Can a building zig?
A border crossing is the first thing you encounter in a country, and the last thing you see as you leave. Georgia has built what must be the most interesting border crossing in the world, which is no surprise – since it was reborn as an independent democratic country in 1991, Georgia has been using architecture to rebrand its image to the world. Cantilevered platforms allow for viewing of the rugged landscape, and a cafeteria, conference room, and staff facilities are arranged to create a composition that promises wonderful discoveries in the country beyond.
(Border checkpoint. Sarpi, Georgia)
The gateway to a country should entice and inspire visitors.
A border crossing is the first thing you encounter in a country, and the last thing you see as you leave. Georgia has built what must be the most interesting border crossing in the world, which is no surprise – since it was reborn as an independent democratic country in 1991, Georgia has been using architecture to rebrand its image to the world. Cantilevered platforms allow for viewing of the rugged landscape, and a cafeteria, conference room, and staff facilities are arranged to create a composition that promises wonderful discoveries in the country beyond.
(Border checkpoint. Sarpi, Georgia)
The gateway to a country should entice and inspire visitors.
Can architecture swirl?
An inflatable and mobile concert hall made of a stretchy plastic membrane brings both art and hope to earthquake-devastated Japan. The five-hundred-seat venue can inflate in under two hours and, when deflated, can move to a new location on the back of a truck.
(Ark Nova. Matsushima, Japan)
The line between art and architecture can be a curvy one.
An inflatable and mobile concert hall made of a stretchy plastic membrane brings both art and hope to earthquake-devastated Japan. The five-hundred-seat venue can inflate in under two hours and, when deflated, can move to a new location on the back of a truck.
(Ark Nova. Matsushima, Japan)
The line between art and architecture can be a curvy one.
Do buildings wear stockings?
In historic neighborhoods, new buildings should strike a balance between past and present architecture. For a new gallery in the northern part of Seoul, the architects created a white box that was ideal for the art inside, but too rigid-looking within its historic surroundings. A little wardrobe change did the trick: Wrapped in a flexible chain mail veil, the white box changes as light plays across its surface, better blending in with neighboring buildings.
(Kukje Gallery. Seoul, South Korea)
A well-dressed building is never out of place.
In historic neighborhoods, new buildings should strike a balance between past and present architecture. For a new gallery in the northern part of Seoul, the architects created a white box that was ideal for the art inside, but too rigid-looking within its historic surroundings. A little wardrobe change did the trick: Wrapped in a flexible chain mail veil, the white box changes as light plays across its surface, better blending in with neighboring buildings.
(Kukje Gallery. Seoul, South Korea)
A well-dressed building is never out of place.
Can glitz be more than glam?
When this 40-year-old villa was transformed into apartments, it was at risk of losing its singular visual identity. To retain its identity and upgrade it for better environmental performance, architects installed a reflective outer wall in front of the existing building. This mirrored wall protects the building from the harsh sun, while unifying the apartments behind a single, continuous material – one that reflects the beautiful landscape.
(Trevox Apartments. Naucalpan, Mexico)
Mirror, mirror, be the wall.
When this 40-year-old villa was transformed into apartments, it was at risk of losing its singular visual identity. To retain its identity and upgrade it for better environmental performance, architects installed a reflective outer wall in front of the existing building. This mirrored wall protects the building from the harsh sun, while unifying the apartments behind a single, continuous material – one that reflects the beautiful landscape.
(Trevox Apartments. Naucalpan, Mexico)
Mirror, mirror, be the wall.
Can glass be a fortress?
This concert hall is a collection of delicate crystals perched on the punishing Reykjavik waterfront. A collaboration with artist Olafur Eliasson, the building`s south face is made of 823 “quasi-bricks” – stackable twelve-sided modules fabricated from steel and ten different types of glass that shimmer like fish scales. But they aren`t just a pretty façade – the glass bricks noise from disturbing the performances inside. The strength of the glass combined with its structure makes this concert hall nearly impenetrable by the rolling nature around it.
(Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center. Reykjavik, Iceland)
Some materials have hidden powers.
This concert hall is a collection of delicate crystals perched on the punishing Reykjavik waterfront. A collaboration with artist Olafur Eliasson, the building`s south face is made of 823 “quasi-bricks” – stackable twelve-sided modules fabricated from steel and ten different types of glass that shimmer like fish scales. But they aren`t just a pretty façade – the glass bricks noise from disturbing the performances inside. The strength of the glass combined with its structure makes this concert hall nearly impenetrable by the rolling nature around it.
(Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center. Reykjavik, Iceland)
Some materials have hidden powers.
What if an office building turned inside out?
Office design can be hard. Columns and pipes often get in the way of the much-vaunted “open-plan” design that, in turn, can get in the way of cubicles and conference rooms. Not so at O-14, an office tower that relies on a white concrete bearing wall three feet away from the windows to carry the building`s load. That means there are no columns in the space. The structural wall creates a chimney effect that pulls hot air away from the building (good in the Dubai heat), and with 1,326 holes in five different shapes arranged artfully along the building`s length, it makes an elegant statement about this new type of skyscraper design.
(O-14. Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
A hole new way of looking at structure.
Office design can be hard. Columns and pipes often get in the way of the much-vaunted “open-plan” design that, in turn, can get in the way of cubicles and conference rooms. Not so at O-14, an office tower that relies on a white concrete bearing wall three feet away from the windows to carry the building`s load. That means there are no columns in the space. The structural wall creates a chimney effect that pulls hot air away from the building (good in the Dubai heat), and with 1,326 holes in five different shapes arranged artfully along the building`s length, it makes an elegant statement about this new type of skyscraper design.
(O-14. Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
A hole new way of looking at structure.
Is pretty a public amenity?
In case you were wondering, this shape is called a rotated rhomboid. Clad in sixteen thousand hexagonal tiles, this Rodin sculpture museum`s muscular structure is wrapped in a shimmering mirrored skin. The pattern references Mexico City`s traditional colonial ceramic-tiled building facades and, like those buildings, changes in appearance with weather and the viewer`s vantage point, becoming a sculpture itself.
(Museo Soumaya. Mexico City, Mexico)
A museum can be as important as the art within.
In case you were wondering, this shape is called a rotated rhomboid. Clad in sixteen thousand hexagonal tiles, this Rodin sculpture museum`s muscular structure is wrapped in a shimmering mirrored skin. The pattern references Mexico City`s traditional colonial ceramic-tiled building facades and, like those buildings, changes in appearance with weather and the viewer`s vantage point, becoming a sculpture itself.
(Museo Soumaya. Mexico City, Mexico)
A museum can be as important as the art within.
Can stone flow like a river?
Inspired by the geomorphology of the Louisiana region`s ancient riverbed, this museum`s sculptural foyer uses 1,100 cast stone panels to form a pathway to the museum`s interior galleries. The panels were designed and assembled using a custom automation process.
(Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame. Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States)
Technology is the new alchemy, turning rocks into water.
Inspired by the geomorphology of the Louisiana region`s ancient riverbed, this museum`s sculptural foyer uses 1,100 cast stone panels to form a pathway to the museum`s interior galleries. The panels were designed and assembled using a custom automation process.
(Louisiana State Museum and Sports Hall of Fame. Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States)
Technology is the new alchemy, turning rocks into water.
Can architecture be an Olympic sport?
Ski jumping is a death-defying sport; athletes risk life and limb to launch themselves impossibly high into the air. The village of Holmenkollen, in Norway, has been to the most legendary jumps of the last century, and a recent international competition aimed to raise its reputation even higher with a new sports campus and jumping hill. Clad in stainless steel mesh and cantilevered 226 feet, the ski jump is the longest of its kind, making sure it is always the center of attention.
(Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Oslo, Norway)
Architecture gives you wings.
Ski jumping is a death-defying sport; athletes risk life and limb to launch themselves impossibly high into the air. The village of Holmenkollen, in Norway, has been to the most legendary jumps of the last century, and a recent international competition aimed to raise its reputation even higher with a new sports campus and jumping hill. Clad in stainless steel mesh and cantilevered 226 feet, the ski jump is the longest of its kind, making sure it is always the center of attention.
(Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Oslo, Norway)
Architecture gives you wings.
Can architecture drip?
An international airport is an opportunity for a city to showcase its identity to visitors. That`s why the architects of Terminal 2 in Mumbai`s airport chose to reference the patterns of local jail window screens along its 17-acre roof. (Jali is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern, often found in Indian architecture.) The coffered ceiling`s pattern that drips into columns lets in light from above with skylights, creating a strong visual gateway to the nation`s capital.
(Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2. Mumbai, India)
Architecture lets you know you`ve arrived.
An international airport is an opportunity for a city to showcase its identity to visitors. That`s why the architects of Terminal 2 in Mumbai`s airport chose to reference the patterns of local jail window screens along its 17-acre roof. (Jali is the term for a perforated stone or latticed screen, usually with an ornamental pattern, often found in Indian architecture.) The coffered ceiling`s pattern that drips into columns lets in light from above with skylights, creating a strong visual gateway to the nation`s capital.
(Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2. Mumbai, India)
Architecture lets you know you`ve arrived.
Can balconies make waves?
Architectural innovation can take huge amounts of resources and time to bring to fruition. Sometimes though, the answer is in the smallest details. Underneath its exuberant form, this 82-story hotel and apartment building is really just a traditional rectangular skyscraper. When it came time to design the balconies, though, the architect became a sculptor and created curvy and changing platforms that jut out from the building up to 12 feet. From a distance, this minor alteration creates a huge spectacle – a sensual cloud floating on the Chicago skyline.
(Aqua Tower. Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Opportunity is in the details.
Architectural innovation can take huge amounts of resources and time to bring to fruition. Sometimes though, the answer is in the smallest details. Underneath its exuberant form, this 82-story hotel and apartment building is really just a traditional rectangular skyscraper. When it came time to design the balconies, though, the architect became a sculptor and created curvy and changing platforms that jut out from the building up to 12 feet. From a distance, this minor alteration creates a huge spectacle – a sensual cloud floating on the Chicago skyline.
(Aqua Tower. Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Opportunity is in the details.
Can architecture swoop?
The Soviet Union was well known for its imposing and rigidly monumental architecture. When Azerbaijanis looked to create a new cultural center in their capital, they made an extreme departure from precedent. The building rises out of the landscape in a series of undulating curves to enclose over 57,000 square meters of space. The design represents the fluid relationship between the city and what happens inside the cultural center.
(Heydar Aliyev Center. Baku, Azerbaijan)
Architecture can create new landscapes.
The Soviet Union was well known for its imposing and rigidly monumental architecture. When Azerbaijanis looked to create a new cultural center in their capital, they made an extreme departure from precedent. The building rises out of the landscape in a series of undulating curves to enclose over 57,000 square meters of space. The design represents the fluid relationship between the city and what happens inside the cultural center.
(Heydar Aliyev Center. Baku, Azerbaijan)
Architecture can create new landscapes.
Can architecture be from outer space?
The quickly growing city of Dalian asked architects to create a functioning conference and opera center, but also a visual landmark for the city – something that could become an icon for the local community and excite an international audience. The result is almost entirely self-referential, as if an alien ship landed on the banks of Dalian`s port. The building doesn`t look to context for its reference, it looks to the future. It`s a hopeful symbol of what the city will become: a place activated by visitors, commerce, and culture.
(Dalian International Conference Center. Dalian, China)
Architecture doesn`t predict the future, it creates the future.
The quickly growing city of Dalian asked architects to create a functioning conference and opera center, but also a visual landmark for the city – something that could become an icon for the local community and excite an international audience. The result is almost entirely self-referential, as if an alien ship landed on the banks of Dalian`s port. The building doesn`t look to context for its reference, it looks to the future. It`s a hopeful symbol of what the city will become: a place activated by visitors, commerce, and culture.
(Dalian International Conference Center. Dalian, China)
Architecture doesn`t predict the future, it creates the future.
Can a skyscraper bend over?
The headquarters for China Central Television (CCTV) combines the entire process of TV-making – administration, production, broadcasting – into a single loop of connected activities. The building`s form offers an alternative to the traditional skyscraper, encouraging collaborative activities inside, and offering an unprecedented amount of public access to China`s media production syctem.
(China Central Television headquarters. Beijing, China. OMA)
New public engagement creates new forms.
The headquarters for China Central Television (CCTV) combines the entire process of TV-making – administration, production, broadcasting – into a single loop of connected activities. The building`s form offers an alternative to the traditional skyscraper, encouraging collaborative activities inside, and offering an unprecedented amount of public access to China`s media production syctem.
(China Central Television headquarters. Beijing, China. OMA)
New public engagement creates new forms.
Can you shop in a cathedral?
As the number of brick-and-mortar bookstores in the world dwindles, the ones that remain have become sacred places to retreat. So what better place for a Dutch bookseller to reimagine itself than inside a thirteenth-century Dominican cathedral? The soaring nave allows ample space for a three-story-high bookshelf, which spans the length of the space and contrasts with the Gothic stone architecture around it.
(Selexyz Dominicanen. Maastricht, Netherlands)
Retail therapy can be a holy experience.
As the number of brick-and-mortar bookstores in the world dwindles, the ones that remain have become sacred places to retreat. So what better place for a Dutch bookseller to reimagine itself than inside a thirteenth-century Dominican cathedral? The soaring nave allows ample space for a three-story-high bookshelf, which spans the length of the space and contrasts with the Gothic stone architecture around it.
(Selexyz Dominicanen. Maastricht, Netherlands)
Retail therapy can be a holy experience.
Would you eat dinner in a sewer pipe?
Just try not to think about it – stacked precast concrete pipes traditionally used for wastewater become a dramatic, sculptural addition to an existing pub. Lined with wood, they create intimate dining nooks for those inside, and a sense of voyeurism for those who pass by.
(Prahran Hotel. Melbourne, Australia)
Function follows form.
Just try not to think about it – stacked precast concrete pipes traditionally used for wastewater become a dramatic, sculptural addition to an existing pub. Lined with wood, they create intimate dining nooks for those inside, and a sense of voyeurism for those who pass by.
(Prahran Hotel. Melbourne, Australia)
Function follows form.
Can ugly be pretty?
Newtown Creek is the largest of New York City`s fourteen wastewater treatment plants. The city could have easily stuck with a utilitarian design, but instead it decided to put $4,5 billion into overhauling the outmoded and environmentally unsound wastewater treatment facility, following a design that is sensitive to the surrounding residential neighborhood. Working with a team that included lighting artists and an environmental sculptor, the architects created a complex that uses form, material, and color to create a striking visual composition.
(Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Brooklyn, New York, United States)
Industrial architecture doesn`t need to hide anymore.
Newtown Creek is the largest of New York City`s fourteen wastewater treatment plants. The city could have easily stuck with a utilitarian design, but instead it decided to put $4,5 billion into overhauling the outmoded and environmentally unsound wastewater treatment facility, following a design that is sensitive to the surrounding residential neighborhood. Working with a team that included lighting artists and an environmental sculptor, the architects created a complex that uses form, material, and color to create a striking visual composition.
(Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Brooklyn, New York, United States)
Industrial architecture doesn`t need to hide anymore.
Can superhighways make good houses?
We have all driven on highways without realizing their enormousness. This house awakens us to the scale of our transportation infrastructure. It`s made using huge precast concrete beams that are traditionally fabricated for highway construction. A series of seemingly impossible cantilevers make us rethink our perceptions of gravity and scale. And check out that swimming pool!
(Homeroscopium House. Madrid, Spain)
Rethinking the obvious can create something entirely new.
We have all driven on highways without realizing their enormousness. This house awakens us to the scale of our transportation infrastructure. It`s made using huge precast concrete beams that are traditionally fabricated for highway construction. A series of seemingly impossible cantilevers make us rethink our perceptions of gravity and scale. And check out that swimming pool!
(Homeroscopium House. Madrid, Spain)
Rethinking the obvious can create something entirely new.
Can historic cities have futuristic public spaces?
When Seville decided to replace lot and bus station at its city center, officials were surprised to discover Roman ruins beneath the surface. What to do? Metropol Parasol was the winning scheme in an international competition that manages to protect the ruins, provide space for shopping and cafes, and create a grand new public square for the still-vibrant city. The six mushroomlike shading devices provide relief from the intense Andalusian sun, and visitors can climb to the top to take in a panoramic view of the walled city. Yet the craziest part of this swoopy landmark isn`t its form: It is made mostly of wood and is the largest glued structure on Earth.
(Metropol Parasol. Seville, Spain)
Cities are not time capsules.
When Seville decided to replace lot and bus station at its city center, officials were surprised to discover Roman ruins beneath the surface. What to do? Metropol Parasol was the winning scheme in an international competition that manages to protect the ruins, provide space for shopping and cafes, and create a grand new public square for the still-vibrant city. The six mushroomlike shading devices provide relief from the intense Andalusian sun, and visitors can climb to the top to take in a panoramic view of the walled city. Yet the craziest part of this swoopy landmark isn`t its form: It is made mostly of wood and is the largest glued structure on Earth.
(Metropol Parasol. Seville, Spain)
Cities are not time capsules.
