Designed by Slovenia-based OFIS arhitekti, the aim of the project is to create a recognizable image of the dominant facility, placed in soft greenery. Though middles-sized, the arena gives the impression of a large and powerful landmark. Its tensile, lace-like skin completes the image of a single enclosed object, while incorporating different sets of facilities.

Internally, a rounded arena provides good acoustics and extroversive atmosphere during the game for both, players and fans. During training it prevents interruptions, allowing players to be fully concentrated on the game. Distribution of the program takes into account the natural advantages of location and existing interventions in the terrain and the fact that the stadium has 13.000 seats, has to obtain 4 stars according to UEFA categorization and have additional 3.000 m2 of public program.

Foyer for visitors is on the first floor level and has 4 accesses by stairway with access control. Foyer is a covered plateau, naturally ventilated and unheated area. This is a place for a break during the half with the visitors’ toilets, bars (drinks and snacks), first-aid room and detention. The space extends all around the inner part of the stadium arena. Read the rest of this entry »

In 2008 a prestigious competition to design Dublin’s new National Concert Hall had two finalists narrowed down from a shortlist of prominent architectural firms. 3XN and Henning Larsen Architects, both Danish Studios, presented powerful design ideas. However, due to client’s difficult financial situation caused by the global economic crisis, appointing of a final winner has been cancelled.

3XN’s proposal for the Concert Hall is a sculptural composition of volumes reflecting the interior layout of the building. Three Halls, each different in size, function and acoustic objectives, are connected by a foyer promoting flow and social interaction. The foyer expands and contracts, adapting to the new structure.

From the garden side, a transparent façade cascades down from the three Concert Hall volumes, drawing the gardens forth into the foyer and extending into a new public plaza towards Hatch Street.

The design concept from Henning Larsen Architects follows an entirely different logic. The Symphonic Hall is located at the heart of the site, becoming a pivotal point and affecting the entire organization. The Hall’s unique acoustics and lightness affect the performing act by discreetly creating unity between art and audience. Read the rest of this entry »

By the efforts of preservationists, architects and  fans, the neglected Miami Marine Stadium was put under legal protection as a historical landmark, buying more time for it’s internationally supported restoration. Down Town’s Floating Stage Competition is conceived as an incentive for keeping the stadium cause in the global public eye. It drew more than 80 entries from around the world. The main requirement of the competition was to enable the future stage to navigate to other sites around Miami’s Biscayne Bay.

The first place went to Nebraskan Abingo Wu Studio, for their Miami Pearl proposal. A floating orb, partly submerged under the water would contain a circular stage. Functionally versatile, not to mention navigational, the Pearl stage was characterized by jury members as a “gorgeous design“.

A close second place was Inflatable, by Pink Cloud.DK.Design Group from Denmark. A mushroom shaped disc, helium-inflated and punctured by openings  allows the penetration of natural light. The disc serves as a canopy for the stage. The stage itself in made of transportable elements. Read the rest of this entry »

This almost caricatured example of architecture, establishes a specifically ironic approach to sustainability.  It refers to the production of brown coal, still one of the most exploited non-renewable energy sources. Making it into a outdated practice and exhibiting it as a museum artifact is what makes the design witty and interesting. To complete the architect’s statement, the building is conceived so it would rely on wind energy.

It contains an uncapped pipe, opened to the air at the ends. Thanks to the pressure difference between top and bottom, an air current is formed going up. Wind turbines installed at the top use the airflow in creating enough energy to light the tower all year round.

The building is made of slag concrete. It’s a combination of concrete and a by-product of burning coil. Slag is supposed to replace an expensive crushed stone filler added to the concrete itself. Read the rest of this entry »

“The body of the Leviathan, especially his eyes, possesses great illuminating power.”

It is light that this creature thrives upon. It’s energy-regulated outer skin has the ability to to control the level of sunlight, depending on the needs of users, as well as the motion-based reaction to weather conditions. Flexible material of the skin can be rigidified, giving it a different appearance.

Kinetura is a design team led by Barbara van Biervliet and Xaveer Claerhout, established in 2006. They run an architecture office Claerhout-Van Biervliet since 1995 and are mostly engaged in more “down-to-earth” design.

The architects don’t seem to have concrete specifications about the system itself, as they are still in the process of developing the technology for Kinetower. Nevertheless, they emphasize that the project was an architectural exercise in conveying their design philosophy. Metamorphosis of space,  adjusting to functional and environmental demands can lead to, what can be called- “controlled spontaneity” of buildings. Read the rest of this entry »

Italian designers Francesco Colarossi, Luisa Saracino and Giovanna Saracino created a Solar Wind bridge project for a Solar Park Works – a competition in Italy. The aim of the competition was to get designers to imagine new ways to reuse an elevated highway between Bagnera and Scilla in Italy, incorporating new energy efficient solutions. The designers won second place for this project.

The proposed design has 26 wind turbines incorporated in structure of the bridge. They are integrated into the spaces between the bridge’s pillars. The traditional asphalt would be replaced with 20 km (12.4 miles) of solar roadways, consisting of a dense grid of solar cells embedded in the road surface, providing 11.2 million kWh per year. The designers claim this system, combined with the 26 wind turbines underneath the road would provide enough electricity to power approximately 15,000 homes.

In addition to the “solar roadways,” the top surface of the bridge would also include a “green promenade” along its length comprising solar greenhouses for growing local produce. Drivers would be able to stop along the bridge to buy some fresh fruit and vegetables while enjoying panoramic bridge views. Read the rest of this entry »

Invited by Excellence group from Shen Zhen in April 2010, EMBT designed an exhibition space celebrating one of China’s most prominent modern artists. Being the artist’s hometown, Neijiang is trying to promote itself through his art. The museum is to be built on peak of Dong Tong Lu, Yuan mountain, a site conveniently resembling  Zhang Da Qian’s main thematic inclinations in painting.

Conceived as a cluster of exhibition rooms, the design emulates the physiology of mountain tops, as if following Zhang Da Qian’s short brush strokes and swirling patterns. Laminated bamboo structure generates organic forms both shielding and directing the light inwards. The construction elements are used in a custom way and play a crucial part in the overall architectural imagery.

Far beyond simple mimicry, the design evokes Chinese traditional pagoda by successfully avoiding quotations. It establishes a dialogue between cultural essences of east and west, which, yet again, refers to the master’s artistic attitude. EMBT’s signature roof is also discreetly  inserted into the design. It makes  it distinctive, yet prevents the impression of repetitiveness. Read the rest of this entry »

Can parametric architecture be considered Architecture? Two of the eVolos 2011 Competition finalists, Patrick Bedarfand and Dimitrie Stefanescu would say so. Their C:Strip can be described as a singular manifesto for  meaningful use of computational techniques.

With the assistance of software analysis and various datascapes capturing different environmental influences, the design evolves into a multi-layered architectural object of almost permeable urban quality.

Ecotect was used in processing wind speed and insulation grids, calculating the optimal position of apertures and photovoltaics. In order to avoid disrupting the existing pedestrian flows and visual parameters, circulation analysis programmed in Processing/Java used starting parameters gathered by local observations. Functional distribution was carried out with careful attention to visual trajectories, relying on DepthMap calculations. Centric distribution of functions was replaced with grouping of facilities along motion paths, allowing not only spread of data, but also creating new information through societal behaviour. Read the rest of this entry »

Situated along the Great Glacier Trail in Canada, the Discovery Walk design interprets the architectural phrase “natural surroundings” in an extreme manner. The object shifts the attention from itself, humbly accentuating the grandeur of nature.

The 400 feet long boardwalk allows visitors to savor the overwhelming beauty of Jasper Park. Its tectonic structure successively transforms into a glass viewpoint suspended 30 meters above the Sunwapta Valley. Steel was used as an artificial equivalent of surrounding rock, making the design act as a natural extension of the terrain. Use of material and form reveal a strong sustainable approach to building. Read the rest of this entry »