Architecture in the Czech Republic is defined by the country's incredibly diverse landscapes. As one of Europe's cultural hearts, Czechia has a rich history, and was once home to the Kingdom of Bohemia. Today, architects and designers are drawing inspiration from the country's low mountains, foothills and forests as they design a range of secluded residential retreats.
The new Currency Museum is located on the waterfront of Luanda, just in the heart of the city downtown, nearby the charismatic headquarters of the National Bank of Angola.
The brief was to transform an ancient community oven, owned by the client’s family for decades, into a comfortable, single bedroom vacation house, with space to gather the family when needed. The original construction was a small, single-story volume, with thick exposed granite walls and a gable roof. A walled area, including an almost ruined porch, complemented the property.
Say No Mo is a conceptually new format of a beauty salon. The ‘heart’ of the salon is a bar used for both beauty services and traditional cocktail receptions. The main task faced by balbek bureau from the very start of the design process was to break away from a traditional perception of a conventional beauty salon, and its gender distinction.
The seasonal and adrift lifestyle of the people in Mekong River delta was partly narrated through the architecture of stilt house, nhà đá, nhà đạp, … These all belonged to a typology characterized by simple structure, which comprised one light roof system covering the temporary framework below. Prior to urbanization, this regional architecture had long been in harmony with its then context, hence resonated with the surroundings.
It was probably a few hours after the "Grândola Vila Morena"1 by Zeca Afonso, echoed on the telephony, the 2nd 'password-song’ of a revolution that would free Portugal from a dictatorial regime, on 25 April 1974, that a journey which had begun a few months earlier was abruptly interrupted. The construction site was abandoned that same day, becoming a kind of contemporary ruin of an anonymous residential building. 42 years later the process was retaken, redefining a new journey to turn this peculiar lot into a House – Atelier.
The building is a spatial manifesto of thonik’s design philosophy, characterised by social commitment and a playful take on modernism’s heritage. Founded in 1993 as a mostly analogue graphic design practice, thonik rapidly evolved towards digital, using moving images as a starting point for all forms of expression. Studio thonik is the practice’s latest creation and its first architecture venture.
Oslo Cowork, a minimalist and compact office space designed by BABELstudio represents the new studio of architecture photographer Erlantz Biderbost and a co-working space located in Olabeaga, Bilbao. Situated alongside the Nervion River, the Olabeaga neighbourhood formerly was home to shipyards, industrial plants and warehouses, then left abandoned and forgotten. However, for a few years the area is slowly rediscovered and revitalized. The design brief was to integrate 3-5 working places, a meeting and retreat space, kitchenette, bathroom, and extended storage in a rather small, 39 sqm gross floor area space with double height.
With the aim of supporting architects to become active agents of sustainable design, this week we present a selection of facades that incorporate different recycled materials. Beyond the typical uses of plastic and glass, in this article, you will find innovative materials such as mattress springs, ice cream containers, plastic chairs, and recycled waste from agricultural and industrial products. A look at 21 remarkable projects using recycled materials to create an attractive facade.
Aquatic centers are defined by activity. Making space for focused exercise and leisure alike, they are designed to support different scales of movement. At their core, they center on swimming pools. These structures explore ideas of light and space spanning millennia, from Pakistan's "Great Bath" at the site of Mohenjo-Daro and Ancient Greek palaestras to contemporary swimming complexes.
100architects has designed a proposal that regenerates the Puji Road pedestrian bridge in Shanghai, China. Entitled High Loop, the proposal reimagines the 1-kilometer elevated platform, adding playfulness and color to the city, without transforming the structure.
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The US Olympic and Paralympic Museum is a tribute to the Olympic and Paralympic movements with Team USA athletes at the center of the experience. The 60,000 sqft building designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, in collaboration with Architect of Record Anderson Mason Dale Architects, features 20,000 sqft of galleries, a state-of-the-art theater, event space, and cafe. Inspired by the energy and grace of the Team USA athletes and the organization's inclusive values, the building's dynamic spiraling form allows visitors to descend the galleries in one continuous path. This main organization structure enables the museum to rank amongst the most accessible museums in the world, ensuring visitors with and without disabilities can smoothly share the same common experience.
“I’ve known since I was a child that change would never happen on its own. My dream was to make a positive change as a woman architect and urban planner.” Architect, Activist, and Founder of Warch(ée) NGO, Anastasia Elrouss has been involved in architecture and advocating for women in the field, for nearly 15 years. Through her own practice, she is always seeking to create interventions that are constantly adapting to the users and the environment, “putting the human layer at the center of the architectural experience”. Through her platform, she is encouraging an ongoing conversation about gender equality and the role of women in the workplace and the world.
“... the front door continues to appeal to our sense arrival. Call it the ceremony of coming home.”
Akiko Busch
After-school time is critical for children’s comprehensive development. In marginalized areas, many children are left without adult supervision when classes finish, a situation that poses a risk to their health, safety and general wellbeing. In these areas, the lack of safe spaces for recreation means that violence, drug and alcohol use, and insecurity hinder healthy development and lead to the weakening of the social fabric. This situation perpetuates negative cycles that generate inequality, among many other serious consequences for the community.
The Predikherenklooster is a more than impressive building. The baroque monastery was built starting in 1650 and was deconsecrated in the 18th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was mainly used for military purposes and has been abandoned since 1975. We developed our design with respect for the particular characteristics of the existing edifice. The programming, the spatial design, our concept for the restoration as well as the design of the technical installations, and all structural interventions are intended to preserve and reinforce these characteristics. The building has a clear structure consisting of an outer ring consisting of broad multifunctional rooms, an inner ring (the cloister), the courtyard, the attic and the church. Over the years the structure has been entirely preserved and can be experienced everywhere in the building.
Located in a hutong near the historical centre in Beijing, the L-shaped house is sandwiched between the old hutong wall and a two floor building. The renovation aimed to transform the dated 43 m² residence into a convenient, functional modern living space for a family of six people .
Marrying sandstone cliff and riverine forest - The Site - The building occupies a unique place in a nature reserve in the Waterberg mountains of South Africa; a landscape of remarkable plants, inspiring cliffs, and prodigious wildlife.