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Architects: B.L.U.E Architecture Studio
- Area: 225 m²
- Year: 2020
Lost & Found OōEli Store / B.L.U.E Architecture Studio
Pinghe Bibliotheater / OPEN Architecture
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Architects: OPEN Architecture
- Area: 5372 m²
- Year: 2020
Polycarbonate for Interiors: 8 Examples of Translucent Architecture Indoors
Diversifying the materials of an interior space can greatly improve its depth and visual interest. At the same time, adding partitions or other delineations of internal space can help organize flow, circulation, and visibility. Polycarbonate, a type of lightweight, durable thermoplastic, is an excellent medium for both functions.
In its raw form, polycarbonate is completely transparent, transmitting light with nearly the same efficacy as glass. However, it is also lighter and stronger than glass and tougher than other similar plastics such as acrylic, polystyrene, ABS, or nylon, making it a good choice for designers seeking durable, impact and fire resistant materials that still transmit light. Like glass, it is a natural UV filter and can be colored or tinted for translucency, yet it is also prized for its flexibility, allowing it to be shaped into any size or shape. Finally, it is easily recyclable because it liquefies rather than burning, making it at least more environmentally friendly than other thermoset plastics. For example, recycled polycarbonate can be chemically reacted with phenol in a recycling plant to produce monomers that can be turned back into plastic.
Pingshan Performing Arts Center / OPEN Architecture
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Architects: OPEN Architecture
- Area: 23542 m²
- Year: 2019
Herschel Supply China Office / Linehouse
The Corner Restaurant / MDDM STUDIO
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Architects: MDDM STUDIO
- Area: 100 m²
- Year: 2020
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Manufacturers: Lost & Found
The Urban Village / TEAM_BLDG
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Architects: TEAM_BLDG
- Area: 6000 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: Electrolux, Magis
Curtains as Room Dividers: Towards a Fluid and Adaptable Architecture
Over the past few decades, interior spaces have become increasingly open and versatile. From the thick walls and multiple subdivisions of Palladian villas, for example, to today's free-standing and multi-functional plans, architecture attempts to combat obsolescence by providing consistently efficient environments for everyday life, considering both present and future use. And while Palladio's old villas can still accommodate a wide variety of functions and lifestyles, re-adapting their use without changing an inch of their original design, today, flexibility seems to be the recipe for extending the useful life of buildings as far as possible.
How, then, can we design spaces neutral and flexible enough to adapt to the evolving human being, while still accomplishing the needs that each person requires today? An ancient element could help redefine the way we conceive and inhabit space: curtains.
House P / MDDM STUDIO
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Architects: MDDM STUDIO
- Year: 2020
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Professionals: Mi2 Interior Project Co.Ltd
Innovative Uses of Water in Architecture
From playful indoor pools to tranquil exterior fountains to soaring waterfalls and grand lakes of enormous proportions, architecture throughout the centuries has engaged with water in endlessly innovative ways. Sometimes serving aesthetic purposes, but just as often acting as centers of activity or promoting sustainability, water features can take countless different forms and serve multiple different purposes. Below, we synthesize a series of water features espoused by innovative contemporary architectural projects, ranging from single-family residential homes to vast commercial complexes.
Changsha Insun International Cinema / One Plus Partnership
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Architects: One Plus Partnership
- Area: 5980 m²
- Year: 2019
The Hakka Triangle House / TEAM_BLDG
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Architects: TEAM_BLDG
- Area: 1200 m²
- Year: 2019
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Manufacturers: PAK, WEIXUCHENG GLASS, ZIIQE
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Professionals: AND Office
Emperor Qianmen Hotel / asap
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Architects: asap
- Area: 7500 m²
- Year: 2013
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Professionals: Smith + Andersen
House on the Great Wall / MDDM STUDIO
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Architects: MDDM STUDIO
- Area: 300 m²
- Year: 2018
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Manufacturers: Beijing Nest Beauty Furniture Co., Ltd., CRAFT LINK INTERIORS CO., LTD., Foscarini, Fujian Sanminghe Forest Building Material Co., Ltd, HAY, +1
CWITM Office / MDDM STUDIO
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Architects: MDDM STUDIO
- Area: 800 m²
- Year: 2018
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Manufacturers: Beijing Nest Beauty Furniture, Craftlink Limited, Foscarini, Foshan Hengyue Building Materials, Posh
Polished Concrete: How It Is Made and What to Consider When Using It in Your Projects
Polished concrete is a versatile material that is easily customizable in its appearance, using stunning aggregates, quartz, and colors to create a sense of industrial sophistication in both homes and commercial buildings. Its reflective surface creates an evocative quality under light, which can be suitable for a variety of programs.
While still mainly used as a material for interior flooring, architects have been pushing the limits of polished concrete for years, using it for feature walls, patio floors and even large exterior panels such as in David Chipperfield’s extension to the Saint Louis Art Museum.