We shared GENETO’s Ivy Building a few days ago, and we just got our hands on this video of the project. Be sure to check out the full story on the project, and enjoy the video.

The University of California, Berkeley just announced that they have chosen to work with Diller Scofidio + Renfro to design the new Berkeley Art Musuem + Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA). The site of the new museum is a crucial component for connecting the Berkeley campus while also activating the downtown arts and commerce districts.

Our friend and architecture photographer, Iwan Baan , just published on his website some of his recently shot images of Steven Holl’s Horizontal Skyscraper in Shenzhen, China . The project is a long mixed-use complex which includes office spaces, apartments, a hotel and even a public landscape. Baan’s photos illustrate Holl’s idea that the “building appears as if it were once floating on a higher sea that has now subsided; leaving the structure propped up high on eight legs.”

Complete photoset at Iwan’s website, more images and more about the project after the break.

Even though these hot months can be a bit stifling, we’re excited because the summer means that the PS1 installation by SO-IL (catch our coverage of the winning proposal here) is almost ready for the public! Upon watching SO-IL’s competition entry video, we are patiently waiting to experience the physical manifestation of the Pole Dance’s conceptual ideas about making space. While you can expect full coverage of the project, thanks to our reader, Alan R Tansey, we can share a sneak peak of the Pole Dance installation with you today. Enjoy!

More images after the break.

We just featured an article about London’s construction frenzy, which includes over half a dozen skyscrapers for the city. This new era will completely alter the city’s skyline as tall buildings will be sprouting everywhere to house new office, commercial, and residential activities. Of these new structures, Renzo Piano’s 310 meter high mix-used tower, The Shard (be sure to check out our coverage of the tower), will not only become London’s tallest tower, but also the tallest building in all of Western Europe. Of all of London’s new developments, we are excited to see this dynamic tower’s impact on the city and its relationship with London’s context and future neighboring skyscrapers.

We have new images to share from Renzo Piano Building Workshop and more video clips of the construction progress after the break.

Calatrava’s talent has produced sculpturesque bridges and transportation hubs worldwide, and now, his sustainably-focused museum for Rio de Janeiro will also gain international attention. The architect/engineer has just unveiled his design which will be part of a larger urban design project to transform Rio’s waterfront into a thriving cultural and residential community.

More images and more about the museum after the break.

Just over a month ago, we were happy to report that our field seemed to be through the toughest time, as the Architecture Billings Index had increased for the third straight month showing a sustained economic improvement. Now, we are definitely not so happy to share some information that a lot of architects assumed would happen. Following our strong spring, the AIA billings index dropped quite precipitously from 48.5 to 45.8 and every region declined. The rough month suggests that our recovery will continue to be long and frustrating, a worrisome reality that some professionals may have been anticipating. “I was a bit surprised by it, particularly the magnitude,” AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said. “It’s been jumping around for the past six to nine months, but this is a big drop after some pretty steady gains.”

A few days ago, we shared some information about the second segment of Field Operations and DS+R’s High Line, including construction shots to show the progress being made. Today, we share renderings from the firms which illustrate some of the cool features we can look forward to seeing. The second phase will include a “spur” – a framed space recalling the historical billboards that once attached to the railway, a “floating platform” which rests above the exposed girders, “Chelsea Thicket” – a dense stretch of trees and shrubs, a “flyover” where the walkway rises into the canopy of sumac trees, and of course, a grand lawn for lounging.

Take a look at the renderings after the break, and we’ve also included a video of the whole project to see how the pieces will come together.

Designed by GENETO, a Japanese firm,the Ivy Building is quite complex to the effect that the program changes so frequently. Although a small scale building, the programmatic needs shift from retail to office to residential, yet a wrapping staircase connects the fragment pieces into a whole. ”We wanted to create a new type of building by combining different kinds of program and propose a building that is opened to the society,” explained the architects.

When the Trenton Parking Authority proposed a design challenge to improve the area, KSS Architects responded with an adaptive re-use strategy that transforms an existing structure to activate the site’s surroundings. Currently, the site is occupied by an old brutalist parking garage dating back to the 1970′s and lacks any recognition of its important history – just south of the project site is Mill Hill Park, where American and British soldiers fought the first and second battles of Trenton during the Revolutionary War. The architects’ proposal acknowledges the site’s rich history while adding a sense of vitality to the prominent edge of the downtown area.

As we are inching closer to the weekend, perhaps you might find yourself letting your inner child run loose by catching Disney/Pixar’s latest creation, “Toy Story 3″. We just found out some fun news from Architectural Record that the team of animators is supervised by David Eisenmann, an architect. After attaining his architectural degree, Eisenmann was working in San Francisco when he spotted a Pixar job posting. Eisenmann has climbed the ranks from set dressing for Pixar’s previous films, “A Bug’s Life” and “Toy Story 2,” to now overseeing all animation. And there’s a ton of elements to be animated, “We had 2,600 unique models in the daycare center alone,” Eisenmann says. When an artist on “Toy Story 3″ asked Eisenmann what kind of personal artwork he does outside the studio, he answered, “I came here as an architect. My artwork ‘outside,’ is my work in here.”

Dimos Moysiadis + Ioannis Oikonomou+ Xaris Tsitsikas, young Greek architects, have designed a conceptual house where a canal brings the ocean water both next to and underneath the house. Residents can enjoy a dive off the veranda into their natural swimming pool, or an artificial sandy beach just a few steps down from their front door of the house. The eastern concrete side of this canal stands as a strong edge against the property line, as an attempt to “create a “safe” border between our environment and the other properties.” With the long side of the villa parallel to the north coast, and vertically to the canal, the home creates a sense of enclosure around the landscape.

Rotterdam-based firm BOARD (Bureau of Architecture, Research, and Design) has been selected as one of the finalists of the European Competition of Architecture, Design, Realisations in Eco and Agro-Materials for their proposal ‘ATREE?’. “Imagine a project that does not need to be constructed, because – being a tree – it grows by itself. Such a project only needs to be planted,” explained the designer.

More about the winning proposal after the break.

Photovoltaics are slowly making their way into a variety of project typologies.   And, now, with new developments from chemist Xiaoyang Zhu at the University of Texas, solar cells can upgrade from their solar efficiency current limit of 30% to more than 60%.  To increase the cells efficiency, Zhu studied capturing hot electrons (energy that is too high to be turned into usable electricity which then escapes) with quantum dots.

London’s skyline is about to get a complete makeover. While in the past, almost every tower proposed was stalled due to financial shortcomings, or workers just leaving the job site, now, London is dusting off their old building plans and getting ready to move into a construction frenzy. Thanks to Kieran Long’s article at the Evening Standard we get to know more details about this process:

Ousting 17 other companies from Europe, USA and Africa, SHoP Architects was awarded first prize for their design of the Botswana Innovation Hub. The 270,000 sqf office and research building will be a testament to Botswana’s support of research, as well as her promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship.

More about the winning design after the break.

Check out this new Museum for Contemporary Art designed by Swiss architect, Christian Kerez. Part of a larger master plan to revitalize Warsaw, the $91 million museum will house the country’s largest collection of contemporary art, attracting an estimated 800,000 visitors per year to this fast growing metropolis. The museum is situated in the center of Warsaw which demonstrates what Kerez sees as “a powerful statement” by making a cultural institution, rather than a commercial or residential one, rest at the heart of the city.

More images, another video, and more about the project after the break.

This year’s World Architecture Festival, WAF2010, will take place from November 3rd to 5th in Barcelona. The WAF is an international event to reward excellence in a fully interactive inclusive live format. The festival features seminars and exhibition content, as well as projects from architects all over the world (last year 1507 architects from 71 countries came to Barcelona). To submit an entry, just create an online account here before July 2. Plus, architects are encouraged to submit more than one project.

More information about how projects will be judged after the break.