Modular CALTROPe structure reduces impact of rising sea levels by cultivating mangrove forests

Hungarian art and design collective Szövetség’39 has unveiled a concept to reduce the impact of rising sea levels in the world’s delta regions by introducing a modular structure that will cultivate mangrove forests to form natural dams.

Anna Baróthy of Szövetség’39 worked in a design team that included biologist and diver Gergő Balázs, designer Janka Csernák and scientist Viktor Grónás to develop the CALTROPe concept, which seeks to prevent the loss of agricultural land caused when pollution and climate change provoke water levels to rise.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves

After carefully studying the biological qualities of mangroves, the designers found that the salt-tolerant plants act as a natural breakwater against tides, trapping river sediment in their strong roots and helping to prevent ecosystems from washing away.

“After having examined the processes of sedimentation, the hydrodynamic characteristics, and the ecological conditions, we concluded that the intentional retention of water-borne alluvium carried in big qualities by the delta rivers could be the key to compensate land loss caused by sea level rise,” explain the team in their design report.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves

The designers propose an structure that can be easily installed beneath the water’s surface, providing a modular infrastructure to house growing mangrove plants, which thrive in coastal habitats.

“The modules serve as containers and incubators for the young mangrove saplings that, getting stronger with time, will become self-supporting and form a natural dam,” said theteam.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves

The project is named CALTROPe – a mixture of the words caltrop (a kind of water chestnut) and rope. The first is a reference to the the curving shape of the objects, while the second refers to the lacy appearance of the modules when combined.

Made from a combination of concrete and organic materials, the structures are expected to crumble away after 15  to 20 years. By this point the plants will be strong enough to support themselves and the dissolved material will become part of the sediment.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves

“We believe that, when the sea level will go beyond a critical point, the quantity of sediment trapped will form sufficiently high dams to save the current lands,” said the designers. “The protected areas can also be used agriculturally or can be populated because their soil is rich in nutrients and they are solid enough.”

Another benefit of the structure is that it will create new habitats for oysters and prawns.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves

The project was recently named one of three overall winners in a design competition launched by the Jacques Rougerie Foundation, a non-profit organisation focussing on the relationship between architecture and the sea.

Here’s a project description from Szövetség’39:


CALTROPe: Grand Prix winner Hungarian architecture project in Paris

The Budapest-based Szövetség’39 creative team has won the Grand Prix in the category ‘Architecture and sea level rise’ awarded by the International Architecture Competition organised by the Jacques Rougerie Foundation. The young Hungarian designers’ project called CALTROPe answered the challenge caused by loss of territory due to the water level rise in an innovative and sustainable manner.

The aim of the project is to synthesise and balance the natural dynamics and forces of the delta regions applying an easy-to-install modular structure. CALTROPe is a lace-like structure that is able to catch and collect river sediment with the help of mangrove plants, so integrating natural and architectural elements. Working like a catalyst, it will provoke positive changes at the most critical shoreline points. With this cooperative, participatory and locally supplied work can also reorganise and socialise the local population in a constructive and self-supporting manner.

CALTROPe comes from the words ‘caltrop’ (water chestnut) and ‘rope’, ‘caltrop’ referring to the shape of the object, and ‘rope’, to the linear, lace-like installation principles.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves

The concept of CALTROPe has been set up by Szövetség’39 Art Base that focuses usually on especially complex artistic planning. In this case the members of the team were Anna Baróthy, leading designer and project manager of Szövetség’39, Gergő Balázs biologist and diver, Janka Csernák designer, Dr. Viktor Grónás senior lecturer of the Szent István University’s Nature Conservation and Ecology Department, diver, Peter Kovacsics graphic and animation designer, Viktor Pucsek and Peter Vető industrial and 3D designers. The project staff was Melinda Bozsó, designer of Szövetség’39, Daniel Csomor architect, Kata Kerekes graphic designer, Vera Krauth architecture student, Ábel Kurta and Veronika Szabó product design students and Nóra Lajkó student in fine arts and painting.

This spring the Jacques Rougerie Foundation announced an international architectural competition in three categories. The call for a total of 529 entries were submitted from 76 countries of the world, out of which CALTROPe won the grand-prix. The competition is named after Jacques Rougerie who is one of the world’s most innovative visionary architects. Rougerie is an expert in space and underwater structures – he has designed the soon-to-be first underwater museum in Egypt and the SeaOrbiter that is a cross between a skyscraper and a boat for exploring the unchartered territories of the earth’s oceans.

Modular CALTROPe structure forms natural dams by cultivating mangroves
Concept diagram

Szövetség ’39 is an association of artists who primarily deals with complex artistic design. The subject matter of design typically related to some form of spatial situations, such as installations, artistic design of buildings, actions and artworks of plazas, public spaces. The current members of the group are: Anna Baróthy, Csenge Kolozsvári and Melinda Bozsó joined by artists and creative groups in the workshop as well. Szövetség ’39 is an open workshop-site and assures an open-mind, recipient ambient for the development of tentative concepts. Just as the Szövetség ’39 conveys new-thinking and innovative ideas through hosting related events, actions regularly in the workshop. The main profiles of the present members are: architecture, media-art, computer graphics, web design, experimental programming, animation and design of glass.

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HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

News: Dubai has won the bid to host the World Expo 2020 with a masterplan by architects HOK, beating Zaha Hadid’s rival proposal for a lagoon-side park in the Turkish city of Izmir (+ slideshow).

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

Dubai also saw off competition from Brazilian city São Paulo and Yekaterinburg in Russia, and will become the first Middle Eastern city to host the international exhibition in its 150-year history.

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

“This win is a testament to the commitment of the UAE citizens to create a prosperous future for their country and region,” said HOK Dubai’s Daniel Hajjar. “We are proud to have led the design of the Expo site and to be associated with producing a winning entry for Dubai so that this great country can continue to boost its reputation on a global stage.”

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

With the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, HOK’s winning masterplan encompasses a 438-hectare site in south-west Dubai, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port.

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

The design features three major pavilions connected by an “iconic photovoltaic fabric structure” that will provide a gigantic canopy of solar panels across the main connecting walkways.

“Dubai’s win elevates its status as a global city with world-class infrastructure and highlights its commitment to sustainable energy,” said HOK president Bill Hellmuth.

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

The exhibition will be organised into three zones that will branch out from a central plaza modelled on the traditional Arabic marketplace, known as a souk. Larger pavilions will be positioned at the outer perimeter and smaller exhibition stands will be located nearer the centre to encourage visitors to explore the entire site.

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

Architecture firm Populous acted as venue planning and participant design consultants, while engineering firm Arup advised on the infrastructure and transportation systems included.

HOK masterplan leads Dubai to Expo 2020 victory

The next upcoming edition of the world fair will take place in Milan in 2015, followed by the Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed expo in Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2017. The most recent Expos held were the Yeosu Expo 2012 in South Korea and the Shanghai Expo 2010, which featured Thomas Heatherwick’s Seed Cathedral.

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GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Australian architecture studio Room 11 has created a three-kilometre riverside pathway in Tasmania where brightly coloured boardwalks are punctuated with public pavilions (+ slideshow).

GASP! by Room 11

Named GASP!, an acronym of Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park, the project was conceived as a community park that combines an arts programme with a play space for young children.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Room 11 was given a stretch of land along the banks of the River Derwent and developed a phased proposal to create the park.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

For the first stage the architects established a gently arching walkway made up of three boardwalks, which bridge between headland along the southern edge of the river.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Wooden slats form the surfaces of the walkways, while more timber balustrades have been painted in vivid colours to create striped patterns.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Two timber pavilions are positioned at the start and midpoint of the route, offering sheltered seating areas that can be used for various activities.

Gasp Stage 1 by Room 11 Architects_dezeen_28

The second stage, completed this year, comprises a third pavilion at Wilkinsons Point. Constructed from concrete and red glass, this larger structure forms an end point to the trail and includes public toilets.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

The third and final stage will involve construction of a cafe and studio building, but is currently only in the concept stages.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

“We moved on from nostalgic visions of place making and embraced interstitial spaces with relish,” said architect Thomas Bailey.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

GASP! is the first public architecture project completed by Room 11, which has offices in Melbourne and Tasmania.

GASP! by Room 11

It was one of 38 projects awarded at the Australian National Architecture Awards earlier this month, alongside a rusted steel beach kiosk and a tiny home with a sheltered deck.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Photography is by Ben Hosking.

Here’s a project description from Room 11:


Room11: GASP!

The Glenorchy Arts and Sculpture Park, GASP!, is Room 11’s first foray into public architecture. Along the River Derwent in Glenorchy, Tasmania, Room 11 has built a colourfully calibrated public walkway which deftly links previously marginalised, but surprisingly beautiful sections of foreshore.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Abundant birdlife and the silky surface of the river are able to be closely inspected as one walks the gentle arc which links an existing school, playground, major entrainment centre and rowing club.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Punctuating the arc are two carefully crafted pavilions which offer shelter, seating and a location to pause and consider the water plane and sky.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

GASP stage two is the penultimate gesture of the Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park (GASP!). It is composed of architecture that responds to the scale of the surrounding landform.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Blunt forms frame and command the superlative Tasmanian landscape. Colour and architecture have been used as a vehicle for re-evaluation and re-appreciation of place. The re-forming of the shoreline embraces the expanse of Elwick Bay, the bay becomes integral to the experience, a unity has been created.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

GASP! has been conceived as a ribbon along which contemporary art events and installations can occur, the new architecture is an important feature of this.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Turner Prize winning Artist Susan Phillipz was commissioned by GASP!, to undertake the inaugural art project, The Waters Twine an 8 channel sound project embedded into the boardwalk in March 2013. Further events and installations are now underway.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

The staged project was the result of a limited design competition in 2010.

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks

Length: 3km
Materials: Timber, stainless steel, concrete, glass & paint
Client: Glenorchy City Council
Funding: Australian Government, Tasmanian State Government, Glenorchy City Council

GASP! by Room 11 is a sequence of riverside pavilions and boardwalks
Site plan – click for larger image

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“This was the first botanical garden purely for Australian native plants”

Movie: in our second exclusive interview from this year’s World Architecture Festival, Scott Adams of Taylor Cullity Lethlean discusses the design of The Australian Garden, which won the award for best landscape project.

Scott Adams of Taylor Cullity Lethlean portrait
Scott Adams of Taylor Cullity Lethlean

The Australian Garden by landscape studio Taylor Cullity Lethlean and plant expert Paul Thompson is a 25-hectare area of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne, Australia, dedicated to the country’s indigenous plant life.

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

“This was the first botanical garden in Australia, if not the world, that is for Australian natives only,” Adams says.

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

“There has been a strong bush garden movement [in Australia], which started off in the 1970s and 1980s. But this takes it to another level. It’s not just about using native plants, but really celebrating the qualities and properties of them.”

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

The structure of the garden is based around the flow of water, Adams goes on to explain.

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

“Australia is an island surrounded by water with desert in the inside,” he says. “We wanted to tell the journey about the water moving from the desert to the coast, so the botanical garden is set up to form a narrative for the Australian landscape.”

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

There is limited signage at the garden, a decision Adams says was designed to increase visitors’ sense of discovery.

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

“We wanted the visitor to take home their own experience, rather than to have signage to tell them what they should be feeling or what they should be seeing,” he says.

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

“You go there and you make your own journey, and your own discoveries, and take home your own findings.”

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

World Architecture Festival 2013 took place at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 2-4 October. Next year’s World Architecture Festival will take place at the same venue from 1-3 October 2014. Award entries are open from February to June 2014.

The Australian Garden by Taylor Cullity Lethlean_WAF2013

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Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Gabion walls, concrete staircases and huge rocks frame the spaces of this public park in Zaragoza by Spanish architects Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez (+ slideshow).

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Venecia Park spans a 415-metre stretch beside a ring road on the outskirts of the city, forming a gateway to the residential neighbourhoods to the south.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Architects Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez, who previously teamed up on a park elsewhere in the city, were asked to overcome three issues – a 14-metre level change across the site, regular flooding caused by heavy rainfall and noise from the adjacent road.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

The largest space in the park is a sunken concrete plaza in the south-west corner. Staircases lead down to it from all four corners, while the surrounding walls offer protection from the strong prevailing winds.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Most of the time this space can function as a pedestrian space, but it also doubles as an overflow basin for rainwater, reducing the impact of flooding to the surrounding residential areas.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

To create a sound barrier and deal with the level change, the architects designed a system of rammed-earth banks to run along the north-west border of the park and fronted them with four staggered gabion walls, made from steel cages and stones.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Another sound barrier was required along the south-west side so the architects specified a wall made from oversized rocks, which they refer to as the “cyclopean wall”.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

“This wall is conceived as an icon that characterises the new neighbourhood,” they said.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Young trees have been planted along some of the pathways, while metal shelters mark the location of viewpoints and ramps lead on towards the nearby canal.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

“Venecia Park is a carefully planned topographical operation that complements the acoustic functions and flow-forming processes, in addition to providing green spaces to the city,” added the architects.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Other landscape architecture on Dezeen includes a public square in Croatia where steps, terraces and textured paving delineate different zones and a colourful city park in Copenhagen featuring street furniture from 60 different nations.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

See more landscape architecture »
See more architecture and design in Spain »

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Here’s a project description from the architects:


Venecia Park, Zaragoza

The green space within sector 88/1, known as Venecia Park, is located at its north-western limits, running parallel to the Ronda Hispanidad Avenue between the Calle Zafiro Roundabout and the historic channel of the Imperial Canal of Aragón. The project encompasses a linear urban infrastructure, averaging 415 metres in length and 60 metres in width: a surface area of approximately 2.5 hectares. It was required to address three issues: the resolution of an acoustic problem, the evacuation of rainfall deposits and the question of topography.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

The sound issue caused by road traffic on the Ronda Hispanidad (Third Ring Road) affecting neighbouring dwellings, requires the establishment of a sound barrier to include the whole north-western border of the park. The existing topographical ground level difference between ground-level of the new residential quarter and the ring road reaches a maximum height of 14 metres, where the containment of the terrain is resolved by means of a system of reinforced earth walls. This is made up four steps set apart from one another by 1.50 metres, composed of a galvanised steel mesh and large gravel stones, thus forming a sound barrier that will protect future residential developments in the area.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

To the far south-west of the park, where no significant topographical difference is noticeable, the issue of sound containment is resolved by means of a Cyclopean wall 100 metres long with a maximum height of 10 metres. This wall is moreover conceived as an icon that characterises the new neighbourhood and also provides access to the underground square or mill basin situated in its extrados.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

This laminar flow basin is designed to cope with the intense rainfall that affects the area, thus preventing floodwaters from emptying into the municipal network, whose diameter and capacity are insufficient to deal with such heavy quantities of rainwater. This compound with its large surface area (3,150 m2), whose use as a laminar flow space will be conditioned by the frequency and intensity of local rainfall, has been conceived and designed as an urban space or pedestrian square for most of the year and a welcome area of shelter from the unpleasant Cierzo wind which blows in this upper area of the city. Four stairs situated at the corners provide access to the underground square, connecting with the adjacent neighbourhood and the city level. The incorporation of sufficiently wide ramps situated within the sound barrier wall gives access to service and maintenance vehicles and a more ample use of the compound.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez

Finally Venecia Park is a carefully planned topographical operation that complements the acoustic functions and flow-forming processes described above in addition to providing green spaces to the city. All this is structured spatially over the Ronda Hispanidad by means of staggered interconnecting platforms in a linear or extended link-up of little squares (hard and soft), viewing points protected with light metallic pergolas, extensive groves of pines and pedestrian ramps leading to the historic heritage site of Aragón’s Imperial Canal.

Venecia Park by Héctor Fernández Elorza and Manuel Fernández Ramírez
Site plan – click for larger image

Architects: Héctor Fernández Elorza, Manuel Fernández Ramírez
Collaborators: Félix Royo Millán, José Antonio Alonso García, Antonio Gros Bañeres, Beatriz Navarro Pérez (Engineers)
Location: Sector 88/1, Pinares de Venecia, Zaragoza
Project: 2008
Construction: 1 July 2009 – 31 December 2011
Client: Junta de Compensación del Sector 88/1
Constructor: IDECON, S.A.U.
Surface Area: 2,5 Ha.
Budget: 2.598.799 euros

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Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project

This 20-storey-high lift transports residents and visitors in the Maltese capital Valletta from the recently restored harbour to the top of the city’s fortified walls (+ slideshow).

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Photograph is by Sean Mallia

International practice Architecture Project designed the lift as part of the regeneration of Valletta’s former port into a cruise ship terminal.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Photograph is by Sean Mallia

A lift was originally built on the site in 1905 to connect the port with the city, but became redundant and was dismantled in the 1980s.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Photograph is by Sean Mallia

The new lift has a larger footprint to cater for the increased number of people arriving at the converted Baroque warehouses that form the new harbour area.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project

The design of the lift tower references the massive sixteenth-century walls, which are subject to a conservation order and therefore could not be touched by the structure.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project

“The geometric qualities of the plan echo the angular forms of the bastion walls and the corrugated edges of the aluminium skin help modulate light as it hits the structure, emphasising its verticality,” said the architects.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Photograph is by Sean Mallia

Glazed lift carriages that offer views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea are shielded from the sun by the aluminium mesh skin, which also alludes to the industrial aesthetic of the original elevator.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project

The Barrakka Lift is nominated in the transport category at this year’s World Architecture Festival awards. Architecture Project’s renovation of an old building in Valletta into a contemporary office won the creative reuse category at the Inside awards in 2011.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Plan

Other recent urban infrastructure projects on Dezeen include a triangular viewing platform for Brooklyn Bridge Park by BIG and a twisting staircase that descends from the walls of a historic naval supply yard in south-west England.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Section

Photography is by Luis Rodríguez López except where stated otherwise.

Here’s a project description from Architecture Project:


Barrakka Lift Project

This recently completed twenty storey high panoramic lift is located on the edge of Malta’s historic fortified capital city of Valletta. The sixteenth century fortified walls of the town that once served to keep enemy ships at bay are now subject to a conservation order and provide a stunning new access into the town for the large number of residents and visitors travelling from the water’s edge over the powerful landward enceinte of fortifications and into the heart of the city.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project
Photograph is by Sean Mallia

The recent restoration of Baroque waterside warehouses into a thriving cruise ship terminal prompted the re-activation of a lift that had been built to connect the harbour with the town in 1905 during Valletta’s heyday as a trading port. This old lift, that contained two lift cabins each with a capacity of 12 passengers, was abandoned and eventually dismantled in the 1980s.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project

Today, the heavy demands of accessibility to the town require a much larger footprint than previously, and therefore the renewed connection has a larger visual impact, whereas, on the engineering level, rigour was needed as attachment to the historic walls was not possible.

The geometric qualities of the plan echo the angular forms of the bastion walls and the corrugated edges of the aluminium skin help modulate light as it hits the structure, emphasising its verticality. The mesh masks the glazed lift carriages, recalling the forms of the original cage lifts, whilst providing shade to passengers as they travel between the city and the Mediterranean Sea.

Barrakka Lift by Architecture Project

Architecture: Architecture Project (AP)
Date: 2009-2013
Client: Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation plc
Value: €2 million
Location: Lascaris Ditch, Valletta, Malta
Lighting design: Frank Franjou

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Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Danish office BIG has designed a triangular viewing platform for Brooklyn Bridge Park that angles up from the ground like a huge fin (+ slideshow).

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

The wooden platform will be constructed as part of BIG’s overhaul of Pier 6 – the southernmost end of the park that is located beside the famous suspension bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Raised off the pier by over five metres, the structure will feature a stepped surface that leads visitors up to two corner viewpoints. From here they will be able to look out towards the bridge, the Statue of Liberty and New York City beyond.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

A series of thin steel columns will hold the platform in place, creating a sheltered space underneath that will be furnished with tables and chairs, but could also function as a small events area.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

A flower field and several trees will be planted at the other end of the platform to welcome visitors into the park.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

BIG, led by architect Bjarke Ingels, also recently worked on a park in Copenhagen that featured miscellaneous street furniture from 60 different nations. See more architecture by BIG »

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Other landscape architecture featured on Dezeen includes Louis Kahn’s Four Freedoms Park in New York and a series of undulating bridges and promenades in Copenhagen. See more landscape architecture »

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Here’s a project description from BIG:


Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 Viewing Platform

The Pier 6 viewing platform is a triangular structure at the northwest corner of Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Sloping upwards 17.5 feet (5.3m) in height from the foot of the large gathering lawn, the platform provides magnificent views of the surrounding harbour, the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

In conjunction with the adjacent greenery, Pier 6 will be dominated by a flower field and treed areas giving the area seasonal displays of colour. The surface of terraced stairs, softly illuminated, will allow for large and small events and is fully ADA accessible. The pavilion, a cross-laminated timber structure supported by thin steel columns, is brightly lit with up-lights and provides shade, shelter and space for indoor activities.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Movable site furniture underneath the platform will accommodate a variety of programs, from food carts and picnicking to community events and small performances.

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Program: Public Space
Status: In Progress
Size in m2: 560
Project type: Competition
Client: Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy
Collaborators: Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Knippers Helbig, Tilotson Design Associates, AltieriSeborWieber,Pantocraft, Formactiv
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG

Partner in charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen
Project Leader: Iannis Kandyliaris
Project Manager: Martin Voelkle
Team: Ho Kyung Lee, David Spittler, Dennis Harvey, Isshin Morimoto

Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 by BIG
Concept diagrams

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Kalvebod Waves by KLAR Architects and JDS Architects

Danish firms JDS Architects and KLAR Architects have created a multipurpose pier in Copenhagen featuring a series of undulating bridges and promenades that rise out of the water like waves (+ slideshow).

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

JDS Architects and KLAR Architects redeveloped two existing public squares on a stretch of the Kalvebod harbour adjacent to several large office blocks, and extended the promenade onto the water in the gaps where the buildings’ shadows don’t reach.

“What has doomed the Kalvebod area until now were the long shadows drawn by the imposing structures fronting it,” JDS Architects explained. “We studied the course of those shadows throughout the day and the year and located two main pockets of shadow-free zones.”

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

The new intervention enlivens a previously barren area of the waterfront and connects the nearby Langebro Bridge with roads that lead towards Copenhagen’s central station and Tivoli Gardens amusement park.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

Raised above the water on stilts, two concrete piers provide facilities including a dock for boats, a canoe club and an events space, while decked areas with benches encourage sunbathing.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

Promenades on different levels offer various ways of navigating the waterfront, with the wooden decking rearing up at one point to create a diving platform.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects
Photograph by KLAR Architects

The two firms won the competition to develop the Kalvebod harbour area in 2008, and JDS previously designed a public swimming area on the opposite side of the harbour, that was completed in 2003 when the firm was still operating under the title PLOT with fellow Danish architect Bjarke Ingels.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

JDS Architects recently revealed its design for an M-shaped office building covered in green terraces in Istanbul, while its founder Julien De Smedt has launched a design brand focusing on furniture and homeware.

Other landscape architecture projects on Dezeen include a seaside square in Croatia with steps, terraces and textured paving, and a coastal path in England featuring a staircase that provides access to a historic naval supply yard.

See more JDS Architects »
See more landscape architecture »

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

Photographs are by Ursula Bach unless stated otherwise.

Here’s a project description:


Kalvebod Brygge is situated opposite the popular Copenhagen summer hang out, Islands Brygge. Kalvebod Brygge has the potential to be Islands Brygge’s more urban counterpart but has, until now, been synonymous with a desolated office address devoid of life and public activities.

This new waterfront will be a place for a larger spectrum of public activities. With a close connection to the central train station and Tivoli, Copenhagen’s famous city amusement park, ‘Kalvebod Bølge’, the ‘Kalvebod Waves’ will become a hub, buzzing with activity and providing a chance for the inner city to regain its connection to the harbour.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects
Photograph by JDS Architects

Constituted more by its functionality than its tradition, this inner city site is less fragile than others and manifests Copenhagen’s contemporary urban waterfront with neighbouring entities such as the Black Diamond Library and the Nykredit building. According to the schedule the complex should be finished mid 2010.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects

The project consists of two main plazas, which extend across the water and are positioned with regards to sunlight and wind conditions. To the south, the pier allows for a flexible public space on the water with facilities to host events related to the creative industry. During the last 10 years Copenhagen has developed into a stronghold for the creative class, therefore Kalvebod Brygge proposes an urban showcase that gives organisations, companies, festivals and fairs a location along the waterfront.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects
Lower level plan – click for larger image

In connection with this space, an active water enclave is created, for various water related activities. The plaza and surrounding pontoons provide the necessary facilities for these activities to function. The flow of boats that commute to and from the water hub also creates an active maritime background and secures the connectivity of the plaza to the rest of the city.

Kalvebod Waves by JDS Architects and KLAR Architects
Upper level plan – click for larger image

The second square acts as an oasis on the water, providing both proximity and access. This recreational space, with a beach, allows for a break from the hectic pace of urban life, where a floating garden is proposed. A maritime park where urban and maritime life meet.

Project: Waterfront, Urban Plan
Type: Competition, 1st Prize December 2008
Size: 4000 M2
Budget: 7,000,000 EUR (52,000,000 DKK)
Client: Copenhagen Municipality, Lokale og Anlægsfonden
Team: KLAR, JDS, Niras, Sloth Møller
Location: Kalvebod Brygge, Copenhagen Harbor
Status: Completed August 2013

The post Kalvebod Waves by KLAR Architects
and JDS Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Stjepan Radić Square by NFO

Croatian firm NFO has revitalised the main square in the seaside city of Crikvenica by adding steps, terraces and textured paving to delineate the different zones (+ slideshow).

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_2a

NFO won a public competition to transform the town square, which is linked to a promenade and provides inhabitants with an open public space looking out across the Adriatic Sea.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_6

The architects kept their interventions to a minimum to maintain the views and enable the space to perform various functions.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_3

Trees lining the promenade as it approaches the open plaza continue around its edges, providing shaded terraces for the eateries located along the perimeter.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_11

An existing slope at the back of the site has been converted into a series of steps and terraces that create seating and separate the square from the streets that lead into the city.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_7

A road running between the square and the marina has been paved in cobbles to create a haptic surface that encourages drivers to reduce their speed, while even bumpier cobbles warn pedestrians that they are nearing the road.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_12

“The road is disconnected from the pedestrian zone with tactile barriers in tessellation for safety and to inform about the road without creating a visual barrier towards the sea,” the architects explain.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_2

The redevelopment of Crikvenica’s public spaces is set to continue with the future renovation of a park and another square elsewhere in the city.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_5

Thomas Heatherwick recently revealed his design for a pedestrian bridge covered with a garden to span the River Thames, while Danish architecture firm BIG used street furniture from around the world and a colourful rubber carpet to transform a public park in Copenhagen, Denmark.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_8

See more landscape and urbanism projects »

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_10

Photography is by Ivan Dorotić.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_4

The architects sent us this project description:


Stjepan Radić Square

The public competition for regulation of the center of Crikvenica was announced in 2011 and the first phase of the project is now completed. After the works on shore line expansion 20 m towards the sea finished in 2012 first phase project, Stijepan Radić Square was completed in 2013.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_13

With finalization of the main city square Crikvenica finally got the first representative public space. Next phases involve regulation of the rest of the city center including the Park of the fallen for homeland and the construction of City pavilion along with another square.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_9

Concept of the square derives from The promenade and its main element, the tree line, one of the main traditions of city Crikvenica, that used to stop at the Stjepan Radić Square. The goal was to patch that crack and, as a result, to reintegrate south-east part of Crikvenica as a cohesive part of the city. That way Crikvenica becomes a central point of the long stretch of seaside promenades between small costal towns Dramalj and Selce and its public contents along the shoreline.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_14

A tree line as a main element of the promenade forms a backbone which collects different public contents creating various ambients along the promenade. Stjepan Radić Square becomes a center towards which all the seaside movement gravitates and, as such, demands a large open space.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_15

The promenade is pulled inside with its public contents (terraces) and along with the tree line it forms the main square with the only clear sea view in Crikvenica. Strong interventions were avoided so that the various usage possibilities on the main square would be possible.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_17

The existing ground height difference is used to differentiate terraces from the open space of the square forming a staircase / sitting area on the contact zone of the square and terraces. Shaded terraces for catering contents became an audience space towards the sea and the square. Over-hangs were put among the tree tops for the protection from the sun and rain without damaging the main (clear) ambient of the square.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_18
Viewpoints

The road as a negative factor with its mild and frequent denivelations “stone waves” in contrast with the square becomes an attraction for the cars and for the pedestrians, enabling comfortable and slow movement of all participants in traffic. The road is disconnected from the pedestrian zone with tactile barriers in tessellation for safety and to inform about the road without creating a visual barrier towards the sea.

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_19
Promenade

Project: Crikvenica Center – Stjepan Radić Square
Programe: Public space
Design year: 2011
Realized: 2013
Location: Crikvenica, Croatia
Surface: 11 974 m2
Client: Municipality of Crikvenica (public architectural competiton 2011)
Architect: NFO
Design team: Kata Marunica, Nenad Ravnić, Dijana Pavić, Tatjana Liktar, Tamara Marić

dezeen_Stjepan Radic Square by NFO_20
Facilities

The post Stjepan Radić Square
by NFO
appeared first on Dezeen.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

Aerial photographs reveal the angular geometries of this rooftop swimming pool in Bangkok by Thai landscape architects T.R.O.P. (+ slideshow)

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

The swimming pool is positioned over the podium of a 42-storey residential complex close to the city’s main station. Both residents and passing travellers look down on the pool from above, so T.R.O.P. added a canopy of concrete frames that appear from above to slice the water up into different sections.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

“Most pools in Bangkok […] are called ‘Sky Pool’, because of a location on top of the roof,” said designer Pok Kobkongsanti. “The first couple of ones sounded very exciting, but, after a while, it got boring.”

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

He continued: “To make our pool different than the others, the ‘Skeleton’, a light cladded structure, was proposed to frame the swimming pool three-dimensionally.”

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

The outline of the pool is made up of straight lines with curved edges. The team avoided perpendicular lines where possible and arranged wooden decks and planting areas around the perimeter.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

“Instead of a typical rectangular pool deck, we proposed a series of smaller terraces integrated with the swimming pool,” added Kobkongsanti.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

Low-level lighting lines the edges of the space, creating a welcoming environment for nighttime swimmers.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

Other recent examples of the growing popularity of aerial photography in architecture include a photography series showing bedrooms viewed from above and an image taken from the mezzanine of a recently completed Japanese house.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

See more swimming pools on Dezeen, including a floating cross-shaped pool proposed for New York.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.

Photography is by Wison Tungthunya.

Read on for more details from TROP:


The Pool @ Pyne by Sansiri

Bangkok has changed. So have her people. In the past, we may prefer to live in small houses outside the city areas, and commute in and out the city daily. Not anymore. To fit the present time’s fast life style, New generation keeps moving in many condominiums inside the developed areas instead. Horizontal living is out. Vertical one is the thing to do.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.
Masterplan – click for larger image

As a result, Thai developers are competing hard for the perfect plots of land in town. No, they do not care much about how big the plot is, or how great the view it would get. As long as it is right next to the BTS (Bangkok’s Sky Train) station, it is perfect. In 2010, Trop got a commission to design the Pool of Pyne by Sansiri, a high-end condominium in Bangkok. Its site is ideal. Located right in the middle of busy urban district, just 5 mins walk from the city’s biggest shopping malls, the plot is about the right size, 2,900 sqm. To make it even better, it also has a BTS station right in front of the property.

Architecture-wise, most condominiums in Bangkok are quite similar. The residential tower is built on top of parking structure. Normally the parking part has a bigger floor plan than the tower, leaving the left over area as its swimming pool. The Pool @ Pyne by Sansiri is no different. It is designated to be on the 8th floor, which is also the roof of the parking structure. The area is a rectangular shape terrace, around 370 sqm.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.
Swimming pool plan – click for larger image

Having the train station right in front really helps selling residential units (sold out in 1 day). However, space-wise, the station is a nightmare for designers. It is designed as a huge structure, about a hundred metre long, 3-4 storey high. Basically, it is like placing a huge building right in front of your door steps. Together with other surrounding old buildings, our project is trapped among concrete boxes by all 4 sides.

In order to get rid of that boxy feeling space, our first move is to create a “loosed” floor plan. Instead of a typical rectangular pool deck, we proposed a series of smaller terraces integrated with the swimming pool. Perpendicular lines were avoided, replaced by angled ones with round corners. A series of “green” planters were also inserted here and there, combining all 3 elements, water, terraces and plantings seamlessly.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.
Cross section one – click for larger image

Again, most pools in Bangkok share the same name. They are called “Sky Pool”, because of a location on top of the roof. The first couple of ones sounded very exciting, but, after a while, it got boring. Our design task was not only to design a pretty swimming pool, but we also wanted to created a unique landscape feature that can identify the character of our residents.

To make our pool different than others, the “Skeleton”, a light cladded structure, was proposed to “frame” the swimming pool 3-dimensionally. Before, the so-called sky pool is just flat piece of water on top of the building. Sure, swimmers can enjoy a great prospect view outside, but, looking back to the building, nobody recognise the presence of that pool from below. With the “Skeleton”, the pool was fully integrated into the architecture. Now the BTS passengers can look up and see the special space inside the frame. At night, the “Skeleton” glows, giving the architecture some “lightness” it needs badly in the crowded surrounding.

The Pool at Pyne by T.R.O.P.
Cross section two – click for larger image

Landscape Architects: TROP : terrains + open space
Design Director: Pok Kobkongsanti
Project landscape architects: Theerapong Sanguansripisut, Ekitsara Meedet
Architects: Palmer & Turner (Thailand) Co.,Ltd.
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Area: 370 sqm
Year: 2010-2013

The post The Pool at Pyne
by T.R.O.P.
appeared first on Dezeen.