BIQ - the world's first algae powered building - is set to be completed in Germany later this month. Built for the International Building Exhibition (IBA) in Hamburg, this zero-carbon apartment complex will sport a bright green facade-cum-algae farm, while its interior proposes a radical new theory on how we will live in the near future.
First envisioned back in 2003, the enormous crystalline glass structure stands nearly complete on top a historic warehouse on the edge of the River Elbe. Rising costs, delayed schedules and legal issues with the contractor, has plagued this magnificent concert hall with controversy. However, according a report in the German news magazine Der Spiegel, contractor Hochtief has initiated a new deal to ensure the completion of the concert hall.
A revised contract, which is expect to adjust the architect’s fee’s to €94 million (€17 million over the original project cost), has projected Elbphilharmonie will be completed within the next four years. The news is bittersweet, as the architectural community and the residents of Hamburg have been waiting years for this highly anticipated concert hall to be complete, yet they cringe at the news of an overblown €575 million price tag.
The latest technological developments and new areas of application in the field of Green Roofs will be presented at the 3rd International Green Roof Congress, which will be held in Hamburg. Organized by The International Green Roof Association (IGRA), the event will take place May 13-15, where acknowledged international Green Roof experts from various disciplines will discuss the status quo and the future trends of Green Roofs with architects, designers, landscape contractors and more. If you are interested in ‘Building with Nature’, this unique event will encompass a range of related topics To register, and for more information, please visit here.
Following an international competition, Richard Meier & Partners Architects has been selected to design a new mixed-use building in Hamburg Germany. Under the Richard Meier & Partners plan – one of three competing proposals – the site will become a remarkable place to work, live and relax in the HafenCity district.
Since 2007, controversy has been stirring due to the rising costs and delayed schedule of Herzog & de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, Germany. Recent reports state the court has approved the city of Hamburg’s €40 million lawsuit against the primary contractor HochTief, who has stopped working in four areas of the €600 million project this past November. HochTief blames the architect due to differences in its plans.