Designed by Heatherwick Studio, these seating structures are made from a single piece of aluminium. Without any fixtures or fittings, the component is created through a specific aluminium-extrusion process, resulting in unexpected forms of raw and sculptural qualities.

The aluminium extrusion process is usually used to make smaller section components for façade systems, train carriages, automotive parts and so on. A large press capable of exerting up to ten thousand tons of pressure creates the extruded sections by squeezing aluminium through its die (the opening that forms the shape of the profile to be created). The aluminium emerges in a raw unpolished finish which is then cut and sometimes shaped; each cut piece of bench then undergoes 300 hours of polishing. If pieces of the extrusion are not used they are melted down and made into further billets. With technological advancements, this principle finally found its application in the design industry, making it possible for the eighteen years old idea for the Extrusion Project to be realized. Read the rest of this entry »

Situated in Woolwich on the grounds of the historic Royal Artillery Barracks, the shooting venue of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2012 is designed to enhance the festive and celebrative character of the event. It aims to evoke an experience of flow and precision inherent in the shooting sport through the dynamically curving space.

Project description:
Three mobile buildings will accomodate the 10, 25 and 50 m shooting competitions. Shooting is a sport in which the results and progress of the competition are hardly visible to the eye of the spectator. The design of the shooting venue was driven by the desire to evoke an experience of flow and precision inherent in the shooting sport through the dynamically curving space. Read the rest of this entry »

The Museum Of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition proposal is located at Futian District, Shenzhen’s most important central region for administration, business and culture. The building functions as part of Shenzhen’s civic centre, where the City Library, Opera House, Central Bookstore, Youth Activity Hall (YAH) and other civic building have been built. The international competition held in 2007 required The Museum Of Contemporary Art & Planning Exhibition (MOCAPE) to include two independent and yet inter-connected parts: The museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and Planning Exhibition (PE). Designed by Rome-based LABORATORIO 543, the proposal is a 90.000 square meter structure that aims to enhance the service of Shenzhen’s new civic center. Read the rest of this entry »

Aimed at becoming “a social and academic anchor” of the CUMC campus, the new 14-story high facility will integrate the mixed curriculum and put an emphasis on team-based learning. Designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the “Study Cascade” is a network of social and study spaces distributed across oversized landings along an intricate 14-story stair. Read the rest of this entry »

Designed for USIMINAS, one of the largest producers of steel in the Americas, the building is aimed at creating a positive effect in strengthening the image of steel production. The monolithic appearance is combined with a wealth of detail on the outer surface. The project premise refers to the current state of Brazilian architecture, stating that technology and digital tools allowing interaction between design and manufacturing have been poorly adopted. The building aims to fully exploit the potential presented by software that includes prior analysis of structural behavior of buildings. Read the rest of this entry »

The project, whose morphology attempts to break away from the initial geometric input, is a barnacle-like structure that continues the current architectural discourse of integrating form, growth, and behavior. The tendency is to cross over from architecture to biology, creating a self-organized structure but retain design control through use of different software and digital tools. Conceived and fabricated by Matsys Designs, Chrystalis (III) sculpture is in line with the studio’s previous work, as it explores emergent relationships between architecture, engineering, biology, and computation.

The cells are organized across an underlying substrate plane. They shift and slide across the surface as they attempt to find a more balanced packed state through the use of a relaxed spring network constrained to the surface. Each cell is composed of two parts: a cone-like outer surface made from cherry veneer and a non-planer inner plate made from poplar veneer that stresses the outer cone into shape. Each of the 1000 cell components are unfolded flat in the digital model, digitally fabricated, and hand assembled. Read the rest of this entry »

The project was designed in collaboration between the students of the University of Applied Science, Darmstadt and architect Boris Banozic, Frankfurt-based architect and scenographer. Displayed at Milan Design Week’s Salone Satellite, the interactive art piece explores the marriage between furniture and space.

The structure is brightly painted and features a series of graphically geometric elements that question whether furniture defines space or is an extension of it. The optically deceptive form is a fusion of a bench, table and desk. Awkward angles intrigues visitors to take a closer look and explore which elements of the stand are indeed functional, while the use of three colors – black, white and orange – forms an abstract shadow play. Read the rest of this entry »

Atelier Brückner, an architecture and exhibition design studio based in Germany, designed the GS Caltex Pavilion for the 2012 Korea Expo in Yeosu, South Korea. The structure, commissioned by Korean oil company GS Caltex, bears programmed blades as the main feature that mimic various weather/natural conditions, such as rain, waves, fire, lightning and wind. The blades light up by touch to represent each of the elements. Read the rest of this entry »

The new convention center in Yingkou, China, was designed by 2DEFINE Architecture, supported by their local partner Dalian Urban Planning & Design Institute. Located in the northwest province of Liaoning, the sea urchin-shaped building is designed to reflect its natural environment. As a satellite business district of the future harbor, the building, surrounded with outdoor promenades and gardens, aims to be a prominent port location. The oblong building will have no front or back, so it will face all directions to allow 360-degree views. Read the rest of this entry »

Cologne-based designer Marco Hemmerling has created the TriWing Chairs, which were presented in the Desiary showroom during the 2011 IMM Cologne show in Germany. The collection of ergonomic seating structures revisits the mid-century furniture design trends oriented towards molding and wood bending techniques. Read the rest of this entry »