This week’s curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights projects submitted by established firms. From river-side commercial centers to mixed-use towers, this article explores commercial and residential functions designed by global architecture offices that are either conceptual, have won first-prize in design competitions, or are currently being realized.
Featuring a pedestrian bridge by Grimshaw Architects in France, and a finance-district skyscraper dubbed as the "Lighthouse of the 21st Century" by Ronald Lu & Partners, this roundup explores how established architecture firms have designed buildings that cater to the spatial and environmental needs of their users and respective functions. This round up also includes designs from SOM, IMPLMNT, Gensler, and Aedas, among other notable architects.
Read on to discover the 11 unbuilt projects, along with their descriptions from the architects.
Athlon
The competition of “International value athletics sports hall žirmūnų g. 1h, Vilnius, open architectural project” was aimed at creating an athletics sports hall in Vilnius in order for athletes to have a well equipped space for training. Our entry “ATHLON” won 1st place prize and is on it’s way to realization. The volumes of the building were designed to compliment it’s surroundings and existing infrastructure, provide comfortable and well designed spaces for athletes and visitors.
Canton House
Located north of Bucharest in the Carpathian Mountains is The CANTON House, a boutique mountain retreat for the southeastern region of Romania. Marc Thorpe Design was commissioned to design an off-grid cabin experience for the hotel’s offering. The cabin design is influenced by the Romanian vernacular of fully shingled wooden construction found predominantly in the rural towers and spires of religious architecture.
The Flower Clouds I Zhengzhou Metro Line-7 Stations
MASK Architects and Shenzhen-based Jiang & Associates Design (J&A) have collaborated to develop the conceptual interior design of the Zhengzhou metro line-7 stations. The first phase of Zhengzhou Rail Transit Line 7 starts from Dongzhao Station to Nangang Liu Station. The line is 26.82 kilometers long and has 20 stations, including 11 transfer stations. The line passes through Huiji District, Jinshui District, Zhongyuan District, and Erqi District, and is an important rail transit corridor covering the north-south development axis. Öznur Pınar ÇER, Danilo PETTA founders of MASK Architects say; Our new generation concept for a metro station in China is inspired by how commuters interact with the space and how they feel within the space on their daily routes. We know that sometimes this daily journey or commute can be very dull and boring, almost an unconscious journey that we don’t really focus on too much.
The Wuhan Chow Tai Fook Finance Center
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.jpg?1644839906 "The Wuhan Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre Tower by Ronald Lu & Partners. Image Courtesy of Ronald Lu & Partners")
.jpg?1644839907 "The Wuhan Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre Tower by Ronald Lu & Partners. Image Courtesy of Ronald Lu & Partners")
Award-winning architecture practice Ronald Lu & Partners, known for its sustainable, human-centric and future-ready designs, has announced that construction of the Wuhan Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre has begun on the Hankou Yangtze Riverfront in Wuhan, China, in collaboration with New World Development. This 475m tall skyscraper will be part of a transit-oriented development (TOD) project – a new standard for urban development in mainland China. TOD projects typically include a mix of commercial, residential, office, and entertainment spaces located near a transit station, creating convenient connections for communities and neighborhoods.
Fort Lauderdale Federal Courthouse
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it has approved Skidmore, Owings & Merrill’s (SOM) design concept for a new federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The building will rise ten stories on the southern bank of the Tarpon River in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, while offering significant new green spaces for city residents — including a riverfront riverfront trail that retains existing mangroves on the site. SOM’s design for the 252,000-square-foot building combines principles of classical architecture with state-of-the-art technology and sustainable design.
Toulouse Pedestrian Bridge
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.jpg?1644838468 "Toulouse Pedestrian Bridge by Grimshaw. Image Courtesy of Grimshaw")
.jpg?1644838538 "Toulouse Pedestrian Bridge by Grimshaw. Image Courtesy of Grimshaw")
.jpg?1644838480 "Toulouse Pedestrian Bridge by Grimshaw. Image Courtesy of Grimshaw")
International architecture practice Grimshaw, in partnership with Eiffage, leading the design team and Ingerop, ppa.architectures, ATP and Quartier Lumières, has won the competition to design Rapas pedestrian bridge in Toulouse in the south of France. The bridge is one of two bridges, announced as winners of the design competition led by Toulouse Metropole, that will serve to better connect pedestrians and cyclists to the regenerated Ile de Ramier - the new ‘green lung’ for the city on the river Garonne.
1 St Clair West
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.jpg?1644837869 "1 St Clair West by Gensler. Image Courtesy of Gensler")
1 St Clair West is a proposed tower of 49 storeys/165.63 meters in Toronto's midtown. It is to be built atop an expanded 12-storey, 1968-built Modernist office building. Existing retail space at ground level will be improved, office floor plates from floors four to 11 will be expanded, and 340 residential suites are to be built up top. Designed by Gensler for Slate Asset Management.
Zhangjiang Central Station Hub
The consortium of Aedas and Shenzhen Urban Transport Planning Center won the international competition to create a conceptual plan for the Zhanjiang Central Station Hub at the coastal city in South China. Zhanjiang Central Station is located in the geographic center of Zhanjiang City, converging 5 strategic rail links to connect major economic zones in South China. The plot is adjacent to the city’s main arterial roads, with a total land area of over 400,000 square meters. The design strives to rationally integrate the diverse elements of offices, apartments, hotels, commerce, public services and more around the transportation hub and with the urban fabric, to create a station-city living room.
Modular Housing
Assembly Three x Studio Nine Architects
Adelaide firm Studio Nine Architects has designed a series of five next generation of modular prefabricated spaces ideal for tourist accommodation solutions or additions to your backyard. With numerous prefabricated offerings currently on the market, Assembly Three’s point of difference comes down to their construction — utilizing XFrame, an innovative, light-weight timber framing system that is carbon negative and rapidly recoverable. The new-age construction method unlocks hard to reach, off-grid location that traditionally haven’t been suitable for development.
Letovo Education Center
Atelier PRO Architects and Bureau Druzhba
.jpg?1644838270 "Letovo Educational Centre by Atelier PRO Architects. Image © Atelier PRO Architects")
.jpg?1644838286 "Letovo Educational Centre by Atelier PRO Architects. Image © Atelier PRO Architects")
The winner of the international competition to develop a concept design for Letovo Educational center in Moscow is the consortium of the Dutch bureau Atelier PRO Architects and the Russian architectural bureau "Druzhba". The competition was initiated by the Level Group, the organizer of the competition and the author of the technical task - Citymakers. The winning concept is based on the idea of a “continuous educational landscape”, where each element of the school contributes to the learning and interaction of students. The project of the school includes 5 compact modules: two educational, cultural, sports and central. They are united by a central corridor or "big alley", which unites all functional areas.
One Park Jax
Global architecture and design firm Perkins&Will has been named the winner of an international design competition to reimagine a coveted waterfront site in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The firm’s winning proposal, known as “One Park Jax,” transforms the City’s Riverfront Plaza, formerly known as The Landing, into a vibrant, must-see, must-experience public place. The design was informed with input from Jacksonville residents, which the firm actively solicited over several months through on-the-ground and virtual community engagement. It includes a central lawn, a play space, a river terrace, a beer garden, a park pavilion building, and a “sky garden” which includes outdoor dining options, a bike and pedestrian connection to the Main Street bridge, and an iconic sculpture depicting the word “Jax.”
HOW TO SUBMIT AN UNBUILT PROJECT
We highly appreciate the input from our readers and are always happy to see more projects designed by them. If you have an Unbuilt project to submit, click here and follow the guidelines. Our curators will review your submission and get back to you in case it is selected for a feature.
