Arch Tracker

Project: National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Author: Boora
Principals: Stan Boles, Isaac Campbell, Amy Donohue, Pat Harrington, Brian Jackson, Chris Linn, John Meadows, Tom Pene, Michael Tingley, Stephen Weeks
Location: Ohio, USA
Awards: American Institute of Architects (Indianapolis Chapter)
Merit Award for Excellence in Architectural Design, 2005
American Institute of Architects (Portland Chapter)
Unbuilt Citation, 1999
Unbuilt Citation, 2002

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Project: Bundeena Housing Project
Architect: Tony Owen / NDM Architects
Tony Owen
Location: New South Wales, Australia
Photography: Tony Owen

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Project: Yanlord Peninsula
Author: RMJM Architects
Location: China

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Hungary inveiled the design for their pavillion for next year’s Shanghai World Expo, designed by Tamás Lévai. Gömböc, as a hungarian invention, is the central element of the exhibition, a two meter high solid plexiglass moving object.

What is Gömböc (pronounced as ‘goemboets‘)? ‘Gömböc’ is the first known homogenous object with one stable and one unstable equilibrium point, thus with two equilibria altogether on a horizontal surface. It can be proven that no object with less than two equilibria exists. The discovery of the inaccessible path has led to the idea of GÖMBÖC. The pavilion as wood is intended to represent this path, and since it is of immaterial nature, we are trying to evoke it with non materials: empty space, light and sounds.

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The France Pavilion, designed by Jacques Ferrier and his team, provides a unique opportunity to reinforce France’s image in China. All the talents and financial forces will be gathered to make it real, said French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a statement when he decided to pick this design.

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BIG was recently awarded with the first prize on an open international design competition for  Kazakhstan’s new National Library in Astana.

The new building has an area of  33.000 sqm, arranged as a continuous circulation on a Möbius Strip, as the result of 2 interlocking structures: the perfect circle and the public spiral. The sections (see below) clearly show how the horizontal program shifts to a vertical configuration,  combining vertical hierarchy, horizontal connectivity and diagonal view lines. The skin, which changes from wall to roof as the strip develops. It sounds a bit complicated, but the sections and diagrams explain this pretty well, and you can get the idea on how the spaces and diagonal views relate on the renderings. In short words, a clear lineal organization (ideal for an archive, library) is mixed with an infinite loop.

“What is a library but an efficient archive of books… and a path for the public to reach them” (Thomas Christoffersen, Project Leader).

This shape also looks forward to become a symbol for the nation: “the circle, the rotunda, the arch and the yurt are merged into the form of a Moebius strip. The clarity of the circle, the courtyard of the rotunda, the gateway of the arch and the soft silhouette of the yurt are combined to create a new national monument appearing local and universal, contemporary and timeless, unique and archetypal at the same time” (Bjarke Ingels).

But once again, BIG diagram´s are way better to explain this than my words. See the diagrams, sections and renderings after the break: Leer el resto de esta entrada »

Project: CFv01 House
Architect: Jon Tugores
Collaborators: Joan Anguita, Jaume Campmany, Helena Torres, Enrique Soriano, Belen Torres, Sergi Rodriguez, Mo Segura, Jordi Corbera,  Josep Xexu, Isidro Torregrosa, Jordi Andreu, Jouie Caden & Aoki Yakomizo
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Project: 2003
Built: 2008
Photography: Jordi Bernadó / Jon Tugores

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Archiculture, the feature length documentary that examines the role architecture and design plays in our daily lives by following five architecture students during their final thesis semester returns September 2nd to host a round table discussion and trailer premier celebration event at the Center for Architecture.

The roundtable titled, Architectural Education vs. Professional Practice, will focus on how generational recessions have affected design training in the past and how we can evolve the profession under the current economic landscape for a better design future.

The panelists will include:
Ted Landsmark – President of the Boston Architectural College
Bill Morrish - Dean at Parsons the New School of Design’s, School of Constructed Environments
Billie Tsien - Co-Founder of Todd Williams Billie Tsien Architects
Giancarlo Tramontozzi and Dionysios Neofitidis -  two student characters in the film and now young Architectural professionals

The launch of the new Archiculture film trailer will proceed, following the roundtable discussion. The event will include refreshments and an open bar through out the night provided by Brooklyn Brewery, as well a band performance by The Dirty Urchins and music by P.S.1. Warm Up Party sensation, DJ Tim “Love” Lee.

ARCHICULTURE ROUNDTABLE AND TRAILER PREMIER
Date: Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Time: 5:45 PM – 9:00 PM (ET)
Location: Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, NY
Cost: $10 donation. All proceeds will go towards the finishing funds needed to complete this film.
Event Sponsors: Studios GO, Battle Tank Design Studio, MKI Realtors and Brooklyn Brewery

Dwell and Inhabitat have announced the winners of the Reburbia Design Competition. The competition called for design solutions that would address the problems that plague present-day suburbia by envisioning different scenarios for the future. Proposals tackled McMansions, big box stores, strip malls, parking lots and more with design fixes ranging from community agriculture and algae-based biofuels to transplanted tract developments and zeppelin-based transit. The competition drew 400 entries from more than a dozen countries, and while it was quite a challenge to narrow them down to twenty finalists, culling that list into just 4 winning entries proved almost impossible. In the end, there could only be one grand prize winner.

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Project: Cheongna City Tower
Author: Various Architects
Camilla Eduardsen, Jim Dodson, Ibrahim Elhayawan
Partners: Ramboll Whitby-Bird (Engineers)
Location: Cheongna, South Korea
Status: Competition Complete
Client: Korea Land Corporation
SIZE: 450 meters tall

Open international design competition for a 450 meter tall observation tower in Cheongna, Incheon, South Korea, more images and description after the break.

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Project: Apartments on the Coast
Author: OFIS arhitekti
Design Team: Rok Oman, Špela Videcnik with Martina Lipicer, Nejc Batistic, Neža Oman, Florian Frey, Marisa Baptista
Location: Izola, Eslovenia
Construction Start: 2004
Completed: 2006
Awards: Nomination Mies van der Rohe 2006
Structural Engineering: valide d.o.o
Mechanical Engineering: oves d.o.o.
Electrical Engineering: winky d.o.o
Construction Company: makro 5, d.o.o
                      kraski zidar d.d.
Photograhy: Tomaž Gregoric

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Authors: Maurizio Angelini / Sebastián Espinoza / Benjamín Oportot
Project: 2002
Construction: 2003
Location: Coelemu, Bío-Bío Region, Chile
Structural Engineer: Ignacio Vial / Oscar Buzeta
Construction: Jorge Carrasco
Materials: Concrete / Steel / Wood / Stone

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SPF:a presented its design concept in grand style to a packed house at the Grand Theatre. The project, which involves building the National Music Center in and around the shell of Calgary’s oldest blues bar is seen by many as one of the country’s most ambitious and important urban-design projects, and is located in the heart of one of Calgary’s oldest neighborhoods. The Center will be part museum, part education and outreach facility, and part performance space, incorporating genres ranging from pop and country to ancient music and contemporary composition.

For its presentation, SPF:a delighted the crowd with a stunning documentary film – taking viewers on a journey, not only through the building, but through the entire creative process and soul of the project.
More images after the break.

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Project: The Perforated House
Author: Kavellaris Urban Design
Location: Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Completion DAte: 2008
Client: KUD
Awards: Finalist in 2009 AIA awards-Residential Architecture
Photographer: Peter Bennets

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Architect: Saunders Architecture
Location: Bergen, Norway
Principal Architect: Todd Saunders
Structural Engineer: Node AS
Services Engineer: Node AS
Quantity Surveyor: Todd Saunders
Builder: Bygg AS, Trond Folkedal
Project Area: 368 sqm
Project year: 2007-2009
Photographs: Bent René Synnvåg & Jan Lillebø

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