© Bitter Bredt Courtesy of Studio Daniel Libeskind

Daniel Libeskind’s Military History Museum opens today in Dresden. “I wanted to create a bold interruption, a fundamental dislocation, to penetrate the historic arsenal …” – Daniel Libeskind, 2011

“It was not my intention to preserve the museum’s facade and just add an invisible extension in the back. I wanted to create a bold interruption, a fundamental dislocation, to penetrate the historic arsenal and create a new experience. The architecture will engage the public in the deepest issue of how organized violence and how military history and the fate of the city are intertwined.”—Daniel Libeskind

Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Location: Dresden, Germany
Text: Provided by Studio Daniel Libeskind
Project Year: 2011
Photographs: Bitter Bredt, Courtesy of Holzer Kobler Architekturen, Courtesy of Studio Daniel Libeskind

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This week, with the help of our readers, our Architecture City Guide is headed to Berlin. The twentieth century changed nearly all cities, but perhaps none more so than Berlin. From its destruction in World War II that left few historic buildings intact to its division until 1989 that brought together the architecture of two competing ideologies into one city, Berlin’s modern and contemporary architecture speaks to a past that seldom accompanies such recent additions. The city is filled with new and wonderful architecture that might not have found space in other cities in Europe. With that in mind, we were unable feature all our readers’ suggestions on the first go around. We will be adding to the list in the near future, so please add more of your favorites in the comment section below. Once again, thanks to all our readers for your help.

The Architecture City Guide: Berlin list and corresponding map after the break.

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This week, with the help of our readers, our Architecture City Guide is headed to London. This is our second stop in Europe, and once again I had to capitulate and double the number of buildings that we normally feature. We could not feature all of the suggestions, and will be adding to the list in the near future. We really appreciate those readers who offered their suggestions and the use of their pictures to make up this list.

Samuel Johnson famously said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” As home to a long tradition of kings and queens, the Royal Society, and the roots of the Industrial Revolution, it is not surprising that there is a rich tension and collaboration between the historic and contemporary architecture in London. This reflects a city and culture that has a strong history of celebrating the past while also moving forward. Conflicts often emerge, as the goals of one side clash with those of the other. This relationship, however, is why I find walking the streets of London so appealing - those beautiful moments when history and progress collide.

Once again, thanks to all our readers for your help. We encourage you to add more of your favorites in the comment section below.

The Architecture City Guide: London list and corresponding map after the break.

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This week, with the help of our readers, our Architecture City Guide is headed to Copenhagen. This is our first stop in Europe, and admittedly the selection was not completely unbiased. While studying at the Danish Building Research Institute a few years ago I couldn’t help but fall in love with Copenhagen’s architecture. The Danish attention to detail is absolutely stunning. Besides the wonderful historic architecture, Copenhagen is filled with contemporary architecture of the highest quality. Remarkably, you rarely find the new clashing with the old. More often than not, the contemporary architecture in Copenhagen actually heightens the experience of the historic buildings and streets. Last week our readers suggested so many great buildings I decided to double the usual number of buildings to 24. This still did not come close to including all the suggestions or even some of my favorites, so we will be looking to expand on this list in the near future. Once again thanks to all our readers for your help. As the list is incomplete please add your favorites in the comment section below.

The Architecture City Guide: Copenhagen list and corresponding map after the break.

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© Studio Daniel Libeskind

Today the AIA New York Chapter will award Daniel Libeskind, AIA, with the 2011 Medal of Honor. The 144th Annual Meeting, which is open to the public, will take place at the Center for Architecture. The Medal of Honor has been given to a member or firm for distinguished work and high professional standing. Beginning in 1917 this award is the highest honor and past recipients include Louis Skidmore (1949), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1958), Toshikio Mori (2005) and David Childs (2010).

For more information or to attend click here.

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© Archimation

Several hundred guests joined Daniel Libeskind in a ceremony last Friday as he laid the foundation stone of  the Kö-Bogen building along with Dusseldorf’s Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers, investor Kurt Zech of Zech Group, and project developer Stefan H. Muehling.  The stainless steel foundation stone, designed by Libeskind, will be visibly integrated into the facade of the building.

The new 432,300 sqf mixed use building is scheduled for completion in 2013 will house both office and retail space in downtown Dusseldorf.  The design of Kö-Bogen intends to naturally blend landscape into the building space through geometry, permeated cuts in the facade, the green courtyards, and green roof system.   All of these elements are ‘part of a new environment that bridges urban space with park space’.

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© Bitter Bredt

Architects: Daniel Libeskind
Location: Osnabrueck, Germany
Architect of Record: Reinders & Partner
Structural Engineer: Watermann
Landscape Architect: Müller, Knippschild, Wehberg
Mechanical Engineer: Jäger & Partner, Beratende Ingenieure
Lightning Designer: Dinnebier Licht
Contractor: Reinders and Partner
Project area: 1,890 sqm
Photographs: Bitter Bredt Fotografie

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Z-Chair Chair / Zaha Hadid

Revealed earlier this month in Milan, Sawaya & Moroni‘s New Collection 2011 includes pieces from high profile architects Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and Dominique Perrault. William Sawaya and Paolo Moroni, founding partners of Sawaya & Moroni, focus the production of their furniture on contemporary designs intertwined with differing cultural backgrounds, resulting in unique pieces and a selective group of architects and artists.

Ben van Berkel of UNStudio also presented new furniture this month in Milan.

More about the chairs after the break.

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This week our Architecture City Guide heads to the “Mile-High City”. In the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, Denver’s architecture can be as dramatic and serene as its surrounding landscape. From the moment your plane touches down at the Denver International Airport you are immersed in state-of-the-art architecture. We have included a dozen places to go once you arrive. Where else would you visit? Please leave suggestions of buildings a Denver visitor shouldn’t miss.

The Architecture City Guide: Denver list and corresponding map after the break!

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© BitterBredt

The Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge in Covington, Kentucky, is a 20-story residential tower that was completed in 2008. Reaching 300 feet at its pinnacle, the 310,000 sqf building includes 70 residential units, a swimming pool, garden facilities, large public event space, and a restaurant on the plaza level. The Ascent at Roebling’s Bridge was awarded a CNBC Americas Property Award for Best High-Rise Development in 2008.

Project description, images, and drawings after the break.

Architect: Daniel Libeskind
Location: 1 Roebling Way, Covington, Kentucky, USA
Architect of Record: GBBN Architects
Structural Engineer: THP Limited
Mechanical/Electrical/ Plumbing Engineer: KLH Engineering
Contractor: Dugan & Meyers Construction
Client: Corporex
Project Area: 310,000 sqf
Project Year: 2008
Photographs: Corporex, BitterBredt, Studio Daniel Libeskind, Michele Nastasi

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Courtesy of Design for London

With concerns rising about the future of Design for London, a lengthy list of high profile architects have assembled themselves submitting an open letter to the Mayor of London. “As architects from many countries, we want to encourage the Mayor to secure the survival of this remarkable team. We hope that he is aware of how widely admired the efforts are of this small group of talented designers. London should consider itself lucky to have a skilled, knowledgeable and creative organisation supporting efforts to make it a better city.”

A projected growth by around one million people over the next twenty years, confirms that Design for London‘s survival is crucial as it is an influential player in steering designs and new developments towards an environmentally responsible city. The protection of London’s existing green spaces, character, heritage, and established unique neighborhoods will be essential as the city builds to accommodate its expected growth, and Design for London‘s collaborative efforts, on behalf of the Mayor of London, verify that projects are focused on these factors.

Full public letter to the Mayor of London following the break.

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© Daniel Libeskind

Architects: Daniel Libeskind
Location: Bern, Switzerland
Project area: 1,5 million sq. ft.
Project year: 2008
Photographs: Daniel Libeskind

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Courtesy of Daniel Libeskind

Germany’s Lüneburg university wants to reinvent itself as an elite academic institution and is looking to generate buzz with a huge new building designed by star US architect Daniel Libeskind. Students and local politicians have criticized the ambitious plans, but construction is going ahead, now that funding has finally been secured. More images and description after the break. read more »

This week we are featuring San Francisco for our Architecture City Guide series.  Thank you to all of our readers for adding their can’t miss buildings last week.  We hope to see your comments below this week too.

Follow the break for our San Francisco list and a corresponding map!

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© Mal Booth

In 1987, the Berlin government organized an anonymous competition for an expansion to the original Jewish Museum in Berlin that opened in 1933.  The program wished to bring a Jewish presence back to Berlin after WWII.  In 1988, Daniel Libeskind was chosen as the winner among several other internationally renowned architects; his design was the only project that implemented a radical, formal design as a conceptually expressive tool to represent the Jewish lifestyle before, during, and after the Holocaust.

The original Jewish Museum in Berlin was established in 1933, but it wasn’t open very long before it was closed during Nazi rule in 1938.  Unfortunately, the museum remained vacant until 1975 when a Jewish cultural group vowed to reopen the museum attempting to bring a Jewish presence back to Berlin.  It wouldn’t be until 2001 when Libeskind’s addition to the Jewish Museum finally opened (completed in 1999) that the museum would finally establish a Jewish presence embedded culturally and socially in Berlin. read more »

Libeskind's Denver Art Museum © Bitter Bredt

Yesterday, it was announced that Daniel Libeskind will design a landmark building for the UK that will house the new Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.  As part of the University of Essex, the UK’s highest ranked university for social science research, this new building seeks to become an “international beacon for democracy” as it will build upon the university’s 40 years of practical and academic expertise in the field of human rights, justice and governance.  Libeskind commented, “I consider it an honor to be involved in a project with such visionary humanitarian objectives. I have always believed that democratic openness and conflict resolution is critical not only in the political sphere but in the making of architectural space.”

More about the project after the break. read more »

© Bitter Bredt

Architects: Studio Daniel Libeskind
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA
Joint Venture Partner: Davis Partnership
Contractor: M.A Mortensen Co. (Colorado)
Structural Engineer: Arup (Los Angeles)
Structural Connection Design: Structural Consultants, Inc.
Civil Engineers: JF Sato and Associates
Mechanical Air: Arup-Los Angeles
Mechanical/Electrical: MKK Engineers and Arup (Los Angeles)
Structural Engineers: ARUP (Los Angeles)
Structural Connection Design: Structural Consultants, Inc.
Civil Engineers: JF Sato and Associates
Interior Designers: Studio Daniel Libeskind with Davis Partnership
Landscape Architects: Studio Daniel Libeskind with Davis Partnership
Lighting Consultant: George Sexton and Associates
Theater Consultant: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander
Acoustical Consultant: ARUP (Los Angeles)
Exterior Façade Consultant: Gordon H Smith, ARUP, BCE;
Project Area: 146,000 sq ft
Project Year: 2006
Photographs: Bitter Bredt, DAM, SDL, Michele Nastasi

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@ Courtesy of SDL & G.Lab*

Architect: Daniel Libeskind + G.Lab* by Gansam Architects & Partners
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Client: KT Corporation
Project architect: Carla Swickerath (Studio Daniel Libeskind) + Chuloh Jung (G.Lab* by Gansam Architects & Partners)
Design team: Seungki Min, Byungdon Yoo, Roy Oei (Studio Daniel Libeskind) + Shinhui Won, Wookjin Chung, Sangsu Park, Sang-Hyun Son, Inkyung Han, Taewook Kang, Namhui Kim, Shinkyung Jo (G.Lab* by Gansam Architects & Partners)
Project area: 169,784 sqm
Competition Year: 2010

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Last week, we attended a forum on urbanism held in Goldman Sach’s brand new building in downtown Manhattan.  The forum specifically discussed the role of the mega project and its significance on the future of American urban development.  The panel included Daniel Libeskind, Richard Kahan (the former Chairman and CEO of Battery Park City Authority) and Paul Goldberger, the architecture critic for The New Yorker. read more »

Building designed by Daniel Libeskind

The Leuphana University of Lueneburg invites landscape architects to re-design the existing 15ha Campus in conjunction with a proposed new key building designed by Daniel Libeskind.

The competition is a closed invitation process with 5 participants following an international open application procedure. The invited participants will be asked to submit a masterplan (deadline Sept 6, 2010) and also to make themselves available for a week in October to present and discuss the masterplan with students at the Leuphana Fresher’s week, as well as support groups of students in associated projects.

Deadline for application is June 1, 2010. For more information, click here.