DESIGN [afterhours]

Steilneset Memorial - Vardø, Norway

2012-01-26T14:09:00.003Z

Architect Peter Zumthor designed this memorial on an island in Norway to commemorate suspected witches who were burned at the stake there in the seventeenth century. The Steilneset Memorial in Vardø comprises two structures, one conceived entirely by Zumthor and a second housing an installation by the late Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010). The first structure comprises a pine scaffolding framework, inside which is a suspended fabric cocoon containing a long oak-floored corridor. Inside this corridor, light bulbs hang behind 91 windows to represent each of the men and women that were put to death during the witch trials. A plaque accompanies each lamp to record the individual stories of every victim. The installation by Bourgeois, entitled The Damned, The Possessed and The Beloved, occupies the smoked-glass-clad second structure. A circle of mirrors within surround and reflect a flaming steel chair inside a hollow concrete cone.

City Garden - Aberdeen, UK

2012-01-26T14:00:00.003Z

New york-based firm diller scofidio + renfro in collaboration with scottish practice keppie design and philadelphia-based landscape architecture practice olin studio have produced the winning competition proposal 'granite web', a city garden for the heart of aberdeen, united kingdom. a fusion of nature and culture, the cultural center is integrated into a three dimensional network of connections evoking the form of an elastic web. extending into the encompassing urban context, the pathways are derived from relevant site lines to support park and cultural activities while merging the existing and contemporary layers of the city. placed upon a historic river site, the permeable parkland will reveal the multi-tiered archeology while connecting the city's future as a technological hub for art, leisure and commerce.

Skyphos Chandelier by Kateřina Smolíková

2012-01-17T09:55:00.005Z

Chandelier designed by Kateřina Smolíková is inspired by deep sea luminescent organisms. It is intended to be for darker places as an orientational light. It should remind the lightnes of this organisms levitating in the dark space. Light source used in the light is LED which is most energy efficient light source nowadays. Designer has received the Outstanding Student Design Award for her project.

La Fabrique Sonore - Reims, France

2012-01-16T15:28:00.005Z

Taking place at the Vranken Pommery Monopole in Reims, France, La Fabrique Sonore combines ancient paper folding techniques with contemporary computer-aided-design and manufacturing processes. Curated by Charles Carcopino and Claire Staebler and designed by Hyoung-Gul Kook, Ali Momeni and Robin Meier, the form is inspired by mathematician and origami expert Taketoshi Nojima, especially his work reproducing organic forms from folded paper. More images and information on the exhibition after the break.

The structure is made of 285 flat sheets of aluminium/polyethylene composite. The idea of modulation and systems for actual construction was developed into combinations of basic geometry, with a specific visual and acoustic impact on the immediate surroundings. The form itself was inspired by mathematician and origami expert Taketoshi Nojima, especially his work reproducing organic forms from folded paper. It acoustically amplifies the sound form a single speaker-driver in order to create an enclosed space that overflows the listener in its center. Using the actual sounds of effervescence picked up by a special microphone immersed in the champagne vessel, a real-time analysis/synthesis audio system creates a continually evolving sound environment, diffused downward from above.

Four Eyes House - Coachella Valley, USA

2012-01-13T14:07:00.003Z

California practice edward ogosta architecture has designed 'four eyes house', a weekend residence within the desert of the coachella valley, outside of los angeles, california. derived from the specific site location, four towers dedicated for sleeping are oriented towards
spatiotemporal experiences including the morning sunrise in the east, southern mountain range, evening city lights to the west and the celestial sky overhead. the top floor bedrooms contain solely a bed, filling the footprint of each tower, which are of equivalent areaallowing family members to change based on their personal preference.

The elevated sleeping quarters alters the dwellers sensation of sleeping and waking, intensified by natural events including the earth's movement, slowly rotating under the stars. to access the common areas of the home, vertical circulation ranging from a ladder to spiral, switchback or
shallow riser stairs connects directly to the common area. the spaces are loosely defined and enclosed with frameless glass walls allowing a permeable relationship with the swimming pool and landscape beyond.

The Cube - Milan, Italy

2012-01-13T10:04:00.003Z

The idea by Park Associati , Filippo Pagliani & Michele Rossi is to build a small piece of architecture, a cabin, perhaps a nest, on high, at the top of a cliff, on a monument, on a public building, it doesn’t matter where but in a beautiful place and with a beautiful and original view. The idea is then to create a restaurant and welcome clients in an enchanting, unique place with sophisticated dishes cooked in Electrolux kitchens. The idea is to keep it open for six months and then change location, change city, nation, continent and reinstate this restaurant-type object on some other roof for new surprises, new menus, new clients.

New Dalian Library - Dalian, China

2012-01-05T16:14:00.004Z

Architects Collective (vienna-based practice) has designed the Dalian Library for the city of Dalian, China. The ring-shaped structure consists of 50.000 m2 of book storage, book lending and other public zones and features a central quiet library courtyard and a book lounge on the top floor overlooking the bay. The new library is designed to become the center and heart for the local community with a strong relationship to the ocean and the bay. The building is placed in a park setting and aims to be a landmark for locals and visitors and a symbol for the creative and environmentally friendly future of New Pulian.

Liverpool Department Store - Mexico City, Mexico

2011-12-02T10:59:00.004Z

Rojkind Arquitectos was commissioned to design a façade for the new 30,000m2 department store as part of a new era in the company’s pursuit for re-branding itself. Located in the northern “car dependent” suburb of Interlomas on the outskirts of Mexico City, this relatively new suburb is characterized by a lack of open public space and a myriad of roads on which pedestrians are not welcomed. The new facade responds to a fast pace of the everyday life in this isolated suburb, sitting in the middle of a very congested intersection of highways and overpasses, which give it a futuristic “Blade Runner-like” feel. The double-layered façade shelters the store and it’s users from its chaotic environment. It’s sleek stainless steel machine-like exterior, is intended to evolve in a very fluid way as the intense sun bathes it throughout the day. It’s a contradiction to the grit and chaos of its surroundings; a juxtaposition that becomes a new reference for this part of the city.

Overliner Installation - MIT Department of Architecture

2011-11-30T13:03:00.003Z

Overliner by Joel Lamere, Lecturer, Department of Architecture, and Cynthia Gunadi
Location: Whitaker Building (E25)
Installed March 2011

Origami on a large scale, Overliner highlights the architectural idiosyncrasies of a public space, transforming a familiar and busy passageway into a moment of surprise and repose. The installation, composed of folded translucent polypropylene sheets, lines the underside of the prominent staircase in the lobby of the Whitaker Building (E25), taking cues from its spiraling geometry. Where the stairs meet the ground, breaking away from the strict regularity of the repetitive system above, the Overliner follows suit, stretching into a broader canopy. Through a complex technique of curved folding, the flat sheets of plastic become figured rigid beams, revealing the deep textures latent in two-dimensional curved lines. The result is a lightweight and diaphanous spatial origami suspended overhead, underscoring and overlining a quietly remarkable architectural condition.

Photography by AndyRyan

NaughtyPetals Floor Lamp by s[toggle]

2011-11-29T09:35:00.005Z

Stunning NaughtyPetals floor lamp, designed by s[toggle], takes its shape when moulded Corian is embedded with LED strips to form a light Sculpture. Taking cues from automotive design and flowing lava patterns, the playfulness is further articulated and frozen into an eternal moment of grace and elegance. Possibilities of the versatile Dupont Corian surface is explored, making full utilization of its capacity for fluid seamless surfaces and durability. Combining it with LED the lamp exudes sophistication and charm at the same time exhibiting a hint of seductiveness.

Materials: Corian, LED strips, Steel Framing
Dimensions: 165 X 35 X 35 cm

'Tiger and Turtle' Rollercoaster Walkway - Duisberg, Germany

2011-11-29T09:22:00.005Z

Mutter and Genth open a rollercoaster art experience on the hills of Duisburg. Crafted into the impression of your average theme-park rollercoaster, this interactive walkway is a dynamic design morphed of intricate curves and sweeping verandas. Returning to the issue of symbolism, its fluid and shifting flow is intended to be indicative of the situation of the region, and its transition towards ‘ renaturation and restructuring’; as is the project’s name, ‘Tiger and Turtle’, which, with its immanent dialectic of speed and deadlock, supposedly further conjures up associations of change. As the architects expressed themselves (regarding the conveyances of the work): “While the sculpture conveys an absurd twist regarding the inherent expectation of the image created by a rollercoaster, it reflects its own role as a potential trans-regional landmark which will be inevitably pocketed as image. It counters the logic of permanent growth with an absurd-contradictory sculpture that refuses a definite interpretation.”

New Acropolis Museum - Athens, Greece

2011-11-25T09:49:00.005Z

One of six finalists for the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - the Mies van der Rohe Award.

Located in the historic of Makryianni district, the Museum, designed by Bernard Tschumi Architects, stands less than 1,000 feet southeast of the Parthenon. The top-floor Parthenon Gallery offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the Acropolis and modern Athens. The Museum is entered from the Dionysios Areopagitou pedestrian street, which links it to the Acropolis and other key archeological sites in Athens. With 8,000 square meters (90,000 square feet) of exhibition space and a full range of visitor amenities, the Acropolis Museum tells the story of life on the Athenian Acropolis and its surroundings by uniting collections formerly dispersed in multiple institutions, including the small Acropolis Museum built in the 19th century.

Kutaisi Airport - Kutaisi, Georgia

2011-11-24T16:53:00.002Z

UNStudio’s design for the new Kutaisi Airport - which will serve domestic and international flights for use by international diplomats, national politicians and for tourism - incorporates both Georgia’s historic landscape and its architecture. The architecture of the terminal refers to a pavilion; a gateway, in which a clear structural layout creates an all encompassing and protective volume. The volume is structured around a central exterior space which is used for departing passengers. The transparent space around this central point is designed to ensure that flows of passengers are smooth and that departure and arrival flows do not coincide. The 4,000 m2 terminal building will house a central arrivals hall, a check-in area with lounge, cafe and car rental facilities, three gates for departure with retail, cafes, a CIP lounge area and exterior garden, an arrival area with customs and offices for the border police and an administration area with staff rooms and press conference facilities. The 55m high, 300 m2 Air Traffic Control Tower is designed to compliment the design of the terminal. The traffic control cabin on the top level forms the focal point of the tower, with a spacious and comfortable interior ensuring a workspace of optimal concentration. 1,500 m2 of supporting office spaces are housed in a nearby building.

New Hèrmes Shop - Paris, France

2011-11-16T14:04:00.004Z

French architects RDAI have completed this new Paris boutique for fashion brand Hermès inside a 1930s swimming pool building. Hèrmes Rive Gauche features three nine-metre high wooden pavilions made of ash laths, each housing the Hèrmes collections. A fourth wooden structure lines the staircase leading visitors from the entrance into the former pool. The floor of the pool area is covered with mosaic tiles.

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space

2011-11-15T09:57:00.002Z

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space - Time lapse sequences of photographs taken by Ron Garan, Satoshi Furukawa and the crew of expeditions 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October, 2011, who to my knowledge shot these pictures at an altitude of around 350 km.

Music: Jan Jelinek | Do Dekor, faitiche back2001
w+p by Jan Jelinek, published by Betke Edition
janjelinek.com | faitiche.de

Image Courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis Laboratory,
NASA Johnson Space Center, The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth
eol.jsc.nasa.gov

Metropol Parasol - Sevilla Spain

2011-11-14T11:52:00.006Z

Designed by J. MAYER H. architects, this project becomes the new icon for Seville, – a place of identification and to articulate Seville’s role as one of the world´s most fascinating cultural destinations. “Metropol Parasol” explores the potential of the Plaza de la Encarnacion to become the new contemporary urban centre. Its role as a unique urban space within the dense fabric of the medieval inner city of Seville allows for a great variety of activities such as memory, leisure and commerce. A highly developed infrastructure helps to activate the square, making it an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike. Pedro Kok's Metropol Parasol video.

Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion - Hjerkinn, Norway

2011-11-11T09:33:00.003Z

The rippled timber core of this reindeer observation pavilion by architects Snøhetta mirrors the curves of the surrounding Dovre Mountains in Norway. Named the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion, the building is used as an education centre by charity the Wild Reindeer Foundation. A rectangular steel frame contains the pavilion and a glazed wall lines the observation area. Norwegian ship-builders constructed the curved timber centre from pine beams, which were milled using digital models and then pegged together. Visitors to the pavilion can sit on the wooden form, where they are warmed by a suspended furnace.

Art and City Museum - Ordos, China

2011-11-09T17:43:00.003Z

Ordos in Inner Mongolia has seen drastic changes in the last few years. Whilst the city’s spread across the Gobi Desert is extensive, the urbanised area was comparatively minor until six or so years ago when the municipal government began to make architectural changes to the landscape, upping the percentage of urbanised land. As part of this movement, Beijing-based MAD Architects was commissioned to design a new Art and City Museum for the unbuilt metropolis and embarked upon a groundbreaking journey to provide the local community of Ordos with an outstanding public building.

ViaWallpaper

Olympic Site Aerial Photos - London, UK

2011-11-09T10:03:00.004Z

Here are some interactive aerial photographs of London's Olympic Site from photographer Jason Hawkes. Jason has specialized in aerial photography since 1991, is based just outside London in the UK, and works worldwide. He has produced over 40 aerial photographic books for publishers such as the BBC, Random House and Harper Collins.

Crater Lake - Kobe, Japan

2011-11-08T13:51:00.002Z

Crater Lake, an installation project by 24° Studio will be exhibited at Kobe Biennale 2011 from October 1 through November 23. The project was one of the winners for Shitsurai Art International Competition organized by the city of Kobe, Japan. This multi-use environmental installation serves as a meeting place where every area can be used as seating for visitors to contemplate the surroundings, thus invoking a social interaction within and around.

Raif Dinçkök Yalova Cultural Center - Yalova, Turkey

2011-11-07T16:08:00.004Z

It is possible to say that cities are made out of different contextual layers, which time by time come near each other or on top of each other, even intertwine at times and ground their specific existing states. In the Yalova Cultural Center, designed by Emre Arolat Architects, peculiar to this city, oppositions between the main layers stand out. The masses in the building are shaped specifically to their different functions and necessary dimensions. Areas like 600 people capacity multi-purpose room, 150 people capacity workshop room, nuptial and exhibition rooms, library, office and cafeteria are related to each other from different elevations. These masses that are disconnected from the building facade and from each other, exist inside the building with their unique geometries. Their surfaces emphasize Yalova’s colorful and overgrown natural texture. It is aimed that the joyful image that various plants generate will appear beneath the surface of the facade as a second layer of exterior perception of the building just like it is on digital publications in close perception.

Sheikh Zayed Bridge - Abu Dhabi, UAE

2011-11-05T09:53:00.001Z

Here are some new images of the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi by Zaha Hadid Architects. Construction of the 842 metre-long bridge between Abu Dhabi Island and the mainland completed earlier this year. The structure comprises several arching waves of reinforced concrete, which support a four-lane highway. Coloured lights illuminate the bridge after dark.

Homenkollen Ski Jump - Oslo, Norway

2011-11-04T03:35:00.002Z

The Holmenkollen Ski Jump designed by JDS Architects is located in Oslo, Norway. Rather than having a series of dispersed pavilions on site, their design unifies the various amenities into one holistic diagram. The judges booths, the commentators, the trainers, the Royal family, the VIPs, the wind screens, the circulations, the lobby, the entrance to the arena and the arena itself, the lounge for the skiers, the souvenir shop, the access to the existing museum, the viewing public square at the very top, everything, is contained into the shape of the jump. The resulting simplicity of the solution improves the experience of the spectators and brings clear focus to the skiers jumping.

The ski jump is clad with a mesh of stainless steel and rises 58 metres in the air. Its 69m cantilever makes it the longest of its kind. On the first day of jumping tests, the record of the longest jump made at Holmenkollen was broken. Atop the ski jump is a platform where visitors can take in some of the most breathtaking views of Oslo, the fjord and the region beyond. It’s a new form of public space, using an unlikely architectural form as its host, affording the same spectacular vantage point for everyone who comes to Holmenkollen.

New Bus Station - Slough, UK

2011-11-03T16:31:00.004Z

Construction of the Bblur Architecture-designed Slough bus station has been completed. The building replaces the Brunel bus station which was built in the 1970s and featured in the opening credits of TV comedy series The Office. The new station’s roof is formed of two independently moving canopies, designed to look like waves of light in tribute to the astronomer William Herschel who lived in Slough and discovered infrared radiation in sunlight. A model of the new bus station appeared in the Royal Academy’s 2010 Summer Exhibition

Enignum Chair Series by Joseph Walsh - Cork, Ireland

2011-11-03T14:15:00.003Z

Joseph Walsh explains: "In this series of work, I have stripped wood into thin layers, manipulating and reconstructing them into free form compositions. I then shape through these layers to reveal not only the honesty of the structure but the sculpted form which is a unique collaboration of man and material. The title derives from the Latin words Enigma ('mystery') and Lignum ('wood'), for me they sum up the series: the mystery of the composition lies in the material."

Exhibition:
Enignum and other stories
18 November 2011 - 27 January 2012
Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin, Ireland

Yurikamome Tracks - Tokyo, Japan

2011-11-03T11:35:00.004Z

Photographer Appuru Pai took these long exposure shots from the New Transit Yurikamome, an automated guideway train that connects Odaiba to the mainland, passing through the Rainbow Bridge.

L'Opera Restaurant - Paris, France

2011-11-03T11:07:00.005Z

French architect Odile Decq Benoit has completed the ‘L’Opéra Restaurant’, which recently opened in the Palais Garnier located in Paris, France. Recessed within the historical building, visitors pass the facade’s original pillars to enter the undulating interior. The mezzanine space is carefully integrated to resist touching the existing structure’s walls, columns and roof. The contemporary addition compliments the classical details of the vaulted stone ceiling without altering history.

Accommodating and seating 90 guests at one time, the large floor plate is suspended with concealed steel plates. A glass wall encompasses the interior isolating the space from the existing shell. the billowing white structure touches down to the lower level producing integrated organic supports. The striking red chairs, benches, and floors produce a theatrical character reminiscent of the phantom of the opera which was once performed within the auditorium.

Port Terminal Proposal - Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2011-11-01T14:01:00.004Z

Asymptote Architecture and Artech Architects were awarded a close second place finish for the Kaohsiung Marine Gateway project. The project proposes a 200m long structure situated between two 14 story towers located at the cities newly developed harbor edge. The proposal calls for a new urban intervention at the cities waterfront combining both cultural and commercial aspects with the port terminal functions the building is designed to house. The buildings technological envelope and architecture and is designed to be a striking and elegant addition to the quickly changing city of Kaohsiung and to act as a catalyst for unique and sustained urban development over the coming years and decades.

Connector Building - Brussels, Belgium

2011-10-31T15:05:00.003Z

Seeking to unite functions of the three existing buildings of Brussels Airport, architects at UNStudio introduced an elongated fibrous structure. The insertion establishes its own identity while serving as a connection between contrasting entities of the terminal and Pier A. It is a fully integrated commercial zone which facilitates various operational processes, retail functions, etc. Once past the screening area, the passengers are introduced to a duty-free shopping area and led towards a double height central plaza with cafes. The elevated Cockpit occupies the highest area of the Connector, offering best views of the plaza below as well as the planes, landing and taking off.

The structural design principles for the Connector Building are based on a sustainable approach formed with consideration to site constraints, constructability and operational flexibility.The infrastructural element introduced to the existing configuration translates its visual identity into a recognizable imagery of fluent and undulating forms. This intervention is consistent with the ambition of management to transform the Brussels Airport into a future European hub. It provides a pleasant and memorable passenger experience and unifies the entire Airport into a striking landmark architecture.

Her Secret Is Patience - Phoenix, USA

2011-10-31T14:25:00.001Z

Artist Janet Echelman creates fl uidly-moving urban sculpture that responds to environmental forces: wind, water, and light. These monumental artworks are collaborations of artist with a team of award-winning structural, aeronautical & computational engineers, computer scientists, architects, landscape and lighting designers, urban planners, and fabricators.

Initial Form Description : Artist describes 3D forms in Maya.
Surface Resolution: Engineers import surfaces into Rhino, rebuild geometry, and defi ne parameters to describe curvature.
Net Discretization: Engineers computationally construct and overlays netting as a series of line segments and node panels. Artist commissioned engineers to create netting software tool specifi cally for this application to incorporate fabrication process for net panels on loom & related technology constraints.
Form Finding: Engineers stitch together all the net panels that describe surfaces into a complete Rhino model; export that geometry to proprietary form-fi nding software that employs a sophisticated solver based on the principle of Dynamic Relaxation to find defl ected shape of assembled net sculpture under
the effects of gravity. Artist’s critique creates feedback loop.
Wind and Structural Analysis: Engineers structurally analyze orm-found model for non-linearities in deflection, loading and material properties. Analysis provides data to determine tenacity of the twine required for each loomed net panel. Engineer then reloads this data into the form-fi nding process as the
stiffness of the twine affects the form-found shape, creating an analysis loop compounding the form-fi nding loop. Wind velocity and direction are analyzed with respect to netted form.

Town Hall Hotel & Apartments - London, UK

2011-05-13T17:40:00.004+01:00

RARE Architecture (researcharchitectureexperimentation), co-founded by Michel da Costa Gonçalves and Nathalie Rozencwajg in 2005, rare operates from offices in Paris and London. The practice exercises an ethos of mixing their commissions with research and education to produce tailored work using new materials, innovative typologies and advanced modes of design and production. The Town Hall Hotel project, reinstating an abandoned landmark, physically transcribes the new avant-garde image of a fast-developing part of London's east end. A redevelopment of the Grade 2 heritage listed Bethnal Green town hall, completed in May 2010, the new ‘Town Hall Hotel & Apartments' features 98 separate accommodations - consisting of hotel rooms, serviced apartments and several luxury ‘feature' suites.

Cave Restaurant - Sydney, Australia

2011-05-12T11:06:00.000+01:00

Koichi Takada Architects says: We aim to change the way we eat and chat in restaurants. The acoustic quality of restaurants contributes to the comfort and enjoyment of a dining experience. We have experimented with noise levels in relation to the comfort of dining and the ambience a cave like environment can create. The timber profiles generate a sound studio atmosphere, and a pleasant ‘noise’ of dining conversation, offering a more intimate experience as well as a visually interesting and complex surrounding. The series of acoustic curvatures were tested and developed with computer modelling and each ‘timber grain’ profile has been translated and cut from computer-generated 3-D data, using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology.

Galaxy Soho Showroom - Beijing, China

2011-05-04T18:33:00.007+01:00

The Galaxy Soho project, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects (Beijing Office), 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.

Desert Lodges - Wadi Rum, Jordan

2011-05-03T10:10:00.005+01:00

OPPENHEIM ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN unveils future lodges in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Oppenheim’s winning proposal set out to reinterpret the way society deals with surrounding nature by taking full advantage of the mystical valley where desert sand meets desert stone. The project merges silently with its wondrous setting, exploiting and enhancing the natural beauty of the desert to establish accommodations that are uniquely elemental and luxurious. Dramatically situated, the lodges and villas in their various incarnations; are all about a visceral connection to culture and place. The resulting experience is a revolutionary notion of opulence that is intentionally reduced to what is essential. The structure of the lodges will be carved into the sandstone cliffs, utilizing the existing geological geometries of the rock to devise the form. Other structures are comprised of rammed earth and cement mixed with the local red sand.

Casa D - Matanzas, Chile

2011-04-07T11:18:00.003+01:00

Designed by Panorama (Nicolás Valdés+Constanza Hagemann) with WMR,the "D House" is located in the area of Manzanas, Chile; on top of a clif, aproximately 65 meters above the level of the sea. This house, for a couple and their son, is developed within a volume 9×9mts square. In another volume that is inserted into a higher level, which by its position rotated 45 degrees to the floor, manages to generate double heights and spatial organization in the first floor.

Placebo Pharmacy - Athens, Greece

2011-04-06T12:04:00.004+01:00

KLab Architecture has recently completed Placebo Pharmacy. "The design process for this large (600m2) supra-local pharmacy forced us to shift our viewpoint and come up with a virtual building—a placebo pharmacy. The octagonal shape of the existing structure was re-formed into a cylinder in order to create a spiral which seeks to converse with the rapid motion on Vouliagmenis Avenue, the urban artery on which the building stands. The panels of the façade are perforated using Braille, which both alludes to the system’s use on pharmaceutical packaging and boosts visibility by allowing the light to find its way into the interior. The new facade also protects the interior while acting as a lure for passers-by. Inside, the product display mirrors the circular frontage, while a ramp up to the upper level extends the dynamism of the exterior spiral into the interior space."

Soumaya Museum - Mexico City, Mexico

2011-04-05T14:59:00.005+01:00

The new building that will house the art collection of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim is now open to the public. Designed by Slim’s 38-year old son-in-law, Fernando Romero, the six-floor, 183,000 square-foot Soumaya Museum in the city’s Polanco district is shaped like a wonky futuristic hourglass layered with aluminum hexagons. From the outside, the building is an amorphous shape that is perceived differently by each visitor, while reflecting the diversity of the collection on the inside. The shell of the building is constructed with steel columns of different diameters, each with its own geometry and shape, offering the visitor a non-linear circulation. There are 20,000 square meters of exhibition space divided among five floors, as well as an auditorium, a cafe, offices, a gift shop, a multipurpose lobby, and storage space. The top floor is the largest space in the museum, and its roof is suspended from a cantilever that allows natural daylight in. The building’s façade is made of hexagonal aluminum modules facilitating its preservation and durability.

New Albanian Parliament Building - Tirana, Albania

2011-04-05T14:43:00.001+01:00

COOP HIMMELB(L)AU's entry 'Open Parliament of Albania' in Tirana has won the First Prize. The concept incorporates fundamental democratic values such as openness, transparency and public co-determination. The building, located on a site area with approximately 28,000 m², is going to be the first project in Albania for the Viennese headquartered studio.

EPFL Rolex Learning Centre - Lausanne, Switzerland

2011-04-04T10:24:00.001+01:00

Treehouse - Brisbane, Australia

2011-03-29T11:10:00.003+01:00

In the ‘treehouse', designed by Steendyk Architects, the laser-cut corten screens are active, lyrical elements that dance in shape and form while filtering light; a re-interpretation of vernacular timber lattice screens present throughout the historic context of the surrounding suburb.

Blackbird Rider

2011-03-23T14:12:00.003Z

The Blackbird Rider features an all-hollow uni-body shell setting it apart from any guitar in the world. That is the body, neck, and head are cast in one-piece with the sound board, fretboard, tuners, etc. added to that main component. Forming the main component in one-piece eliminates the weak and sound-absorbing joints associated with standard guitars. This patent-pending construction relies on the incredibly strong and stiff properties of carbon fiber as well as plenty of unique design features to create the strongest, most resonant small-bodied guitar available anywhere.

International Convention Center - Calabar, Nigeria

2011-03-23T13:58:00.006Z

Nigeria is already Africa’s most populous country, but the city of Calabar has been increasing the masses by attracting visitors from around the world with recent conferences and events. A conference center designed to impress is just what Calabar needs to keep this momentum going, city officials decided; thus, they hosted a design competition for the Calabar International Convention Center.

First Prize:
Henning Larsen Architects, a firm based in Copenhagen, who designed a four-part, modernist mass that will be sited on top of a hill and feature stunning views of a nearby river delta.

Sedond Prize:
Mecanoo Architecten, whom placed the complex underneath the hilly local topography. The design calls for a grand entrance that run north south through the hillside, feeding a plaza hosting numerous water elements.

Tagliente Lamp

2011-03-18T11:18:00.002Z

Architects Plasma Studio of London, Beijing and Bolzano have designed this LED street lamp in collaboration with lighting company ewo. "Starting from the conceptual diagram of the street lamp as a combination of vertical shaft and horizontal light-emitting beam and looking at birds and flowers for reference, Plasma developed Tagliente as a fluid transition between the vertical and horizontal directions."

The "27" Project

2011-03-17T12:38:00.003Z

“27” is a joint venture between a filmmaker, two architects and a designer. They travel together to meet people engaging in the process of making the Europe of tomorrow. “27” is a journey into the heart of contemporary European architecture, under a permanent state of mutation. 27countries, 27 cultures, 27 architects build according to their own rules, and their own history while giving contribution for the construction of a common space : Europe.

Music by Zombie Zombie & Étienne Jaumet.

‘Minimal Complexity’ - Houston, USA

2011-03-09T16:24:00.005Z

Highlighted within the REPEAT Exhibition was Minimal Complexity, by Vlad Tenu. The work was selected the winner of the REPEAT: digital fabrication competition, commissioned and built in January. The competition drew 95 teams of 1-4 designers from 19 states in the US, 18 countries and 5 continents. The jury of internationally recognized academics and practitioners that included Patrik Schumacher, Marc Fornes, Chris Lasch, Lisa Iwamoto and Blair Satterfield reviewed all the entries and conferred their choice in November 2010.

Guangzhou Opera House - Guangzhou, China

2011-03-09T16:10:00.005Z

Zaha Hadid Architects announced the completion of the Guangzhou Opera House. The opening ceremony was held this weekend with representatives from various countries around the world. Like pebbles in a stream smoothed by erosion, the Guangzhou Opera House sits in perfect harmony with its riverside location. The Opera House is at the heart of Guangzhou’s cultural development. Its unique twin-boulder design enhances the city by opening it to the Pearl River, unifying the adjacent cultural buildings with the towers of international finance in Guangzhou’s Zhujiang new town. The 1,800-seat auditorium of the Opera House houses the very latest acoustic technology, and the smaller 400-seat multifunction hall is designed for performance art, opera and concerts in the round.

Sunset Chapel - Acapulco, Mexico

2011-03-09T15:52:00.002Z

Called Sunset Chapel, the faceted building appears to balance on the rocky terrain and a triangular-shaped aperture forms the entrance. The chapel is located on an upper floor and is reached by internal steps. Bunker Arquitectura says: Acapulco’s hills are made up of huge granite rocks piled on top of each other. In a purely mimetic endeavor, we worked hard to make the chapel look like “just another” colossal boulder atop the mountain.

V&A Outpost Competition Winner - Dundee, UK

2011-02-18T15:05:00.002Z

Japanese practice Kengo Kuma & Associates has won the competition to design the V&A’s £47 million new outpost in Dundee. The announcement was made this morning by Lesley Knox, chair of Design Dundee Ltd and of the jury, at a press conference at the University of Abertay Dundee. The firm, working with Edinburgh-based Cre8 Architecture, was chosen from a shortlist of six, which was itself whittled down from more than 120 entries for the international competition.

See the full shortlist HERE

PS1's Young Architects Program 2011 Winner - NYC, USA

2011-02-18T14:24:00.002Z

"Holding Pattern" is Interboro's winning submission to MoMA PS1's Young Architects Program. It will be installed in MoMA PS1's courtyard in Summer 2011. "Holding Pattern" is the product of a sustained dialog with MoMA PS1's courtyard and its neighbors. Instead of telling it what it should be, we patiently listened to what it and its neighbors had to say, then responded in kind. The result of this dialog is a scheme doesn't so much redesign the courtyard as reveal it.

Coral Reef Prototype - Haiti

2011-02-16T12:39:00.002Z

The Coral Reef project designed by Vincent Callebaut Architects plans a matrix to build a three dimensional and energy self-sufficient village from one and only standardised and prefabricated module in order to rehouse the refugees from such humanitarian catastrophes. This basic module is simply made of two passive houses (with metallic structure and tropical wood facades) interlocked in duplex around a transversal horizontal circulation linking every unit.

Green House Installation

2011-02-14T15:03:00.003Z

Sculptor and artist Kyung Woo Han loves to warp his audiences’ perspectives, creating extraordinary sculptures and art installations that bend reality. Green House by Kyung Woo Han will definitely twist your mind. In this art installation, chairs and tables appear to be floating in mid-air while half the room is divided horizontally by green paint. What’s mysterious about this piece is that the green paint appears to look like a liquid with the furniture floating above it.

Museum of Latin American Immigrants - Miami, USA

2011-02-14T14:30:00.004Z

The museum, designed by architect Maciej Zawadzki, who is based in Copenhagen, is thoughtful to the immigrants it is honoring in all aspects of its design. The exterior’s twists symbolize the complicated emotions involved with leaving a motherland and coming to a land of opportunity. Simultaneously, the building’s interior features twisting elevations, reminding visitors of the effort needed and hills that are climbed in the immigration process.

Hoki Museum - Chiba, Japan

2011-02-14T12:09:00.004Z

The Hoki Museum, designed by Nikken Sekkei, opened on November 3, 2010 as one of the few museums in the world dedicated to Realist paintings. Museum Director Masao Hoki assembled the museum's collection of approximately 300 examples of Realist paintings. The Museum's building is located next to the verdant Showa-no-Mori Park, Chiba City's largest park, and consists of one above ground and two below ground stories featuring corridor-style galleries comprise 500 meters of exhibition space. One gallery is cantilevered to appear to be floating in space. Approximately 160 works by around 40 artists are on display at any one time, including 32 paintings that form Japan's largest collection of works by Sousuke Morimoto, and others by artists such as Hiroshi Noda and Tadahiko Nakayama.

Images by Ken Lee

National Gallery of Greenland - Nuuk, Greenland

2011-02-14T10:45:00.004Z

A partnership between Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) , TNT Nuuk, Ramboll Nuuk and Arkitekti has been chosen by a unanimous jury panel as the winner of a competition to design a sculptural rendition for the National Gallery of Greenland in the country’s capital. Located on a steep slope on the lip of one of Greenland’s most scenic fjords, the winning design creates a protective ring around the main focus point – a central sculpture garden. An interior facade of clear glass separates the gallery space from the sculpture garden, simple and refined in contrast to the coarse white concrete of the external facade. Visitors will access the facility through a raised opening in the rough exterior into a lobby with 180° views across the sculpture gardens and natural beauty of the fjord beyond.

Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art Competition Winners - NYC, USA

2011-02-02T14:09:00.008Z

Three winning entries, as well as three Honorable Mentions have been announced for the suckerPUNCH-curated competition for a new, larger home for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) in New York City. The museum was established in 2001 and is currently based in the Soho area of Manhattan. The open ideas competition called for creative plans to move the museum to a new, highly visible site on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, allowing for the building to be freestanding and take on a more experimental form rather than being forced into an infill condition.

1st Place: "mocca museum nyc"
Volkan Alkanoglu
Los Angeles, California
The projectis designed to serve as a 21st-Century museum, becoming a place that celebrates the notion of containment and the display of beauty, vision, history, polemics and, above all, possibility. The building assumes an elegant, sculptural presence on its site and reflects to the illustrious lights of New York City. The MOCCA Museum will be a state-of-the-art museum that will also become a social, cultural and economically generative architecture and a catalyst for thought and provocation in the amazing world of Comic and Cartoon Art.

2nd Place: "bagpipe"
MAST (Ivar Heggheim, Jon Andersen, Rasmus Møller, Mads M. Andersen) , Copenhagen, Denmark

3rd Place: "tortoise"
Erin Ruhl & Jordan Hines
Lexington, USA

Pedestrian Bridge - Texas, USA

2011-02-02T14:00:00.003Z

With a design inspired in the reeds that cover the lake, Miro & Rivera Architects projected this pedestrian bridge that crosses the Lake Austin in Texas, USA. The bridge is in fact not for public consumption, it links the main house to a guest house across the lake. The bars/reeds intertwine at the abutments and grow over the bridge, camouflaging it and turning into symbiotic almost invisible link.

Port Terminal Competition // First Prize - Kaohsiung, Taiwan

2011-01-25T17:14:00.003Z

Reiser + Umemoto (RUR) has been awarded first prize in the international competition for a new Port and Cruise Service Center in the city of Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, ROC. RUR proposed a dynamic 3-dimensional urbanism that takes advantage of the site’s unique lateral positioning with respect to the city grid. Existing public pedestrian flows along the proposed elevated boardwalk can be amplified, rather than interrupted by creating a continuous elevated public esplanade along the waterfront. Cruise and ferry functions, meanwhile, are located just below the public level and are kept distinct to maintain secure areas for departing/arriving passengers.

Casalgrande Ceramic Cloud - Reggio Emilia, Italy

2011-01-25T17:00:00.004Z

The Casalgrande Ceramic Cloud, designed by japanese architect Kengo Kuma, divides the space of a roundabout like a thin diaphragm curtain dynamically attracting the viewers’ sight. The layout plan of the work is oblong and streamlined at the ends and the central section reaches a maximum width of 1.7 metres. It is almost 12 metre tall. For the first time, ceramic material is tested for structural purposes. Its 3D structure is composed of nine layers of large technical porcelain stoneware slabs – standard production items by Casalgrande Padana – placed one onto the others and interconnected by means of thin hidden threaded bars.

International Conference Center - Dalian, China

2011-01-25T16:39:00.003Z

Dalian is an important seaport, industrial, trade, and tourism center, located in the southernmost part of the Liaodong Peninsula in the Chinese Liaoning Province. Architect Wolf D. Prix, from Coop Himmelb(l)au says:

"The building has both to reflect the promising modern future of Dalian and its tradition as an important port, trade, industry and tourism city. The formal language of our project is not pictographic, but associative; it will combine and merge the rational structure and organization of its modern conference center typology with the floating spaces of traditional Asian architecture as well as with a design reminescent of the soft surfaces generated by the forces of the sea. "

London 2012 Olympic Park Tours

2010-11-22T11:18:00.004Z

It's a little known fact that anybody can book a tour of the London 2012 Olympic Park for FREE to see the building work and watch the site being transformed.

How To Book:
Call the ODA (Olympic Delivery Authority) on tel: 0300 2012 001 (9am-11am on Mondays ). Tours are only on the weekend and you have to book many weeks in advance.

matthias pliessnig: amada bench

2010-11-19T16:33:00.004Z

The work of american designer matthias pliessnig straddles the concepts of craft, art and design. His work is a synergy of time-honored techniques and modern digital aesthetic using skills as a craftsman to bring his ideas to reality. Pliessnig recently completed 'amada', a design for a private client who wanted a large bench flowing through his living space. the piece was designed to direct the sitter to face multiple directions. The seating unit is made entirely of air-dried responsibly harvested white oak that has been steam bentto create the curvaceous form of the bench.

E-motive Wall Prototype

2010-11-17T12:20:00.001Z

The FinRay structure is a prototype for an emotive wall. The emotive FinRay wall is composed of seven separate wall pieces, which can swing their body back and forth. Embedded in the skin of the FinRay are arrays of LED luminaries, which can be programmed individually to give personalized information or just to create an ambient luminescent atmosphere. While the primary synchronous behavior of the firefly is flashing light, the primary synchronous behavior of the FinRay is movement. In the installation, the FinRays are aligned in a row in 7 wall pieces, herein referred to as nodes. The synchronous behavior between the FinRay nodes contrasts with the motion produced by the presence of the participant. The result is a series of complex wave patterns that propagate through the FinRay structure as a whole. The propagating movements of the FinRay are expressed in the changing patterns of light and sound. The LED skins respond directly to user presence by glowing brighter when users are near, and glowing dimmer as they move away. The synchronous and asynchronous behaviors are reflected in the sound design as changes in intensity in response to the FinRay movement. Moments of synchronous behavior are represented by calmer sounds, while asynchronous behavior results more intense sound.

Shanghai World Expo 2010 Sets Records

2010-11-03T14:41:00.004Z

After six months and an unprecedented 73million visitors, the Shanghai World Expo drew to a close at midnight on Sunday 31st October. During its short lifespan the Expo broke multiple records, most notably for the number of visitors - smashing the previous record by 9million. The Shanghai World Expo 2010 also stole the title of most participating countries (246), largest site area (5.28 sq km) and most expensive Expo in history. On 16th October, the open-aired exhibition received the most visitors to enter an Expo park on a single day, with an extraordinary total of 1.03m individuals.

MAX-LAB - Lund, Sweden

2010-11-01T18:03:00.002Z

Norwegian architectural firm, Snøhetta, unveiled an innovative proposal for the Max-Lab in Lund, Sweden. The Max-Lab is a national laboratory jointly operated by the Swedish Research Council and the Lund University. The overall architectural idea builds on the meeting point between the strong landscape and the circular shape of a synchrotron (cyclic particle accelerator). The circular shape is twisted and raised to create a dynamic form based on a Möbius strip that becomes an actual volume, not just a ribbon. The geometry of the twisted cylinder is generated based on functional requirements and detailed solar studies for heat gain, reducing it up to thirty percent.

Brooklyn Center for Digital Creation - New York, USA

2010-10-28T09:59:00.003+01:00

The project for the Brooklyn Center for Digital Creation was designed by architect Tobias Eglauer as part of his Master’s Thesis at the Vienna University of Technology with Manfred Berthold as design critic. The project is based on the analysis of folding surfaces in nature such as tree leaves, proteins, insects, etc. It also draws inspiration from traditional Origami folding patterns to create a building that peels from the ground as an exterior recreational landscape that progressively transforms into habitable volumes. The program includes a cultural center, art studios, dormitories, offices, concert hall, library, and retail areas.

Mercedes-Benz Biome

2010-10-25T16:06:00.004+01:00

The Mercedes-Benz Biome was presented as parto of the Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge series. The Biome an ultralight vehicle that utilizes technologies from nature to achieve unparalleled efficiency and seamless integration into the ecosystem.

New Holocaust Museum - Los Angeles, USA

2010-10-25T12:51:00.002+01:00

LA's newest museum is the permanent home for the Holocaust Museum, a 50 year-old institution. The striking building designed by Belzberg architects features a generous green roof that acts as an extension of the adjacent Pan Pacific Park. The project was also designed to express one of the darkest moments in human history - a buried organic form greets visitors as they descend into a unique museum space that memorializes those who died and survived the holocaust.

The Silent Evolution - Cancun, Mexico

2010-10-25T11:55:00.009+01:00

Creator of the world's first underwater sculpture park, Jason de Caires Taylor has gained international recognition for his unique work. His sculptures highlight ecological processes whilst exploring the intricate relationships between modern art and the environment. Since November 09 the first 3 underwater pieces installed in the; Museo Subaquatico de Arte (MUSA) have been a great success, drawing much interest from tourists and already showing exponential coral growth in only 3 months. Watch the video here.

Miami Campus Center - Miami, USA

2010-10-22T10:43:00.003+01:00

The proposed LEED certified structure, designed by Oppenheim Architecture, is conceived of as a portal comprised of a base and a top supported by two towers that allow large exterior public spaces at ground and in sky. The project is to serve as a catalyst-exasperating significant enhancement to the campus experience and image through a local revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. The Campus Center is fully integrated with the building and serves as the projects heart and soul. Organized around the 3rd level Quad- the various cultural components (museum, sculpture garden and Theater) of the College are fully engaged from this vantage point.

D-17 installation - Houston, USA

2010-10-18T14:36:00.005+01:00

American artist Sarah Oppenheimer was commissioned by Rice University Art Gallery, Houston to create an installation for their gallery space. D-17 took a year and a half in making the epic 65-foot, aluminum-sheathed white structure angles above the transom of Sewall Hall’s front doors, into the foyer and extends into floor of the gallery itself. Along the way the work seemingly passes through two walls of glass that act as filters, subtly changing the color of the structure as you look through them.

Superstring / Competition Entry - Iceland

2010-10-18T14:26:00.002+01:00

This is Yong ho 's second prize design for the “Landsnet High-Voltage Transmission Line Tower Design Competition” in Iceland. ‘Superstring’ is a new type of structure for the high-voltage electric transmission. Considering the extreme conditions of the Icelandic winter, this 27m high parabolic structure (hyperbolic paraboloid) will be prefabricated into pieces for easy transportation and construction. As compared with conventional tower designs this new design takes less space for the footing (only 2 points) and also need fewer components to construct.

Superdesign Exhibition - London, UK

2010-10-13T14:30:00.005+01:00

14-17 October 2010

Victoria House
Bloomsbury Square
London, WC1 B 4DA

Now in its fourth year, Super Design has cemented its reputation as London’s most important and innovative exhibition of contemporary design art. Set within the imposing venue of Victoria House, the exhibition will bring together collections from leading international galleries and pioneering designers at a crucial time in the art calendar year. Spread over 1,500 sqm of exhibition space, Super Design will feature specially commissioned, unique and limited edition pieces from world-class international galleries including The Apartment, D&A-Lab, Quadrige, Mitterrand-Cramer and Vessel Gallery among others.

The National Ignition Facility - California, USA

2010-10-13T09:36:00.005+01:00

"Creating a miniature star on Earth" is the goal of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), home to the world's largest and highest-energy laser in Livermore, California. On September 29th, 2010, the NIF completed its first integrated ignition experiment, where it focused its 192 lasers on a small cylinder housing a tiny frozen capsule containing hydrogen fuel, briefly bombarding it with 1 megajoule of laser energy. The experiment was the latest in a series of tests leading to a hoped-for "ignition", where the nuclei of the atoms of the fuel inside the target capsule are made to fuse together releasing tremendous energy - potentially more energy than was put in to start the initial reaction, becoming a valuable power source. Scientists at NIF say they hope to achieve fusion by 2012. See more pictures or videos.

Youturn Pavilion - São Paulo, Brazil

2010-10-11T14:41:00.005+01:00

'Youturn Pavilion' by amsterdam-based architecture firm UNstudio is one of six conceptual 'terrieros' created for the 29th art biennale in sao paulo, brazil. located at the heart of the biennale, the installation operates primarily as a venue or a nodal point within the biennale's context, inviting the public to meet, orientate and observe within its program. The design aims to provoke interaction between both the participants and visitors of the biennale, creating a place for display, discussion, and debate.

London Futures Exhibition

2010-10-11T12:52:00.005+01:00

Museum of London
1 Oct 2010 – 6 Mar 2011

Like postcards from the future, familiar views of the capital have been digitally transformed by GMJ illustrators Robert Graves and Didier Madoc-Jones. The display brings home the full impact of global warming, food scarcity, rising sea levels and how all Londoners will need to innovate and adapt to survive.

Ground Zero Mosque - New York, USA

2010-10-05T15:39:00.004+01:00

SOMA Architects and Park51 developer Sharif el-Gamal just unveiled a new set of renderings of the controversial Mosque proposal near Ground Zero in New York City. The project is planned to be a 15-story Islamic community center estimated to cost around $140 million -investment would come from various real-estate companies in Dubai.

Urban Library & Centre for New Media - Gent, Belgium

2010-10-04T18:46:00.003+01:00

The design for the Urban Library of the Future and Centre for New Media by UN Studio creates a dynamic, flexible and open knowledge environment, with an open landscape, alternative circulation routes, several meeting areas and a public plaza. The building is fluid in form, accommodating to its surroundings and incorporates expansive sightlines. The internal organisation of the building is based on an open central void, around which the circulation takes place.

V&A Outpost Competition - Dundee, UK

2010-10-03T11:48:00.005+01:00

The Victoria & Albert museum has unveiled competing designs by some of the world's leading architects for a new £47m outpost in Dundee, scheduled to open in 2014. Judge the shortlisted designs for yourself ...

Vienna-based firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects

Scottish architects Sutherland Hussey

New York-based architecture firm REX

Norwegian architects Snøhetta

US architects' firm Steven Holl

Architects Kengo Kuma

Wave Pavilion - Michigan, USA

2010-10-03T11:22:00.003+01:00

A young design firm led by Parke MacDowell, Diana Tomova and Boriana Tomova have completed the Wave Pavilion. Situated on the campus of the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the pavilion functions as a gathering space and doubles as a didactic tool within the dialogue of digital fabrication. Constructed from ½ inch steel rods, the pavilion intends to illustrate how the line can be “explicitly leveraged toward the nuanced description of space.”

Tang Palace Restaurant - Hangzhou, China

2010-09-20T11:34:00.004+01:00

The restaurant, designed by Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, is located on the top floor of a superstore in the new town area of Hangzhou, with 9-meter high story height and a broad view to the south. Composite bamboo boards are selected as the main material, conveying the design theme of combining tradition and modernity. The waved ceiling creates a dramatic visual expression within the hall. The hollowed-out bamboo net maintains the original story height and thereby creates an interactive relation between the levels.

New Library - Caen, France

2010-09-14T10:54:00.003+01:00

OMA has won the competition for a major new library, the Bibliothèque Multimédia à Vocation Régionale (BMVR), in Caen, France. The 12,000m2 building will be the focal point of new development in Caen. Surpassing five submissions by internationally-renowned competitors, the project, led by OMA associate-in-charge Clément Blanchet, will be OMA’s first cultural building in France. The new library, located at the tip of Caen’s peninsula, includes four protruding wings that point towards four of the city’s landmarks: the abbeys Abbaye-aux-Dames in the north and Abbaye-aux-Hommes in the east; the central train station to the south; and the site of proposed future developments in the west.

Ocean Pavilion for the 2012 Yeosu World Expo - Yeosu, South Korea

2010-09-14T10:12:00.003+01:00

Architectural studio SOMA has finished the design of the thematic pavilion for the 2012 Yeosu World Expo. The project was selected in late 2009 and is expected to begin construction during the next couple of months. The building will be erected in a former industrial harbour along a new promenade. Bridges will connect the pavilion to the expo site. after the expo and the aspired improvement of water quality the promenade will be transformed into an ‘urban beach’ offering leisure activities to the public.

Kona Residence - Hawaii, USA

2010-09-13T17:14:00.004+01:00

Belzberg Architects have recently completed the Kona Residence in Hawaii. The program is arranged as a series of pods distributed throughout the property, each having its own unique features and view opportunities. The pods are programmatically assigned as two sleeping pods with common areas, media, master suite and main living space. A central axis becomes the organizational and focal feature for the entire house, connecting each of the pods through an exterior gallery corridor. To help maintain the environmental sensitivity of the house, 2 separate arrays of roof mounted photovoltaic panels offset the residence energy usage while the choice of darker lava stone help heat the pool water via solar radiation. CNC milled ceilings and screens throughout the house continue the abstract approach to traditional Hawaiian wood carving.

Beethoven Hall - Bonn, Germany

2010-09-07T12:24:00.005+01:00

A central priority in Zaha Hadid Architect’s urban design concept for a new Beethoven Festival Hall is linking the city of Bonn to the Rhine River promenade and leveraging that idea’s potential to enrich public life on the river’s edge. With two main façades, the building presents itself in an open and inviting manner to the River and the City, allowing for deep visual links through its crystalline mass. The light Rhine Foyer will make audiences and performers feel comfortable and relaxed but simultaneously excited by the anticipation of a unique experience.

Robert Proch's Virus

2010-09-05T19:31:00.004+01:00

Robert Proch -Born in 1986, Poland. Student of animated film on Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań. Animator, painter, graffiti artist. Music by Herbaliser.

Museum of the Second World War Winner Entry - Gdańsk, Poland

2010-09-02T14:07:00.006+01:00

A jury consisting of Daniel Libeskind, Wiesław Bielawski, Grzegorz Buczek, Wiesław Czabański, Wojciech Duda, George Ferguson, Wiesław Gruszkowski, Jack Lohman, Andrzej Pągowski, and Hans Stimmann has announced their decision for the competition for the Museum of the Second World War in Poland, Gdańsk. The winner was Studio Architektoniczne "Kwadrat", Gdynia; Poland. Jury Comments: The huge building tactfully merges in the neighbourhood sharing the chance of becoming an icon of Gdańsk with the major historic elements around. The minimalist means of architectural expression proposed by the authors gracefully blend the modern idea of the building with the historic background. In its Design, the innovative, huge-scale project makes use of the unique air of the city and transforms it in a modern manner. The colour and texture proposed in the design smoothly blend with the colours of Gdańsk giving the museum the power to pass the test of the 21.c century.

Eleftheria Square - Nicosia, Cyprus

2010-08-17T12:43:00.003+01:00

New urban square, by Zaha Hadid Architects, at the heart of Nicosia aims to reconnect the two halves of the city. The project of Eleftheria Square is situated in the political context of Nicosia, Europe’s last divided capital and in the historical context of the adjacent Venetian Wall which is buffered by a recessed moat that presently consists of a mainly inaccessible garden and landscape areas. This massive fortification defines the extents of the ancient city and separates it from the modern city outside the walls.

Perceptual Twist (Art Gallery Entry) - Maribor, Slovenia

2010-08-17T10:47:00.005+01:00

This proposal, designed by Parabol Studio, for the new art gallery in Maribor, Slovenia is based on a relationship where the new building creates a dialog between its local environment and the larger urban context of Maribor. The project sets to create a dynamic relationship between the old city of Maribor and the new Art Gallery by creating a constant state of fluidity through the site, becoming a vital cultural hub along the Drava River. The building is composed of four continuous loops that merge into one space. Each loop contains it own separate program-the Children’s Museum, the Architecture Museum, the Creative Industrial Museum, and the Digital Arts Museum.

The Bond & Brook Restaurant - London, UK

2010-08-14T10:51:00.003+01:00

London-based design consultancy d_raw have completed the interior for the Bond & Brook Restaurant inside the Fenwick department store in London. All elements of the design have been created especially for the reclaimed space, most prominently a curtain of semi-reflective, floor to ceiling, asymmetric glass ‘fins’ that encircle the two store-facing sides of the restaurant, allowing the restaurant to be concealed or indeed opened up onto (and mixed with) the fashion floor, highlighting the stores several new acquisitions.

TED Cube Building - Taipei City, Taiwan

2010-08-13T12:00:00.005+01:00

TED is a public building in Taiwan that uses a form and highly mixed program to encourage a large cross section of users. Designed by BIG Architects, the 57 meter cubed building has an open section, or ‘street’ to allow full public access through the building. The access rises and dilates near the top of the building and opens onto a rooftop garden. The roof is to be a public park and informal performance area.

Olafur Eliasson: Innen Stadt Aussen

2010-08-10T09:08:00.003+01:00

Martin-Gropius-Bau
Niederkirchnerstraße 7
10963 Berlin

Daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Innen Stadt Aussen” is the first solo exhibition by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson in a Berlin institution. The exhibition’s central theme stems from Olafur Eliasson’s close relationship with Berlin, the city in which he has lived and worked for many years. After numerous international surveys and projects among others in London, New York, Kanazawa and Sydney, this exhibition will profit from the fact that Berlin, as a site of constant change, is still open to experiments with architecture and urban structure.

Video by Christophe Ecoffet, July 30, 2010.

Serpentine Pavilion 2010 - London, UK

2010-08-08T22:00:00.006+01:00

Serpentine Gallery
10 July - 17 October 2010

Open daily, 10am - 6pm
Friday evenings from 23 July to 8 October, the Pavilion is open until 10pm

Admission free

This year—the Serpentine's 40th Anniversary—the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is designed by world-renowned French architect Jean Nouvel. This 2010 Pavilion is the 10th commission in the Gallery’s annual series, the world’s first and most ambitious architectural programme of its kind. It will be the architect’s first completed building in the UK.

Aoyama Gallery - Tokyo, Japan

2010-08-08T20:55:00.005+01:00

Japanese designer Chikara Ohno of Sinato has created the ROLLS installation at the Diesel Denim Gallery Aoyama in Minato-ku, Tokyo. The characteristic of the material used for this installation, which is aluminum, is that it is very thin and easily bent by hands, yet harder than cloth or paper. Therefore it possesses both soft and hard qualities. By winding and sometimes extending this single, long strip of aluminum from the entrance to the back-end of the store, it creates a beautiful waving form, changing its function and features as the material strength changes. This flexible quality of the material represents a gentle connection between the softness of clothes and hardness of architecture.

Plastique Fantastique Installations - Berlin, Germany

2010-08-05T09:01:00.006+01:00

Based in Berlin, Plastique Fantastique experiments with public architectural works to create unique spatial experiences right in the middle of a city. These giant plastic bubble installations which take on different shapes in different cities, immediately snatch people’s attention and create a temporary focal point in the city centers. The bubble not only modifies the subject’s appearance, but also alters the perception of spaces citygoers are accustomed to. “It is foreigner which occupies and mutates usual relations and points of view.  By cropping the landscape, it gives birth to a new hybrid environment that allows an osmotic passage between private and public space,” added the team. The installations “crop the subject from its context” and draw the subject into a new realm of space. Whether people interact with the bubble simply from viewing it, or walking around the exterior, or actually moving through the interior, the piece is an instrument to experience the same physical setting in a new way.

An Atmosphere Excavated by John Becker

2010-08-03T21:18:00.004+01:00

Architecture graduate John Becker’s final project involved creating the future headquarters of a fictional company that sells bottled water harvested from dew. The Columbia University School of Architecture graduate also constructed an invented history of the brand, but based the story on the real-life practice of collecting water in “dew ponds” and set the story in a real location in southern England.

WTC Transit Hub - New York, USA

2010-08-03T17:02:00.002+01:00

This is the latest video of Santiago Calatrava’s transit hub at the World Trade Center site, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal and funded by Brookfield Properties.

Knokke Footbridge - Flanders, Belgium

2010-08-02T17:26:00.004+01:00

Situated on the Queen Elisabeth Avenue, connecting Knokke with Ostende, this pedestrian bridge designed by Ney & Partners full fills two functions. On the one hand, the bridge connects the sea dike with a green zone in the “Polders”, creating tourism possibilities for cyclists and pedestrians. On the other hand the bridge symbolizes the entrance into the marine city of Knokke Heist. The static model is a continuous beam with 102m length that rests on 4 supports. This creates an ideal span division of 28m/46m/28m.

Le Galilée - Toulouse, France

2010-07-30T10:12:00.005+01:00

Le Galilée was designed by Studio Bellecour and mainly functions as an office building. It is located in ZAC Andromede de Blagnac, near Toulouse – France where Airbuses are made. This contemporary building has been designed in such a way that it links two geometric volumes by a “voile” of white concrete. The two office buildings run over a total surface area of 10,500 square meters, respectively, one building covers 5,000 square meters while the other covers a total of 5,500 square meters. Both buildings have been designed to accommodate 700 people.

photos by Nicolas Borel

Eco-Cultural Master Plan - Baku, Azerbaijan

2010-07-28T10:13:00.001+01:00

Asymptote’s ecological improvement proposal for the capital city features a new cultural causeway linking its historic district to new architectural landmarks. The new master plan uses natural remediation to refurbish the ecological environment of Baku Bay reviving the city’s coastline along the Caspian Sea.

9 Hours Capsule Hotel - Kyoto, Japan

2010-07-27T16:31:00.003+01:00

The 9 Hours is the brand new capsule hotel unveiled by Tokyo-based Cubic Corp. Designed in a collaboration with designer Fumie Shibata of Design Studio S, it looks nothing like its predecessors and represents a revolution in the capsule concept.