According to the competition jury, one of two winning proposals for the Beton Hala Center, designed by ARCVS Studio distinguished itself from other entries “by offering a simple, but refined complexity”. The design addresses the most relevant programmatic and environmental requirements, accentuating its attitude towards historical significance and fortification iconography of the Kalemegdan Fortress. By simply underlying the skyline of Kalemegdan and expressing its autonomous visual qualities through colorful articulation of the fifth façade, the proposal can be interpreted as a strong statement of constraint and thoughtfulness. Read the rest of this entry »
Beton Hala Waterfront Center Competition – First Prize / Studio ARCVS
Bahá’í Temple for South America / Hariri Pontarini Architects
In recognition of the spiritual nature of humanity and the importance of prayer, meditation and reflection – Bahá’í temples, also known as Houses of Worship, have been established in different parts of the world and are open to all.
Light is the fundamental connecting force of the projects. The Bahá’í Temple for South America, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, employs both translucent stone and the newest glass technology as means of generating and manifesting both the physiological and spiritual delights of natural light embodied in architecture. Set against the stirring background of the Andean mountain range, the new Temple is to be a crystallizing of light-as-expression, an evanescent structure of white alabaster and glass: a place of pure luminescence. During the day, it is the soft undulating alabaster and glass skin of the Temple which forms its outer expression. At night, the image reverses itself, the entire volume then becoming a warm totalized glow, with the inner form of the building visible through the glass. Read the rest of this entry »
Trekking Tower – Bohemian Hostel for Backpackers in Barcelona / Aïe Architectes
Designed by Aïe Architectes for the Bohemian Hostel for Backpackers Competition in Barcelona, the Trekking Tower reveals itself through a fascinating walk and allows the public to discover their environment – the city. The 100 meter high structure accommodates various facilities, ranging from the intimate hostel’s housing capacities to public open spaces-camping gardens. It is an urban hiking trail which starts in a city center environment with a bar, boutique and outdoor activities at its base. The trail swindles up along planted platforms (urban camping) and materialized accommodation (hostel program) to discover public spaces with view over the city. Read the rest of this entry »
Spiral Garden at IIDA Awards 2010
“The spiral garden system”, designed by Benet and Saida Dalmau, Anna Julibert and Carmen Vilar from Spain, is one of the second prize winners of Iida Awards 2010, organized by Designboom in collaboration with Incheon Metropolitan City. The design is conceived as a spiraling garden space, enveloped by a lace-like mesh structure, shielding it from the surroundings and creating an impression of lightness. It is a sustainable public space, self-sufficient and easy to maintain. The spiral contains an ascending garden where native vegetation can coexist with urban orchards, shared and planted by the neighbors and serving also as a green outdoor walk. Fourteen meters in diameter, the structure provides 59 garden lots, with 6 square meters per person. The necessary water supply for planting is acquired by harvesting rainwater. Read the rest of this entry »
Water Building Resort-Transforming air into water / Orlando de Urrutia
The Water Building Resort not only addresses issues of sustainability through futuristic technological experiments, but also explores financial profitability of those concepts. Its associative form (inspired by the shape of a water drop) suggests its programmatic purpose. The design of the building allows integrating renewable energy through its reception and optimization. Part of the façade is covered by photovoltaic cells of the latest generation- able to gather sun energy while achieving high level of transparency. The opposite side of the building uses its lattice structure to drive the humid air inwards, transforming it through a complex technological process into drinkable water. The air is further used to generate electricity for other equipment. The production is based on the condensation of the humid air and its concentration in the sea water, taking advantage of daily evaporation and night condensation values. The technology needed for the process relies on Teex Micron, a High-Tech mechanism of water generators incorporated into the building. Read the rest of this entry »
Rossi Sud Bioclimatic Mixed-use Complex in Latina, Italy / DRA&U Architecture
This project is a multipurpose building designed by DRA&U for fairground and cultural activities that will be incorporated into a plan for upgrading the ex industrial complex “Rossi Sud” in Latina, Italy.
The shape of the building comes from the study of shells, their real geometry, neither ideal, nor platonic. The x-ray analysis of these slender bodies gave us the ability to perceive the deficiencies, deviations, a set of slight imperfections, due to environmental disturbances during development, which makes them so fascinating. Each shell contains history and a body that evolves with sublime patience, where the beauty, usefulness, functionality and aesthetics are linked to each other, because the amazing beauty lies not only in the outer (what you see usually), but also lurks in intimacy, the hidden.
The building is generated by a continuous surface that conforms a simultaneously limited space and a connectively-distribution space. It is divided in such a way that allows to manage areas separately, among which are performance activities, shows, conventions, museums, sports, theatre and gaming zones. The outdoor area consists of paths, green areas, auditorium, playgrounds for children and an arena for outdoor events. Read the rest of this entry »
The Second City / Design With Company
This project conceived by Design With Company contends with the competing and overlaid desires for the site of the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago by creating a new tourist destination and scenario-planning infrastructure from the existing architecture. On the roof, a 1:25 miniature replica of Chicago is constructed. A clear mound protects the model, provides space for artificial weather equipment and creates unexpected visual connections between both Chicagos. Within the mound, the model acts as a simulator for various future scenarios. Consequences of global warming, new construction, earthquakes, fires, asteroid impacts, tornados, blizzards etc. are tested repeatedly while appropriate action plans are calculated. On the exterior, the mound presents a new urban landmark along Lake Shore Drive, provides space for new lake shore activities, and redirects views through and around the existing building. Read the rest of this entry »
V Tower in Denver / Meridian 105 Architecture
Designed by Meridian 105 Architecture, V Tower is a residential high rise positioned atop of a base of retail, restaurant, cafe, and parking. The project establishes a new ‘ground’ plane above this volume by providing residents with an urban park occupying the full dimensions of the site and building footprint, creating a sense that the tower is built at grade. Among the amenities provided at this level are generous open areas of grass, a pool, and community garden.
Planned for Denver, CO, the climate is semi-arid with minimal precipitation during hot summers. City regulations do not currently allow for the collection and storage of rainwater, instead requiring property owners to purchase their water. In response, V Tower utilizes an innovative irrigation strategy with water collection coming from alternative sources, including condensation from in-unit air conditioners and condenser dryers used for laundry, appliances which pass moist air through a heat exchanger to extract water. These sources are gravity fed from the tower to a storage tank and used for irrigation, distributed by a lattice work of piping constructed above the park and community garden. Rainwater from the tower’s balconies bypasses the storage tank and is routed through this piping as well. The park serves as a purification filter before water is returned to the City. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave Your Footprint – German Pavilion 2015 EXPO
This proposal for the German pavilion at the 2015 EXPO designed by Eva Hagen and Hajdin Dragusha at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany demosntrates visually how much energy each individual could produce. Mankind interacts with natural systems, but we cannot and should not change certain things like the need for breathing and gravitational forces.
The proposed system “functions” with people, air, and gravity. Everybody walks an average of 5km a day, this energy is added to the system. The body mass creates pressure step by step and could be transformed into air pressure that can be used to inflate a cushion-like structure – the steps of a person generate space, air pressure, and energy. The produced energy could be stored during day time and used as lighting at night. Read the rest of this entry »
Times Eureka Pavilion – Cellular structure inspired by plants / NEX + Marcus Barnett
Commissioned by the Times Newspaper in association with Kew Gardens for the 2011 Chelsea Flower Show, the project is undertaken by NEX Architecture in collaboration with Landscape Designer Marcus Barnett. It is a temporary exhibition space with the primary task of demonstrating humanities symbiotic relationship with natural ecosystems and offering an intimate space for visitors.
As if seen through a magnifier glass, the cellular structure of plants is experienced at a larger scale. The timber and plastic pavilion mimics the growing patterns of leafs to form a modular structural grid. Using computational genetic algorithms the plan of the pavilion is grown by capillary branching and subsequent cellular division. The load-bearing branches are made from wooden spruce panels. Plastic strips are coiled into round forms and inserted into the cassettes, transmitting diffuse natural light to the interior. The roof is covered in glass and collects rainwater directing it to downwards and into the soil of the garden. Read the rest of this entry »