Horizontal Skyscraper / Steven Holl
Our friend and architecture photographer, Iwan Baan , just published on his website some of his recently shot images of Steven Holl’s Horizontal Skyscraper in Shenzhen, China . The project is a long mixed-use complex which includes office spaces, apartments, a hotel and even a public landscape. Baan’s photos illustrate Holl’s idea that the “building appears as if it were once floating on a higher sea that has now subsided; leaving the structure propped up high on eight legs.”
Complete photoset at Iwan’s website, more images and more about the project after the break.
School of Pharmacy / Hariri Pontarini Architects
Architect: Hariri Pontarini Architects
Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Partner in Charge: Siamak Hariri
Budget: $36M
Project size: 183,000 sf
Year: 2008
Photographs: Ben Rahn, A-Frame Studio / Tom Arban, Tom Arban Photography
Pole Dance Preview / SO-IL
Even though these hot months can be a bit stifling, we’re excited because the summer means that the PS1 installation by SO-IL (catch our coverage of the winning proposal here) is almost ready for the public! Upon watching SO-IL’s competition entry video, we are patiently waiting to experience the physical manifestation of the Pole Dance’s conceptual ideas about making space. While you can expect full coverage of the project, thanks to our reader, Alan R Tansey, we can share a sneak peak of the Pole Dance installation with you today. Enjoy!
More images after the break.
State Library of Queensland / Donovan Hill + Peddle Thorp Architects
Architects: Donovan Hill + Peddle Thorp Architects
Location: 30 Bamberry Street Fingal, Brisbane, Australia
Project Team: Timothy Hill, Brian Donovan, Damian EckersleyFrank Way, Jeffrey Briant, Brett Hudson, Lucas Leo, Mark Floate, Greg Lamb, Fedor Medek, George Taran, Ron van Sluys, Ines Hallmond, Graham Mudge, Graham Hobbs, Rosario Distaso, David Evans, Mark Damant, Seth Remaut, Tania McLachlan, Phil Hindmarsh, Kevin O’Brien, Michael Hogg, Lisa Matray, Yee Chong, Louise Hamilton, Paul Jones, Michael Moore, Chris Hing Fay, Ceirwen Burton, Ben Killeen, Eden Norris, Stephanie Donigi, Michael Rasi, Gary Cannon
Total Floor Area: Nominally 35,000 m2 gross
Design Period: 2 years
Construction Period: 2004-2006
Completion Date: November 2006
Photography: Jon Linkins, Diana Snape, Shantanu Starick, Donovan Hill
Cvetkova Apartments / Andrej Kalamar
Architect: Andrej Kalamar – Studio Kalamar
Location: Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Structural Engineering: Igra
HVAC Engineering: Veling
Electrical Engineering: Mat-El
Client: Imo-Real d.o.o.
Contractor: SGP Pomgrad d.d.
Built Area: 6,370 sqm
Budget: 5,800,000 €
Project Year: 2006-2007
Year of Construction: 2008
Photographs: Miran Kambič, Studio Kalamar
The Shard: London’s Tallest Tower / Renzo Piano
We just featured an article about London’s construction frenzy, which includes over half a dozen skyscrapers for the city. This new era will completely alter the city’s skyline as tall buildings will be sprouting everywhere to house new office, commercial, and residential activities. Of these new structures, Renzo Piano’s 310 meter high mix-used tower, The Shard (be sure to check out our coverage of the tower), will not only become London’s tallest tower, but also the tallest building in all of Western Europe. Of all of London’s new developments, we are excited to see this dynamic tower’s impact on the city and its relationship with London’s context and future neighboring skyscrapers.
We have new images to share from Renzo Piano Building Workshop and more video clips of the construction progress after the break.
AD Round Up: Best from Flickr Part XIII
What you’ve all been waiting for! Here’s our second selection of photos of our Flickr pool we’ve done on June. Selections are getting harder each time as we’re about to get to 20,000 photos! You can see all of our previous selections here. As always, remember you can submit your own photo here, and don’t forget to follow us through Twitter and our Facebook Fan Page to find many more features.
The photo above was taken by Bercy Chen Studio LP in Lake Austin, Texas. Check the other four after the break.
Royal Parks Foundation Drinking Fountain Competition
The RIBA is delighted to announce the launch of an international open design competition on behalf of The Royal Parks Foundation and Tiffany & Co. Foundation for the design of a new drinking fountain which can then be installed throughout the Royal Parks in London. The programme, called Tiffany – Across the Water, focuses on ornamental and drinking fountains in the capital’s eight Royal Parks and will see the creation of a stunning new fountain in St James’s Park, restoration of the Italian Gardens in Kensington Gardens, as well as improvements to drinking fountains to benefit the Royal Parks’ 37 million visitors each year.
The competition challenge will be to create a well-designed drinking fountain to replace older Parks’ fountains which cannot be restored. The winning designer will see their work turned into reality in the Parks, with the hope that the design will eventually be adopted in other green spaces around the world. For more information click here. Seen at Death by Architecture.
The Museum of Tomorrow / Santiago Calatrava
Calatrava’s talent has produced sculpturesque bridges and transportation hubs worldwide, and now, his sustainably-focused museum for Rio de Janeiro will also gain international attention. The architect/engineer has just unveiled his design which will be part of a larger urban design project to transform Rio’s waterfront into a thriving cultural and residential community.
More images and more about the museum after the break.
Guinovart Florensa Residence / Cadaval & Solà-Morales
Architects: Cadaval & Solà-Morales
Location: Canejan, Vall d’Aran, Spain
Collaborators: Mariona Viladot, Alex Molla, Pernilla Johansson
Proyect Year: 2004 – 2010
Proyect Area: 350 sqm
Promotor: Biollar TGN, sl
Constructor: Ballarín Gabás Guillén SL
Structures: Carles Gelpí Arquitecte
Photos: Santiago Garcés
Moses Mabhida Stadium Kirigami Paper Model
By now, many of you have already seen all the stadiums of South Africa’s World Cup. And many of you may agree with me on this: Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban is the most beautiful stadium of the World Cup. Designed by gmp architekten, Theunissen Jankowitz Durban, Ambro-Afrique Consultants, Osmond Lange Architects & Planners, NSM Designs, and Mthulisi Msimang, this venue will host one of the semi-finals on July 7.
So I was quite excited when the people at Paper Landmarks released a stylized kirigami (cut-and-fold) model of the stadium. And the best thing of all, you can download the kirigami template right here. All you need is 14 sheets of 250-300 gsm paper (no glue!). Tell us if you did!
After Strong Spring, Drop in Architecture Billings Index
Just over a month ago, we were happy to report that our field seemed to be through the toughest time, as the Architecture Billings Index had increased for the third straight month showing a sustained economic improvement. Now, we are definitely not so happy to share some information that a lot of architects assumed would happen. Following our strong spring, the AIA billings index dropped quite precipitously from 48.5 to 45.8 and every region declined. The rough month suggests that our recovery will continue to be long and frustrating, a worrisome reality that some professionals may have been anticipating. “I was a bit surprised by it, particularly the magnitude,” AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said. “It’s been jumping around for the past six to nine months, but this is a big drop after some pretty steady gains.”
We know these times are extremely difficult but we are still keeping our optimism and hoping for the best.
As seen on the Architect’s Newspaper
South London Gallery / 6a Architects
Architect: 6a Architects
Location: 65 Peckham Road, London SE5 8UH
Team: Tom Emerson, Stephanie Macdonald, Takeshi Hayatsu (project associate),
Max Beckenbauer, Alessandro Cairo, Sylvie Duvoisin, Trevor Brown, Lucia
Frescaroli, Max Retegui, Mariana Simoes, Susanne Sauter, Eva-Maria Stadelmann, Katharina Schworer, Jonathan Wong
Client: South London Gallery
Structural engineer: Jane Wernick Associates
M&E engineer: Serge Lai Engineers Ltd.
Quantity surveyor: Stockdale
Main contractor: John Perkins Projects
Year: 2006-2010
Photographs: David Grandorge and 6a Architects
More on Phase Two / Field Operations + DS+R
A few days ago, we shared some information about the second segment of Field Operations and DS+R’s High Line, including construction shots to show the progress being made. Today, we share renderings from the firms which illustrate some of the cool features we can look forward to seeing. The second phase will include a “spur” – a framed space recalling the historical billboards that once attached to the railway, a “floating platform” which rests above the exposed girders, “Chelsea Thicket” – a dense stretch of trees and shrubs, a “flyover” where the walkway rises into the canopy of sumac trees, and of course, a grand lawn for lounging.
Take a look at the renderings after the break, and we’ve also included a video of the whole project to see how the pieces will come together.
Tree Museum / Enea Garden Design
Landscape “artist” Enzo Enea recently completed the Tree Museum in Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland, right next to the brand new headquarters for Enea Garden Design designed by Miami based Oppenheim Architecture + Design (more on that soon!).
The museum includes 50 different species on the site of a 14th century monastery, some of them 130 years old. These have been collected by Enzo himself for the past 17 years, sometimes rescuing trees threatened by construction or urban expansion. The collection includes over 2,000 species on an adjacent 2.5 acre park.
A delicate landscape work, using a series of local sandstone walls which frame the trees and generate zen like spaces to contemplate the beauty of the “exhibit”.
More photos after the break.
Farquar Lake Residence / ALTUS Architecture + Design
Architects: ALTUS Architecture + Design
Location: Apple Valley, MN, USA
Landscape Design: Travis VanLiere, RLA
Project Area: 3360 sf
Project Year: 2008
Photography: Paul Crosby & ALTUS Architecture + Design
Ivy Building / GENETO
Designed by GENETO, a Japanese firm,the Ivy Building is quite complex to the effect that the program changes so frequently. Although a small scale building, the programmatic needs shift from retail to office to residential, yet a wrapping staircase connects the fragment pieces into a whole. ”We wanted to create a new type of building by combining different kinds of program and propose a building that is opened to the society,” explained the architects.
More about the Ivy Building after the break.
International Bamboo and Rattan Products Ideas Competition
On the occasion of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, INBAR and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries are organizing the International Bamboo and Rattan Products Ideas Competition to help drive green practices in cities around the world.
The competition theme will respond to the Expo’s theme “Better City, Better Life” by focusing on four categories- clothing, food, shelter and transport. This competition will provide a platform for producers, designers, practitioners, and organizations from around the world to present their innovative approaches to building green cities worldwide with bamboo and rattan.
For more information, visit the competition’s official website. Seen at Death by Architecture.
Mauritshuis preliminary design / Hans van Heeswijk Architects
The preliminary design for the 22 million euro project ‘Mauritshuis building for the future’ was unveiled on June 22, 2010. The ambitious design links Plein 26, the art deco building opposite the Mauritshuis in The Hague which is part of the Nieuwe of Littéraire Sociëteit de Witte, with the museum by means of an underground foyer, thus doubling the square footage and increasing its potential. The project is expected to be completed by mid 2014.
Dutch architect Hans van Heeswijk’s preliminary design, in which light and clarity are prominent, does justice to the international status of the Mauritshuis. The facilities will be expanded to include a new exhibition hall, an auditorium for lectures and conferences, and an education space. A new entrance will be created at the front of the building so visitors will fully appreciate its elegant façade. The shop and the café will also be refurbished. Construction will begin in 2012 and the project is expected to be completed mid-2014.
More images and a video after the break.
Parking Garage Adaptive Re-use / KSS Architects
When the Trenton Parking Authority proposed a design challenge to improve the area, KSS Architects responded with an adaptive re-use strategy that transforms an existing structure to activate the site’s surroundings. Currently, the site is occupied by an old brutalist parking garage dating back to the 1970′s and lacks any recognition of its important history – just south of the project site is Mill Hill Park, where American and British soldiers fought the first and second battles of Trenton during the Revolutionary War. The architects’ proposal acknowledges the site’s rich history while adding a sense of vitality to the prominent edge of the downtown area.
More images and more about the proposal after the break.
AD Classics: Sydney Opera House / Jørn Utzon
There are few buildings as famous as the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia. Arguably considered the eighth wonder of the world, the opera house has a long history behind its design. The story behind this magnificent structure began in 1956 when the New South Wales Government called an open competition for the design of two performance halls, for opera and for symphony concerts, that would put Sydney on the map. The Danish architect Jørn Utzon was unknown for his work at the time, yet his entry for the competition which consisted of a few simple sketches intrigued the famous Eero Saarinen who was part of the jury. The drawings submitted for this scheme are simple to the point of being diagrammatic,” observed the jury. “Nevertheless, we are convinced that they present a concept of an opera house that is capable of becoming one of the great buildings of the world.”
More images and information after the break.
