Architect: Marsino Arquitectos Asociados
Location: Antofagasta, II región, Chile
Project Year: 2002
Construction Year: 2004
Collaborators: Diego Achurra, Alejandro Rojas D., Jaime Fuentes D., Paula Herrera, Arturo Steinberg, Gonzalo Días
Client: Universidad Catolia del Norte
Structural Engineer: Ivan Vladilo
Contractor: Empresa Constructora Villalobos - Convi S.A.
Lighting: Enzo Anziani
Landscape: Mauro Manetti
Site area: 331.696 sqm
Constructed Area: 4.261 sqm
Structure Materials: Concrete

Marsino Arquitectos designed the Central Library for the Universidad Católica del Norte in Chile. Several access points, circulations and gathering spaces result in a fluid space that fits with current educational methodologies.

The architectural container materializes the gathering in spaces to develop the social and collaborative role of contemporary libraries, distant from the old archive-like approach for libraries.

Its facade consolidates the institutional image of the University, that has been developed as a series of temporary constructions.

More pictures and plans after the break.

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The new building for the Ibere Camargo Foundation in Porto Alegre, Brazil designed by Portugal´s Alvaro Siza, is a big rectangular white concrete structure. It has a big central space enclose by circulations and exhibition spaces. Some of this circulations separate from the main body as arms going out through the facade.

I´ve always loved the big white orthogonal Siza buildings, and i think that this form is really informed by brazilian modernists, resulting on sculptural rock in front of the river with an amazing light use, a tradition on Siza´s works.

Pictures by Grazielle Bruscato, plans taken from Fundação Iberê Camargo.

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Architect: Giancarlo Mazzanti
Collaborators: Andrés Sarmiento, Juan Manuel Gil, Freddy Pantoja, Camilo Mora, Pedro Saa, Alejandro Piña, Iván Ucros, Gustavo Vásquez
Location: Santo Domingo, Colombia
Project Year: 2005
Construction Year: 2007
Constructed Area: 5500 sqm
Concrete Structure: Sergio Tobón
Steel Structure: Alberto Ashner
Photographs: Sergio Gómez

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The Jewish Contemporary Museum by Daniel Libeskind we published some weeks ago opened this Sunday, and Fernando Herrera sent us a complete set of photos of the opening.

Now we can take a deeper look at the interiors and details of this remodelation of an old power plant adjacent to the Yerba Buena park in San Francisco, an area with great public spaces.

Photos and plans after the break.

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Architects: Snøhetta
Location: Alstahaug, Norway
Project year: 2001-2007
Collaborators: Kjetil Traedal Thorsen, Tarald Lundevall, Astrid Renata Van Veen, Jim Dodson, Bartek Milewski, Maria Svaland, Jenny B. Osuldsen, Lars Jørstad Nordbye, Heidi Pettersvold
Client: Alstahaug kommune
Constructed Area: 1350 sqm
Photographs: Snøhetta, Aake E. Lindman, Inge Ove Tysnes

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Architects: wHY Architecture
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Client: Grand Rapids Art Museum
Area: 125.000sqf
Construction start: 2004
Completion: 2007
General contractors: Rockford / Pepper Construction
Concrete contractor: Grand River Construction
Structural Engineer: Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners
Environmental Engineer: Atelier Ten / Design Plus, Inc.
Lighting Consultant: Isometrix Lighting + Design
Curtain Wall Consultant: W.J. Higgins & Associates
Landscape Design: Design Plus
Photos: Steve Hall, Scott McDonald & Chris Barret

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Sorry for the lack of posts this last few days, but before leaving to San Francisco my computer died. Now i´m back home with a borrowed computer, and will be posting some buildings i found in SF.

This two rotated cubes are part of the adaptation of the 1907 Jessie Street Power Substation, adjacent to the Yerba Buena Park in San Francisco, into the new Jewish Contemporary Museum by Daniel Libeskind Studio and local architects WRNS Studio. The project houses 63,000 sq feet for exhibitions and programs in visual, performing and media arts, and includes 3,500 square feet of space for education.

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