Cultural: The Latest Architecture and News

Kimmel Eshkolot Architects has announced that they have won a competition initiated by Tel Aviv University, the Rashi Foundation and Check Point. Located at the center of the campus, the The Check Point Building for computer science and science-oriented youth center was inspired by the image and vision of cloud computing.

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Gehry Partners have just released their highly anticipated proposal for the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) in Beijing. Though rumors from last year reported Frank Gehry and Jean Nouvel as the competition’s top contenders, with Nouvel taking the lead, a winner has yet to be confirmed.

Gehry’s design, which is intended to promote cross cultural understanding and appreciation for Chinese contemporary art, aims at setting a new standard for 21st century Chinese architecture. Perhaps the most defining element of the design is the “translucent stone” facade, a new type of glass developed by Gehry Partners that is said to have the qualities of jade.

More images and the architect’s description after the break...

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Waltritsch a+u, in collaboration with Rndr Studio, just won the 1^st prize in a international competition for the design of the Ryhan villa complex ‘s gate in Mazandaran province, North Iran. The entrance will warmly receive the people back home, and bless them before they leave for their daily activities in the world. The architects' inspiration from beautiful forms of Iranian architecture has been summarized into a simple and delicate gesture. More images and architects' description after the break.

Construction has begun on OMA’s competition-winning proposal for the BMVR (Bibliothèque Multimédia à Vocation Régionale) Library in northern France. Located at the tip of a peninsula in an old industrial port area of Caen, the 13,000 square meter public library is shaped by four protruding wings that point towards four of the city’s landmarks: l'Abbaye aux Hommes, l'Abbaye aux Dames, the train station to the south and a new urban development to the west.

More on BMVR after the break...

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The Crystal Palace was a glass and cast iron structure built in London, England, for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The building was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, an architect and gardener, and revealed breakthroughs in architecture, construction and design. More on the Crystal Palace after the break...

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With arts and culture at the core of Taichung’s urban identity, and the vision to lead in innovation and technology, this design proposal by RMJM seeks to bring together these significant attributes in a building emblematic of Taichung’s achievements and vision. Located at the corner of Taichung Gateway Park, the project becomes an urban oasis and a vital link between existing communities and future urban development, providing a social and cultural focus and an arrival gateway to the park. More images and architects’ description after the break.

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Designed by penda, the cola-bow installation is a public art installation made out of more than 17,000 recycled plastic bottles, which were braided to create a shape inspired by the swings of the Coca-Cola logo. Designed for the 2nd Beijing University Creation Expo, which turns into the Beijing Design Week, the installation aims to also serve as a statement against plastic pollution by taking trash and turning it into a shelter. More images and architects' description after the break.

Designed by SZA (Studio za arhitekturu), their Taichung City Cultural Center proposal is a complex space structure. With its ground plan being 50 x 50 m, their concept creates an energetic, self-sufficiency throughout the project through a system of a vertical accordion and through an exchange of functional storeys and sustainable construction storeys. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Richard Meier & Partners just broke ground on the 150-room HH Resort Hotel and Spa, which is their first project in South Korea. Located in Gangneung, the new resort complex will be a one-of-a-kind boutique hotel composed of elegant guestrooms, a world class restaurant and a wellness spa that reflect the local culture, a banquet hall, amphitheater, exhibition hall, beach house and various amenities. More images and architects' description after the break.