The private Mecenat Art Museum, designed by Naf Architect & Design, houses the work of a Japanese-style painter Kakudo Goami. The design of the building focuses on natural lighting which pours into the interior through a white cylinder structure.

Description from the architects:
The works of Mr. Goami give striking image of various lights, thus, I decided to design the building focusing on natural light.  Soft diffused light from top light, direct light pouring  from top light through white cylinder for condensation of light spreading on the first floor, soft light from slits on the walls reflecting on the exterior green, fragments of graphical lights pouring through 432 plate glasses on the concrete walls; the space is filled with various kinds of lights.  As an exhibition space, there was no need for structure such as columns and beams but as large wall as possible.  The important factor of the museum was to incorporate natural light and wind, so corners are sliced with slits to the extent which would not interfere the exhibit.  This idea would have left the building structurally fragile, so we studied a rational shape, which was structurally stable like folding one sheet of paper, origami, many time to make several corners, with models and three-dimensional structure analysis by computer. Read the rest of this entry »

eVolo’s Kickstarter campaign for the book [ours] Hyper Localization of Sustainable Architecture ends at noon on August 31. As the 21st century unfolds new paradigms in architecture are evolving where environmental awareness merges with a new sense of place. [ours] uncovers the best in environmentally astute building design so don’t miss your chance to help support the investigation of the new architectural archetype in three distinct regions and to receive some unique rewards.

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Realitat’s Microsonic Landscapes use 3-D printing machinery and algorithmic mapping to arrive at physical manifestations of recorded musical sound. These handheld sculptures are unique amongst one another because each represents the formalization of a different musical recording. In this instance, each recording is actually a full-length album; the albums chosen were picked according to Realitat’s musical tastes. Their self-stated mission, to create “an algorithmic exploration of the music we love,” is successfully completed. Each album is copied onto a program called Processing which maps and extrapolates the sounds on each song into coordinates that the 3-D printer can turn into solid mass. The objects are printed in a series of rings, but aside from that, the form taken can vary wildly, with each record registering unique patterns of height, depth, solid, and void. The process employed here represents a direct and literal translation of sound into form. There are no variables or inputs applied to the algorithms that would manipulate or affect the final form. Read the rest of this entry »

As an addition to the Volkswagen’s theme park in Wolfsburg, Germany, the Porsche Pavilion offers 400 m² of space for exhibitions and presentations. Designed by HENN Architects, the building is located right across the Volkswagen Pavilion. Its characteristic curves and bends dominate the site and express the importance of Porsche within the Volkswagen Group family.  The area around the pavilion was designed by WES & Partner Architekten.

The building envelope forms a spatial enclosure that creates an impression of a homogeneous unity. The interior and exterior are designed as a flowing continuum, with matte-finish stainless steel cladding. A total of 620 sheets of stainless steel cladding with welded ribs were prefabricated in a ship-yard in Stralsund and assembled on site. At the entrance the pavilion cantilevers 25m over the lagoon’s water surface in front. Below the cantilever of the large asymmetrical roof, a sheltered external space opens up. Read the rest of this entry »

Last days to order a copy of the Limited Edition book EVOLO SKYSCRAPERS. The publication has been praised by the critics, including the Wall Street Journal for its importance in showcasing the future of architecture.

Every day we receive several emails requesting a copy of the book which was sold out in only two months after its initial release. We strongly believe that all interested in this 1,200-page publication (300+ innovative skyscrapers) should be able to acquire it and for this reason we have decided to print it on demand for a limited time. Books ordered will be delivered in August 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

“Observe the motion of the surface of the water, which resembles that of hair; which has two motions, of which one is caused by the weight of the hair, the other the direction of the curls; thus the water has eddying motions, one part of which is due to the principal current, the other to the random and reverse motion.” Read the rest of this entry »

BLOOM is what its designers call an “urban toy.” It is a “distributed social game and collective ‘gardening’ experience that seeks the engagement of people in order to construct fuzzy BLOOM formations.” These formations are aggregate volumes composed of repeated, identical parts, which the designers refer to as “cells.” These “cells” are designed and fabricated by the designers themselves, Alisa Andrasek of Biothing, and Jose Sanchez of Plethora Project, in London. Meant to contribute an air of jovial democratized design in relation to the 2012 London Olympic Games, BLOOM is representative of the artistic, collective act. Each individual component, as the designers explain, can do nothing on its own, but instead, reach their full and limitless potential when arrayed en masse. Read the rest of this entry »

Designed by ODA, the National Library of Israel is organized around a variety of platforms of activity that enhance interaction between the users. The library is transformed into a forum for cross-disciplinary conversations. The floating monolith form connects o the foundations of Parliament, the library underscores the idea that education and learning are the bedrock of democracy. Read the rest of this entry »

The site for this project designed by BLUA is located at the west side of Hangzhou new city, 2.6km to the CBD center. The facility has a total built area of 15,500 square meters. Above ground floor area is 46,700 square meters. The southwest corner is the entrance for the planned Metro Line and around the site are high-end residential districts. The north side is bounded by a primary school. Adjacent to Qian Jiang River, the site is a connector between the natural and urban life of the city, making it a perfect location for a sports complex. Our project is based on creating an urban plaza while also creating an icon for the lack of large-scale commercial facilities and distribution of leisure spaces. With the convenient transportation, the sports center radiates across the whole city. Read the rest of this entry »

The Taavi Chair, chair designed by Minnesota-based American architect David Salmela and manufactured in Duluth, Minnesota by Loll Designs, is an excellent example of sustainable design. The chair, with its elegant, simple design, is made, on average, from a common household item: milk jugs.  Each chair is made from roughly 256 of these recycled milk jugs. Milk jugs, made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are highly recyclable, with a chemical composition that lends itself to molded, weather-resistant outdoor furniture.Taavi is inspired by low profile lounge chairs of Mid-Century Modern lore, perfectly suited to outdoor contemplation and leisure. This chair, aside from being formally streamlined and minimal, is also inherently sustainable: it is made from recycled materials that can be recycled once again, features interchangeable, replaceable parts, and is fabricated in America. Furthermore, the manufacturing process itself is based on ‘lean manufacturing’ principles, economizing material, labor, and mitigating industrial byproducts. This chair is an example of sustainable, American-made design and manufacturing. Read the rest of this entry »