Architecture Design Trends

06/03/2024

In 1992 Foster + Partners was one of fourteen non-German firms invited to participate in a design competition for rehabilitating the Reichstag building, along with 80 German architects. Foster knew this was an invitation he could not refuse, but was also skeptical that a non-German architect could win the competition. In the end, the three finalists in the competition were all non-Germans: Foster, Santiago Calatrava, and Pi de Bruijn. Foster’s original competition design called for a steel and glass canopy covering the original structure, and stretching north to connect with the Spree River. As Deyan Sudjic described, “Resembling a giant table sitting on top of the parliament, it would have entirely transformed its meaning, rendering the project a memorial to the past, while at the same time demonstrating that the new parliament building signified a departure from history.
Foster’s winning design did not include a dome, but almost immediately after the competition was concluded, some members of parliament (MPs) began demanding a reconstruction of the original dome. As Sudjic recounts: Although he initially refused to consider adding a dome, a separate proposal from a German architect to add a reconstruction of the historic dome threatened Foster's vision for the building's interior spaces, and he began exploring ideas for what he came to call the “cupola.”And it was not just the dome that was subject to the whims of the politicians. Then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl insisted on a brighter color scheme for the interiors than the neutral palette of whites and greys that Foster had originally proposed–even the sculpture of the eagle in the parliamentary chamber was the subject of considerable debate. In fact, it is that contentious dome–or cupola–that most fully captures Foster’s ideals for the project. The cupola is the most publicly accessible portion of the building; it provides a visual connection to the work in the parliamentary chamber below, it is a functional component of the building’s sustainability strategy, and, despite Foster’s initial hesitation, it serves as a reference to the history of the building. The cupola is also the most obvious demonstration of Foster’s intervention in the historic building. Although it is a nod to the building’s history, the form is entirely new. Clad in clear glass, the helical ramp along the outer edges of the space helps define the dome-shaped volume, and leads to an observation deck that provides a vantage point for visitors to look out on the surrounding Berlin cityscape. At the same time, skylights at the base of the cupola open into the debating chamber below, providing a visual connection to the government at work. An inverted cone of mirrored panels in the center of the dome reflects daylight down into the debating chamber, and also supports ventilation in the building, exhausting hot air through the top of the cupola.

28/02/2024

The Yangtze River International Convention Center designed by Morphosis. The center represents a world-class hub for global connectivity and a key asset for Nanjing's westward expansion across the Yangtze River to the new urban center of Jiangbei. Located in a prime location between China's eastern coastal cities and the Yangtze River Delta region, Jiangbei District is poised to become China's newest global business hub. Commissioned by Nanjing's Jiangbei New Area, the Yangtze River International Convention Center embodies a charter for sustainable and environmentally sensitive development while creating an outstanding meeting and event venue for the region.
Key programmatic requirements inform the parts of the building; The podium hosts more than 36,000 square meters of conference space, while the single tower houses 340 rooms and is a 4-star hotel, with rooms oriented towards the river. At the podium, the enormous program area of ​​the conference center is systematically organized by canopied box trusses, which define a flexible series of conference spaces surrounding a 200-metre-long central gallery dividing the building into a north and south wing.
The building's design takes conceptual and formal inspiration from the Yangtze River of the same name, which provides one of the most important arterial connections throughout China and has shaped human development in the region throughout history. Like the river, the Convention Center connects the region to the wider world, supporting global development and exchange. Formally, the curves of the flowing river are reflected in the building's undulating platform, while gleaming titanium roof panels evoke sunlight playing on the surface of the water. Rising above the podium, the hotel tower's broad, sweeping angles evoke the junk sail, the traditional wind-powered riverboat that was popular on the Yangtze River.

20/02/2024

Italy Pavilion – Milan Expo 2015 by Nemesi. The design chosen for the Italy Pavilion is the result of an international design competition awarded by Expo 2015 SpA in May, 2013; among 68 participants Nemesi won the competition with Proger and BMS for the engineering and with Prof. Eng. Livio De Santoli for the sustainability. For the design of this “skin” Nemesi has created a unique and original geometric texture that evokes the intertwining of random branches.

Palazzo Italia reaches a height of 35 meters, the highest peak within the Expo site. It’s the only permanently architecture at the Expo. The entire external façade of Palazzo Italia is clad in over 700 i.active BIODYNAMIC panels realized by Styl-Comp with Italcementi's patented TX Active technology. When this material comes into contact with light, it can "capture" pollution in the air, transforming it into inert salts and reducing smog levels.

13/02/2024

The construction of the National Stadium, covering an area of 204,000 square meters with a capacity of 91,000 spectators, began in December 2003; construction officially began in March 2004 and was completed in June 2008. The Beijing National Stadium was designed by the well-known architectural firm Herzog de Meuron, in partnership with ArupSport and China Architecture. It is the centerpiece of the National Stadium and the nucleus of the Olympic Green Area. Its design can be described as a perfect blend of elegance, simplicity, and functionality. In this project, the architects and engineers created a sports facility known as the Bird's Nest that has evolved into an important symbol of the city of Beijing. The stadium consists of two independent structures 50 feet tall and apart: a red concrete seating bowl and an outer steel frame around it.
To hide the retractable roof's steel supports, required in the bidding process, the team developed "additional random-looking steel" to blend the supports into the rest of the stadium. Twenty-four tied columns surround the inner bowl, each weighing 1,000 tons. Despite the random appearance of the field, each half is roughly the same. After the collapse of the roof of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Beijing reviewed all major projects. It was decided to cancel the retractable roof, which was the original inspiration for the “nest” design, as well as 9,000 seats.

09/02/2024

The massive structure by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava that rises above New York's World Trade Center transportation hub known as the Oculus, the building was designed to highlight the subterranean railway station and shopping center that quietly opened in March 2016. Although it suggests motifs from many... From the traditions – the Byzantine mandorla, the wings of the cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant, or the wings protecting the Egyptian canopic jars – the form can be summed up, according to Santiago Calatrava, by the image of a bird released from the hands of a child. The building is accessed at street level at the east and west ends, directly on stairs that protrude into the space high above the ground and serve as viewing platforms. The Oculus Hotel used to be accessible from underground, but its street-level entrances were only recently opened. Retail spaces quickly fill with a variety of brands.

02/02/2024

Evelyn Grace Academy, United Kingdom Designed by Iraqi-English architect Zaha Hadid in 2010, Evelyn Grace Academy is in Brixton, London Borough of Lambeth. This academy presents itself as an open, transparent, and welcoming addition to the community's local urban regeneration process. The building is one of the creations of the late Zaha Hadid, who was able to reshape the architectural blocks into unprecedented forms and relationships. The building assumes a strong urban character and identity that can be read in both local and neighboring areas. The building is designed to create a healthy atmosphere as an environment for progressive teaching routines. The design creates natural classroom patterns nested within highly functional spaces, which give each of the four smaller school campuses a distinct identity internally and externally. These spaces provide generous environments with maximum levels of natural light, ventilation, and simple but durable textures. Common communal spaces between all schools are planned to encourage socializing within a distinct hierarchy of natural grouping nodes that weave together the overall residential schedule. Likewise, the outdoor common spaces, in order to generate an environment that encourages interaction, are treated in a layered manner that creates informal social and educational spaces at different levels based on the convergence of multiple functions.

31/01/2024

Vienna Lookup, Austria 🇦🇹🔥❤️

Here are some of my favorite Viennese courtyards. I have about 10-15 more, maybe next time... if you enjoy this photography. ☺️

Photos By: .rajkai [IG]

31/01/2024

25/01/2024

In 2013, UNStudio designed the Ardmore Residence at 7 Ardmore Park in Singapore, conveniently located near the upscale shopping district of Orchard Road and enjoying expansive views of Singapore's panoramic cityscape and the vast green areas to its west and east. nearly areas. The core design concept of the 36-storey, 17,178 square meter residential tower is a multi-layered architectural response to the inherent landscape of Singapore's 'Garden City'. This landscape concept is integrated into the design by means of four large details: the façade joint, which through its detailing creates different organic textures and patterns; Expansive views across the city are made possible by large expanses of glass, large windows and double-height balconies; The interior “living landscape” concept was adopted to design the two types of apartments, introducing transparency and connection to the ground-level gardens through an elevated structure supported by an open frame.

The façade of the Ardmore Residence is derived from minimalist design features that intertwine structural elements, such as large windows and balconies in one continuous line. The façade pattern is repeated on all four floors of the building, while rounded glazing creates column-free corners, visually merging the interior spaces with the exterior balconies. Interlocking lines and surfaces wrap around the apartments, seamlessly integrating the sunscreen, ensuring that the interior features of the apartments and the exterior of the building together form a unified whole. From a distance, the tower appears to adopt vastly varying lines when viewed from different viewpoints, while from up close the different openings in the façade's concrete panels influence a sense of organic boom and transition as you move around the building.

24/01/2024

Bjarke Ingels Group's design for the new R&D headquarters of OPPO, China's largest smartphone company, combines beauty and innovative technology in a building that will be an environmental, economic and socially sustainable hub for innovation.

The headquarters, called O-Tower, is located between a natural lake, an urban center and a 10,000-square-meter park, serving as a new connection point and gateway to the futuristic sci-fi city of Hangzhou. In addition to being a technology hub, Hangzhou is also a tourist attraction, home to three of the 57 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The architecture studio translated the company's "endless innovation in the pursuit of perfection" with a master plan that balances the dense fabric of the city and landscape, combined with technological artistry.
The award-winning architecture firm reimagined traditional office pads and enhanced the company's dynamic workspaces by creating a cylindrical courtyard building with compact, flexible floor plans. To maximize exposure to sunlight and provide panoramic views of the city, the southern edge of the building was pushed down. This unique engineering has allowed it to become self-shading, reducing energy consumption and increasing natural daylight, which in turn enhances employee well-being and productivity.

Under the sloped roof, triple-height voids and balconies connected with biophilia were implemented to provide visual and physical connection between floors. These interstitial spaces, which can be seen from the outside, highlight human interaction and the movement of the interfaces. The facades are wrapped with ventilation openings oriented with respect to the position of the sun. It will provide an exclusive footprint for O Tower and Hangzhou, reducing solar gain by up to 52%, and providing significant cooling load savings, all while reducing glare, reflection and light pollution.

21/01/2024

ConvensiA Convention Center is a fitting landmark for Korea’s international business hub, the Songdo ConvensiA Convention Center is located at the southern end of Central Park, the main green space in the KPF master-planned Songdo IBD. It is conceptualized as a landscape of folded roof planes, which extends the natural setting of the park into the city. The Center houses 645,000 square feet of exhibition space, 86,000 square feet of ballroom space, and 50,000 square feet of meeting and conference rooms.
The folds contain the main programmatic elements, including exhibition halls, pre-function areas, and the loading zone. Support spaces are articulated as a series of freestanding blocks above which the curved roofs float, like a series of upturned boat hulls. The areas between these forms are folded upward to generate a series of gable-like openings that push the pre-function areas outward, engaging the street and providing generous, light-filled gathering spaces. The boat elements form the structural system for the convention center and support a 144-meter-long, column-free span. A program of sustainable design strategies, from low-e glazing and designated parking for electric vehicles to a gray-water system, ensures consistency with the environmental agenda of Songdo IBD.

20/01/2024

Perkins & Will São Paulo has chosen bamboo as the centerpiece for the Bambu building, a residential development by Atmosfera Incorporadora, located in Praia Grande in Ubatuba, on the northern coast of São Paulo state, Brazil. The façade features vertical slats of treated bamboo, which can be reconfigured by the movement of articulated brises, becoming a living and dynamic element that confers a unique identity in dialogue with the local ecosystem. "Bamboo works exceptionally well when applied to constructions due to its adaptability to diverse functions and forms within a development," explains Fernando Afonso, Project Designer at Perkins & Will São Paulo and one of the project's responsible architects. As a low-cost natural material, bamboo thrives in the region, reducing the use of natural resources in transportation and handling, thereby decreasing the construction's carbon footprint—an integral commitment of Perkins & Will to the future, ensuring low environmental impact. Aesthetically pleasing and sustainable compared to other materials, bamboo is lightweight, durable, and fast-growing. In Japan, it is widely used in buildings for its flexibility, allowing structures to withstand earthquakes and other natural events. In Brazil, its adaptability is particularly suitable for warm and humid climates, such as the coastal environment, contributing to thermal comfort.

18/01/2024

In 2001 Morphosis Architects designed the Hypo Alpe-Adria Center in Carinthia, Austria. The building integrates inherent complexities at the shifting border between rural and urban typologies; its form emanates from both the pre-Alpine contoured landscape and the narrow, twisting passages and plazas of a small village. The Center is located just east of Klagenfurt, Austria, where the city extends into its outlying suburban and agricultural regions. As with many contemporary edge-city conditions, the site is surrounded by dislocated buildings, open parking areas, large-scale commercial developments, and residential suburbs.

The sloping, sharply folded roof creates a conceptual landscape, while the low-rise building component emerges from the ground as reconfigured earth. Like the seismic shifting of tectonic plates, the five-story bank headquarters juts out of the earthbound lower form. The center’s separate volumes intersect around a central courtyard, which allows light to permeate the branch bank on the ground floor. Bridges at each floor link the elevator core and lobbies along the edge of the courtyard with the larger building mass, and continue out to puncture the façade and create balconies overlooking the city streets.

Pedestrian pathways are an extension of the existing peripheral streets: the intersecting cardo and decumanus axes carve into the building conglomeration. At the southern end of the decumanus, a large canopy connects the public forum space directly to the busy Volkermarkt Strasse intersection, inviting the public into the events center and bank branch. At the northern section of the site, open gardens, commercial and office space, and the kindergarten transition into the neighboring low-density suburban residential zone. Both program (typology) and form (topography) re-define the role of Hypo bank, to become a major cultural and civic institution.

16/01/2024

Messner Mountain Museum Corones was designed by Zaha Hadid Architects in the Province of Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy, in 2015. The museum embedded within the summit of Mount Kronplatz, 2,275m above sea level, at the center of South Tyrol’s most popular ski resort, the Messner Mountain Museum Corones, is surrounded by the alpine peaks of the Zillertal, Ortler, and Dolomites. Established by renowned climber Reinhold Messner, the sixth and final Messner Mountain Museum explores the traditions, history, and discipline of mountaineering.
Kronplatz offers views beyond the borders of South Tyrol to all points of the compass: from the Lienz Dolomites in the east to the Ortler in the west, from the Marmolada Glacier in the south to the Zillertal Alps in the north. On Kronplatz, I present the development of modern mountaineering and 250 years of progress in the equipment. The museum speaks of triumphs and tragedies on the world’s most famous peaks and sheds light on alpinism with the help of relics, thoughts, and works of art and by reflecting the outside mountain backcloth in the interior of MMM Corones.”Zaha Hadid explains the concept of the design: “The idea is that visitors can descend within the mountain to explore its caverns and grottos before emerging through the mountain wall on the other side, out onto the terrace overhanging the valley far below with spectacular, panoramic views.”

16/01/2024

One of Frank Gehry's most important contributions ever to the city of his birth is now underway after construction has begun on the two-tower Forma condominium development in downtown Toronto. A total of 2,087 residential units will be constructed as part of the process, filling the two 73- and 84-storey towers, which once built will be the tallest buildings completed by 94-year-old Gehry during his illustrious six-decade career in architecture. The detailing of the exterior is intended to give the buildings a human scale and hopefully reflect the light and colour of the city and the sky around it.
The plan has evolved from the original 2012 proposal, which called for a three-tower scheme led by David Mirvish, and Paolo Ferrari has also been appointed to lead the interior design of both new buildings. Construction costs for the east building were estimated at $500 million, according to Gehry. The first tower will be completed in 2028, followed later by the second tower, which has not yet been completed.

15/01/2024

NATIONAL STADIUM WITH 91,000 SPECTATORS.

The construction of the National Stadium, covering an area of 204,000 square meters with a capacity of 91,000 spectators, began in December 2003; construction officially began in March 2004 and was completed in June 2008. The Beijing National Stadium was designed by the well-known architectural firm Herzog de Meuron, in partnership with ArupSport and China Architecture. It is the centerpiece of the National Stadium and the nucleus of the Olympic Green Area. Its design can be described as a perfect blend of elegance, simplicity, and functionality. In this project, the architects and engineers created a sports facility known as the Bird's Nest that has evolved into an important symbol of the city of Beijing. The stadium consists of two independent structures 50 feet tall and apart: a red concrete seating bowl and an outer steel frame around it.
To hide the retractable roof's steel supports, required in the bidding process, the team developed "additional random-looking steel" to blend the supports into the rest of the stadium. Twenty-four tied columns surround the inner bowl, each weighing 1,000 tons. Despite the random appearance of the field, each half is roughly the same. After the collapse of the roof of Charles de Gaulle Airport, Beijing reviewed all major projects. It was decided to cancel the retractable roof, which was the original inspiration for the “nest” design, as well as 9,000 seats....

15/01/2024

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK SZ), China. Located in the nature reserve area of Tong Gu Hill, the campus includes numerous teaching and research facilities, student residences, administrative offices, and recreational facilities serving 7,000 students. Rocco Design Architects Associates developed a master plan and comprehensive design that not only serves the needs of faculty, students, and staff but also creates a sustainable, community-oriented learning environment that reflects the dynamic and collaborative spirit of Shenzhen.
The project embraces the existing landscape as its primary planning premise. To take full advantage of its natural wealth while maximizing the functionality of the site, the campus is divided into three zones: the natural topography, where the buildings blend into the existing topography; the academic clusters, which define the urban edge of the campus; and the green campus, a central open space for relaxation and interaction.
By dividing the campus in this way, communities are formed to foster interactions between research, learning, living, and working. The design concept focuses on the interstitial spaces of buildings within the campus to encourage interaction and spontaneous exchange. College buildings are arranged within academic clusters in a criss-cross formation, creating convenient circulation paths, multiple focal points, and flexibility that lends itself to a variety of activities.

14/01/2024

Coop Himmelblau designed Beulah Propeller City. Beluah Propeller City was designed to represent a new form of urban development for the Southbank precinct of the Melbourne central business district. Beluah Propeller's vision was to create a vertical city composed of multiple functions interwoven in a seamless gesture of vertically connected public spaces. The structural, material, and functional components of the design are designed to create a memorable and unmistakable icon in the cityscape. The design also focused on creating a lively, multi-use vertical city. It has created an exciting mix of business spaces, hotel accommodations, restaurants, bars, and shopping in a unique tower crowned with residential apartments. Beulah Propeller City is located in the heart of Melbourne's premier arts and entertainment district. The design of the building's form was approached as an artist would a sculpture. The maximum possible building envelope was the starting mass. The client's brief planning regulations, existing urban form, climate, and views to and from the site were the considerations that drove the specific sculptures and manipulations to reveal the dynamic urban form within. The result of this approach is a unified composition of specific building elements comprising low, medium, and high-rise volumes created by dividing the building program into its four main functional parts, such as the public podium, offices, hotel, and apartment tower. By designing the external core structure, internal building elements are optimized and reduced, allowing maximum flexibility for current uses as well as future adaptability, a fundamental expression of architectural design. The formal decomposition illustrating the different programmatic components defined the new typology of high-rise buildings and ultimately served to make each functional element more intimate.

13/01/2024

The Quatuor Building, a notable office development at the entrance of Brussels’s Noordwijk district, is a striking example of innovative design and sustainability. Collaboratively created by Befimmo and Jaspers-Eyers Architects, this project encompasses four compact structures spanning an impressive 60,000 square meters. The primary objective of this endeavor was to forge a sustainable environment that seamlessly blends with the urban surroundings. To achieve this vision, the design team at Jaspers-Eyers Architects embraced creative and organic forms, ultimately giving rise to curved facades that bestow the development with a distinctive and captivating character.
The spatial layout of Quatuor is a pivotal element in its architectural design. These compact, triangular structures boast gently rounded corners, resulting in enchanting curved facades that beckon the public to explore the inner courtyard. Through this design, the development harmoniously melds with the urban environment, ensuring seamless integration. Intentionally using diagonal lines of sight connecting these structures eliminates any enclosed or confined spaces, further enhancing the overall design. Quatuor’s facade is a masterful fusion of solid and transparent components meticulously designed to optimize energy efficiency. Vertical fins, some adorned with solar panels, serve the dual purpose of reducing the extent of glass surfaces while adding a distinctive aesthetic charm. The selective use of lighting thoughtfully accentuates these elements during the night, creating a captivating transformation of the building’s visage.

13/01/2024

The Hague Municipal Office, The Hague, Netherlands, designed by Rudy Uytenhaak Partners Architecten, brings a more dynamic atmosphere to the area. The new office intends to be an iconic social hub for The Hague South West/Escamp. The new municipal office, which is the social and administrative heart of the district, deserves to become an icon for The Hague South West/Escamp. Inspired by the genius loci of the plan by Willem Marinus Dudok: an open city, in which primary volumes define the space of a spacious ‘park city’. Buildings are placed like ships throughout the park city: objects standing free in space rather than walled-in streets. The municipal office boasts a robust prow and will serve as a prominent landmark on the area's 'mental map.' The upper section of the building is oriented independently, emphasizing the office's autonomy. The building’s design has a distinctive form and is colored to match the existing buildings while representing a modern interpretation of the original light and contemporary architectural heritage. On the ground floor, in addition to facilities functions, are the public service desks of the municipal services, information facilities, and a library.

12/01/2024

The prestigious firm Zaha Hadid Architects won an international architectural competition to design the Jinghe Culture and Arts Center in Jinghe New City. The building's architecture is characterized by flowing curves, volumes, and layers, and the company was inspired by the Jinghe River when designing the building, influenced by the way it carves space through the province's mountains and terrain. The center's white façade features sleek lines that snake through the landscape while integrating raised plazas, walkways, gardens, and paths. The new construction will prioritize locally produced and recycled materials to achieve three-star certification in China's Green Building Programme, which recognizes buildings that meet exceptional standards for green development.
The project is designed as part of the city's existing urban plan to connect the multimedia library with the performing arts theater, multifunctional halls, studios, and galleries. The library will overlook a full-height atrium and provide multiple individual reading areas as well as a collaborative space for group work. In addition to printed resources, users will also have access to virtual reality technology and research materials.