Posts Tagged ‘modern architecture’
UN Studio’s New Haus Am Weinberg, Germany
October 16th, 2012 – With over 70 built projects to date, Ben van Berkel and his talented team at UN Studio are not afraid to leave their mark on this world! Whether it’s a sculptural super structure, or a curvacious pavilion, each new project is captivating, purposeful, and mind spelling. UN’s latest build, the Haus Am Weinberg, has been in the works for the past four years, which is short in architecture years, but quite long for the fans who anticipate UN’s new work.
The new home hails all the way from Stuttgart, Germany with pastoral views of the stepped terraces of an ancient hillside vineyard on one side and cityscape vistas on the other.
The team at UN explained the intentions of the curves, and that each undulation “reacts and responds directly to the sloping landscape of the site, where the scales and inclinations of the slopes which sculpture the vineyard setting are reflected in the volumetric appearance of the house.”
The interiors enhance the form of the home by a single gesture, ‘the twist’. “This central element supports the main staircase as it guides and organizes the main flows through the house. The direction of each curve is determined by a set of diagonal movements.” As the program distribution follows the path of the sun, each evolution in the twist leads to moments in which views to the outside become an integral experience of the interior.
Notes From The Architect: A double-height, glazed corner – which houses the dining area – opens up to extensive views towards the North-West and frames the vineyard hill which forms the backdrop to the house. Views from the living room are extended by means of a fully glazed corner affording open vistas toward the nearby park lands to the South-West. Further views from the twist are encountered on the second level, where the master sleeping and wellness areas are located.
Notes From The Architect: The interior of the Haus am Weinberg is arranged into spaces of varying atmospheres and spatial qualities, with the four glazed and open corners allowing daylight to reach deep into the house. The materialization of the interior of the house further accentuates the overall atmosphere of light by means of natural oak flooring, natural stone and white clay stucco walls speckled with small fragments of reflective stone.
(Photography: Iwan Baan)
Mistral Wine & Champagne Bar, São Paulo
Thanks to Studio Arthur Casas, São Paulo is the new home to an awesome new wine and champagne bar called Mistral. The wine company has a well respected reputation amongst the locals, being known for having “the best and most complete catalog of wines in the country.” With that sort of reputation, it only seemed fitting for the connoisseur’s to bring on a well respected architect to build their new store.
The space, in its raw form, was long, hollow, and had high ceilings. Casas built out the shop and used it’s length to his advantage. The architect deisnged a long hallway, where the walls are angled and lined with a high gloss white plastic, black mirror, and vertical slats of raw wood. Wine bottles are held in the wall by cut-out holes, just big enough for the bottle shaft. With each label facing upward, Mistral’s store guests can walk through the shop and easily view the products. The long hallway leads into the bar area, where the wall materials from the wine display area continue. The space is modern, yet warm and approachable; making it a great spot to grab some friends and enjoy a wine tasting.
(FG+SG fotografia de arquitectura | architectural photography)
House at Costa Brava, Spain
September 14, 2012 – One of Spain’s most beloved architects, Jordi Garcés, has unveiled his latest project located in Girona, Spain. The House at Costa Brava is nestled into the hillside, with a jaw-dropping views of the waterfront, exquisite landscapes, and the local village.
This white stucco home was intentionally placed on the hillside plot of land with a slope parallel to the sea in order to obtain good solar orientation. “Consequently the project is developed linearly, occupying the entire waterfront and the main option consists in extending the house at basement level obtaining the maximum possible length,” project architect Anna Bonet explained
Inside the home you’ll find the white walls complemented with contemporary Spanish decorative accent pieces and a personal library that consumes an entire wall, two levels high, in the dining room. From the dining room, take the stone covered stairs to access the second level of the library, which rests next to a glass floor.
The master bedroom is sprawled out on the ground floor, because of it’s large size Garcés created a wall of doors that open up to become the grand terrace.
Another awesome feature of the home is the roof deck – otherwise known as a sunbathers dream! The stone roof has three large circles which are filled with soil and grass, come springtime, flowers will be sprouting up to make a roof top garden.
(Thank You: Adria Goula Photography)
The Auto Family House, Poland
September 6th, 2012 - The Auto Family House, or as they say in Poland, Dom Autorodzinny, is the latest home whipped up by the brainiac architects at KWK Promes. The new dwelling has some big shoes to fill, being the follow up structure to KWK Promes famed Aatrial House, Safe House, and Standard House, but the Auto Family House is surely making a statement all on its own.
KWK built the home for a car lover and art collector. To accommodate their client’s passion for automobiles, KWK created a long indoor driveway, where you can literally drive up into the home!
The striking stone driveway is built on a rising hill which allows for the driver to park, and enter into the home on the second level.
The home consists of two white structural components, nearly identical, but flipped opposite of one another. The component that houses the indoor driveway blends in with its natural surroundings as it appears to be rising up from a grassy knoll, which turns into its rooftop.
The second component, and main living areas, is the near reverse of the first, except it is fully above ground, giving access to the garden.
(Photography: KWK Promes)
National Center for Synchrotron Science, Melbourne
August 15th 2012 – Let’s just open up by saying the spectacular new National Center for Synchrotron Science (NCSS) building has a reactive and responsive façade, 100 rooftop photovoltaic panels, an electrical power plant, and has received a 5 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia!
After two years of construction, Bates Smart Architects can finally revel in their masterpiece. “I’d like to think that NCSS resides at that interval between the meaning of science and culture – the advancement and the creation of research at the point where it becomes meaningful to the public and therefore meaningful to our progression and advancement as a culture,” Kristen Whittle, design director at Bates Smart explained.
The $30 millions dollar project is actually an extension to the existing facility which is located in the suburb of Clayton in Melbourne.
The structure is designed to function as a host to a number public, corporate and research-based events with it’s 400-seat auditorium, seminar rooms, exhibition space, office areas, a cafe and public gallery areas.
The facade is constructed of translucent polycarbonate and finished with a dichroic protective coating, which refracts and diffuses light. esensially, the color of the building will change, depending on the time of day.
Innovative lighting systems were implemented in the new facility such as a ‘glowing’ auditorium, exterior signage, and of course – the interactive facade!
(Photography: Peter Bennetts)
The Re-Birth of the Campiello, Venice
July 2nd, 2012 – It was 30 years ago when Venice’s oldest municipality was ravished by a tragic fire. The flames ripped through the Palazzo di Vigonovo (locally known as the “Campiello” in the old town of Vigonovo), leaving very little remains of the historical establishment. The site of the building was once the source of archaeological and historical writings of the Greeks and Romans during the first century BC, then during the late-seventeenth-century the great Campiello was built. Today, after a three year renovation to restore and re-invent the complex, the stunning new Corten steel facade created by art historian Philippe Daverio and artist Giorgio Milani is a bold approach to re-introducing the Campiello to the world.
Cosmo Realty, the owners and visionaries behind the project wanted to return the Campiello to the center stage of the world. Their first step was to put together a team who understood “history and art, new technologies and old ones, the materials must be informed of contemporary trends,” and a team who would “take up the challenge to believe that even a small provincial town, can become place of great artistic performance.”
Local architecture firm 3ndy Studio oversaw the project with the task of re-constructing the old facade and re-building what was lost with contemporary language. While 3ndy Studio was designing the overall center, Artist Giorgio Milani was contracted to create a bold and artistic facade. After a tedious artistic process.
The new building consists of two separate structural blocks which are centrally connected through the grand facade. The existing facade was sequence of elegant mullioned windows on the first floor and a thick battlements crowning. 3ndy Studio restored the facade back to its near-original architectural state, but Milani filled in the facade with an artistic exploration of poetry and Corten steel.
The new facade faithfully follows the rhythm, proportions and modularity of the old one. Milani worked closely with respected art historian Philippe Daverio to design the front and keep the integrity of the buildings historic roots. After meticulously hand drawing the pattern, Milani laser engraved more than 15,000 letters.
The Corten units are composed of letters and symbols specifically chosen by the Milani, according to the building’s seventeenth-century origins (year in which it was built building) and their capacity to aesthetic, balancing “thanks and sticks.”
Milani and Daverio cleverly disguised lines from famous poems within the 190 panels that make up the facade. The duo agreed that “it is not easy to distinguish them unless it is observed the work calmly with attention.”Because the artist did not make his poetic intentions obvious, he designed a bench to aid contemplation. Some interpretations have been engraved on the doors of each apartment (“the door that we opened never ” – T.S. Elliot), and others in the rose garden. “At night, the work is revealed through the light that filters through the panels highlighting the verses to disclose them to anyone who wants to keep alive the memory and history of the place,” revealed Milani.
The facade is a maze of words, a poetic mystery, started by hand, then finished by technology. This process is the culmination of the original vision of the owners. After years of work, Milani stepped away from his modern masterpiece with wise words: “I just have to draw back, thus leaving it to viewers, readers, visitors and the pleasure of getting lost.”
(Photography: FG+SG fotografia de arquitectura | architectural photography)
NextGen Inflatable Structures
If inflatable structures are the next generation of semi permanent and permanent architectural buildings, then they better look good. The temporary buildings we are referring to are exclusively designed by a UK based company called AirClad, the child company of Inflate, who has been designing all things inflatable for the past 20 years using AirFlow technology.
The inflatables are typically used for 3 days to 3 weeks and are easily transported, which makes them ideal for exhibitions and events all over the world. AirClad designed and built the Puma exhibit in Spain, a rooftop office pod in London, a clubhouse addition to a historical Suffolk Home, and now the team have created a cool pool house concept for Dwell with a newer method which will allow the structure to last.
Nick Crosbie, Director of AirClad gave us a little insight on his drive behind evoking change in permanent structures, saying, “I look at new projects and want to see them evolve, I want people to look at every possibility, something they may not even know existed. Clients need to re-evaluate the use of outdated structures such as marquees and tents, but it is difficult to recondition a long existed mindset.”
His journey to change people’s minds has led him on an exciting and creative path as he happily makes each project exciting and unique.
AirClad uses AriFlow technology, even though the typical lifetime is 3 weeks, the company can now make the inflatables last years. This enhancement in time allows for the technology to be used in a variety of new ways. Most recently, Crosbie wanted to develop the next building method, the creation of a more solid platform that can be used in a more permanent way and suit interior functions as well.
This idea manifested into a newer system that is easy to transport and erect along with being fully de-mountable and reusable, requiring no need for intrusive concrete foundations. An example of this system is seen in Dwell’s concept pool house, where a simple form of a structural skeleton exists with air inflated panels cladding it.
The inflated panels offer insulated and structural properties to the finished building and especially allow for a new architectural aesthetic to be achieved.
The inflatable structures are all fabric, when packed down, the material can go as small as 1 cubic meter. We should also note that the AirClad system is a sealed pressure regulated system using very little energy.
Isay Weinfeld Designs Casa Grécia, São Paulo
Many architects attempt to integrate nature into their structures, some fall short of this idea, while others succeed. Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld has mastered the marriage of nature and architecture in the Casa Grecia, where an Eco-system of 1,900 square meters of plants exist within the Sao Paulo home.
The Grecia is located on a large corner plot of land with plenty of natural vegetation. Upon approach, the full scale of the house is hidden, instead, the only visible portion of the home is a short concrete structure with a vibrant yellow door. A green Ivy plant climbs up the concrete, giving visitors a little foreshadowing of the plant life inside.
Four connecting structural blocks make up the actual property. The blocks are covered with pebble-blasted concrete plaques at the sleeping quarters, exposed concrete at the office, wood planks at the entertaining areas, and sand-blasted concrete plaques at the dining areas.
The owners of the home wanted to spend lots of quality time with their family and friends within the gates of the property, therefore, they desired various entertaining areas and grand dining spaces for large family style meals. A cozy cinema room, large children’s playroom, a sauna, an underground gym, and a long swimming pool, are some of the features Weinfeld designed to fit the needs of his client.
The elegance of the stunning wood terrace which is met with a lush green lawn is reason enough to order a celebration. The patio is filled with intimate conversation areas which include hand crafted chairs by local artisans, high and low wood tables, and a frame-less glass wall which opens up to expose the meticulously designed grand living room.
Inside, the choices of contemporary chic furniture pieces fit perfectly together. A tree trunk turned coffee table in the living room is an unexpected yet refreshing complement to the minimalistic tufted leather sofa and polished stone end tables. An assortment of vintage trinkets are packed into the floor-to-ceiling shelving unit and warm light glows out from the cream colored glass blown ceiling fixtures.
The location of the house is defined by massive trees that have existed on the plot of land for ages. These trees became an important part of the concept, Weinfeld decided to build small patios and gardens around them. This opportunity to incorporate the old trees and plant life into new architecture became a driving force in the design.
Weinfeld created “pocket” like areas within the home, where the large trees became preserved by the architecture. At one point in the home, a tree and rocks surrounded by glass windows can be seen reaching though the ceiling.
Another similar moment happens when an entire indoor garden of small palm trees and shrubbery bask in sun under a series of square and rectangular skylights. The inclusion of the plants assist in keeping temperatures cool and creates an authentic feeling throughout the home.
The site has a large natural slope which could have been easily eliminated, but Weinfeld ended up using the slope to his benefit and created a pool below street level, which leaves it protected from prying eyes.
The owner of the home has an antique car collection which was in need of proper display and preservation. In respect to his clients passion, Weinfeld created a pebble driveway which leads to a stark white museum-like garage, where the vintage automobiles are protected and displayed behind tempered crystal clear glass.
(Photographs: FG+SG fotografia de arquitectura | architectural photography)
The Tower Studio, Fogo Island
Fogo Island is the largest of the offshore islands of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Island is quite small, home to only 3,000 people, but two community groups, The Shorefast Foundation and the Fogo Island Arts Corporation, are committed to rejuvenating the history and culture of the island through arts. The joining foundations have commissioned Norwegian architect Todd Saunders to create six structures on the island, which will act as artists’ studios.
Three of these studios have already been completed, and now a fourth, titled the Tower Studio. The all black structure, which can only be reached by foot, tilts forward and backwards as it twists up towards the clouds. A large triangular skylight allows for an abundant amount of natural light to pour into the double-height artist’s studio on the second and third floors. The studio provides captivating views of the lake – mixed with the natural silence, the tower is sure to be inspirational place for an artist at work.
(Photography: Bent René Synnevåg)
Kaffee Headquarters, Germany
One of Germany’s most beloved coffee brewing companies, Kaffee, has just moved into their curvy new 106,000 square foot headquarters. 3Deluxe, the visionaries behind the architecture and design of the project, wanted to combine the effect of a striking sculptural architecture with the functionality of commercial workplace needs for 300 employees. The result of this idea manifested into a 4-story, asymmetrical, form-flowing layered structure.
Every morning, employees are greeted with a drive through coffee shop, giving the people of the company a moment to experience the products of their company on a daily basis.
Asymmetrically curved facade bands connect all the buildings and flow together, you would never guess there is actually an orthogonal grid of the underlying concrete frame.
The interiors follow in suit with the exteriors; form flowing. The walls undulate to become seating and desks, the floors pop up to create benches, and the walls break open to create shelves and lighting.
Ultimately, the team at Kaffee wanted the expressive architecture of the new headquarters to be established as a fundamental part of the company’s branding, because competence and innovative spirit is their mantra.
Palencia Civic Center, Spain
This just might be the coolest renovation we have seen in some time. Exit Architects have just transformed a 19th century prison into a super sleek civic center in Palencia, Spain.
The architecture & design team at EXIT has gained a quality reputation for creating stellar projects for health care institutions, cultural & educational centers, and museums; in a way where they introduce bold architectural elements into the interiors. In the Civic Center for Palencia, The impressive architectural addition to the old masonry building consists of zinc metal panels and U-glass, which is just a peek as to what has evolved on the inside.
The interiors, once dark, have been given light by the inclusion of several skylights which were added when parts of the old clay roof were removed. The octagon shaped great wall is the main public space, which has an inviting atrium with enclosed glass cylinders reaching from the floor to the ceiling, each are filled with rocks and a single tree.
The bold architectural is complemented with a clever mixture of natural and artificial lighting. Fluorescent tube lighting is used to create dynamic streaks in the atrium ceiling, massive skylights, and lines of lights make the walls sparkle in the theater. It must be the true marriage of thought evoking architecture, design, lighting, and function, that make this project quite a success!
(Photography: Fernando Guerra)
The Hill House, Melbourne
Things have been getting very interesting down under lately! Specifically Melbourne, Australia – where big risks are being taken to develop dynamic architectural pieces. Most recently is the Hill House which has spawned from one of our favorite experimental architecture firms, Andrew Maynard Architects.
Design principals Andrew Maynard, Mark Austin, and lead architect Michael Ong, wanted to create a smart, yet playful home for their clients – a family of five with three small children. On the site, an existing structure had been built in the 90′s, but Maynard’s clients wanted to explore further to add on or fix their slightly problematic home.
The architects first challenge was to capitalize on the sunlight. “The site faces north therefore relegating the backyard, the family’s primary outdoor space, to shadow throughout the year,” they noted. The team proposed the build of a cool new structure on the southern edge of the site. The new structure faces the sun, the pure cantilevered box above acts as the passive solar eave, cutting out summer sun, while letting winter sun flood in.
With the addition of this new structure, the backyard became a central common space for the family. The grass slopes up into the side of the home and creates a grassy knoll on the second floor as well. The slope idea was originally meant to be stairs, but the concept evolved into a hill after concluding that it is nicer to enjoy the sun on a slope, rather than stairs…and there, the Hill House emerged!
(Photography: Andrew Maynard Architects)
The Rapperswil-Jona Municipal Museum, Zurich
What looks like an angular stack of gilded domino’s is actually the bronze façade of the Rapperswil-Jona Municipal Museum designed by the architects at :mlzd. The structure sits on the banks of Lake Zurich and boasts a history of over 700 years. The small, fortified complex was built in the late 13th century and a number of the extravagant interiors have survived today. Most recently, it underwent extensive restructuring in 2011, but will open it’s doors to the public next month. Wedged precariously between the old, fortified stone tower and a newer structure sits the new, main entrance, clearly juxtaposing and offsetting the old, “heightening awareness for the threshold to the latter.” The newly constructed rooms are an extension of the museum’s spectrum in terms of space, operations and possibilities available to the curator. “The shape of the new building has been developed out of the lateral façades of the old buildings. Its façade and roof have been designed in such a way that the existing windows and doors of the old buildings are not intersected anywhere.” The Rapperswil-Jona Museum is a journey in discovery, the structure is a legacy itself and stepping foot inside is a trip into the past.
(Photgraphy: :mlzd)
Vanke Triple V Gallery, China
Singapore based architecture firm Ministry of Design has just put the final touches on an angular 750 square meter art gallery in Dong Jiang Bay. The gallery, Vanke Triple V, is the brainchild of the executives at the heavyweight Chinese developing company Vanke. Vanke has been quite familiar with the talented team at Ministry of Design because they have worked together on many projects before, such as Vanke’s Shenyang Gallery, and their Quayside Tuan Jin.
Here they called on MOD again, “the sites adjacency to the beachfront was a primary point of inspiration,” the architects explained. Therefore, the orientation of the structure became extremely important, “we wanted to orient our building to address this beachfront as well as to select a palette of materials that echoed the spirit of the surroundings.”
The orrientation of the pitched roof thrusts towards the beach front and the team chose a warm material pallet of corten steel for the exterior and timber on the interiors.
Lighting was a massive inclusion in the program, the architects wanted the design of the building glow in all the right places.Strips of light were added to the underside of the pitched roof, the sidewalk is lit to glow, and LED strip lights were designed into the interior stairs and into the ceiling edges giving a dynamic effect to the architecture. Unique modern furniture pieces cascade through the gallery, where visitors can find a quiet spot to sit and view the art, or the ocean.
(Photographs: Ministry Of Design)
The New Saguaro Hotel, Palm Springs
Taking color cues from the indigenous flowers of the desert region, the new Saguaro property is in full bloom. Opening in Palm Springs in February, the bold design elements pack a punch amidst the balmy backdrop of palms. The 249-room hotel was conceptualized with the idea of reflecting the colorful, vibrant spirit of the Southwest, and comes on the heels of The Saguaro Scottsdale that opened its doors in November 2011. The punchy palette can be attributed to New York-based Stamberg Aferiat Architecture, who masterfully transformed the throwback three-story structure from the 70’s into a bright, buzzing hotel, alive with color.
(Photography Provided By: Saguaro)
Travel Norway. The Architectural Way!
In 2005, Norway initiated a massive 15-year agenda to generate more tourism. The government turned to architects and designers to concept and build tourist routes and architectural rest stops to enhance the experience of the stunning Norwegian landscape. The projects span from the southern town of Jaeren to the northern tip of Varenger. Visitors and Norwegian natives alike are afforded the luxury of safe roads and reveling in clean and relaxing architecturally inspired viewpoints. The ongoing project has been aptly named, The National Tourist Routes In Norway, and features an array of architects including Margrete Friis, Peter Zumthor, PUSHAK arkitekter, Code Arkitektur, Manthey Kula, Snøhetta AS, and Jensen and Skodvin to name a few. The architects have worked together to connect the dots throughout the country and form a network of breathtaking valleys, farms, rivers, and mountain cliffs – creating a lattice of scenic masterpieces that would make just about anyone (Nordic or otherwise) want to shimmy into warm genser, bring a matpakke, and take in the sights.
(Photographs Provided By The National Tourist Routes In Norway)
The V House, Spain
Barcelona based architecture firm Magma have just completed The V House: a beautiful new residence on the bluffs of Costa Brava, a tiny coastal region in northeast Spain. The picturesque home is fastened to the hill and described by the architects that it is designed “with the intensity of a single-family house, but can be divided into three independent homes.” The team goes on to explain that “The site, which is very steep,” therefore they built the home on a large stone base, on which stands a large horizontal platform. “The permeable cut of the staircase subdivides the platform into two independent bodies.” Ultimately, the V House can function as a single-family dwelling, but can flex into a multi-family dwelling where public areas, the pool, and balconies, become shared when needed.
The minimalistic architecture is a soothing match for the homes minimal interiors. Finished mostly in shades of white, grey, and wood tones, the subtle interiors allows for the heavenly natural surroundings to be a dominant feature of the V House.
(Photographs: Magma Architects)
NA House By Sou Fujimoto, Tokyo
We have been fascinated by the works of Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto for quite some time now, but his most recent NA House in Tokyo is beyond captivating! The multi-level home is based on a split-level steel frame construction with transparent glazing, but without a full set of stairs, yep, rub your eyes and re-read the previous statement. The Na house is formed of levels, close to one another – steps. Fujimoto also added movable furniture which can double as steps when put into certain locations. The idea of the home is that each generic surface can be used for numerous functions; a desk can become a table, bench, or even a bed!
(Photography: Sou Fujimoto)
The Hansha Reflection House
Just Completed: The Hansha Reflection House is reminiscent of a child’s periscope, peeking over a neighbor’s fence. The square, reflective façade juts out from over the garage, it’s peephole looking directly into the kitchen and dining room area. Sitting on the border of a picturesque park in Misakimizube Koen, Japan, the residence used renewable timber coupled with a building technology that utilized a hybrid of mortise and a tenon joint system and steel bracketing. Designed by Studio SKLIM, the interior is minimalistic and sparse, opening up into a expansive double volume spaces in some areas of the house. A hatch in the top floor reveals a courtyard roof deck, perfect for a sunset sake sesh. (Why is it that writing articles always makes us so thirsty for liquid libations?! Maybe we should ‘reflect’ on that….)
(Photography: Jeremy San / Studio SKLIM)
Sarpi Border Checkpoint, Georgia
Ministry of Finance of Georgia has recently commissioned J. Mayer H. Architects to build their customs checkpoint on the Georgian border to Turkey. The newly completed project turned out to be a thin, curvacious, building used as a viewpoint for the coast of the Black Sea. “The tower consists of multiple levels overlooking the water and the steep part of the coastline,” the architects explained, “in addition to the regular customs facilities, the structure also houses a cafeteria, staff rooms and a conference room.” The interior architecture complements the exteriors with curved cream walls and a smooth aesthetic.
(Photography: Jesko Malkolm Johnsson-Zahn, Beka Pkhakadze )
Seljord Lookout Point
The local people of Telemark will tell many myths that are surrounded around their nearby lake of Seljord. One mystical story is a tall tale of a sea serpent, which has harbored in the lake for centuries. The local council decided to use this mythical feature as a point of departure for a new developement program in the area. Principals Sami Rintala and Dagur Eggertsson, of Rintalan Eggertsson Architects, were brought on by the Municipality of Seljord to spearhead a tall and slim lookout point over the lake - it’s purpose? To serpent watch!
The lookout point sits on the southwest end of the lake, close to the small town of Seljord. The tall building reaches above the two old pine trees it is nestled between, and it is constructed most entirely out of wood. The architecture firm explaines, ” The viewpoint becomes thus not the final destination, just a resting point between the landscapes of the known and the unknown.”
(Photographs: Dag Jenssen)
The Tel Aviv Museum of Art
Disclaimer: Do not attempt a trip to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art if you are battling a severe hangover. The acutely angular building may result in vertigo and/or nausea. Don’t get us wrong, the faceted exterior of intersecting lines and dancing triangular forms made of 465 differently shaped flat panels composed of pre-cast reinforced concrete is a beautiful sight to behold. Architect Preston Scott Cohen created the triangle form on a rectangular lot, juxtaposing the angles. ‘The solution was to “square the triangle” by constructing the levels on different axes, which deviate significantly from floor to floor,’ Cohen says. ‘In essence, the building’s levels – three above grade and two below – are structurally independent plans stacked one on top of the other.’ Like, we said, best check it out before, and not after, a night of debauchery.
(Photographs: Preston Scott Cohen)
Toyo Ito’s Museum of Architecture
On the Island of Omishima, Japanese architect Toyo Ito has completed the Toyo Ito Architecture Museum, the first museum in Japan dedicated to the work of an individual architect! The angular structure is sculpted to mimic the deck of a ship as it sits on a seaside ledge overlooking Seto Inland Sea, providing scenic views and cool breezes for the museum patrons. The faceted faces of the monolithic steel structure tilt at various different angles and “establishes a strong and modern identity on the lush site.” The exterior architecture directly translates to the interior design, which is wrapped in birch wood and is left minimalistic in decor.
Toyo Ito is taking it upon himself to re-write the rules of museums! What do you think about the architect designing a museum, dedicated to himself? Join the conversation
(Photography: Daici Ano & Ken Lee)
House in Leiria
(FG+SG fotografia de arquitectura | architectural photography)
