The biggest NFL stadium ever built, and our 2009 Sports Building of the Year included in our 7th selection of previously featured sports architecture. Check them all after the break.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium / HKS Designed to be open or closed, depending on weather conditions, the expansive retractable roof is the largest of its kind in the world and measures approximately 660,800 square feet. When closed, the roof encompasses 104 million cubic feet of volume, making it the largest enclosed NFL stadium in the world (read more…)

This is a short video giving a brief history of JDS Architects, founded by Julien De Smedt, co-founder of PLOT with Bjarke Ingels. Julien takes us down memory lane and explains the past and present of his career from Skateboarding to Architecture and the issues that interest his office today. More videos can be found on their vimeo site.

Departing from the simple question Why do we heat and cool buildings with air?, this book focuses on the technique of thermally active surfaces. This technique uses water in building surfaces to heat and cool bodies – a method that is at once more efficient, comfortable, and healthy. This technique thus imbues the fabric of the building with a more poignant role: its structure is also its primary heating and cooling system. In doing so, this approach triggers a cascading set of possibilities for how well buildings are built, how well they perform, and how long they will last: pointing the way toward multiple forms of sustainability. -Princeton Architectural Press

More after the break.

waa and Xian university of Technology and Architecture institute is pleased to announce their recent successful pitch to design XIAN’s new cultural hub. The Scheme incorporates 9 museums 3km south of central Xian. The Council envisages the project as an investment for future growth in the rapid modern technology’s and design sector to benefit the next generation of young Artists, designers and Animators. It is hoped that Xian can progress from the success of the recent Ecological world expo and fuse itself in the minds of the International consciousness.

Henning Larsen Architects was recently awarded the international competition for Siemens’ new headquarters. The design by Henning Larsen Architects is an urban, recognizable composition of plazas, courtyards and alleys that will unfold a new, vibrant urban space in central Munich. Siemens and Munich are integrated into a harmonious whole by merging two archetypal entities – mass (Siemens) and void (Munich) – into a complementing formation. The city opens up the mass, which in response opens up to the city.

Designers: Dimitrie Stefanescu, Patrick Bedarf, Bogdan Hambasan Location: Cluj, Romania Project Year: 2011 Workshop Team: Ciprian Colda, Anamaria Androne, Razvan Sencu, Madalin Gheorghe Assembly Team: Bogdan Badila, Vlad Pop, Georgiana Hlihor, Denisa Lula, Robert Veber, Zoltan Vaida, Imre Vekove, Ciprian Colda, Mihai Pascalau, Calin Negret, Bogdan Borbei, Iustin Nechiti, Dan Ioanici, Razvan Luca, Stefan Grosariu, Ioana Suceava, Alexandra Man, Andreea Darac, Irina Mates, Oana Bogatan, Andrei Varga, Radu Badila, Elza Sandor, Alex Greceniuc, Oana Matei, Alex Vladovici, Marcel Oprean, Ioan Pop, Vlad Rusu, Ioana Tomoioaga Photographs: Patrick Bedarf, Georgiana Hlihor, Daniel Bondas, Georgeta Macovei

Ivan Filipovic’s concept for this project revolves around the Adriatic Sea with it thousands of islands, bays and coves, inaccessible lots and the protected natural beauty. Filipovic sees the ideas stemming from NAVIGATING Architecture as the best response to this idyllic setting. A navigable hotel (often popularly called the “Botel” = boat + hotel) offers areal tourist attraction.

The Mackintosh School of Architecture recently made us aware that their Friday Lecture Series is available to watch online. We will be showcasing a few periodically over the next couple of weeks. This video titled Digital Kraftwerk features Frank Barkow discussing how digital technology is integrated into their design process and specifically their material research. Barkow’s firm Barkow Leibinger Architekten keeps their research arm fresh and innovative by highly involving students in the research and development phase.

The winning project of the Olympic Port, which aims at the revitalization and redevelopment of 850 square meters of the port city of Rio de Janeiro, was announced at the headquarters of the Brazilian Institute of Architects of Brazil (IAB-RJ) in Rio de Janeiro. The project includes the construction of facilities such as the media and referees villages, a five-star hotel, a convention center and business center that will be used during the 2016 Olympics Games and will be a legacy for the city. More over, this urban intervention leverages the entire project of Marvelous Port Recovery Center of Rio de Janeiro. The winning project was created by Brazilian architect and urban planner João Pedro Backheuser in collaboration with Catalan architect Ignasi Riera’s office. The second, third and fourth projects were coordinated by Brazilian architects Roberto Aflalo, Espadon Francisco and Jorge Jauregui, respectively. The first place guarantees that the project will be executed in, at least, 40% of the area. The city administration can alson use parts of the awarded projects.

The Taiwan Tower International Competition is part of a larger urban plan in Taichung, Taiwan as a part of a new development for the “Gateway City.” Taiwan Tower is to be located at the southern tip of the Central Park where visitors will have a panoramic view of the park, the city and the natural surroundings. The building is to have a minimum height of 300-meters with recreational functions such as an information center, shops, food and beverage services, observatories and an environmental monitoring station as part of an effort to create a model green building.

Tulane University’s School of Architecture program has joined forces with IBM Intelligent Buildings Management and Johnson Controls to develop a Smarter Building pilot program.  Tulane’s first project aims to transform Richardson Memorial Hall, home of the School of Architecture, into a living laboratory.  The retrofit of this historic building will not just create a more efficiently adapted building but will also provide an opportunity for architecture students to gain a unique skill set coupled with practical experience.

PRAUD recently shared with us their entry for the Extension of Serlachius Museum Gösta competition. The site has a strong advantage of having very fabulous landscape view towards lake as well as forest. Hence, the big idea in massing is to create view points towards those scenarios and it becomes an architectural logic of the form of the building. The first step they took was creating courtyard, just as typical museum typologies, as a void so that the museum has its vertical relationship to sky and outdoor exhibition space as well. Because of the massive surface they needed to deal with, they folded the mass into half so that it can be more efficient and compact building per se.

Tomasz Ostafin, Krzysztof Pydo-Bytom and Stalowa Wola, with Silesian University of Technology, Poland, shared with us their Frosty Chimney Urban Park and Installation Project, which won the first prize for ‘Creating Space with Membrane’ competition.

The purpose of the contest was to give a concept that shows a search for new uses for diaphragms in urban public spaces. Participants were to find new and interesting ways of membranes and showing the diversity that one can establish with its aid.

A diaphragm is synthetic, subtle but flexible and heavy material, which is considered as the lightest material which allows us the evolution of space. Membrane structures are very specific. The nature of their work is directly linked to their form.

More images and architects’ description after the break.

The deadline for submitting the projects for the International Competition for the Urban General Plan of the Rio 2016 Olympic Park has been expanded. Now, the projects can be delivered until July 28, 2011 and the results will be announced on August 15, 2011.

SEA and Elkiær + Ebbeskov have been announced the winners of The Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities’ competition to design Pulsen – the Community Centre of the future. The project was selected as the winner from 43 proposals in the open competition. The approximately 62 million DKK Community Centre will be built in the village of Balling in the north west of Denmark. Pulsen combines a healthcare centre with doctors, dentists and specialists. A sports center for activities ranging from handball to yoga. A wellness center with thermal baths, spas and a fitness area. A culture house and learning centre with facilities for events and workshops for music and art. The project has been organised as a village within a village where the main functions are placed in separate buildings connected by covered streets and squares. The interconnecting space provide places to play, meet, eat and drink.

The Mackintosh School of Architecture recently made us aware that their Friday Lecture Series is available to watch online. We will be showcasing a few periodically over the next couple of weeks. This video features Rick Mather talking about his recent projects. Mather’s work builds strong relationships between the inside and outside environments. This is evident throughout the lecture as he articulates how the design engages the larger site.

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia and HP are pleased to announce the 4th Advanced Architecture Contest, on the theme of CITY-SENSE: Shaping our environment with real-time data.

Barnabas Laris and Adam Vesztergom, in collaboration with Borbala Gyure, Csenge Csontos, Nora Kohalmy and Mark Antal, recently won the first prize in the Main Square of Ujpalota competition for their project, ‘Urban Meadow.’ The forum or main square of Újpalota, which is the second largest micro district of Budapest, is situated exactly in the center of this residential area, at the junction of the main roads. Most inhabitants of this housing estate cross this square day after day. This town square, however, does not have a view which is framed by public buildings. Therefore, a new community building can achieve a remarkable public function as well as a space-forming effect, simultaneously placed moderately as its volume is more solid than the ones of the commercial buildings. More images and their description after the break.

Architects: LAB Architecture Studio Location: Bristol, England Project Year: 2011 Project Area: 5,300 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of LAB Architecture Studio

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Architects: Dürig AG, Pöyry Infra AG, Klaus Zweibrücken Location: Zürich, Switzerland Cost Planning: Caretta + Weidmann Lightning Design: Amstein + Walthert Renders: maaars architekturvisualisierungen

The Architectural Association and Foster + Partners are pleased to announce the award of the Foster + Partners Prize, which is presented annually to the AA Diploma student whose portfolio best addresses the themes of sustainability and infrastructure. The recipient is selected jointly by the AA and Foster + Partners at the end of each academic year. This year’s prize has been awarded to Aditya Aachi, of Diploma Unit 7, for his project Haiti Simbi Hubs. The project proposes sanitation infrastructure for Haiti and draws on the unprecedented need for cooperation between the Haitian Government and NGOs to combat cholera outbreaks. Read more at Foster + Partners.

Brothers Daniel and Maximilian Zielinski shared with us their winning proposal for the modernization of Paris in the Living City Design Competition. Organized by the International Living Future Institute, in partnership with The National Trust for Historic Preservation, Daniel and Max were given the challenge to visualize the transformation of existing towns in cities of the future by translating the highest standards of ecological fund included in the Living Building Challenge 2.0. Desired solutions were possible with existing technologies that could be applied in the near future. As a competition open to all, more than 80 teams addressing 69 cities from 21 countries submitted their ideas for the contest. More images and project description after the break.

Designed by Nabito Arquitectura, the QR ROME PROJECT is a new open Coliseums , a media building mixed use that works as an International multiple hub. It is located in Rome, Italy. One of the goals is to collects opportunities from the society, to feedback ideas and creativity, to give people solutions of a better quality. In this sense the building is the concrete translation of its program and goal.

Outside the Intelligent coliseum is both a infrastructural gateway to Rome and a linked way-out from Rome, it is a detectable building.

The facades of the building are QR (quick response) codes open to flexible contents and remind the user to different portals of information.

Architects: Mateo Arquitectura / Josep Lluís Mateo Location: Prague, Czech Republic Project Year: In Progress Project Area: 1,500 sqm Photographs: Courtesy of Mateo Arquitectura

After winning the Restricted Competition in 2004 the construction of the new central access to the National Gallery in Prague began in late 2009 and works are ongoing, it will be completed by the end of this year.