dominate the entrance area. A long curved retaining wall whose form is derived from the sandstone cliff face to the east carves through the site providing an anchor for the house and creates a series of sheltered courtyard spaces, it also accommodates the three car garage which is buried behind the wall.  Courtesy of Vaughn McQuarrie Architects The house runs alongside the retaining wall on an east west axis allowing for maximum sun exposure to the living space and key views to the east. The east cliff face view is most impressive from the living space and does not reveal itself immediately. The plan consists of three cedar clad boxes, each containing a different function, living, sleeping and utility. The cedar cladding continues internally fully encapsulating each box, creating intermediate spaces that are intended to be neither inside or out. The pre-cast concrete wall running along the hallway reinforces the axis of the house and extends to allow for future extension of the bedroom block. The local stone was used in a feature wall by the front entrance and as the aggregate in the polished concrete floor slab, another device to anchor the house to the site.  © Simon Devitt  Plan The sawtooth roof form opens the facade up to the north and closes it down to the prevailing southern weather systems, the gutter sections create a central storage spine running through the plan and an eave to the exposed south elevation.  © Simon Devitt This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| cutoutmix Offers Original, Modern Architectural Silhouettes for Renders Posted: 20 Apr 2017 09:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of cutoutmix Italian architect and photographer Francesca Perani decided it was time to address the issue of garbled copyrights and tired stereotypes in architecture cutouts. With her site cutoutmix, she explains that she and her "creative gang" of female designers are, "improving the rendering visualization world with the help and talent of international artists." Right now users can access two of the collections for free, under a creative commons license.
 Courtesy of cutoutmix Perrani expects that the collection will grow, and she encourages users to get in touch and "enjoy and spread" the original cutouts. If you decide to use any of the 127 cutouts don't forget to give credit with a link to www.cutoutmix.com!  Courtesy of cutoutmix  Courtesy of cutoutmix This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nuun Jewels Store / Brunoir & Java Architecture Posted: 20 Apr 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Nuun Jewels, Alexandra Mocanu
 © Nuun Jewels, Alexandra Mocanu From the architect. Art director and founder of Nuun Jewels, Nourah Al Faisal wanted to create a cross cultural space dedicated to her jewelry designs, where Middle Eastern influences would meet French style. According to the brief, the showroom concept would embrace the brand's identity as well as the architectural and design codes Brunoir had developed for the first window display at the Four Seasons George V. Nourah Al Faisal commissioned Brunoir to design its first showroom in Paris.  Axonometric Brunoir asked Java Architecture to come and join the project. Together they were able to create a language of cross-cutting expertise between scenography, design and architecture. They developed the concept of a jewelry case by designing a double skin partition that runs along the main wall, and creating a feeling of suspended lightness and spaciousness. "I love rose gold."  © Nuun Jewels, Alexandra Mocanu A favorite of Nuun's, rose gold became the main thread of the project. Using Nuun's brand identity and colors (powder pink, gold and white), the Brunoir x Java Architecture team opted for a soft and subdued design style so the jewelry creations would shine fully. If white is the dominant color on the walls and ceiling, it is enhanced by touches of gold and powder pink. In the main boutique room, the pink tone is softened by indirect light hidden behind the double skin wall. Brass elements contribute to the feeling of refinement and light, with subtle touches of gold here and there on the partitions, furniture, shelves as well as on the fixtures and fittings.  © Nuun Jewels, Alexandra Mocanu The jewels are exhibited in displays inside thin white arches. At the back, an intimate boudoir provides for discreet and quiet meetings. The boudoir features an inversed curved wall as an echo of the first room. A pink gradation is painted on it and extends onto the wooden floor, adding to its hushed and peaceful ambiance. The mirror wall alternates silver and golden panels, in a game of light and reflections.  © Nuun Jewels, Alexandra Mocanu Light is also at the heart of the project. The soft and warm ambiance in the main room and the boudoir is further enhanced by indirect light and reflections, while direct light inside the displays focuses on the jewellery exclusively to bring out the beauty and shine of the gemstones. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Times Square Celebrates Grand Opening of Snøhetta-Designed Transformation Posted: 20 Apr 2017 07:30 AM PDT  © Michael Grimm With yesterday's grand opening ceremony in the books, Times Square's 8-year-long transformation has been pronounced officially complete. Led by Snøhetta, the project saw the United States' most visited destination change from a congested, horn-honking vehicular area into a world-class public plaza with the addition of over 100,000 square feet of pedestrian-exclusive space.  © Michael Grimm "Conceived as a project whose success would be measured not only by its new aesthetic but also the long-term physical, psychological and economic benefits on its community, the reinvention of Times Square stands as a model for how the design of our urban landscapes can improve health and well-being of its users while providing an important stage for public gathering," said Craig Dykers, Architect and Founding Partner of Snøhetta. Snøhetta's design reimagined the stretch of Broadway from 42nd to 47th streets, replacing the existing streets with a continuous hardscape connecting building front to building front. New seating options, including ten 50-foot long granite benches, allow pedestrians to occupy the space at a relaxed pace, as opposed to the aneurysm-inducing shuffle that visitors were subjected to for decades.  © Snøhetta  © Snøhetta Located at the heart of the Times Square Theater District, the bowtie-shaped site has already seen a significant impact in public safety, economic output, and user experience since the closing of Broadway in 2009 and the implementation of the first phase of the Snøhetta-designed plan in 2014. According to the architects, since that time, pedestrian injuries have dropped by 40%, vehicular accidents have been reduced by 15%, and overall crime in the area has decreased 20%. Meanwhile, visitor health has improved, with air pollution rates falling as much as 60% due to the removal of vehicles.  © Michael Grimm Snøhetta's scheme begins first and foremost with the movement of people through the site – on average, 330,00 people move through Times Square each day. These numbers include both tourists and travellers coming from the nearby Port Authority Bus Terminal, and Penn and Grand Central Train Stations. Reacting to these figures, the plan was designed to accommodate multiple speeds of pedestrian circulation, using what the architect's call "subtle design gestures" to empower people to move in a natural, comfortable way through the space.  © Michael Grimm Within the square, new spaces have been created to reference both the area's history and its symbolic location within the city. "Snøhetta's design is inspired by Times Square's past and its rich entertainment history – a duality that influenced both the larger concept and the project's details," explain the architects. "Times Square's signature buildings and spectacular signs - the glowing walls of the Bowtie - create an outdoor room right in the heart of Manhattan. Snøhetta's design creates uncluttered pedestrian zones and a cohesive surface that reinforces the Bowtie's role as an outdoor stage.  © Michael Grimm "This clear and simple ground surface made of pre-cast concrete pavers creates a strong anchor for the space, allowing the excitement of Times Square's commercial components to shine more brightly above. The area's new two-toned custom pavers are embedded with nickel-sized steel discs that capture the neon glow from the signs above and playfully scatter it across the paving surface, referencing marquee lights and Times Square's theater history."  © Michael Grimm The recent changes have already been embraced by visitors and locals alike – surveys have found that 93% of visitors believe that the pedestrian plaza makes Times Square a more pleasant place to be, while 88% of New York residents agree that the plaza gives Times Square a unique atmosphere that was not there before. Check out some of the before and after shots of the transformation below:  © NYC DOT / Michael Grimm  © NYC DOT / Michael Grimm  © NYC DOT / Michael Grimm  © NYC DOT / Michael Grimm News via Snøhetta. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 20 Apr 2017 06:00 AM PDT
 © Manuel Sá From the architect. There were two young friends who bought an apartment on the ground floor of a building in Vila Madalena neighborhood. Although life there is intense, it keeps some bucolic aspects of São Paulo residential neighborhoods.  © Manuel Sá They started often having young people like them, some Brazilian and some foreigners, as guests in the small room in the back for a short while. Then they noticed that they could use the room to receive guests with much more comfort. .jpg?1490753448 "Axonométrica") Axonométrica The name “Puxadinho” was chosen because it refers to a kind of informal building very common in Brazilian cities and, simultaneously, it was a nice way of identifying the peculiar feature of the building, enclosed to the previously existing one. The challenges for the project and for the undertaking were, at first, the very limited budget, besides the small space and difficult access to the building site.  © Manuel Sá The first step was to demolish the existing building, a very unsteady one, and to create two rooms and a bathroom which could be used separately or together, therefore, extending the capacity of the area. .jpg?1490753513 "Planta") Planta However, throughout the process, it was possible to identify the opportunity to extend the social areas while the bedrooms were not used by guests and the possibility of using the rooftop to grow plants and as a leisure and sunbathing area. The door was a key solution adopted to create the new intended dynamics. In literature or in philosophy, doors usually have a metaphoric meaning that connects them to several possibilities in the future or to the closing of opportunities. In the dictionary entry, doors are meant to show entrance or define exits.  © Manuel Sá But it is not the case of Puxadinho: there it is the main element, accountable for the flexibility of different spaces, extending or restricting them, however always establishing several levels of integration among the social areas and the private spaces.  © Manuel Sá Through the door, the same flexible area may open up one of three possibilities: a living room and a suite, or, a living room with a bedroom and a bathroom or, then again, two bedrooms and a bathroom. The rooftop, which extended the external area to the upstairs level, besides offering a privileged view of the city, incorporates the other previously designed uses.  © Manuel Sá The construction system consisted on the use of concrete molded lattice panel slabs supported on a brick layered concrete block structure. This system enabled a cheap, fast and effective construction for a narrow space with difficult access. Whereas the window frames, as well as the stairs and the benches were made of metal work and carpentry. .jpg?1490753456 "Corte") Corte The touch of sustainability that gives the project another aspect of modernity is the fact that all the rainfall water drained from the rooftop is directed to a cistern, thus enabling its use for cleaning the external area and for watering the plants. When concepts of flexibility, sustainability and modernity are added to the intervention in the original space that gave birth to the dream of young friends and to the Puxadinho project, it also gives a new meaning to the concept of this peculiar kind of informal construction so common in the Brazilian reality.  © Manuel Sá This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| David Adjaye Named to TIME's List of 100 Most Influential People Posted: 20 Apr 2017 05:01 AM PDT TIME Magazine has named architect David Adjaye to their annual list of 100 Most Influential People, recognizing the world figures who have had the most impact on society in the past year in five categories: Pioneers, Titans, Artists, Leaders, and Icons. Unlike Bjarke Ingels and Wang Shu – who were selected under the Artist category in 2016 and 2013, respectively – Adjaye was nominated in the Icons category alongside champions including media personality RuPaul, subversive photographer Cindy Sherman, and US Congressman John Lewis, the civil rights leader who was the original advocate for a National African American Museum in Washington, which was eventually designed by Adjaye and inaugurated last September. In the citation for the award, Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem (and currently working with the architect on an expansion project for the museum), describes Adjaye as "one of the great architectural visionaries of our time," and lauds his work as "deeply rooted in both the present moment and the complex context of history." See the full commendation, here, and check out the full list of 100 Most Influential People, here.
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| Posted: 20 Apr 2017 04:00 AM PDT  Courtesy of Archivo CBA
 © Ignacio Bisbal From the architect. This house is located in a neighborhood in the process of consolidation of San Pedro de la Paz, a commune near of Concepción.  © Ignacio Bisbal The restriction of a square plant (9 x 9 meters) is the context in which the project is developed. A central aisle with a dimension between enclosure and corridor defines the spatial structure that organizes this house. In its geometric center a skylight floods of light both levels crossing the floor of the second level. For this soil, flat steel bars were used, reminiscent of the urban gratings that conceal the installations and an unknown surface of the cities. On this structure, in the center of the dwelling, the experience can be of weightlessness or vertigo, the sensation is tensioned with the skylight that accompanies in concordance.  First Floor Plan  Section From this weightless lobby you can access the most intimate rooms of the second level. In the first floor, a perimeter circulation is added to the central aisle that communicates the kitchen with the dining room and the principal livingroom with the familiar, livingroom being drawing an orbit. This double circulation generates new relations between the enclosures, trying to overcome the boredom of a compact house.  © Ignacio Bisbal  © Ignacio Bisbal The formal result of this house is an exercise in geometry and proportions. The outer beams are slightly overflowing from the lead of the walls and their heights go beyond the stresses of static, the will upon them is visual and tectonic. All the work is conceived in reinforced concrete, in the interior have covered some walls with brushed boards of pine to butpe, like a smooth skin, complementing the tactile experience against the stone condition of the concrete.  Courtesy of Archivo CBA This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| As Roads Become High-Tech, Historic Toll Booths Might Need to Be Saved Posted: 20 Apr 2017 02:30 AM PDT  Tollbooth in New Harmony, Indiana. Image via <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/highsm.04189/'>Library of Congress/LC-DIG-HIGHSM-04189</a> This article was originally published on Atlas Obscura as "The Case for Preserving the 20th Century Tollbooth." Massachusetts is destroying its toll plazas. By the end of this year, every single one on the Massachusetts Turnpike will have been demolished. Drivers will still pay to use the road—they will zoom through the metal arches of electronic tolling infrastructure—but the routine of slowing down, stopping to grab a ticket, and waiting for the barrier to rise will be gone. Massachusetts is being more aggressive than most places about sweeping away its old tolling infrastructure, but all across the country, from New York to Florida, Texas to California, road authorities are switching to all-electronic tolling. While it's too soon to declare the tollbooth dead, it's easy to imagine a future in which roads are unencumbered by boxy plazas and simple gates.
If toll plazas are an endangered species of infrastructure, though, no one seems worried. Most of the time, when familiar landscapes are altered, people who have become accustomed to them kick up a fuss. But in this case there's little love lost. When toll plazas are gone, will anyone miss them? Will future generations think ours shortsighted for letting this piece of history be demolished? Is there anything about tollbooths worth preserving? .jpg?1492037389 "A toll house on the National Road. Image © A.S. Burns <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/hhh.pa3796.photos.215470p/'>via Library of Congress</a>") A toll house on the National Road. Image © A.S. Burns <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/hhh.pa3796.photos.215470p/'>via Library of Congress</a> It's not that Americans are entirely lacking in nostalgia for toll-collection infrastructure. Along the historic roads of the United States, it's possible to find toll houses dating back to the 1830s. "Especially when you go to the 19th century, there's more interest in the toll houses than the road itself," says Paul Daniel Marriott, who specializes in preservation planning for historic roads. The original toll houses of the National Road, for instance, were built by the federal government before it handed over operation of the country's first major artery—from Cumberland, Maryland, to Vandalia, Illinois—to the states. Each toll house had a hexagonal second floor with windows on all six sides, so the toll keeper could look up and down the road for travelers. There is a toll booth installed in 1940 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike preserved at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. But it's rare for preservationists to pay attention to more modern toll structures. A representative of the Society for Commercial Archaeology, which is devoted to preserving motels, neon signs, and other aspects of the 20th century's "commercial landscape," asked around but could find no member who'd done any work on tollbooths. In fact, there may have been only one major preservation effort to save a 20th-century toll plaza—a 1988 campaign to save the tollbooths of Connecticut's Merritt Parkway. .jpg?1492037394 "The Merritt Parkway. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0524.photos.022964p/'>via Library of Congress</a>") The Merritt Parkway. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0524.photos.022964p/'>via Library of Congress</a> As high-speed roads go, the Merritt is extraordinary pleasant, a leafy, tree-heavy drive that meanders under dozens of bridges, each with a unique design. The parkway, which was completed in 1940, was meant to be more than "another highway catering to the burgeoning commuter population," writes Bruce Radde in The Merritt Parkway. "It was lauded by design professionals and critics for its excellent engineering, it respect for the natural environment, and its inherent beauty." The tollbooths were added to the parkway before its second half was finished, and were designed by George Dunkelberger, who was also responsible for the road's iconic bridges. The booths looked like log cabins that might not be out of place in a National Park. Like most newly imposed tolls, this one was celebrated by public officials and met with some public skepticism: A contemporary news story describes how one Matthew E. Scully sped through a new toll booth at 30 miles per hour and tossed his 10-cent fare at the attendant. (He was arrested immediately by a police officer waiting on the other side.) Almost 50 years later, though, after highways had become bigger and faster, those tollbooths began to evoke a certain nostalgia. "I had fond childhood memories of Sunday drives on the Merritt, slowing down and dropping the dime into the little log cabin," says David Carris, who was working at the time as a preservationist in New Haven, Connecticut. By 1988, parts of the original Merritt Parkway had been converted into more modern interstate, and the rest was under threat. "You could see it was already being chipped away," Carris says. When the Merritt tollbooths were slated for removal, he and a coalition of other preservationists decided to fight for them. They began trying to convince the government to keep demolition crews at bay and looking for museums or parks that might agree to adopt one of the old toll plazas. .jpg?1492037402 "A Merritt Parkway tollbooth preserved at Boothe Memorial Park. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0559.photos.022909p/resource/'>via Library of Congress</a>") A Merritt Parkway tollbooth preserved at Boothe Memorial Park. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ct0559.photos.022909p/resource/'>via Library of Congress</a> They didn't encounter opposition, exactly. "If somebody wants to preserve [the tollbooths], I have no problem with that … Just get them off the darn highway," the president of a commuters' group told the Hartford Courant. The government was also happy to let preservationists have the tollbooths. Carris, along with the Committee to Save the Merritt Parkway and other preservation organizations, found a home for part of the Merritt's first toll plaza at the Henry Ford Museum, in Dearborn, Michigan. Another tollbooth went to Connecticut's Boothe Memorial Park, an eclectic collection on the site of the Boothe family estate. The campaign was, overall, a success. Often, in cases like this, the leader of a successful preservation project will hear from other people waging similar campaigns. But as far as Carris knows, this is the only preservation effort of its kind. "I've never heard of anyone else trying to save tollbooth," says Carris. "They disappear, and you don't even really notice it." .jpg?1492037408 "The Chicago Skyway toll plaza. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/il0825.photos.318321p/'>via Library of Congress</a>") The Chicago Skyway toll plaza. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/il0825.photos.318321p/'>via Library of Congress</a> The effort to save the Merritt tollbooths wasn't only about the actual toll infrastructure. Carris and the rest of the coalition saw their campaign as part of a longer fight to save the historic landscape of the Merritt from being folded into a modern highway. To the extent that tollbooths catch preservationists' interest at all, it's often because they're part of larger projects. "Many toll facilities were associated with significant engineering undertakings," says Marriott, the historic road specialist. "It's there where you find the higher level of investment and tollbooths that are part of the overall design and aesthetic." One toll plaza that caught his eye, for instance, is the one on the Golden Gate Bridge, where not just the bridge but the lighting, the booths, and other details were carefully considered. When people like him try to capture a breath of the past, these details help complete the picture, he says. Tollbooths, though, are so overlooked that they're usually badly maintained. Both Carris and Marriott mentioned the New York State Thruway toll plaza—a "piece of international modernist infrastructure strung out over I-95," in Carris' words—as striking and worthy of more attention. "They're not taking care of it," says Marriott. "It's really shabby. There's missing letters. It's not been cleaned or cared for, for a long time." The Thruway toll plaza represents a recent-enough past that few people probably think of it as in need of preservation. Further, when infrastructure is badly cared for, it becomes less noticeable and attractive—and therefore less likely to receive the outpouring of affection that preservation campaigns often depend on. .jpg?1492037415 "Toll plaza at Niagara Falls' Rainbow Bridge. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ny1747.photos.350977p/'>via Library of Congress</a>") Toll plaza at Niagara Falls' Rainbow Bridge. Image <a href='http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/ny1747.photos.350977p/'>via Library of Congress</a> Even unloved tollbooths, though, may one day be missed if they disappear. "Why care about tollbooths? I can make the case," says Carris. "They make you stop. We have a 12,000-year history of city-making and one of the unique experiences of entering and leaving a gated city was going through the city gates. In a way, there was a ritual associated with tollbooths of entering and leaving the city, and it's an important human experience that we're losing in this age of E-ZPass." Tollbooths help mark the boundaries of place, and they can be monuments to human achievement. "When the interstate system was so magnificent and futuristic—the Thruway tollbooth captures that," says Marriott. Today, our highways are more likely to be worn and in need of repair. Maybe it would be worthwhile to remember the moment when we cared enough about them to make even the toll plazas a little bit magnificent. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Parque Educativo Remedios / Relieve Arquitectura Posted: 20 Apr 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Isaac Ramírez
 © Isaac Ramírez From the architect. Parques Educativos are the pilot project of the Governor of Antioquia during the years 2012-2015. They are emblematic and small scale buildings that "contain a new educational concept and promote social opportunities through the development of skills on technology, entrepreneurship, innovation, science and culture" in 80 towns where they are located.  © Isaac Ramírez Remedios, located in the northeast region of Antioquia, is a town characterized by the presence of social problems like public order, violence, social inequality and common delinquency. Its territory is framed by a hilly geography full of steep slopes and adverse weather conditions. There can be seen urban invasión processes, vernacular architecture sustained by stilts, and ill-treated natural resources by its main economic activity - informal mining-.  © Isaac Ramírez Parque Educativo of Remedios is an architectural project which responds to the context and the culture of its territory. It is a democratic and open space that encourages the community to meet, talk, to share knowledge, generating opportunities for people's social development.  © Isaac Ramírez   © Isaac Ramírez This public building is emblematic and flexible, is not only a space for the social integration meeting, but also a new symbol for the community, like the church, the cemetery, the coliseum, the main park. It is an architectural icon which will be part of the traditional and cultural memory of the town.  © Isaac Ramírez We proposed a single level building that is constructed on an aerial slab, supported 15% on the ground and 85% by pillars, avoiding strong earthworks and big contentions. This strategy guarantees accessibility to everyone, furthermore, the possibility to connect the 4 required classrooms (2 training classrooms, 1 workshop classroom, and 1 digital classroom) and the administrative, service and technical zones.   The building is a permeable infrastructure built with basic materials, which fight the high temperaturas and humidity, and at the same time, helped to reduce the construction costs, workforce and time of execution. It enhances the spatiality in section, the distribution and hierarchy of the areas, and optimizes the circulations. The classrooms, modular spaces of equal dimensions and proportions, are strategically directed towards the east (main view), and also structured through a central courtyard and a terrace or viewpoint to the landscape.  © Isaac Ramírez  © Isaac Ramírez This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 30 Sites Every Architect Should Visit in Mexico City Posted: 20 Apr 2017 01:00 AM PDT  via Flickr user: © Kasper Christensen, bajo licencia CC BY-SA 2.0 Though the idea of a vacation in Mexico usually brings to mind images of margaritas on white-sand beaches, it seems the country is slowly but surely gaining recognition in other aspects as well. Among the most populated urban cities in Latin America and the world – not to mention The New York Times' number one "Place to Go in 2016" – Mexico City offers a particular cultural diversity evident both in its traditions and in its architecture. Considering it's the main tourist, educational, cultural, economic and political center of Mexico, it makes sense that it's the perfect scenario for the social encounters of its multicultural inhabitants and tourists. The sites of architectural interest alone are worth the visit, with prehispanic, classic, modern and contemporary examples ranging from Juan O'Gorman and Luis Barragán to Felix Candela and David Chipperfield. Add to that the fact that its gastronomic scene has garnered much praise and attention in recent years, and you've got a perfect combo. Below is a carefully curated list of 30 sites that every architect should know and visit. (Disclaimer: though roughly half the links direct to our Spanish site, the pictures are worth the click, we promise!) 01. Ciudad Universitaria / Mario Pani + Enrique del Moral - Biblioteca Central / Juan O´Gorman © Adlai Pulido Address: Avenida Universidad 3000 02. Casa Barragán / Luis Barragán via © Usuario de Flickr: LrBln Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: General Francisco Ramírez 12-14 03. Casa Gilardi / Luis Barragán via © Usuario de Flickr: pov steve. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: Calle General Antonio León 82 04. Casa O´Gorman / Juan O´Gorman via © Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera Address: Calle Diego Rivera & Avenida Altavista 05. Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo / Juan O´Gorman via Usuario de WikiArquitectura Pilar Address: Calle Diego Rivera & Avenida Altavista 06. Torre Latinoamericana / Augusto H. Álvarez Courtesy of Museo de Torre Latinoamericana Address: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 2 07. Museo de Antropología / Pedro Ramirez Vázquez, Rafael Mijares, Jorge Campuzano © Dan Gamboa Bohórquez Address: Avenida Paseo de la Reforma & Calzada Mahatma Gandhi 08. Museo del Templo Mayor / Pedro Ramírez Vázquez y Jorge Ramírez Campuzan via © Usuario de Flickr: Jesús Gorriti Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: Acceso desde Plaza Seminario, Zócalo 09. Palacio de Bellas Artes / Adamo Boari - Federico Ernesto Mariscal Piña via © Wikipedia User: Jptellezgiron Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 Address: Avenida Juárez & Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 10. Monumento a la Revolución / Carlos Obregón Santacilia via © Wikipedia User: Haakon K Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 Address: Plaza de la República s/n 11. Plaza de las Tres Culturas via © Wikipedia User: Haakon K Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 Address: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas & Avenida Ricardo Flores Magón 12. Torre Insignia / Mario Pani via © Usuario de Flickr: LANCER. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: Avenida Ricardo Flores Magón & Avenida Insurgentes Norte 13. Los Manantiales / Félix Candela © Erik Eugenio Martínez Parachini Address: Calle 27, 60, Xochimilco 14. Jose Vasconcelos Library / Alberto Kalach Courtesy of Alberto Kalach Address: Eje 1 Norte Mosqueta & Calle Juan Aldama 15. Palmas 555 / Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos Courtesy of Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos, fotografía por Guillermo Zamora Address: Paseo de Las Palmas 555 16. Museo Tamayo / Abraham Zabludovsky & Teodoro Gonzalez_-_omar-omar-2.jpg?1489091216 "via © Usuario de Flickr Omar Omar. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0") via © Usuario de Flickr Omar Omar. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: Paseo de la Reforma 51 17. Reforma 27 / Alberto Kalach © Yoshihiro Koitani Address: Paseo de la Reforma 27 18. Museo Jumex / David Chipperfield Architects © Simon Menges Address: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra 303 19. Museo Soumaya / FR-EE / Fernando Romero Enterprise © Rafael Gamo Address: Boulevard Cervantes Saavedra esq. Presa Falcón 20. Cineteca Nacional Siglo XXI / Rojkind Arquitectos © Rojkind Arquitectos. Photo: Paul Rivera Address: Avenida México Coyoacán 389 21. Casa Azul - Museo Frida Kahlo via © Usuario de Flickr: Rod Waddington Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: Londres 247 22. Elena Garro Cultural Center / Fernanda Canales + arquitectura 911sc Address: Calle Fernández Leal 43 23. "Los Clubes" - Cuadra San Cristóbal y Fuente de los Amantes / Luis Barragán_-_flickr-3573608700-original-esparta.jpg?1489091192 "via © Usuario Flickr: Esparta. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0") via © Usuario Flickr: Esparta. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0 Address: Manantial Oriente 20, Atizapán de Zaragoza 24. Torres de Satélite / Mathias Goeritz en colaboración con Luis Barragán via © Usuario Flickr: úbilo·haku Address: Perif. Boulervard Manuel Ávila Camacho & Paseo de la Primavera 25. Catedral Metropolitana de la Ciudad de México via © Wikipedia User: Guillermo Calva Márquez Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Address: Plaza de la Constitución S/N 26. Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe / Pedro Ramírez Vázquez © Oscar Ruiz Address: Calzada de los Misterios & Zumarraga 27. Torre BBVA Bancomer / LEGORRETA + LEGORRETA + Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners © Roland Halbe Address: Paseo de la Reforma & Lieja 28. Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso via © Wikipedia User: Zarateman Licensed under public domain Address: Justo Sierra 16 29. Castillo de Chapultepec via © Usuario de Flickr: lion05 Used under CC BY 2.0 Address: Bosque de Chapultepec / Acceso por Paseo de la Reforma 30. Museo de Anahuacalli / Diego Rivera via © Usuario de Flickr MexicoCityVibes Address: Museo 150 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| This Photoseries Captures the State of China’s Renowned Architectural Icons Posted: 19 Apr 2017 11:00 PM PDT  © Kris Provoost A simultaneous celebration of their cultural iconicity and distillation from their various contexts, Beautified China is a photographic essay by Kris Provoost (one-half of the vlogging duo behind #donotsettle) that tracks the evolution of Chinese architectural landmarks over the course of the past 7 years. Beginning his investigation with the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, Provoost considers a decade of architecture proposed for China by the profession's biggest names, many of which have been built now with monumental reputations in rising cities. "Most 'starchitects' had their chance to build, or to fulfill their wildest dreams," explains Provoost. "Some of them became landmarks: CCTV headquarters by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren or the Bird's Nest/National Stadium by Herzog and de Meuron for example. Others have turned a suburb into a new center, or have established a new city on its own." The reality is, however, that these buildings have redefined the identities of the cities they now belong to, overshadowing the importance of historical and traditional sites. "Can this be called success or just superficiality?" asks Provoost. Find out if these Chinese icons truly live up to their celebrated reputations, through the photographs below. National Stadium, Beijing / Herzog and de Meuron (Photo taken: 2016)  National Stadium / Herzog and de Meuron. Image © Kris Provoost  National Stadium / Herzog and de Meuron. Image © Kris Provoost In the spotlight during the 2 weeks of Olympics. After that the stadium hasn't seen much use to the level it was designed for. The occasional football match during the summer Asia tours of the European Football Club and snow park during the winter month. Completely falling in despair, living up to the Olympics faith as we have seen in many other stadiums. OCT Pavilion, Shenzhen / Jurgen Mayer (Photo taken: 2014)  OCT Pavilion / Jurgen Mayer. Image © Kris Provoost Novartis Campus, Shanghai / standardarchitecture, Zhang Ke (Photo taken: 2016)  Novartis Campus / standardarchitecture, Zhang Ke . Image © Kris Provoost Shanghai Tower, Shanghai/ Gensler (Photo taken: 2016)  Shanghai Tower / Gensler. Image © Kris Provoost Finished during 2016, this is the crown jewel of Shanghai and extension China to the outside world. It stands proud rising higher than life. Due to its curvature, the sun is always creating a shiny point making the tower always crisp and clean. Very successful design in terms of architecture and city image/vision. CCTV Headquarters, Beijing / OMA, Rem Koolhaas, Ole Scheeren (Photo taken: 2010-2016)  CCTV Headquarters / OMA, Rem Koolhaas, Ole Scheeren. Image © Kris Provoost  CCTV Headquarters / OMA, Rem Koolhaas, Ole Scheeren. Image © Kris Provoost A true marvel in terms of architecture and engineering is looming over the Beijing CBD. The striking shape is different from every angle. Nowadays it is overpowered by a bunch of new skyscrapers. The designed public loop is still not open for visitors, making it impossible for people to walk into this building. Sad. Moma/Linked Hybrid, Beijing / Steven Holl Architects (Photo taken: 2011)  Linked Hybrid / Steven Holl Architects. Image © Kris Provoost  Linked Hybrid / Steven Holl Architects. Image © Kris Provoost A housing development in the center of Beijing. Humongous scale as is typical in China. The color makes it fit right in the usually gray smogged sky. The linked bridge allowing for interesting vantage points. The concept is great, reality is different. Bridges are barely used, with empty swimming pools and oversized 'exhibition spaces as result. Vanke Headquarters/Horizontal Skyscraper, Beijing / Steven Holl Architects (Photo taken: 2014)  Horizontal Skyscraper / Steven Holl Architects. Image © Kris Provoost The horizontal skyscraper. I remember the great diagrams when published. Situated on the far outskirts of Shenzhen in a beautiful location. Rising of the green, this large structure creates great views. Fully in use by the user. Overall successful. Wangjing SOHO, Beijing / Zaha Hadid Architects (Photo taken: 2016)  Wangjing SOHO / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Kris Provoost One of the 3 built SOHO China projects done by ZHA. This one is located out- side Beijing City Centre. It rises above its neighbors marking a new center. A sort of welcome to the city when coming from the airport. Looking closer, the retail part is highly unsuccessful. Below standard tiny shops fill the lower levels. A fault of the business plan? Galaxy SOHO, Beijing / Zaha Hadid Architects (Photo taken: 2016)  Galaxy SOHO / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Kris Provoost The first SOHO project for Zaha Hadid Architects. Excellent location within close proximity to the forbidden city. A true 'blob' within a rigid system. Same issue as with Wangjing SOHO, rundown retail shops within a high-class architectural piece of work. Attracts lots of people. There for work/shopping or to admire the architecture? Unsure. International Youth Centre, Nanjing /Zaha Hadid Architects (Photo taken: 2016)  International Youth Centre / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Kris Provoost Placed within a new district in Nanjing, the former capital of the Chinese Empire. This development of 2 towers with a large theater (with 2 rooms) is the centerpiece, nicely placed on the center axis. Wasn't completely finished when visited in 2016, but was about to open. Hotel operator making finishing touches. Guangzhou Opera House, Guangzhou / Zaha Hadid Architects (Photo taken: 2014)  Guangzhou Opera House / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Kris Provoost The first Zaha Hadid in China. Also here, the centerpiece of the new Guangzhou CBD. Plagued with some bad luck during construction, it opened with a lot of excitement. Geometry too difficult at the time to built (opened in 2011). Nowadays fully in use, smaller spaces used for KFC. Can only China put a KFC in a Zaha? Bund International Finance Center – Theater, Shanghai / Heatherwick (Photo taken: 2016)  Bund International Finance Centre - Theatre / Heatherwick Studio. Image © Kris Provoost The newest kid on the block. This theater is part of a larger scale development designed by Foster + Partners. Recently finished and taken in use. Important development along the Huangpu river, the main river in Shanghai. The materiality of this theater fits well in China. Seemingly over decorated in bronze, just what the Chinese like. China Pavilion Expo 2010 / China Art Museum, Shanghai/ JingTang (Photo taken: 2015)  China Pavilion / JingTang. Image © Kris Provoost Highest and largest pavilion at the time during the Expo. Placed along the main axis, it is visible from far and will always remember the time Shanghai showed the world how to organize a proper World Expo. Nowadays transformed into the China Art Museum attracting lots of people on a daily basis. More worth the money than all other country pavilions? Run Run Shaw Creative Center, Hong Kong /Daniel Libeskind (Photo taken: 2016)  Run Run Shaw Creative Centre / Daniel Libeskind. Image © Kris Provoost Status: In Use British Pavilion, Shanghai / Heatherwick / (Photo taken: 2010)  British Pavilion / Heatherwick Studio. Image © Kris Provoost Status: Unknown Bund SOHO, Shanghai / gmp Architekten (Photo taken: 2016)  Bund SOHO gmp Architekten. Image © Kris Provoost The bookend of the classic European style buildings. Newly developed quarter housing offices and co-working spaces. No retail this time for SOHO China and that's a wise decision. Excellent address on your business card. Quiet space in the otherwise bustling part of time. And with an amazing view of the Pudong Skyline from the terraces. A successful project that's for sure. Conrad Hotel, Beijing / MAD Architects (Photo taken: 2016)  Conrad Hotel / MAD Architects. Image © Kris Provoost Usually draped into smog, this organic facade surely stands out along the 3rd ring road in Beijing. Fully in use by the hotel operator. This building is different from its neighbors, the typical generic buildings in Beijing. Once you see it, you will remember for long time to come. Isn't that what you want as a hotel operator? Check out the #donotsettle videos on architecture and its users, created by Kris Provoost and Wahyu Pratom, here. News via: Kris Provoost.
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| Posted: 19 Apr 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Marco Zanta
 © Marco Zanta From the architect. B&W building was born in a place that is the entrance to the city of Treviso for those coming from Venice. The building has been conceived as a landmark, for its particular position in the city and for the traffic flows that continually emphasize the shape in plan view.  © Marco Zanta The project involved the rehabilitation of a corner volume by simply treating it with the color white, a color that highlights every detail, every molding, every decoration. Alongside the new volume instead communicates with the existing historical city: painted with a neutral gray that will be the backdrop to a vegetation cover consists of climbing plants that relate to the green belt of the old city walls.  © Marco Zanta  © Marco Zanta The raumplan of the interior spaces defines a spatial continuity that begins from the lowest level and ends at the second floor, finding its most important interior in the white volumen resting on the gray cube, designed as an origami, interprets the lightness and transience. From this volume you can observe the city with its traffic, with its infrastructure, with the lights of the night, with the sounds of car horns, with the sound of car mufflers, with the headlights of cars moving form of reflections on the interior walls. As in a camera.  © Marco Zanta This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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