In June, we featured Steven Holl’slatest Horizontal Skyscraper which hovers above a landscaped park in Shenzhen, China. Matthias Wolff, an ArchDaily reader and also a contributor to our Flickr roundups, shared some of his photographs of Holl’s building with us. Wolff, aka d.teil, shot these images at the complex’s opening this past December, when some of the complex’s components – such as the hotel – were still under construction. Since the grounds are open to the public, the project will truly affect a large scope of people, both natives and visitors of the area. Wolff’s photos provide a clear understanding of the building’s varying materiality, as well as its situation within the designed terrain. What do you think of Holl’s project?
Check out this cool treehouse nestled into Maple trees near the Hudson River in New York designed by German-based Baumraum. Far from a child’s treehouse, this residence provides simple interiors with a touch of elegance. Constructed for a family with two children, the treehouse serves as an outlet for relaxation and is connected to their main residence via a slender wooden catwalk.
More images and more about the treehouse after the break.
This evening at 10 PM ET/9 PM CT, PBS will be broadcasting a 60 minute documentary of the late architect, Samuel Mockbee, and his design/build education program, Rural Studio. Deep in the heart of one of Alabama’s poorest areas, Mockbee’s students choose specific families as clients and work together to create their dream residences, community centers or prayer spaces. The students physically construct these spaces from simple materials, yet their innovative strategies and pure passion for design results in striking pieces of architecture. This inspiring documentary makes a strong statement about architects and the profession – showing a new perspective on who we should be designing for and how we should be designing. As our world is experiencing hardship after hardship, from earthquakes to monsoon floods, the video brings to light our responsibilities to use our talents to help each other. Be sure to check it out tonight – it won’t disappoint.
This past week, the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority of Hong Kong unveiled OMA’s conceptual master plan for a new arts district (Koolhaas’ plan is one of three competing proposals). Divided into three villages, the 40 hectacre waterfront site places strong emphasis on the quality of the street life and the “cultural production where all aspects of the creative process are nurtured and made visible.” The master plan has been years in the making, as Koolhaas established an office in Hong Kong to better understand the culture and context, as well as collaborate with financial and culture experts to design a feasible plan to positively affect the communities involved. Rem Koolhaas commented, “Using the village – a typology every citizen of Hong Kong is familiar with – as the model for our plan allows us to absorb the massive scale of WKCD’s ambition into manageable portions and forge deep connections with Kowloon, whose vital urban energy will be the lifeblood of WKCD.”
Images and more information about the master plan after the break.
The Schelling Architecture Foundation has recently named the winners of their Prize for Architecture and their Architectural Theory Prize. The award was bestowed upon Chinese architects Wang Shu & Lu Wenyu of Amateur Architecture Studio (for architecture) and the French architect Jean‐Louis Cohen (for architectural theory. We’ll bring you more details on their projects throughout the upcoming week, but first take a quick look at some of their buildings after the break.
Wolfgang Roth Architekten’s new kindergarten building in Stuttgart, which houses space for the children and staff, features a prefabricated wood façade with light filled interiors to promote learning. In an attempt to bring the children closer to the exterior, the classrooms were designed around internal courtyards. Plus, each of the three larger classrooms have full glazing to flood the rooms with light, and allow the children to see the surroundings. The vertical slating on the exterior creates a more permeable division, giving the overall building a lighter aesthetic.
Roosevelt University will soon feature a new vertical campus, courtesy of VOA Associates. The existing campus layout makes it nearly impossible for the college to grow outwardly – so the only solution was to expand vertically. The 32 storey building is quite slim in profile, yet its wavy glass façade provides a distinguishing aesthetic touch.
There are few things that are more annoying than sitting in bummer to bummer traffic. Yet, as cities are expanding at rapid rates, our infrastructure simply cannot support the number of people, and so congestion becomes an every day obstacle we have to face. As Bettina Wassener reported for the New York Times, for one China-based company, Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment, the vicious cycle of a growing population which leads to more vehicles – and hence, more traffic – needed to be addressed. And, along came their super functional, extra-wide (20 ft) and extra-tall ‘Straddling Bus’. The vehicle runs along fixed tracks and its main compartment is elevated to leave the street clear for cars driving underneath. Plus, the vehicle is partially powered by the sun via panels on the roof and at bus stops.
Tadashi Kawamata, a Japanese sculptor and installer, is known for creating urban spaces that utilize simple materials. Often times, Kawamata selects an single item, whether it is a material or an object, that becomes the basic module of a huge construction. His latestspaces are occupying the external façade of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. These timbers huts, which are lined with cardboard, attach on to the existing structural framework, like a parasite, and morph into something entirely new.
NL Architects’ winning cultural stage proposal will activate the Port of Amsterdam as its unique configuration is suited for a variety of activities. Situated on the Haparandada near the IJ River, the flexible and movable base will accommodate different forms of art such as film, fashion, sculpture, dance, etc. “The versatility of the assignment is the ultimate challenge for Architecture: how can one single spatial given host all these functionalities in a credible way?” explained the architects.
Continuing our coverage of Herzog and de Meuron’s Elbe Philharmonic Hall, we just found some interesting news regarding the construction site. Currently around 80 meters high, the music hall still has a few years of construction left. As huge cranes rise high above the building, Michael Batz, a scenographer, has taken advantage of the cranes and turned an ordinary construction site into a tourist attraction. Usually, people come to see a finished building – yet Batz’s idea of covering the cranes with blue LEDs creates a new kind of attraction.
Check out more images of the blue cranes, and a close up shot of the skin after the break.
Following our recent updates about the Architecture Billings Index, the most recent news from the AIA shows a slight increase for the month of July. The American Institute of Architects reported the July ABI score was 47.9, up from a reading of 46.0 the previous month.
For this family house, Vienna-based architecture firm Franz Architekten has divided the typical programmatic elements of a farmhouse – the residence, barn, and stables – into separate entities. Arranged as a series of shifted boxes, the dwelling consists of three independent components measuring 6.6m by 16.6 m. These volumes are connected with the main circulation path, a glazed hallway.
More images and more about the residence after the break.
Within a budget of 70,000 euros, Propeller Z has completed an addition for a 200 year old farmhouse in Fahndorf, Austria. The addition, which includes a kitchen and living space, extends from one of the farm’s U-shaped arms, quietly peaking out behind its older counterpart. The balance between Propeller Z’s efforts to preserve most of the existing farm while incorporating a contemporary language, yields an elegant and sophisticated result.
More images and more about the addition after the break.
An exciting exhibit opening today in St. Louis, Missouri will display the five finalist teams of The City+The Arch+The River 2015 International Design Competition (check out some previous information about the competition on AD). The competition asked participants to better “frame” the iconic Arch and weave the national park back into the fabric of the city and the region, by rejuvenating connections and re-energizing the area. The construction finish line is set for October 28, 2015 which marks the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Arch.
Check out a brief overview of each project after the break.
What do you think of this crazy stone house tucked into the Fafe Mountains in Portugal? Constructed between two giant stones and linked with a concrete mix, the house is rumored to be inspired by the popular American Flintstones cartoon. Although quite unusual, the prehistoric-looking residence does feature some traditional components such as windows, a front door, and even a shingled roof. As you might expect, the house’s design attracts thousands of tourists each year.
Check out these urban farm buildings we spotted on Inhabitat that were designed and built by students from the University of Colorado Denver. The new buildings utilize mostly salvaged materials to create functional, and quite elegant, additions to the working farm. As part the Design Build Program at the University, and under the guidance of the principals of Studio H:T, the students created a Learning Cube and a Dairy House.
More images and more about the students’ work after the break.
