Honorable Mention
2013 Skyscraper Competition

Xiaomiao Xiao, Lixiang Miao, Xinmin Li, Minzhao Guo
China

The Crater Scraper project is an imagined solution for the healing of the Earth’s surface as the planet suffers the impact of major asteroid strikes. Asteroid craters could be filled in with built settlements, holding communities of different sizes (depending on the size of the crater).

As cities historically form at a core and extend peripherally, Crater Scrapers too have a central core that connects the settlement as a whole vertically and horizontally. Elevator systems link infrastructure vertically, from the bottom of the crater to the Earth’s surface; at the top, a separate transportation system links the community across the expanse of the filled-in indentation. At the bottom of the city, people traverse its length on foot.

The crater is filled with towers and structures that are covered by a roof system that has large holes, causing the built community, from an aerial view, to resemble mesh. Imagining that top-down view, each cylindrical opening of the mesh holds a type of development that is needed for the community to function, from residences to shops and offices to hospitals to recreational spaces. The community as a whole is developed with the garden city model in mind, featuring a central park located at the core and open green spaces interspersed throughout. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2013 Skyscraper Competition

Liangpeng Chen, Yating Chen, Lida Huang, Gaoyan Wu, Lin Yuan
China

The abandoned Shenfu Dongsheng coalfield, was China’s largest coal-producing base goaf. The goaf not only influenced the local soil and land, but also wasted the terrestrial heat at a large scale whit a lot of consequences such as collapse,debris flow and soil erosion, destruction of building and cropland, atmosphere pollution etc.

The project proposes to reuse the goaf and part of the pipelines on the working platforms. The vertical pipelines will work as the chief transportation system. The main volumes are deposited in the site.

Applying principles used in miner, the horizontal skyscraper will use the existing vertical miner elevator systems as a way of transportation. The housing and habitable space will be underground , supported by vertical tube that will bring fresh air in the water will be taken from the underground soil trough advanced and explorative techniques and will be heated by geothermal processes. The terrestrial heat is used to cultivate the saplings and then the grown trees are replanted on the mountains to renovate the worn-out land. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2013 Skyscraper Competition

Yeonkyu Park, Kwon Han, Haeyeon Kwon, Hojeong Lim
United States

Located in the Republic of Chile, Atacama Desert is one of the oldest and driest places on Earth. This desert is fenced by the Andes Mountains on one side and the Chilean Coast Range on the other. The moisture which comes from the Pacific Ocean cannot get through either side and creates a “rain shadow effect.” Due to this geographic situation, Atacama Desert is constantly dry even though it is located near the Pacific Ocean. People living in Atacama are at risk and degradation is spreading rapidly. However, a dense fog known as “Camanchaca” could potentially end desertification in the Atacama Desert. Sourced from the Pacific Ocean, this fog has the potential to nourish plants and other living organisms. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2013 Skyscraper Competition

Chen Yao, Xiao Yunfeng, Li Xiaodi, Xie Rui, Yin Xiaoxiang
China

The rising of sea level is one of the most dramatic crisis that modern cities face in the last decades. It is estimated that sea level will rise of more than 500mm by the end of this century. At that time, 600 million people will lose their homeland with 3000 cities sinking into the water. Since 2/3 of the world’s population is settled in the coastal areas.

The Promised Land is conceived as “humans” final homeland, a self-sustainable city on submerged places, shape as massive cross rising over the water level. The building works as a modular self assembly system. Prefabricated girders and columns made of reinforced concrete are fixed on the ground as foundation, then prefabricated floors are placed in order to sustain the different programatic modules.

By using a modular assembly system, the skyscraper is able to be built constantly, making it possible to develop upper programs continually. Read the rest of this entry »

Honorable Mention
2013 Skyscraper Competition

Mamon Alexander, Tyutyunnik Artem
Ukraine

The Ring of Mars is a closed self-sufficient off-line mega-structure, which contains all functions for comfortable existence and development of all life forms.The ring is designed on the model of linear cities, a circular system for comfortable connection of all parts of the structure as single agglomerate. Read the rest of this entry »

Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Art Center is the newest winning design from the Atelier of Zaha Hadid Architects. The complex embodies a unique variety of civic nodes and spaces – Grand Theater, Contemporary Art Museum, Multipurpose Hall and supporting facilities and it broke ground in October. Changsha, the capital of the south Chinese province of Hunan is in the midst of striking population growth and rapid urban development, an at the center of that roller coaster, worth $130 billion, is Meixihu lake, planned as a venue for numerous, ambitious cultural projects.

The Grand Theater will be the largest performance center in the city, and with the capacity of 1800 seats, it is the focal point of the complex. It is designed as highly equipped, in order to host world- standard performances. The building facilitates public spaces, such as lobbies, bars and restaurants, VIP hospitality, as well as ancillary functions – administration, rehearsal rooms, necessary backstage logistics and make-up rooms and wardrobes.

The Multipurpose Hall is structured as flexible, therefore it can be adapted and transformed to different configurations. With its maximum capacity of 500 seats, in can accommodate various functions, from banquets and commercial events, to small plays and fashion shows.

Fluid petal-like form of the Museum, composed around the internal central atrium, is set of patchwork gallery spaces, seamlessly continuing on to another. Building’s composition highlights site’s unique location at the lake waterfront, with the outward views and balconies. External plaza, surrounded by the fluid complex, is a venue for outdoor sculptures, exhibition and events, therefore extending the programs to the outdoor space, as a natural continuation of the interior. Read the rest of this entry »

SOM’s Diagonal Tower in Yongsan International Business District of Seoul, South Korea, is a case study in efficiency – 343 meter tall tower successfully minimizes wind loads, reduces construction costs, provides dramatic views and meets strict energy codes by integrating massing, structure and performance. Moreover, it maintains necessary iconic skyline presence.

The design of this landmark skyscraper, with glazed triangular facets, employs passive environmental control strategies within and on the façade – sunshades are positioned at varying angles on each building exposure, horizontal, vertical, and diagonal, thus mitigating heat gain in the summer and permitting direct sunlight to warm the building’s interiors during Seoul’s cold winter months. Triple pane glazed exterior curtain wall decreases energy loss, therefore meeting Seoul Green Guidelines criteria while active chilled beam system surpasses traditional air driven systems, using water as a medium for transferring heating and cooling energy, which results in less energy consumption along with great environmental comfort for building users.

Mixed-use high-rise, located at a prominent corner of the emerging Business District of Seoul, provides more than 170,000 square meters of open office space, sky lobbies with fitness center and cafeteria and a penthouse executive lounge at the top. This prestigious edifice also facilitates two retail pavilions and an ethereal glass multi-functional auditorium, defining pedestrian scale and incorporating the building into its context and the surrounding.

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This proposal for the new Stadium for the French Rugby Union Club Racing 92 is conceived in a successful collaboration between Sériès et Sériès Architects, Agence Search Architects and Van Santen& Associés, and is a symbol of a new urbanity in the Nanterre area of Paris, unifying sport and culture and marking the new era in history of the place.

The aim was not to design the stadium only, but a contemporary and contextual monument, multi-purpose edifice which allows diverse programs to take place. Funding of the arena largely relies on the set of offices, seamlessly integrated into the building, and on the fact that the space of the sport stadium is easily transformable into the hall for spectacles. Instead of juxtaposition or fragmentation of programs which would disrupt readability, functionality and versatility of the building, the architects proposed a radical solution and clear overlay that allows the project to be indentified and recognized at first glance – as a monument, where the diagram of uses becomes the architectural project, without any compromise. Read the rest of this entry »

Ajax Law Ling Kit and Virginia Lung of Hong Kong based practice One Plus Partnership designed Chongqing Mountain & City Sales Office for Chongqing Nanshan District, China. Slanted walls and marble floor pattern are triangular – the geometry is derived from the mounting background and architecture of the clubhouse – the interior represents a valley, surrounded by high hills. The aim was to create highly contextual interior space, which would repeat, in smaller scale, the dominant geological characteristics of the Nanshan area. The feeling of artificial, marble nature is additionally provoked by the LED lighting, hanged from a ceiling, performing a rain.

The design is highly consistent – the stairs connecting the floors are designed as passing through the cave, highlighting the natural, mountain experience. Sharp and boldly designed, gold stone-like furniture is integrated into the overall design, resembling of small pieces of the rock. Read the rest of this entry »

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art | SFMOMA’s expansion works commence this summer – the new 235,000-square-foot building is designed by Norway based practice Snøhetta. The expansion will seamlessly join the current Mario Botta’s museum building. When the new museum opens in 2016, it will provide greater art experience for visitors and offer more free public spaces, extended education programs for schoolchildren, more flexible galleries for live performances and large-scale works of art.

In words of Snøhetta’s principle architect Craig Dykers, their transformative design for the museum responds to the demands of the site, as well as the terrain of San Francisco. The scale of the building will finally meet the SFMOMA’s mission, while Snøhetta’s approach to the neighborhood strengthens museum’s engagement with the city.

The new museum building includes seven levels dedicated to diverse art experiences, a programming space and three housing enhanced support space for the operations. SFMOMA’s current capacity of gallery space will be more than doubled – 130,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for presentations of art maintains the sense of intimacy, while connecting the museum to the urban surrounding. Read the rest of this entry »