Construction is underway for the Greenpoint Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Station, designed by Michielli + Wyetzner Architects for Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The two-story, 12,400-square-foot contemporary design accommodates the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) ambulance crews and vehicles, and occupies a prominent site on Metropolitan Avenue near Bedford Street in the rapidly developing neighborhood. The station is part of FDNY’s plan to improve response time to medical emergencies throughout the city by increasing the number of stations and thereby reducing the distance and time ambulances travel to those in need. Completion is expected for June 2012.
The now empty and abandoned water towers presented here are part of a selection of photographs gathered by James Young, a final year architecture student, as part of a research project. With the help of the MacCarthy Memorial Scholarship from the School of Architecture at UCD, he has compiled a list of about 200 towers, with nearly thirty visited and photographed. Like other architectural building types that have been abandoned, what can architects do with water towers such as these? If no longer in use, what can be done to take advantage of these stand along structures? Let us know what you think. More images after the break.
Millions are following in this precise moment one of the most important weddings of the last few years. Officially, Prince William and Kate Middleton are now husband and wife. Watching the Royal Wedding, I think many of you said: “What is that ugly old-fashioned Royal Carriage they are in? I think they need a new one”. Reza Esmaeeli, an architect and designer currently working at Zaha Hadid Architects in London, apparently thought so, and decided to design a new Royal Wedding Carriage that he shared with us! More images and architect’s description after the break.
Besides being the title of a Brian Jonestown Massacre album, “Thank God for Mental Illness” also represents one dimension to the ethos of contemporary architecture, a discipline often prone to psychological extremes in the pursuit of great, paradigm-breaking buildings. But, is this really necessary? Do we need to be self-destructive and extreme to pursue our dreams?
Now that it is common knowledge that many architects are crazy or dysfunctional “geniuses” I think it’s time to reconsider this paradigm and to possibly overturn it. This image has become so romanticized that it has crossed the line of cliché. When something becomes a paradigm, is canonized, or institutionalized, it needs to be challenged.
Seoul Manifesto, a group of young architects in Seoul, South Korea, are known for designing projects with the objective of making structures with better social responsibility. In their project, Hello Mongol / HM VER 1.0 / ABSORBING GER, their goal is to make a mobile structure which can achieve two different goals, making an alternative residence for desertification of Mongol and stirring up the public’s attention for the problem. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The book Landform Building sets out to examine the many manifestations of landscape and ecology in contemporary architectural practice: not as a cross-disciplinary phenomenon (architects working in the landscape) but as a study of the new design techniques, formal strategies, and technical problems that are emerging in the discipline.
Showcase your solutions to evolving housing needs and urban livability. Submitted projects are evaluated by a panel of both designers and engaged members of the public. All projects will be showcased on AIA Seattle’s FutureShack website and selected projects are included in the Seattle Times’ Pacific Northwest Magazine cover story and at the live event on Sept. 20, 2011.
Quebec based architecture firm, Bélanger Beauchemin Morency, Architectes & Urbaniste has shared with us their recent proposal for the ”Amphithéâtre de Trois-Rivière” competition. Follow after the break for additional images and a brief narrative from the design team.
At the gala, winners were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the built environment in the categories of Energy + Sustainability, Excellence in Architecture, Historic Preservation and Innovation in Rehabilitation, Integrated Practice, Special Achievement, Unbuilt Design, and Urban Design in the Bay Area. Each of these award categories was divided into three subcategories-Honor, Merit, and Citation.
Check out this charming twist we spotted on childhood classics such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs. This new take, by Steven Guarnaccia, modifies the beloved tales into a new architecture-infused storyline complete with new protagonists [Philip Johnson, Frank Gehry and Frank Lloyd Wrighth] and the Big Bad Wolf “huffing and puffing” to blow down Fallingwater. We enjoyed the humorous graphics and hope you do too! Guarnaccia is the chair of the illustration department at Parsons the New School for Design in New York City.
Construction is underway for the sustainable landmark CITIC Bank headquarters tower. Foster + Partners design for the 100 meter high skyscraper in Hangzhou, China intends to establish and iconic presence for the Bank in a prominent location within the new central business district situated adjacent to the Qian Jiang River.
Resonating with elements of traditional Chinese culture, the tower’s form draws inspiration from the shape of the ancient ‘dou’ or ‘ding’ vessel, a traditional symbol of wealth, dignity and stability. The facade of the diagonally-braced structure pulls inwards near the base to form a symmetrical V-shape across the south-facing elevation. Wrapped in a diagrid lattice, the floor plates widen as the tower rises expanding to provide panoramic views of the river and the surrounding public plaza.
This is an international ideas competition to establish a design for the Busan Opera House to construct in 2014. The design will be based on a variety of ideas from both domestic and foreign specialists, as well as student groups. The opera house will include a variety of facilities that will foster a wide range of artistic activities all the while being accessible to the city’s citizens. The grand scale of this project will be suitable for Busan’s status as an international city.
This new zoo, which will become the icon of a new cultural and scientific life in Saint Petersburg, will evoke immemorial time, an era of monumental architecture when much land remained untouched by human development. Designed by architects, Françoise N’Thépé and Aldric Beckmann with landscape designers Bruno Tanant and Jean Christophe Nani, this fabricated urban development will evoke Pangea, the supercontinent described by German meteorologist and astronomer Alfred Wegener. The site appears ordinary as the land conceals some of the mysteries of our origins. It will be home to animal and scientific research where our most recent knowledge, our most advanced techniques create an enveloping environment for visitors to explore. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The latest building by Tony Owen blurs the line between architecture and urban billboard. Work has commenced on the EDEN apartments in Sydney. This infill project is located in a varied and complex part of the Sydney cityscape and is visible from many vantages. The office sought to explore the possibilities of adding to the tapestry as a piece of art in the urban landscape. In a unique approach, the final image was chosen from an on-line poll of various options to allow the public to decide the streetscape of their city.
Last Tuesday we told you we were giving away three copies of Allied Works Architecture Brad Cloepfil: Occupation. Now, thanks to Allied Works Architecture, three happy reigstered users will enjoy this great new book.
A while ago, we had the chance of interviewing Richard Meier. During the interview, Meier told us about the importance of white in architecture. Now, we want to know your opinion. For you, what is the importance of white in contemporary architecture? Leave us your answer in the comments below, and among all the registered users who comment we will give away three signed copies of the book by Richard Meier and Associate Partner – Reynolds Logan.
Become a registered user right here, share with us your comment and next Wednesday, May4 we’ll announce the three winners! You can see more photos by and a short review of “Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona” after the break.
