Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Centre / Henning Larsen Architects

Architects: Henning Larsen Architects
Locations: Reykjavik, Iceland
Client: Austurnhofn TR – East Harbour Project Ltd.
Project Year: 2011

Situated on the border between land and sea, the Centre stands out as a large, radiant sculpture reflecting both sky and harbour space as well as the vibrant life of the city. The spectacular facades have been designed in close collaboration between Henning Larsen Architects, the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson and the engineering companies Rambøll and ArtEngineering GmbH from Germany.
The Concert Hall and Conference Centre of 28,000 m2 is situated in a solitary spot with a clear view of the enormous sea and the mountains surrounding Reykjavik. The Centre features an arrival- and foyer area in the front of the building, four halls in the middle and a backstage area with offices, administration, rehearsal hall and changing room in the back of the building. The three large halls are placed next to each other with public access on the south side and backstage access from the north. The fourth floor is a multifunctional hall with room for more intimate shows and banquets.
Seen from the foyer, the halls form a mountain-like massif that similar to basalt rock on the coast forms a stark contrast to the expressive and open facade. At the core of the rock, the largest hall of the Centre, the main concert hall, reveals its interior as a red-hot centre of force. The project is designed in collaboration with the local architectural company, Batteríið Architects.

Metal Shutter Houses by Shigeru Ban Architects and Dean Maltz Architect

After hours, rolling metal shutters fasten across these New York apartments designed by Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Surrounded by art galleries in a West Chelsea neighbourhood, the Metal Shutter Houses rise above a gallery on the ground floor. The eleven-storey block contains eight duplex apartments, each with balconies facing the street. Activated by a motor, individual perforated shutters slide over each balcony to entirely conceal the glazed facades of the apartments behind. A central elevator provides access to the apartments, which each have private lobbies before their front doors.

The Canopy: Student Pavilion Erasmus University / NEXT Architects + MASS Studies

“The Canopy”, a collaborative project between NEXT Architects, Amsterdam and MASS Studies, Seoul for the invited competition for a student pavilion at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Additional images of the proposal and a narrative from the designers after the break.

LIGHT HOUSING: continuity and openness - The designated location for the pavilion is characterized by the horizontal continuity of a leaf canopy of the surrounding trees and provides very desirable condition for meeting within the campus of the Erasmus University (EUR). With the involvement of this exceptional environment by the new pavilion we commit to provide for the continuation of the existing spatial qualities of continuity and openness within a ‘canopy’.

KEY: centrality and motion. - The central position that involves the pavilion on campus, can be compared to an atom consisting of a visible nucleus, but whose real influence is much greater and is determined by the constantly moving electrons in the surrounding shells. The pavilion will serve as the focal point of meeting and knowledge. In this the activities and events in the building not only work as a catalyst for a lively interpretation inside the building, but will also serve as a stimulus for movements around the site. Adapting to and match the horizontal and vertical connections that occur in response to the complex but promising contextual starting positions, is central to the current design.

DURABILITY: stratification and intelligence- A shelter under the roof of a subtle filtered light also generates energy, the construction makes the improbable possible: a transparent glass building as an icon of durability. The secret is hidden in a layered structure of climatic zones temperature constant at a moderate intelligently. This mass is created where needed and used wherever possible light and transparent, this strategy blocked the theater partly underground and made it into a buffer for temperature differences in the pavilion.

Mobile Police Station by Gesamtkonzept

Police guarding the Turkish Consulate in Hanover have upgraded their VW bus for a tiny mobile office.The Mobile Police Station was designed by German architects Gesamtkonzeptand is parked on the roadside.The mobile container is clad in laminated panels finished to look like wood and features floor-to-ceiling windows.

Client: Nordstadt Police Department
User: Police officers
Architect: Gesamtkonzept Architekten, Hanover
Material: Steel-frame construction, insulation of walls and roof, curtained rear-ventilated facade, panels made of high pressure laminate(HPL)
Planning and construction period: 07.2010 – 07.2011
Effective area: 8 sqm

Tianmen Mountain Restaurant by Liu Chongxiao

A triangulated glass and steel restaurant sits beside a river in a remote forested gorge in southern China. Designed by Liu Chongxiao, the Tianmen Mountain Restaurant is located at the foot of a ravine leading down from the top of a mountain popular with sightseers. The restaurant is constructed from triangular panels of alternating timber and glass strips that allows diners a view of the surrounding landscape. The building is raised off the ground on steel feet to prevent flooding and gives access to the river via an external staircase. Tianmen Mountain forms a national forest park near the town of Guilin and also contains a historic temple.

Architect: Liu Chongxiao

Client: Guilin Zijiang Danxia Tourism Co. LTD
Location: Guilin, China
Planning team: Jiang bo, Mo Keli, Wang Chao
Design team: Liu Chongxiao, Li When, He Rong, Fan Yi, Zhang Yue, Wu Xi, Ren Sijie
Project area: 627 square meters
Project Year: 2011

Glass Loggia House by Allen Jack+Cottier, Vladimir Sitta and Belinda Koopman

An oversailing glass roof and steel mesh curtain protect a two-storey extension and terrace at a historic Sydney house. The double-height curtain provides shade and privacy but can be drawn back to open the house to the remodelled garden. Australian architects Allen Jack+Cottier converted the High Victorian house in collaboration with designer Belinda Koopman, while the garden was redesigned by Vladimir Sitta. The house formerly contained a private zoo, according to the architects. Glass Loggia House was recently awarded two Houses magazine awards. 

LEAF CUT ART BY LORENZO DURÁN

Instead of using paper, artist Lorenzo Durán uses leaves to make papercut art. If you think about how delicate a leaf is, you can imagine how challenging and intricately painstaking each piece of art must be to create. He must have a very steady hand!

Edible Parmesan Pencils

This box of pencils packs a cheesy punch! Leave it to a German ad agency to think up this cute — and practical! — way to transport and serve Parmesan cheese. But are they coming to Rio anytime soon?

Disguised as run-of-the-mill over-sized pencils, the "leads" of these pencils are actually flavored Parmesan cheese. Each set comes with a sharpener, allowing one to shave truffle, chili, and pesto flavored Parmesan right from the pencils. Too bad there were only 500 made.....

Stade Bordeaux Atlantique by Herzog & de Meuron

Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron have designed a stadium for Bordeaux that will host football matches for Euro 2016.

A “forest” of slender white columns will support the rectangular white roof of the Stade Bordeaux Atlantique, which will shelter up to 43,000 spectators.

Natural light will filter into the stadium through glazed louvres in the roof. The base of the arena will house VIP lounges, players-spaces and media rooms, surrounded by food stalls amongst the columns. A public square in front of the building will form part of the proposed landscape improvements by French landscape architect Michel Desvigne. The stadium will be completed by 2015 and will also host rugby matches.

Chai Tour Office / aMA Design Studio Co.

Architects: aMA Design Studio Co.
Location: Yannawa, Bangkok
Project Year: 2009
Project Area: 1,020 sqm
Photographs: Wilson Tungthunya

The tour office building of 4 storeys high under the concept of the owner that the architecture shall reflects the good image of the organization. That the building shall use the natural air and lightning to recognize the business concept of the building owners in addition to reduce using air condition. That led to designed in order to take advantage from the wind and natural light as more as possible. A building that breath its own, therefore the concept is to create a building with large areas and created the court inside that’s ventilates and open air by nature during hot season.   

Despite of its dense wall, but a wall that can trap the air to enter into the building and some parts is in natural stone. But there is a space with continued pattern and making the corridor wall is perforated design with stained glass to maintain the idea that the building has to breathe itself having the beautiful wall with security shield that the client come in business will feel relaxed. The rest of the walls are designed to minimize the impervious wall using the composite complex with laminated glass for privacy.

The space in the ground floor is the reception hall and dining room just like a welcoming home for the visitor to come. It is an open space surrounded with a garden and pond. The high ceiling is lifted to helps the air conveniently flow that’s continued to every floors to associate with environment to minimize the feeling of how big is the building. The front building was designed in 5 meters cantilever from the main structure to lighten the building. The area below has designed for high benefits which are flexible to support different activities both day and night. The top roof which is a standing canopy to reduce the sunlight also minimizes the dimension of the building as well as support to indicate the business of tour as a journey without end.

Quarter Cultural Center by Mikolai Adamus in Gdansk,Poland

Mikolai Adamus shared with us his design for the Quarter Cultural Center located in Gdansk,Poland. The main idea was to supplement the empty square with tissue which surrounds the site for a more intimate and open expression. More images on the project after the break.The front of the building was raised in order to maintain the existing communication on the plot As a result, this provided an intimate interior while simultaneously opening up more to the surroundings which accomplished the intentions of the design concept.

Fill In The Blank Card Set

Here’s another lovely idea by TheseAreThings: Fill in the blank notecards.