Infrastructures: The Latest Architecture and News

Architectural designers Alan Cheung Kwok-lun and Sam Hau Sum-ming from Hong Kong have designed a conceptual passenger terminal building for the International Design Ideas Competition for Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point Passenger Terminal Building, in an attempt to link up China and Hong Kong through the reveal of nature. Inspired by the distant nature of the lands along the border, the proposed architecture does not merely fulfill the purpose of border crossing. It should be capable in enhancing the usability for both Hong Kong and Shenzhen citizens, as well as the aesthetic quality of the hidden natural surroundings. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Today, the existing station in Helsingborg is built into an anonymous office block. In the proposal by Metro Architects, the standalone station is expressed as a modern equivalent of the old train station from around 1860 which was located on the same site. The new structure will thus be an identity building and unifying node – for the station area as well as for Helsingborg as a whole becoming a signature building for the city. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The winning proposal for a new iconic pedestrian footbridge in the city of Be’er Sheva by Bar Orian Architects is a symbol of the current city’s development. The proposal creates a connection between the university and the future Hi-Tech industrial zone. The perforated steel cladding provides a shaded yet well ventilated space to shield the pedestrians from the harsh desert climate. More images and project description after the break.

L&A Design Group has developed an exciting contemporary bridge design as an architectural highlight of Wuxi Xidong Park, located in Jiangsu province, China. The bridge is planned to be the main connection between the north and south foreshores of the parks lake and allows visitors access to a small island destination that commands views over the water as well as café facilities and pocket gardens. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The building of the new metro in San Sebastian Donastia will connect the people and the different areas of the city in a new way. It will set a new standard for the future of the town and its way forward. It will offer donastiarras and visitors a new means of public transpiration, and be a part of the future pulse of San Sebastian Donastia. The entrance design by Snøhetta is based on a continuous movement from underground level to over ground, and vice versa. The design element goes from being a ceiling structure underground to create a roof structure over the stairs and up over ground. The structure describes the transition between the two states and connects the city life with the metro world. More images and architects’ description after the break.

In the summer of 2009, we shared Foster + Partners and URS Corporation spaceport project in New Mexico. The structure, which is the first spaceport in history, will host commercial operations by private space travel companies, such as Virgin Galactic. Today, we are sharing an update of the project as the Spaceport enjoyed its dedication ceremony a few days ago. Designed to meet LEED certification, The 110,000-plus square foot facility will feature energy-efficient techniques such as earth-tubes that will pre-condition the air to reduce HVAC costs by 50-70%. The architects explained, “The sinuous shape of the building in the landscape and its interior spaces seek to capture the drama and mystery of space flight itself, articulating the thrill of space travel for the first space tourists.”

More images after the break.