Australian wins competition for Californian landmark

Australian wins competition for Californian landmark

  A Western Australian architecture firm has won an international competition to design an architectural landmark for Silicon Valley in California.

Smar Architecture Studio’s design – selected from a pool of 963 submissions from 72 countries – will see 500 dynamic rods erected on the Arena Green at Guadalupe Park and Gardens in San José. Forming a tower that will soar to 200 feet (61 metres), the rods will sway in the wind, giving a dramatic visual effect while also generating enough power to light up the structure.

 Dubbed “Breeze of Innovation,” the kinetic structure will incorporate multiple levels of walkways and a dramatic viewing platform at its top.

“Silicon Valley is not about replicating the past; it’s about shaping the future,” said Smar founding partner Fernando Jerez. “Our goal from the beginning was to capture the ever-changing magic of Silicon Valley while also creating a deep connection with the San José community.”

    Jon Ball, board chair of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley, said the design was destined to have a profound impact on the local community. “We are extremely excited to announce ‘Breeze of Innovation’ as the winner of our design competition,” he said. “This entry stood out because of its elegant and sophisticated visual style, representing Silicon Valley through vibrant motion and singular grace on an imposing scale.

    Jon Ball, board chair of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley, said the design was destined to have a profound impact on the local community. “We are extremely excited to announce ‘Breeze of Innovation’ as the winner of our design competition,” he said. “This entry stood out because of its elegant and sophisticated visual style, representing Silicon Valley through vibrant motion and singular grace on an imposing scale.

    Jon Ball, board chair of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley, said the design was destined to have a profound impact on the local community. “We are extremely excited to announce ‘Breeze of Innovation’ as the winner of our design competition,” he said. “This entry stood out because of its elegant and sophisticated visual style, representing Silicon Valley through vibrant motion and singular grace on an imposing scale.

written by :   ArchitectureAU Editorial
29 Mar 2021
published in : architectureau.com

Australian wins competition for Californian landmark

    A Western Australian architecture firm has won an international competition to design an architectural landmark for Silicon Valley in California.

Bates Smart’s ‘civic landmark’ for Green Square

Bates Smart’s ‘civic landmark’ for Green Square

    Bates Smart has won a City of Sydney Design Excellence competition with its design for an office building in Green Square that offers a contemporary interpretation of the industrial sawtooth roof form.

The practice’s director Philip Vivian said the 28,570-sqaure-metre commercial development would respond to Green Square’s physical, social and historic contexts.

“The design creates the civic landmark entry that Green Square needs,” he said. “The city fringe location, alongside the connection to Green Square’s train station, provides a unique opportunity to create a fringe precinct that invigorates its context and sets the precedent for the workplace of the future.”

The design competition jury said the design had an “interesting built form, particularly due to the splayed rooftop and height.”

   The jury unanimously selected Bates Smart’s scheme, which they said provided the best response and was capable of achieving design excellence.

The building has been conceived as two volumes, with a through-site link connecting to an adjoining pocket park, creating a smooth public domain transition from the Green Square train station.

This space will be home to cafes and retail tenancies and will be defined by arched forms, chosen to celebrate the area’s industrial history.

Inside, the volumes house two workplace neighbourhoods with individual identities, connected via a naturally ventilated timber “social heart” that encourages connectivity and collaboration.

    Vivian noted that commercial city-fringe developments are increasingly important to the future of work in Sydney, as they allow for a greater focus on workplace wellbeing and can integrate with the surrounding urban context.

“This development in Green Square will weave together public space, retail, workplace and transport to create an exciting, holistic, shared place. It will meet growing expectations on commercial space and more importantly, serve the needs of the people as Green Square continues to grow,” he said.

written by :   ArchitectureAU Editorial
15 Mar 2021
published in : architectureau.com

Bates Smart’s ‘civic landmark’ for Green Square

    Bates Smart has won a City of Sydney Design Excellence competition with its design for an office building in Green Square that offers a contemporary interpretation of the industrial sawtooth roof form.

Sydney Theatre Company’s Walsh Bay wharves reopened

Sydney Theatre Company’s Walsh Bay wharves reopened

Sydney Theatre Company has reopened its facilities at the Walsh Bay wharves after a $60 million redevelopment designed by Hassell.

The project was undertaken to modernize the theatre spaces in wharves 1 and 2 with flexible seating arrangements and improved access across the facility.

Housed in historic timber wool stores, the buildings were first transformed into theatres in 1984 by architect Vivian Fraser in association with the NSW Government Architect J. Thomson. The project was jointly awarded the Sulman Medal in 1985, and in 2008 it won the 25 Year Award for Enduring Architecture.

The latest renewal project also included the return of the Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf which has views of the harbour; the addition of Neilson Family Gallery, a multi-purpose space overlooking the bar; improved backstage areas for artists including dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, breakout spaces, music/vocal coaching rooms and recording booth, a dedicated wing room and increased ceiling height in the workshop, which allows larger sets to be built on site.

The renewal allows the company to house the entire theatre-making process under one roof.

Glenn Scott, Hassell principal, said, “The Hassell team is honoured to have worked with STC over the last eight years from the initial briefing phase helping develop the ‘all-under-one-roof’ philosophy, through detailed design and construction to witness its successful reopening. The STC Wharf Renewal Project is a rare, culturally important, heritage project that is a huge responsibility for a design team to work on – we are delighted with the outcome, and proud that STC can continue their ground-breaking theatre at The Wharf well into the future.”

The consultant team also included Charcoalblue (theatre consultant), Tropman and Tropman Architects (heritage architect), Arup (building services, fire engineering, sustainable design), Taylor Thomson Whitting (engineer) and MBM (quantity surveyor).

The first performance in the redeveloped theatre will be Playing Beatie Bow. Sydney Theatre Company is first venue to play to return to 100 percent audience capacity since the pandemic shutdowns.

The redevelopment project is part of $139 million project to redevelop the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, designed by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, which includes upgraded spaces for the Australian Theatre for Young People and Bangarra Dance Company, a new 450-seat auditorium for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and a new waterfront square between two piers. The NSW government announced its completition in December 2020.

written by :   ArchitectureAU Editorial
11 Mar 2021
published in : architectureau.com

Sydney Theatre Company’s Walsh Bay wharves reopened

Sydney Theatre Company has reopened its facilities at the Walsh Bay wharves after a $60 million redevelopment designed by Hassell.

The project was undertaken to modernize the theatre spaces in wharves 1 and 2 with flexible seating arrangements and improved access across the facility.

Sub-Zero and Wolf launches experiential Sydney showroom

Sub-Zero and Wolf launches experiential Sydney showroom

Sub-Zero and Wolf has launched a new design hub and showroom in Sydney’s Surry Hills designed by Adele Bates.

Showing off the design possibilities of the Sub-Zero and Wolf range, the space is intended to inspire architects and designers, as well as consumers.

           “The location and the building itself were critical to the design of the showroom,” said Sub-Zero and Wolf’s Australian managing director, Andrew Mumford. “Heritage elements were so important to perfectly complement the heritage of the Sub-Zeroand Wolf story. Designer Adele Bates interpreted the brief so effectively, creating an inspirational space for consumers andthe design community that differentiates and highlights the diverse Sub-Zero and Wolf design styles.”

   The showroom is zoned into two distinct spaces. Upon entry, visitors are welcomed into an open-plan retail space housing the extensive range of Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances.

An inconspicuous fluted glass door to the rear of the showroom provides a portal to the demonstration kitchen and dining area. The darker tone of this inviting, functional space creates a soothing, sophisticated atmosphere and marks a distinct shift from the bright retail showroom.

    Brushed brass, timber and mirror give the space an identity more akin to restaurant and bar design. The dining area doubles as a meeting space for the showroom, with a custom designed long dining table and a concealed prep kitchen. The demonstration area is dominated by the extensive form of the kitchen island, overhung by custom rangehoods featuring bespoke brass metalwork.

written by :   ArchitectureAU Editorial
9 Mar 2021
published in : architectureau.com

Sub-Zero and Wolf launches experiential Sydney showroom

    Sub-Zero and Wolf has launched a new design hub and showroom in Sydney’s Surry Hills designed by Adele Bates.

sydney-showroom-(4)

Parramatta Powerhouse

Parramatta Powerhouse

    The NSW Government has given the go-ahead to the plans for the Parramatta Powerhouse Museum, in what is being described as Western Sydney’s first major cultural institution.

With plans for the precinct first unveiled back in 2019, with Moreau Kusunoki and Genton winning the design competition. The green light from the state government is a critical moment for Parramatta Council, creating over 4000 new jobs and injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy.

    Minister for the Arts Don Harwin says the final decision to move ahead with the plans for the Powerhouse on the banks of the Parramatta River followed extensive community feedback.

“Now that planning consent has been secured, I am delighted as Arts Minister that Western Sydney will now have the biggest and best museum in NSW,” he says.

“With a focus on science and technology, Powerhouse Parramatta will be the museum’s flagship site and hold the revered Powerhouse collection it is renowned for.”

    Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee says the new museum is a gift for a city slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic that in turn puts Parramatta on the global culture map.

“The Powerhouse Parramatta is something the local community has been very keen for and I’m proud that this Government will be able to deliver it.”

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes says the inclusion of green open space as part of the overall plans will be mutually beneficial for locals and visitors to Parramatta.

“One of the great outcomes of this project is that a carpark on the foreshore is being replaced by a north facing, green public space on the banks of the Parramatta River,” Stokes says.

7 July 2020
published in : cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au

Parramatta Powerhouse

The NSW Government has given the go-ahead to the plans for the Parramatta Powerhouse Museum, in what is being described as Western Sydney’s first major cultural institution.

200425_Powerhouse-Paramatta_Aerial-view_Crop-002

Thomas Schütte

thomas schütte

Thomas Schütte

    Since the late 1970s—when he studied with renowned German artist Gerhard Richter—Thomas Schütte has been subverting traditional art historical genres through his eclectic output of sculptures, prints, installations, drawings, watercolors, and photographs. Schütte makes familiar forms of expression, like memorial portraiture and figurative sculpture, strange through evocative, often disturbing alterations, such as in his treatment of the female nude in his “Bronzefrauen” series (Bronze Women, 1999-ongoing) where figurative shapes morph into abstract or mutant forms, or his “Alte Freunde” series, in which the subjects’ despondent expressions highlight the vulnerability of the individual against the cruelty and complexity of the vast world. Through his work he explores the human condition, offering a critical perspective on social, cultural, and political issues and visually eloquent commentary on memory, loss, and the difficulty of memorializing the past.

    On a visit to the Konrad Fischer Galerie in 2016, Rolf Fehlbaum discovered the model of a log cabin conceived by Thomas Schütte. Fascinated by the structure, Fehlbaum asked the artist if he could imagine a full-scale realisation of the project on the Vitra Campus. In 2018, the Blockhaus became the newest building on the company premises, forming a contrast to the architectural works by other figures. On the occasion of the official opening, the artist Thomas Schütte offered insights into his work.

    The Blockhaus is a hybrid structure – both object and functional space – and the first architectural work on the Vitra Campus that was created by an artist. How does this project diverge from the approach and implementation of other buildings on the premises?

    ”I think the main difference is that I didn’t have to fulfil any expectations. If someone orders a hotdog, I can bring him a steak. Or even just a bottle of water. I am not financially involved in the realisation of the project, so I don’t have an ego problem. And I don’t have a signature style. Basically, I’m presenting an idea, and most of the time the idea is realised in a way that is ten times better than expected. But you still never know. I have good friends who are architects, and they are happy when I can work with them, because then they have a completely free hand in the project’s implementation. Normally an architect can’t do very much, because the banks and financial backers make the decisions. But the main difference still lies in the fact that I am not bound by such constraints; I can define the task myself.”

    ‘It was the most crooked, and the most unrealistic wooden bricolage that was amongst the choices. And I think the reason is, it’s so different from the other buildings that it makes some sense.’ Thomas Schütte, responding to a question from Rolf Fehlbaum, who discovered a model of the Blockhaus at a gallery.

published in : www.artsy.net

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

    The store’s interior design of cosmetology brand “Meunier Technology Beauty”, is underpinned by a stripped-back, minimalist sensibility that belies a rich amalgam of contradictions: slender, lightweight metal and glass furnishings converse with chunky blocks of concrete; smooth, curvaceous forms are set against rugged, craggy textures; and shimmering, polished brass surfaces are juxtaposed with muted expanses of cement.

    Far from saturating or confounding the senses, these antagonistic statements in mass, form and texture are harmoniously combined into a sculptural composition aided by the mirrored ceilings and the mellow daylight filtering in from the building’s glass facade.

    More than an architectural gesture of minimalist elegance, the contradictory sensibility of DOMANI’s interior design poetically alludes to the complexity of the female identity and the intricacies of contemporary feminism, as well as reflects the antagonistic yet symbiotic relationship of external and internal beauty.

    The sculptural quality of the interior design is primarily based on the collection of bespoke furniture by A&V, the studio’s design brand, which range from slender, undulating brass benches and razor-thin brass table tops that seem to be suspended mid-air thanks to a glass base, to the deconstructed composition of concrete volumes in the lounge area. The latter is a sculptural installation of abstract expressionism but it’s also a metaphor for the complexity of the female psyche: softly curved and delicately sculpted yet heavyset and robust with “damaged” spots that represent the “scars in the historical evaluation of feminism”.

    Smooth concrete surfaces, polished brass furnishings and mirrored ceilings that echo the design language of the public areas imbue the rooms with a soothing, hypnotic ambience that aid relaxation. Meanwhile, above the treatment beds, undulating mirrored panels that evoke rippling water greet guests as they open their eyes after a treatment which can also be construed as a clever retelling of the myth of Narcissus: unlike the doomed youth who looked sadly down into the water, guests at Meunier look up at their reflection with a sense of elation

    Headquartered in Guangzhou, China, DOMANI has committed to providing creativity and design for each forward-looking customer in architecture, interior and products since its inception in 2005. We devise a high-level integrated, sustainable commercial design that exceed the client’s expectations. With high premium space works, our energy and competency have attained remarkable market feedbacks. Awarded by prestigious international prizes, we have consistently ranked amongst the top architecture and integrated design studios in Asia.

    DOMANI adheres to a rigorous professional attitude. We are a team of diverse talents, working alongside a great number of other specialist consultants. Through comprehensive project management, we strive for the best in various architecture projects. All of our responsible design solutions reflect an international perspective.

 

written by : Richard Misso
4 December 2020
published in : designaddictsplatform.com.au

Gestures Of Minimalist Elegance

    The store’s interior design of cosmetology brand “Meunier Technology Beauty”, is underpinned by a stripped-back, minimalist sensibility that belies a rich amalgam of contradictions: slender, lightweight metal and glass furnishings converse with chunky blocks of concrete; smooth, curvaceous forms are set against rugged, craggy textures; and shimmering, polished brass surfaces are juxtaposed with muted expanses of cement.

Henning Larsen Wins Competition for a Mixed-Use Development in South Korea

Henning Larsen Wins Competition for a Mixed-Use Development in South Korea

   Henning Larsen’s proposal for Seoul Valley was selected as the winner of the Central Seoul Development Competition. Seeking to become a new home for the public in the center of the city, the mixed-use development “merges Seoul’s global commercial profile with an ecological return to downtown pedestrian life”. Other entries included schemes by MVRDV and SOM.

    Located on the northern border of Yongsan-Gu, one of Seoul’s central districts, the winning proposal of the 360,644 m² mixed-use urban development, is designed by Henning Larsen in collaboration with local architect Siaplan and retail consultant Benoy. Mixing office, retail, hotel, and residential program within a public podium, the project will enter the Schematic Design phase in the spring of 2021. Aiming to meet the goals of Seoul’s 2030 plan, Seoul Valley creates a comfortable and vibrant space for locals and visitors.

    Seoul Valley is such an exciting project for central Seoul. For well over a decade the city has been actively working to revitalize its urban fabric, focusing on the spaces between buildings and the pedestrian links. Seoul Valley fits into that vision, promising to bring public life back to the center not just through shops and amenities but through a design that focuses on public comfort, greenery, and local tradition. —

Jacob Kurek, Henning Larsen partner in charge.

    Seoul Valley merges both human and city scale. Fragmenting its elements into numerous smaller masses as they meet the elevated ground floor where they generate gardens, terraces, and courtyards in between the structures, Seoul Valley invites pedestrian flow to access the project from a sprawling tribune stair on the north side and along the Seoul Skygarden Park to the south.

    Office and hotel towers cluster around a leafy core: a Biospheric Layer mitigates pollution, a Percolation Layer blocks noise and forms a lush green interior, and a Conscious Layer stimulates the senses. The massing is the result of extensive wind and climate studies, aimed at reducing heat buildup and prolonging the outdoor season. Retail modules are dispersed throughout the site, creating a free-flowing, ever-changing space that encourages lingering and exploration.

    As an industry, we’ve known for a long time the benefits of daylight, exterior views, greenery…but such benefits are often pushed to the side in favor of maximizing frontage in commercial design. Shopping in the future won’t necessarily be about coming out of the shop with a bag, so our goal with Seoul Valley was to have both. In the end, we believe the whole is more than the sum of its parts. — Jacob Kurek, Henning Larsen partner in charge.

written by : Christele Harrouk
30 November 2020
published in : archdaily.com

Henning Larsen Wins Competition for a Mixed-Use Development in South Korea

    Henning Larsen’s proposal for Seoul Valley was selected as the winner of the Central Seoul Development Competition. Seeking to become a new home for the public in the center of the city, the mixed-use development “merges Seoul’s global commercial profile with an ecological return to downtown pedestrian life”. Other entries included schemes by MVRDV and SOM.

WA Museum Boola Bardip opens in Perth

WA Museum Boola Bardip opens in Perth

    The long-awaited $400 million WA Museum Boola Bardip has opened, close to a year after the building was completed.

Architects Hassell and OMA describe the museum as “a collection of stories about Western Australia’s diverse and rich history, and contemporary culture.” Its name, Boola Bardip, means “many stories” in Whadjuk Noongar language.

    “The museum carefully combines and embraces historic and contemporary architecture to provide opportunities for exploration, sharing of ideas, and ongoing storytelling,” said Hassell principal Mark Loughnan.

A number of heritage buildings at the Perth Cultural Centre, including the Old Gaol, the Jubilee Building, the original Art Gallery and Hackett Hall, have been enveloped in two intersecting circulation loops – one vertical, one horizontal – culminating in the centre at a public space referred to as the City Room, which accommodates a variety of activities and exhibitions. A large volume cantilevers over Hackett Hall, which shelters the City Room.

    The museum includes eight new permanent exhibition galleries, a 1,000-square-metre special exhibition gallery, learning studios, retail, and a café.

Below where the cantilevers of the new structures meet old buildings, Hassell and OMA have landscaped a large sheltered plaza.

Named the City Room, this space is the museum’s centrepiece and will be open for public events and activities hosted by the museum and other institutions in Perth Cultural Centre.

Inside, the refurbished historic buildings and new structures are woven together two intersecting circulation loops – one that extends vertically and one that wraps the buildings horizontally.

    These loops offer multiple routes around the museum and encourage visitors to explore and meander freely through the museum.

“The museum is unique in both the Australian and international cultural landscape,” said OMA regional director Paul Jones. “It invites visitors to not only passively look at exhibitions, but also become active creators of their own museum experiences. Visitors can choose museum journeys relevant to them and engage in dialogues with each other.”

 “The new WA Museum Boola Bardip is simply spectacular,” said premier Mark McGowan. “I have no doubt Western Australians will be blown away by its stunning architecture and fascinating exhibits.”

written by :  ArchitectureAU Editorial 
24 Nov 2020
published in : architectureau.com

WA Museum Boola Bardip opens in Perth

    The long-awaited $400 million WA Museum Boola Bardip has opened, close to a year after the building was completed.

Architects Hassell and OMA describe the museum as “a collection of stories about Western Australia’s diverse and rich history, and contemporary culture.” Its name, Boola Bardip, means “many stories” in Whadjuk Noongar language.

Australia is Building the World’s First Coral Conservation Facility

coral conservation facility

Australia is Building the World’s First Coral Conservation Facility

    Contreras Earl Architecture has revealed its design for the world-first coral ark. Located at the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef in Port Douglas, North Queensland, Australia, the conservation facility “aims to secure the long-term future and biodiversity of corals worldwide which are under severe threat due to climate change”.

Dedicated to the future of corals worldwide, the Living Coral Biobank, designed by Contreras Earl Architecture, with leading engineering and sustainability consultants Arup and Werner Sobek for the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, is the first facility of its kind. Focusing on taking care of 800 species of the world’s hard corals, the new building is a “living ark”, with next-generation renewable energy design, creating optimal conditions for coral storage while minimizing energy consumption and solar gain.

    Securing the living biodiversity of the world’s coral species immediately, the 6,830 sqm multi-function center will also host exhibition areas, an auditorium, and classrooms as well as advanced research and laboratory facilities over four levels. Commissioned by the Great Barrier Reef Legacy, the project responds to context, climate, the user, and its function to protect 800 species of coral. The volume, inspired by the mushroom coral, takes a series of organic undulating concrete fins, on the façade, “clustered closely at ground level to offer protection from adverse tropical conditions including threats of a flood”. On higher levels, the fins twist and unfurl, allowing natural light and ventilation while providing solar shading. On another hand, the visitor’s’ journey is defined by an architecturally manipulated play of light.

    Responding to the need to conserve the corals in a highly controlled environment as well as the requirement for biosecurity to prevent cross-contamination, sustainability is at the core of every design decision, aiming to be self-sufficient and carbon neutral. In fact, the structure was divided into six compatible climate zones over four levels, with adjacencies minimizing energy resources used for climatic control. 

written by : Christele Harrouk
11 November 2020
published in : archdaily.com