Completed Jameson House - Foster and Partners - Canada

Completed Jameson House – Foster and Partners – Canada

Foster and Partners have completed the Jameson House building in Vancouver, Canada.

Jameson House is a new 35-storey mixed-use tower in the heart of Vancouver and includes the first residential development to be completed by the practice in North America – completed at the end of last year, already the building is now almost fully occupied. The project combines the restoration of heritage buildings with new construction: the lower level offices and shops knit with the existing streetscape to reinvigorate the downtown neighbourhood, while the apartments above face dramatic views of the bay and create a new landmark on the skyline.

 Fusing old and new, the site connects the city’s financial centre with its emerging creative hub, and the scheme integrates two 1920s Beaux Arts structures: the entire internal double-height volume of the A-listed Ceperley Rounsfell Building has been returned to its original configuration and the facade of the B-listed Royal Financial Building has been retained.

 The development comprises eleven storeys of offices and shops, topped by twenty-three storeys of apartments. The tower’s form articulates these different functions: the first two storeys continue the row of shop units at street level, while the uppermost office floor aligns with the cornice line of the adjacent building. Contrasting with the flush facade of the offices, the residential floors curve outwards in four wide bays, which are staggered to allow daylight to reach neighbouring buildings and oriented to provide uninterrupted views of the landscape.

 The tower’s flexible plan supports a variety of apartment types, with interiors by Foster + Partners and living spaces in the deep curve of the window bays. At the top of the tower are two-storey penthouse apartments and landscaped roof terraces.

 The design was developed in response to the local climate, seasonal sun paths, prevailing winds, humidity levels, air temperatures and precipitation rates specific to Vancouver. Foster + Partners’ in-house engineering group – formerly PHA Consult – has been involved in the project from the outset, in a fully integrated approach to environmental engineering and architectural design. This has led to innovations such as chilled floors and a mechanised valet parking system, which reduces the number of parking levels and associated excavation, lighting and ventilation requirements. Via

STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS' CAMPBELL SPORTS CENTER TOPS OUT

STEVEN HOLL ARCHITECTS’ CAMPBELL SPORTS CENTER TOPS OUT

11 January 2012

The Campbell Sports Center at Columbia University, designed by Steven Holl Architects, celebrates its topping out today. Located on the corner of West 218th street and Broadway, the Campbell Sports Center will form an inviting new gateway to the Baker Athletics Complex, the primary athletics facility for the University’s outdoor sports program.

The Campbell Sports Center aims at serving the mind, the body and the mind/body. The design concept “points on the ground, lines in space”-like field play diagrams used for football, soccer, baseball-develops from point foundations on the sloping site. Just as points and lines in diagrams yield the physical push and pull on the field, the building’s elevations push and pull in space.

With the structural frame in place, one can already experience the space that will form a new entry to the athletics complex, and the large interior space and amazing views to the city and the fields that this new facility will provide.

With construction two weeks ahead of schedule, the five-story, 48,000 square foot facility is scheduled to be completed for opening ceremonies in Fall 2012.

CREDITS

Architect:  Steven Holl Architects

Steven Holl, Chris McVoy (design architect)

Olaf Schmidt (associate in charge)

Marcus Carter, Christiane Deptolla, Peter Englaender, Runar Halldorsson, Jackie Luk, Filipe Taboada, Dimitra Tsachrelia, Ebbie Wisecarver (project team)

Client: Columbia University

Structural engineer: Robert Silman Associates

 MEP engineer: ICOR Associates

 Sustainability engineer: Transsolar

 Curtain wall consultant: W.J. Higgins

 Lighting consultant: Wald Studio

 Audio/visual consultant: The Clarient Group

 Acoustical consultant: Cerami Associates

Dalian Public Library - Architects Collective - China

Dalian Public Library – Architects Collective – China

Project Details:

Architects: Architects Collective

Location: Dalian, China

Type: Cultural – Public

Procedure: Invited Competition

Result: Finalist

Team: Andreas Frauscher, Patrick Herold, Richard Klinger, Martin Schorn, Kurt Sattler, Fei Tang

Gross Floor Area: 50.000 m²

Competition date: 10/2011

Construction Costs: EUR 50.000.000

 The new library is designed to become the center and heart for the local community with a strong relationship to the ocean and the bay. The building is placed in a park setting and aims to be a landmark for locals and visitors and a symbol for the creative and environmentally friendly future of New Pulian. It is a place for the public to read, contemplative and come together. The basic architectural form for the new library is the rose petal since the Monthly Rose is the city flower of Dalian. The new Pulian branch is one of several library branches in the Dalian region with each branch symbolizing a petal and forming a rose flower. Via

JOYCE, The Lee Gardens, BOUTIQUE – Case-Real - HONG KONG

JOYCE, The Lee Gardens,  BOUTIQUE – Case-Real – HONG KONG

Architect: Case-Real – Koichi Futatsumata + Partners

Period: May 2011-Oct 2011

Floor area: 353.9m2

Cooperation of construction: SOGO DESIGN HONG KONG

Lighting Plan: USHIOSPAX FUKUOKA

Construction: blueprint design engineering Ltd

Art Works: Ryo Matsuoka

Photo: Daisuke Shimokawa (Nacasa & Partners Inc.)

“Microcosm”: A shop design for Joyce, an established Hong Kong boutique with a 40-year history. The site, a corner plot located within The Lee Gardens, a luxury shopping mall in the central area Causeway Bay, is V-ish in shape, with walls of windows on two sides and an area measuring roughly 100 square meters. Even in Japan, it would be rare to get such natural light in adjoining boutique, and we sought to create a bright, open space in this location. To do so, it was imperative that the windows not be obscured by the placement of the boutique’s commercial facilities, such as fitting rooms, stock and staff rooms, and the like. We devised a method of assembling those facilities and forming a core in the center of the space. At the same time, Hong Kong gives one the impression of being is a place where all sorts of things from all over the world are brought together, forming a complex mix of urbanity. It is a space naturally crafted as aggregate of the natural environment, man-made elements such as buildings and roads, and the thinking of many different types of people. We felt an attraction to that which is as diverse as Hong Kong’s unintentionally formed urban space. Thus, the unintentional contour of the space was kept with a simple reduction in building volume. Just as Hong Kong is as a city, the inevitable volume produced by the location given here was a core, a ‘microcosm’. From this, three major advantages are born: 1) an unbroken flow of movement is secured; 2) it becomes a brighter space with no lighting interference, and 3) the multiplicity of expression within the lines of the walls bring out movement in the space. The form of this ‘microcosm’ holds a sculptural interest as well. It could be said that, in a way, this unique space was borne of the unintentionality of Hong Kong as a city, rather than something that we produced.

Zlota Tower Moves Forward in Warsaw - Daniel Libeskind - Poland

20 Jan 2012

Orco Group

As the Zlota tower reaches its top floor, the Voivod Administrative Court (“WSA”) in Warsaw has reaffirmed validity of the Building Permit of Z?ota 44 and closed all outstanding proceedings related to the case. The construction of the skyscraper is no longer exposed to any legal risk regarding its Building Permit.

 The verdict issued on the 12th of January 2012 relates to the claims of some of the Z?ota 44 project’s neighbours.  Through successive court appeals since 2008, they have been challenging the legality of the building permit issued for the luxury residential building designed by Daniel Libeskind. While it remains possible for the neighbours to – again – file a cassation appeal to Supreme Administrative Court, we are absolutely convinced that any further complaint would be dismissed.”– stated Mariusz Le?niewski, Head of Orco’s Legal Department in Poland.

 ”Together with the full financing confirmation and the topping up of the 54th floor this month, this is another excellent piece of news for our existing and future clients, securing their investment in the most iconic residential development in the region!”— confirmed  Krzysztof Godle?, Head of Development for Poland, Orco.

 About Zlota 44

Architect: Daniel Libeskind

Building size:

74,750 m² (Total)

50,450 m² (Residential)

1,000 m² (Retail)

22,000 m² (Parking/Storage)

Structure:  Concrete structure with glass curtain wall cladding

Client: Orco Property Group

Architect of Record:  Artchitecture SP ZOO

Structural Engineer:  ARUP

Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing Engineer:  ARUP

Project Management: Hill International.

Status:  Under construction

Completion Date: 2013

 Z?ota 44 is a unique development by the Orco Property Group; offering an unprecedented dimension of luxury lifestyle in midtown Warsaw. Just as its counterparts in New York or London, Z?ota offers a complete range of luxury services to its residents; such as a 24h doorman and concierge services; an oversized pool, with a spa and club facilities; in addition to on-site parking and fantastic views from its floor to ceiling windows.

 Z?ota 44, the first high rise luxury apartment building in Warsaw, has been designed by world class architect Daniel Libeskind in accordance with the most exacting environmental and technological standards; such as a triple glazed façade, the first one in Poland, or its flat screen accessible domotics.

Orco Property Group is planning to complete the building shell and core by July 2012. An entire floor of show apartments under preparation on the 20th floor will be ready for visitors as of April 2012. The first owners will be able to move into their apartments at the beginning of the year 2013.

 The Z?ota tower, which is already perceived as iconic of modern Poland, strives to introduce a new downtown lifestyle that is without precedent in Poland. The project won the Eurobuild CEE Award in the category of Business Achievement of the Year 2011. For more details, please visit the project website at www.zlota44tower.com

 About Orco Property Group

 ORCO Property Group is one of the leading Central European property development companies. Established in 1991, the company is based in Luxembourg and has listings on NYSE Euronext Paris, Prague and Warsaw stock exchanges. For more information visit: www.orcogroup.com

PKO Bank Polski - Robert Majkut Design – Poland

PKO Bank Polski – Robert Majkut Design – Poland

Architect: Robert Majkut Design

Location: Poland

The starting point for this project was Bank’s corporate identity developed by White Cat Studio, above all the modernized logo of PKO Bank Polski in its elegant color version for Private Banking sector – black, white and gold, which created a set of basic colors for the interior. Other graphical elements were also inspiring – in particular one decorative motif consisting of a grid of elegant, sinusoidal lines, consistently applied in the graphic design for the PKO Bank Polski Private Banking.

 The theme of delicate grid was treated in a very innovative way – a bi-dimensional pattern was completely transformed by introducing an additional dimension: it was made spatial by being projected on the tri-dimensional model of the interior. To achieve this effect special software for parametric design was used, which allowed for the creation of a complex and ordered structure formed as a transformation of the subtle grid of lines converging in one abstract point. This complicated geometry setting has become a model to be filled with interior design solutions.

 As a composition it is coherent and complete, being a real challenge at the stage of realization. The final effect is a balance between purely aesthetic choices and a mathematical order, accepted by the designer, yet generated by software that was treated not only as a tool, but as a creative factor. It is a kind of metaphorical code which presents the character of the institution and its services, being a mix of mathematical analyses and human element of experience, knowledge, and decision making process. Via

Casa RO - Elías Rizo Arquitectos – México

Casa RO – Elías Rizo Arquitectos – México

Architect: Elías Rizo Arquitectos

Category: Single Family House

Location: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Status: Built

Year: 2010

Photo: Marcos García

The site is located in a well stablished residential area. This house built in the 60?s, with its straight lines, honest distribution, communication with the exterior, and usage of materials, represents the architecture of its time. All these hints help the author decipher the project and set in motion arduous work of intervening while respecting its essence.

The project consists in the restoration of the old house, which was really deteriorated. The house had several failed previous interventions, but there was a lot to rescue. It begins with the demolition of some of the adjacent areas, maintaining almost all the original flooring on the ground floor, mainly because of all the new installations. Its all about precise work demanded by these particular clients: a young family with a unique way of living and perceiving architecture.

The house revolves around two main spaces, the double height foyer and the terrace. The foyer is restored and destined to become a sculptural area. The new terrace is where the family interacts and spends most part of the day.

One of the main goals was to create a warm space distanced from current architectural stereotypes and trends. The materials used become the main protagonists of space: wood as the prevailing material in facades and interiors, or stone which was selected complement with the one already in place.

The sites orientation defines the design of the facades, a translucent skin that solves the solar radiation for the bedrooms, acquiring a duality between an open space and an isolated one. Via

Bridgestone Pavilion – Architect kidd – Thailand

Bridgestone Pavilion – Architect kidd – Thailand

Architect: Architectkidd

 Location: Bangkok, Thailand

 Design Team: Luke Yeung, Pailin Paijitsattaya, Phuttipan Aswakool

 Exhibition Design: DesignLAB

 Project Area: 500 sqm

 Completion date: January 2012

 Client Representative: Dentsu Thailand

 Structural Design: Montree Sayabovorn

 Contractor: Pico Thailand

 Photographs: Phuttipan Aswakool and Luke Yeung

Description from the architects:

 The BOI (Board of Investment) Fair is a major event that aims to demonstrate Thailand’s rebuilding efforts among public and private sectors after last year’s floods. The objective of the Bridgestone Pavilion is to communicate the company’s commitment to the country in manufacturing, research and investment. With an emphasis on showcasing emerging technologies, Architectkidd had the opportunity to implement design approaches and features that are relatively unique among current standard construction practices in Thailand.

 The building design was generated based on 3-dimensional spatial requirements. The starting points were the interior functions, building heights and site boundaries, as well as the continuous flow of visitors from entrance, exhibitions, to exit.  The requirements were digitized volumetrically and merged to form the overall building, with the exterior a result of optimizing the interior spaces while minimizing extraneous elements such as additional edges, corners, and leftover spaces.

 During construction, the structural design and steel fabrication team engineered 66 steel profiles – each with a distinct shape and curvature.  All steel elements were hand-made and prefabricated before installing on the site.

 For the finishes, the collaboration with Bridgestone allowed access to its extensive polymers expertise. One example is the use of EVA heat-reflecting film laminated on the glass windows and doors of the pavilion.  Bridgestone also supplied materials for light-transmitting solar panels (installed as a roof skylight) as well as flexible roofing membranes. The entrance of the pavilion is made from elastic PVC fitted across pre-formed steel profiles. Via

Ocean Guest House – STELLE Architects - US

Ocean Guest House – STELLE Architects – US

Architect: Stelle Architects

Use: Guest House

Location: Bridgehampton, NY

Services Provided: Architecture and Interior Design

Architects Team: Viola Rouhani, Greg Tietjen, Esra Unaldi, Jonathan Subject

Builder: Licciardi Builders

Consultants: LaGuardia Design, Landscape Architects and Planners, Chris LaGuardia, Interscience Research Associates

Photographer: Matthew Carbone and Toby Sherrard

This guest house structure is part a two-phase project on an ocean front site.  Located on the street side of the property, the apartment sets the tone for changes to take place on the main residence. The existing main house was originally conceived in the 1970’s a later addition in the 1980’s.  The guest house itself is a simple two-story structure with shifted volumes, the upstairs apartment consists of two bedrooms, two baths and a kitchen/sitting room. The apartment is accessed through the exterior slot between the garage and the storage laundry functions below. Entirely clad in fiber cement panels and glazing, the structure orients itself towards the west towards the main house, pool, garden, and ocean. The side facing the driveway limits openings to provide privacy for the guests. Designed as a rainscreen clad structure, the intent is for the house to breathe better while offering long term protection from the elements. Solar protection taken into account with the use of overhangs to block the rays in the summer.

Travertine Dream House - Wallflower Architecture + Design – Singapore

Travertine Dream House – Wallflower Architecture + Design – Singapore

Architect: Wallflower Architecture + Design

Location: Serangoon, Singapore

Year: 2011

Status: Built

Travertine Dream House by Wallflower Architecture + Design:

“The client’s brief for this house was simple. Functionally, to maximize usable area and to incorporate greenery. Aesthetically, to use travertine copiously as an architectural finish. Inspired by the Italian urban-scape during his travels, so too would travertine express this house.

The house is organized as two parallel blocks connected by a glass enclosed bridge. The separation between the two blocks allows daylight to stream down to basement spaces. Thick travertine walls and large overhangs are placed on the western side to limit heat gain from the harsh afternoon sun. The entry, living spaces and bedrooms are arranged longitudinally to take advantage of natural cross ventilation and daylight. In order to intensify land use without ending up with an imposing structure, the four storied house has one level sunk into the ground and the other three set away from the access road.

To accommodate as much green and ‘blue’ space as possible, the gardens and water bodies are spread throughout the house. The living and dining areas on the ground floor face a swimming pool and a fish pond. The basement’s entertainment and guest rooms are open to the sky, with natural light and ventilation coming through a sunken moss garden courtyard. The third storey flat roof is both a recreational deck and a roof garden.

The arrival experience is orchestrated by several layers of travertine wall that suggest a tenuous threshold between the outside and the inside. The detailing is deliberately minimal and precise to enhance the simplicity of the massing and the juxtaposition of solidity and transparency. The narrow blocks that house the living area, the thick stone cladding, multiple levels of gardens and water bodies ensure that the house remains cool in the tropical environment, well ventilated and washed in soft daylight.

The three dimensional composition of voids, layers and solids creates spaces for both quiet reflection and family interaction, something for each mood and moment.” Via

Family House In Kraluv -Dvur OV-A - Czech Republic

Architects: OV-A
Location: Kraluv Dvur, Czech Republic
Head Architects: Jiri Opocensky, Stepan Valouch
Structural Engineering: Jan Pohl
Completion: 2009
Site area: 1212 m²
Built area: 225 m²
Total floor area: 188 m²
Photographs: Tomas Soucek

A single-story house built over a square ground plan, without a cellar and with a flat roof, three bedrooms with amenities facing to the north and delineating the common living area with extends to the exteriors through roofed terraces, the facade, with its glazed walls, are covered by larch wood shutters witch can be used to create further rooms, the house works as a gazebo providing views of the valley and the wooded slopes opposite.

The load-bearing construction of the timber frame house consists of I-beams, thermal insulation of mineral wool and wainscotting, the flat ventilated roof is covered with a PVC foil with a layer of pebble rock on top, the facade system is composed of glazed walls in aluminum frames, terraces are from tropical wood, jatoba was chosen material for he interior industrial strip flooring.

Foothills Residence - Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis – US

Foothills Residence – Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis – US

Architect: Neumann Mendro Andrulaitis Architects

Location: California, United State

Status: built

This contemporary residence is designed to seamlessly open unto the panoramic coastal ridge-top site via expansive operable glazed walls. The glazed transparency is balanced and the home is anchored in place by substantial cut native sandstone walls. The architectural design evolved from our client’s desire for a home that is a tranquil place for living, art and retreat.

 The project site is located on a ridge in the foothills of Carpinteria, ten miles down the coast from Santa Barbara. The program asked for a master suite, one guest room, a study for two, a more contained den and an informal open living space they could share with their children and grand children. The site strategy was to separate the guesthouse, pool and pool house from the main house, by locating them amongst the oaks on a lower terrace. The smaller structures were easier to place around the mature oak trees without disturbing their root systems. Each structure has its own orientation and privacy.

 How to develop a strategy with dramatic 360-degree views was a challenge for laying out the main house. Placing the main living space and study further away from the edge was determined to be quieter from the distant freeway noise. A courtyard created an inward oriented counterpoint to the distant vistas. A flat roof modernist scheme complemented the couples taste for modern art and furniture. Designers in their own right, they were the driving force in the overall design team. The design was limited to a simple palette of materials and forms. A European window and sliding door system was used to minimize the frames and optimize the glass. These glass walls were framed between large stonewalls constructed of the local Santa Barbara Sandstone, and volumes contained in plaster walls with an integral color (pantry, guest room, master bath and closet, storage area). The flat roofs were supported by steel columns separated from the curtain walls.

 The landscape design became a hobby of the owner who studied local native plantings that were both fire resistant and drought tolerant. Some large oak trees were brought in to augment the existing oak grove, further nestle the house into the site, and create a foreground to help frame the spectacular views. Via

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House In Machalí - HLPS - Chile

Architects: HLPS – Carolina Portugueis, Martín Labbé
Location: Machalí, Chile
Project area: 300 m²
Project year: 2008 – 2011
Photographs: Marcos Mendizabal, Martín Labbé

Dalian Museum - 10 Design – China

Dalian Museum – 10 Design – China

Architects: 10 design

Location: Dalian, China

Year: 2011

Design team: Ted Givens, Peby Pratama, Adrian Yau, Audrey Ma, Laura Rusconi Clerici, Shane Dale

Landscape design: Ewa Koter

Client: Dalian Planning Bureau

Hong Kong and shanghai-based international firm 10 Design has proposed the ‘Dalian museum’, for urban planning topics positioned within the heart of the government district in Dalian, China. The building’s external appearance responds to the established sculptures and parks scattered throughout the city, becoming a focal element in itself. The form opens towards an adjacent park to the west, visually incorporating the current urban planning elements and green spaces of the encompassing context into the museum.

The zinc rainscreen facade is surfaced with a photocatalytic nano-coating of titanic dioxide to neutralize any air pollution and remove dirt. At night, UV lights powered by photovoltaic cells maintain the cleansing reaction which takes place while incorporating the imagery of a blooming flower, an important symbol to Dalian. An inner layer of aluminum lined with a polymer acts as an insulation, adding 10-20 percent to the material’s R-values with marine and fungal resistance. The simple paint-like layers dramatically increase performance for minimal costs, while general orientation of entrances and internal spaces minimize western facing elevations. Entries are placed to reduce the effects of northern winds to encourage passive solar techniques. Via

Panton Chair 1999 edition - Verner Panton – Vitra

Panton Chair 1999 edition – Verner Panton – Vitra

Designer: Verner Panton (1926-1998)

Brand: Vitra

Design Date: 1999 Edition

Material: Material: polypropylene dyed through. Produced using injection moulding.

Dimension: 830 × 500 × 610 mm

Colors: White, classic red, ice gray, chartreuse, basic dark, tangerine.

Technical: Also suitable for outdoor use. Special additives slow down the fading process caused by ultraviolet rays. However, leaving the chair exposed to the sun for an extended period of time can result in changes in the colour. We recommend that the chair not be left in the sun longer than necessary. Weight 5.6 kg

Vitra Overview

Verner Panton, 1999

The Panton Chair is a furniture design classic. Verner Panton created it back in 1960, and together with Vitra, he developed a version that was ready for series production (1967). It was the very first single mould all plastic chair. Since its market launch, the Panton Chair has undergone several production phases. Not until today has it been possible to produce it in line with Panton’s original idea – namely from tough plastic that is consistently dyed and has a matt surface.

The chair offers great sitting comfort thanks to its cantilever base, flexible materials and shape, which is shaped to the human form. Its sculptural shape means that it looks good by itself or grouped together. It can be used indoors and outdoors.

The Panton Chair has won various design prizes world-wide and graces the collections of numerous renowned museums. Its expressive shape makes it a true 20th-century design icon

About the designer:

Verner Panton was one of the most influential designers of the 1960s and ‘70s. Born in Denmark, Panton relocated to Switzerland in the early 1960s. He became known for his original and imaginative designs in the fields of furniture, lighting and textiles. Installations such as the legendary ’Visiona’ exhibition demonstrated Panton’s masterful use of colour, which is a hallmark of his work. Vitra has been committed to comfortable seating and the workplace for over 50 years. All Vitra products benefit from this extensive experience.

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Panton Chair Classic - Verner Panton – Vitra

Panton Chair Classic – Verner Panton – Vitra

Designer: Verner Panton (1926-1998)

Brand: Vitra

Design Date: 1960

Material: Hard foam plastic shell, surface painted with a gloss lacquer.

Dimension: 830 × 500 × 600 mm

Colors: White, red, black.

Vitra Overview

Verner Panton, 1959-1960

Verner Panton was one of the most influential designers of the 1960s and ’70s. Born in Denmark, Panton relocated to Switzerland in the early 1960s. He became known for his original and imaginative designs in the fields of furniture, lighting and textiles. Installations such as the legendary ’Visiona’ exhibition demonstrated Panton’s masterful use of colour, a hallmark of his work.

In addition to his experiments with shape and colour, Verner Panton was enthusiastic about the design potential of plastic, a new material at the time. One of his ambitions was to create a comfortable, all-purpose plastic chair moulded in a single piece. Panton’s long search for a manufacturer led to his initial contact with Vitra in 1963. The Panton Chair, a collaborative effort, was developed with Vitra and finally introduced to the public in 1967.

Panton Chair Classic Serial production of the Panton Chair began in 1967. The one-piece plastic chair was regarded as a sensation and received numerous awards. The Panton Chair is recognized as a classic of modern furniture design: one of the first models belongs to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. True to the original, the Panton Chair Classic is available with a lacquered finish in black, white or red.

About the designer:

Verner Panton was one of the most influential designers of the 1960s and ‘70s. Born in Denmark, Panton relocated to Switzerland in the early 1960s. He became known for his original and imaginative designs in the fields of furniture, lighting and textiles. Installations such as the legendary ’Visiona’ exhibition demonstrated Panton’s masterful use of colour, which is a hallmark of his work. Vitra has been committed to comfortable seating and the workplace for over 50 years. All Vitra products benefit from this extensive experience.

]]> http://simbiosisgroup.net/28530/panton-chair-classic-verner-panton-vitra/feed 0 http://simbiosisgroup.net/28446/dusseldorf-loft-aabe-partners-germany?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dusseldorf-loft-aabe-partners-germany http://simbiosisgroup.net/28446/dusseldorf-loft-aabe-partners-germany#comments Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:30:36 +0000 Lion http://simbiosisgroup.net/?p=28446

DUSSELDORF LOFT - AABE & Partners - Germany

DUSSELDORF LOFT – AABE & Partners – Germany

Architect: Atelier d’Architecture Bruno Erpicum & Partners

Type: Loft

Year of construction: 2006

Location: Germany

Floor area: 600m2

Bruno Erpicum was the architect entrusted with designing this warehouse conversion. It is now the home of a couple with a passion for architecture who were keen to make one of Düsseldorf’s rare ruins their own. The reconversion was closely overseen by the administrative authorities, since this old factory in the city center miraculously avoided damage during the many bombings of World War II. Across from the coachman’s passageway are some garages that stand in front of the entrance court. The court is dotted with screens that flank the entrance and seclude off the “day patio”. The history of the city is reflected in the glass panels, reminding you of the building’s heritage. A facade made entirely of glass stands completely independently of the old structures, showing off their immense scale. The building is now protected against the elements and complies with energy performance requirements. The study opens boldly onto the garage and gym. The gloss painted furniture designed by architect Bruno Erpicum reflects the structural elements. A vast white space devoid of any accessories houses the sleeping accommodation in the conversion; the rotating door appears to be floating in the air. An enormous living room is arranged between the pilasters that are displayed with pride. The artist’s design highlights the existing brickwork that supports the flagstone roof; here again the wear inflicted over time is openly displayed. The architecture unpretentiously magnifies the materials. The kitchen is arranged in the exterior deambulatory. The bedroom is housed in a “white box” that has been perfected with the utmost care. It is encircled by a “night patio” illuminated using zenithal light that sweeps across the surrounding brickwork. The light itself becomes a material, rebounding off the objects it touches and reminding us of the building’s history. The walls of the bedroom are perfectly smooth, whereas the bathroom is surrounded by rough pilasters (p. 106-107). A flow of natural light is ensured by the night patio, a space created by the removal of the roof around the edge of the bedroom. Pieces of raw concrete were used to create the bath, shower and washbasin. The starry ceiling over the Turkish bath completes the composition. Photographer: Jean-Luc Laloux.

New M3A2 building – Antonini + Darmon – France

New M3A2 building – Antonini + Darmon – France

Architect: Antonini + Darmon

Location: Paris, France

Ground floor area: 550 m²

Type: Office building

Status: Built

Date: 2011

The architectural firm Antonini-Darmon has delivered the M3A2, an office building for the University Paris Diderot in the thirteenth arrondissement. Fine and slender, the tower houses the local cultural associations and the university and is situated in the southwest corner of Hall Flour recently renovated by architect Nicolas Michelin. Between the two buildings, a flaw, a space voltage stresses the independence of the new and the existing and slender just over the silhouette of the tower.

The buildings of the cultural and community premises of Paris Diderot University fit into the undeveloped, southwest area of the Flour Market which was recently converted by Nicolas Michelin and Associates Agency. A break between the Flour Market and the new building is preserved. It respects the existing building and accentuates the slenderness of the tower. The two, independent buildings coexist completely. The signal-like extension stands out of its context by means of its evolving shape. It is a sensitive, delicate object, treated simply to avoid rivalry with the strong presence of the Flour Market. On the contrary it acts as a light, gravitational counterpoint. An architectural dialectic and emulation come into play much like a castle and its keep, both intrinsically inseparable. Via