When heritage and contemporary architecture interact, the whole history of the city is revealed. This is the ambition of this project. Facing the castle, the new gymnasium at Pestalozzi Street has its main facade; this confrontation creates a new dynamic space and showcases both the old as the new building town.

The layout of the building is simple and respects both urban constraints as the original site of the old gym. The building displays its main face to the parking on the side of the castle facade. It is on this front that are moving the three gyms. The building consists of two volumes with very different architectural character value functions.

The main volume dominates. It consists of two parts that are home to the three gyms. A base on the ground floor, the structural character is underlined by slanted columns in front, welcomes two full rhythm. Above it is a volume in the fluid volume which houses the large gym. The secondary volume, south side houses the changing rooms spaces, hospitality and technology. Treatment is much more intimate. Two simple volumes, parallelepipeds concrete are connected by an open space that protects the hall the reception area and corridors. Read the rest of this entry »

The museum designed by Paolo Venturella and Cosimo Scotucci takes shape by the deformation of the classic courtyard typology, according to functions and context. The courtyard building, that works as a path for visiting the exhibition, is taken into consideration as a starting point and then deformed pushing one side on the other.

The deformation literally goes beyond its limits and alters a simple typology into a more complex one. In this way the park enters in the project making the courtyard a public space open to the city. Moreover it cantilevers on the street side creating a covered area for the entrance and making the building appearing as if it were “welcoming” visitors that are coming to visit the museum.

The volumes that step up and down are a urban promenade that host rooms where the main artworks are shown and drive people to the upper terrace facing the park. Form follow exterior function while interior functions follow form. Read the rest of this entry »

‘A chapel’ designed by Predrag Vujanovic is a structure heavily inspired by the art of American sculptor Richard Serra. With immaculate sense of minimalism, Serra uses heavy steel sheets and makes them flow seemingly lightly, and fit perfectly as either an indoor or outdoor installation.

Though it is called a chapel, it does not center on a specific religion. It serves as a beacon of light, a gathering point and place for meditation. It strongly defies and interrupts the horisontality of the plain in Vojvodina, northern Serbia.

The structure consists of two entities. One is the ramp made out of cor-ten sheets and the other is the roof made with steel sheets, both entities are reinforced with a steel sub-structure. Read the rest of this entry »

The bias of SO/AP agency was to design an urban pattern generated by tools for parametric programming. The urban grid, the study of heights and typology of housing are the optimized results from simulations between a 3D parametric design software, and software for environmental analysis.

All data as solar radiation, natural lighting condition, thermal performance and water consumption have been integrated to the urban design from the beginning. In order to benefit of the ski lift both in summer and winter, the city is implanted at the foot of the skiing plateau and extends westward into the hillside in order to preserve as much plain in its natural states as possible. As this plain is serviced at is two end points, the projects also plan to build two gateway permitting simultaneous the access and the storage of the goods without having to access to the city.

Between these two extremities three poles can be distinguish, the first one is at the bottom of the slopes and is oriented in the winter sports, at the other end toward the plain the city is focused on the summer recreation. These two poles are connected through a third one which is more access on the residential and sports area. Read the rest of this entry »

The Varna Library designed by spatial practice is an attempt to break the typical configuration of a library, a place where the ground is liberated and become the city “Living Room”. The atrium serves as a vertical living room allowing sections of the library to overlap and expose different kinds of visitor . The design grows from the existing public space network, utilizing its unique site relationship with the adjacent Municipal Hall; as visitors strolling along Varna’s green public passage are led into the new Library. The green belt is extended into the design with green pockets on every platform of “Knowledge” seamlessly integrating landscape with reading spaces; thus blurring the relationship between close and open, free and paid.

Recalling Varna’s history with timber and commitment to sustainability timber mullions provide warmth, elegance and softness to the surrounding concrete neighborhood. The folding facade lures visitors into the internal street; bringing a new element to the existing public space system. The rigid, flexible floor plates become playful with free flowing reading spaces at its periphery. The library embodies the idea of reading on a wooden terrace, feeling a gentle breeze, overlooking the sea. Read the rest of this entry »

The Houston Library and Exhibition Complex designed by MA2 is the second installment in the initiation of dynamic architectural proposals for Houston, Texas and the greater development of ideas for American cities. The design functions along multiple trajectories of display corridors and library storage to interpolate exhibition with an expanded book collection for international reading and research. By having a series of harmonic manifolds of book collection space and the mixing of programmatic function for exhibition, it generates a dynamical system of flowing conditions which manifests with moments of extrapolation within the tectonic massing and circulation. Within the radiating tectonic corridors there is also included smaller botanical gardens which resonates with the surrounding landscape development as well, serving the community with a robust flower display and plaza.

The site sits along the axis of Hardy and Burnett St. just north of the downtown center. A vacant -underdeveloped lot and community that is need of an influx injection regarding an economic stimulus in the form of icon urban dynamism. The library – exhibition hall with park and botanical landscaping can transform the area into a destination point within Houston for cultural exchange, civic activities, and research. With a robust architectural formal aesthetic for the complex, it anticipates a world class book collection for both the arts and sciences, also expanding its collection with international publications.

The architectural tectonics shift, bundle, radiate, and project upward in flight to create nodes of complexity in the form of tessellated metallic shells with varied glass façades. This strategy transforms the internal poly-function into a stealth metallic body which carries a meaning signature of a craft of departure, which manifests its conceptual synthesis. It also includes a series of green roofs, led walls, and a labyrinth for digital projections. The total development for the concept proposal is 9,000 m2. Read the rest of this entry »

To mark the city’s 375th anniversary in 2017, the Borough of Ville-Marie will offer Montréal residents and visitors a revamped, friendlier Place Jacques-Cartier that will host lively activities year round. The borough hopes to enhance the quality of this public space and flaunt the rich heritage of this emblematic site, a prime social gathering place between the Old Port and the Cité administrative, dominated by City Hall.

“We want to make Place Jacques-Cartier a must-see focal point of Vieux-Montréal for Montrealers and visitors alike,” says Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre. “Its design, occupancy and activity program should highlight the site’s historical character.”

Enhancing the architectural heritage

To revitalize the ambiance at Place Jacques-Cartier and facilitate events throughout the year, of building façades will be made more visible, to show them off, and flaunt the architectural diversity of the site. Currently, these façades are masked by awnings and terrasses (patios) used only during part of the year. The terrasses will be moved to the centre of the square. Merchants, artists and visitors can enjoy new furniture (terrasses, kiosks and benches).

To protect customers from the sun and the elements, patios will be surrounded by glass walls and will feature a roof with a retractable awning. Linked to the power grid, these installations will be well lit and heated as required. The new structure also sets the stage for winter events such as a Christmas walk, after the patio season is over.

“Place Jacques-Cartier has not had a makeover since 1998. All of these improvements will re-burnish the site by giving it the aesthetic coherence that it lacks today,” says Richard Bergeron, counsellor of the St-Jacques district and executive committee member responsible for development of the downtown core. Read the rest of this entry »

The Dodecaplex Space Ecosystem is a project conceived to solve the current needs for space exploration, focusing on: avoiding dependency on Earth’s resources, adaptation to new technologies, and maintaining life. The Spacecraft will act as a future place of residence and method of transportation to other planetary systems.

Applying membranes as functional units, separating spaces, protecting the Station from the exterior, we will maintain life.Using biological processes such as photosynthesis, essential for cell life, to produce oxygen for human life, we generate the capacity to sustain a whole organism, or in this case, a whole station. Capable of adaptation, as a modular installation in expansion and continuous evolution, the Station would welcome additions as a result of new scientific discoveries and technologies.

Team: O + R
Rafael Ortiz Martínez de Carnero, Architect (Spain)
Fernando Ortiz Martínez de Carnero, Biologist (Spain)
Manuel Domínguez de La Iglesia, Mathematician (Spain)

Photo: Luciana Roça

The Trançado project is an urban furniture located at Largo da Batata, São Paulo, Brazil, selected by Batatalab competition held by the Instituto A Cidade Precisa de Você (The City Needs You Institute) and IPIU Instituto de Pesquisa e Inovação em Urbanismo (Institute of Urbanism Research and Innovation).

The first premise of the proposal is the competition theme “Shadow,” which initially refers to a closed cover. However, factors such as visual contact with the surroundings and the wind incidence on site, incited a project that also contemplated permeability. Another important aspect was the visual experience for citizens and reflection on how to achieve a compelling aesthetic that could offer interesting patterns of shadow. All these parameters should be aligned to the budget available.

During the design and building process, digital resources were employed for evaluating the performance of materials, structural strength, visual permeability, sensory experience and pedestrian flow, combined with parameters of sunlight incidence and shadow in order to ensure the most efficient weaved for this project.

Due to the geometric complexity of weave, code data were extracted and generated sequence to weave string; it rationalized the process, making it simpler.

It is hoped that the people at the Largo da Batata, Sao Paulo, Brazil, find comfort and sensory pleasure to transit or stay. The Trançado furniture is an interface for what truly matters: the occupation of public space, encounters, and living spaces. Read the rest of this entry »

Outline
What constitutes a museum today in the 21st century? Exactly this question forms the base to all accompanying questions within the AA Visiting School Program in Frankfurt/Rhein Main. The supreme discipline for an architect, a cultural building, will not be thought as a formalistic exercise, but rather as a neo-political question, a sociological development and territorial connection; allowing the design to form the answers.

Brief
Today’s central European landscape can be defined as a multiple image of a fragmented space with little dynamics within its territorial elements. A clear division towards the Hinterland is taking place resulting in a cultural split with the metropolitan space.

With a focus on the Rhein-Main area, its´ central power-house Frankfurt and the surrounding uplands, we aim at identifying, conceptualizing and realizing cross territorial supply chains to develop the Peripheral Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum exemplifies a cultural network through architectural interventions, which will redefine territorial strategies connecting the metropolitan with the Hinterland and vice versa; to broaden an exchange beyond political and economical boundaries.

Each year will focus on a different landscape and thematic strategy, developing various respective scenarios. Thereby, a unified policy with different levels of intensifications, new relations and negotiations within the territories and across the metropolitan space will be formed – the peripheral museum of contemporary art // PMCA.

While Last year visions for the Spessart have been thought through, 2016 will focus on the “Flughafen Wald“, an inner buffer zone.

Location
Cultural Avenue HQ
Kennedyallee 100
60596 Frankfurt

Microsite
http://salon.io/AAVSFrankfurt

Date
16.05.2016 – 28.05.2016

Application Deadline
20.04.2016

Directors
Friedrich Gräfling
Johanna Stemmler

Contact
Johanna Stemmler
Frankfurt@aaschool.ac.uk
T(+49)69 20167577

Information
www.aaschool.ac.uk/STUDY/VISITING/Frankfurt Read the rest of this entry »