Inspired by the spine of a whale, the Vertebrae Staircase is not simply mimicry of organic form but an exploration in shaping structure. Much of the design work went into refining the single component, or vertebra, that mate with each other creating a unified spine running from floor plate to floor plate. These interlocking vertebrae create a rigid and self-supporting structure.
More on Andrew McConnell's 'Vertebrae Staircase' after the break.
To further the promotion of art education, the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and China Academy of Art in Xiangshan have announced plans to construct a new university within the hilly suburbs of Hangzhou by the Spring of 2014. Designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates, the Museum at the China Academy of Art will harmonize with the lush topography and resist modifying any existing slopes to accommodate the 4,936 square meter facility. Instead, the museum’s configuration will mimic the lozenge shaped pattern that was discovered within the contour lines, generating a fluid exhibition space with linear and altering floor levels buffered by partially external galleries.
In addition, Kengo Kuma is investigating the possibility of reusing clay tiles and stones from Hangzhou's old house district so the body of the museum may appear as if the “soil of the tea gardens” were “transformed into architecture”.
More images after the break.
Following an international competition, Richard Meier & Partners Architects has been selected to design a new mixed-use building in Hamburg Germany. Under the Richard Meier & Partners plan – one of three competing proposals – the site will become a remarkable place to work, live and relax in the HafenCity district.
The Protofactory positions a return of industry to the city, fostering a culture of materialism where the flow of material, production of knowledge and the experience of craftsmanship are offered to society. The Protofactory redefines the factory typology. Based on a flow of knowledge and information, The Protofactory harbors a lateral organization of labor and enhanced feedback of research development and innovation processes supported by local and international education. The notion of production becomes reintroduced into the public realm.
ETB Studio shared with us their new project in Carrouge, Switzerland. The intervention tries to create an auxiliary building to the existent school building, and generate new urban dynamics for the neighbourhood, and offer to Carrouge a public space capable of improving the life conditions of the residents.
More images after the break.
OMA has won the competition for the new École Centrale engineering school and its surrounding urban development in the research and innovation zone of Saclay, southwest of Paris. With the concept of a “lab city,” OMA was selected from four competing international architectural practices. The project is led by Clément Blanchet, director of OMA projects in France.
Projects like the High Line, Bloomingdale Trail, and Allegheny Green Boulevard illustrate that disused, industrial infrastructure is rife with re-use potential and often can create new ways for a city to connect. However, what opportunities can this infrastructure present when it is still in use?
Read about the problem facing Bari and how it might be resolved after the break...
With its function and form changing based on its location and event, the Operalab is a bold statement in the cityscape and serves as an ad hoc embassy for the Polish National Opera’s cultural program. Designed by the collaborative team of Cezary Kępka, Bartłomiej Popiela, Małgorzata Piotrowska, and Jan Sukiennik, the pavilion can be installed in various configurations: vertically, horizontally, in intermediate settings as well as as stand-alone modules. More images and architects’ description after the break.
R4 is a territory whose urban and river-port aspects have been marked by exchanges, artists and the public. Yet it is not characterised as having any particular identity, but rather as a melting pot and a territory which is singularised by its ever-changing content.
