Our modern times are unimaginable without planning. The growth of settlements and cities is so tempestuous that a slow process of adaptation is no longer possible. This, therefore, poses the question, whether by means of more adaptable planning theories, processes can be promoted or simulated.

This work examines the thesis of Frei Otto regarding the future direction of urban planning theory through the lens of parametric urbanism. The urban theory proposed translates the type of generating principles of the natural systems and unplanned settlements invoked by Otto, into a means of developing new forms of emergent urbanism.

Within these naturally evolving systems, whether biological, chemical, or physical, a base structural principle becomes the foundation for intelligent pattern generation, as seen in the supply systems of leaves, bubbles, foams, or crack patterns. The result may not be read as typical or predictable, but offers an optimized solution capable of adaptation and growth. Rather than simply mimic the form of such systems, this approach to urban planning uses foundational principles as a means of developing new, informed patterns of connection and territory. Read the rest of this entry »

The Capital Hill Residence designed by Zaha Hadid Architects is located on the north-face hillside of Barvikha, Russia where pine and birch trees grow up to 20 meters high. A villa with fluid geometries emerges from the landscape and its programme is divided in two main components: one merging with the hillside and another floating above the ground with panoramic views overlooking the amazing forest.

This project by Zaha Hadid Architects seeks to replace two existing buildings with a new 3000 square meters structure that will house a two-level gallery, commercial offices and, eight residential apartments. The site is located within the South Shoreditch Conservation Area and will add an exciting new addition to Hoxton Square’s eclectic character. Based on the idea of a prism, the design seeks to respond and manipulate daylight and views. The form is composed of interwoven planes that respect the natural light access needs of the neighbours and controls light and views between the interior and exterior of the building. Sand blasted aluminum and clear glass will be the predominant materials. Read the rest of this entry »

Zaha Hadid Architects new E.ON Energy Research Department building at RWTH University in Aachen emerges from between existing rail tracks, grass and tree slopes and a 4-lane arterial road. Their concept translates the direction and contours of the site as a primary form generator for the building and connects the two arms of the university campus into a larger spacial gesture.

There is a close correlation between the structure and form of the proposal to movement within the building and around it; the natural day light and air flow across the site. The structural and aerodynamic fins along the length of the roof-scape allow for the modulation both of daylight and wind stream air flow over the roof, maximising the provision of natural light and ventilation to all parts of the building interior. Read the rest of this entry »

Zaha Hadid Architects announced the completion of the Glasgow Riverside Museum of Transport. The building has received instant praise by architecture critics and the press.

The historical development of the Clyde and the city is a unique legacy; with the site situated where the Kelvin flows into the Clyde the building can flow from the city to the river. In doing so it can symbolise a dynamic relationship where the museum is the voice of both, linking the two sides and allowing the museum to be the transition from one to the other. By doing so the museum places itself in the very context of its origin and encourages connectivity between its exhibits and their wider context. Read the rest of this entry »

The Galaxy Soho project by Zaha Hadid Architects in central Beijing for Soho China is a 330,000 m² office, retail and entertainment complex that will become an integral part of the living city, inspired by the grand scale Beijing. Its architecture is a composition of five continuous, flowing volumes that are set apart, fused or linked by stretched bridges. These volumes adapt to each other in all directions, generating a panoramic architecture without corners or abrupt transitions that break the fluidity of its formal composition.

The great interior courts of the project are a reflection of traditional Chinese architecture where courtyards create an internal world of continuous open spaces. Here, the architecture is no longer composed of rigid blocks, but instead comprised of volumes which coalesce to create a world of continuous mutual adaptation and fluid movement between each building. Shifting plateaus within the design impact upon each other to generate a deep sense of immersion and envelopment. As users enter deeper into the building, they discover intimate spaces that follow the same coherent formal logic of continuous curve-linearity. Read the rest of this entry »

The formal language and architectural articulation of the design by Zaha Hadid Architects aims to break the static configuration of the surrounding buildings. The design’s soft and dynamic tectonic turns it into an immediate reference for the masterplan, without the need to exhaust maximum building heights.

By way of horizontal shifts of its mass, a sense of elasticity is introduced into the design allowing the building to be grounded at its elevation to the masterplan campus. This elasticity draws visitors into its interior, and permits the building to ‘float’ above the ground plain. Read the rest of this entry »

The future Linkong Economic Park is favourably located within the Great Hongqiao Business Zone which lies adjacent to Hongqiao Transportation Hub and in proximity to Hongqiao Airport and Shanghai’s city centre. The Great Hongqiao Business Zone enjoys access to the Transportation Hub’s high speed rail, subway and airport transportation systems and benefits from the nearby airport’s attraction for global and local enterprises wishing to settle down in the region.

Zaha Hadid Architects’ proposal for the new Linkong SOHO building aims to provide a strong visual and programmatic identity which establishes it as a unique destination in its own right. Such identity consists of an exclusive programmatic mix consolidated in three different destinations (thematic “Courtyards”) representing distinct clusters of activities, and an exceptional architecture that moulds such a programme into a landmark. Linkong SOHO is an iconic presence, standing out from the retail context of its neighbouring plots and possesses high visibility within the larger context of the Economic Park. The building’s dynamic, curvilinear form continues through its internal spatial experiences, dramatic courtyards and flowing public spaces. Read the rest of this entry »

The Olympic Velodrome designed by Hopkins Architects, one of the four permanent venues on the Olympic Park and designed for the indoor track cycling events at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games won the Architects’ Journal Building of the Year award. The facility was unilaterally agreed upon by judges for the prize due to its “near perfect synthesis of form and function”, as described by jury member Patrik Schumacher of Zaha Hadid Architects.

The jury, which also comprised Frank Duffy (DEGW) and Christine Murray (AJ editor), were particularly impressed by the beauty of the cedar cladding, the ingenious lightweight double cable-net roof, the dominance of natural light and the Velodrome’s beauty in section.

Last year, Hopkins’ Kroon Hall at Yale University received the Building of the Year award. Read the rest of this entry »

This project is a contemporary interpretation of the architecture of the 16th-century courtyard of the State University of Milan, translated and transformed from rigid Cartesian geometries into the linear fluidity of dynamic space.

Adapting to the natural contours of the courtyard and the forces that converge towards its center, the project emphasizes the slope of the arches, creating a powerful vortex of spatial distortion that favors dialogue with the surrounding colonnade.

The development of the complex three-dimensional curved geometries of the installation, starting with the flat ceramic tiles, adds another level of complexity to the whole. Visitors are encouraged to explore the sculptural sensibility and formal dynamic of different elements in which the balanced relationship between solids and voids expresses the project solution. Each individual piece can be interpreted not only as a whole, but also as a captured fragment of a magnetic field. A certain margin of strangeness introduces a stimulus that has evolved between latent force and physical material. Read the rest of this entry »