Building blocks: our edit of 2015’s most striking structures around the globe
Ravens
22 December
Finely crafted aviaries are the newest addition to London’s most visited tourist attraction. Designed by Llowarch Llowarch, the new Raven enclosure at The Tower of London is made from vertical oak slats and a stainless steel mesh roof, which is closed for the raven’s own protection at night time, but opened during the day, so the birds have free reign over the tower.
Thanks to the Tower’s heavily guarded status as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and as it one of the most recognizable structures in the country, the architects worked closely with the Tower’s craftsmen to stay firmly within the building’s Grade I listed regulations. Hence the sensitive choice of oak - as long ago as the thirteenth century, timber structures are thought to have occupied the site. The minimalist slatted panels run perpendicular to the surrounding green, framing the birds, making them the star attraction – a far cry from the mismatch of sheds that housed the birds before.
As English legend has it, if the ravens depart, the tower will fall. So, it’s pleasing to know these majestic birds, and guardians of the tower, now have a comfortable place to sit.
Writer: Elly Parsons
Photograph: Edmund Sumner
Welcome to Turkey!
11 December
RMJM Istanbul are in contention to design the Airport Traffic Control Tower of Istanbul’s New Airport - and the sketches are dizzying. The aerodynamic structure takes its inspiration from Istanbul’s plentiful seagull population. As if floating on water, the body of the building barely touches the ground, and the curving, elegant neck topped by the 360 degree control room gives new meaning to a ’birds-eye view’.
The design brief was to include symbols of Turkish culture and society, which RMJM have knitted into the fabric of their build proposal. As well as referencing seagulls, RMJM chose to represent Turkey’s crafting history: the smooth, flowing walls emulate a turned pottery vase, and the woven slats that wrap around the building recall a Turkish loom. As Managing Partner at RMJM Istanbul, Sotiris Tsoulos says, ’It was clear to us that this project had to be unique; this is the flag that will be raised to symbolise the new, vibrant, global Turkey.’
The competition was launched by airport design controllers İGA, who are set to announce the results any day now. Steep competition comes in the shape of world class design firms Zaha Hadid, Nordic, and Grimshaw, amongst a flight of others.
Picture courtesy RMJM Istanbul
Writer: Elly Parsons
Score, goal
4 December
Chelsea fans have something to cheer about: Herzog & de Meuron’s final designs for the revamp of their stadium have been revealed. Described as a ‘contemporary sculpted form’, it aims to increase spectator capacity at Stamford Bridge to 60,000 and will feature a series of striking brick piers.
The huge pillars make reference to the local brick architecture, ensuring the structure relates to its environs, whilst stretching above the existing stadium to support a steel ring above the pitch and the increased seat numbers.
Working hand in hand with London architecture firm Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, the Swiss firm is no stranger to the challenges of stadiums - Beijing’s Bird Nest stadium from the 2008 Olympic games and, more recently, football arenas in Munich, Basel and Bordeaux - make them (and their pitch) a sure winner.
Image courtesty of Herzog & de Meuron Basel
Writer: Sam Rogers.
Water-tight environmentalist plans in Miami
26 November
The Climate Ribbon building is a sophisticated, hard working temperature management system for Brickell City Centre. With its own water collection facility, the Ribbon comprises a non-porous, solar-resistant ‘skin’ pulled taught over an elegant steel frame, creating a naturally temperate environment for visitors below, without having to use unsustainable air-conditioning systems.
Spanning an impressive 150,000 sq ft, the Climate Ribbon has the potential to harvest three million gallons of water annually, in carefully positioned cisterns. To put this in perspective, that’s about 80,000 bath-fulls.
The structure is as striking as it is environmentally friendly - it really does emulate an elegantly bending ribbon, neatly covering all of the exposed space below. Created by Hugh Dutton Associés, Swire Properties with Arquitectonica, and finished just in time for Art Basel, the Climate Ribbon will be lit up as a celebration of all things sustainable, and beautifully constructed, just as the design world floods in to appreciate it.
Writer: Elly Parsons
Mercury
19 November
Marking the launch of The South Bank Tower penthouse suites and designed by Dara Huang of Design Haus Liberty, Mercury is an installation of 1000 distended, mirrored spheres.
The globes, which range in size, are organised into slim spines that look like frozen droplets suspended in mid-air. Within each individual orb, light refracts and reflects, augmenting images of London’s skyline. The capitals most iconic buildings are re-built, creating illusions of St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower Bridge, Battersea Power Station and the Houses of Parliament.
Huang’s instillation echoes the key themes found in the tower itself: sheer glass and modernist clean lines. Windows stretch from floor to double-height ceiling in the surrounding penthouse, celebrating light, so as to make the most of that view.
Mercury will be open to members of the public later this year on selected days, visit the South Bank Tower website for further details.
Writer: Elly Parsons
Check Mate
13 November
The game of chess is getting a makeover. For the first time in chess history, the design of the championship venue became an integral part of the world tournament. Moscow-based architects Novoe Bureau transformed a 17,000 square foot former milk factory in the heart of Berlin into a phenomenal venue for players and spectators alike.
The original walls of the dairy were exposed creating an atmosphere of gravitas, perfectly suited to this age-old game. Contrastingly, contemporary mood lighting was used, pointing towards the games’ future. Striking black and white shadows were thrown across the dark floor and walls, cleverly mimicking the checkered top of a chessboard.
‘V confession’ agency initially proposed the tournament’s architectural emphasis, in order to make chess more appealing to a broader audience. Partner Julia Chernova comments: ‘chess combines elements of sport competition and intellectual art. I hope that chess players and game masters can become as influential as contemporary artists and as popular as football stars’. We’re not sure if this dream will become a reality, but one thing’s for certain: the world’s oldest game has never looked so stylish.
Photography courtesy of V Confesion Agency
Writer: Elly Parsons
RIBApix
6 November
If browsing through architectural gems is your idea of good time you will be pleased to learn about Royal Institute of British Architects’ latest endeavour: RIBApix. With this project RIBA throws open the doors to its historic collection of imagery, making it all digitally available to the public.
From the 16th Century drawings of Andrea Palladio to the plans of Sir Christopher Wren, sketches of Ernő Goldfinger, Denys Lasdun and Edwin Lutyens among other notable architects. Explore thousands of years of the world’s built heritage with images ranging from ancient monuments to seaside huts, modern hotels and private residences.
As much architectural history as social documentation, the archives include extensive images of interior design, landscape, topography, construction and decorative arts. All beautifully captured by some of the world’s leading photographers including John Maltby, Edwin Smith, Henk Snoek, John Donat, Dell & Wainwright, Martin Charles and Tony Ray-Jones.
Pictured: Tulip Staircase in the Queen’s House, Greenwich. Photography: Inigo Jones. Courtesy of Richard Ingle and RIBA Collections
Writer: Sam Rogers
Tetris build
5 November
Opening to the public on 11 December, Timmerhuis is Rotterdam’s newest multi-functioning public space, innovative in its approach to sustainability. Resembling a futuristic game of Tetris, glass piles upon glass to create a mass of intricately positioned ‘units’. These self-sufficient cubes can be added, converted, or taken away from the building as its requirements change, making Timmerhuis a truly purpose-oriented structure.
Two large, airy atriums act as the Timmerhuis’ lungs, helping to regulate temperature throughout the year. Paired with the hi-tech translucent insulation system housed behind the glass facade, new levels of energy efficiency are reached. Despite being so forward-thinking, project leader Reinier de Graaf didn’t want to alienate other buildings in the area. He says, ‘rather than adding to Rotterdam’s crowded history of revisionist planning and cacophony of architectural styles, Timmerhuis negotiates between the architectures of the buildings surrounding it.’
Photography: Courtesy of OMA
Writer: Elly Parsons
Buffalo Bayou
4 November
Already dubbed the ‘Central Park of Houston’, this £58 million project concluded in October and was duly opened to the public.
SWA Architects have transformed a neglected waterway into an inviting public space. The many stuctures dotted around the parkland appear as natural extensions of the landscape, providing shady areas in which to take respite from the Houston sun. The same architectural vocabulary was applied throughout, namely in the materials used: sustainable fly-ash concrete, repurposed steel and natural wood. This creates a sense of unity and flow across the vast 160 acre space. Conservation and development are balanced through highly functional recreational areas, ecosystem restoration and flood management systems, making Buffalo Bayou a real gift to the city.
Photography: Courtesy of SWA
Writer: Elly Parsons
Landing soon
3 November
Doha’s International Airport is arguably the most architecturally significant terminal complex in the world, as well as being the most luxurious.
It can accommodate 30 million passengers annually and has 41 unrestricted contact gates. Increasing load factors challenge aviation designers like HOK to create smart, connected terminals that understand the needs of contemporary airport security. Gates are getting smaller due to more efficient systems; meaning relaxation spaces must be able to cope with an increased thoroughfare. With this in mind, HOK have created direction-lead spaces for passengers to explore. Travelers are encouraged to look skywards through the acres of glass roof - the structure’s most notable feature. It is dramatic and undulating, creating a striking silhouette that reflects the nearby sand dunes.
HOK have ensured that beauty doesn’t sacrifice efficiency. The extensive 6.46 million-square-foot terminal is filled with well placed amenities: gold-plated coffee bars, prayer rooms, and a spa swimming pool, making this airport a destination in itself, as well as somewhere to pass through.
Photography: Courtesy of Doha International Airport
Writer: Elly Parsons
The Orangery
2 November
Located on the scenic grounds of GL. Holtegaard art gallery in Sealand, Northen Denmark, the Orangery is a reinterpretation of one of the most iconic buildings of the Baroque era, the church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane in Rome, designed by Borromini (1599–1667).
Like Borromini, the architects of The Orangery (Kim Lenschow, Søren Pihlmann and Mikael Stenström) use basic geometric shapes, circles and ovals to create a dynamic, imposing structure. Resembling a sketch of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, and meticulously following the church’s original floor plan, the Orangery departs from its Roman prototype in the materials used. A thin steel structure is covered in a form of strong, industrial shrink-wrap. Materials not usually appreciated for their beauty are elevated and made new by the Orangery, enhanced by the jewel-like citrus fruit hanging from the dome.
Photography: Søren Pihlmann
Writer: Elly Parsons
In the eye of the beholder
2 November
Once voted the fourth ugliest place in all of Holland, De Bakermat Plaza is being re-imagined. Designer Maarten Baas (famed for his intuitive approach) has tasked two teams of designers to revamp the residential site. The winning design will be voted for by members of the public, announced as part of Dutch Design Week 2015.
Both of the final designs offer a humorous, ambitious take on the traditional house. Team A’s proposal ‘The Sketch’, sees a cluster of colorful towers, each reaching different heights, giving the impression of a family of detached houses competing for space. Team B’s idea ‘house-UP!” is covered in seemingly randomly placed, house-shaped windows. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, both teams play with the idea of unsightliness, challenging the public to question their idea of ‘the ugly’. Charm can be found in these projects in the democratic process of their election, and their bizarre, soulful take on traditional living.
Pictured: The Sketch. Photography: Courtesy of Maarten Baas & SDK
Writer: Elly Parsons