Designed by Diana Quintero de Saul, this proposal for the Busan Opera House consists of an organic building-scape allowing for a variety of recreational and educational activities, and creating a cultural icon for Busan. The building is organized around three principal wavelengths generated parametrically, based on the pre-existing local tensions: a stunning ocean view to the west, a bustling city to the east, and a thriving cultural district to the south. From this parametric interaction the building emerges as the non-linear product of three analogical volumes. Each component can function independently yet is part of the same overall structure, inter-connected through the control point-responsive use of smooth spatial transitions. Read the rest of this entry »
Busan Opera House Proposal / Diana Quintero de Saul
Furniture Design Informed by Gaudi’s Parabolic Structures / Studio Bram Geenen
The design follows methods used by Gaudi for his church projects. This specific approach involved hanging the chains upside-down, showing the most opportune rib disposition and letting the gravity determine the strongest shape for the future building. Used in the chair design, the chain-models are combined with a software script to generate the structure of the ribs, informing of the complexity of the forces in a chair’s backrest. The chair is created by Studio Bram Geenen, for their online Open Design Platform. The project was developed as part of the Furnistructures initiative, which involves extensive researches into structural systems, as found in nature and architecture, and the possibilities of designing lightweight furniture using such systems. Read the rest of this entry »
Passing Cloud Reinvents Traveling / Tiago Barros
Passing Cloud is a project by Tiago Barros for the international ideas competition: “Life at the Speed of Rail”, organized by the Van Alen Institute in New York City. It reveals a strong conceptual approach on new ways of traveling based on the old Zeppelins.
Nowadays, traveling is achieved with this idea of having a fixed destination and an estimated time of arrival. Passing Cloud completely inverts this system. A floating device is introduced that travels around the entire USA territory according to current predominant winds. It has no fixed time of arrival or place for arrival. The journey becomes the essence.
This project envisions a distinct approach towards moving around the United States being also a revival of the act of traveling. Why traveling at high speed? Why having the final destiny always defined? And why always departing and arriving on a tight schedule? Nowadays, everything is set and everyone is always running around. Read the rest of this entry »
Maggie’s Aberdeen Center / Snøhetta
Maggie’s Aberdeen Center by Snøhetta will continue Maggie’s legacy of bringing contemplative architectural to hospital sites; providing the all important right environment for Maggie’s to facilitate their programme of emotional and practical support to anyone affected by cancer.
A string of talented architects have now designed Maggie’s Centres, including the likes of Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas. Snohetta will follow in such footsteps to design the latest Maggie’s Centre, and will draw on local expertise to realise the vision of the Centre.
Laura Lee, Maggie’s CEO, said: “We are so pleased that the application is now under consideration by the council. The design for Maggie’s Aberdeen is really striking and encapsulates the Maggie’s brief in providing a space that is homely and full of warmth, whilst sparking curiosity and imagination from its visitors. This is a building that will first and foremost provide the ideal environment for people facing cancer in the region to gain support, whilst also greatly contributing to architecture within the region. Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal has inspired a fantastic response from the community and I look forward to entering 2012 with such a tenacious and supportive team.” Read the rest of this entry »
White Elephant as Micro-building and Macro-furniture / Jimenez Lai
The White Elephant is a building inside a building. It’s a 10’x10’x10’ object which can assume different positions and orientations in space, while maintaining its basic purpose. “Somewhere between a super-furniture and a small house”, as the creators state, it is robust and sheltering, but also soft and inviting. Through use of digital fabrication, the piece is assembled, with its core accessible to visitors. It is a small scale experiment that engages with general issues of spacial versatility- the ability of built space to transform, conforming to its users as well as surroundings. The object is exhibited at Land of Tomorrow (LOT) Gallery in Louisville and designed by Jimenez Lai, Thomas Kelley, Cyrus Penarroyo, Andrew Akins, with Jimenez Lai as design leader. Read the rest of this entry »
Re-engineering a 1950’s Classic: The Acapulco Chair
The Acapulco Chair is one of the most celebrated chair designs of the 20th Century. It is an anonymous design that emerged in the 1950’s in Hollywood’s favorite beach destination: Acapulco, Mexico.
The chair was born next to the famous “La Quebrada” divers cliff, a place visited by Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and where John and Jacqueline Kennedy headed for their honeymoon.
The design enjoyed continuous success for almost five decades – being a designer’s favorite for its clean lines and comfort. It was manufactured by several artisanal workshops in Mexico, slowly disappearing from the market at the turn of the 21st Century.
After several design improvements, the chair is once again available with Electrostatic powder-coated steel frame and recycled UV filtered PVC woven cord shell, which makes it ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
The chair is available at thecommonproject, a design initiative based in Los Angeles, Barcelona, and Mexico City. In addition to this classic design, thecommonproject offers a stunning rocking chair version, as well as a kid’s size in both designs. Subtle and vibrant cord colors are the perfect accessory for any location. Read the rest of this entry »
21st Century Plug-in Housing / Y Design Office
Under rapid housing developments in the past years, Hong Kong has benefited much in terms of economy. However, important values such as value in sense of community and individual identity were lost. This thesis hereby critically reviews current and past housing projects in Hong Kong and stating the notion of verticality as the only solution. The ambition is a new alternative high-rise residential typology, in which its inhabitants are given unique units and allocations in accordance to specific zoning strategy within a tower structure, thus creating a phenomenal living experience through bonding and acquiring needs by each and every single individual. It is a re-interpretation of the balance between genericity and specificity aiming at formulating an extraordinary democratic living concept. Read the rest of this entry »
Netanya City Hall / Yaniv Pardo Architects
Combining urban scales with landscape planning, the concept for Netanya city center proposes a space for a wide range of activities and services: cultural, commercial, social etc. Designed by Yaniv Pardo Architects, the building will emphasize accessibility and transparency of the municipal and communal services. It will link the existing city landmarks, the city square and shopping center and will also comprise a large car park servicing not only the municipal building but also the surrounding facilities. The redesign will hopefully activate the somewhat dormant city core and provide an inviting public space to its residents. Read the rest of this entry »
Bionic Tower combines Structure and Ornament / LAVA
“Architecture has to perform as an ecosystem within the organic tissue of the city.”
The intention of the Bionic Tower is to explore the array of ways in which natural and architectural can merge, creating the ultimate inhabitable structure. It starts at the basic level. Using references to the biological organization of the ecosystem, the design works its way from the smallest unit to the intelligence of the overall system. By use of parametric modeling of a behavioral logic the system gets constantly optimized. Designed by LAVA, this biomorphic project is inspired by nature, and attempts to conceive a structure of great lightness, efficiency and elegance, using advanced design techniques. Read the rest of this entry »
Bogota International Convention Center / Saucier+Perrotte Architectes
The new architecture for The Bogota International Convention Center, proposed by Saucier+Perrotte Architectes, is meant to act as a reflection of the majestic topography surrounding the site. The signature building for Bogota and for Colombia-CICB, takes root in the physical and cultural landscape of the city. Cradled between the mountains and the river, this stunning landscape gives the urban environment and architecture its unique identity. This conceptual, broad horizon defining the space of the new project contains the geology of the site, its artifacts, both large and small, and the “veins” of precious metals, such as gold, that run beneath the city. Read the rest of this entry »