Sonumbra is a light project by Loop.pH, London based art and design studio, intervening at an urban scale to re-imagine life in the city. For its very beginning, studio’s design practice aimed to reach beyond specialist boundaries, mediating between digital and biological media and facilitating urban crafts and participatory design. As Loop.pH specializes in the design and fabrication of ephemeral textile architecture and living environments, they create successful urban interventions informed by ecologically based parametric design and principles of community engagement.

Sonumbra is an outsize parasol, that could easily be planted in African village. During the day, it would offer shelter from the sun and by night it would shed light for the local community, using the energy collected in solar cells of the canopy. This smart design explores a new  role for textile while showing serious concern for the planet. At Loop.pH state that they were driven by the present situation in Africa,  where almost 80 percent of population lives without electricity. Read the rest of this entry »

Narrow tower, designed by SHoP Architects for New York, wins city approval. This skyscraper to be built on W. 57th St. was called ‘daring’ by Landmarks Commission and is higher than Empire State Building. Located in the heart of town, this residential high-rise represents quintessentially New York. The aim of the design is to bring back the quality, proportions and materiality to historic NYC towers, while also taking advantage of the latest technology in order to push the limits of engineering and fabrication.

The east and west facades of this strikingly slim building are clad in Terra Cotta, which brings a sweeping play on shadow and light from the city scale and the richness of the material, seen from small distance. The façade in general is designed to be read at multiple scales and vantage points. The north wall is wrapped in glass curtain and offers sweeping views of Central Park. Read the rest of this entry »

Talo Acoustics Mark One Esscerion Tower Speaker

Every once in a while a creation comes along that is so in tune with the inner human spirit that interacting with it transcends the physical world into a visceral emotional experience defiant of complete logical understanding. It could be said that the Talo Acoustics Mark One Esscerion tower speaker, is an example of such a creation. The experience begins with its design, which in itself, is an example of form following function done the right way. The fluid shape of the body is the result of years of acoustic resonance studies resulting in a sound that is likely more full than any other tower speaker you have ever heard. The degree to which this blend of visual and acoustic art is holistically achieved within Esscerion is conspicuously absent within the world of speakers. How could something so elementarily self-evident take this long to come to us? Given this shape the primary build material of a wood composite would likely come as a surprise to many. It is achieved through the layering of about 80 robotically cut slices. The design would all be for nothing if it weren’t for the unbelievable sound quality and power. I suppose this aspect is what completes Esscerion’s emotional experience. When your favorite songs and movies come alive with this new level of realism, one cannot but help re-live the pain and joy of those memories as this sound pierces straight to the heart and soul.

A nice touch Talo Acoustics offers is custom metallic paint finishes. Rather than settle on black or some wood grain, they offer to finish your system with any color under the rainbow. An interior designer’s dream come true. Available now at TaloAcoustics.com for $1,800 a piece, but expect to wait. They are reportedly already under a 4 month backorder.

Talo Acoustics Mark One Esscerion Tower Speaker

Talo Acoustics Mark One Esscerion Tower Speaker

Talo Acoustics Mark One Esscerion Tower Speaker

Talo Acoustics Mark One Esscerion Tower Speaker

The Liquid Glacial Table, made in clear polished Plexiglas is Zaha Hadid’s newest product design, exhibited at David Gill Galleries in London, UK. The design unites complexity and refraction of surfaces and powerful and seductive fluid-like dynamics. The basic geometry of the flat table top appears transformed from static plane to fluid by the waves and ripples which are evident below the surface, while the legs of the table seem to pour from horizontal in an intense vortex of water frozen in time.

The depth and complexity are highlighted due to using the transparent acrylic material which provides infinite kaleidoscopic refractions. The result is very playful and wonderful surface dynamics that inherits a myriad of colors from its context and continually adapts with the ever-changing viewpoint of the user.

The form of the table doesn’t compromise functionality or ergonomic requirements and a coherent evolution or Hadid’s architectural narrative. Zaha Hadid stated that she has always been interested in the concept of fluidity, which is at least very obvious, knowing her work both in fields of architecture and design. Due to advances in design, material and construction technologies, greater results are now highly achievable. Read the rest of this entry »

BIG with Kossmann.dejong+Rambøll+Freddy Madsen+KiBiSi have completed the Danish National Maritime Museum in Helsingør. By marrying the crucial historic elements with an innovative concept of galleries and way-finding, BIG’s renovation scheme reflects Denmark’s historical and contemporary role as one of the world’s leading maritime nations.

The new Danish National Maritime Museum is located in Helsingør, just 50 km (30 mi.) north of Copenhagen and 10 km (6.5 mi.) from the world famous Louisiana Museum for Modern Art. The new 6,000 m² (65,000 ft²) museum finds itself in a unique historical context adjacent to one of Denmark’s most important buildings, Kronborg Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site – known from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It is the last addition to Kulturhavn Kronborg, a joint effort involving the renovation of the Castle and two new buildings – offering a variety of culture experiences to residents and visitors to Helsingør.

Leaving the 60 year old dock walls untouched, the galleries are placed below ground and arranged in a continuous loop around the dry dock walls – making the dock the centerpiece of the exhibition – an open, outdoor area where visitors experience the scale of ship building.

A series of three double-level bridges span the dry dock, serving both as an urban connection, as well as providing visitors with short-cuts to different sections of the museum. The harbor bridge closes off the dock while serving as harbor promenade; the museum’s auditorium serves as a bridge connecting the adjacent Culture Yard with the Kronborg Castle; and the sloping zig-zag bridge navigates visitors to the main entrance. This bridge unites the old and new as the visitors descend into the museum space overlooking the majestic surroundings above and below ground. The long and noble history of the Danish Maritime unfolds in a continuous motion within and around the dock, 7 meters (23 ft.) below the ground. All floors – connecting exhibition spaces with the auditorium, classroom, offices, café and the dock floor within the museum – slope gently creating exciting and sculptural spaces.

Bjarke Ingels: “By wrapping the old dock with the museum program we simultaneously preserve the heritage structure while transforming it to a courtyard bringing daylight and air in to the heart of the submerged museum. Turning the dock inside out resolved a big dilemma: Out of respect for Hamlet’s Castle we needed to remain completely invisible and underground – but to be able to attract visitors we needed a strong public presence. Leaving the dock as an urban abyss provides the museum with an interior façade facing the void and at the same time offers the citizens of Helsingør a new public space sunken 8 m (16 ft.) below the level of the sea.” Read the rest of this entry »

Designed to be a monumental memorial to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Zayed National Museum by Foster and Partners is the centerpiece of the Saadiyat Island Cultural District. As a landmark, the museum showcases the history, culture and social and economic transformation of the United Emirates. The aim of the architects, regarding the form, was to combine a contemporary, highly efficient form with traditional Arabic design elements, in order to create the sustainable and welcoming place of cultural gathering. Celebrating Sheikh Zayed’s legacy and love of nature, the museum is set within a landscaped garden, based on a timeline of his life. Read the rest of this entry »

SCI-Arc Graduation Pavilion, designed by P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S has finally served its primary purpose – after being built this spring, it hosted the graduation ceremony in Los Angeles. The winning entry aimed to fully exploit what its architects recognized as the most fundamental aspect of the project – the temporal use of the pavilion as a large outdoor event space. Immediately after the purpose has been met, the temporary pavilion usually faces the problem of eventual dissembling or transformation from a space of spectacle to an abandoned venue. The architects at the P-A-T-T-E-R-N-S therefore strongly believed that, if executed correctly, the pavilion could activate a node within the downtown area.

Due to its location, at the corner of 4^th and Merric Street, the pavilion is given the possibility of double life – as an outdoor public event space and a formal landmark that assures school’s institutional presence in downtown Los Angeles. As the requirement was to produce enough shadow during the early and late afternoon hours, the pavilion is developed vertically which created comfort zones, sheltered from the sun. Read the rest of this entry »

This project by Todd Swanson and Louie Bofill, done at SCI-Arc centers around Chicago’s Union Station, is a complex shared between a historic terminal and a mid-high-rise office building overlooking the Chicago River. In authors’ own words, the abstract addresses the continuing problem of a public space in decline due to its subterranean concourse and dark enclosed spaces, and creates a hub for a future high speed rail intersecting the city. The proposal aims to improve the messy circulation between the current train station and the busy city that surrounds it.

The design team was influenced by the famous Prada Store, Tokyo by Herzog and de Meuron, Mies van der Rohe, and Le Corbusier in general. The initial project redefines the space by retrofitting the tower with a hexagonal exoskeleton, allowing for an adjustment of structure and increased traffic flow throughout the floors.

Through re-systematizing the space, new program was introduced at intervals along the tower. Public venues of hybridized indoor-outdoor space intersect with the conventional floor plates, accentuating views of the surrounding context. The new proposed structural system eliminates congestion, allowing flexibility and the freedom of loading and traffic flow throughout the ground floor and lobby spaces, and introducing openings to the platforms below which provide natural sunlight and ventilation. Read the rest of this entry »

The new regional head office of the United Nations is designed with clear references to the UN’s identity and values; it is a building that physically reaches out to all parts the world, while the sculptural staircase in its core reflects the UN’s work to create global dialogue.

Bringing together the various agencies and functions of the United Nations regional offices in Copenhagen, the new UN City is located at Marmormolen (The Marble Pier) north of Copenhagen’s city center. 3XN’s design is a response to the UN’s wishes for an iconic building expressing the organization’s values and authority. It reflects the independent, efficient and professional nature of each UN unit. Located on an artificial island the building is naturally separated from its immediate surroundings, while still being highly visible from both the city and the water. Read the rest of this entry »

This strong and straightforward design proposal comes from based SANE Architecture studio. Their design for Taichung City Cultural Center involve a courageous environmental approach and it challenges the common notion of a cultural center in general. However, the program objectives were ambitious – the cultural center had to combine a public library and municipal fine arts museum—the cultural flagships of a city—into one area, synergizing art, education and recreation in one location. Besides serving the public functions of reader service, exhibition and guided tour, the two institutions had to be also each fulfill policies and objectives related to reading promotion, artistic development and collection and research of artifacts. The competition required the design which would, as a showcase of Greater Taichung’s distinct cultural ambiance exemplify her intelligent residents, history and urban identity.

As a response to competition requirements, SANE Architecture proposed light structure with the key idea of permeability. Their proposal offered innovative mix between natural and artificial and a new landmark for the area. The building combines the library and museum functions with the park, as a third one, therefore the unique public experience is offered to the visitor. Read the rest of this entry »