Archipelago Mobile, a master plan proposal by Kyung Jae Kim, Gregory Haley, Suah Na, Heejoo Shi, and Halley Tsai, attempts to address and enhance the city of Helsinki. Known as a city ‘in-between’, their design envisions a revitalized South Harbor district, configured to mediate between land and water uses, resident and tourist amenities, port traffic and pedestrian space. By weaving these often competing requirements together in ways that not only allow but enhance their co-existence, they present an integrated model for postindustrial waterfront development in general, and a unique vision for a dynamic cultural district in the heart of the city. More images and architects’ description after the break.
CLOG is currently seeking submissions for its fifth issue, CLOG: National Mall, which will be published in November 2012. In an election year when America is debating and deciding its trajectory, it’s time to critically discuss the space that perhaps more than any other reflects what the nation was, is, and wants to be – the National Mall. Visited annually by approximately thirty million people, the Mall is also a victim of its own success as its grounds and monuments have been steadily eroded by overcrowding in addition to budgetary and administrative pressures. Submissions are due on July 20, 2012 by midnight. For more information, please visit their website here.
Today marks the opening of world-renowned architect, Santiago Calatrava’s unprecedented exhibition at the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Not only will Calatrava become the first contemporary architect to have a retrospective exhibition at the Hermitage, but this will also be one of his largest and most extensive exhibitions to date. Curated by Cristina Carillo de Albornoz and Ksenia Malich, the exhibition will examine Calatrava’s innovative style through his various artistic realms. From never-before-seen paintings and sculptures to celebrated architectural models and sketches spanning Calatrava’s 30- plus year career, the exhibition will give individuals a unique opportunity to explore the inner workings and creative process of this celebrated artist. More images and information on the event after the break.
WILCOTER Architects shared with us their first prize winning proposal in the international competition to design a group of buildings as the headquarter of China Life Insurance (Group) Company in the Qianjiang New City of Hangzhou. The concept is to create a ‘Tree of Life’, which means supplying a cover or shelter for the life, which is strong and safe to rely on. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Starting today, one of Arizona’s most well-known architecture firms will no longer be will bruder+PARTNERS. After a successful 17-year history, the practice has branched into two independent firms with diverse architectural offerings due to a “natural evolution of individual and collective goals relating to firm size, design methodology and management.” Together, the internationally respected firm has created landmark buildings throughout the state, including projects such as the Burton Barr Library and the Agave Library. And now, each will go their separate ways as the firm has split into Will Bruder Architects and WORKSBUREAU.
Continue after the break to learn more about each firm.
The Yale ‘Assembly One’ pavilion is the younger, smaller, more carefree sister to Yale’s building project – a 40-year old tradition in which first-year students design and building a house. It is the product of a seminar and design studio in which students focused on alternative ways in which contemporary buildings can come together and the potential architectural effects computational and material techniques can offer. The ‘Assembly One’ pavilion is designed to act as an information center for New Haven’s summer International Festival of Arts and Ideas and therefore was developed with the following characteristics in mind: dynamism, visual transparency and visual density.
Directed by Romain Tardy & Thomas Vaquié, Omicron installation, the piece proposed for the Centennial Hall of Wroclaw, is based around the notion of timelessness in architecture, and the idea of what future has meant throughout the 20th century. Taking the 1910’s as a starting point (the dome was erected in 1913), historical and artistic references were used to reveal the architecture of the space, its timeless and, more surprisingly, very modern dimension. More images and their description after the break.
As part of the the expansion of the university town of Uppsala, just north of Stockholm, the project by Karlsson Wachenfeldt Arkitekter for the Studenternas IP is a sports field with long traditions situated by the river Fyrisån. Located in the center of the town within the park, the design project is part of a major re-development of the south river area that includes housing, parks, sport facilities and infrastructure. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Subordinate Courts of Singapore recently announced the proposal by Serie Architects and Multiply Architects as the winning design for their new courts complex. Their design features an innovative two tower strategy in which one tower is dedicated to the criminal courtrooms and the other to the judges’ chambers and support functions. The two towers are linked by a series of foot bridges that enable the controlled circulation necessary for the courtroom process. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Designed by PRAUD, the idea behind their proposal for the Social Community Center is to create a space for various groups of the society; youth, women, family, handicap, and children. Instead of trying to put those groups into a single box, they emphasize the individuality of them. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Earlier we shared with you these rough clips of the recently completed CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, filmed by Tomas Koolhaas as part of a feature length documentary film that he currently making about his father, Rem Koolhaas. In this short clip, Tomas Koolhaas interviews a homeless man inside the Seattle Central Library as an attempt to capture his unique experience within the glass and steel mesh walls of the famous public library.
Tomas Koolhaas studied at the Los Angeles Film School. Upon graduating, he spend ten years working as a cinematographer and has recently switched his focused more towards directing and writing. The documentary film, REM, is set to debut in 2013. Watch for updates here on the REM Facebook page.
TED Prize has big news! They have evolved so much since the prize launched in 2005 and now three key shifts have allowed them to turn the page to a whole new chapter. Historically, the TED Prize was awarded to individuals who then made a wish. Starting in 2013, it will be awarded to individuals with a big wish already in mind. Also, individuals may self-nominate or nominate someone else, as long as every nomination includes a world-changing, achievable wish. And now for the biggest change (drum roll, please…), the typical cash award of $100,000 has been raised to $1 million in order to provide powerful seed funding for the wish!
Participants in the Skanska Bridging Prague competition were asked to develop a new Vision Plan for the section of the riverfront from Libeňsk (Bridge) to the north to Železniční (Railway Bridge) in Smíchov to the south. The goal was to create a unified experience, linking cultural, recreational, ecological, historical and economic opportunities. They were also asked to design an intervention that will become a premiere destination along the river Vltava. The first prize winning proposal by Pete North focuses on strengthening the natural characteristics of places at the riverside, where it is consistent and feasible. It aims to create a synergy between park localities and the river, connected into a consequent chain of continuous spaces. More images and winning proposals after the break.
The LEAF Awards, now in its 9th year, honors the architects designing the buildings and solutions that are setting the benchmark for the international architectural community. The shortlist this year was recently announced and the final winners will be announced September 21. Information on the shortlist winners in the corresponding categories of Mixed-Use, Residential (single occupancy), Residential (multiple occupancy), Commercial, International Interior Design, Refurbishment, Young Architect, Public Building, Best Sustainable Building, and Best Future Building after the break.
In collaboration with the BAU 2013 trade fair and sponsored by Josef Gartner GmbH, DETAIL is currently inviting submissions for the DETAIL Prize 2012 competition. The aim of the award is to strengthen the importance of architecture in social discourse, to strengthen the role of architects in public life and to strengthen the network of architects, industry, clients and the world of politics. Out of all the entries submitted, DETAIL will nominate a selection of outstanding projects, from which the jury and the DETAIL readers will then select the respective winners. Submissions are due no later than July 31. For more information, please visit here.
