ArchDaily

The University of Helsinki City Campus Library / Anttinen Oiva arkkitehdit

Nico Saieh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:00:09 +0000

Architects: Anttinen Oiva Architects
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Project Manager: Vesa Oiva
Collaborators: Jussi Kalliopuska, Selina Anttinen, Antti Lehto
Building services consultant: Aila Puusaari, DI, Pˆyry Building Services Oy
Construction-engineering consultant: Sami Lampinen, DI, WSP Finland Oy
Library consultants: Irma Pasanen, office chief, Library of Helsinki University of Technology / Risto Maijala, library amanuense, Library of Helsinki University of Technology
Client: University of Helsinki
Project Area: 32,000 sqm
Design year: 2008-2010
Construction year: 2010-2012
Images: Courtesy Anttinen Oiva Architects

situation plan

The new library replaces a former department store in the centre of Helsinki.

It will provide services for academic staff and students of four faculties:
Arts, Law, Social Sciences and Theology. These services are currently provided in 13 different locations.

There will be seven stories above ground and four below ground, a total of 32,000 sqm.

On the ground level and one level below ground, building provides also commercial spaces and connects to the public metro-line.

Facades of the the new library are of glass and red brick.
Interior space is defined by oval openings creating a central void throughout above ground levels.

Ten Days for Oppositional Architecture

Sebastian J — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:30:59 +0000

The transformation of the urban landscape within the last decades has increasingly been dominated by the demands of capitalist utilization. Due to the current crisis, however, which goes far beyond a mere crisis of the real estate and financial market, these neoliberal politics and attendant forms of production of space have been subject to a loss of legitimation. For this reason, not only do the dominance and promises of the privatization model, the free market and private property have to be questioned, but also the conventions of the space-producing professions that follow and materialize these policies.

In this context the event “Ten Days for Oppositional Architecture” takes up the task of exploring possibilities and conditions of a socially committed architectural practice. Therefore the narrow boundaries of the profession have to be left behind. We hence invite activists, geographers, architects, planners, and economists representing different critical approaches to discuss and develop concepts and practices that not only try to oppose and challenge the capitalist mode of production of space, but also try to go beyond it – strategies of de-commodification, re-appropriation and alternative production of space. We will look at already existing spatial actions of resistance as well as search for possibilities to further theorize them: How can these strategies and alternative practices be turned into social and political forces towards post-capitalist spaces?

From November 12 to November 21, New York City. For more information, click here.

Penthouse / Studio Pietropoli

Nico Saieh — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:30:19 +0000

Architect: Studio Pietropoli
Location: Bassano del Grappa, Italy
Architects in charge: Guido&Martino Pietropoli
Collaborators: Alberto Franchini
Client: Private
Constructed Area: 280 sqm
Project years: 2001-2009
Photographs: Martino Pietropoli

The apartment is a penthouse in an old building facing Piazza della Libertà in the beautiful city of Bassano del Grappa. The explicit request of the client was to keep the unity of the wide space unchanged, complemented by the big wooden roof structures.

section 01

A large piece of furniture occupies this space realizing a sort of mezzanine, housing a bedroom and other service spaces without interrupting the visual continuum of the evocative views. Finally, the dining room opens up toward a huge two-level terrazza enriched by a garden.

Yeosu Expo 2012 / Nicoletti Associati

Karen Cilento — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:04:41 +0000

Studio Nicoletti Associati’s design for an oceanic pavilion placed third in the Yeosu Expo. The pavilion, which was conceived as a Great Blue Whale hurling itself out of the port, intends to represent the Expo’s theme: The Living Ocean and Coast. The pavilion draws attention to the fundamental influence of the planet’s oceans and coasts resources, and how dangerous it is for such a fragile ecosystem, to ignore them. The jury added that the pavilion has “a strong and powerful form that would become instantly recognizable. The theme of the Expo is symbolically represented with a shape drawn from marine life. The image of the pavilion is consistent with the theme of the ocean. Its fluid shape celebrates the nature of water and the marine life that has adapted to it. It makes a very simple but powerful metaphorical relationship. The exhibition space is very practical for post-use.”

More images of the pavilion after the break.

As seen on World Architecture News.

Watertower of Living / Zecc Architecten

Nico Saieh — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:30:58 +0000

Architect: Zecc Architecten
Location: Soest, The Netherlands
Project Architects: Marnix van der Meer, Rolf Bruggink
Collaborators: Tara Steenvoorden, Niek Wagemans
Contractor: Aannemingsbedrijf R. Middelkoop
Project year: 2004
Photographs: Zecc Architecten

section

The water tower, which dates from 1931, was converted into an unparalled twenty-first-century home spread over nine levels. Many challenges are faced in the design: letting more daylight in and strengthening the relationship with the back courtyard by inserting a three-level high window frame; maintaining the interior’s industrial characteristics by working with materials like steel, concrete and glass; and in the tower, ensuring an effective, efficient layout for several small round rooms that lay one on top of the other, while preserving the tower’s spaciousness.

Urban Design Debate + Book Launch in Columbia University

Sebastian J — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:30:34 +0000

An urban design debate and a book launch will take place next monday November 9 at 6:30PM at the Wood Auditorium in Columbia Unviersity. “After BIGness” is the debate in which Alan Berger, Associate Professor at MIT, Kenneth Frampton, Professor at GSAPP, and Mahadev Raman, Principal at ARUP will discuse the designing for post crisis cities.

After the debate, at 8:30PM, the book “Emerging Urban Futures in Land Water Infrastructure” will be launched. The book documents the partnership between Columbia University and the University of Queensland that produced four years of student work in architecture, urban design, and urban planning in Brisbane and the surrounding areas.

This book is an archive of the resulting site research, design proposals, and relevant case studies, which is designed to serve as a comparative study of different teaching methods for post-professional studies in architecture and urban design.

For more information, click here.

Renovation of an old Ljubljana villa / Arhitektura d.o.o.

Amber P — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:30:45 +0000

Architects: Arhitektura d.o.o.
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Project Team: Peter Gabrijelčič , Boštjan Gabrijelčič, Tomaž Budkovič
Investor: private
Construction year: 2008-2009
Photographer: Marko Zoranovič

While renovating the facade, the owners of an old Ljubljana villa, built in 1913, also wanted to enlarge the ground floor space, and to connect it to the garden by constructing a new terrace. A 5×5m flexible outer room was added to the villa for this purpose, allowing for a variety of uses. It is designed as a ‘magic box’ – as a cube whose vacant space is delimited by metal edges containing movable screens and a roof plane.

ground floor plan

By means of remote control, a great variety of spatial geometries may be created, including automatic adaptation of the space to outdoor factors. A new outer staircase with a projecting roof and a garden fence were built. All the new elements were added to the villa in a very concise way, so that there is a clear difference between the pre-existing and the added.

Purple Hill House / IROJE KHM Architects

Nico Saieh — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:00:26 +0000

Architect : HyoMan Kim – IROJE KHM Architects
Location: Youngin, Gyeounggi-do, Korea
Design team : KyeongJin Jung, JiWon Ym, EunHae Park
Structure designer : MOA. SungYeong Oh
Contractor : JEHYO
Site area : 554 sqm
Bldg. area : 110.28 sqm
Gross floor area : 290.88 sqm
Photographer : JongOh Kim

Suburban residential site

This scenic site is a part of the residential area developed in the natural greenery area of the mountain gwanggyo and that is located at the entrance area to trail to mountain.

Merit = siteplan faced to evergreen mountain=Demerit=Facing not south but northwest=Lack of southern sunlight.

From agony about the direction to which major living space see, the plan of this house started.

site plan

After all, the direction to the opposite mountain that will be preserved in the natural green space forever was selected.

But this charming selection that introduce the permanent natural landscape brought the problem, bad solar condition, that the major living space is faced to northwest sunlight.

And so, we must make the solution to absorb the southern and eastern sunlight into the inside of the house.

Solution the demerit -“Floating glass garden” absorbed southern sunlight

“Glass box of light” that will absorb the useful sunlight was introduced to inside space of the various level and these boxes which are planted with flower and fruit are functioned as “Floating glass garden”.

Actually, we solved the problem and we own both the two conditions that are the introduction of landscape and ecological environment and naturally, we have been reached to the complex solution that all the rooms have their own garden.

Floating boxes with bamboo garden – Dynamic and vertical sequence of space

The dynamic, unrealistic interior space which are produced with several floating glass boxes over the major living space that is opened to the vertical height of 3 floors, will be the symbolic impression of this house.

Small purple hill – Landscape architecture – Harmonizing with the surrounding context
We expect that this landscape architecture will coexist with the surrounding context for a long time, as if a small purple hill….

AD Round Up: Mixed Use Part II

Sebastian J — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:30:39 +0000

Another “Part II” Round Up to finish this week. This time, we bring back previously featured mixed use projects. And if you didn’t catch our first part, it’s never to late, check it out right here.

Z Towers / NRJA
This project by young Latvian architects NRJA (previously featured on AD) is currently under construction. The complex, in Riga, Latvia, includes 2 towers (29 and 30 stories each), connected by a floor bridge. It also includes a 4-stories podium. Completion is expected durin 1st quarter 2010 (read more…)

Dorobanti Tower, Bucharest / Zaha Hadid Architects
Dorobanti tower, a new project by Zaha Hadid Architects in Bucharest moves away from the works we have been seen lately, with a very expressive structure. The 200m tall iconic tower will be located in the heart of the capital city of Romania, at junction of Calea Dorobanti and St. Mihail Eminescu (read more…)

Sugar Cube / KPMB
This mixed-use development project introduces a new strategy for making contemporary architecture within Denver’s historic Lower Downtown Heritage District (LoDo). The design responds to the precise urban design guidelines for LoDo, while helping the local Review Board to expand its guidelines to include contemporary buildings (read more…)

Højblokka_PULS / MAPT + DARK
We looked for a reinterpretation of the urban block typology in combination with vertical multiplication and urban density. The site is situated next to Oslo Central Station and had been formerly occupied by the postal headquarters. Due to its proximity to a variety of infrastructural layers in a dense urban and commercial area (read more…)

Market Hall in Rotterdam / MVRDV
Dutch architects MVRDV strike another one with a new mixed use project in the new inner city heart for the Laurens Quarter, the pre-war centre of Rotterdam. The project, comissioned by Provast, includes an open air market, that due to new hygienic constraints of dutch laws has to be covered. It also includes 246 residences (read more…)

Dutch architects MVRDV strike another one with a new mixed use project in the new inner city heart for the Laurens Quarter, the pre-war centre of Rotterdam.

The project, comissioned by Provast, includes an open air market, that due to new hygienic constraints of dutch laws has to be covered. It also includes 246 residences, that form an arc that covers the open market area.

Sebastopol Residence / Turnbull Griffin Haesloop

David Basulto — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:45 +0000

Location: Sebastopol, California, USA
Architect: Turnbull Griffin Haesloop – Eric Haesloop, FAIA and Mary Griffin, FAIA, Jerome Christensen, Juliet Hsu
Landscape Architect: Jennifer Brooke, Landscape Office, Ltd.
Engineer: Mike Forbes, Fratessa Forbes Wong
Interiors: John and Loreta Hornall
General Contractor: Ken Sawyer and Micah Sawyer, Sawyer Construction
Year: 2008
Photographer: David Wakely, David Wakely Photography

Designed for two graphic designers, this house bridges between two stands of redwood trees, with the northern window wall facing out to the expansive view. Decks located at either end of the house open onto paths that lead to the pool on one side and the studio/garage on the other.

The southern elevation screens the interior from the driveway and road above, but allows southern light in through the clerestory windows. As you enter, a dormer rises up over the dining area to frame the view. The main house is modest in size, only 1,700 square feet, but feels spacious due to an open floor plan.

Diagram

The clients’ wonderful art objects are housed in the long southern wall bookcase. The exterior is clad in cedar siding with a metal roof and the interior features a Douglas fir ceiling and decking, sheetrock walls and Ipe flooring.