Our friends from OBRA Architects shared with us their project Red+Housing, an emergency housing prototype commissioned as part of the exhibit CROSSING: Emergency Dialogues for Architecture to acknowledge the anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake, held at the National Art Museum of China. More images and architect’s description after the break. read more »
SPF Architects, based in Culver City, California, have created an design for the Zhuhai Opera House in Guangdong Province, China. Learning from the traditional principles of the region, the opera house’s form gives the appearance of stacked pebbles. Such an idea was conceived as a way to create a visual balance based on the Chinese principle from the five element theory. The opera house has three stacked levels that provide varying programmatic activities, such as a 1500 seat auditorium, large plaza gathering space, rehearsal hall, restaurants and other public amenities. A forest behind the structure gives the impression of growth and sustainability.
More images after the break. read more »
Architects: MAD
Location: Beijing, China
Structural Engineers: Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD)
Mechanical Engineers: Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD)
Façade/cladding consultants: King General Engineering, SuP Ingenieure GmbH
Interior Designers: Lim.Teo + Wilkes Design Works Pte Ltd
Landscape Designer: Earthasia Design Group
Site Area: 7,779 sqm
Constructed Area: 56,994 sqm
Building height: 106 meters
Images: MAD
This villa is located in plot #92 of the ORDOS project.
Architects: Single Speed Design
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Principals in Charge: Jinhee Park AIA, John Hong AIA/LEED
LProject team: Brett Albert, Frederick Peter Ortner, Matt Allen, Caroline Lang, Clara Wong, Bao Wei
Structural Engineer: Paul Kassabian, SGH Inc.
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009-2010
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Client: Jiang Yuan Water Engineering Ltd, Inner Mongolia, China
Constructed Area: 1,000 sqm aprox
Shenzhen Crystal Island @ OMA / Ole Scheeren
Shenzhen is one of the most active cities in China, and was recently appointed “City of Design” by the UNESCO (2008). A recent competition for Crystal Island, located in the center of the city, envisions the envisions the Shenzhen Creative Center, an iconic project in front of the city hall.
The project, won by OMA in collaboration with chinese firm Urbanus, includes a major new cultural center, transport hub, and public landmark. The Shenzhen Creative Center takes advantage of such a central location, and disaggregate the program over a 20-hectare landscape of parks and gardens, on which clusters of pavilions and small buildings form “Design Villages” creating a micro urban system which includes buildings for Design Administration, Tourism Center, buildings for design retail and expo and a design campus. It also includes a big open space, the Ceremonial Plaza.
All these buildings and open spaces are connected by an elevated pedestrian system, the “Ring Connector”, which also connects to existing and future train and subway stations.
At the center of this circular project, a spherical void becomes a landmark for the city: the Shenzhen Eye.
The disaggregation of the program on such an active area has the potential to mix the creative industry with the rest of the city’s activities, potentiating multiplicity, permeability, and openness towards creative activity.
The project collaboration between OMA and Urbanus includes the young Ole Scheeren and Rem Koolhaas, and Urbanus partner Meng Yan, with a team lead by OMA Associates Dongmei Yao and Anu Leinonen.
After the break, a schematic model of the program relations and another rendering.
Architectural photographer Pasi Aalto sent us a good photo report on the Crossing Now “Dialogues for Emergency” Exhibition. This exhibition was organized after the Sichuan earthquake (May 12, 2008), which devastated the Chinese nation, with over 69,000 lives lost and over 15 million people affected, needing temporary homes. Crossin Now looks to help these people through architecture, on an exhibition that will bring talented architects from around the world to discuss the issues of environment and emergency architecture from a global perspective.
This exhibition featured works by architects such as: Sou Fujimoto, Rintala Eggertsson, Teddy Cruz, OBRA, PRODUCTORA, Tham & Videgård Hansson Arkitekter, CAFA, Song Xiewei+Han Tao+Xi Xiaojing, Smiljan Radic + Gonzalo Puga, A4设计组, CAL-Earth, ECAL_Martino d‘Esposito, EH+GS, IK studio, Jia Kun Architecture, KUB and ML. + SJU & leondelima
London-based Plasma Studio will begin construction on the International Horticultural Fair Complex in Xi’an, China this year. The project, entitled Flowing Gardens, features the redevelopment of a large area of land that acts as a ‘synthesis of horticulture and technology where landscape and architecture converge at a sustainable and integral vision’.
Further project description after the break. read more »
Architecture photographer Iwan Baan once again shared with us an impressive photo set on a social housing project by Chinese architects Urbanus.
The commission was to design a 220 apartment housing complex for people for low income families in Guangzhou. Urbanus decided to give the complex a nice and intimate atmosphere, by reinterpreting the traditional Hakka Houses. This housing typology correspond to 300 year old houses in the south of China, and as you can see on some pictures after the jump, they are basically a large housing project where complete families live as a community (aunts, nieces, nephews, etc.)
You can take a look at the Urbanus’ complete photo set over here, and the Hakka Houses photos over here.
The Ordos 100 project, as seen on our site, marked the first time the city of Ordos attracted international attention. The success of that project led to the development of the Ordos Prize. This prize provides an opportunity for young architects to be recognized early in their career for their intellectual rigor as demonstrated in both theoretical and built projects. The prize, sponsored by the City of Ordos in Inner Mongolia and Jiang Yuan Cultural & Creativity Development Co., Ltd, is not only the first international architecture prize from Asia, but it is also China’s sole international prize for any achievement.
More about the Ordos Prize after the break.
An excellent opportunity for architecture students in China has just been shared with us. The Mad Traveling Fellowship was established to provide the opportunity for young architecture students in China to research a special aspect of architecture that requires international travel. The international trip will give students the opportunity to discover a new culture, and provide a new environment for ideas.
More information about fellowship after the break. read more »
The Los Angeles based team of Studio SHIFT and SWA Group has been selected to create a master plan for the Sichuan Province, a developing area in China. The plan consists of SHIFT’s Miyi Tower that aims to promote the region’s heritage, and SWA Group’s design for a sustainable promenade.
Further project description and more images after the break.
Architects: Yazdani Studio
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009-2010
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Dutch architects Mecanoo recently revealed their vision for transforming Longgang, a district of Shenzhen, China, into a thriving economic center. Their master plan calls for the growing city to be redesigned to include 8,000 residences and over 4.3 million square feet for commercial functions.
Project description and more images after the break.
This villa is located in plot #31 of the ORDOS project.
Architects: Slade Architecture
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009-2010
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Client: Jiang Yuan Water Engineering Ltd, Inner Mongolia, China
Constructed Area: 1,000 sqm aprox
The Shanghai 2010 World Expo will without a doubt be a huge event. Countries from all around the world will show what they have to offer in gigantic pavillions built specially for the occasion. So we bring your our first Round Up of previously featured Shanghai Pavillions on ArchDaily.
Denmark Pavillion / BIG
The pavilion is a big loop on which visitors ride around on one of the 1,500 bikes available at the entrance, a chance to experience the Danish urban way. At the center there’s a big pool with water from Copenhagen’s harbor, on which visitors can even swim. At the center of the pool you will find The Little Mermaid, a statue that has become a symbol for Denmark. And this time, it will be moved temporarily to China (read more…)
Macau Pavillion / Carlos Marreiros
The Macau Pavilion will take the shape of a jade rabbit lantern. Designed by Chinese firm Carlos Marreiros Architects the pavilion will be wrapped with a double-layer glass membrane and feature fluorescent screens on its outer walls. Balloons will serve as the head and tail of the ‘rabbit’, which can be moved up and down to attract visitors. The building will be constructed with recyclable materials (read more…)
UAE Pavillion / Foster + Partners
Foster + partners decided to base on a sand dune for their UAE Pavillion design. The pavillion is a reference to the symbolic feature of the desert landscape shared by all seven emirates. The peak rises to 20 meters in height and it is entered via a glazed lip at the pavillions base. Light penetrates the building’s business center and VIP area through glazed vertical strips which illuminate the pavillion from within by night (read more…)
Austrian Pavillion / SPAN and Zeytinoglu Architects
The main driving force behind the design of the Austrian Pavilion for the Shanghai 2010 Expo can be described as acoustic forces, or more accurately as music. Music as a concept that reflects continuity in terms of architectural articulation that seamlessly connects the various spaces within the program. The embodiment of the sonic conditions within the space manifest the architecture of the pavilion (read more…)
Korean Pavillion / Mass Studies
The Korean Pavillion is situated in Zone A, directly neighboring the Japan Pavillion and the Saudi Arabia Pavillion, and in close proximity to the China Pavilion. The site is around 6000m2, and it is one of the largest lots within the expo compound. Located on the perimeter of the zone, the site takes advantage of the views out towards the Huangpu River and the Shanghai skyline in the distance (read more…)
This villa is located in plot #16 of the ORDOS project.
Architects: OBRA Architects
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Principals in Charge: Pablo Castro, Jennifer Lee
Project team: Shin Kook Kang, Atsushi Koizumi, Sara Kim, Patricia Bohrer, Ricardo Escutia, Soojeong Jo, Jiyoung Kim, Mingkyu Kim, Yixin Liu, Doreen Lam, Alvaro Mayoral, Selin Semaan, Paula Zapolski
Structural/Mechanical Engineering: ARUP NY / Mahadev Raman, Brian Markham, Rajesh Shah
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009-2010
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Client: Jiang Yuan Water Engineering Ltd, Inner Mongolia, China
Constructed Area: 1,000 sqm aprox
The second cycle of the Holcim Awards competition has reached its pinnacle: the top sustainable construction projects out of thousands of submissions from all continents have been selected. The four winning entries are a river remediation scheme in Morocco, a greenfield university campus in Vietnam, a rural planning strategy in China, and a shelter for day laborers in the USA. A series of prize-handovers will be held at the site of each project to celebrate the winners and their highly-acclaimed examples of sustainable construction.
Almost 5,000 sustainable construction projects and visions from 121 countries entered the five regional Holcim Awards competitions in 2008. Winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in each region automatically qualified for the Global Holcim Awards competition in 2009. The global jury was headed by Charles Correa (architect, India) and included Peter Head (structural engineer, UK), Enrique Norten (architect, Mexico/USA), Saskia Sassen (sociologist, USA), Hans-Rudolf Schalcher (civil engineer, Switzerland), and Rolf Soiron (economist, Switzerland).
More images and description of the winning projects, after the break. read more »
Our friends Simon Kim & Mariana Ibanez from I|K Studio sent us this info on their installation for the exhibition “Crossing: Dialogues for Emergency Architecture”. The opening is May 12 at the National Art Museum of China.
You can see more images and architect’s description, after the break. read more »
This villa is located in plot #43 of the ORDOS project.
Architects: Iwamoto Scott Architecture
Location: Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China
Principals in Charge: Lisa Iwamoto & Craig Scott
Project team: Blake Altshuler, Keith Plymale, Magda Melo, Sean Canty, Ryan Golenberg, Christina Kaneva
Projects Assistants: Jason Chang, Manuel Diaz, Ashley Li, Alan Lu, Doron Serban, Wei Huang, John Kim
Design year: 2008
Construction year: 2009-2010
Curator: Ai Weiwei, Beijing, China
Client: Jiang Yuan Water Engineering Ltd, Inner Mongolia, China
Constructed Area: 1,000 sqm aprox
Our friend Marcello Silvestre, from Iodice Architetti sent us their design por the Italian Pavillion for the Shanghai World Expo 2010. Silvestre, along with Francesco Iodice and Giuseppe Iodice from Iodice Architetti worked with Giampaolo Imbrighi, Teresa Crescenzi, Antonello De Bonis, and Cosimo Dominelli in the design of the pavillion. The project proposes a building which integrates a typical model of the Italian urban building, with the architectural structure of the Chinese construction game called Shanghai. More images and architect’s description after the break. read more »
