Museums and Libraries: The Latest Architecture and News

Creating an anchor to the urban development of Edmonton, Canada, the collaboration of architects Group2 Architecture Engineering Ltd. and Shore Tilbe Perkins + Will created a harmonious synthesis with the site, its natural landscape and the needs of the community with their Meadows Community Recreation Centre & Edmonton Public Library. Their project is to begin construction in January of 2011. More images and architect’s description after the break.

The 32,000 sqf Los Angeles’ Holocaust Museum, designed by Belzberg Architects, has just opened. Sitting across from the Holocaust Memorial, the museum is the new face of the LAMH, the United States’ oldest holocaust museum which dates back to 1962. To the unknowing passerby, one may not even notice the museum as Belzberg has decided to bury the museum underground – a move that not only preserves the parkland above but also creates a dynamic circulation route bringing people beneath the earth to remember those who experienced the Holocaust.

More images and more about the museum after the break.

French architects archi5 and Omar Kobbité Architectes (OKA), have won a competition to design the National Museum of Archaeology and Earth Sciences in Rabat, Morocco. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Last month we shared with you the six designs from the shortlisted group for the future Victoria & Albert Museum in Scotland:

Delugan Meissl Associated Architects / Kengo Kuma & Associates / REX / Snøhetta / Steven Holl Architects / Sutherland Hussey Architects

The six designs are now on exhibition at the library of Abertay University on Bell Street in Dundee until November 4th.

We now have more photographs and a short description of each proposal plus a video after the break.

Tel Aviv based Chyutin Architects have won a competition for the new Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem. The project will replace a previous scheme done by Frank Gehry. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Architect: Thomas Phifer Location: Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Partner in Charge: Thomas Phifer AIA Project Partner: Greg Reaves AIA LEED AP Project Architect: Gabriel Smith AIA LEED AP Project Team: Adam Ruffin, Katie Bennett, Jonathan Benner, Eric Richey, Daniel Taft, Kerim Demirkan, Len Lopate, ChristophTimm, Joseph Sevene Local Architects: Pierce Brinkley Cease + Lee, Raleigh, NC Structural Engineer: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago, IL Mechanical Engineer: AltieriSeborWieber LLC, Norwalk, CT Landscape Architect: Lappas + Havener, PA, Durham, N.C. Lighting Design: Fisher Marantz Stone, New York, NY General Contractor: Barnhill, Raleigh NC Project Area: 136,000 sf Project Year: 2010 Photographs: Scott Frances

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A few weeks ago we were discussing on Twitter how OMA has developed several innovations in cultural and educational buildings. The Wyly Theater (in partnership with REX), the Seattle Public Library, and on projects such as the MNBAQ extension or the West Kowloon Cultural District master plan.

Today we got the news that OMA has won the competition for a new regional library (Bibliothèque Multimédia à Vocation Régionale) in Caen, France. The 12,000m2 project will be OMA’s first cultural building in France, and was led by associate-in-charge Clément Blanchet.

Canadian architects HCMA shared with us their project “Jasper Place Branch Library”, located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. For this project, HCMA is working in joint-venture with Dub Architects, an Edmonton-based firm. See more images and architect’s description after the break.

The jury for the Museum of the Second World War Competition in Poland have recently announced the winner. Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat received 1st Prize and will design the new museum in Gdańsk, the city where the war broke out. 2nd Prize was awarded to Polish architects Piotr Płaskowicki & partnerzy Architekci and 3rd Prize to Greece-based BETAPLAN S.A.

See more images and justification of the jury for the winner after the break.