The dramatic effect of The Pod Exhibition Pavilion betrays the simple forms that it is composed of. A series of ovals stacked horizontally and offset which create a dynamic undulation through the greenscape is a centerpiece for a large urban development in Petaling Jaya, west of Kuala Lumpur.

Studio Nicoletti Associat used the water drop as inspiration for the mixed use office and showroom. The building is divided by a pinched middle and offset sections. The “Pod” is tubular steel wrapped in a white aluminum skin which dramatically changes color under differing lighting conditions. A reflecting pool surrounding the front of the building returns the light and provides connection to the design germ. The pavilion is to be a central iconic design inspiration for the surrounding project, providing aesthetic context for the entire large development.

The interior is amply day lit with bands of glass between elliptical sections while the offset portion containing offices have more conventional site glazing. Space is visually stretched by the stepped ceiling which provides graduated light through the volume. The surrounding greenscape, pool, and high albedo skin should effectively cool the building. Read the rest of this entry »

SOFTlab produced a hanging installation for the entrance to School Nite, an exhibition of site-specific installations, performances, and discussions. The installation was curated by Nuit Blanche New York as part of Flash:Light 2011 along with the Festival of Ideas for the New City sponsored by the New Museum.

The installation was in the entrance of St. Patrick’s Catholic School at the corner of Prince and Mott Streets in NYC. The form was generated through a gravity driven process and then prepped for production. The surface contains more than 1400 battery powered LEDs. The piece was designed to light up the entrance for the night time event. The main formal expressions of the installation are the hanging pieces that flicker and blow in the wind, with the intention of slowing down traffic through experience and effect rather than typical barriers. Visitors are meant to co-mingle and interact with the piece, not unlike a clown fish and the sea anemone. Read the rest of this entry »

Tham & Videgård Arkitekter is an award winning architectural firm based in Stockholm, Sweden, and directed by co-founders and chief architects Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård. Their Tree hotel is located in the far north of Sweden, near the small village of Harads, close to the Arctic Circle.

A lightweight aluminium structure is hung around a tree trunk and sheltered by the treetops. The  4×4×4 meters glass-cladded box reflects the surroundings and the sky, creating a camouflaged refuge. The interior is all made of plywood and the windows give a 360 degree view of the surroundings. The construction also alludes to how man relates to nature, how we use high tech materials and products when exploring remote places in harsh climates (Gore-tex, Kevlar, composite materials, light weight tents etc.). Read the rest of this entry »

The EQUIP Xavier Claramunt is a multidisciplinary architectural practice founded in Barcelona in 1990. The firm develops proposals which range from cutlery to complex architectural structures, priding itself on working without preconceptions or preformed notions and ideas.

The Sphere building is a hundred stories high tower, with the total area of 1.660.900 square meters. Two spheres, one inside the other, constitute a complete habitable structure, offering programmatically different content. The inner sphere houses a mixed program of offices, green public spaces and cultural facilities. The outer sphere is designed to accommodate housing units, providing views to both inside and the outside environment. Positioned in the space between two structures, large public spaces are shielded from the environmental influences and constantly changing atmospheric conditions. Large ruptures in its body allow natural light to reach the centrally positioned facilities, avoiding the impression of a hermetic, artificial megastructure. Read the rest of this entry »

In an attempt to both reference and reflect the changing landscape of Abu Dhabi, Becky Lam has designed a pneumatic tower to act as a gateway for the Saadiyat Island development that is currently under construction. In designing a skyscraper as a “gateway” for the new development, some of the biggest questions lie in the iconography of the building – what it symbolizes and what it represents. With the site currently devoid of a cohesive urban fabric, the proposal argues that Saadiyat Island lacks a legible architectural identity. Thus, Inflation is a temporary gateway that welcomes visitors to the changing landscape of the island while urban development is still under way. Creating a spectacle, this inflated skyscraper serves as an innovative pneumatic feat, accomplishing its role as a gateway by drawing even more attention to both Saadiyat and Abu Dhabi. Through its changing states of inflation and inherent impermanence, it acts as an icon that acknowledges the fleeting urban identities of today’s cities. Its façade is comprised of static, six-foot diameter pneumatic tubes punctuated with a series of dynamic billows that inflate and deflate based on occupancy. Together with a pillow-like core and a system of pneumatic beams that carry each floor plate, Inflation seeks to challenge the conventions of permanence and architectural hardscapes. Read the rest of this entry »

Abu Dhabi is a car culture. The vast distances between destinations, the extreme heat and sand storms, the quality of the existing public transportation systems, and the current low cost of petrol in the UAE make the automobile the default means of transportation.

Compressive looks at this existing condition and, more specifically, the car as a representation of human beings’ very worst and very best achievement. While the resources consumed to manufacture and operate the car are astounding, the personal freedom the car affords is something that every society should strive for (personal freedom, that is). The car is an integral component of our existing lifestyle, and Compressive reexamines the interaction between person and car at various scales, while also questioning the current understanding of the parking lot as a type of “service space.” By utilizing the car as another form of vertical transportation the building can begin to register occupation by reacting to the weight of cars parked on various floors. By sectionally arranging the main programs of the mixed-use tower, groups of up to 5 floors will actually begin to sag with the weight of cars based on program use at different times throughout the day. The dynamic façade system intensifies this condition by folding out and up when the floors compress, allowing for more ventilation throughout the parking area in order to counteract the greater number of cars. Whatever solar protection is lost by the folding façade is made up for by the new condition of shorter floor-to-floor height of the surrounding parking ramps. Read the rest of this entry »

Mecanoo architecten has been declared winner for the design of the new cultural complex in Shenzhen. The 83,500 square meters of the cultural facilities will comprise a public art museum, science museum, youth center, a bookshop, and a public square and parking. The project is to provide the district with its own landmark and destination and transform the existing Longcheng Park into a lively destination point.

The key consideration for the design was connecting the new structure with the surrounding areas and new residential development. The linearity of the existing urban masterplan created a barrier between the western development area and Longcheng Park, further cutting up the area and contributing to its lack of urban vitality. Longcheng plaza will become a lively square which will further strengthen the quarter’s identity and provide residents and visitors with a much needed sense of place. Read the rest of this entry »

Conceived as an extension of the Austrian National Library, the Chris Prechteck’s design proposal contains a number of cultural and educational facilities. Situated in the baroque settings of Vienna, in the vicinity of the Hofburg Palace, the building attempts to blend into the surroundings by creating a single spiraling gesture. Straddling the border of a nearby park, it contributes to the continuity of open public spaces by housing much of its content underground. Public circulation is uninterrupted by the extension, as a curvilinear roof garden in created at the top. The main entrance is accessible by vehicles through a drop-off and fire emergency line placed under the arch. Gradually descending towards the entrance, visitors are intuitively directed to the foyer, and into the programs. The project offers 1,200 square meters of exhibition space as well as 600 square meters of multifunctional facilities, creative studios, restaurants and shops.

Its faceted façade is reminiscent of the decorative ornamentation of baroque architecture. The mosaic form of crystal-like openings allows natural lighting to filter through the interior, creating strong light-and-shade contrasts. The seamless structure of the extension generates a discreet curvature in the urban landscape, offering a different spatial experience from each perspective, whether from the interior or from the street level. Read the rest of this entry »

Between monument and building, the proposal for the Gdansk World War II Museum Competition by Mack Scogin Merrill Elam Architects attempts to translate notions of conflict and peace into the sensory language of masses and forms. In addition to offering the expected range of exhibition and educational spaces, it focuses on portraying the duality of human nature. The concept of contrasts is consistently expanded by opposite treatment of building and landscape.

Monumental threes surrounding the building are part of the Bialowieza forest, one of the remaining parts of the immense primeval forest which once spread across the European Plain. During the war it served as refuge for Polish and Soviet partisans.  It played a significant part in, as the architects state, “maintaining the continuity of Polish identity in times of political turmoil”. Flowing from below the hovering building, fractured paths extend towards the landscape and lead to small outdoor exhibits, as if discovering lost and found traces of the Great War. Read the rest of this entry »

Developed by the german architects stadiumconcept for the FIFA World Cup 2022 the Floating Off-Shore Stadium represents an extraordinary and ambitious concept – it can be regarded being the most sensational stadium solution since the emergence of modern sport arenas. The Floating OffShore Stadium is a swimming construction that can be relocated to seaside venues across the oceans.

Due to its global mobility it can be utilised by far more effectively as traditional stadiums as it could serve for more than one, for example, FIFA tournament. By shipping to the next venue this concept offers a visionary way to maximise the utilisation of long-term investments without sacrificing the efficient use of energy resources – the Floating OffShore Stadium is eco-efficiently powered by a blend of hybrid energies such as water, wind and solar power.

Its mobility and multi-decade utilisation and overall eco-efficiency bring significant advantages over traditional, on-shore stadium concepts. This concept consequently offers new ways for enjoying permanent financial profits for investors over a long period of time and public stakeholders alike – but at least it is created to enjoy the people around the world. Read the rest of this entry »