Hasta La Ideas

Shimmering golden panels clad the monumental folded ceilings of this new airport terminal in St Petersburg designed by London studio Grimshaw (+ slideshow).

Grimshaw collaborated with engineering firm Ramboll and delivery architect Pascall+Watson to complete the first terminal of Pulkovo International Airport, which is expected to bring 12 millions passengers in and out of the Russian city each year.

The architects gave the airport a large flat roof so that it will be able to cope with heavy snowfall. This allowed the underside to be expressed as a series of folded surfaces, which help to distribute weight to different parts of the structure.

“We used this language of folding to take weight away from the mid-span and then to create more space and height for the passengers in the key spaces,” explained Grimshaw associate Ed Ross.

Tessellating metal panels give these folded surfaces their golden colour, intended as a reference to the gilded spires of churches around St Petersburg. Lighting fixtures run along the folds, while voids between surfaces reveal skylights that help passengers to navigate the terminal.

“This building represents a point of departure for Grimshaw,” said Grimshaw partner Mark Middeton. “We are known for our expressive structures and attention to detail. We wanted to keep all of those elements – the practicality and the buildability, and our interest in sustainability – but also try to make this building more about form and space.”

The layout of the terminal is divided into two parts; the first accommodates check-in and security, while the second contains the departure lounge. According to Middleton, this arrangement was designed to reflect the islands that make up the landscape of the city.

“We did this for several reasons,” said the architect. “Firstly to reflect St Petersburg as a city of islands and bridges, and secondly to celebrate arrival by providing a void over the baggage reclaim area, to allow arriving passengers to experience the terminal.”

Large windows spans the front and rear facades of the building, and were engineered to maintain indoor temperatures and to reduce glare from low sun.

The design team are now working on the second and final phase of the project, which will increase capacity up to 17 million passengers. Construction is set to complete in 2015.

Scroll down from more information from Grimshaw:

Grimshaw’s first project in Russia opens to the public

Grimshaw’s new terminal at Pulkovo International Airport is now officially open to the public. Grimshaw has worked in a team with Ramboll and Pascall + Watson to design the airport, based in St Petersburg, Russia.

The opening of the new terminal marks the completion of phase one of a staged sustainable masterplan for the airport, and is predicted to transfer 12 million passengers per year. Grimshaw won the project in 2007 in an international competition against a shortlist of world leading architecture practices. Working towards a completion date of 2015 for phases one and two, the finished airport will cater for 17 million passengers annually.

Pulkovo Airport, the third largest airport in the country, will act as a gateway to St Petersburg and Russia, while reflecting the city it serves. The internal layout of the new terminal consists of distinct zones connected, designed to echo the external layout of islands and bridges that make up the city. These open rooms are comparable to the many civic spaces found in St Petersburg, emphasising the airport’s role as the first and last great public space of the region for air travellers.

The masterplan of the airport represents and responds to the climate and heritage of St Petersburg. The striking new terminal roof and envelope are designed to accommodate the extremes of climate experienced by the city, including the characteristically heavy snowfalls of winter.

Funding for the airport scheme comes via a €1bn public-private partnership development programme – the first of its kind in Russia. The Northern Capital Gateway Consortium (NCG) was awarded the 30-year concession and appointed Ramboll as the lead design consultant in 2008. Grimshaw has been retained on the project as concept guardians, while Pascal + Watson were appointed as executive architects.

Concept architect: Grimshaw
Design consultant: Ramboll
Executive architect: Pascal + Watson
Structural Engineer: Arup
Services Engineer: Buro Happold
Quantity Surveyor: Turner & Townsend
Airport Specialist: Naco
Retail Specialist: Chapman Taylor

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News: London architecture firm Grimshaw has unveiled a masterplan for the home of the annual Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament.

Grimshaw‘s proposal for All England Lawn Tennis club includes building a new retractable roof on No.1 Court so play can continue in all weather conditions, and creating three new grass courts on the edge of the site to free up more space in the busy central and south areas.

“Our proposals strive to improve the quality of the experience for all, and provide innovative and high-quality solutions to meet the challenges posed by this beautiful but constrained site,” says Grimshaw partner Kirsten Lees.

Landscaping of the public areas has been designed to reinforce the “spirit of tennis in an English garden”, with improved approaches to the stadiums and vistas of the outside courts from new hospitality areas.

Landscape architecture firm Grant Associates has created a landscape framework for the plan, which will “include enhanced landscape walkways and promenades, the use of topiary, green walls and planted pergolas, creative paving, display areas, enhanced tree planting and themed garden spaces.”

The plans will be used as a framework for redevelopment that will take place over the next 10-20 years and have been announced ahead of the start of the Wimbledon Championships on Monday.

Grimshaw was chosen to oversee the masterplan last year, following the completion of a previous development phase that included the construction of a roof on Centre Court by architects Populous.

Last year, Grimshaw’s restoration of historic tea clipper the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, London, was hammered by critics and was named the ugliest building of the year. The firm recently submitted plans for a twisting 90-storey skyscraper in the Australian city of Sydney.

See all stories about Grimshaw »

Here’s a statement provided by Grimshaw:

Wimbledon and Grimshaw’s new vision for championships

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has unveiled its design proposals for the Wimbledon Master Plan. Marking the first step in a consultation process, the plan sets out a vision for the future of the site and creates a framework which will guide the continuing development and enhancement of the Club over the next 10-20 years. Developed by Grimshaw, the vision reflects and reinforces the long history of The Championships while further enhancing Wimbledon’s position as the premier Grand Slam tennis event.

Building on the Club’s previous Long Term Plan, the proposed Master Plan is influenced by the much loved traditional qualities and character of the grounds. It will draw on these existing assets whilst simultaneously resolving some of the challenges that this beautiful but constrained site poses. The vision has been determined by a radical rethink and strategic re-configuration of the grounds to optimise the use of the site. Three new grass courts have been located to the north of No.1 Court to release space and ease congestion in the central area and the south.

No.1 Court will be remodelled to receive a new fixed and retractable roof, which will allow for uninterrupted play irrespective of the weather. It will also provide new hospitality areas, replacing the temporary facilities currently situated at the south of the Grounds, which will benefit from spectacular views over the outside courts.

A new landscape framework will enhance and define the public areas and reinforce the spirit of tennis in an English garden. Enhanced approaches to the grounds are created with improved setting of stadia, main buildings and entrance spaces. A series of distinctive character areas are defined which connect and choreograph the various spaces that enrich the visitors’ experience.

Speaking about Grimshaw’s aspirations for the site, Partner Kirsten Lees said: “Maintaining The Championships’ status as the premier tennis tournament in the world underpins the Wimbledon Master Plan. Our proposals strive to improve the quality of the experience for all and provide innovative and high quality solutions to meet the challenges posed by this beautiful but constrained site.”

Grimshaw’s proposals will now be brought forward in a phased development by a process of detailed study, refinement and consultation. The publication of the Wimbledon Master Plan is the first exciting step in the consultation process with a wide range of stakeholders that will take place in the coming months.

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News: London firm Grimshaw has submitted plans for a 90-storey skyscraper in a suburb of Sydney, Australia.

The Aspire Tower, designed for a competition held by Parramatta City Council, will have spires reaching to 336 metres and a roof height of 306 metres – higher than the Q1 tower in Queensland, which is currently the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

However, it’s likely Grimshaw’s tower will only hold that title for a few years or months, if at all, after plans were approved last month for a 388-metre-tall tower in the Australian city of Melbourne, due to complete by 2018.

The Aspire Tower is designed to twist upwards from its street-level alignment, maximising sunny northern views for its residents and twisting inwards to the north to disperse the force of the wind.

As well as the 700 apartments arranged around 14 six-storey atriums, the tower will include a hotel, bars, restaurants and shops plus a viewing deck over the top two floors.

Grimshaw partner Andrew Cortese said the firm wanted to set a new standard in sustainable urban development. “We hope that the tower will be recognised as a landmark through its balanced achievement of programmatic and environmental innovations, its rationality and buildability, and its uniquely sculptural form,” he commented.

Last year Nicholas Grimshaw’s firm was awarded the Carbuncle Cup – a prize for architectural ugliness – for its steel and glass cocoon containing the historic Cutty Sark tea clipper in London. Other projects by the firm we’ve featured include Bijlmer Station in Amsterdam and a museum of steel in Mexico – see all architecture by Grimshaw.

At the beginning of the year we rounded up the ten tallest skyscrapers due to complete in 2013, including the 383-metre Eton Place Dalian in north-east China and The Domain by Foster + Partners in Abu Dhabi – see all skyscrapers.

Here’s more information from the architects:

Grimshaw has submitted a Development Application on behalf of Parramatta City Council for a landmark mixed-use tower. The Aspire Tower emerged from a design excellence competition held by the Council and is set to establish a new benchmark for innovative, passive-environmental design in Australian high-rise developments. Designed to act as a catalyst project for Parramatta Square, the tower provides high density, urban residential living which is not only affordable but also sustainable.

As one of the tallest structures in Australia, the engineering of Aspire Tower consciously orientates itself to the wind and to sunlight. The highly adaptable facades accommodate all of the various planning arrangements of apartment type into a modular system. The tower’s striking sculptural form twists upwards from its Church Street alignment to maximise the capture of the sun, the breeze and northern views for its residents.

The accommodation within the tower is situated in two east and west facing wings which are connected to a perforated central core. These wings open up to the south to catch the prevailing air movements, while twisting inwards to the north to disperse the downward force of the wind. By resolving wind and ventilation, the tower creates a comfortable and accessible habitat at all levels, in both its private and public domains. The design has consciously set out to ensure that all apartments have an equity of view, ventilation and light.

Sitting 90 storeys above ground, the tower’s spires reach 336m, while the 306m roof height of the habitable terraces creates a distinctive silhouette for the city’s emerging skyline. The mixed-use nature of the tower also creates a new precinct with 700 residential apartments. These ‘vertical neighbourhoods’ are configured around 14 six storey communal atria with soft and hard landscaping. The precinct also includes 150 hotel rooms, bars, restaurants and retail as well as a spectacular public function including a restaurant space, experience centre and viewing deck over the top two floors.

The tower will also create a new public and civic realm for Parramatta. This new public realm, created from the re-development of Church Street and a new square on axis to St John’s Cathedral, forms the western precinct of Parramatta Square. A vibrant public domain will emerge from the activities on the square with the perimeter uses of retail, building lobbies and transport connections.

Speaking about the achievements and ambitions of the project, Grimshaw Partner, Andrew Cortese, said: “Grimshaw’s approach is derived from the practice’s research on the habitat of tall buildings and on the design of the public and environmental infrastructure of cities. Aspire Tower on Parramatta Square is a rare opportunity to invest in and construct a viable and vital piece of city-making.

“The project has the ability to transform its place and set a new achievable standard in affordable and sustainable urban development. We hope that the tower will be recognised as a landmark through its balanced achievement of programmatic and environmental innovations, its rationality and buildability, and its uniquely sculptural form.”

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London architects Grimshaw have completed the restoration of historic tea clipper the Cutty Sark, which reopened to the public today in Greenwich.

The architects have completely repaired the vessel’s deck and rigging, which were severely damaged in a fire in 2006, and have raised the entire ship three metres above its dry dock to create an underground exhibition hall below.

A glazed structure surrounding the ship forms a roof canopy over this hall, bridging the space between the ground and the hull.

This structure also integrates an entrance, where a bridge leads across into the ship and stairs climb down into the space beneath.

If you’re interested in boats, check out all our stories about them.

Photography is by Jim Stephenson, apart from where otherwise stated.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Here’s some more information from Grimshaw:

Her Majesty The Queen Reopens Cutty Sark on 25 April 2012

On Wednesday 25 April, Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, officially reopens Cutty Sark, the world’s last surviving tea clipper and one of Britain’s greatest maritime treasures, following an extensive conservation project, with major support totalling £25 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The following day (26 April) the ship opens to visitors for the first time since 2006.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Also, today (13 April 2012) the Trustees of Cutty Sark and the Trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich are pleased to announce that following her completion, the ship will come under the operational management of Royal Museums Greenwich.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Lord Sterling, Chairman of both Royal Museums Greenwich and the Cutty Sark Trust, said “Cutty Sark holds a unique place in the heart for the people of Greenwich, Great Britain and indeed the rest of the world, and it is splendid that she is re-joining the London skyline once again. Cutty Sark is set in the newly landscaped Cutty Sark Gardens, created by Greenwich Council, one of our strongest supporters. We are indebted to those members of the public, from all over the world, who have generously contributed to the preservation of this much loved national treasure. We are also deeply appreciative of the many other major institutions, government bodies and foundations that have played a key role in providing the funds. In particular, our deep thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund who have supported the project and stood by Cutty Sark through its difficult times, particularly following the fire, and allocating £25 million of public money raised through the National Lottery.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Cutty Sark’s re-launch comes in an exceptional year for Greenwich, which was granted the status of Royal Borough in February, and will have the eyes of the world upon it during The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic Games this summer. On 25 June 1957 Her Majesty opened Cutty Sark to the public for the first time and we are delighted that on 25 April, this year, The Queen and HRH Duke of Edinburgh, who has been President of the Cutty Sark Trust since 1951, will return to re-open the ship.”

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Richard Doughty, Director of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: “We have been privileged to be involved in conserving Cutty Sark and restoring her to her key position in the Greenwich World Heritage Site. Our solution, a world first, will secure Cutty Sark’s future so that she can continue to inspire many new generations of adventurers at the heart of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.”

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Kevin Fewster, Director of Royal Museums Greenwich, said: “Cutty Sark is an iconic London landmark and a much loved part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. Bringing Cutty Sark into the Royal Museums Greenwich family strengthens the links between some of the key attraction of this unique World Heritage Site and helps us to explore the extraordinary maritime stories we have to tell.”

The re-launch marks the start of an exciting new chapter in the extraordinary life of the world famous, three-masted clipper. It is the culmination of six years’ work and one of the most complex conservation projects ever undertaken on a historic ship. The project has succeeded in rescuing Cutty Sark and preventing her collapse, whilst preserving as much of the ship’s original fabric from the period of her working life as possible. Moreover, the innovative scheme also provides generations to come with a new way to engage with the ship and explore her history.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

In a brilliant feat of engineering, Cutty Sark has been raised 11 feet (3.3 meters) into the air, relieving the keel of the weight of the ship and preserving her unique shape. For the first time, visitors can walk underneath the ship and view the elegant lines of her hull, revealing the innovative design which was the secret to her success – enabling her to reach the record-breaking speed of 17 ½ knots (20 mph/32kmph) from Sydney to London. The space also showcases Cutty Sark’s extensive collection of over 80 ships’ figureheads, never before displayed in its entirety on the site.

The ship’s weather deck and rigging have been painstakingly restored to their original specification, with 11 miles (17.5 km) of rigging supporting the masts. Below deck visitors can explore Cutty Sark’s rich and varied history through new interactive exhibitions.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

Launched in 1869 from Dumbarton, Scotland, Cutty Sark visited most major ports around the world. She carried cargo ranging from the finest teas to gunpowder, and from whisky to buffalo horns. Cutty Sark made her name as the fastest ship of her era during her time in the wool trade. Many of the tea clippers that sailed the China Seas during the nineteenth century lasted for only a few years and only seven saw the twentieth century. By the mid-1920s Cutty Sark was the only one still afloat and from 1938 became a training ship for the Incorporated Thames Training College at Greenhithe.

Above: photograph is by Grimshaw

In December 1954, due to the great efforts of The Duke of Edinburgh, Cutty Sark came to Greenwich where she became, and remains, a memorial to the great days of sail and to all those who served in the merchant service.

Architects Grimshaw have completed an installation for London department store John Lewis that’s made of suspended cardboard tubes.

The tubes vary in length and sit in the circular holes cut from two vertical sheets of clear acrylic.

The design will debut at John Lewis’ Oxford Street shop for two months before moving around the UK to stores including Cardiff, Edinburgh and Liverpool.

The modular nature of the design allows for various configurations at each department store and designers can either use the tubes to display garments or as screens to enclose their collections.

Other projects by Grimshaw include bus shelters in New York, the RIBA Stirling Prize nominated Bijlmer Station in Amsterdam and an extension to the Excel Exhibition Centre in London.

Photography is by Lim/Grimshaw.

Here’s some information from Grimshaw:

John Lewis approached Grimshaw to provide a temporary exhibit and event space capable of showcasing a variety of designers within their store on Oxford Street.

This unique ‘pop-up’ installation called for an innovative proposal which fused exhibition design and architecture, whilst enabling John Lewis to express their brand in an exciting and striking space.

The installation will be initially located on the first floor at Oxford Street, and will subsequently travel to other John Lewis stores in the UK.

Click above for larger image

Comprised of simple cardboard tubes suspended in clear Perspex sheets, the modular panel design creates a flexible and enclosed environment of varying transparency. This flexibility allows for various configurations to be explored in different locations around the UK. A solution is formed with three easily fabricated panel types resulting in an events space which both draws the public in and screens off its surrounding environment, offering a degree of privacy.

Click above for larger image

The long-standing relationship between John Lewis and their collection of fabrics and materials is expressed with a selection of each wrapped around a tubular cardboard spine. The installation celebrates these objects and organises them in an unfamiliar way by creating views beyond and between the different panels. The tubes vary in both length and diameter; each one is suspended within two vertical sheets of acrylic, along with transparent joining rods which are visible amongst the tubes. The range of tube sizes creates a kit of parts whereby designers can choose to display within them or simply frame their exhibited retail range.

See also:

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Paper Tower by Shigeru Ban	Mirror of Judgement by Michelangelo Pistoletto	Karis by Suppose Design Office