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zaha hadid alleges collusion against japanese government and architects over tokyo national stadium.

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responding to the winning proposal to design the tokyo national stadium, zaha hadid, who’s design won the juried international competition over two years, accuses the japanese government and local architects of collusion over tokyo national stadium.

[official zha statement] “we were honoured to be selected to design a stadium that would enable japan to welcome the world for the 2019 rugby world cup and bring the 2020 olympic games to tokyo, before becoming a new home for japanese sport for many future generations.

“sadly the japanese authorities, with the support of some of those from our own profession in japan, have colluded to close the doors on the project to the world.

“this shocking treatment of an international design and engineering team, as well as the respected japanese design companies with whom we worked, was not about design or budget. in fact much of our two years of detailed design work and the cost savings we recommended have been validated by the remarkable similarities of our original detailed stadium layout and our seating bowl configuration with those of the design announced today.

“work would already be underway building the stadium if the original design team had simply been able to develop this original design, avoiding the increased costs of an 18 month delay and risk that it may not be ready in time for the 2020 games.”

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above/below> kengo kuma’s winning concept incorporates the surrounding trees of the jingu shrine to create a stadium of wood and greenery. the roofing is a hybrid structure that uses wood and steel. the plan is for a stadium that cooperates with the surrounding environment and utilizes the latest technology to create a modern interpretation regarding japan’s climate, culture and tradition.

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above/below> what defines toyo ito’s runner-up concept is it’s unique and feathery undulating roof and the 72 wooden pillars. the weight-bearing pillars are symbolic of japan’s tradition of building pillars to honor festivities and also reference japan’s 72 micro-seasons.

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in the end, this project inspired two concepts, one a swank sculptural landmark that connects to the future, the other, a frugal nod to tradition that integrates with an everyday present.

somewhere in the research of this article, it was said that the track surface for kuma’s proposal will not pass olympic standards and the national stadium as is can accommodate the 2019 rugby world cup but not the 2020 olympics. but this is not confirmed.

so, each concept is not without controversy, the first led by credible rival local architects, two of whom were the winner and runner-up for the project. and both the runner-up and winner raise comments from even advocates that this is not their best efforts, suggesting a committee designed solution.

zaha does make a case for collusion with the following statement:

zaha hadid architects with arup sports won the international competition to design the new national stadium in 2012. the design was successfully used by tokyo in 2013 when bidding for the 2020 olympic and paralympic games.

zha and arup sports have been collaborating on the design with the sekkei joint venture that includes four of the largest design consultants in japan led by nikken sekkei.

the team selected in the new, restricted, competition includes azusa sekkei, who were part of the zha supervised original design team and focussed specifically on the seating bowl, and also one of the original contractors, taisei. taisei were contracted to deliver the ‘sunken bowl’ of the original zha/arup design (seating, access strategy, etc) and, along with azusa, had access to all of the detailed drawings, plans and work carried out over 2 years by the original design team.

this includes access to the detailed cost savings proposed (and associated design work) by the zha/arup sport including: reducing permanent capacity to 68k with temporary seats used to reach 80k; removing the retractable roof; removing air-conditioning from under each of the seats; removing the public walkway and viewing points around the venue,removing the permanent running track and removing the non-stadium functions such a convention centre, museum and gym. when zha proposed these changes they were rejected by the client and the team was eventually instructed to cease proposing cost-saving solutions. however, all these cost-saving solutions were adopted in the brief of the new competition.

zha wrote to the client on 21 august 2015 stressing that all the design work to date was the intellectual property of zha.

[ in-depth analysis of original zha stadium ]


before design: classic co-mingles with space&interiors. milan design week 2016

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2016 salone del mobile is set to host three major collateral events (before design: classic, space&interiors and stanze) dedicated to concepts of classic furnishings, architectural finishes and living — the first proposing an interesting dialogue in the context of the numerous contemporary products that debut annually. the ‘classic’ examines the notion of established value, timelessness and memorability and how it relates to creativity, art, design and cinema and how the old can influence the future.

before design: classic is an exhibition event, accompanied by a short film directed by matteo garrone (also the director of the well-known ‘gomorra’), brought together under the artistic leadership of studio ciarmoli queda. it tells the story of the ‘classic’ understood as a cross-cutting category of living that traverses various eras, while preserving its own constant actuality. the film is seen in a purpose-built theatre inspired by the teatro all’antica, a 16th century theatre built in sabbioneta, northern italy. the theatre merges classic language and modern styles to sum up the function of the classic furniture presented in this context.

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the exhibition itself is a multi-disciplinary display within a dedicated 800 square meters space inspired by a classic palladian villa. curated by studio ciarmoli queda, a milan-based artistic duo operating in the fields of architecture, art and design. visitors are led through a series of rooms, discovering the different characters and themes of classic furniture, a music space, a light room, to one dedicated to the art of shadows. italian visual artists such as lisa rampilli and marco basta, who will respectively work with velvet and ceramics, created decorative elements inspired by the classic styles on display throughout the exhibition.
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the city event linked directly to the salone del mobile.milano will be space&interiors, organized by tmade expo at the mall porta nuova – brera design district: a display of surfaces, flooring, doors and interior finishings curated migliore+servetto architects.

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within the ambit of the xxi triennale international exhibition, the salone del mobile hosts stanze. altre filosofie dell’abitare – rooms. novel living concepts — an exhibition curated by beppe finessi, at the palazzo dell’arte in milan from april 2nd to september 12th, 2016.

over the last 50 years, there has been little reflection on the profession of interior architecture. there’s now an accurate perception that the creative discipline has remained a severely undervalued sphere of design over the years, even though it is a prime field of exploration, study and reflection regarding our understanding of how our environment impacts our everyday lives. ‘rooms. novel living concepts’ is geared at underlining a particular remit of interior architecture and providing a vision of home living projected towards the future. the exhibition invites 11 interior architects and designers — alessandro mendini, andrea anastasio, carlo ratti, duilio forte, elisabetta terragni, fabio novembre, francesco librizzi, lazzarini e pickering, manolo de giorgi, marta laudani and marco romanelli, and umberto riva — to envision domestic spaces that illustrate their own philosophies and concepts of living.

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bjarke ingels envisions new washington redskins sports stadium.

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above/below> concept model for new washington redskin football stadium

trending and talented danish architect bjarke ingels hit the air ways today on 60 minutes to talk about another bigbjarke ingels group concept, this time a spec proposal for a new football stadium for the washington redskins.

in the past 24 months sports stadium proposals have been sensitive topics [ zaha hadid: national stadium tokyo ] and the architect did himself no favors with a presentation that could be construed as flip: surfing in a stadium-surrounding moat.

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the stadium is designed as much for the tailgating, like the pre-game, as for the game itself,” ingels tells 60 minutes.” tailgating literally becomes a picnic in a park. it can actually make the stadium a more lively destination throughout the year without ruining the turf for the football game.” tailgating is integral to football and off-season multi-purposing an economical and engaging concept though some of the proposed activities do seem better suited for california or hawaii. somewhere in the back of my mind, ingels may be messing with mad-hatter redskins owner, daniel snyder, but then again, maybe not. that said, early on notions to ingels preliminary concepts can be just that as they are imagination-shaping and he’s expert at it, in a signature big way. this would be the first sports stadium designed by big. please, in the next iteration, consider a dome (a super bowl bid) and maybe eschew a beach.

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all ‘the spiral’ images courtesy of bjarke ingels group / tishman speyer

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this property would do well as select luxury residences. [ big ]

rolf sachs offers a different perspective in restaurant dolder grand.

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artist rolf sachs presents a new design concept for the dolder grand hotel’s new restaurant: saltz. inspired by the new interior, chef à la carte patrick hetz presents corresponding culinary creations. the dolder grand’s new all-day dining restaurant saltz opened march 8, 2016.

renowned for creating “emotionalized” works, sachs draws much of his inspiration from his immediate environment. he moves freely between art and design and is known for surprising audiences – encouraging them to question preconceptions and view objects from a different perspective. for the interior of saltz, sachs used elements of the surrounding swiss landscape and its cultural references as inspiration.

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in the 280 sqm restaurant sachs combines unusual materials such as neon lights, salt, rock and felt in an unexpected way to form artworks and custom made furniture paired with classic chair designs by eero saarinen and jean prouvé. ranging from the more theatrical to the cosy, each area conveys a different ambience and character, inviting the diners to respond with their own thoughts and reactions.

chef à la carte patrick hetz creates international cuisine using both typical and, at times, uncommon, locally sourced produce. the saltz bar offers guests a number of choices: an aperitif before dinner, a quick, light snack in a comfortable setting, or a lively place for single diners to enjoy a meal overlooking all the activity in the restaurant.

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the new restaurant of the dolder grand, which opened on 8 march 2016, offers two distinct culinary concepts: the saltz restaurant with chef à la carte patrick hetz and the restaurant (2 michelin stars, 18 gaultmillau points) with chef fine dining heiko nieder.

zaha hadid’s unfinished projects set to open in 2016.

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the sudden death of pritzker prize-winning architect zaha hadid rocked architecture. though her successes and failures were exposed on almost a weekly basis, this news caused pause, an assurance, that indeed the world endured a loss. whatever your opinion, hadid’s signature pieces will keep her ethos and spirit alive. her firm, zha, has 36 projects in 21 countries under construction or in detailed design development. here are four awaited projects that are scheduled to be completed in 2016.

above / below> king abdullah petroleum studies and research center | rijadh, saudi arabia
the vision is a center focused on technical and environmental concern endeavors. the organic form enables expansion and transformation. a strong protective outer shell concealing soft, porous sheltered courtyards within.

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below> port house | antwerp, belgium
the port house combines a new beam-shaped structure and a former fire brigade building into a new headquarters for the port authority. the articulated glass walls – some transparent, others reflective – in reference to the antwerp diamond trade.

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below> salerno maritime terminal | salerno, italy
the terminal resembles the oyster – its hard shell enclosing soft, fluid elements within. key focal points – ticket desks, restaurant, waiting room – steer passengers from ground level to upper deck. by night, the ‘glow’ of the terminal functions almost like a lighthouse.

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below> mathematics gallery science museum | london
the gallery explores the many influences of mathematics in our daily lives. the gallery’s design and layout is defined by mathematical equations that determine the three-dimensional curved surfaces representing the patterns of airflow that would have streamed around an historic 1929 aircraft at the center of the exhibition.

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[ zha ]

following luminaire during milan design week 2016. day 1.

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above> interni’s open borders exhibition at universita degli studi di milano

miami and chicago based luminaire offered DesignApplause a glimpse of milan design week 2016 through their eyes. four of those eyes belong to founders nasir and nargis kassamali.

[ day 1 ]

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towers by sergei tchoban, sergey kuznetsove and agniya sterligova; and invisible border by mad architects

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ron arad and nasir (and nargis) at along the lines of happiness installation by laura ellen bacon and sebastian cox

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naoto fukasawa sitting on his papilio chair at the b&b italia showroom

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entrance of pallazzo litta

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exhibition of vitra’s physix chair by alberto meda

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jean marie massaud at porro showroom

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moooi space

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konstantin grcic signing a special edition of classicon drawing book for nasir

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paola lenti outdoor collection

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details and inspirations at paola lenti

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[ see all the photos of day 1 ]

following luminaire during milan design week 2016. day 2.

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above> entrance to fairgrounds

miami and chicago based luminaire offered DesignApplause a glimpse of milan design week 2016 through their eyes. four of those eyes belong to founders nasir and nargis kassamali.

[ day 2 ]

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desalto space at salone del mobile 2016
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catifa 53 chairs designed by lievore altherr molina for arper
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flexform space at salone del mobile 2016
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kartell space at salone del mobile 2016
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piero lissoni and nasir
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maruni space at salone del mobile 2016
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rock table designed by jean marie massaud for mdf
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metallico table designed by piero lissoni for porro
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glas italia space at salone del mobile 2016
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32 philippe starck explaining his designs for stanley
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nargis in classicon space at salone del mobile 2016

oma at the met. manus x machina: fashion in an age of technology.

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on view through 14 august 2016.

fashion lures architecture and design to the metropolitan museum of art’s costume institute spring 2016 exhibition, manus x machina: fashion in an age of technology. the exhibition explores how designers are reconciling the handmade and the machine-made in the creation of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear. manus x machina features over 170 garments, diverse in their designers, techniques and details.

the credits
manus x machina is organized by andrew bolton, curator in charge of the metropolitan museum of art’s costume institute. shohei shigematsu, director of oma new york, led the design of the exhibition in collaboration with the design department (amo) of oma new york.

the architecture
from the architect> the exhibition is presented in the robert lehman wing, a double-height, octagonal addition on the museum’s central axis constructed in 1975. in order to preserve access to the permanent galleries, the exhibition space is located in the lehman wing’s central atrium and corridors. the space posed a number of unique environmental challenges for the costume institute’s show: excessive daylighting unconducive to textile exhibition, split levels, a corridor condition lacking dedicated display walls and an eclectic material palette.

a white, translucent volume was inserted into the existing brick and stone corridors of the lehman wing, softening its hard geometries. echoing the sectional relationship of a central clerestory and perimeter naves, the resulting ghost cathedral resonates with the classical language of the adjacent medieval art gallery. a raised platform built across the double height atrium provides continuous circulation and a 2,300 square foot central gallery– an unprecedented intervention in the lehman wing. upon arrival, this domed clerestory orients visitor’s with a 2014 chanel wedding dress by karl lagerfeld that embodies the exhibition’s theme. details of the 20-foot train’s baroque pattern are projected on the dome’s black out scrim, recalling the sistine chapel. four chapel-style pochés provide an area to focus on case studies.

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exhibition designer shohei shigematsu commented, “the diverse range of garments required a neutral, integrated environment to focus on the pairings of manual and mechanical processes. an armature of scaffolding wrapped with a translucent fabric introduces a unique temporality within a historic institution.”

as a high-performance theatrical scrim, the perforated membrane material of the ghost cathedral offers the tensile flexibility required for the dome geometries as well as varying degrees of transparency. when lit from the front, the scrim appears opaque enough to function as a projection backdrop for garment details. lit from behind, the scrim appears transparent, exposing a sense of the lehman wing’s existing material palette and language. the unexpected spatial depth of the scrim allows for visual connections to the wedding dress from all quadrants of the lehman wing, while also revealing silhouettes of the temporary scaffolding framework housed within. in the lower level, scrim enfilades provide a permeable divider for each technique. as an integrated system for lighting, signage and projection, the scrim seamlessly serves multiple curation needs that would otherwise rely on overpowering media screens.

photography courtesy of oma

technical information
manus x machina: fashion in an age of technology
location: new york city usa
year: 2016
status: completed (commissioned 2015 / completion may 2016)
program: 18,300 sf exhibition
scrim surface area: 23,000 sf
architect: oma
lead architect: shohei shigematsu / oma nyc
team: scott abrahams, wesley ho, nicholas solakian, sergio zapata, daniel rauchwerger, lawrence siu, darby foreman, matthew haseltine, christine noblejas
engineering: arup
lighting: dot dash
media: 3 legged dog
membrane: newmat
scaffolding: ubs
masonry: cw keller
photography: albert večerka

the fashion
andrew bolton’s brilliant new exhibition at the metropolitan museum of art’s costume institute – the costume institute began as the museum of costume art in 1937, merged with the met in 1946, and reopened its space as the anna wintour costume centre in may 2014 – explores the relationship between the handmade and the mechanized in fashion. bolton’s vision pays homage to craftsmanship, innovation and the role designers play in the creative process.

the show’s galleries are divided into tenets of design outlined in diderot’s 1751 encyclopedia: embroidery, featherwork, artificial flowers, lacework, leatherwork, pleating, tailoring, and dressmaking. another interesting counterpoint emerges: haute couture versus prêt-à-porter.

alber elbaz succinctly explained why “manus x machina” is so important at a lecture prior to the opening: “it was almost an exhibition that was done for designers and with designers’ work. it was about workmanship, about know-how, about time, and the one thing that impressed me the most was that it was almost silent. . . . please go and see it.”

this is an exhibition for true fashion lovers.

 

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left> lazaro hernandez & jack mccollough / proenza schouler / autumn-winter 2015-16, prêt-à-porter right> iris van herpen / autumn-winter 2013-14 haute couture
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woha presents exhibition: fragments of an urban future. 2016 venice architecture biennale.

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above> skyville @ dawson 2007 > 2015

singapore-based firm woha announces their contribution to the xv international architecture exhibition—la biennale di venezia (28 may-27 november 2016), as part of the gaa foundation’s collateral exhibition time space existence. located at the palazzo bembo, fragments of an urban future answers to the most pressing issues facing megacities today—unprecedented urbanization, accelerating climate change, and the need for preservation of tropical biodiversity. a selection of woha’s most recent work shows how the firm’s vertical ecosystems transform these challenges into inspiring models for sustainable building.

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three projects selected from woha’s innovative portfolio are the centerpiece of the immersive multimedia exhibition, designed to draw visitors into the vertical environments. among them is parkroyal on pickering (2013), an innovative hotel that has been celebrated for its topographical architecture and the blurring of boundaries between building and landscape; skyville @ dawson (2015) boldly redefines the model for social housing development with its sky villages and lush gardens on multiple ground levels; and the oasia downtown hotel (2016), enveloped by a living green façade, embraces the notion of breathing architecture and reimagines urban ecosystems for both humans and living creatures alike.

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above / below> skyville @ dawson is a public housing project that addresses the themes of community, variety and sustainability. three 47-storey towers are designed with breezeway atria that are cooled and ventilated by horizontal and vertical breezeways. every dwelling unit belongs to a ‘sky village’ that comprises 80 homes. a total of 12 villages are stacked in four layers across the 3 inter-connected blocks. to maintain a sense of human scale, every village shares community spaces and a communal terrace. a publicly accessible park on the roof, and extensive public parkland at ground level, further contributes to the high-density high-amenity development.

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above / below> based on the concept of a hotel-and-office in a garden, parkroyal on pickering investigates the potential of green intensification in a dense metropolis and transforms the abstract building-as-silhouette into one with rich detail and tactility. its topographic architecture podium is designed as a land form for landscape that extends the green of the adjacent public park vertically into the building as one continuous sweep of urban parkland. facilitating the public life of the city, the building’s porte-cochere opens up as a gateway that physically and visually links singapore’s business and historical districts.

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above / below> a verdant tower of green in the heart of singapore’s dense central business district, oasia downtown is a prototype of land use intensification with a tropical approach. instead of a fully glazed and air-conditioned building, the tower contains three well-ventilated atria surrounded by l-shaped blocks of hotel rooms and offices. these provide naturally cross ventilated spaces and dynamic internal views. each elevated ground level is treated as an urban scale veranda, sheltered by the one above. landscaping forms a major part of the development’s material palette, creating an alternative image that is distinct from the surrounding curtain-walled towers of the cbd.

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[ woha ] in 1994, architects wong mun summ and richard hassell founded singapore-based woha. as one of southeast asia’s preeminent architectural offices, woha integrates environmental principles at every stage of the design process. their strategies champion biodiversity, sustainability, and the local vernacular to design responsive building solutions for the city of tomorrow. the firm’s awareness of context and tradition is intertwined with an ongoing exploration of contemporary architectural questions, uniquely fusing practicality and invention.

woha’s architectural repertoire—throughout southeast asia, china, and australia—ranges from residential towers and hotels to transportation hubs and public institutions. their designs reconfigure the elements of a building, breathing smart design into the dense landscape of the megacity. woha’s blueprint for sustainable development imagines a biophilic future where towering structures evolve in harmony with native ecosystems and urban communities.

underscoring woha’s contributions to the advancement of architecture, the practice has received numerous international awards, including the international highrise award (2010), the prestigious aga khan award for architecture (2007), the renowned riba lubetkin prize (2011), and most recently, the urban habitat award (2015). the firm’s most acclaimed projects have been featured in many international publications, including urban environment design (ued) magazine (2015), dense + green: innovative building types for sustainable urban architecture (2015), greening asia: emerging principles for sustainable architecture (2012) and the phaidon atlas of 21st century world architecture (2011). in 2011, a traveling exhibition devoted exclusively to their work opened at the deutsches architekturmuseum in germany. garden city mega city (2016) follows the publication of four substantial monographs—woha: selected projects vol. 1 (2011) and vol. 2 (2014), woha: breathing architecture (2011), and woha: the architecture of woha (2009).

blending practice and pedagogy, hassell and wong also teach at the national university of singapore and the singapore university of technology and design (sutd), and have lectured widely at universities around the world such as the harvard university graduate school of design, the university of hong kong and the university of western australia.

the mart unveils transformative renovations just in time for neocon 2016.

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themart grand stair
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this year’s neocon attendees will be the first to experience the first major renovation at the mart in 40 years. the cost: $40 million. a new name too: themart.

this transformation centers around the grand stair, a communal space connecting themart’s first and second floors, and includes a large multi-purpose space atop the grand stair on the second floor, a modernized, urban food hall and an expanded riverfront park with alfresco seating. attendees at the upcoming neocon 2016 event (june 13-15, 2016) will be the first to experience the new 1st and 2nd floor layout and amenities, including a specially curated lounge furnished with product from themart showrooms.

dynamic elements of the renovation include:

• the grand stair: a monumental new portal of themart, the 50-ft wide majestic staircase creates a connection between the first two floors, and also serves as a meeting or workspace with stadium seating, a large projection wall and free wi-fi.

• the lounge: a multi-purpose space with views of the chicago river and skyline, located atop the grand stair, will feature food-service and provide various areas to meet, work and socialize. during neocon, the lounge will offer food service provided by lettuce entertain you restaurants and be a convenient meeting place for all participants. comfortable seating and complimentary wifi will offer a welcome respite from the busy showroom and exhibit hall floors. lounge furnishings include casual and dining furniture by allermuir, bernhardt design, davis, hbf, herman miller and stylex, and floor coverings by masland carpets.

• the food hall: a reconfigured, reinvigorated and dramatically designed seating area with more natural light will engage visitors beyond dining and offer additional space for lounging, socializing and working.

• river drive park: a 5,000 square-foot outdoor green space along the riverfront connects tenants, visitors and pedestrians to themart’s main entry, and includes seating and shaded areas with dramatic views of the river and chicago skyline.

• reception/information desk: a new greeting point for the building located at the base of the grand stair.

vornado realty trust, the property’s owner, engaged innovative new york-based architecture, strategy and design firm a+i to lead the design process throughout the three-year capital improvements renovation project.

“rather than creating a port of entrance and exit, the architectural features of themart’s new lobby allow for a new kind of engagement by slowing down the pace of passage,” states brad zizmor, principal and co-founder of a+i. “the grand stair and reception area create a spectacular architectural landscape conducive to reflection, thinking and socializing. in keeping with a+i’s reinvention of the lobby as a programmatic space to dwell in, as opposed to pass through, we designed a colossal stair with a physical structure that is 80% meant to be lingered on as opposed to being walked on.”

other building upgrades neocon participants will find include:

• enhanced wifi service on the first and second floors
• A NEW BANK OF AUTOMATED ELEVATORS ON THE FAR WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING SERVING ALL FLOORS
• a completely renovated seventh floor exhibit hall featuring new floor coverings, wall system, lighting, wayfinding, and enhanced wifi service

about themart: one of the largest commercial buildings in the world, the 4.2 million sf merchandise mart (themart) is located in chicago, il along the chicago river. completed in 1930, the building continues to meet the changing needs of the office and showroom businesses it serves. as a gold-eb oem leed certified building, themart is committed to creating and maintaining sustainable environments.

can you feel the love?

a spa in the style of a contemporary barn: spa des saules. jouin manku.

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our story starts in a small village with just 600 inhabitants on the banks of a gently flowing river, a bucolic picture postcard from eastern france. it’s here, at the edge of the village, that the haeberlin family established the now famous auberge de l’ill over 150 years ago. with its three michelin stars, maintained in an unbroken run since 1967, the auberge de l’ill is part of the heritage of alsace and french gastronomic tradition.

today marc haeberlin presides over the kitchen, supported by his sister danielle baumann and her children, who run the gastronomic restaurant, and marco baumann, who runs the adjacent hotel. in 2007, marc haeberlin and danielle baumann commissioned patrick jouin and sanjit manku to carefully rethink the architectural concept of the restaurant’s interiors.

above> danielle baumann and marco baumann / below> auberge de l’ill by jouin manku 2007

above/below> this marked the beginning of a loyal friendship that continued with the design of the haras de strasbourg in 2014, the chef’s first brasserie, in exceptional surroundings at the heart of the alsatian capital, which has been incredibly successful.

in 2016, danielle and marco decided to extend their hotel’s capacity and to equip the hôtel des berges with a new annexe, the spa des saules. architecture and interior design were entrusted to jouin manku, in collaboration with silvio rauseo. by way of a brief, the two designers were (in all confidence) given carte blanche to design a place for rest and relaxation, a complete break, where time is suspended.

below> the modern barn with suites/balconies in foreground 2016


for marco and edouard baumann, the idea was to create a place that would go beyond hospitality and give the visitor the impression of being a guest in their home. their ambition was to equip the hôtel des berges with a spa and meditation space that would allow guests to get the most from this oasis of calm at the heart of the alsatian countryside. this is how patrick jouin and sanjit manku came to imagine a space ‘of one’s dreams’, a new building of a simple, pared-back design, ideal for enjoying a moment of wellbeing and total relaxation. there are just five junior suites, ensuring the calm environment is preserved, a mineral spa, whose treatments are inspired by the roman baths of the region, and a ‘multi-faith chapel’, a space ideally suited for a spiritual retreat.

below> the spa 2016

patrick jouin and sanjit manku’s proposal was to faithfully respect the baumann family’s wishes. but took the fairly radical decision to pare back the design, to keep just the essential, removing any superficial detail or ornamentation from the project. spiritual, a stay at the hôtel des berges is a moment to refocus and recharge the batteries. an authentic simplicity, and meditation, are the project’s key themes. the architecture had to reflect these directional ideas.

patrick jouin and sanjit manku designed the annexe by drawing for inspiration on the timber frames of the alsace region’s vast old barns. materials are natural and untreated, the palette of colors very limited: an oak timber structure rests on a concrete volume, the whole then placed on smooth grey stone. materials are left in their natural state and not re-worked. they express the authentic, natural characteristics that inspired the designers. from the outside looking through the trees, the visitor can see an imposing timber frame that literally envelops the building, a roof tiled in dark grey tiles and a volume in raw concrete. upstairs are the five junior suites, each 430 sqf / 40 sqm with 23 ft / 7m-high ceilings. on the ground floor the spa includes a hot pool that extends outside from within the building.

below> the suites 2016

chicago’s barack obama presidential library concepts unveiled. twbta architects.

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above> rendering courtesy obama foundation

today barack and michelle obama came (home) to chicago to unveil concepts of the barack obama presidential center, the designated library for the 44th president of the united states. to an invitation-only event for 300 of the city’s and site neighborhood civic leaders. the former president said there is a tendency to see presidential libraries as “a monument to the past, a little bit of ego-tripping.” instead, he wants a building that “looked forward, not backward, and would provide a place to train future leaders to make a change in their communities, countries and the world.”

the site is 10 miles south of chicago’s loop and a stones throw west of where the world’s columbian exposition was held, a world’s fair in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of christopher columbus’s arrival in the new world in 1492.

the project eliminates cornell drive a major commuter route that cut through the park and was a contentious option to pull off. however, the result will be to tie together a natural environment of lakes and parks and lake michigan to the east and a built environment to the west. the library promises to strengthen the local economy, create new jobs and revitalize the historic park in the process.
above > courtesy e. jason wambsgans chicago tribune / below> aerial view courtesy chicago tribune and site plan renderings courtesy obama foundation

the presidential center is not a single building but a series of buildings that form a campus, similar to richard meier‘s ‘separate building’ concept of the getty center in los angeles. the structural architectural footprint is reduced by the roofs of the adjacent single-story library and forum with its covered plantings to create new park land. ‘together these buildings will form a campus, a place for doing and making, as well as looking and learning, and will build upon jackson park’s history as a public gathering place on the south side,’ explains the obama foundation.

the museum tower is 180 feet tall and contains an exhibition space along with education and meeting rooms. to it’s south is the forum building with an auditorium, restaurant with a public garden and the library building.

of keen interest, the library will be the first presidential library to fully digitize obama’s unclassified paper records. the paper documents themselves are at separate facilities maintained by the national archives and records administration (nara), which has control over obama’s records, the foundation said. nara can provide access to the obama presidential records virtually. if the library, or another museum, needs a physical copy of a document, it will be made available on loan from the national archives.

the obama foundation selected tod williams billie tsien architects | partners (twbta) to lead the design team and interactive design architects (idea) to be their partner. twbta stood out in their commitment to explore the best ways of creating an innovative center for citizenship. headquartered in new york, the studio focuses on work for institutions including museums, schools, and not-for-profits. their buildings are carefully made from the inside out to be functional in ways that speak to both efficiency and the spirit. idea brings local knowledge and a track record for delivering excellence to large, complex civic projects.

“we’re building a living, working center for good citizenship. right here on the south side of chicago. wherever you call home, whatever your walk of life, we hope you’ll join us.” ~ barack obama [ obama foundation ] [ the finalists ]

raw edges designs ‘steps’ for now gallery.

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above > ‘steps’ is a new concrete seating design, aimed to redefine how people use public space

[ raw edges ], a london design studio, recently designed steps as a cluster of concrete seats which will live outside now gallery on peninsula square for the foreseeable future to create a place for two to nest, invite people to dwell, play, lean and relax in this new swathe of london and enjoy the developing surroundings. fabricated by mass concrete, the simplicity of the seating will both stand out from the contrasting concrete metropolis and blend into the surrounding verdant peninsula gardens.

Raw Edges Steps from Raw Edges Design Studio on Vimeo.

[ now gallery ] [ mass concrete ]

u.s. tax code overhaul would bulldoze incentive for restoring time-honored architectural gems.

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above > the rookery building’s central light court and lobby, remodeled in 1905 by frank lloyd wright. photo by raymond boyd/michael ochs archives collection/getty images

u.s. tax code overhaul would bulldoze incentive for restoring time-honored architectural gems. the overhaul of the tax code unveiled thursday by house republican leaders would hit hard at one of chicago’s great cultural assets. [rk] chicago tribune

a decade of artful negotiating louvre abu dhabi by ateliers jean nouvel opens.

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above > lacework of stainless steel and aluminum dome courtesy ateliers jean nouvel

conceived by ateliers jean nouvel in 2007, an assemblage of desert, sunlight, waterfront galleries and a stainless steel dome, on saadiyat island, louvre abu dhabi opens to the public 11 november 2017. the museum is an ambitious vision of france and united arab emirates whereby u.a.e. leases artwork from 17 french museums for a 30-year period. the artworks consist of a small portion of modern contemporary art amidst a vast infusion of histories and religions from a multitude of places.

the principle is that it remains a museum that belongs to the geography, and culture and identity of the country. ~jean nouvel

above & below courtesy ateliers jean nouvel

[ ateliers jean nouvel ] [ louvre abu dhabi ] [ the b1m ] [ tdic ]


2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 3 > 9 december.

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above > ellie abrams and meredith miller of t + e +a + m

t + e +a + m examine the ways that ruins—commonly aligned with 19th century romanticizing of authentic materiality—were always mediated through technologies of image production. ghostboxextends their material research that has previously addressed the packard plant in detroit by examining new typology: the big box superstore. these giant stores were once a celebrated destination on the urban outskirts and peripheries but they are increasingly abandoned as contemporary habits transform to online shopping. redistribution as a practice has the potential to recover a type of building that – unlike renovation, adaptive reuses, preservation, or restoration = permits the circulation of building components, taken apart, moved around, piled up, and mixed with new construction to create alternative uses. t + e + a + m is looking for a patron to make it happen.

[ 3 > 9 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 10 > 16 december.

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above > finite format 04, pezo von ellrichshausen (concepciôn chile)

pezo von ellrichshausen have an ongoing interest in multiples, their project finite format 04 runs through the serial sequencing of an imagined building form: half tower and half plinth. the project demonstrates a mathematical obsession; the imaged building is presented here as an outline described by six factors that resulted in 729 variations, framed and hung in a monumental salon-style grid. the serial nature of these works might suggest a reading against a lineage of art from the 1970s often called process or serial art, which exhausted an idea or concept in a monotonous way.

[ 10 > 16 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

announcing longlist for world’s best building: riba international list 2018.

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above > tirpitz / blåvand, denmark / big – bjarke ingels group / courtesy > laurian ghinitoiu

a biennial selection featuring some of the world’s best new—or recently completed—buildings, the riba international list 2018 comprises 62 individual buildings drawn from 29 countries. this list will get narrowed down to just four by a grand jury. across nine categories of buildings embracing public and private offices, places of worship, private homes and museums, apartment blocks, assembly plants, buildings responding to conflict and natural disasters, and new architectural landscapes.

the riba international list 2018 features 62 exceptional buildings from more than 28 countries: from a tranquil chapel wrapped within a forest canopy (sayama forest chapel japan) below>

to the bold re-imagining of a grain factory into a new contemporary art museum (zeitz mocaa, africa) below>

from a unesco world heritage site (wadden sea centre, denmark) below>

to a post-earthquake reconstruction project (guangming village, china) below>

the winners will be announced in december 2018. #RIBAIntPrize

2017 chicago architecture biennial week of 17 > 23 december.

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above > gar hall where 24 plinths are arranged according to the figure-ground relationship established by mies’s plan for the illinois institute of technology (iit.)

horizontal city asks 24 architects to reconsider the status of the architectural interior. the exercise foregrounds the importance of the interior as a model of sociability. the architects reference a photograph of a canonical interior, from any time period.

[ 17 > 23 december calendar ]

the second edition of the chicago architecture biennial (cab) is the largest architecture and design exhibition in north america, showcasing the transformative global impact of creativity and innovation in these fields. this year’s biennial features over 141 practitioners from more than 20 countries addressing the 2017 theme “make new history.” artistic directors sharon johnston and mark lee have selected architects and artists whose eye-opening creations will invite the public to explore how the latest architecture can and will make new history in places around the world. the main exhibition is free and open to the public from september 16, 2017 through january 7, 2018. we are particularly proud to premiere our opening in 2017 in alignment with expo chicago.

new us embassy unveiled in london. architects kieran timberlake.

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it helped that the supergalactic property prices of mayfair meant that the $1 billion cost of the new embassy could be financed by selling the old building, at no expense to the us taxpayer. yet even if the move was driven by expediency, there is still something both brave and inspired about relocating to this unlikely area, which could then be transformed by the embassy’s arrival. // this article edited for brevity / photos courtesy of kieran timberlake

a giant, translucent bladderwrack”, “a high security travelodge”, “a glass box covered in shite”. within hours of its unveiling the architectural press have chosen to be particularly unkind to the new us embassy, which president trump may or may not inaugurate at the still mysterious date when he comes to britain. when the competition-winning designs were received when in 2010, its detractors were dissenting members of the competition jury, lord (richard) rogers and the property developer lord palumbo, who opposed the choice of the young-ish winning practice, kieran timberlake. they would have preferred the winner to be one of rogers’s fellow winners of the pritzker prize – thom mayne of the los angeles practice morphosis, or the new york-based richard meier or pei cobb freed.

it’s a fortress, of course it is. the architects made it as nice a fortress as possible, a transparent, democratic, open, not-aggressive and environmentally responsible symbol of their country. it wants to combine, as james timberlake of its philadelphia-based architects put it, “security and sustainability”. while its form resembles a castle keep with a moat, it observes requirements to be set back from surrounding roads by 100ft, its concrete bulwarks disguised as earthworks, its anti-truck bollards are fig-leafed with hedges. the moat is an ornamental lake, set back to create gardens accessible to the public without crossing any security lines. the quarters assigned to the marines who guard the complex are like a tasteful metropolitan hotel.

its roof is covered with photovoltaic cells, rainwater is collected and recycled. the walls are in glass, symbolizing transparency, and then veiled on all sides except the north with ethylene tetrafluoroethylene screens to stop the building overheating in the sun. these efforts have been rewarded in both british and american ways of measuring environmental performance, breeam and leed: “outstanding” in the one and “platinum” in the other.

the offices are high ceilinged, well lit and open plan, with a view to encouraging the staff to be more collaborative and productive. dignity is given to all the consular and service entrances, not just the one for dignitaries. the experience of getting a visa, will take place in some of the least obnoxious spaces ever given to this purpose. a multicultural arts programme includes the work of british and american artists.

then there’s the decision, made in 2007, to put the embassy in the former industrial area of nine elms, between battersea power station and vauxhall, south of the thames, a quite different place from the grosvenor square location that the embassy was associated with for more than two centuries. the embassy since 1956, designed by modernist eero saarinen, was driven from there due to the increasing difficulty of protecting it.

it helped that the supergalactic property prices of mayfair meant that the $1 billion cost of the new embassy could be financed by selling the old building, at no expense to the us taxpayer. yet even if the move was driven by expediency, there is still something both brave and inspired about relocating to this unlikely area, which could then be transformed by the embassy’s arrival.

the new embassy is bland, vanilla, just as a diplomatic dinner is rarely riotous and a diplomatic speech is rarely spellbinding. timberlake’s multiple objectives are all good and worthy. they also contain the occasional conflict and contradiction – most obviously between being fortified and being nice – which the architects have chosen to smooth over rather than dramatise. the basic shape of the building is a cube, happens to be the most efficient shape for an office building.

but at this precise moment something calm and reasonable and seems quite precious. as timberlake explained the project to the press, you could see the current ambassador, woody johnson – the trump-appointed owner of american football team the new york jets – keep a poker face. you sensed the recycled grey water and leed ratings weren’t really his thing. you can only wonder what a trump-commissioned embassy would be like; something with huge columns or a bit of atlantic city or mar-a-lago, and not bothered about sustainability and public access.

the old boys preferred by rogers and palumbo would have offered more strident shapes but not something that would have better served the embassy’s public purpose. it also does a better job of combining high security and accessibility than its near neighbour, terry farrell’s mi6 building of 1992. the new embassy building is also better than everything else that developers are putting up around it. this is faint praise, of course, but it’s not damning.

[ full article – the guardian ]

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