Structures: The Latest Architecture and News

Korean architect Yong ho Shin shared with us his second prize design for the “Landsnet High-Voltage Transmission Line Tower Design Competition” in Iceland. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Erich Remash and Chris Thomas shared their Helix Spire, a temporary 25 foot sculpture constructed from 196 2x4s and weighing 2000 lbs. The tower was designed to be easy to climb, bringing those up to a small space that can function as a small gathering place or a small observation platform. Rising into the sky, the tower’s geometry creates an interesting visual against the sky as it spirals upward. The Helix was constructed two times this year; once at LARC near Conway Washington for Critical Massive, and then in the heart of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for Burning Man.

More images after the break.

South Africa-based Vivid Architects shared with us their project “Crystal Towers”. The development comprises a 5 star hotel, 90 luxury residences, a standalone office building, and a 80m steel suspension foot bridge. More images after the break.

NOVAE Architecture has been recently selected as one of the 10 Young Italian Architects under 35 at the “Architects Meet at Fuori Biennale”, for the Venice Biennale. For the event, they presented their project “Teritorial Dissonances”. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Architects Matthew Johnson and Jason Logan shared with us their project “Prism Cloud”, their entry for the Land Art Generator Competition near Abu Dhabi. It’s a cable-net structure that would hover over the desert and generate energy at the same time that it splits or diffracts light. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Giuseppe Occhipinti, an Italian structural engineer and the co-founder of Engineering Seismic Consulting (ESC), has shared his seismic water tower design with us. While ESC amends structural problems for projects on a variety of scales, the firm also develops conceptual projects. Their latest conceptual project is a reuse for a typical tall water tank to aid urban needs. The seismic addition not only adds a functional entity but also adds an aesthetic touch to the tower. More images and more about the tower after the break.

Did you know that the Sears Tower (now renamed as the Willis Tower) is currently the tallest steel building in the world?

Tall steel buildings are possible thanks to Fazlur Khan, SOM engineer behind several innovations in terms of structural design. On Construction Week Online we found this list of the ten tallest steel buildings in the world, with Kahn’s buildings on the 1st, 5th and 10th place.

All the buildings after the break:

Birmingham-based Sjölander da Cruz Architects shared with us their latest project, a dynamic shelter for the young people of Amington near Tamworth, UK. You can see more images and architect’s description after the break.

Architect Adrian Lo shared with us his proposal for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Boundary Crossing Facilities Competition. See more images and architect’s description after the break.

This summer, the V&A has commissioned seven architects at the forefront of experimental design to create their first built structures in the UK (see Rintala Eggertsson Architects’ structure here). The structures are installed in a number of locations across the landscape of the Museum and are designed as immersive spaces – places both of encounter and reflection – where visitors can escape the chaos of everyday life and directly experience the architecture first hand. 19 architects were originally invited to submit proposals, the designs and models of which are on display in the V&A+RIBA Architecture Gallery.

A space for theatre and performance that fragments the stage into six micro-stages, Vazio S/A created a series of inter-connected booths set around a central spiral staircase in the V&A’s Porter Gallery. The structure takes as its inspiration elevated dwelling spaces in high-density areas in Brazil. A number of practitioners from London working across theatre, dance and music were commissioned to devise new pieces of work in response to the structure, to be performed in the six booths at various points during the exhibition.

See more images after the break.

3dCom have shared with us an animation of a new bridge that, if built, will become the UK’s tallest structure.

Architects: Marjetica Potrc and Eva Pfannes & Sylvain Hartenberg, Ooze (Paris & Rotterdam) Location: Sturmshfo, Essen-Altenessen, ‘Emscherinsel’ at the previous ‘Mathias Stinnes Hafen’, Germany Team: Florian de Visser, Shilesh Hariharan Areas: 1000 m2 Budget: 200,000 EUR For the event: Emscherkunst.2010 Use: Art installation: Autonomous water treatment Client: Emschergenossenschaft Design Period: 8 months system & community gardens Construction Period: 2 months Completion Construction: May 2010 Photos: Roman Mensing, Ooze, Florian de Visser

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Edinburgh-based Groves-Raines Architects shared with us a recently completed project of a small composting shed in a private garden, which was awarded an American Institute of Architects Excellence in Design Award. The structure is an organic extension of the garden and the woven edging to the paths from which it springs. Its origins are derived from basket weave or hazel hurdles using woven rebar and Corten Steel.

More images after the break.

Expo 2010 Shanghai is the first World Fair to adopt sustainable urban development as its theme. As consequence concepts which legitimise the extensive resource use and major investment of a World Fair must be promoted. The basic concept of “Norway Powered by Nature”, designed by Helen & Hard, directly engages this challenge, placing emphasis and awareness on multiple aspects of sustainability.

More images and architect’s description after the break.

Portugal-based architects Spaceworkers shared with us their proposal for a competition sponsored by the city of Maribor in Slovenia within the European Capital of Culture.

The challenge was to create a footpath and cycling bridge in a place where the first bridge in this city once existed.

More images and architect’s description after the break.