Hasta La Ideas The Adventures of Star Wars Figurines in Nature Archives

May 02

Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp

Posted in: Landscape and urbanism, Lebanon, masterplans, slideshows

The homes of 27,000 Palestinian refugees will be replaced as part of this reconstruction project underway at Nahr el-Bared, 16 kilometres outside of Tripoli, Lebanon (+ slideshow).

Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp

First established in the 1940s to accommodate refugees from the Lake Huleh area of northern Palestine, the 19-hectare Nahr el-Bared refugee camp was almost entirely destroyed during the 2007 conflict between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the extremist group Fatah Al-Islam. Thousands of families were forced to abandon their homes and seek temporary refuge at another nearby camp.

Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp

In 2008 the United Nations Relief & Works Agency embarked on an ambitious project to replace the buildings that had been destroyed. Working alongside the community-based Nahr el-Bared Reconstruction Commission, the team developed an eight-phase masterplan for 5000 houses, 1500 shops and six school complexes.

Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp

The reconstruction includes the replacement of all infrastructure for the camp, including water and sewage networks as well as electricity.

Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp

The agency has also been able to increase the amount of public space around the buildings from 11 to 35 per cent by introducing a system of independent structures that can be extended up to four storeys.

The first families began returning to their homes in 2011 and the first three completed schools opened to students later the same year.

Reconstruction of Nahr el-Bared Refugee Camp

The Nahr el-Bared reconstruction is one of 20 projects on the shortlist for the Aga Khan Award 2013. Five or six finalists will be revealed later this year and will compete to win the $1 million prize. Other projects on the shortlist include an Islamic cemetery in Austria and a museum of paper in China.

Here’s a short project description from the Aga Khan Award organisers:

Reconstructing a camp of 27,000 refugees which was 95% destroyed during the 2007 war involved a planning effort with the entire community, followed by a series of eight construction phases. Limited land and the exigency of recreating physical and social fabrics were primary considerations. Established in 1948, the camp followed the extended-family pattern and building typology of the refugees’ villages. In a layout where roads provided light and ventilation, the goal was to increase non-built areas from 11% to 35%. It was achieved by giving each building an independent structural system allowing for vertical expansion up to four floors on a reduced footprint.

Location: Tripoli, Lebanon (West Asia)
Architect: United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA), Nahr el-Bared Reconstruction Commission for Civil Action and Studies (NBRC)
Client: United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA), Beirut, Lebanon
Completed: 2011
Design: 2008
Site size: 190,000 sqm

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Refugee Camp appeared first on Dezeen.

Apr 26

Broadway Malyan to masterplan new district for Kuala Lumpur

Posted in: Broadway Malyan, Kuala Lumpur, Landscape and urbanism, masterplans

News: architects Broadway Malyan have been chosen to masterplan a new 196-hectare residential and commercial district south of Kuala Lumpur.

Bandar Malaysia will be built on the site of a former international airport approximately five kilometres south of Kuala Lumpur city centre.

Broadway Malyan’s masterplan, which was selected from a shortlist of six, will include a commercial district, cultural buildings and residential areas, including sustainable and affordable housing.

The firm was appointed to the project by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a development company owned by the Malaysian government.

Broadway Malyan to masterplan Kuala Lumpur district

1MDB chief executive officer Dato’ Azmar Talib said the project was part of a national vision to make Kuala Lumpur one of the world’s most habitable cities.

“Bandar Malaysia will be an inclusive, public transit-oriented city that is designed as a walkable community through a series of safe, secure and pleasant pedestrian and cycling networks, set against a backdrop of well-articulated open spaces and greenery,” he said.

“[The] concept masterplan provides a strong foundation for the next stage, which is to further develop Bandar Malaysia to become the benchmark for sustainability and livability in the region, in line with the national vision of making Kuala Lumpur one of the world’s top 20 most livable cities by 2020.”

The project will be supported by engineers from Arup and Sinclair Knight Merz and local planners Arah Rancang Malaysia.

Last summer Broadway Malyan unveiled plans to build Convida Suape, a new city for 100,000 inhabitants in the north east of Brazil. We also previously reported on the firm’s renovation of Rossio railway station in Lisbon, Portugal.

Other masterplans in south east Asia we’ve reported on lately include an under-construction business district in Shanghai designed by MVRDV and SWA Group’s pedestrian-friendly vision for an area larger than Manhattan in Shenzhen, China – see more masterplans.

Image is from Broadway Malyan.

Here’s more information from Broadway Malyan:

Broadway Malyan’s winning masterplan set to transform Kuala Lumpur

1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) has appointed a global team to partner with local planners to create a game-changing masterplan for Bandar Malaysia, Malaysia.

The team is led by global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan, supported by world-class design and engineering teams from Arup and Sinclair Knight Merz, in collaboration with local planner Arah Rancang Malaysia.

The winning team was selected from a total of six finalists based on concept proposals which perfectly captures the essence of 1MDB’s vision and commitment for a mixed-use development that will help transform Kuala Lumpur into one of the world’s best global cities.

The appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive multi-stage international masterplan competition organised by the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP). The winning team was chosen by a panel of local and international experts in real estate and urban planning. The idea and design competition attracted participation from well-known local and international planning teams who competed in three rounds of eliminations.

1MDB Real Estate Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Azmar Talib said: “The winning design best represents 1MDB’s vision and fundamentals for the development of Bandar Malaysia. Broadway Malyan and Arah Rancang Malaysia’s concept masterplan provides a strong foundation for the next stage, which is to further develop Bandar Malaysia to become the benchmark for sustainability and liveability in the region, in line with the national vision of making Kuala Lumpur the world’s top 20 most liveable cities by 2020.”

MIP’s past president and Bandar Malaysia International Masterplan Competition Head Khairiah Talha said: “The submissions were mostly of very high calibre, but Broadway Malyan and Arah Rancang Malaysia’s entry stood out for its inclusion of an innovative approach that is the masterplan’s ‘software’, where the communities themselves will help shape a cohesive and dynamic environment in Bandar Malaysia.

“MIP is very proud to collaborate with 1MDB on this project to fulfil a national aspiration. We are very pleased with the panel’s choice and are confident that Broadway Malyan and Arah Rancang Malaysia will be able to deliver a visionary masterplan fitting a global city which Bandar Malaysia aims to be.”

The 196-hectare Bandar Malaysia is envisioned to be one of the most desirable environments to live, learn, work and play in the Asian region. The strategic real estate development project aims to combine a vibrant mixed-use community with a commercial district to foster creativity and innovation. It will be an international destination for culture and the arts showcasing Malaysia’s diverse culture.

Dato’ Azmar said: “Bandar Malaysia will be an inclusive, public transit-oriented city that is designed as a walkable community through a series of safe, secure and pleasant pedestrian and cycling networks, set against a backdrop of well-articulated open spaces and greenery. As part of 1MDB’s commitment towards providing affordable housing, Bandar Malaysia aims to be the yardstick for sustainable and affordable urban housing within Malaysia.”

Recent masterplans delivered by Broadway Malyan include visions for new cities in Abu Dhabi (a 680-hectare waterfront community of up to 55,000 inhabitants on Yas Island), Brazil (Convida Suape – a new city involving the transformation of a 470-hectare area for 100,000 inhabitants) and Iraq (the ’10×10′ project involving a 17 sq km extension of Sadr City, Baghdad, and the creation of New Sadr City).

The post Broadway Malyan to masterplan new
district for Kuala Lumpur appeared first on Dezeen.

Apr 24

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

Posted in: Aedas, Landscape and urbanism, masterplans

Dutch firm MVRDV has won a design competition for a new business district in Shanghai, which is already under construction near the city’s Hongqiao Airport.

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

MVRDV‘s masterplan covers a 4.5 hectare site at the intersection of Shenhai Express Way and Shenbin Road. Straddling two sides of the junction, the new Central Business District will comprise a large southern plot and a smaller northern plot, which together will accommodate ten office towers and an underground shopping centre designed by architecture firm Aedas.

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

Sunken plazas are proposed for both sites, creating pedestrian zones that are sheltered from the busy roads. Wide stairs will be added to create informal seating areas, plus the larger of the two plazas will be surrounded by the windows of the new shopping centre.

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

Entrances to the shopping centre will also be added at ground level in the form of two giant glass cubes.

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

Nine of the office buildings will be located on the southern plot. Each will be between five and nine storeys in height and will feature rounded edges to create streamlined shapes.

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

The tenth office block is planned for the northern plot and is conceived as a cluster of four connected towers that the architects describe as “flower shaped”. A series of cultural facilities will be housed in the lowest floors of this building.

Central Business District at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas

MVRDV will use indigenous plants to give every building a green roof, while the flower building will feature a rooftop jogging track.

The Central Business District is set to complete in 2015.

Other recent masterplans by MVRDV include a square-shaped peninsula in the Dutch city of Almere and a district beside a motorway in the French town of Villeneuve d’Ascq. See more architecture by MVRDV.

Here are more details from the architects:

MVRDV start construction of business district at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport after winning competition

Sincere Property, MVRDV and Aedas have started construction on a Central Business District at Shanghai’s mostly domestic airport Hongqiao. The 4.5ha site is located near Hongqiao Airport train station at the corner of Shenhai Express Way and Shenbin Road. The plan comprises ten office towers, an underground shopping centre, cultural program, parking and a sunken plaza which will bring a more intimate form of urban life into an area currently dominated by large boulevards and urban expressways. The project’s completion is planned for 2015.

Just weeks after winning the competition, construction has already started on this urban masterplan for an office and retail centre near the fourth busiest airport in mainland China. The 4.5ha site is divided into a small northern plot of 8,409 m2 and a larger southern plot. The team won the competition with highly energy-efficient architecture combined with an intimate urban plan which allows for pedestrian-friendly spaces.

The 110,000m2 offices are divided into ten towers in total: nine office towers on the southern plot ranging from five to nine floors, facilitating rental to different sized companies. The towers are flexibly designed to contain one or more companies. On the northern plot, the tops of four towers will merge into one building, forming a flower shaped landmark of four floors, cantilevered high above the ground.

The 47,000m2 retail space will be located partly on the ground floor and partly along a sunken plaza sheltered from vehicle traffic. Two glass cubes mark the entrances to the shopping centre and are part of the neighbourhood’s pedestrian route, which meanders through the site. The shopping centre is designed by Aedas. On both plots a spacious sunken plaza features wide stairs that can be used as seating, allowing cultural events to be hosted on the site.

Facade area has been minimized by introducing round cornered towers which, together with the continuous 50,5% transparency stone façade, leads to an efficient energy consumption. The façade presents a subtle shifted grid with a delicate bamboo forest reference. The self shading shape of the flower building has lead to a façade with smaller openings on the upper floors for efficient energy consumption. Hidden hatches next to the windows allow for natural ventilation.

The ground floor of the flower building is reserved for 1.790 m2 of cultural program. A 55.000m2 parking garage is located underneath the shopping centre.

The Hongqiao CBD will reach three stars, the highest ranking of the Chinese ‘Green Building Label’. Sustainable building features that will be used include high performance insulation, optimised building forms, shaded spaces, natural ventilation, rainwater collection, permeable road surfaces, links to public transport and a reduction in the urban heat island effect. Nine office towers will feature green roofs growing local plant species and the flower building will offer a sky garden with a continuous jogging path.

MVRDV was selected from a competition with 3 competitors to design the business park. The shopping centre is designed by Aedas. Completion is planned for 2015.

In 2003 MVRDV realised the successful Unterföhring. Park Village office campus near Munich in which urban intimacy was introduced into a large, business park environment.

The post Central Business District at Shanghai
Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas appeared first on Dezeen.

Apr 18

BIG to design leisure district on Paris outskirts

Posted in: Landscape and urbanism, masterplans

News: Danish firm BIG has been selected to design an 80-hectare shopping and leisure complex with a park on its roof to serve a business district between two Paris airports.

EuropaCity will be located in the Triangle de Gonesse – an area southwest of Charles de Gaulle International Airport and north of the smaller Le Bourget Airport – and themed around the diverse cultures of the European continent.

BIG chosen for EuropaCity masterplan on Paris outskirts

“We propose to integrate the new facility in the surrounding business district as an urban form that combines dense city with open landscape,” said BIG, referring to the grassy parkland that will cover the structure.

A mix of retail and entertainment offerings will be arranged along a circular avenue, which forms a loop through five themed areas: Avenue de France, Rambla de Mediterranea, British Square, Norden Platz and East Boulevard.

BIG chosen for EuropaCity masterplan on Paris outskirts

Bicycle lanes and electric public transport – seen in the image above as small white pods – will enable visitors to get around the hub.

BIG also proposes to make EuropaCity a showcase for sustainable technology by using waste heat from cooling plants to heat swimming pools, recycling waste water to irrigate the parks and installing solar, wind and geothermal energy.

BIG chosen for EuropaCity masterplan on Paris outskirts

The masterplan was chosen from a shortlist of four, including Valode & Pistre, Manuelle Gautrand and Snøhetta, by the property subsidiary of French retail chain Auchan.

BIG was one of 12 international firms recently shortlisted to design a new headquarters and visitor centre for the Nobel Prize in Stockholm, Sweden, while earlier in the year the studio was appointed to lead the redesign of the Smithsonian Institution campus in Washington DC – see all architecture by BIG.

Other projects recently announced in France include a masterplan for the south of Bordeaux by Dutch firm OMA and an apartment tower in Montpellier with rippling floor plates – see all architecture in France.

Images are by BIG.

Here’s some more information from BIG:

EuropaCity will offer on an unprecedented scale a mix of retail, culture and leisure around a defining theme: Europe, its diversity, its urban experiences and its cultures. The site is exceptionally well connected: Locally as a main node on the Grand Paris Express Metro, regionally as entrance gate to the metropolitan area of Ile de France and internationally with its direct connection to the second largest airport in Europe. We propose to integrate the new facility in the surrounding business district as an urban form that combines dense city with open landscape, exploring the urban and green potentials of the site at once.

The programmes of EuropaCity are organised along an internal circular avenue with a mix of retail, entertainment and cultural programmes on both sides. The avenue forms a loop travelling through five different areas themed as the various regions of Europe, becoming the Rambla, the Regent Street and the Champs Elysees of EuropaCity. Along the avenue bicycles and electric public transport bring visitors around and a line of trees transform gradually from Birches in the North, Pines in the east, palm trees in the south and Platans in the west. The circular avenue creates a variety of spatial experiences and a clear overview – it allows you to get lost, and still find your way.

We propose to arrange the programmes according to energy and resource use, in order to maximise utilisation of waste products within a closed urban ecosystem. Waste heat is channelled from cooling plants into recreation facilities as swimming pools and spas. Waste water is re-used as irrigation for the parks, and urban scale recycling facilities minimise overall waste production. The five regions of Europe have a different ways of harvesting renewable energy, from solar power to wind and geothermal energy. EuropaCity becomes a laboratory for sustainable technologies, and a showcase for viable green tech implementations that does not only save energy, but also improves the quality of the urban environment.

Partner in charge: Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen
Project leader: Joao Albuquerque, Gabrielle Nadeau
Team: Maren Allen, David Tao, Salvador Palanca, Marcos Bano, Lucian Racovitan, Ryohei Koike, Camille Crépin, Elisa Wienecke, Léna Rigal, Paolo Venturella, Tiina Liis Juuti, Jeff Mikolajewski.

Name: EuropaCity
Type: Invited Competition
Size: 80 Hectare
Client: Groupe Auchan
Collaborators: Tess, TransSolar, Base, Transitec, Michel Forgue

The post BIG to design leisure district
on Paris outskirts appeared first on Dezeen.

Apr 18

OMA hired for Bordeaux masterplan

Posted in: Landscape and urbanism, masterplans

News: Dutch firm OMA is to masterplan a new urban development south of Bordeaux based around the extension of the local tram system.

OMA’s design will regenerate the neighbourhoods of Bègles and Villenave d’Orno as the new line introduces a connection to Bordeaux’s central station.

OMA hired for Bordeaux masterplan

“We took the tramway extension as an opportunity to rebuild this part of the city,” said OMA associate and project leader Clement Blanchet, who has proposed moving the line back from the main thoroughfare.

“By shifting the tramline from its previously planned location, we create potential for new types of housing and commercial development,” he said.

The firm will work on the public space alongside the line over the next five years in collaboration with landscape architect Coloco.

OMA hired for Bordeaux masterplan

OMA has also been working on a masterplan for 50,000 new housing units in Bordeaux, while other projects by the firm currently underway in France include the École Centrale school of engineering in Saclay, near Paris – see all architecture by OMA.

Last year we filmed a series of movies with OMA’s Reinier de Graaf looking at “masterpieces by bureaucrats”, while a previous trio of Dezeen movies features the firm’s head Rem Koolhaas discussing the OMA exhibition at the Barbican in 2011.

Elsewhere in Bordeaux, work started this week on a football stadium by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, while French designer Philippe Starck recently unveiled a prototype bicycle designed for a free cycle scheme in the city – see all projects in Bordeaux.

Images are by OMA.

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Mar 21

The Beam by MVRDV and de Alzua+

Posted in: Landscape and urbanism, masterplans

Dutch office MVRDV and French architects de Alzua+ have won a competition to re-masterplan the French town of Villeneuve d’Ascq and are proposing a building that cantilevers over a motorway.

As the first phase in a wider redevelopment programme, the mixed-use complex is intended to signify the presence of the town to passing drivers. At present a number of oversized shopping malls are the only thing visible from the motorway, so the architects wanted to create a visual reference for the town centre.

The Beam by MVRDV and de Alzua+

Buildings are to be arranged around a series of grassy courtyards and will contain shops, offices and a new hotel. Surface parking areas that currently occupy the site will be relocated underground, freeing up space for pedestrian pathways.

MVRDV and de Alzua+ are progressing the plans alongside development corporation ADIM Nord. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2015.

The Beam by MVRDV and de Alzua+

MVRDV has completed a number of projects in recent months, including a shop and office complex disguised as an old farmhouse and a public library inside a glass pyramid. See more architecture by MVRDV.

Here’s a project description from MVRDV:

MVRDV win Competition with ‘The Beam’, Marking the Urban Renewal of Villeneuve d’Ascq, France

Development corporation ADIM Nord with MVRDV and de Alzua+ have been announced the winners of an urban renewal competition in the French town of Villeneuve d’Ascq, beating four other entries. The masterplan for a crucial site in the town centre adjacent to an inner city motorway, is the starting point of a wider regeneration of the area’s public space. An iconic building, The Beam, will hover over the motorway signalling urban renewal and acting as visual reference point for the town’s centre. A hotel, offices and retail space, totalling 15.000 m2, will be built on the site of a former petrol station, with construction expected to start in 2015.

Villeneuve d’Ascq is a new town located near Lille in the very north of France. The Beam will be icon of a larger urban generation effort in the town centre which is currently characterised by parking lots, large volumes and undefined green spaces. On an urban level the masterplan aims at a more sustainable form of development by densifying the town centre and adding identity and diversity to the site. The creation of pedestrian zones, and the demarcation and connection of the existing green spaces together also form part of the plan.

The parking spaces on the main square will be relocated into a 274 space underground car park on the new site. The adjacent buildings, which face away from the site will be extended to form urban blocks; each with a green patio at its centre. At the corner of the inner city motorway and the service road leading towards the main square of Villeneuve d’Ascq, The Beam will create an address for the town centre on the motorway.

The site, one of the few places visible from this sunken dual-carriageway, allows the town centre to be visible to drivers passing by. The project is currently under development and will contain offices, a hotel and some retail space with a total area of around 15,000 m2, and the underground car park offering 274 parking spaces. The team ADIM with MVRDV and co-architect Jérôme de Alzua beat four competitors in a competition organised by Commune de Villeneuve d’Ascq.

The post The Beam by MVRDV
and de Alzua+ appeared first on Dezeen.

Mar 11

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Posted in: Changsha, masterplans

Construction is now underway on a Zaha Hadid-designed cultural complex on the edge of a lake in Changsha, China (+ movie).

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The project, which broke ground in October, features an 1800-seat theatre, a contemporary art museum and a smaller multi-purpose venue. Each building is planned as a grouping of petal-shaped volumes that curve around one another to create a central plaza and a series of connecting lawns, terraces and pathways.

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects won a competition in 2011 to masterplan the site, which sits opposite Festival Island on the edge of Meixi Lake. As part of the project, the architects will add two pedestrian bridges leading over to the island.

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The Grand Theatre will be the largest of the three buildings and will positioned at the entrance to the site, while the smaller 500-seat venue is to be positioned opposite and will open out to a sunken courtyard lined with shops and restaurants.

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The museum is planned for the edge of Meixihu Road and will feature a central atrium that separates to form three wings. On one side, the gallery will lead out to an external plaza for use as a sculpture exhibition area or as a temporary event space.

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects has been working on a number of other projects in China. The firm completed the mixed-use Galaxy Soho complex at the end of 2012 and is also racing to complete the Wangjing Soho complex before a rival developer that has pirated the design.

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Other recent masterplans by Zaha Hadid Architects include a cluster of towers in Bratislava’s city centre and the redevelopment of an old textile factory in Belgrade. See more architecture and design by Zaha Hadid.

Changsha Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Other radical proposals for Changsha include a shape-shifting “transformer building” and plans to construct the world’s tallest building. See more architecture in China.

Here’s some extra information from Zaha Hadid Architects:

Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Art Centre

The International Culture & Arts Centre embodies a unique variety of civic nodes and spaces: A Grand Theatre, a Contemporary Art Museum, a Multipurpose Hall and supporting facilities. The central plaza is generated by the relative position of these separate buildings and offers a strong urban experience whereby the flow of pedestrian visitors that come from all sides of the site intersect and meet. In parallel it also stretches outwards to the neighbouring streets with unfettered and phenomenal views across Meixi lake with access towards Festival Island.

The Grand Theatre is the focal point of the Changsha International Culture & Arts Centre. It is the largest performance venue in the city with a total capacity of 1800 seats. Designed to host world-standard performances the building contains will contain all the necessary front of house functions, such as lobbies, cloakrooms, bars, restaurants, and VIP hospitality, as well as the required ancillary functions, such as administration, rehearsal rooms, backstage logistics, dressing and make-up rooms, and wardrobe.

The Museum’s composition of three fluid petals around its internal central atrium, juxtaposes of the various patchworks of gallery spaces in a truly seamless fashion. With outward views and balconies to its exteriors, it aims to engage the site’s unique location and surrounding views into some of its gallery spaces. An external plaza which faces Meixi Lake Road allows for outdoor sculptures, exhibitions and events to be extended to an expansive outdoor space.

The Small Theatre (Multipurpose Hall) is characterised by its flexibility. With a maximum capacity of 500 seats, it can be adapted and transformed to different configurations. It can therefore accommodate a broad range of functions and shows that span from banquets and commercial events to small plays, fashion shows and music. A commercial attraction, this venue shares seamless public access to retail areas and restaurant facilities, which are seated in an open and gently sunken courtyard linking visitors to and from the basement level.

Although these civic institutions are uniquely defined and separate, they supply each other in all respects within its setting with plazas offering visitors a tapestry-like sequence of urban ambiances that relate to the different institutions, inject the site with urban vitality. The working hours of the different venues also overlap to ensure continuity during the full 24 hour cycle; Operated during the evening, the Grand Theatre becomes active as the Museum begins to conclude its day-time operations whilst the Small theatre and retail/restaurants would be commercially available day and night. In this regard, they benefit from each other’s vicinity, ensuring that the site is lively 24 hours a day. This dynamic composition further establishes a powerful relationship with its surroundings, which confers monumentality to the ensemble.

Embodying values of functionality, elegance and innovation, the Changsha Meixi Lake International Culture & Arts Centre aims to become the new cultural and civic node for the city of Changsha, and well as global cultural destination.

The post Changsha Meixihu International Culture
and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Mar 08

OMA chosen to masterplan Airport City in Qatar

Posted in: doha, Landscape and urbanism, masterplans

News: Rem Koolhaas’ studio OMA has been selected to masterplan a business and residential development linking the city of Doha in Qatar with the new Hamad International Airport.

Called Airport City, OMA’s 10-square-kilometre masterplan comprises four districts along a “green spine” running parallel with the airport’s runways.

OMA chosen to masterplan Airport City in Doha

The spine of public spaces, gardens and plazas will connect the business and logistics districts with an aviation district and a residential area adjacent to the new Doha Bay Marina.

The first phase of the 30-year masterplan is expected to be complete by 2022, when Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup.

OMA chosen to masterplan Airport City in Doha

OMA co-founder Rem Koolhaas said: “[The project] is perhaps the first serious effort anywhere in the world to interface between an international airport and the city it serves.”

The competition team was led by OMA partners Iyad Alsaka, Reinier de Graaf, Rem Koolhaas and OMA associate Katrin Betschinger in collaboration with engineering consultants WSP.

OMA recently revealed designs for a department store in Kuwait City inspired by the galleries of a traditional Arab market – see all architecture by OMA.

Dezeen filmed a series of interviews with Koolhaas during the OMA/Progress show at London’s Barbican centre in 2011 and an introduction to the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture he’s working on in Moscow.

Other masterplans we’ve reported on lately include SHoP Architects’ cluster of hollow skyscrapers for New York City and a complex of residential towers in Bratislava by Zaha Hadid – see all masterplans.

Here’s more information from OMA:

OMA masterplans Airport City for HIA Airport in Doha, Qatar

After winning an international competition, OMA has been announced as masterplanners for Airport City, a new 10 sq km development where 200,000 people will live and work, linking the new Hamad International Airport with the city of Doha, Qatar. OMA’s masterplan is a series of four circular districts along a spine parallel to the HIA runways, intended to create a strong visual identity and districts with unique identities. Phase One of the 30-year masterplan, which links airside and landside developments for business, logistics, retail, hotels, and residences, will be mostly complete in time for the 2022 World Cup, hosted by Qatar.

Rem Koolhaas commented: “We are delighted and honored to participate in the exciting growth of Doha, in a project that is perhaps the first serious effort anywhere in the world to interface between an international airport and the city it serves.”

Partner-in-charge Iyad Alsaka commented: “Doha’s Airport City is an important addition to the realisation of OMA’s work in urbanism and will incorporate unprecedented transport planning opportunities; we look forward to collaborating with the HIA to meet the objectives of this ambitious project.”

Each district of Airport City will be unique within the masterplan’s overall identity. The Business District will centre on a major new transport hub linking with greater Doha; the Aviation Campus will accommodate office headquarters and educational facilities for aviation authorities; the Logistics District will provide cargo and warehousing facilities; and the Residential District, adjacent to the new Doha Bay Marina, will accommodate future employees. A Green Spine connects the districts, echoing their individual identities as it runs north-south. The landscaping scheme, developed by Michel Desvigne, is a new public space for Doha that will be used by residents and tourists. A network of public spaces, gardens and plazas will stretch across the site, surrounded by a “Desert Park”.

The competition team was led by OMA partners Iyad Alsaka, Reinier de Graaf, Rem Koolhaas and OMA Associate Katrin Betschinger in collaboration with engineering consultants, WSP. The Airport City masterplan and development of its individual elements is being led by Partner-in-charge Iyad Alsaka, Project Director Slavis Poczebutas and Associate Katrin Betschinger. Before the 2022 World Cup, Airport City infrastructure and utilities will be completed along with the Western Taxiway and Aircraft Parking System adjacent to the HIA 2nd runway, the HIA Visa Building, and the visual concept planning of the future transport hub.

The post OMA chosen to masterplan
Airport City in Qatar appeared first on Dezeen.

Mar 05

Domino Sugar by SHoP Architects and James Corner Field Operations

Posted in: James Corner Field Operations, masterplans

Manhattan studio SHoP Architects has designed a masterplan of hollow skyscrapers surrounded by gardens for the site of the former Domino Sugar refinery in Brooklyn.

Working alongside landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, SHoP Architects has planned a mixed-use complex that includes the renovation of the nineteenth century factory, five new buildings, plus a series of public parks, gardens and sports fields.

Domino Sugar by SHoP Architects

The plans replace earlier proposals by Rafael Viñoly for the historic site, which started production as a sugar factory in 1856 but has been out of use since 2004. Viñoly’s proposals proved unpopular with local residents, so developer Two Trees commissioned an alternative that would offer taller buildings but more public spaces.

“If you’re standing next to a 400-foot tall building or a 600-foot tall building, you have no idea,” SHoP principal Vishaan Chakrabarti told New York magazine Curbed. “But if a 600-foot building means that you get a park where your kid can graduate, that means something to you.”

The tallest building in the scheme is a 180-metre tower, which will be positioned beside the Williamsburg Bridge to the south. Other structures will be shorter in height, relating to the scale of buildings to the north and east, and will include a tower with a rectangular void through its middle and a school at its base, plus a 600-unit apartment building. The old factory will be transformed into offices for technology companies and the creative industries.

Domino Sugar by SHoP Architects

The developer plans to push ahead with the project this year and is organising community meetings in the upcoming weeks.

SHoP Architects has worked on a number of high-profile projects recently. The team completed the Barclays sports arena in Brooklyn in September and is also developing a masterplan for a new “silicon” city in Kenya.

New York-based James Corner Field Operations is best known for its role on the High Line, an elevated park on an abandoned railway.

Here’s some more explanation from SHoP Architects:

With Two Trees Management Company, SHoP and Field Operation’s masterplan for the Domino Sugar site replaces a city-approved 2010 plan with a new proposal that adds 60% more publicly-accessible open space on a new, highly accessible street grid; provides for a new 24/7 mix of office, residential, neighborhood retail, community facilities while retaining original commitments for affordable housing; and a new form of open architecture that connects the existing neighborhood to the new quarter-mile waterfront.

Most strikingly, the plan envisions a new skyline for Brooklyn—one that relates to the height of the Williamsburg bridge to the south and scales down to meet the lower buildings across Kent Avenue to the east. Central to the scheme is the renovated Domino Sugar refinery building, which will become the nerve center of the project as a new office building across from a new public space, Domino Square.

The new surrounding buildings are porous, featuring large openings that allow light and air to penetrate through the site and into the neighborhood beyond. While exuberant on the skyline similar to new architecture being built around the world, the buildings responsibly meet the ground and the Williamsburg Street grid.

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Mar 04

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Posted in: Landscape and urbanism, masterplans, slideshows, slovakia

Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled designs for a complex of towers in Bratislava’s city centre (+ slideshow).