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.
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.
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.
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.
Located in Tenerife, one of the most populated islands in Spain, the second prize winning proposal for the ITER Building Technology Park settles in like a crater, relating to its volcanic surroundings. Estudio Lunar‘s design consists of two elements, the first one contains the program which is situated in the terrain interacting with it; and the second element that is situated over the terrain and only touches it to create the main access in the north protecting the building from the prevalent winds coming from the north-east. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Located around the Hauptbahnof in Berlin, the proposal for the Haus der Zukunft competition by Project Architect Company capitalizes on the site’s potential which lies between the Reichstag and the main railway station along the River Spree. The site is experiencing a surge in development, transforming a previously underused area into a new city-wide destination. The architects propose to use the building as an ‘urban activator’ to link the city and waterfront. More images and architects’ description after the break.
META architectuurbureau, in collaboration with SW, Technum, and landscape architects, West 8, were recently awarded the first prize in the competition for Building O, an auditorium and laboratory building for the University of Antwerp. The new multi-disciplinary building, sited on the Drie Eiken campus in Wilrijk, will host 8 auditoriums, with the capacity to hold about 200-300 people, and 2 laboratories. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Located on a cliff at an altitude of 4100 meters high near Yading Village in China, the proposal for the Yading Cliff Building by ELEV (Elevation Workshop) was inspired by the terrain of the cliff itself. The local mountain has had landslides in the past. As nature formed the mountains in the first place, it also created the imperfections. The architects wanted to use our man-made construction to fill the remaining void. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Taking place tomorrow, November 9th from 2:00-4:30pm EST, the Subdivision Modeling with Grasshopper + Weaverbird webinar put on by modeLab offers us a fluid way to create and control complex, continuous forms from simple shapes. Beginning with a presentation on the main principles of working with Meshes and Subdivisions, this webinar will incrementally unpack a diverse set of Tessellation techniques through a series of “live” exercises with Grasshopper and Weaverbird. The event will last 2.5 hours including a 30 minute Q & A session. To register and for more information, please visit here.
