Architect: German del Sol
Location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Project team: Horacio Schmidt R. / Architect, Nicole Labbé / Architect, Carlos Venegas / Architect, Hernán Fierro / Graphic Arts
Contractor: Salfa S.A.
Structural Engineer: Fernando del Sol y Enzo Valladares
Electrical Consultant: Renato Lorca
Sanitary Consultant: Francisco Cervantes
Constructed Area: 5,481 sqm
Project year: 1998 - 2000
Photographs: Guy Wenborne, Guy St. Clair, Mirta Soliz

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Architects: Steven Holl Architects
Location: Langenlois, Austria
Architects: Steven Holl (design architect), Christian Wassmann (project architect), Garrick Ambrose, Dominink Bachmann, Rodolfo Dias, Peter Englaender, Johan van Lierop, Chris McVoy, Ernest Ng, Olaf Schmidt, Brett Snyder, Irene Vogt (project team)
Local Architect: ARGE Architekten
Project Year: 2001-2005
Structural Engineer: Retter & Partner GmbH, A-Krems
Mechanical Engineer: Altherm Engineering, A-Baden
Constructed Area: 7,000 sqm
Photographs: Christian Richters

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Architects: Atelier d’architecture King Kong
Location: Bordeaux, France
Construction year: 2007
Project Team: Paul Marion, Jean-Christophe Masnada, Frederic Neau and Laurent Portejoie, associate architects + Olivier Oslislo, Fontaneda Calzada David, Max Hildebrant, assistant architects
Structure Engineering: ETBA
Acoustics Engineering: IdB acoustic
Fluids Engineering: Math Engineering
Constructed Area: 2,300 sqm
Graphic Artists: Philippe Giraud (signage, tapestry), Julie Soistier (facade screen printing)
Photographs: Arthur Pequin

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Super star architects arrive to the Caribbean, specifically to Dellis Cay,  a 560-acre island at the Turks & Caicos archipielago. The project, set to be completed by 2010, will feature works by Shigeru Ban, David Chipperfield, Carl Ettensperger, Zaha Hadid, Kengo Kuma, Piero Lissoni, and Chad Oppenheim. In addition to the 124 villas and 154 residences, the island will have a 30,000 sq ft Spa operated by the Mandarin Oriental, a five star luxury hotel, a signature restaurant and numerous casual dining experiences.

Below you can see further images of the individual projects, done by d-box.  There aren´t too many images available, but you can certainly notice the hand of each architect on this projects, specially the Zaha and Chipperfield ones.

From this project, two houses took my attention. First, a house by Chad Oppenheim, pictured above. I really like the public area of this house, which reminds me of contemporary brazilian houses: A unique concrete volume covering the open public space and an enclosed area for the bedrooms. You can really feel outside while being covered by the structure, which has a big span with no elements that block the views.

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Architects: German del Sol
Location: Provincia de Última Esperanza, Magallanes, Patagonia, Chile
Project team: José Luis Ibañez G. / Architect, Francisca Schüler M. / Architect, Carlos Venegas / Architect, Rodrigo Arenas P. / Graphics Arts
Contractor: Salfa, Punta Arenas
Constructed Area: 5,213.46 sqm
Project year: 2004 - 2005
Construction year: 2004 - 2005
Photographs: Guy Wenborne, Felipe Camus, Turek

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Norwegian architects Space Group won the competition for Oslo´s new Central Station. The project consists on demolishing a big part of the existing station, to build a 4 stories tall structure that will unify the station. It will include 2 floors for offices hanging over the station. Also, an adjacent U-shaped building will be occupied by the biggest conference hotel in Norway.

Currently, the Central Station receive 150,000 travellers every day, number expected to double in the next few years, rendering the current structure obsolete. Space Group´s project will be able to grow in stages. Construction will start on 2013, during 5 to 10 years. Quite a lot, but since the project will be done in stages it will be able to be in use during all the time.

Below, more renders by Luxigon sent to us by Space Group.

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Megan from Been Seen sent us V-Houses, an amazing jungle retreat near the fishing village of Yelapa in tropical Mexico. This rustic-modern aesthetic hotel was designed by Heinz Legler, who used to own a film set construction company and Veronique Lievre, previously a set decorator, from Paris. They started this project as their personal hideaway, but it ended up construction an hotel in a 5 acre area, with infinity pool, spa, restaurants, yoga hut and 8 guest rooms.

This year they expanded their hotel with V-Houses, 5 units with 3 units for hotel staff, 2 for guests, a kitchen and a shared bathroom. This three tower-houses have a particular structure, raising from a small concrete foundation as you can see on the construction pictures. The V Houses are made out of steel, plywood and red corrugated iron roofs.

You can check the great views by yourelf, and don’t mind about the windows. Trust me you won’t be needing them on this tropical paradise. More pictures below.

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Young chilean architect Harald Opitz shared with us this impressive hotel located in the deep chilean south, that uses local wood for its skin, made in part of sticks.

Architect: Harald Opitz
Location: Camino a Ensenada, Puerto Varas, Chile
Contractor: Inmobiliaria Cielos del Sur Ltda
Structure Engineer: Jose Torres Herrera
Site Area: 14.000 sqm
Constructed Area: 1.500 sqm
Project Year: 2006
Construction year: 2007-2008
Materials: Wood, Steel & Concrete
Photographs: Francisco Negroni

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Architect: Sebastián Irarrázabal
Location: Ladrilleros 105, Puerto Natales, Chilean Patagonia
Collaborators: Ximena García Huidobro, Francisco Ibáñez, Patricio Poblete
Structure: Luis Soler
Contractor: Bravo e Izquierdo
Interior Design: Sebastián Irarrazaval, Ana Ibáñez, Olivier Potart
Client: Olivier Potart, Ana Ibáñez, Hernán Jofré
Graphic Design: C-Proyecta
Floor Area: 300 sqm
Constructed Area: 1680 sqm
Site Area: 700 sqm
Materials: Concrete, Wood
Structure Material: Concrete
Budget: USD $4 millions
Photographs: Cristóbal Palma
Web Site: www.indigopatagonia.com

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Architect: Sami Rintala
Location: Kirkenes, Barents Region, North East Norway
Client: Pikene på Broen, Via Travels
Planification and execution: August 2005, 10 days
Materials: Wood, Bricks and Steel Wires
Dimensions: 6m (long) x 2,5 m (width) x 5 m (height)
Area: 20sqm
Construction team: Sami Rintala, George Lovett (architecture student, University of Sheffield, UK), Borghild Hulsvik (architecture student, Bergen Architect School), Anne Kathrine Vabø (architecture student, Bergen Architect School)
Sponsors: Nicopan/ windows, Jotun/ paint
Photography: Morten Torgersrud, Sami Rintala, Jan Erik Svendsen.

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