Designed by modostudio, the proposal for the Piazza d’Armi Urban Park aims to create a thematic interaction between the competition area and the adjacent existing urban tissue. The architects accomplish this by means of creating a park for this city that is decontextualized from the neighboring urban space and, at the same time, directly related to the skyline of the nearby mountains. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Designed by Gabriela Gomes, Shelter ByGG” brings out to public space a sculptural object that can be used as a living space. She proposes the creation of an habitable module, inviting you to rest inside a sculpture installed on a public space. Photographed by Joao Morgado, this project is an artistic manifestation that provides an innovative and unexpected experience as an accommodation space, associated with eco-‐sustainable solutions and mobility. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The design proposal by Najjar-Najjar Architects for the Zaarour Club Project intends to combine a year-round destination for mountain lovers in Lebanon with the requirements for a sustainable development in Zaarour. In this regard, the architects believe that it is most important to balance the development of real estate with attractions and activities in a healthy environment. The concept considers different functions and facilities in order to attract diverse users groups of all ages during the year. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The Indigo Consortium—comprising schmidt hammer lassen architects, aarhus arkitekterne, Creo Arkitekter and engineering consultants NNE Pharmaplan, Brix & Kamp Rådgivende Ingeniører, Oluf Jørgensen Rådgivende Ingeniører and Royal Haskoning—has won the competition to design the New Aalborg University Hospital in Northern Jutland, Denmark – a project of € 551.5 million. The winning design merges the new hospital complex with the sloping landscape in a smooth transition from the existing Aalborg University. The concept of the new masterplan is to create an urban structure where streets, paths and courtyards form greatly diverse spaces, while referring to the human scale in both the buildings and the spaces in between. More images and a description from schmidt hammer lassen architects after the break.
WEAVA Architects shared with us their proposal for the protestant church of Dong Sheng district, in the city of Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China. After three years of being on stand-by and having the site relocated twice, the city and the Association of Protestants of Ordos came to an agreement to pursue the construction of the new church. As a result, the team revealed a fresh and even more accomplished design scheme, which is based on one of the most ecclesiastical symbols. This led them to the dove of peace, which is the main concept for this church. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Tangentfield and Fourth Door Review’s Roots Architecture Workshop which is back again this year. They are bringing a hands-on practical lo-tech sustainable building experience to a corner of WOMAD festival in Wiltshire UK from July 26-29. Each ticket entitles you to 4 full days of collaborative workshop challenge, WOMAD camping, 3 delicious lunches and full access to the wonders of WOMAD festival each evening. A unique experience and memorable experience, team leaders and helpers this year include representatives from ‘Workshop’, Charley Brentnall, ‘Bamboo’ Jack Everett, Architecture Sans Frontiers, Engineers without borders, Article 25, Architecture for Humanity, and even acclaimed Superbolt Theatre Company. All are invited to participate. For more information, please visit here.
The Alvar Aalto Museum’s first mobile-phone service, AALTOsites, brings the Alvar Aalto-designed buildings in the Metropolitan Helsinki region to your smartphone. AALTOsites, downloadable free for smartphones, puts an interface to Aalto’s architecture and design directly into the user’s pocket.
Erottaja Pavilion, the Otaniemi campus, the Sähkötalo Electricity Building, and Artek, founded in 1935 as a showcase for Aalto’s design, are just some of the numerous Aalto sites shown by the service. More information on the mobile guide after the break.
The first prize winning design for the Technology Center in Bologna by gmp Architekten converts a former industrial heritage building into a modern technology park. With an area of about 110,000 square meters, the center includes an exhibition hall, laboratories, offices, a seedbed center for research affiliated with the university, and teaching facilities such as lecture halls and university institutes. In addition, there will be conference facilities, including hotel and service areas such as shops, a day nursery, restaurants and refectories to be established in the former power station. More images and architects’ description after the break.
WOHA‘s traveling exhibition, ‘Breathing Architecture’, is on its way to Taichung, Taiwan after a successful run at the acclaimed Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) in Frankfurt. Taking place at the Taichung Info-Box July 26-September 23, the exhibition features concepts of open structures which embrace aspects of community and permeability of form in response to climate and nature.
The New York office of Grimshaw and LA based Gruen Associates were officially awarded the Los Angeles Union Station master plan last Thursday. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) Board of Directors, chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, approved a nomination that sets in motion a two year master plan creation process to generate a new vision for Union Station, in conjunction with the general revitalization and growth of downtown Los Angeles as the city and metro look to the future. More architects’ description after the break.
The building of the Municipal Library and Archives Grândola by ER Studio aims to be a timeless reference, an icon that represents not only the past and present of the town of Grândola, but also their future ambitions. Their idea of the Monolith reminds us of the past buildings that have withstood the time, a library and an archive are nothing more than a large repository of knowledge that makes the bridge between past and present. More images and architects’ description after the break.
MoederscheimMoonen Architects recently won the competition for a new community center, ‘Het Anker’, in Zwolle, The Netherlands. The new building will include a multi-purpose sports hall for diverse sport activities and educational purposes, a community center, and diverse multifunctional areas. The design for the competition expresses the first ideas and intentions for a sustainable, transparent and green ‘landscaped’ building. More images and architects’ description after the break.
The 10 winners of the fifth VMZINC® Archizinc Trophy awards program, sponsored by the Umicore Group, were unveiled this month at the Terrass Kardinal in Paris. The bi-annual competition for architects requires that the submitted designs use VMZINC solutions in original projects. VMZINC is the international rolled zinc products brand manufactured and marketed by Umicore Building Products USA, headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Winners included six projects in the categories “Private Housing,” “Commercial Buildings,” and “Public Buildings”. More information on the winners after the break.
The design for a new 7,500 sqm Deinze Town Hall & Administrative Center, designed by Tony Fretton Architects, sets the administrative accommodation in a 5-storey reconfigurable loft building and the council chamber as a projecting double height room, with the public entrance foyer below. Commissioned by the City of Deinze following an international competition held in 2009, the building accommodates Deinze’s municipal departments, offices for the mayor and aldermen together with a new council chamber. The project is set to begin construction in early 2013. More images and architects’ description after the break.
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is inviting nominations for the 2012 World Monuments Fund/Knoll Modernism Prize. The prize will be awarded to a design professional or firm in recognition of innovative design solutions that preserved or saved a modern landmark at risk. Established in 2008, the goal is to raise public awareness of the contribution modernism makes to contemporary life and the important and influential role that architects and designers play in preserving modern heritage. Nominated projects should have enhanced a site’s architectural, functional, economic, and environmental sustainability while benefiting the community, and must have been completed in 2007 or after. Nominations must be submitted by July 31, 2012. More information on the competition after the break.
The architectural scene in Kerala, India is in its volatile best and hence the right time to breed path breaking design concepts in new age residential design. In this directionless period, the ‘residence NEXT’ workshop, put on by Indian Institute of Architects, Thrissur Center and The Architects Club, Thrissur, aims to spawn a few design thoughts that could be the guiding force for the future. Taking place September 27-29 at KT Muhammed Memorial Regional Theatre, students and young architects will be selected from all over the world based on their portfolios. For more information and how to apply, please visit their website here.
This post features time lapses of the construction of various venues that will be hosting the 2012 London Olympics. With the opening ceremony Friday, July 27, these construction time lapses give you an inside look to all of the effort put into the games. If you get a chance to watch the games, you will now have a new found appreciation for the amount of work it takes to hold a major event such as this. More videos after the break.
The Architects in Missions (AIM) recently launched their 2012 architecture competition with the topic, “Shengsi Islands: Renewing China’s Traditional Village Lifestyle.” In setting their sights upon the eastern gate of China: Shengsi Islands, participants are challenged in guiding the island villages toward a diversified economy through sustainable tourism development. Over the course of this society’s development, the unique fishing village, its products, and its lifestyle, represent a cultural resource that cannot be replicated. With the premise of helping the local population of the Shengsi Islands integrate into modern life, how can the ecology and residential environment of this archipelago be protected? The submission deadline is August 31. For more information, please visit here.