Urban Stakes is a new type of skyscraper designed by French architects Laurent Bariat and Yann Magnet for the city of Lyon in France. The first urban planning for this city dates back to the Roman Empire. The second one took place during the Middle Ages and the third one during the industrial revolution. During the last four decades its population has dramatically increased and the urban fabric is rapidly growing with careful consideration of the environment. Read the rest of this entry »
The Circle at Zurich Airport is a mixed-use development designed by New York-based avant-garde architectural firm Asymptote Architecture. The complex near Zurich’s international airport seeks to become a cultural, commercial, health, and educational destination to the city while serving the needs of travelers. It is designed as four towers above a three story plinth that connects to the surrounding landscape. Between each tower there are external galleries that connect the interior of the Circle to the city. Asymptote’s design anticipates the evolution in transportations hubs that will become active urban environments utilizing the energy and action of flight and internationalism. Read the rest of this entry »
Rocinha, Brazil, is one of the world’s largest slums with a population over 150,000 people. It is located in the southern part of Rio de Janeiro; a hillside the overlooks the city and the ocean. In the 1930’s the Rocinha community emerged from the division of large farm fields and in the 1940’s and 1950’s it was the epicenter of illegal settlements with lack of regulation. The result is an area with a strong community bonds but without any infrastructure or security.
One of the most interesting characteristics of the “favelas” is the non-existent boundaries between public and private space. The unorganized construction creates residual spaces that are use by the residents for all kinds of community activities. Our intention is to design a high-rise building that will provide safe housing for the people while preserving these in-between areas. Read the rest of this entry »
Award-winning architecture studio Asymptote, directed by Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture, recently unveiled their design for the FCD Yongsan Landmark Tower in Seoul, Korea. The tower was conceived by Asymptote and engineered by Thorton Tomassetti. It was designed to confront the notion of a single spire, instead, proposes the idea of coupling and stringing three towers together. According to Asymptote, “the inherent symbolism and reading of this tower will appeal to the global community and place a focus on South Korea, specifically Seoul’s aspirations for the future. Read the rest of this entry »
Construction on the sustainable headquarters for the City of Masdar in Abu Dubai has recently started and is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City as part of the 2010 National Design Triennial. Masdar Headquarters, designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, is on display until January 9th, 2011 along with 134 projects from 44 countries that all promote environmental stewardship, social equity, accessibility and creative capital. The centerpiece of Masdar City is slated for LEED Platinum certification and will be a positive energy, zero waste development. Read the rest of this entry »
London-based architect Daniel Widrig designed a set of stackable side tables for a private exhibition in London. Its organic and nature-inspired geometry, fluid lines, and colors remind us Art Nouveau at the turn of the 20th century. Read the rest of this entry »
Kroon Hall at Yale University was named “Building of the Year” by the UK’s architecture sector, during the prestigious AJ100 awards. The new building, designed by Hopkins Architects for the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, was one of six shortlisted entries – from a total of 33 – and ultimately selected as the winner by a panel of expert judges.
The judges were impressed with the school’s simple, aesthetic form and green credentials – the project has been awarded LEED* ‘Platinum’, the highest certification, and is designed to be as close to carbon neutral as possible. Clad with yellow Briar Hill stone, the structure is lined with American red oak, much of which has been sourced from the university’s own forests. Read the rest of this entry »
The Architectural Association School is mounting the first ever retrospective of the books produced by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture – a practice co-founded by a writer, Rem Koolhaas, largely on the basis of a book, Delirious New York (1978).
The centrepiece of the show is a specially-made 40,000-page book, binding together hundreds of OMA’s pamphlets and books made over 35 years of architectural thought, work and provocation.
OMA Book Machine: The Books of OMA runs from 8 May until 4 June 2010 at the AA School Gallery.
Many OMA books – like S,M,L,XL (1995) and Exodus or the Voluntary Prisoners of Architecture (made by the founders of OMA in 1975, and submitted by Koolhaas as his fifth-year thesis at the AA) – have had a decisive impact on architectural practice and book publishing in general. Read the rest of this entry »
Last week we compiled photos of all the national pavilions at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. This time we want to show you all the pavilions built by corporations and institutions.
Aurora Pavilion
On May 17th, 2010 the City Museum of Antwerp (MAS) designed by Neutelings Riedijk Architecten was completed and the international architectural press was invited to an exclusive visit of the building. The museum will remain closed to the public for one year until all the artworks and exhibitions have been completed. Read the rest of this entry »
