New renderings were unveiled for Heatherwick’s first residential project in New York, currently under construction. The recently dubbed “Lantern House”, in West Chelsea’s neighborhood, will join a series of developments, expanding the High Line's facades.
When reflecting on climate-related issues, measures to take, and innovative technological solutions, one cannot help but think that there are also familiar approaches that should be taken into consideration. In fact, when examining the impact of the built environment on the climate, one notes that in many countries, 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 have already been built. The most effective form of sustainability may, therefore, be saving energy by eliminating or minimizing new constructions, and by avoiding the demolition of existing structures.
That is what adaptive reuse stands for: instilling a new purpose on an existing “leftover building.” Nowadays, the refashioning process is becoming essential because of numerous issues related to the climate emergency, plot and construction costs, a saturation of land and a change in living trends.
Open More Doors is a section by ArchDaily and the MINI Clubman that takes you behind the scenes of the world’s most innovative offices through exciting video interviews and an exclusive photo gallery featuring each studio’s workspace.
This month, we talked with American architecture and urban design firm Studio Gang and how their Chicago office focuses on ecological biodiversity, collaborative multidisciplinary projects, and finding potential in historic structures.
Part of the Mission Rock master plan in San Francisco, MVRDV unveiled their contribution, in partnership with Perry Architects, a 23-story mixed-use building, including offices and residential units. The firm joins other big names like Studio Gang, Henning Larsen, and WORKac in designing one of the vertical entities in this waterfront.
The first phase of the planning vision for Mission Rock in San Francisco was initiated. The masterplan developed by the San Francisco Giants and Tishman Speyer put in place four buildings designed by internationally renowned architecture firms MVRDV, Studio Gang, Henning Larsen, and WORKac. The scheme also includes a 5-acre waterfront park by SCAPE.
Studio Gang and SCAPE have broken ground on the new Arkansas Arts Center (AAC) in Little Rock. The current facility will be transformed, and the project includes a landscape design that will connect the AAC with the surrounding MacArthur Park. The project was made to embrace the Arkansas Arts Center’s history and create a contemporary space for the future.
On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago had roughly 200 inhabitants. Four years later, in 1837, it was upgraded to The City of Chicago – an interesting fact given that there are still 19 incorporated towns in Illinois. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 killed 300 people, destroyed about 3.3 square miles (9 km2), and left more than 100,000 residents homeless. However, by that time Chicago had become the world’s fastest-growing city and its population had risen over 300,000 inhabitants. The fire meant these ambitious citizens had to start again.
With admirable strength, the city was reborn from the ashes and some of Chicago’s best architecture was constructed immediately after. Structures like the Rookery Building (1888, Frank Lloyd Wright), the Auditorium Building (1889, Louis Sullivan) and the Monadnock Building (1893, Burnham & Root, Holabird & Roche) are a few examples of the high standards the city was aiming for.
Since then, Chicago has only continued adding value to its urban grid and new buildings have been progressively enhancing the city’s beautiful skyline. This year Chicago celebrates the 2019-2020 Biennial and the city has plenty to offer. But, where to start?
If you love architecture, here is a list of buildings – old and new – that will help you understand, internalize and love Chicago’s built environment.
Shall we begin?
_%C2%A9Nic_Lehoux_from_High_Line.jpg?1565687941)
Located in the meatpacking district, adjacent to the High Line, in New York City, 40 Tenth Avenue, a 10-story office tower designed by Studio Gang is now ready to welcome its first tenants. With a distinctive structural system, the building twists in order not to cast his shadow on the surrounding, responding to the solar angles.
Design:ED Podcast is an inside look into the field of architecture told from the perspective of individuals that are leading the industry. This motivational series grants unique insight into the making of a successful design career, from humble beginnings to worldwide recognition. Every week, featured guests share their personal highs and lows on their journey to success, that is sure to inspire audiences at all levels of the industry. Listening to their stories will provide a rare blueprint for anyone seeking to advance their career, and elevate their work to the next level.
In this episode, Juliane Wolf discusses how Studio Gang continues to successfully contribute to the iconic Chicago Skyline, how they are actively working to advance the issues of equality in architecture, and the firm continues to elevate design at all scales.
Studio Gang has broken ground on the American Museum of Natural History Expansion in New York. Called the Richard Gilder Center, the project held its groundbreaking ceremony on June 12 to kick off construction. Designed by Jeanne Gang, the $383 million Center was first proposed seven years ago. The project was made to link a range of museum buildings for better circulation throughout the campus.
What happens when the sensor-imbued city acquires the ability to see – almost as if it had eyes? Ahead of the 2019 Shenzhen Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB), titled "Urban Interactions," ArchDaily is working with the curators of the "Eyes of the City" section at the Biennial to stimulate a discussion on how new technologies – and Artificial Intelligence in particular – might impact architecture and urban life. Here you can read the “Eyes of the City” curatorial statement by Carlo Ratti, the Politecnico di Torino and SCUT.
“We all live in an ecosystem; we just don’t know it. When it comes to urban areas, people have an ecological blind spot.” — Seth Magle, Director, Lincoln Park Zoo Urban Wildlife Institute, Chicago.
The advance of AI technologies can make it feel as if we know everything about our cities—as if all city dwellers are counted and accounted for, our urban existence fully monitored, mapped, and predicted.
The Studio Gang-designed 11 Hoyt has topped out in Brooklyn to its full height of 620 feet. Offering 481 luxury residential condominiums, with interiors by Michaelis Boyd Associates, 11 Hoyt features a scalloped façade comprised of exquisitely crafted, shimmering cast concrete and glass, animated by bays that appear to peel away from the building and change as sunlight moves across them throughout the day.
_Jason_O'Rear_Courtesy_Studio_Gang-1.jpg?1556277122)
Studio Gang is celebrating a significant milestone with the topping out of their twisting high-rise MIRA tower in San Francisco. Construction of the 400-foot-tall tower began in mid-2017, with steady progression leading to projected occupancy in late 2019. The scheme's design is centered on the evolution of the bay window element, a feature common to San Francisco’s early houses. The bay window is reimagined in a high-rise context, twisting across the full height of the tower to offer views across the city.
Jeanne Gang, Founding Principal at Studio Gang, has been listed in TIME Magazine’s 2019 TIME 100. Gang is the only architect be included in this year’s list, which recognizes the activism, innovation, and achievements of the world’s most influential people.
The recognition represents another milestone in what is a historic year for Jeanne Gang and her firm. In January, she announced her first project in France, with the Center for the University of Chicago in Paris, while the firm was also selected last month to lead the Global Terminal and Concourse Expansion at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Studio Gang has been selected to lead the $8.5 billon O'Hare 21 International Airport expansion in Chicago. Chosen from a list of firms including BIG, Calatrava and SOM, the Studio Gang team is part of the Studio ORD partnership. They won the project for the Global Terminal and Concourse with three volumes converging in a central hub. Designed to celebrate Chicago’s history as a city shaped by lines of movement, the project represents O’Hare’s first major overhaul in 25 years.
_Paris_Render_with_ICADE_and_Studio_Gang.jpg?1552258488)
Studio Gang has unveiled a design for the University of Chicago Center in Paris. The Center in Paris Project seeks to “create a new hub for scholarship and cultural exchange in Paris’ rapidly-developing 13th arrondissement” with an academic center and a mixed-use residential building.
The scheme is adorned with biodiverse green spaces and an architecture that physically and intellectually weaves the block into the existing urban fabric. To support a lively dialogue between the University and local communities, shared spaces have been carefully arranged to connect to the outdoors and encourage communication.
_Studio_Gang.jpg?1549281536)
Studio Gang and SCAPE has unveiled further details of their plans to transform the Memphis waterfront with the new Tom Lee Park. One of five zones included in Studio Gang's six-mile masterplan for the riverfront, the park has been developed with input from over 4,000 people, including community groups, stakeholders, and local students from North and South Memphis.
The proposal for Tom Lee Park draws inspiration from the Mississippi River, “reimagined as a vibrant and dynamic civic space that fosters positive encounters and civic pride, restores natural ecology and conditions, and better connects the city to the river.” New architecture floating above the landscape is inspired by historic structures that once dotted the riverfront, such as terminal buildings, grain elevators, and barges.
Five design teams have been selected to present their ideas for the Chicago O'Hare Airport Global Terminal and Global Concourse expansion. The designs are on display at an exhibition opened by Mayor Rahm Emanuel at the Chicago Architecture Center. Teams include Fentress-EXP-Brook-Garza, Foster Epstein Moreno, Studio ORD, SOM and Santiago Calatrava. Known as O’Hare 21, the project represents O’Hare’s first major overhaul in 25 years.
_%C2%A9Nic_Lehoux_from_podium.jpg?1565687984 "© Nic Lehoux")
_%C2%A9Timothy_Schenck_Detail.jpg?1565687708 "© Timothy Schenck")
.jpg?1559736045 "© Jesse David Harris")
.jpg?1559736031 "© Tom Harris courtesy of Studio Gang")
.jpg?1559736059 "© Jesse David Harris")
_.jpg?1559736020 "© Tom Harris courtesy of Studio Gang")
_Jason_O'Rear_Courtesy_Studio_Gang-5.jpg?1556277154 "© Jason O’Rear")
_Jason_O'Rear_Courtesy_Studio_Gang-2.jpg?1556277139 "© Jason O’Rear")
_Jason_O'Rear_Courtesy_Studio_Gang-1.jpg?1556277122 "© Jason O’Rear")
_Studio_Gang.jpg?1549280979 "A terraced, universally-accessible pathway flows down the bluff to connect downtown Memphis to the new Tom Lee Park from Beale Street. Wide steps provide a comfortable place to sit and take in the views of the revitalized park and the river beyond. Image © Studio Gang")
_Studio_Gang.jpg?1549281341 "Near the river’s edge, a central canopy floats above a set of Activity Courts, framing the river beyond and protecting the courts below that can be used for basketball and other sports, as well as events like concerts or weddings. Concessions, lockers, storage, and bathrooms are located nearby. Image © Studio Gang")
_Studio_Gang.jpg?1549281155 "Natural play areas, dynamic topography, rocky boulder outcroppings, and winding paths make the Tailout zone of Tom Lee Park a playtime paradise. An outdoor classroom, experimental garden, and other hands-on opportunities give kids a chance to connect with and learn about the unique ecology of the Mississippi River. Image © Studio Gang")
_Studio_Gang.jpg?1549280808 "A welcoming entry plaza greets visitors and orients them to a range of riverfront and park activities, from boat cruises to basketball. In the heart of the plaza, water features and bright swaths of native plants evoke the movement of the river and provide photo-worthy moments for all ages. Large open areas within the plaza can accommodate public gatherings, art installations, and festival tents. Image © Studio Gang")
