Urban Design: The Latest Architecture and News

When we stopped by Steven Holl’s office in New York, Senior Partner Chris McVoy spoke to us about the firm’s latest project in Hangzhou – an International Tourism Complex. The firm has a growing presence in China and, arguably, some of the team’s strongest works (such as their Linked Hybrid and Horizontal Skyscraper) are situated throughout the region. With their most recent win, the firm will redevelop the site of the oxygen and boiler plants in Hangzhou to create a master plan comprised of residential and cultural components.

More about the project, including an video with McVoy, after the break.

The team of Uros Novakovic and Nevena Radojevic have shared with us their proposal for a Urban Design Contest in Florence, Italy which focuses specifically on the development of Santa Maria Novella Square. Additional images and a project description after the break.

The International Garden Festival at Les Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens presents temporary gardens at the cutting edge of garden design, landscape, architecture, design and environmental art. This year’s theme for design was “Secret Gardens.” First launched in 2000, the International Garden Festival is host to innovative ideas and has presented over 80 gardens by more than 200 designers from fifteen countries and has attracted more than 800,000 visitors. This showcase of a wide range of projects has featured budding designers from a range of different fields. Out of a total 194 proposals submitted by over 500 architects, landscape architects, designers and artists from three countries, the jury selected the following three designs.

After the break, images from 2011′s three selections of “Secret Gardens” from The International Garden Festival.

The Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia initiated an international competition for a Centre for Promotion of Science and the urban development of Block 39 in New Belgrade in Serbia. This design aims to be an institution of service and a national bank of knowledge in the field of science for the general public. An international jury unanimously selected Austrian architect Wolfgang Tschapeller’s project as the winning entry. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Jean Nouvel was chosen as the lead urban architect and coordinator for the Seguin Island project in July of 2009. Here we are sharing with you the Ateliers Jean Nouvel team master plan for Seguin Island in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.

A diverse group of programs will make up the spaces, total surface area of 300,000 sqm, including cultural, retail, social facilites, parks, gardens, terraces serving as a destination for both residents and tourists. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2010 and final completion is expected for the end of 2023.

Follow the break for a video and renderings by Ateliers Jean Nouvel.

+ 28

Architects: Ateliers Jean Nouvel Location: Seguin Island, Boulogne-Billancourt, France Project Area: 300,000 sqm Renderings: Courtesy of Ateliers Jean Nouvel

Architects: Tangram 3DS Location: Haiti Project year: 2010 Photographs Tangram 3DS

Sandra Janser and Elisabeth Koller won first prize in the design competition: Design Month Graz 2010 project, “Ready. Steady. Go.” that called for a catalyst for the resettlement of the Jakomini district, in Graz, Austria, through the promotion of activities and attractiveness of the neighborhood through its revitalization. Their proposal was the installation of a visual frame, one that would serve as a marker for significant design areas with a visible and positive identity.

For more on this project continue after the break.

Spring 2011 marks the opening of “Metropol Parasol”, the Redevelopment of Plaza de la Encarnación in Sevilla, designed by J. MAYER H. Architects. After finishing the concrete works in 2008, the parasols are under construction now. Visiting the site at the moment gives an impressive imagination of the final dimension and appearance.

The project becomes the new icon for Sevilla, – a place of identification and to articulate Sevillas role as one of Spains most fascinating cultural destinations. “Metropol Parasol” explores the potential of the Plaza de la Encarnacion to become the new contemporary urban centre. Its role as a unique urban space within the dense fabric of the medieval inner city of Sevilla allows for a great variety of activities such as memory, leisure and commerce. A highly developed infrastructure helps to activate the square, making it an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike.

Hyunjoon Yoo Architects have shared with us their proposal for the new Seoul Yongsan Urban Park. Their design is one of the top six proposals. All six of them will be combined as one scheme for the new park. More images and architect’s description after the break.

A-lab of Oslo, Norway and SEA of Copenhagen, Denmark) have collaborated for the winning design proposal in a competition for a new urban development on Skien Brygge, Norway. The former harbor area, which occupies four hectare, is the site of a new urban community. The site is defined by the water’s edge on the west and a steeply rising landscape on the east.

Read more about this project after the break.

Department of Unusual Certainties is a Toronto-based research and design collective working at the interstices of urban design, planning, public art, spatial research and mapping have shared with us their contribution to the John Street Ideas Competition, held by the Toronto Entertainment District BIA, entitled StairSpace. The competition called for a new public space concept as the center point of what has been dubbed a major cultural axis in the Toronto – John Street. More details of DoUC’s submission after the break.

The guiding principle behind Schiavello Architects’ design for the Starfish Square in Tropea, Calabria, Italy was to create a symbolic focal point for the city that could bring social groups together. The project uses a starfish as the base form for the design.

More images and information after the break.

The ambitious and successful award-winning architect, MAA Christian Bay-Jorgensen, from the architectural firm, Bay Arch, shared with us this unique and sustainable building at the harbour in Boston, Massachusetts. With affiliates in Ringkobing and Copenhagen and with creativity and energy in the blood, Boston Fusion will contain apartments and offices to create a new, green design in every sense with the help of eco-friendly materials from Icopal. This project also forms part of the plans for a new, green quarter called South Boston. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Lapo Ruffi, Vanessa Giandonati, Antonio Monaci, Lorenzo Santini have shared with us their winning project for EUROPAN 10 where they aimed to create an attractive density and an urban centrality while integrating with the surrounding landscape in the city of Montreux, Switzerland. They successfully generated an uninterrupted urban pattern with multi-functional environments as they break away from the twentieth century design principles of urban planning.

Europan is a biennial competition for young emerging architects who are looking for innovative housing solutions across Europe. By incorporating social and economic variables for their designated city, their projects become a more holistic architectural experience.

More images and architect’s description after the break.

Stortorget is one of the largest squares in Sweden and dates from the 16th century. Today it is an urban space that lost its old significance. LAND Arkitektur, Urban Design, and Marjamaa designed the new square for the city of Malmö. More images and architect’s description after the break.

Yaohua Wang shared with us his thesis work, “Latent City”, which received Sci-Arc’s Best Thesis Award and was also selected for the Venice Biennale. One of the many highlights of this projects is that there is no “dead end” as Wang demonstrates with his circulation loop throughout the city.

The core of the design is held within the top and bottom infrastructure layers, which are the most important layers of his design where he creates a series of solid and void spaces. Wang is able to create not only a city with endless opportunities, but a city that takes advantage of its environment by maximizing daylighting strategies and natural ventilation. Wang then goes beyond architecture and takes into account the socio-political impacts his Latent City would have over China’s current conditions. These highlights, and more, have earned him this honorable recognition. More images and architect’s description after the break.