4th International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam

How and what can architects and urbanistst contribute to the way we live in cities? What is the Open City? How do people work, think, dream and act there? And why is it urgent to re-imagine the Open City?

These are just some of the questions that will confront the visitor to Open City: Designing Coexistence.

The 4th edition of the IABR will take place from 24 September 2009 until 10 January 2010 in and Amsterdam. You can find the program on the official site, including debates, lectures, and theater performances .

ARTIC / HOK

HOK‘s Los Angeles office, with Parsons Brinckerhoff, was just announced the winner for the (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center) in Anaheim, .  This new transit center, featuring a high-speed rail network, will update Anaheim’s public transportation system and ignite further development in the city.  “We’re getting the critical infrastructure in place where you can actually envision a day in the future where you can reliably get around without a car,” added Todd Osborne, vice-president at HOK.

More about the ARTIC transit center after the break.

Beth Sholom / Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects

Architects: Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects
Location: , CA,
Client: Congregation Beth Sholom
Project team: Stanley Saitowitz, Neil Kaye, Markus Bischoff, John Winder, Derrick Chan
Structural Engineering: Forell/Elsesser Engineers Inc.
Mechanical Engineering: Rumsey Engineers Inc.
Landscaping: Blasen Landscape Architecture
General Contractor: Overaa Construction
Constructed Area: 2,694 sqm
Budget: US $11,933,000
Project year: 2008
Photographs: Rien van Rijthoven & Bruce Damonte

Agridulce lookout house / XPIRAL

Architects: Javier Peña Galiano – XPIRAL
Location: Murcia,
Collaborators: Lola Jiménez, Katja Wirfler, Joaquín Fernández
Technical Architect: José Bautista
Services: Federico García Salmerón
Structure: López Pacheco
Contractor: Javier Mora
Promotor: Carlos García Calvo
Design year: 2002-2003
Construction year: 2003-2006
Budget: US $966,500
Constructed Area: 615 sqm
Photographs: Juan de la Cruz Megías

Design for Teheran / Giuseppe Iodice

As we shared earlier this week, the Desiging in Teheran international competition urged designers to creatively rethink the potential a retail area can have upon an evolving metropolis (Grzegorz Witold Woronowicz‘s won as we reported earlier on AD). Giuseppe Iodice‘s proposal placed third as it aimed to create an architecture that  ”would investigate a social, political, cultural function and become an element of dialogue between different cultures…thus assuming a role of balanced mediation between western and eastern culture without renouncing its expressive identity.”

More about the proposal after the break.

Cherry tree Center & Convention Center / AMID (Cero9)

Architects: AMID (Cero9) / Cristina Díaz Moreno + Efrén García Grinda
Location: Jerte Valley, Cáceres,
Client: Consejería de Cultura y Turismo, Junta de Extremadura.
Program: Cherry Tree Fair and Convention Centre in the Jerte Valley
Competition Team: Luis Cabrejas Guijarro, Jorge Saz Semolino, José Quintanar Iniesta, Bruno Gomes, Mireia Luzárraga.
Project Team: Jorge Saz Semolino, Alex Muiño, Mireia Luzárraga, Margarita Martínez, José Quintanar, Dora Joana Moreira da Costa y Manu Jimenez.
Models: Jorge Queipo and
Project Year: 2008
Images: AMID (Cero9)

Perkins Eastman proposal for Kohinoor Design Competition

As one of five international architecture firms invited by Kohinoor CTNL Infrastructure Co. Ltd. to participate in a design competition to create a mixed-use urban development in Mumbai, India, Perkins Eastman submitted two bold approaches-one, a singular 33-story, 1.16M sf (108,000 sm) high-rise tower and two-story retail base; the other, a low- and mid-rise, 750,000 sf (69,700 sm) two building scheme. Each is a visionary catalyst for smart, green urban development that establishes an iconic sense of place amid juxtapositions of traditional and modern India.

Both schemes incorporate sustainable elements to create an indoor environment that is healthy to occupy and cost-effective to operate: intelligent facade design, harnessing alternative energies, harvesting and recycling rainwater, and incorporating smart technologies such as solar chimneys and abundant facade plantings to filter and improve air quality.

In each, colored glass and richly colored terra cotta contrast with cool sleek aluminum elements amid verdant landscaping. Both schemes utilize a bright and energizing palette of materials that integrate the colorful aspects of Indian culture with an unwavering commitment to a more sustainable environment.

More images after the break.

Jing Restaurant / Antonio Eraso

Architects: Antonio Eraso Co.
Location: One Fullerton,
Client: Mr. Loh Lik Peng and Chef Yong Bing Ngen
Design Team: , Andres Atela, Akira Kita, Narisa C.watananun, Sharon de Guzman
General Contractor: Cheng Meng Furniture Co Pte Ltd
Electrical Contractor: Emac Pte Ltd
M&E Consultant: Bescon Consulting Engineers Pte
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Derek Swalwell

Johanna House / Nicholas Burns

Architect: Nicholas Burns
Location: Johanna beach, Victoria, Australia
Contractor: BDH constructions
Landscape: Indigenous Species
Materials: , Concrete, Steel,
Design year: 2005-2006
Project year: 2007-2008
Photographs: Nicholas Burns

UNStudio’s Retreat Exhibition Opens June 28

With the combined effort of Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos of UNStudio, the Retreat  will kick off on June 28th at KunstFort Asperen.  The exhibit, which will feature the works of 12 artists, aims to reflect different points of view on their interpretations of ‘retreat’.  The installation creates an atmosphere where “the functionality of the space is interrupted and reality is stretched.”

More after the break.

Al Maktoum A&E Hospital / Perkins Eastman

Our friends from Perkins Eastman sent us their design for Al Maktoum Accident and Emergency (A&E) Hospital-the newest and most sophisticated Accident and Emergency Hospital of its kind in the .

Chosen by the Dubai Health Authority and the Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS) to create an advanced A/E hospital, designed a facility capable of providing immediate care for minor- to high-level trauma. An ambulance receiving area is directly linked to a surgical trauma operating suite and a diagnostic imaging unit with MRI, CT, and X-ray capabilities. The 300-bed, 85,000 facility includes a large, five-floor nursing unit providing specialized treatment and care for patients recovering from surgery.

More images after the break.

Stone Villa / Schleifer & Milczanowski Architekci

Architect: Schleifer & Milczanowski Architekci s.c.
Location: Gdynia, ul. Krasickiego 30,
Design Team: Tomasz Milczanowski, Stefan Schleifer, Agnieszka Schleifer, Agnieszka Majkowska, Anna Niedzielska, Hanna Zamorska, Roksana Czartopolska, Michal Treder
Structure Engineer: Studio R Roman Radowski
Client: Polskie Pierze i Puch Sp. z o.o.
Area: 2092 sqm
Project Year: 2006-2007
Construction Year: 2009
Photographs:

Office with upstairs apartment in Oostduinkerke / BURO II & Alph’

Belgian practice BURO II sent us their latest project in collaboration with Alph’, in charge of the interiors and the furniture design.

The volume is at the head of a row of buildings, on the corner of the village square. Due to the location, its character is determined by the village square to a large extent. The designers took this into account by making the wall facing the village square completely transparent. This unique building consists of an apartment (+1), an office (0) and a partial cellar (-1). There is a separate entrance to the apartment.

Casa en Culebra / RSVP Architects

Located between Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, the Island of Culebra is a popular vacation area thanks to its beautiful beaches and perfect weather.  RSVP Architects have designed a simple vacation home which can provide for a variety of activities while occupied by its summer users.

More about the home and more images after the break.

AD Round Up: Norwegian Architecture Part I

Those who have been lucky enough to visit surely know how beautiful its landscape is. But not only its sorroundings are amazing, they have some pretty amazing architecture. So to finish this week of Round Up, we bring you previously featured Norwegian architecture.

Oslo Opera House / Snohetta
The operahouse is the realisation of the winning competion entry. Four diagrams, which were part of the entry, explain the building’s basic concept. Opera and ballet are young artforms in Norway. These artforms evolve in an international setting. The Bjørvika peninsula is part of a harbour city, which is historically the meeting point with the rest of the world (read more…)

Hotel Kirkenes / Sami Rintala
Kirkenes is a city of 6000 inhabitants (ca. 9500 in the larger area) in North East Norway next to . Far enough from the political and economical centers, such as capitals, bigger cities, giant business headquarter and cultural institutions, this Barents city has created its own way of international and dynamic interactivity on a grass root level in necessary everyday survival activity like fishing (read more…)

Tautra Monastery / JSA
The project is situated on Tautra island in Trondheimsfjorden. It is a new monastery for 18 nuns, complete with a small church and all the facilities needed to make a living, as areas for production and so on. The original programme has been reduced with around 30% by eliminating almost all the corridors in the project. This has been possible by analyzing the way the monastery works (read more…)

Oslo School of Architecture / JVA
The project won 1st prize in an open architectural competition in 1998. The exterior of the existing building has a conservation status. The architects have kept the block open towards the river, and combined the new programme with the logic of the existing building together with the surroundings in one spatial sequence. An access court has been cut out of the existing 1st floor slab (read more…)

Strandkanten / 70ºN Arkitektur
This project is part of a masterplan that looks to develop a reclaimed area of the Tromsø strait. It’s amazing what is being done in Europe in terms of new dwellings. The construction of the rest of the masterplan is currently in progress. Strandkanten is a new housing area just south of the centre of Tromsø, attractively situated on a reclaimed area in the Tromsø strait (read more…)

AD Interviews: Joseph Grima

For those of you that already following @archdaily on Twitter, this is no news: During April, at Postopolis! LA, we interviewed Joseph Grima, current director of the Storefront for Art and Architecture.

The is a nonprofit and events space in New York City committed to the advancement of innovative positions in architecture, art and design. The SFG has organized interesting architecture related events lately, such as the White House Redux Competition (2008), Postopolis! (2007), Postopolis! LA (2009), Spacebuster (2009), among others. The SFG also published the book “49 Cities” by Work AC (review will be posted shortly on AD, great book!).

Back to Joseph, he is a graduate from the Architectural Association and former editor and advisor for Domus Magazine. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at Goldsmith College, London. He recently published the book “Instant Asia: Fast Forward through the Architecture of a Changing Continent” with Skira, a guide to emerging asian architects in collaboration with photographer Gaia Cambiaggi. You can see other publications in which Joseph participated at Amazon.

I think this is one of the interviews with the best background: downtown LA from the rooftop of The Standard Hotel.

L.A. in Wien / Wien in L.A., an exhibition in SCI-Arc

The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) is pleased to present L.A. in Wien / Wien in L.A, an exhibition featuring works by Hitoshi Abe, Peter Cook, Zaha Hadid, Thom Mayne, and Eric Owen Moss juxtaposed with those by R.M. Schindler and Richard Neutra that investigate the architecture of both Los Angeles and Vienna and their respective influences on one another over the last century. L.A. in Wien / Wien in L.A. is on view July 24 through September 13 at the SCI-Arc Library Gallery, 960 E. 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

The L.A. in Wien/Wien in L.A exhibition begins with a digital presentation of photographs and drawings, entitled Schindler/Neutra: Vienna/Los Angeles 2.0, offering a brief overview tracing the architectural link between the cities when Vienna-born architects R.M. Schindler and Richard Neutra first settled in Los Angeles. The overview highlights their respective architectural innovations, while exploring the questions: What do architects from Vienna bring to Los Angeles (and vice-versa), and conversely, how does Los Angeles influence their work?

L.A. in Wien/Wien in L.A continues with an in-depth study of five invited entries from the competition held in fall 2008 by the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Seminal L.A.-based and international architects- Zaha Hadid Architects (Hamburg, /London), Atelier Hitoshi Abe (Sendai, Japan/Los Angeles), Eric Owen Moss Architects (Los Angeles), Thom Mayne/Morphosis Architects (New York/Los Angeles) and Peter Cook, Archigram/CRABstudio Architects (London)- offered their solutions to integrate campus and urban life in Vienna, while also complementing the given Master Plan designed by BUSarchitektur. Through drawings and renderings, the exhibition presents each architect’s detailed approach to infrastructure and urban planning.

Admission is free. Seating is first come, first served. Events are broadcast live online at http://www.sciarc.edu/live/

Cargotecture / HyBrid Architecture + Assembly

HyBrid Architecture + Assembly‘s building system, coined “Cargotecture”, offers a sustainable, modular and affordable alternative to traditional construction methods.  The -based architecture and general contracting firm recently created the first cargo container buildings for in the design district of the Georgetown area.

More images and more about the cargo buildings after the break. 

Carl-Bolle Elementary School / Die Baupiloten

Architects: Die Baupiloten
Location: Berlin,
Client: Jahn, Mack und Partner
Project Team: Lena Fischer, Anna Lafite, Lukas de Pellegrin, Lisa Plücker, Nadia Poor-Rahim, Daniel Theiler
Project Manager: Dipl.-Ing. Constantin von der Mülbe
Project year: 2006-2008
Photographs: Jan Bitter

The Baupiloten are a group of students at the Institute for Architecture within the Berlin Technical University‘s Department for Planning, Construction, and the Environment. Under the leadership of architect Susanne Hofmann AA dipl, the Baupiloten conduct their studies through the realization of actual building measures. The students experience the architectural curriculum as a praxis-oriented ideal and take part in all phases of design and construction

Old Market Library / TYIN Tegnestue

Architects: TYIN Tegnestue
Location: Min Buri, Bangkok
Collaborator: CASE Studio Architects
Project team: Pasi Aalto, Andreas Grøntvedt Gjertsen, Yashar Hanstad, Magnus Henriksen, Erlend Bauck Sole
Client: Old Market Community
Project: Community house
Cost: 27,000 NOK
Project year: March 2009 – May 2009
Photographs: Pasi Aalto

Aqaulis Pier / Andrew Bedov

Situated along the Moskva River in , Andrew Bedov’s creates a dynamic infrastructure hub that provides an alternative circulation route for the users.  The pier is designed to replace the 15 moorings in the city by creating one central unit with an efficient water bus transportation system to help commuters cross the river.

The smooth form creates a fluid continuity for both the exterior and interior spaces. Inside the structure, open spaces provide room to relax while resting upon countless sofas, dinning in a small café or reading in the library.  On the exterior, a viewing platform extends allowing users to enjoy the natural beauty of the river.

More images after the break.