Richard Meier & Partners has unveiled the design of the Oaks Prague Villas, the firm’s first residential project in the Czech Republic. Located outside of Prague in the Nebřenice countryside, the villas will join the Oaks Frontline Apartments (also designed by Richard Meier & Partners) as well as structures by top architects including Eva Jiřičná and John Pawson in creating a new modern residential community called the Oaks Prague Development.
Unbuilt Project
Richard Meier & Partners Designs Two Villas for Ground-Up Modern Community in Czech Republic
Luminous, Transparent Mixed Use Tower Will Mark the Skyline of Saint-Malo, France
Located outside of Saint-Malo’s train station, this soaring 55-meter beacon building will establish itself as an entrance to the city. The Semaphore is the product of French architects a/LTA + Ateliers Laporte and holds a strong identity and concept in creating a dynamic, engaging environment while blending harmoniously into its surrounding environment.
OOPEAA Wins Multi-functional Church and Social Housing Proposal in Helsinki
OOPEAA and Lujatalo worked together to design the winning proposal for a new multi-functional church and social housing project for Tikkurila, Helsinki entitled Church in the City. The project is unique in the way that the architect, builder, and client participated in a highly collaborative design process.
Dominique Perrault's Crystalline Glass Scheme Wins Competition for Underground Multi-Modal Hub in Seoul
Dominique Perrault Architecture has been selected as the winner of an international competition to design the Gangnam International Transit Center, a new multimodal hub and shopping center located in the heart of Seoul, South Korea.
Called Lightwalk, the project will be centered around a below and above ground axial corridor described by the architects as “minimalistic, yet incredibly powerful gesture” in dialogue with the nearby Han River, Tancheon Stream and the mountains beyond. Within the “groundwalk” and surrounding area will be exhibition spaces, cafes, restaurants, offices and an educational center. Underground spaces will be located beneath a crystalline glass roof, connecting program back to the city and natural light and air.
See the full description from the architects below.
Morris Adjmi Architects Unveils Gothic-Inspired NYC Residential Skyscraper
New York City’s latest full-floor luxury apartments are officially for sale in Morris Adjmi Architects’ first ever residential tower, 30 E 31. At 500 feet tall and 40 stories, this building will feature 42 one- and two-bedroom homes with a duplex penthouse—with prices ranging anywhere from $1.65 to $12 mil. Located in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, the building's design draws from its Gothic context. On the facade, 6 columns emphasize the skyscraper's verticality and at the top of the building turn into a diagrid pattern reminiscent of a barrel-vaulted ceiling.
UNStudio Designs Dubai Supertall with One of the World's Tallest Ceramic Facades
UNStudio, working in collaboration with Werner Sobek, have unveiled their designs for the Wasl Tower, a 300-meter tall skyscraper in Dubai. Centrally located along the main thoroughfare that connects the Emirates north to south, the Wasl Tower sits directly opposite the Burj Khalifa and, once completed, will feature one of the world’s tallest ceramic facades. Inspired by the movement of the city, the 300-meter supertall building takes on a "contrapposto" form, responding to the Sheikh Zayed Road along which it is sited.
Waves at Bayside / 3XN
Danish firm 3XN has been selected as the winner of a competition to design a new mixed-use waterfront building in Toronto’s East Bayfront district that will be located on the edge of Google/Sidewalk Labs’ new smart community, Quayside.
Inspired by the reflection of the waves of Lake Ontario, ‘The Waves at Bayside’ will feature a undulating facade of metal balconies with views out to the water and a podium filled with public program including a rowing club and assortment of restaurants and cafes.
Competition-Winning Paris Office Park Design to Reintroduce Play into the Workplace
Dutch Firms Team RAU, SeARCH, and karres +brands have been named as one of the winners of the Inventons la Metropole de Grand Paris, the largest European competition for city planning, architecture and public space. Their project, Triango, reinvents Paris’ Triangle de Gonesse into a dynamic and lively business park which promotes sustainability in every sense of the word.
Stefano Boeri Architetti Unveils Vertical Forest Tower for Megaproject in Paris
The next Vertical Forest tower will be located in France, as Stefano Boeri Architetti have revealed renderings of their designs for Forêt Blanche, a 54-meter-tall mixed-use tower located within the Paris metropolitan region in Villiers-sur-Marne.
The latest in the family of Vertical Forest concepts, which have included built and planned projects for China, Europe, South America and the United States, Forêt Blanche will be covered by 2000 trees and plants – a green surface equivalent to a hectare of forest and more than 10 times the building footprint.
MVRDV Create Park-Topped Community Center for Shanghai Neighborhood
MVRDV, in collaboration with ISA Architecture, has revealed the designed of the Zhangjiang Future Park, a park and community center for the workers and residents of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park in Pudong, Shanghai, China. Fully integrated into a rolling park landscape will be a library, an art centre, a performance centre and a sport center – four civic programs that are currently lacking in the neighborhood.
EFFEKT's Spiraling Observation Tower Will Take Visitors 45 Meters Above the Treetops
EFFEKT's 45 meters above the trees spiraling observation tower, which is being built one hour south of Copenhagen, will offer 360-degree panoramic views across the surrounding forest of Gisselfeld Kloster, Haslev. The preserved forest distinguishes itself by its hilly landscape with lakes, wetlands, and creeks.
EFFEKT's spiraling observation tower, which is being built one hour south of Copenhagen
Feilden Clegg Bradley Granted Approval on St Mary’s Hospital Project in London
The Westminster City Council has granted planning permission for the New Outpatients Building at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London. Designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, the 8-story building will consolidate outpatient services currently spread across 40 different locations into one comprehensive care center, increasing comfortability and ease-of-use for both patients and employees.
VTN Architects Designs Office Retreat Formed from Book-Shaped Studios
VTN Architects has revealed the design of Viettel Offsite Studio, a new campus for Vietnam’s largest telecommunications corporation currently under construction 30 kilometers outside of the capital city of Hanoi.
Designed as a short-term work environment where employees can go to escape from the stress of the city, the studio building takes the form of six book-shaped walls that help to shield interior spaces from strong sunlight and direct view back to the site’s natural surroundings.
Zaha Hadid Architects Reveal Residential Tower in Melbourne Inspired by Australia's Natural Forms
Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed the design of the Mayfair Residential Tower, a new 19-story residential complex in Melbourne, Australia that draws inspiration from the fluid forms of the country’s landscapes and seascapes. Located on the major mixed-use artery of St Kilda Road, the project will provide each unit with a large balcony and views of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Port Phillip Bay, Albert Park and the city skyline.
All-In-One Structure Solves Flooding, Parking and the Lack of Green Space in Cities
As Earth’s population continues to grow, so does car traffic and issues related to climate change. It has been estimated about 30% of urban roadway congestion are drivers searching for a place to park. Car culture puts the pressure on cities to build more parking garages, which usually win out over green parks. Meanwhile, climate change continues to challenge cities to handle a great deal of stormwater. The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season is proof of this - as of Monday, 13 named storms have formed in the Atlantic ocean, costing 210 lives and counting.
THIRD NATURE, a Danish architecture firm, designed a solution for the modern-day urban issues of flooding, parking and lacking green spaces with their project, POP-UP. A stacked green space, car park, and water reservoir, from top to bottom respectively, POP-UP uses Archimedes’ principle to store water and create floating space to store cars.
Constructing the Curriculum: William McDonough's Cradle to Cradle Building to Inspire the Next Generation
Tackling the widespread issue of climate change, Universidad EAN (UEAN) in Bogotá, Colombia illustrates the same construction philosophy taught to the students in their new building under the title of ‘Project Legacy.' As the next generation fill the seats of the new auditorium they will be party to the very thinking that went behind the building, solidifying their knowledge as they get to experience it first-hand.
The architects, William McDonough + Partners, are no stranger to the cradle-to-cradle ethos that inspires their sustainable approach. The philosophy models the human industry on the processes within nature to maximise usage of materials for as long as possible – recovering and regenerating products. These perpetual cycles are a long-term solution to the dominant system that uses the cheapest materials in manufacturing.
WAA's Renovation of Antwerp Tower Will be the Third Tallest in the City
Extending the tower to 100 meters, Wiel Arets Architects’ (WAA) design for Antwerp Tower will make it the third tallest building in Antwerp and hopes to provide a hub of activity to an already vibrant part of the city. The renovation of the 1970’s block will see the footprint of the upper levels being expanded out to increase living space whilst maintaining the unique diamond floorplan.
The residential tower will contain 6 to 14 apartment units on each floor, each with their own loggia, ranging in area from 40 to 120 square meters and penthouses that will be up to 240 square meters. The system of load bearing walls and columns partially replacing the existing structure will minimise the need for columns within the residential spaces.
C. F. Møller’s Competition Winning design for VIA University College in Denmark
C. F. Møller’s design to interconnect and root the campus within the city wins VIA University College in Horsens, Denmark. The proposed 30,000 square meters proposal and 5,000 square meters Innovation House was selected amongst three strong projects, according to the adjudicators’ report in a forward-thinking scheme that develops a strong dialogue between the academic and urban spaces.
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Breaks Ground on Glass Box Headquarters of Creative Incubator in China
Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects has revealed the design of the new CaoHeJing Guigu Creative Headquarters in Shanghai as the project breaks ground. Taking the form of three stacked glass volumes with terraces in-between, the center is devised as a series of indoor/outdoor shared spaces that will allow budding hi-tech firms to connect with local graduates and spur innovation of new technology in China.
Supported by the government, the project is sited on the edge of the Shanghai Caohejing Hi-Tech Park, a state-sponsored economic and technological development area located 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) east of downtown Shanghai. The CaoHeJing Guigu Creative Headquarters will add to the nearly 1200 domestic and international companies already operating in the Park.
KAAN Architecten Designs Glassy New Terminal for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
Netherlands-based architectural firm KAAN Architecten, in partnership with ABT, Estudio Lamela and Ineco has been selected to design the new Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Terminal, with the help of Arnout Meijer Studio, DGMR and Planeground. Soon to be located south of Schiphol Plaza, at Jan Dellaert Plein, the new 100,500-square-metre terminal will implement futuristic and sustainable design trends.
Kleinewelt Architekten and Citizenstudio Envision Moscow's Gateway to the Five Seas
Kleinewelt Architekten in partnership with Citizenstudio / Gorozhane Group, created a re-design proposal for the Northern River Boat Station Park, also known as the Park of Five Seas, in Moscow. Built in the 1930’s, the current park is supposed to act as the city’s gateway to the five seas: the White, Baltic, Black, Azov, and Caspian Sea. However, the park is removed from city life and separates Moscow from it’s historic waterways.
MVRDV and BSK To Add Timber Framed Structure to Historic Warehouse in Gothenburg
MVRDV, with co-architects BSK Arkitekter, has revealed the design of Magasin 113, a mixed-use transformation and extension of a 16,500-square-meter riverfront warehouse in Gothenburg, Sweden. Located within the planned Frihamnen RiverCity district – the largest ongoing urban development project in Scandinavia – the building will inject contemporary program in the existing warehouse structure, including flexible office spaces, an arts center, a cafe, pop-up shop spaces, retail shops, a restaurant and artist studios.
MOA Unveils Mobius-Inspired Amphitheatre in Tunisia
Antwerp-based office Making of Architecture (MOA) has unveiled their first project in Tunisia – an amphitheater-like event space that will be located in a future “art village” development. Named “ARENA,” the site is located in Utique – an ancient, archaeologically-rich region near Tunis. Says MOA: “Placed in the heart of the future art village, the ARENA will be a place where local & renowned artists could meet and exchange with visitors; it’s also a place where you could enjoy a concert and open-air events.”
MVRDV Breaks Ground on Mixed-Use "Valley" to Inject Life into Amsterdam's Business District
MVRDV has broken ground on “Valley” (previously known as P15 Ravel Plaza), a 75,000-square-meter mixed-use building located within the Zuidas business district of Amsterdam. Featuring residential units, offices, parking, a sky bar and retail and cultural space, the building will inject a sense of life and excitement into the neighborhood, transforming the district into a more varied and liveable urban quarter.