Arch Daily |
- New City Hall / Cnockaert architecture
- House Vista / Gottsmann Architects
- The Shield / Landmak Architecture
- Courtyard Villa / Black Pencils Studio
- Marine Gateway / Perkins+Will
- Studio Gang to Design Toronto Mixed-Use Tower for First Canadian Project
- House Between Walls / Esculpir el Aire
- Vo Trong Nghia Architects Designs Bamboo Beachfront Resort in Vietnamese Cove
- Villa Carber / Buratti Architetti
- Frank Gehry Discusses the Design Behind his Recently Completed Concert Hall in Berlin
- School Complex in Serris / Ameller, Dubois & Associés
- Fighting the Neoliberal: What Today's Architects Can Learn From the Brutalists
- Laggan Locks / SD+GM + Oliver Chapman Architects
- 6 Reasons Cities Are Located Where They Are
- Hadid and O’Donnell + Tuomey Among City of Westminster's Shortlist for People's Choice Awards
- Wohnhaus am Hainerweg / JOP Architekten
| New City Hall / Cnockaert architecture Posted: 10 Mar 2017 06:00 PM PST  © Dieter Van Caneghem
 © Dieter Van Caneghem From the architect. For the extension of the historic town hall, the neighbouring bank building was bought and renovated. The town hall fulfils an important urban function as it demonstrates its public character with its large open hall and central location within the city centre. Accessible from three sides, the town hall with its central public square acts as a passage within the urban life of Kortrijk.  © Dieter Van Caneghem Throughout the years the many requirements of the city services have changed. At the request of the municipality the current division and use of space will be adapted into a more efficient way of working. As architects our task was to create a "front desk" at the entrance of the Leiestraat with some minor adjustments in the public square. This includes removing the fast service desk, improving accessibility, introducing child-friendly waiting areas and optimizing counters.  Floor Plan We tackled a variety of rooms with a limited budget. The entrance to the Leiestraat is expanded and the height difference is bridged by providing a ramp and an integrated wheelchair lift. Now the town hall is truly accessible to everyone. From the public road, acces is clearly indicated thanks to the fresh new look of the on-glass printed citymap of Kortrijk. Intuitively, people are led to the left where the information point is located. Space is provided for a brochure holder and a ticket distributor as digital services.  © Dieter Van Caneghem One can make a reservation on the spot or make a withdrawal and so forth. In the centre of the public square a wooden playhouse was created as waiting area for toddlers. The house is designed in a way the interaction between the parents at the counter and the children playing is ensured.  © Dieter Van Caneghem All spatial interventions are accomplished according to a same design logic, retaining the original qualities of the existing spaces. The new design is highlighted in the use of materials. Materialization in wood, solid gray carpet and perforated plasterboard panels guarantee a warm effect and acoustic comfort of the different spaces. The expressive wooden desk takes care of the dynamic circulation in the room and contributes to an intimate working environment. Thanks to a clear spatial articulation, reflected to the ceiling, a fluent passage is assured from the information point to the counter to the public square. The customer services feel warm and welcome thanks to the quality appearance of the wood, which is also reflected in a pleasant working environment. The transition from the "front desk" to the public square is softened by a continuation of the used materials. Also the numbers of the counters and the playhouse is fabricated in wood. A distinctive choice of furniture contributes to a homely atmosphere and perfectly absorbs the noisy peak moments.  © Dieter Van Caneghem  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House Vista / Gottsmann Architects Posted: 10 Mar 2017 02:00 PM PST  © Reinier Harmse
 © Reinier Harmse From the architect. The contemporary home is located on a steep hill in Ebotse Golf Estate, Gauteng. Both the Site and the Client Brief called for a design which included extensive visual accessibility of the surrounding environment.  © Reinier Harmse Gottsmann Architects utilised the Site's steep gradient to design a home that would host predominant views toward the lake and golf course below. These wide panoramic views inspired the project name: House Vista.  © Reinier Harmse The use of concrete as building material allowed for deep cantilevering overhangs as well as place emphasis on open planes. The extensive facade of glass sliding doors offers flexibility and allows the interaction between exterior and interior to permeate through the house. The combined use of concrete planes and glass vertical facades ultimately generates a design which creates the impression of each level floating.  Section  Section Cantilevering concrete slabs layered lightly above one another reveal changing views with each level of the residence. The large glass sliding doors open up to expansive vistas while the metamorphosing quality of the sliding screens provide various degrees of privacy for the Client. The house ultimately transforms between the extroverted and introverted, adapting to the mood of the inhabitant.  © Reinier Harmse Product Description. Composite timber decking became a key design material for the external spaces of the project. It was applied as both horizontal and vertical elements as it was used for the flooring material of the balconies as well as screening elements respectively. Composite timber decking was the preferred selection due to its inherent properties which include: Low maintenance requirements, Eco-Friendly, as well as it being moisture resistant. The Product has also been designed specifically to endure Africa's harsh climate without the excessive care or maintenance which is associated with natural woods.  © Reinier Harmse These properties along with the design possibilities of the product, made it a useful tool in creating a design which would hold up against the natural elements without detracting from the design aesthetic.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Shield / Landmak Architecture Posted: 10 Mar 2017 12:00 PM PST  © Trieu Chien
 © Trieu Chien From the architect. Mantory Exclusive is a brand name built on love and passion for watches and high-end mobi phones. For those who prefer the differences, beautiful watches are separately and privately ordered (Bespoke) is a way for them to tell the story of their own personality. We have designed a showroom to display and introduce the products (watched and cell phone) with the spirit of Mantory.  © Trieu Chien A kind of house which is divided as plot structure and very popular in Vietnam. Stairs in the middle of the house, 2 rooms each at front and after - This work was renovated and converted a functional part consisting of second floors (with balcony) to become exhibit space for Mantory products where we call The Shield.  © Trieu Chien In the context that the work execution must require at least the usual life impact of house owner.(the owners are still living in this house) and to not intervention with the structure of works: We have a special focus on three main issues:  Floor Plan - Interior : Connecting 2 front rooms and by a path made of different materials to create colored contrast with the floor to create continuous dome structure building connecting depth between 2 room spaces into a whole system with full link of front and after (while still retaining the original functional stairs in the middle of the house to serve living purpose of the owners).  © Trieu Chien - Transportation: Take full advantage of front setback ,we have calculated very carefully to be able to arrange 1 steel stair enabling to go up straight to the 2nd floor, leading to the 2nd floor balcony.  © Trieu Chien - The exterior is shaped as a gently shield, likely melting into the around scene. The texture was inspired by the language of mechanical design, watch design, and an neoclassical architecture of the surrounding neighborhood street, to create unity.  Elevation Finally, the works is completed with an impressive façade: Certainly, as strong as 1 shield (with the spirit of industial style ) but gentle and strangely romantic.  © Trieu Chien  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Courtyard Villa / Black Pencils Studio Posted: 10 Mar 2017 11:00 AM PST  © Spaceshift Studio
 © Spaceshift Studio 2-storey detached house development with 3 bedrooms on upper level and a living space surrounding a greenery, courtyard. The design tackle mainly three issues; connectivity to outside, privacy and lastly, optimised budget.  © Spaceshift Studio  First Floor Plan  © Spaceshift Studio Courtyard is located in the middle–right of the plot surrounded by living space connecting to combined dining-pantry area. Structural elements are pushed into interior space hidden in wall, freeing up window area to be one continuous glazing. Fully glazed corner-window seamlessly connects indoor space to outdoor greenery, merging into one large room greeting at the entrance door. On upper floor, windows are placed around the courtyard; optimised usage of this internal garden. As a result, courtyard allows natural light flooding into interior space and natural ventilation can be provided.  © Spaceshift Studio While maximising outdoor exposure, privacy is concerned. Neighbour's solid wall is strategically oriented to face its nearby house. It serves as a separator between houses limiting visibility among neighbour. In addition, the wall creates a clean back drop of neighbour's courtyard scene which made the courtyard feel more enclosed. Porous wall line is draw in front row with an main door, limiting an outside visibility to interior space made the last side of courtyard.  © Spaceshift Studio Architectural detail is especially emphasised, twisted from a standard detail. The design is considered in a framework of standard construction to optimised construction budget. Extrude concrete ledge and wall forming a rectangle frame. Steel plate is used for window ledge instead of reinforced-concrete profile, as well as framing a horizontal window. By using standard construction method in more refined details; an architectural appearance is distinct from its surrounding.  © Spaceshift Studio  Second Floor Plan  © Spaceshift Studio Open-plan interior space is yet flexible, but precise. Wall recessed and dimension is pre-designed and custom to fit modular knock-down furniture system for an ease of building up a complete home.  © Spaceshift Studio  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 10 Mar 2017 09:00 AM PST  © Andrew Latreille
 © Ed White From the architect. Marine Gateway is a mixed-use development in south Vancouver that has reinvented the concept of transit-oriented development (TOD) to one that is transit-integrated. Unlike typical TODs that are designed around or near a central transit hub, Marine Gateway seamlessly integrates a transit hub into the design of the community itself, creating convenient access.  © Andrew Latreille "As our cities and technologies evolve, and as the issue of mobility in urban environments continues to demand innovative solutions, our architecture must respond in a complementary manner," says Ryan Bragg, principal at Perkins+Will.  Composite Plan The first phase of a larger development, Marine Gateway is comprised of two neighbourhood plazas, 15-storeys of office space, a 3-storey retail podium, an 11-screen cinema, and two residential towers at 25 and 35-storeys. Integral to the design is the integration of a Rail Rapid Transit station and bus loop exchange that provides convenience of mobility for residents, workers, shoppers, and visitors.  © Andrew Latreille The project focuses around a pedestrian-dedicated 'high street' that offers retail, entertainment, and convenience shopping. The design of the high street and public plazas were one of the most important aspects to the project's success by bringing people into the pedestrian environment and into the retail spaces. The choice of materials and the level of detail of the architecture provides a combination of visual containment and diversity that creates a legibility at the project scale while still introducing interest and character at the pedestrian scale.  Program Marine Gateway sits on a formerly underutilized industrial site that was rezoned to include residential uses. The project's highly accessible, walkable, and diverse uses have been welcomed by the community. The integrated transit station and bus exchange has experienced an estimated 35 percent growth in average daily activity in a single year. Additionally, the success of Marine Gateway has attracted the continued major development of the area.  © Ed White Further benefiting the community is the development's sustainable design strategy, which includes a district energy, geo-exchange heating and cooling system with an ambient heat recovery energy loop, thermal mass, sun shading devices, and green roofs. It is LEED Canada NC Gold registered.  © Andrew Latreille The first of its scale in North America, the development has set a precedent for building mixed-use livable communities integrated with transit.  © Andrew Latreille Product Description. Terra cotta is extensively used on the podium of Marine Gateway to create a consistency in the architectural language on the project. The strong datum created by the terra cotta signifies a strong distinction between the podium and the office and residential towers. In the pedestrian realm, varied finishes of terra cotta and baguettes create texture and scale while framing steel apertures that contain a variety of materials and signage associated with the retail uses.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Studio Gang to Design Toronto Mixed-Use Tower for First Canadian Project Posted: 10 Mar 2017 08:25 AM PST  A view of Yonge + St. Clair, with an 8-story mural by Phlegm. Image Courtesy of Slate Asset Management Studio Gang has been commissioned to design their first project in Canada, a mixed-use tower that will be located in the Toronto neighborhood of Yonge + St. Clair. The project is one of several commissioned by Toronto's Slate Asset Management as part of a larger effort to revitalize the district through the use of public art, world-class design and vibrant streetscapes and open spaces. The area's first intervention, an 8-story mural by renowned artist Phlegm, was completed last summer. "Yonge + St. Clair is on its way back," says Brandon Donnelly, Vice President of Development at Slate Asset Management. "Having occasion to bring Studio Gang's first project in Toronto to the neighbourhood signals to the rest of the city that we would like to create something special here."  Studio Gang's City Hyde Park Residential Tower in Chicago. Image © Tom Harris. Courtesy Studio Gang The new building will consist of primarily rental units, with retail space at grade, and will follow Studio Gang's focus of research, engagement, sustainability and the innovative use of materials. The architects will work with Slate to host a public consultation later this spring to allow the community to contribute input prior to submitting designs to the city. While the design of the building has not yet been finalized, several key considerations have already been identified, such as the introduction of a new material into the Toronto skyline. "It's not going to be a typical all-glass tower," says Donnelly. "We want to push boundaries in terms of sustainability and building efficiency, which means we are thinking carefully about the building envelope and its materials."  A view of Yonge + St. Clair, with an 8-story mural by Phlegm. Image Courtesy of Slate Asset Management With access to both an abundance of transit options and verdant green space, Yonge + St. Clair serves as a meeting point between natural and built environments. This duality will serve as a key inspiration for the project. "There is a hill that crests at Yonge + St. Clair, which means the build site acts as both a pedestal and a view terminus from way uptown," Donnelly continues. "The challenge will be to develop a building worthy of being showcased, but we feel confident that we have the right team in place to do just that."  Studio Gang's proposal for Folsom Tower in San Francisco. Image Courtesy of Studio Gang The announcement comes as Studio Gang Founding Principal, Jeanne Gang, is set to receive a 2017 Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) in May. Gang will be honored in a ceremony at the RAIC/OAA Festival of Architecture in Ottawa, where she will also deliver the festival's keynote address. "As our practice's relationship with Canada grows, we're excited to explore Toronto and to understand the unique DNA of the Yonge + St. Clair neighbourhood," says Jeanne Gang. "We hope to design a building that will strengthen relationships within the neighbourhood and the city." News via Slate Asset Management, Studio Gang. Studio Gang Designs Tiered Mixed-Use Tower on Forest Park in St. Louis  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House Between Walls / Esculpir el Aire Posted: 10 Mar 2017 07:00 AM PST  Courtesy of José Ángel Ruiz Cáceres
 Courtesy of José Ángel Ruiz Cáceres From the architect. A vertical surface -on the left side-, standing out respect to the other one, gathers and exemplifies the long and raised aspects which are drawn from the Almonte’s tradition. The other surface -on the right side- assembles horizontally and oblique elements of the modern culture. A soft displacement of the main surface emphasizes the vertical dividing line between both ' styles. ' A great folded beam avoids beasts getting through, allowing to tie them. Moreover, its flat top makes possible the support of the gintonic of the horsemen who always visit us...  Courtesy of José Ángel Ruiz Cáceres The element on the left side, being higher and slimmer, is characterized by the presence of two large vertical windows. The right one accentuates its horizontal position by means of the use of dark ceramics, which extends the window vains up to be superposing...    This Project works to found the resulting air between two main parallel volumes ‐night and day areas‐which are both relocating to define a new large entrance hall ‐in front of the street‐ and a new open courtyard ‐towards the street behind-. The chimney, as a motor of the inner double-height space, takes on the leading role of the scene, and it is going to be around esculpted to materialize an ascending stair. I admit that my memorial traces, from my exploratory drawings about the Venturi House’s chimney, have come up again to be transformed. On the first floor, the chimney is unfolded towards an opened library that is illuminated by a lineal skylight located behind the chimney-stair.  Courtesy of José Ángel Ruiz Cáceres  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Vo Trong Nghia Architects Designs Bamboo Beachfront Resort in Vietnamese Cove Posted: 10 Mar 2017 06:10 AM PST  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects) Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects), has revealed plans for a remote resort located on a private beach on a tiny island in the Ca Ba Archipelago of Vietnam. The exclusive resort will consist of a series of structures constructed of the firm's trademark material, bamboo, and will accommodate up to 160 guests. The resort will be located 2 hours from the nearest airport and accessible only by boat, ensuring visitors will be treated to an exclusive experience within the island's tropical environment.  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects) Perched along 32,000-square-foot (3,000-square-meter) private beach, the resort consists of five huts, a restaurant and a pavilion, all designed to fully immerse guests within nature. The structures are constructed using traditional Vietnamese bamboo lashing techniques, which involves first treating the material by soaking the thin bamboo rods (Tam Vong) in mud and then smoking them. These rods are then assembled using bamboo dowel nails, and lashed together using rope. A thatch roof covers the huts, protecting visitors from the local climate using with low-environmental-impact techniques.  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects)  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects) At one end of the beach, the restaurant pavilion features a hyperbolic-paraboloid shell structure that creates a semi-outdoor space for social gathering and interaction. Each of the building's 13 bamboo shell units are composed of 80 straight bamboo rods, creating a "wavy, rhythmical" landscape on the roof and ceiling.  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects)  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects) The five accommodation huts are being built using bamboo frame modules, which offer a comfortable sleeping space for each guest. These frame are first assembled on the ground and then erected to improve workmanship quality and reduce construction time. Recycled timber shutters common to traditional Vietnamese colonial villas form the huts' facades.  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects) VTN hopes the bamboo structures will serve both as a memorable experience for guests and as a landmark for tourists visiting the island via boat. Construction on the project is underway, and is expected to be completed in mid-2017. News via Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects).  Courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects (VTN Architects)
Vo Trong Nghia Architects Design Signature Spa in Vietnam  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Villa Carber / Buratti Architetti Posted: 10 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST  © Marcello Mariana
 © Marcello Mariana From the architect. The topic of this project is about the typology and the image of single villa with garden. This means to work at the same time on the isolated domestic building type and on the articulation of volumes and interiors that allows the project to have two independent and autonomous houses for two brothers, placed in the green with a good level of privacy.  © Marcello Mariana The plot is in a very good position on the first hills of Val Seriana, and the house tooks place into this strong sloping terrain, touching the mountain on one side and opening to the valley on the other side.  © Marcello Mariana The service areas, the garage and the technical rooms are placed on the north side, stuck into the ground, whereas the house's main spaces, the living area and the bedrooms, are placed on the south side, with some cantilever parts into the trees and with a very good light during all the day long.  © Marcello Mariana From a tectonic point of view the house has two faces: the north side, on the mountain, is heavy with thick stone walls and small windows; the south side, open to the valley, has large windows open on wide terraces. The main two overlapping terraces seems to fly over the trees thanks to the strong cantilever that characterized the architecture of the building: this element is in contrast with the all the other near existing buildings but well integrated with the natural landscaped.  © Marcello Mariana The roof is the other main element of the villa, the one that keeps together the different parts of the building. The topic of the gable roof, the traditional typology of this area, has been re-interpreted and designed playing particular attention to the eaves: these are not only a part of the roof but becomes technical and sculptural elements, designed with great attention for the shape in every detail.  © Marcello Mariana The entry area clearly shows materials and finishing of the building: aluminum for railings and garage covering, zinc-titanium for the roof, natural larch wood for window frames, wall coverings and ceilings, Sarnico stone for exterior walls and flooring, white plaster for walls.  © Marcello Mariana Product Description. The Rheinzink sheets are been used for the roof covering, for the eaves and for all the details of the roof. Every part of the gable roof, such as solar panels and chimneys, is designed in order to have a sculptural technical element well integrated with the other parts of the building.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Frank Gehry Discusses the Design Behind his Recently Completed Concert Hall in Berlin Posted: 10 Mar 2017 04:15 AM PST  © Volker Kreidler. Courtesy of Pierre Boulez Saal "If it hadn't been for Frank Gehry, we would have made a simple, straightforward concert hall where students play concerts. But if the space is there, and somebody so gifted, like him, is prepared to do that, then of course you have to do that" - Daniel Barenboim, Founder, Pierre Boulez Saal. In this Facebook video, Frank Gehry discusses the circumstances of his most recently-completed project, the Pierre Boulez Saal concert hall in Berlin, and the significance of contributing a new venue to Berlin's historic musical scene.  © Volker Kreidler. Courtesy of Pierre Boulez Saal Designed in collaboration with world-renowned acoustic engineer Yasuhisa Toyota (whose previous projects include Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall and Herzog & de Meuron's Hamburg Elbphilharmonie), Pierre Boulez Saal will serve as a home for the Barenboim-Said Akademie, a musical school founded to train young musicians from the Middle East. Despite measuring nearly 11,000 square feet, the venue retains a sense of intimacy in its oval-shaped concert hall; of the designs' 683 seats, the farthest is located just 46 feet from the center of the stage. The project was estimated to have cost nearly $35.5 million to complete.  © Volker Kreidler. Courtesy of Pierre Boulez Saal The concert hall opened with an inauguration ceremony and live video stream last week. Head over to Facebook to watch the video, and to learn more about the design, check out the New York Times' interview with Gehry and Barenboim, here. News via Pierre Boulez Saal.  Gehry visiting the concert hall in September. Image © Thomas Rosenthal. Courtesy of Pierre Boulez Saal  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| School Complex in Serris / Ameller, Dubois & Associés Posted: 10 Mar 2017 03:00 AM PST  © Guillaume Guérin
 Courtesy of Ameller, Dubois & Associés The early childhood school complex designed by Philippe Ameller and Jacques Dubois in the suburban town of Serris, east of Paris, does not seem to be particularly alien or extravagant: a low rise building with discreetly arched roof contours, lots of wood, pleasantly wide window surfaces and cheerful colors. But the urban context makes the new building a real UFO, as the Pierre-Perret School (named after 82-year old French living legend in humorous and humane songwriting) is located near Disneyland Paris.  © Guillaume Guérin Since its inauguration in 1992, the notorious amusement park has been not only a true engine of urban development on the greenfield, but also provides its peculiar aesthetic direction. The architects themselves speak of the urban setting as a "caricature of the classic Parisian architecture, known as Haussmann style", which has emerged here in recent years. In the area, a total of almost 2,000 apartments were built around the school site. Three- to four-storey lines and city vaults with classicist decor, line up along accurate streets, hardly concealing gigantic parking spaces and shopping centers in their backs.  © Guillaume Guérin  Floor Plan  © Guillaume Guérin The design follows established principles of school building. It arranges the functions meaningfully in the area and creates attractive outer spaces. The access to the building complex takes place from the south, through a generously glazed foyer. On the left is the one-storey, L-shaped tract of the nursery, framing a playground. And on the right, the two-storey, long-stretched component of the school. On the ground floor are the public functions such as the cafeteria and library. On the upper floor, the classrooms. Between the two wings of the building is a narrow pause yard, planted with a few future tall trees. Materialization and coloring reveal the architects' ambition to create a warm and inviting feeling. The facades have been generously worked with larch wood, and a lot of color is found not only outside, but also inside the house.  © Guillaume Guérin  Elevations  © Guillaume Guérin The project by Ameller, Dubois & Associés is so clearly conceived as a counter-program to architectural and urban themes in the Disneyland area that it can be understood as a didactic: a UFO with a mission, landed between artificial facade architecture, firmly believing in the qualities of a contemporary architectural language as the first step towards learning and creative action at an early age. Not only the color and the use of wood and glass but the building structure itself marks a discernible counterpoint to the undercooled plaster façade of the allegedly so inviting neoclassical architectural language of the surrounding area.  © Maria Temtunic  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fighting the Neoliberal: What Today's Architects Can Learn From the Brutalists Posted: 10 Mar 2017 01:30 AM PST  <a href='http://www.archdaily.com/790453/ad-classics-barbican-estate-london-chamberlin-powell-bon'>The Barbican</a> in London. Image © Joas Souza In this second installment of his revamped "Beyond London" column for ArchDaily, Simon Henley of London-based practice Henley Halebrown discusses a potential influence that might help UK architects combat the economic hegemony currently afflicting the country – turning for moral guidance to the Brutalists of the 1960s. Before Christmas, I finished writing my book entitled Redefining Brutalism. As the title suggests I am seeking to redefine the subject, to detoxify the term and to find relevance in the work, not just a cause for nostalgia. Concrete Brutalism is, to most people, a style that you either love or hate. But Brutalism is far more than just a style; it is way of thinking and making. The historian and critic Reyner Banham argued in his 1955 essay and 1966 book both entitled The New Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic that the New Brutalism began as an ethical movement only to be hijacked by style. Today, it is a mirror to be held up to the architecture of Neoliberalism, to an architecture that serves capitalism. More than ever, architecture relies on the brand association of the big name architects whose work has little to do with the challenges faced by society, which are today not unlike the ones faced by the post-war generation: to build homes, places in which to learn and work, places for those who are old and infirm, and places to gather. We can learn a lot from this bygone generation.  The Hayward Gallery at London's South Bank Centre. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogersg/14153176775/'>Flickr user rogersg</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> As I said in my last column, "It's time architecture once again became more a part of how we conceive the future of our cities rather than how we might style our future." Brutalism first presented itself to me, then an undergraduate, as a multistorey car park in the glossy landscape format pages of Dietrich Klosse's 1965 publication Multistorey Car Parks and Garages, with its black and white photos and sans-serif font. The "high period" of car park design revealed them to be materially tough, skeletal buildings, which behind their primitive facades concealed liquid floors cast into darkness by heavy shadows. On a bicycle or a skateboard these spaces are joyful. Alone on foot and at night they can be malevolent. Soon this interest led me to Le Corbusier's béton brut in India and Kahn's "molten stone" in the States, much of which I visited. Soon, multistorey car parks became a portal through which to connect to a generation of buildings, especially to the Hayward and Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's South Bank, the subject of my student design thesis.  St Peter's in Klippan by Sigurd Lewerentz. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/seier/2356005438'>Flickr user seier</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/'>CC BY 2.0</a> By the mid-1930s Le Corbusier had rejected both his earlier white plastic Purism and his faith in technology. Like Kahn he seemed to want to address more profound existential questions. So too did Sigurd Lewerentz. Writing about Lewerentz's brick church, St Peter's, in Klippan, Adam Caruso says, "It is as though Lewerentz is compelling us to confront the condition of our existence, all of the time." In a similar vein, Juhani Pallasmaa mourns the loss of sensuality. As he explains in his book The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses, "the machine-made materials of today – scaleless sheets of glass, enamelled metals and synthetic plastics – tend to present their unyielding surfaces to the eye without conveying their material essence or age." While these architects and their works were exceptionally potent, they were not unique. The Scottish architectural practice Gillespie Kidd and Coia created hugely powerful works for the Catholic Church, most notably St Peter's Seminary, Cardross, which is currently being renovated by Avanti architects to create an arts venue, and St. Bride's Kilbride, whose bell tower was demolished in the 1980s but which the church is now seeking to reconstruct. Gillespie Kidd and Coia's work stretched south of the border to the University of Hull where they designed The Lawns student residences and to Robinson College Cambridge.  St Peter's Seminary in Cardross, Scotland, by Gillespie Kidd and Coia, here shown in its original state. Image Courtesy of GKC Archive Denys Lasdun, although never a member of Team 10, shared their interest in Structuralism and "association." These ideas were first evident in his "cluster" flats on Claredale Street in London's Bethnal Green – ideas that moved Victor Bodiansky, George Candilis and Shadrach Woods to write to Lasdun about their common interests. Lasdun would scale up his thinking at the University of East Anglia – Mike Webb, the author of the 1969 publication Architecture in Britain Today, likened its organic structure to that of a tree. Its industrialized production in precast concrete is in stark contrast to its 18th-century parkland setting, and yet the logical trunk of infrastructure for pedestrians and services, with a wall of teaching blocks behind and residential ziggurats in front, represents an unfamiliar but nonetheless picturesque world in which to live and study. Lasdun's re-imagination of higher education was repeated up and down the country at the new universities, in Essex by Kenneth Capon of the Architects' Co-Partnership, at the University of Sussex by Sir Basil Spence, Bonnington and Collins, and at the University of York by Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall and Partners.  The University of East Anglia, designed by Denys Lasdun. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/martinrp/383955205'>Flickr user martinrp</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/'>CC BY-ND 2.0</a> In Oxford and Cambridge this generation of architects challenged convention, finding new ways of representing these medieval institutions and their constituent colleges: Churchill College, Cambridge, was the subject of a competition won by Richard Sheppard, Robson and Partners in 1958; New Hall, Cambridge, and St. Anne's, Oxford were also completed by finalists of the Churchill College contest – Chamberlin, Powell and Bon and Howell Killick Partridge and Amis, respectively. Recently 6a Architects completed a new block of student housing at Churchill College. Perhaps what's most important about 6a's design is how the tectonic properties of their new courtyard mimic those of the original only in scale, reminding us that the courtyard type is not a hackneyed nostalgic idea, but one that signifies collective purpose, and common ground for individuals and groups brought together by the pedagogic and physical structures of the institution.  Dunelm House student union building in Durham, by the Architect's Co-Partnership. Image © <a href='http://www.geograph.org.uk/more.php?id=2935919'>Geograph user Des Blenkinsopp</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> The list of higher education buildings from the 1950s and 1960s is long – whole colleges, departments, and student halls all shaped to structure activity and engender behavior, not just styled to look a certain way. Durham University's Dunelm House – a collection of concrete pitch-roofed cafes, lounges and assembly spaces – cascades down the steep slopes of the Wear valley to its own boathouse by the water. This too was designed by the Architects' Co-Partnership, this time Dick Raines, and is currently under threat. Unlike many contemporary university buildings, the tough interiors are durable. Inside, the concrete has much in common with the stone walls of a historic street, the architecture more ambiguous, more that of a city than a building. In other words, it has the capacity to support the social life of a community of students without recourse to branding so evident in the fashionable form-finding, shape-making and self-conscious selection of materials inside and out that serve the current arms race in higher education.  <a href='http://www.archdaily.com/791939/ad-classics-park-hill-estate-sheffield-jack-lynn-ivor-smith'>Park Hill</a> in Sheffield: left, in its original design; right, a section of the renovation. Image © Paul Dobraszczyk These architects had a brave new world in mind, one that would serve the goals of social democracy, that would bring higher education to a wider spectrum of society, that would create new neighborhoods like Park Hill in Sheffield where the original architects Ivor Smith and Jack Lynn worked with a sociologist to distribute the variety of households within its frame. Today, commissioned by developers Urban Splash, architects Hawkins\Brown, Studio Egret West and Mikhail Riches are modernizing the estate. Here, terraced streets were famously, and to a great extent successfully, replaced with "streets in the sky." The idea of streets-in-the-sky had first been mooted by Lynn and Gordon Ryder, and the Smithsons, in their entries for the 1951 Golden Lane Competition. As the Smithsons' explained these "habitats" – a term they used deliberately to conflate dwelling, neighborhood, and city – should be thought about systemically and structured for the "association" of people.  "Streets in the sky" at Robin Hood Gardens by Alison and Peter Smithson. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevecadman/3058342144/'>Flickr user stevecadman</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> Architects worldwide have petitioned unsuccessfully for the Smithsons' later "streets in the sky" housing Robin Hood Gardens to be protected. Unlike Park Hill, it won't be given a second chance, and will soon be demolished, despite a proposal to adapt the building by Sarah Wigglesworth. And yet for all of Robin Hood Gardens' faults, which are hard to disentangle from the neglect that these buildings have been shown, there is at the heart of their conception a profound idea that they may frame and protect an internal landscape from the vagaries of the city, and in so doing create what Peter Smithson described very movingly, at least with hindsight, as a "stress free zone."  Robin Hood Gardens by Alison and Peter Smithson. Image © <a href='https://www.flickr.com/photos/stevecadman/3057511631/'>Flickr user stevecadman</a> licensed under <a href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/'>CC BY-SA 2.0</a> The challenge that Robin Hood Gardens really presents the politicians lies in their reluctance to protect this "stress-free zone" because in their eyes it's a waste of space. Of course, the site can accommodate far more homes, but will expose its future inhabitants to a more congested, and by definition, stressful environment. The Smithsons took inspiration from the English tradition of building in parkland and sought to compare their housing to the Georgian crescents and circuses in Bath and the landscapes that they capture, all of which is anathema to the high land values of the current city. The Barbican is the heir to Peter Smithson's phrase "stress free zone," a part of the city that will always serve as a refuge from the orthodox city beyond its walls – from the commercial realities of property development, commerce and shopping; the technologies of movement and mass transit; and the noise, smells and danger that these bring with them.  <a href='http://www.archdaily.com/790453/ad-classics-barbican-estate-london-chamberlin-powell-bon'>The Barbican</a> in London. Image © Joas Souza What distinguishes this work from the current generation of buildings is the capacity of all involved to come to the table with few preconceptions. By the 1960s, despite the subsequent vitriol about the period, there was an acute interest in the social life of settlements, and an awareness of history but still immense confidence in the future. Be it Powell and Moya's Chichester Festival Theatre or Peter Womersley's Nuffield Transplantation Surgery Unit in Edinburgh, the client, the engineers and architect dared to show their innocence and to exploit the possibilities of that innocence. Today that innocence has gone, and has been replaced by fixed ideas and much too much regulation. Both building fabric and space are strictly codified. Strong preconceptions have replaced constructive doubt – a phenomenon that allowed teams to arrive at a practical solution that one could not have foreseen. Sometimes these architects' notions were naïve, but there is no question that they worked with a strong sense of purpose and real conviction. Theirs was a hugely inventive architecture driven by a collective purpose, with the capacity for real humanity, however flawed, and for the picturesque and the sublime. Today, where there is aspiration it is more often than not to serve the market, skin-deep and shortsighted, be it funded privately or by the state. In practice, there has been a tragic loss of innocence – an innocence that for a generation served the future of society very well.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Laggan Locks / SD+GM + Oliver Chapman Architects Posted: 10 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PST  © David McKenna
 © David McKenna From the architect. The project at Laggan Locks is a competition winning entry forming the second phase of Scotland's Scenic Routes initiative. The initiative aims to enhance visitor experiences of Scotland's landscape through harnessing young design talent. Scottish Canals were seeking to create a 'stopping off' opportunity at Laggan Locks on the Caledonian Canal for visitors travelling by car or bus along the busy A82 and also for the 30,000 visitors travelling the Great Glen Way by boat, on foot or by bike.  © David McKenna The structure provides a seasonal cafe/kiosk that can be securely shut down during the winter months while still providing a sheltered viewpoint down the Great Glen. Toilet and shower facilities are available for visitors and campers using a set of new Camping Pods adjacent to the site designed by Oliver Chapman Architects. The proposal creates a simple sheltered space that can be used all year round. The key elements of the programme are separated but unified under one roof to create a covered platform within the structure. This space forms a passage through which visitors can catch a glimpse of the Great Glen as theu approach and pass through into the covered view point.  Ground Plan The structure uses a monochrome materials palette of charred larch and white stained timber which echo traditional canal infrastructure and architecture. Use of Timber: Timber was used extensively on this project, both to create the superstructure and in the cladding and roof coverings.  © David McKenna Given the remote location, the decision was made to create prefabricated timber cassette wall panels at the contractor's yard in Glasgow and transport these for assembly on site to assist with the programme. This allowed for speedy erection on site but also suited the character of the project and its woodland / canalside setting. Having previously worked on similar projects with Scottish Canals at the Kelpies / Helix park, Oliver Chapman was familiar with the prefabrication approach on this scale and its benefits.  © David McKenna The material palette of the building was central to the competition winning entry. Canalside architecture has a monochromatic vernacular that immediately recognisable and apparent, whether its neighbouring buildings or canal locks themselves. The charred larch exterior creates an imposing piece of architecture but also provides a protective envelope for the building as the timber is pre-weathered in effect. The cladding was taken up and over the roof to create a single form.  © David McKenna White stained timber cladding to the interior provides the stark contrast that is reminiscent of typical canal architecture, while providing an easily maintainable finish.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 6 Reasons Cities Are Located Where They Are Posted: 10 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PST  New York Skyline © Flickr user nehle. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Frank Lloyd Wright once described cities as both 'our glory and our menace'. With more than half of the world's population now living in cities, architects are becoming increasingly interested in their origins. Many fields of historical, geographical, and spatial research are devoted to exploring the evolution of cities, revealing a set of similarities across the globe. In a recent video, Wendover Productions described a common set of characteristics linking some of our largest cities, six of which we have outlined below. Taking the six factors below into account, where is the perfect 'world city'? Watch the video after the break: 1- The Ten Mile RuleIf you measure the distance between two adjacent pre-industrial American towns, you will likely find it to be 10-15 miles. Before the advent of cars, people in rural settings could only walk a maximum of five miles to the nearest town in a single day for work and supplies. As a result, towns developed a five-mile sphere of influence, creating a common 10-15 mile distance between each medium-sized settlement.  Reason 1: The Ten Mile Rule. Image Courtesy of Wendover Productions 2- Spheres of InfluenceThe Ten Mile Rule is a building block for the spread of cities across a country. While most small towns had common, everyday services such as banks, food stores, and pharmacies, not every town needed specialized facilities such as hospitals. Therefore, certain towns increased in size to accommodate more people and services within their spheres of influence. As this process continues, we eventually see the creation of large cities equipped with airports, universities, and other highly-specialized facilities, with spheres of influence stretching hundreds of miles.  Reason 2: Spheres of Influence. Image Courtesy of Wendover Productions 3- OceansFourteen of the world's largest fifteen cities are located close to the sea. Oceans have always been the most feasible, cost-effective, enduring method of transporting heavy goods over long distances. Therefore, for a city to remain economically efficient, it must locate itself in close proximity to either an ocean or major river.  Reason 3: Oceans. Image Courtesy of Wendover Productions 4- ResourcesNatural resources will allow cities to prosper as manufacturing, trading, and transportation hubs. However, as modern technology allows for lucrative resources such as oil and gas to be transported over long distances, we have seen the growth of cities such as Dubai which benefit from administrating resources, despite not being physically located near them.  Reason 4: Natural Resources. Image Courtesy of Wendover Productions 5- MountainsFor cities, mountains can be both a help and hindrance. Whilst mountains can be a barrier to trade and transport, they form a natural line of protection from invasion. Therefore, many ancient cities thrived when located near mountains, with the reduced risk of attack affording them time to grow and prosper. Coupled with the bounty of minerals and natural resources often found in mountains, these benefits can outweigh the economic disadvantage of being in an inaccessible location.  Reason 5: Mountains. Image Courtesy of Wendover Productions 6- Continents and ClimateWhy are only 32 of the 220 largest cities in the world located in the Southern Hemisphere? One interesting theory centers on the fact that continents in the Northern Hemisphere have a wide east-west span, rather than a long north-south span. The climate across large stretches of land will, therefore, remain the same, a condition which allowed ancient empires such as the Mongols to conquer vast spaces of land with the same animals and equipment. As a result, a disproportionate number of major settlements to this day are located in the Northern Hemisphere.  Reason 6: Continents and Climate. Image Courtesy of Wendover Productions News via: Wendover Productions.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hadid and O’Donnell + Tuomey Among City of Westminster's Shortlist for People's Choice Awards Posted: 09 Mar 2017 10:00 PM PST  The Serpentine Sackler Gallery / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Luke Hayes The City of Westminster, England has announced the shortlist for its first People's Choice Award for the city's best building from the past decade. In an effort to engage the public in a debate about what makes a great building, the Westminster City Council asked a panel of architects, developers, councilors, and planners to shortlist 12 designs to be voted on by people who live and work in the city, as well as by visitors. Buildings for the shortlist were chosen based on its use of materials, purpose, and impact on the surrounding space. "Brilliant architectural design should be recognized for all the fantastic benefits it can have in terms of health and wellbeing, sustainability, and the simple pleasure we all take from having such striking buildings lining our routes home, to shop and to work," said Cllr Robert Davis MBE DL, Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council. "The best people to ask about the impact these buildings have are those who see them day in, day out, and so I am delighted that we have been able to engage the public in a debate about what makes a great building and to promote design excellence." The 12 shortlisted projects for the Westminster People's Choice Awards are: City of Westminster College, Paddington Green / Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects  New Flagship Campus for City of Westminster College / schmidt hammer lassen architects. Image © Adam Mørk Queens Building renovation, Bishop's Bridge Road, Bayswater / Stiff + Trevillion Serpentine Sackler Gallery, Kensington Gardens / Zaha Hadid Architects  The Serpentine Sackler Gallery / Zaha Hadid Architects. Image © Luke Hayes St Martin in the Fields renovation, Trafalgar Square / Eric Parry Architects St. James's Market, Regent Street / Make Architects  St. James's Market Development / Make Architects. Image Courtesy of Make Architects Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, Sheffield Street, Aldwych / O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects  LSE Saw Hock Student Centre / O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects. Image © Alex Bland Riverwalk, Millbank / Stanton Williams Architects Peabody Avenue, Pimlico / Haworth Tompkins One Eagle Place, Piccadilly / Eric Parry Architects Reiss Headquarters, Barrett Street, Marylebone / Squire and Partners 10 Hills Place, off Oxford Street / Future Systems/Amanda Levete Architects  10 Hills Place / Amanda Levete Architects. Image © Gidon Fuehrer 28 South Moulton Street, Mayfair / DSDHA  South Molton Street Building / DSDHA. Image Courtesy of DSDHA Vote for the winner of the People's Choice Awards, here. News Via: The City of Westminster.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Wohnhaus am Hainerweg / JOP Architekten Posted: 09 Mar 2017 09:00 PM PST  © Richard Pflaume
 © Richard Pflaume From the architect. The plot is characterized by the surrounding residential buildings with sloped roofs, and the available narrow site. This leads to the idea to design a slim building with the gable facing to the street. The building appears in a simple form of an archetypical house.  © Richard Pflaume The "inner house" meets the functional requirements according to program. Following the "house in house" principle it is covered by a traditionally shaped, outer house" with saddle roof.  Section The inner house is designed with open-plan layout and multiple terraces and loggias according to the clients guidelines. With the fusion of inner and outer house various types of spaces are created. Complex and simple rooms alternate.  © Richard Pflaume  Ground Floor  © Studio Englert  First Floor The inner and the outer house differ in color and materiality. Both are constructed as timber structure sitting on a solid base of concrete. Change of construction and material is comprehensible anywhere, externally and internally and was also adopted in the design of the surrounding garden. The separation of the base by the springback of the lower floor gives the building the look of levitating above ground.  © Studio Englert Product Description. By using Sikalastic, we had the chance to create the cladding for the roof of the "outer house" in the same look as the walls of the "shell". The contrast to the "inner house" with the wooden façade is strengthened.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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