Designed by SOA + holdUP, the FERME DARWIN Proposal synthesizes a vertical farm and cultural facilities in an original manner. Stacking these disparate elements of art, music, and education up is like celebrating the insertion of agriculture in the very heart of the city. Anchored in a visionary city like Bordeaux, the project also addresses health, food, ethical and social concerns. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Defining a landmark to the entrance of the largest Chinese myrtle garden in Xiangyiang, Prechteck’s ‘Blossom Gate’ aims to reinvent the gate as an architectural typology underlining the connecting characteristics of a former dividing element. Their design is not just about the link of the inside with the outside, but also about the connection of its visitors – the gate as an area of gathering, instead of a point of passing through. More images and architects’ description after the break.

MOINOPOLIS recently announced their call for papers for their issue #2, called ‘Ephemerality and Architecture’. Have market forces encouraged this shift towards ephemerality or is it a natural tendency of architecture? Does ephemerality in architecture depend on new technologies or are we creating illusions through non-physical experiences in order to imitate the digital? What social conditions, if any, are being represented through an ephemeral architecture? Lastly, what might the consequences of this phenomenon for our society and culture be? The second issue wants to approach the question of ephemerality in architecture in a multi-disciplinary way. The deadline for submissions is January 15th. More information after the break.

New York-based COOKFOX, formally known as Cook + Fox Architects, has designed a state of the art office tower planned to neighbor the High Line by 2014. Projected to achieve LEED Platinum status, the glass and steel mid-rise offers large, light-filled interior spaces engineered for comfort and high performance, along with spectacular views of the Hudson River and direct connections to the High Line.

Continue reading for the architects’ description.

In light of the devastation left by Hurricane Sandy, as politicians quabble over the existence of climate change, we cannot escape the reality that our cities are vulnerable to natural disasters. Coastal cities face the threat of flooding as sea levels rise and storms, as we’ve seem over the past few years, have had more severe impacts on our cities. The duty of architects, planners, and leaders is to build resilient cities with infrastructure that can stand up to the forces of natural disasters.

Join us after the break for a list of some of the largest port cities vulnerable to coastal flooding…

Designed by SANGRAD Architects + AVP Arhitekti, the first prize winning proposal for the Osijek University Library becomes a place for cultural enrichment and at the same time, relaxation through the use of green loggias, clean energy, and a pleasant micro-climate on outdoor spaces. The importance of the proposal’s orientation is crucial; for the idea is to design an energy efficient library, which was one of the starting components in the design. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The Motor Sports Complex Museum, which is located next to a new race track and a dragster speedway, is another component of the development in Kuwait City. Designed by Marc Anton Dahmen / Studio DMTW, its main function is to be a public showroom for the King‘s private collection of vintage racing cars. Besides the main exhibition hall with approximately 50 cars, it also houses a pit building including a garage for restaurant, a driving school for kids, a small conference center, a cinema and some private VIP spaces. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Designed by the Tongji University Team, the “Para Eco House” combines both parametric and ecological strategies into the logic of the architectural language used in the house design. By using both “passive” and “active” energy systems, they go beyond the functional and environmental requirement to create a paradigm for a low carbon future. The concept of creating a multi-layer skin emerges from a combination of Dao theory in eastern philosophy and the theories of Michel Foucault in western thought, especially the ideas of autonomy in architecture. More images and the team’s description after the break.

The Polytechnic Museum Development Foundation recently announced the international architectural design competition for the Museum and educational center of the Polytechnic Museum and Lomonosov Moscow State University. The project provides for a total project area of 35,000 square meters on the land plot with a total area of 1 Ha located on the new territory of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The objective is to create a museum and educational center for demonstrating most recent scientific and technological discoveries using state-of-the-art multimedia technologies for accommodating multiple displays and exhibitions as well as for conducting scientific educational programs. The deadline to register and for submissions is November 19. For more information, please visit here.

This mesmerizing time-lapse film, by Eric Hines, captures the essence of the “Windy City”. The “Vimeo Staff Pick” is a compilation of over 30,000 still photographs shot between July and October of this year in downtown Chicago.

The Museum of Modern Art in NYC is launching an exhibit called Tokyo 1955–1970: A New Avant-Garde, that investigates the transformation of Tokyo from a war-torn nation into an international center for arts, culture and commerce. The exhibition will run from November 18 through February 25, 2012 and includes over 200 works of various media including painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, drawings, graphic design, video and documentary film.

More after the break.

The proposal for the TBC Bank Headquarters by Studio Kalamar is composed of new facades, a vestibule, and a new landscape design to transform it from an old military headquarters building. Main volumes are enfolded in a skin of triangular glass elements of four similar shades of glass, each with a 2° difference of declination from a vertical plane of the façade, and each in a different direction. These fragments are reflections of the sky into many crystalline elements, producing a very dynamic effect. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Presenting a public art strategy deeply embedded within the design of the building & plaza as a whole, the proposal by Bild + INDEX is entwined and inseparable from the aesthetic, function, and environmental performance of the plaza and building as a unified design proposition. The key element of this strategy is the use of text as an aesthetic motif, acting as a functional and environmental performance element within the design. In the library’s traditional role as the community’s repository for and interface with information, text and typography have enormous historic resonance and offers significant potential in negotiating the project’s interaction in the wider urban domain. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Proposed by PinkCloud.DK, TENACITY seeks to revitalize the broken system of New York City Public Housing through architectural development, economic stimulus, education, and most importantly – community pride. The goal for this project is to be a catalyst for dialogue, spurring community and governmental action. The design of TENACITY is founded on the firm’s belief that a strong community is built upon three main goals – good health, prosperity, and family. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Launched by Broadway Malyan, in collaboration with real estate and infrastructure development company Bhartiya Urban, Bhartiya City is the single largest urban development within the limits of any Indian metropolitan area. The 125-acre design, located in North Bangalore, India, will provide a fully-integrated mix of residential, retail, hospitality and Special Economic Zone uses, as well school, healthcare and sports facilities, making it the first of its kind in India. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Architect: Damien Murtagh Architects Location: North County Dublin, Ireland Project: Longacres House, The Burrow Peninsula, Portrane, Co.Dublin,Ireland

This lecture, brought to you by the Harvard Graduate School of Design, explores the Metabolism movement of the 1960s and its influence on Japanese Architecture through today. Toyo Ito reflects on the life of Kiyonori Kikutake and the continued relevance of his works and ideas in today’s design culture.

Continue reading for more…

The Kuntsevo Centre, designed by The Jerde Partnership, will provide a new stage for dynamic public activity and distinct commercial offerings in central Moscow. The pedestrian-oriented center will establish a vibrant leisure, shopping, business, and residential complex reconnecting the urban fabric of the historic Kuntsevo district, while creating a new landmark for the city. Delivering a modern community gathering destination rooted in art, nature, and urban connectivity, the project’s design enhances its potential to become a continuously active public realm. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Taking place November 12-13, the 3rd annual Design Like You Give a Damn: LIVE! event will consist of innovative panel discussions, workshops and the ‘Design Open Mic’ event at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco. Design experts and enthusiasts, industry leaders across disciplines and more come together to address the challenges and lessons learned in humanitarian design and community development. Panel topics address cutting-edge topics and small-group workshops allow participants to gain hands-on knowledge from expert panelists. Put on by Architecture for Humanity, this will be the first year this event is coming to the west coast. For more information, including an itinerary of events, please visit their official website here.

OODA shared with us their design proposal for an iconic high-rise with 40 stories in Sao Paulo. Invited to participate in the competition, the we challenge was to merge in just one whole both tourist apartments and luxury residences with plenty of common spaces, gardens and sightseeing spaces. More images and a brief description after the break.

Originally scheduled for this weekend, the new dates for the Lattice Lab workshop, put on by modeLab, will take place November 17-18. The two-day workshop will focus on the topic of topological/subdivision modeling with paneling tools and weaverbird. In a fast-paced and hands-on learning environment, they will cover fundamental concepts related to working with mesh geometry, high-order topological smoothing, and grid-based modeling. Drawing inspiration from the patterns found in 3-dimensional lattice structures, they will create geometrical units capable of responding to a range of dynamic contexts. Additionally, they will explore the limits and opportunities of 3D printing while testing the visual and structural effects of their lattices. For more information, please visit here.

The RIAS (Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland) has announced OMA as the tenth recipient of the prestigious Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award for the firm’s “welcoming, light and spacious” design of Maggie’s Gartnavel in Glasgow.

Serving as an exemplar for alternative healthcare design, OMA’s single story composition for the cancer care center laces together a series of interlocking rectangular spaces that form around a lush courtyard. Transparent walls of the building’s light-filled interior promenade connect patients directly to nature, as the building accommodates for the complex needs of the facility by providing spaces of interaction, personal privacy, and discrete counseling rooms, along with private nooks and corners. A notable characteristic of Maggie’s Gartnavel is the rich use of materials, from the flush inlaid timber and concrete ceiling to the simplistic concrete exterior and expansive floor-to-ceiling glass walls.

OMA generously donated their £25,000 prize to the Maggie’s Cancer Care Center.

More images after the break…