Arch Daily |
- Exupery International School / 8 A.M.
- Student Residences / Adalberto Dias
- Sports Park Willem – Alexander / MoederscheimMoonen Architects
- Seclusive Jiangnan Boutique Hotel / gad
- BongYangJe House / Architecture Studio YEIN
- Nanning Planning Exhibition Hall / Z-STUDIO + ZHUBO DESIGN
- Peixoto House / Erbalunga estudio
- Herzog & de Meuron Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Finally Celebrates Grand Opening
- Belleville / Septembre Architecture
- Foster + Partners Begins Construction on Poland's Tallest Tower
- DSC House / Estudio Leyton
- Hollywood: Design an Iconic Home of the Future
- Watch the Tides Change from This Thames River Museum Proposal
- Videotron Centre / Équipe SAGP
- Interview with Álvaro Siza: “Beauty Is the Peak of Functionality!”
- Tetuán-Amaliach Square / Héctor Navarro + ARKHITEKTON
- Los Angeles Selected as New Site for MAD's Lucas Museum
- Learn About Santiago Calatrava's WTC Hub and More In This Short Documentary
- “Permanently Unfinished”: The Evolution of Architecture in the Galapagos Islands
| Exupery International School / 8 A.M. Posted: 11 Jan 2017 09:00 PM PST  © Indrikis Sturmanis
 © Indrikis Sturmanis Uniting school and kindergarten in one complex, it comes with a new educational model – directed towards the child and encouraging creativity, which is also reflected in the architecture of the building.  © Indrikis Sturmanis The basic idea that kindergarten is already a school (pre-school) pervades volume of the house.  © Indrikis Sturmanis The ground floor of the kindergarten is a circle around which four age groups are located, starting with the youngest and ending with the older groups from which the children proceed further to school. In each age group, children learn several pieces of world literature that help them to understand the surrounding world. Successively the children till their school age live in several environments: forest, village, town, world – the Universe. These literary works and their themes are reflected in interior solutions as well as utilities of the courtyard: mosses and trees, meadow,lawn and yard, sand – the dust of Universe.  © Indrikis Sturmanis  Ground Floor Plan  © Indrikis Sturmanis On the first floor of the same building the general classrooms of the school – verandas are built. They form a continuous relationship and development bond between the youngest and already older students. From the corridor of the first floor, the playground of the little children is open to the view, as well as the little ones can see the bigger children's school activities.  © Indrikis Sturmanis  © Indrikis Sturmanis On the ground floor of the school volume, there is the public part of the school life; events- the large hall, sports, wardrobe for children, meanwhile the first floor is for specialized classes – languages, art, craft, computers, chemistry, physics, as well as the library. Both volumes are connected by "a dream bridge". The school has its own entrance, and it is emphasized by a large opening in the facade, which gives the opportunity to gather outside the school under the roof, as well as run 100 meters during the sport classes running through the school.  © Indrikis Sturmanis Both while designing the building and creating the concept of interior and furnishing, the main aim was that the children should feel themselves at home and free. Both the younger and the older students are the main in this house. The buildings an interior are designed attractive but 'light', putting the main emphasis as it was already mentioned, on the inhabitants of the house, so that it is convenient, comfortable and also interesting to study and work at International School Exupery.  © Indrikis Sturmanis The volume of the building A is designed circular in order to create a patio for kindergarten to play and walk, where the children are protected from wind as well as the noise from the highway. In its turn the volume of building B is designed as a marking off barrier between the highway and kindergarten thus creating a large courtyard between the two buildings with amphitheatre. The construction of large sides of the roof, which copy the passing of the sun around the perimeter and passively protect the rooms from overheating under direct rays of the sun.  © Indrikis Sturmanis Product Description. 1. The vertical constructions of the aluminum constructions of the facades act alike – permitting the sun to shine for a moment directly into some of the glass segments of the façade. In South Façade of the school volume the higher glass have higher reflection of the sun light (warmth) inside creating the feeling of partly closed blinds. 2. White and isn't transparent, but at the same time lets light in.  © Indrikis Sturmanis 3. Wooden decoration in facades is Siberian larch which is best suited for this latitude in usage of authentic material and sustainability. 4. In decoration of interior, a lot of birch plywood is used, which characterizes the mentality of this land.  © Indrikis Sturmanis  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Student Residences / Adalberto Dias Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:00 PM PST  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG From the architect. It is located in the expansion area of the University of Aveiro, in Agra do Crasto, a territory of salines, with an open orthogonal grid, in which preference in the urban rule and the boundaries between built space and empty space and the network of relationships that the system provides, wich in built system.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG It is a revisiting of the students residence built a decade earlier; Spartan project in the implantation and typology, in spaces and materials, in the construction. In the tipology; with clear references to russian constructivism and the republics of Coimbra.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  Section  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The tunnels passages are the elements of relationship between the two territories, interrupt the continuous front; Identify the modules and solve these entries domestic and collective houses.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG In the east side, the brick continues to remain as a constructive identity of the university, based on dry vertical joint and horizontal joint with invisible mortar.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG In the west, slat national pine wood covers all plans and covered passages, in reference to the place and in protection to the aggressive and saline winds from the west; Continuous and uniform, gives movement and change the forward shutters setting sun.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sports Park Willem – Alexander / MoederscheimMoonen Architects Posted: 11 Jan 2017 06:00 PM PST  © Ronald Tilleman
 © Ronald Tilleman From the architect. How can you make a motorway section attractive and functional for the local residents? This is the question MoederscheimMoonen Architects set to work on for the Municipality of Schiedam. They devised a unique solution for a stretch of the A4 motorway between the Dutch cities of Delft and Schiedam. The result is wonderful green park and a new sports location that will definitely appeal to the imagination. Located some six metres above the motorway, the sports fields are enclosed by one of the largest canvases in Europe. Together with Lace Fence, the architects created no less than 8,500 m² of colorful fencing that consists of over 1.6 million life-like 'pixels'.  © Ronald Tilleman Unique solution Initially, the tunnel and the motorway formed a barrier between the two adjacent residential areas. But the new design has now achieved the opposite. By realizing the park and sports fields on top of the tunnel itself, it has literally created new connections between the two residential areas. They offer an environment for everyone living in the area – young and old – to exercise and relax in.  Render Section  Section Exercising above the motorway The complex and multidisciplinary nature of this assignment is reflected in the multiple use of space on top of and around the tunnel. The design features concrete canopy structures on both sides of the tunnel – creating a large enough surface area to realize sports fields on the roof of the tunnel section. Below these awnings, one finds space for car parks and an indoor athletics, baseball and cricket facility.  © Ronald Tilleman  © Ronald Tilleman The main building is situated in the heart of the park, between the elevated sports fields. As such, it has a direct relationship with the surrounding athletic activity. The building houses a sports hall, changing rooms for various indoor and outdoor sports, rooms for dance and ballet and a large catering establishment with terrace seating. The terrace takes the shape of a plateau. 'Hovering' between the building's different levels, it forms a transitional zone between the different street levels. The building's overall design is characterized by the prominent expressive qualities of the fresh green roof and terrace awnings that emphasize the complex's layered nature.  © Ronald Tilleman  Ground Floor Plan  © Ronald Tilleman Largest canvas in Europe The fields are enclosed by a screen that not only guarantees safety at the location but also mitigates the negative effects of the wind. For its design, the architects teamed up with the specialist firm Lace Fence, known for its innovative architectural woven fabrics. They jointly developed a new product consisting of colorful 'pixels', named Dedots. These pixels are far more than just a pragmatic solution: they lend the environment its own identity, with every square meter in the 1.2-km screen realized according to a unique design. This has resulted in a functional work of art that presents an exciting combination of transparency, permeability to air and imagination. It merges everything that the project is about: nature, sports, connections and energy.  Courtesy of DeDots  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Seclusive Jiangnan Boutique Hotel / gad Posted: 11 Jan 2017 02:00 PM PST  © Yi Fan
 © Yi Fan From the architect. Seclusive Jiangnan Boutique Hotel is located in Dadou Road Historic District, Hangzhou and adjacent to Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. Before the renovation, the existing structures are two dilapidated affordable housings. Since get the commission, within less than a year, gad tried to use design as a tool to regenerate space in the historic district and balance the "preservation" and "demolition" as well as "inheritage " and "innovation", which are two seemingly contractions.  Before The project aims to convey the idea to the public that "spatial quality is the key for living experience in residence". The new design keeps the original form of the buildings, but reorganizes the circulation and spatial divisions. The No.188 building is in I-shape and along the canal while the No.190 is in L-shape and next to the historic neighborhood. Designers insert a glass box as hotel lobby and main entrance that connects the two separate buildings. In this way, it forms a courtyard as a 3-side enclosed space. The further design demolished the excess volume so that to keep the façades clean and straight.  © Yi Fan The design of the façade adopts two different means. For the facades facing historical neighborhood, they are in bricks locally sourced and the old windows have been replaced with glass. The design tries to match the feeling of the vernacular architecture from materiality perspective and keep the consistence of the appearance of historic neighborhood. For the façade along the canal, architects use staggered pattern of brick wall and ceiling windows so that reflects the water at the same time responses to the context materially.  © Yi Fan  Floor Plan 01  © Yi Fan The previous basement parking space being reprogrammed and renovated into library and gallery. This action regenerates the space and bring new public space indoors. A large public space from lobby opens up to third floor that creates new communication space and increases the flexibility of the space. The roof space is redesigned into LOFT guest rooms. The previous balconies are connected and transformed into public party place.  Section The interior majorly uses wood material. The design pursues a more intimate and home-like environment. The first two floors are mainly flowing public space divided by bookshelves.Seclusive Jiangnan Boutique Hotel is equipped with restaurant, café, library, gallery and residence to provide an enjoyable experience. It regenerates the space within the historic neighborhood and comes up with a different modern lifestyle with the most traditional feelings of Hangzhou.  © Yi Fan  Detail  © Yi Fan  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| BongYangJe House / Architecture Studio YEIN Posted: 11 Jan 2017 12:00 PM PST  © Jongseok Byeon
 © Jongseok Byeon The client came to visit in the situation when the existing Korean traditional house should be partially demolished as it become an obstacle to the planned construction of a double-track railroad from Seoul to Gangneung, which is preparing for 2018 Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics. We had to impartially consider the ideas of three generations of the client family: the grandmother and the father could not discard the love of the sixty-year-old Korean traditional house, while the young son wanted to shake off the old lifestyle that was quite bothersome so far. Taking into account their ideas, we began to enjoy imagination by sitting together with the family on the side wooden floor.  © Jongseok Byeon Preservation / Link / Topography  © Jongseok Byeon The Plan that Combines Three Generations  © Jongseok Byeon  Floor Plan  © Jongseok Byeon Amongst the four space in the main body of the existing structure, one is assigned to the grandmother; another to the father; yet another to the common space; and the right one is used only to provide its component because it could hardly reassemble its loft above the kitchen. Designing the common space, which connects between the new western-style and the Korean traditional wings, as a wooden structure which can be fabricated, we made the flow naturally lead through the vestibule to the Korean-style wing, whose left space was topped with a hipped-and-gable roof while its vestibule and the right space were topped with a gable roof. In son's place, children room was put in connection with the toilet corridor so that the son would have his own family there in future; and the living room and the kitchen were located to the south. We also made a roof balcony that would serve as a family lounge to which one could go through the loft.  © Jongseok Byeon Product Description. While we refabricate previous house, existing timber is reused after process and damaged part is replaced by newly processed timber of pine tree.-  © Jongseok Byeon  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Nanning Planning Exhibition Hall / Z-STUDIO + ZHUBO DESIGN Posted: 11 Jan 2017 11:00 AM PST  Aerial photo. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN
 Exterior. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN Urban planning exhibition halls in China should be public buildings for citizens, but in reality, these buildings are largely used for government to attract investments. Therefore, a grand square built in the front helps to highlight the elevation of the box-like building. It is common in Chinese that public buildings only show the power of the authority, instead of serving the public. The project is located at the edge of a mountain park. If we take the common practice, the building has to step aside to make sure there is enough space for a grand square, which means we need to excavate the mountain and build a 10-meter-high wall. In this way, we occupy the park where people could have taken a walk, create an unnecessary square and a huge building filled with negative space. In order to preserve the park, we build part of the exhibition hall on stilts as public space, not just empty ones. The space in the shade allows not only for outdoors exhibitions but also people to take a stroll. So citizens will get closer to the hall and exhibitions. The roof transformed into an artificial hill with ups and downs integrates the hall into the mountain of the park, making the prominent feature of the design. The roof helps the preserved mountain become the landscape feature of the design, meanwhile, expands the area of the park. All in all, the architects intend to provide people with a public building as well as a larger and more interesting garden.  Concept Analysis  Aerial photo. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN  Concept Analysis A free-form surface has been introduced in the design to blur the shape of the hall, rather than the symbolic facade. When you walk on the roof, you can find different levels of beauty of the hall from various perspectives, which encourages people to wander the hall and enjoy it.  Elevation Analysis  Exterior. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN  Elevation Diagram The roof is made of dozens of trumpet-like steel structures. They are both suitable for the topography and perfect supporting structures of the hall, creating a large span space of 33 meters inside and an overhanging space of 15 meters outside the hall. In addition, these structures serve as not only accesses to bring in light and collect water, but also interior staircases and equipment rooms.  © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN  Function Analysis  Interior. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN An urban planning exhibition hall always sounds like its city, hence we should show the city image through a hall basing on local people's needs, the respect for nature and human-oriented values. We should merge halls and environment so that citizens can see the integration of architecture, landscape, future city and daily life. Here we try to make the best use of the city space by means of architecture design to gain a win-win result between the government and citizens.  Interior. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN The hall has been put into operation while its garden on the roof has been blocked to the mountain park by a fence, which explains local authority wouldn't easily accept the spirit of openness and publicity. Nevertheless, Nanning Urban Planning Exhibition Hall has made clear its open attitude that it is ready to embrace the future.  Roof garden. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN  Master plan  Roof garden. Image © Courtesy of ZHUBO DESIGN  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Peixoto House / Erbalunga estudio Posted: 11 Jan 2017 09:00 AM PST  © Iván Casal Nieto
 © Iván Casal Nieto From the architect. The owners of this house were not identified with the layout of their old apartment. Small consecutive spaces, arranged longitudinally along a corridor that provided access to multiple rooms and uses. A simple and inefficient distribution for a contemporary dwelling.  © Iván Casal Nieto From the beginning, multifunctional spaces were created allowing future possibilities. It was necessary to move away from the restrictive layout that was preventing new habits, hobbies, activities or new ways of thinking.  Existing Plan  Proposed Plan Kitchen, dining room, living room or work area were connected in a open plan layout keeping this uses away from the most private areas of the house.  © Iván Casal Nieto A simple, clean and unconventional designed space acts as a proper living room and it hosts different activities. This main space can be adapted to meet the requirements of the clients.  © Iván Casal Nieto Furthermore, the layout generates a meander through the space that leads the guest from the most public to the most private part of the flat relating the different uses of the dwelling.  © Iván Casal Nieto The proposal retrieves the dwelling's values and efficiency, providing space and light, a rare luxury in an urban context.  © Iván Casal Nieto  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Herzog & de Meuron Elbphilharmonie Hamburg Finally Celebrates Grand Opening Posted: 11 Jan 2017 08:00 AM PST  © Thies Rätzke Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany has opened after 16 years of planning and construction, which was held back by financial and legal issues. The grand opening of the concert hall, taking place on January 11 and 12, 2017, features inaugural concerts and a light display on the façade of the building. As Hamburg's newest cultural destination, the building was inaugurated by German Federal President Joachim Gauck, Mayor of Hamburg Olaf Scholz, architect Jacques Herzog from Herzog & de Meuron, and General and Artistic Director Christoph Lieben-Seutter. More than 4,500 guests from Germany and abroad will take part in the opening concerts in the Grand Hall and Recital Hall today and tomorrow, including Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, various high-ranking political and cultural leaders from around the world, and 1,000 visitors who won tickets to the event, out of 220,000 entrants from 73 countries.  © Maxim Schulz  © Maxim Schulz On both opening days, music will be made available outside of the building for all to see and hear, accompanied by a projection of colored lights onto the building's façade.  © Maxim Schulz  © Maxim Schulz  © Maxim Schulz
 © Maxim Schulz  © Maxim Schulz  © Maxim Schulz A 360-degree live stream will be available on the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg YouTube page. News via the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Belleville / Septembre Architecture Posted: 11 Jan 2017 07:00 AM PST  © David Foessel
 © David Foessel From the architect. Construction of a five storey building with four apartments and a commercial space. The challenge was to integrate the new construction on the existing two levels of which only the concrete structure was retained. The solution of a light wooden structure for the top three levels was developed. This structural choice also allowed to facilitate supplies to the site, difficult to access, and optimized the construction time. The context is in a dense and heterogeneous urban tissue, close to the circular highway "la periphèrique" that spatially separates Paris from its suburbs, the area is under important renovation and transformation. All apartments profit from double exposure and two enjoy private terraces directed on the calmer backyard. With regular generously proportioned windows, the facade is intended as a reinterpretation of the classic Parisian typology but adapted to current uses.  © David Foessel  Exploded Axonometric  © David Foessel  Floor Plans  © David Foessel Product Description. The facade of the ground floor and the first floor are clad in enameled bricks in a light grey tone. This material reflects the architectural desire to emphasize the first two levels.  © David Foessel  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Foster + Partners Begins Construction on Poland's Tallest Tower Posted: 11 Jan 2017 06:00 AM PST  Courtesy of Foster + Partners Construction has begun on Foster + Partners' Varso Tower, which will become Poland's tallest tower upon completion. As a part of the larger Varso complex, which will include three additional buildings, the 53-story tower will reach 310 meters in height and will span 140,000 square meters. The tower is expected to become a new hotspot for business, residents, and tourists, as it will house flexible office space, two restaurants, shops, cafés, covered internal streets, and an observation deck, which at 230 meters will become one of the highest in Europe. From here, building users, locals, and tourists will experience views of Warsaw's skyline and the metropolitan area.  Courtesy of Foster + Partners The Varso development is located next to Warsaw's Central Railway station, and will revive the most centrally located brownfield area in the city, "bringing new life to the vicinity and improving the local environment and surrounding public spaces with extensive new planting and street furniture." The lower buildings in the complex, by Hermanowicz Rewski Architects, will form a central frontage along one of the main streets next to the Central Station, as well as a joint multi-story podium with green rooftop terraces for building occupants.  Courtesy of Foster + Partners Because Varso will utilize technology to reduce air pollution as well as electricity and water consumption, the project will be the first of its scale in Poland to be rated "Outstanding" in the BREEAM certification scheme.
The project is scheduled to be completed in 2020. News via Foster + Partners.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2017 05:00 AM PST  © Josefina Leyton
 © Josefina Leyton The house is located in a family condominium, in La Dehesa, each site faces an inner street that gives access to them. Therefore is a front and a against front, the first is shared, and the second is in a more private area, this transition is posed through a central axis composed of 3 spaces that follow each other, acces hall, open central courtyard and warm terrace.  © Josefina Leyton  Ground Floor Plan  © Josefina Leyton The house is a square that its defined in inner and outer edges, each of wich has a function related to familly dwelling, this is how the most private sector corresponding to the bedrooms, living room and desk are separated, in another sector the public spaces, living and dining room and in another sector of the square, services.  © Josefina Leyton Each of these spaces is related to the exterior, either with an airtight facade, or in the case of the living areas with a terrace is projected as an emergent volume of the square shape, that opens to the outside, but tempering the space with full and empty.  © Josefina Leyton The second levels apear as spaces emerging from the main volumen, capturing the outer light and taking it with an inclination of the sky to the interior, in its outer form these volumes are triangular, wich causes the planes to intercept each other.  Section  © Josefina Leyton  Section  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hollywood: Design an Iconic Home of the Future Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:30 AM PST  Arch Out Loud is partnering with Last House on Mulholland to host the HOLLYWOOD design competition. The competition asks participants to design a house of the future which demonstrates the use of innovative technology, integrative environmental strategies and capitalizes on the iconic prominence of its site beneath the famed Hollywood sign. The competition serves as a design charette generating ideas about the potential for what the site could become and how it can inspire the future of residential design. The Hollywood sign itself has long served as a symbol of the neighborhood's dominance over the motion picture industry and as a beacon for its aspiring talent. When it was erected in 1923, however, the Hollywood sign (then, Hollywoodland) was meant to serve as a real estate advertisement and not a logo for showbiz. Today, the icon's popularity has led to incessant tourist traffic within the residential streets of the canyon below. The site for the Hollywood competition is located on an empty plot directly beneath the sign on Mulholland Hwy, which has been purchased by Steve Alper of Last House on Mulholland. Its location on such a prominent site enables the project to gain widespread attention. Therefore, the project will seek to promote a positive mission and serve as an example for how future homes can be built and inhabited. As advancing technology continues to affect all aspects of daily life, social customs as well as living patterns will evolve and homes of the future should reflect such evolution. As climate change continues to impact energy consumption and production, rising sea levels, and water scarcity, all building especially those in coastal, arid cities like Los Angeles will need to find appropriate responses to address such concerns. Rewards: Prizes total $6,000 Jury: Thom Mayne - Founder, Design Lead | Morphosis Calendar: Advanced Registration - January 3-14 3D models, detailed CAD linework and a portfolio of site photos are available to competition participants. Contact arch out loud at info@archoutloud.com
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| Watch the Tides Change from This Thames River Museum Proposal Posted: 11 Jan 2017 04:00 AM PST Architect Evgeny Didorenko has released his conceptual proposal, Thames River Museum, which aims to improve connectivity on the North Bank of the Thames River and create an exciting museum space in London. As a proposal for the Thames Museum, which is currently a project without permanent accommodation, Didorenko's work seeks to help the museum become a reality by finding a location for it that would not only work with the museum's context, but that would also solve existing issues on the riverbank. Therefore, the proposal's site is an underused portion of London's North Bank—Queen's Quay. Historically, Queen's Quay served as a transportation hub to deliver goods to city residents from the sea, but now lies abandoned, and stays dry during periods of low tide, when water levels drop up to eight meters.  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko Furthermore, the existing pedestrian route along the embankment in this area is essentially nonexistent, with no access to the waterfront, and no direct pathways, which forces pedestrians to walk inland for several blocks before returning to the river. The proposal features three main components: a continuous, pedestrian-friendly waterfront, the Thames River Museum, and a public lido on top of the museum, in order to transform the space back into a public attraction.  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko The focal point of the project, however, would be the "Thames Screen," a large, "inverse fish bowl" window that shows the River's changing elevation throughout the day, allowing visitors "to explore the river from the inside, reflecting the living pulse of the city of London."  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko Concurrent with the Thames River Museum's dedication to the archaeology and history of the River, the proposal additionally features a display of subterranean archaeological layers, in order to present the Thames as "the oldest ancient monument of the city."  Courtesy of Evgeny Didorenko Learn more about the proposal here. News via Evgeny Didorenko.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Videotron Centre / Équipe SAGP Posted: 11 Jan 2017 03:00 AM PST  © Stéphane Groleau
 © Stéphane Groleau The idea to build a multifunctional arena in Quebec City began in 2009 with the creation of the group "J'ai ma place" (which translate in a double meaning : I have my seat/I belong here), which had the mission to revive the popular craze for the return of a team professional hockey in the old capital. The project, strongly supported by the mayor of the city, has quickly captured the attention of the media and citizens. It's in 2012 that the mandate to design this project was officially granted to the SAGP integrated team. The Videotron Centre is now a unifying project for an entire population, proud to have witnessed the birth of a unique infrastructure of its kind in the heart of the Quebec City region.  © Stéphane Groleau Built on the site of a former hippodrome, on the edge of the Limoilou district, the main volume of the amphitheater clearly marks the function of the building across the city. Its pure white skin and openings evoke the movement of the snow moved by the wind, snowdrifts, and more broadly the nordicity of the city. The snowdrifts, formed by icy winds, delight the eye and shape our landscape. They subtly became the visual representation and conceptual line of this sports and cultural facility of Quebec. The structure that supports this curved façade is in laminated timber, a detail that greatly colors the perception of peripheral passageways. The openings that undulate around the perimeter of the volume offers unique views of the city. From the outside, the white dome is visible from almost everywhere in the city. The internal configuration of the building, following to the principle of open concourses on the bowl, invites to the celebration and the free movement of users. The overall feel of the place is festive, lively and stimulating.  © Stéphane Groleau  © Stéphane Groleau Videotron Centre presents a hybrid structure of steel and laminated timber. The use of wood has been chosen as a support structure of the envelope of the main volume to elegantly adapts the curve of the outer wall and gives a unique look to peripheral concourse. From the main concourse to the lower roof on a total height of over 25 meters, this structure has only an intermediate support at the upper concourse. The laminated timber arches, located at a distance of 5 meters from each other, create the 92 facets of the oval volume of the enclosure of the bowl. Black spruce - in section 25 by 25 millimeters - was selected for its local availability and structural qualities, allowing to refine the dimensions of the impressive arches.  © Stéphane Groleau The lobby, generous and open to the exterior public square brings the imposing building to the pedestrian scale. The lobby features a long screenprinted glass wall acting as a sunshade to minimize solar gains in summer. A hybrid structure of wood and steel has been used to support the facade of over 93 long and 11 meters high, dramatically suspended 4 meters above the ground. At night, the wall is highlighted to provide an increased civic presence. Ultimately, the wide public square will undoubtedly become a favorite place to watch a hockey game outdoors on the huge built-in screen.  Section  Floor Plan  Section The amphitheater has a large number of configurations to enable a wide variety of sports and cultural events. In the show configuration, it can seat 20 396 people and 18 310 in the hockey configuration. The infrastructure meets the NHL requirements and allows to possibly welcome a team in the upcoming years. The Centre is aiming for a LEED NC Silver certification, which is rather rare for a building of this type.  © Stéphane Groleau With the construction of Videotron Centre, Quebec City has adopted a new fun contemporary equipment, evocative, sustainable and connected to its community.  © Stéphane Groleau  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Interview with Álvaro Siza: “Beauty Is the Peak of Functionality!” Posted: 11 Jan 2017 01:30 AM PST  Fundação Iberê Camargo. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG Throughout the 60-year career of Álvaro Siza, his work has continuously defied categorization--having variously been described as "critical regionalism" and "poetic modernism," with neither quite capturing the true essence of Siza's intuitive architecture. In this interview, the latest in Vladimir Belogolovsky's "City of Ideas" series, Siza discusses those attempts to categorize his work, his design approach and the role of beauty in his designs. Vladimir Belogolovsky: Your student, Eduardo Souto de Moura said, "Siza's houses are just like cats sleeping in the sun." Álvaro Siza: [Laughs.] Yes, he meant that my buildings assume the most natural postures on the site. There is also a reference in that to the human body.  Leça Swimming Pools. Image © Wikimedia user Christian Gänshirt licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 VB: Do you think it is important or even possible for an architect to explain his or her work and process in a conversation such as we are having now? AS: I think so. Maybe in the wrong way [Laughs.] I like explaining my work. When I am asked to present a lecture, I always choose to talk about one particular project because I like to explain how ideas come about.  Boa Nova Tea House. Image © Samuel Ludwig VB: I have seen a number of your projects in Portugal and Spain, and just yesterday, I went to see your Restaurant Boa Nova here in Porto, which is a kind of project that is impossible to understand through photographs. It is not about an image, but something else, which does not translate into pictures. What do you think that is? AS: Well, that is true for most buildings, not just mine. Photographs can't convey space.  Boa Nova Tea House. Image © Samuel Ludwig VB: Except that most buildings look better in photos and with your work, the opposite is true. AS: There is such a thing as a sensation of understanding and feeling space. I had this realization when I first visited Fallingwater by Wright. First, there is a density of the atmosphere there; then the scale can never be accurately understood. Wright's house is actually much smaller than what you would expect from just looking at photos. He reduced such dimensions as parapets or ceiling heights.  Portuguese pavilion for Expo 98. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: I want to talk about your architecture as an approach. Kenneth Frampton said that you are a part of the "Critical regionalist" movement. And by "Critical regionalism" he understands "an approach to architecture that strives to counter the placelessness and lack of identity of the International Style," and an approach that "also rejects the whimsical individualism and ornamentation of Postmodern architecture." What do you think about being placed into this category, "Critical regionalism?" Do you agree? Because you also have a very strong individualistic character, so it is a mixture of things. AS: Yes, I agree with being categorized as such. When critics talk about critical regionalism the word that is overlooked is critical. What Frampton meant, I think, was not that architecture should go in the direction of closing its global discourse, but that such discourse should encourage continuity of local cultural traditions, as opposed to celebrating the International Style, which was becoming placeless.  The Building on the Water / Álvaro Siza + Carlos Castanheira. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: And so you see your work as a continuation of the local traditions. AS: Yes. But don't forget that all traditions either change and transform or they die. VB: You said, "Tradition is important when it contains moments of change." AS: Yes, tradition does not mean closure, immobility. Quite the opposite, the value of traditions is in being open to innovations. Tradition is not the opposite of innovation, it is complementary.Tradition comes from successive interchanges. Isolated cultures that try to preserve their traditions without being open to new ideas collapse. Every traditional culture is influenced by outside cultures. When I was growing up there were very few centers of global culture – Paris, London, New York, and the rest was a periphery. Portugal was in the periphery and it was closed until the 1974 revolution, after which the country was rediscovered. Frampton was one of the first critics who came here and he traveled to other parts of Europe, including Spain, Greece, and Scandinavian countries. It was the time when architects were interested in rediscovering non-mainstream architecture. In this context, he was perhaps the first critic who insisted on the importance of identity.  Fundação Iberê Camargo. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: You often say, "Nothing is invented. There is a past for everything." You are not interested in making something entirely new, right? Your work is based on what was done before. Could you talk about your position? AS: It is impossible to make something entirely new. Look at the Villa Savoye in Poissy by Le Corbusier. When you see it, the sensation is that it is entirely new. It is clearly new architecture for a new kind of man. But the reality is that nothing is new but modified or transformed. There were horizontal "slit windows" in ancient structures in pre-Columbian America or in Portuguese vernacular; there are pilotis in the old market of Venice; you can even find examples of open plan in ancient structures where there was just a roof and perimeter walls with no interior partitions. The new only comes from new combinations and materials, but nothing is completely new. We, architects are constantly being influenced by what is around us. For example, I remember when my Bonjour Tristesse social housing was being built in Berlin. I was in that neighborhood and I saw a building that I thought was under construction; it had a similar roof profile as mine. So I told my contractor – look I haven't finished my building yet and it is already being copied. Then the contractor said, "If anyone is copying that's you because that building is being demolished." [Laughs.] And the truth is that I probably saw it before I did my design and it influenced me subconsciously.  Wohnhaus Schlesisches Tor (Bonjour Tristesse) / Álvaro Siza Vieira + Peter Brinkert. Image © Wikimedia user Georg Slickers licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 VB: Kenneth Frampton said: "Like Aalto's, all of Siza's buildings are delicately laid into the topography of their sites. His approach is patently tactile and tectonic, rather than visual and graphic. Even his smallest buildings are topographically structured." At the same time you said, "Even before I have complete knowledge, or good knowledge of every single problem, I begin sketching possible solutions with the little information I have. I feel I need to begin immediately with an idea – although then it can be completely changed." Could you talk about your process of drawing and design? AS: I start drawing from the very beginning. I don't worry about analyzing the problem, the site conditions, or even the program. Because if I first do all the analysis there would be too much information and little architecture... So first, I sketch, sometimes before I go to the site. This is because I immediately start working and searching for an idea, even if I only have a photo of the place. And most of the time the first sketches are good for nothing. But I use them to construct an idea that comes out of many sketches. Gradually, with more information, a real thing emerges. I always work with collaborators who feed me with information. I work with models directly and at some point, there's a cross between rigor that comes from precise information and complete freedom of my intuition, they meet.  Taifong Golf Club. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: You said that a drawing establishes a dialogue with the mind. You called a drawing hand not just thinking but provocative. AS: It often happens that in the very beginning of a project it is not clear how to develop it. In those moments, I try to distract myself. I take a break, do many sketches and drawings, and suddenly a spark comes. So there is a relationship between the hand and the mind. One complements the other. Aalto too spoke of this.  The Building on the Water / Álvaro Siza + Carlos Castanheira. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: Your work is very intuitive. You said, "I don't work within any theoretical framework nor do I offer a key as to how you should understand my work." Your work is intuitive but also very particular and you have a very controlled repertoire. For example, most of your buildings are white, some have red brick. They are solid-looking, faceted or with curved profiles and convex and concave facades. Do you intentionally discipline yourself or is it about developing your particular and recognizable language? AS: I don't think I have a unified language. I worked in Portugal and Spain, in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Brazil, China... These are very different circumstances. Building techniques are different. Materials are different. Climatic conditions are different. Histories and cultures are different. The atmospheres are different. My decisions are based on what I observe and absorb. When I worked on the art museum in Santiago de Compostela, I did not want to use local granite (gris); I wanted to use white material in the interior. I chose Greek marble because at the time it was cheaper. I also wanted to use the same marble on the facades but that provoked opposition from the locals. I wanted the museum to be white for two reasons – to distinguish its civic importance and also because in the past, the whole city was painted white. Throughout history, Santiago was white. Only in recent times, stucco was removed to reveal stone and granite. So every building is a response to specific circumstance and I don't have a strict theory. Of course, I do have a theory, otherwise how could I have a practice? But this theory does not limit my work.  Viana do Castelo Municipal Libary. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: You once said, "Beauty does not interest me." Yet, your work is very beautiful. What is the main intention then? AS: Did I really say that? VB: Do you think you were misquoted? AS: I could only say that if I was drunk. [Laughs.] Of course, I am interested in beauty. Beauty is the peak of functionality! If something is beautiful, it is functional. I don't separate beauty and functionality. Beauty is the key functionality for architects… I wonder how I could say that beauty was not of interest to me... Perhaps someone provoked me by saying that I am an aestheticist. I am not that. But a search for beauty should be the number one preoccupation of any architect.  Gondomar Sports Complex. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: Nowadays many younger generation architects pride themselves on the fact that they don't personally initiate projects with a sketch. They developed a team approach with multiple contributions. But I read that you like to design your projects alone sitting in a cafe. What do you think about the collaborative approach to architecture? AS: This is partially true but it was years ago. I no longer draw in cafes. I used to do that to get out of the ambiance of my studio. This used to happen on daily basis. A coffee house in Porto was an institution. You could see students studying in cafes or meetings would take place there. Now coffee is something that you drink quickly and move on; it is no longer an authentic experience. I even saw a sign at one café that said, "No studying." But I have another reason for not going to cafes. After certain projects, here in Portugal I became known, so when people see me they come to say hello and when they see that I am drawing they ask if I could draw something for them. So I had to resist. [Laughs.] Now I do sketches in the studio because my collaborators don't demand sketches from me. [Laughs.]  Mimesis Museum / Alvaro Siza + Castanheira & Bastai Arquitectos Associados + Jun Sung Kim. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: Nevertheless, you start projects with sketches and for a while, you stay one on one with the project, right? AS: Yes, but at the same time I involve my team from the very beginning. Engineers, for example, start right away. What I don't like now is when younger architects start working on projects immediately on the computer. This does not give them a chance to start the project freely with free thinking and freehand drawings. Fresh ideas come from thinking and drawing, not from the computer. Sketching is important for thinking.  Fire Station in Santo Tirso. Image © Joao Morgado - Architecture Photography VB: You also said, "I am a functionalist." Then you added that "the form, spaces, and atmosphere don't arise from solving functions. Every architect is forced to provide answers to functional problems. But architecture with a capital A begins when a project obtains freedom, free of all constraints, able to take flight and develop in other directions." What does that mean for you – architecture with a capital A? AS: Very difficult… Architecture is a service. When a client asks for something architects have an ethical responsibility to deliver a project that responds to a particular set of objectives as rigorously as possible. But we should still remember that architecture should remain free. Architecture should strive to become another thing, not just be a solution for pragmatics. As an architect, I don't just want to be preoccupied with solving problems. There are other issues at stake. The real issue is to keep a good balance. Functionality should never suffer, but architecture should be much more than that and achieving beauty is the top priority of any architecture.  Amore Pacific Research & Design Center / Alvaro Siza, Carlos Castanheira and Kim Jong Kyu. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: "Architects do not invent anything, they just transform reality" is one of your favorite expressions. Kenneth Frampton said that this aphorism of yours should be engraved at the entrance of every architecture school. He also said that many of our leading architects can't accept this idea even as a joke. AS: Bad for them because this is true. [Laughs.] VB: There is a very strong belief among leading architects in this notion that "here is my work" and "there is everyone else." AS: Well I would agree with that. My architecture is also different. But at the same time I know that I am not an inventor. I am the transformer. That's all.  Fundação Iberê Camargo. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VB: You said, "Rationality is not enough. I want to go around the problem." AS: [Laughs.] VB: I want to finish our conversation with another one of your phrases, "A good architect works slowly." AS: Computers made it possible to design and build architecture much quicker. But thinking still takes as much time. Architecture is about a debate and provocation; that can't happen without thinking. Computers can enhance thinking, but architecture is a slow art.  Ribero-Serralo Sports Complex. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG + SG VLADIMIR BELOGOLOVSKY is the founder of the New York-based non-profit Curatorial Project. Trained as an architect at Cooper Union in New York, he has written five books, including Conversations with Architects in the Age of Celebrity (DOM, 2015), Harry Seidler: LIFEWORK (Rizzoli, 2014), and Soviet Modernism: 1955-1985 (TATLIN, 2010). Among his numerous exhibitions: Anthony Ames: Object-Type Landscapes at Casa Curutchet, La Plata, Argentina (2015); Colombia: Transformed (American Tour, 2013-15); Harry Seidler: Painting Toward Architecture (world tour since 2012); and Chess Game for Russian Pavilion at the 11th Venice Architecture Biennale (2008). Belogolovsky is the American correspondent for Berlin-based architectural journal SPEECH and he has lectured at universities and museums in more than 20 countries. Belogolovsky's column, City of Ideas, introduces ArchDaily's readers to his latest and ongoing conversations with the most innovative architects from around the world. These intimate discussions are a part of the curator's upcoming exhibition with the same title which premiered at the University of Sydney in June 2016. The City of Ideas exhibition will travel to venues around the world to explore ever-evolving content and design.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tetuán-Amaliach Square / Héctor Navarro + ARKHITEKTON Posted: 11 Jan 2017 01:00 AM PST  © David Montero
 © David Montero "Between valleys and craters" (the name of the proposal) has sought since its first sketches to create a public space able to generate a continuous ground plane capable of saving the large difference in level that the work area presented (6.20 meters in the worst part). Usable by 100% of its surface and, thus recovering a residual space in the city that had juxtaposed a series of independent operations (parking, electric installation, huge ramp to upper housing block...)  © David Montero  Site Plan  © David Montero Once the project was assigned, the architects did field work with the aim of collecting proposals and future users concerns for this project. Restaurateurs and other neighboring businesses proposed valuable approaches, above all, existing problems that had to be solved with the final proposal. Some solutions were relocated and greenery were added (at first, the whole proposal was a square defined by a concrete floor as the competition required). It also accomplishes the city councils demands, ensuring the safety of users and taking into account the economic maintenance for the future.  © David Montero The project has been designed with a ground plane as a sculpted topography, getting with its formal solution, accessible routes to higher areas of the square avoiding ramps and handrails. To this purpose, a regulating plane has been designed to find the easiest solution in its geometry getting minimal slopes capable of fulfilling the standards of accessibility. This plan applies actions which will result in a zoning of the square as "craters" that organize activities and circulations. A visual connection is achieved between all parts of the whole, but allowing the particular development of each of the uses. These craters are materialized in many different ways depending on their use. Concrete floors for terrace areas (for existing businesses) with shrubbery in their slopes, rubber soils in the playground, grass or other one occupied by a stands-like installation.  © David Montero Over the project, a pattern of 3x3 meters serves as a basis for organizing trees (Pyrus calleryana), streetlights and other urban furniture . This grid also defines the expansion joints that is part of the striped pattern of the concrete floor .  © David Montero  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Los Angeles Selected as New Site for MAD's Lucas Museum Posted: 11 Jan 2017 12:30 AM PST  Courtesy of Lucas Museum of Narrative Art The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has finally found a home. Following nearly a decade of searching, the museum's board has announced that Los Angeles' Exposition Park will serve as the site for the MAD Architects-designed building housing the life's work and expansive art and media collection of one of history's most celebrated filmmakers, George Lucas.  Courtesy of Lucas Museum of Narrative Art After proposals for the museum in San Francisco's El Presidio district and Chicago were turned down by their respective communities, new competing schemes for Los Angeles and San Francisco's Treasure Island were released in October of last year. "While each location offers many unique and wonderful attributes, South Los Angeles's Promise Zone best positions the museum to have the greatest impact on the broader community, fulfilling our goal of inspiring, engaging and educating a broad and diverse visitorship," the museum board commented in a statement. The museum will join several other cultural institutions located in the Exposition Park area, including Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, the California Science Center, The University of Southern California main campus, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the main stadium of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics and the proposed site of the city's bid for the 2024 Olympics. The project will be self-funded by Lucas, who is expecting to spend over $1 billion on the building and programming. More information on the selection can be found here. News via LA Times, Lucas Museum.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Learn About Santiago Calatrava's WTC Hub and More In This Short Documentary Posted: 11 Jan 2017 12:00 AM PST In its latest installment of the Private View series, Nowness has released a short documentary by New-York based filmmaker Alexandra Liveris profiling Santiago Calatrava. In the film, Calatrava discusses his perspective as an artist and an architect, as well as his creative process, mainly within the scope of the World Trade Center Transit Hub.
 via Nowness  via Nowness Private View: Santiago Calatrava originally aired as a part of the DOCNYC film festival. Watch it above, or at Nowness. News via Nowness.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| “Permanently Unfinished”: The Evolution of Architecture in the Galapagos Islands Posted: 10 Jan 2017 10:00 PM PST  © Joseph Kennedy Most visitors to the Galapagos Islands point their cameras towards the exotic animals and away from the local people. They direct their full attention to the natural landscape, as if to intentionally deny the existence of the urban space of the city, since the presence of any form of architecture would seem in logical conflict with the islands' identity as a protected wildlife reserve. The architecture of the Galapagos is both a conceptual and physical contradiction. Like a Piranesian joke, the San Cristobal typology of the proto-ruin falls somewhere on a spectrum between construction and dismantlement. With their "permanently unfinished" construction state seemingly in flux, it is unclear whether many of these buildings display a common optimism for vertical expansion or are instead symptoms of a process of urban decay.  "Unfinished" construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno. Image © Joseph Kennedy  "Unfinished" construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno. Image © Joseph Kennedy The unique shapes of these pseudo-informal constructions are the product of a tax loophole found in many South American and even Southern European countries that allows residents and landlords to defer property taxes on buildings in the process of construction. (Another contributing factor to this practice is their residents' existence in a liminal state of poverty.) The result is a strange, unintentional aesthetic of the purposefully incomplete that has a tendency to dominate many lower income neighborhoods. An especially large concentration of these building types can be found in the capital of the Galapagos, San Cristobal.  "Unfinished" construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno. Image © Joseph Kennedy  "Unfinished" construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno. Image © Joseph Kennedy In leaving open the possibility of future construction, these semi-shelters invite the casual observer to imagine divergent possibilities for the completed construction that reflect an imagined future direction for the Galapagos Islands as a whole. Will the roofs of these homes become the penthouses of the wealthy Ecuadorians seeking a vacation home on the islands, high rise hotel towers to house the increasing flood of international tourists, or aviaries for accommodating the world-famous Galapagos finches, so as to integrate these birds into the matrix of human development?  "Unfinished" construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno. Image © Joseph Kennedy  "Unfinished" construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno. Image © Joseph Kennedy Mapping the urban area of Puerto Baquerzio Moreno allows us to quantify the percentage of inhabitants that are actively taking advantage of this tax loophole. 1,800 buildings can be counted in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno from satellite photos. 1,253 buildings were surveyed from the ground in total: of those 960 appear to be mostly completed, 207 appear to be in a state of incomplete habitation, and 86 are apparently currently in construction. From that data, 76.5% are "completed," 16.5% are "incomplete," and 7% are "under construction."  Map showing the status of construction in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno on Isla de San Cristóbal. Image © Joseph Kennedy The somewhat larger and more developed Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz suggests one possible path in which Puerto Baquerzio Moreno may develop. The survey of site statistics shows 2,925 buildings in the main city: of those 2,633 appear to be mostly completed, 233 appear to be in a state of incomplete habitation, and 59 are apparently currently in construction. From that data, 90% are "completed," 8% are "incomplete," and 2% are "under construction."  Map showing the status of construction in Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz. Image © Joseph Kennedy Joseph Kennedy is a Fulbright grantee conducting research and teaching at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. He graduated with a B. Arch from Cornell University in 2015.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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