Hasta La Ideas

Californian firm amphibianArc was inspired by images of spacecrafts to come up with two different skyscraper proposals for the headquarters of a Chinese machinery company in Changsha (+ slideshow + movies).

Above: option one – single tower

The designs, for industrial vehicle manufacturer Zoomlion, were commissioned following amphibianArc’s previous proposals for a shape-shifting exhibition centre to host the company’s exhibitions and product displays.

Above: option two – twin towers

Both new proposals feature skyscrapers that are 199.2 metres in height, in reference to the founding year of the company; 1992.

Above: option one – single tower

The first design includes one prominent office tower, with seven spacecraft-inspired pods protruding from one side. “Seven spacecrafts represent seven founders of the enterprise,” amphibianArc’s Shu Yang told Dezeen.

Above: option one – single tower

Five additional buildings of between 80 and 100-metres would be constructed around the tower, while a small “transformer building” would sit at the base.

Above: option one – single tower

Just like the architect’s previous project, this structure would feature a facade that flaps like the wings of a huge insect.

Above: option one – single tower

The second design is for a pair of skyscrapers, including an office tower and an accompanying 280-metre hotel.

Above: option two – twin towers

The architects based the design on an image of a rocket launching from alongside its supporting structure. ”The twin towers scheme is inspired by the spacecraft, the Long March Carrier Rocket, that China just launched using the crane manufactured by Zoomlion,” explained Yang.

Above: option two – twin towers

The hotel is pictured with a streamlined exterior, while the headquarters building is designed as a stack of box-like structures with an exposed steel framework that references scaffolding. A bridge would add a vertiginous swimming pool to the top of the towers, plus a five-storey podium would stretch across the base.

Above: option two – twin towers

Our earlier feature about the design’s for Zoomlion’s exhibition centre was described as “extravagant”, “dangerous” and “breathtaking” by readers. See the full story and comments »

Above: option two – twin towers

Also this month, we announced the news that the world’s tallest building will be constructed in China in 90 days, while Chinese architects told Dezeen that there is “an absence of a modern Chinese architecture and design language”.

See more stories about skyscrapers »
See more stories about China »

Here’s project descriptions for each of the two proposals:

Zoomlion is one of China’s leading manufacturers of construction machinery equipment and is ranked top 10 globally in the construction machinery industry. amphibianArc was invited to design its new headquarters located in Changsha, China. Our criterion is to match its forward thinking, unique, and mechanistically imaginative corporate image and values.

Zoomlion Headquarters International Plaza – Single Tower

This scheme uses the multi-level and multi-centre space layout strategy, achieving the goal of multi-function and multi-target. 280 m ultra high rise single tower as the highest point of the massing, the scheme proposes 5 towers of 80-100 m and a podium to form an enclosed space. The structure of the conference facilities falls back on the 199.2 m ultra-high tower, which represents the founding year of 1992 of Zoomlion. A water feature suspended at the vertical midpoint of the tower represents the spiritual and architectural center of the complex. The most visible feature in the scheme is the “seven spacecraft” – seven pods representing the seven founders of Zoomlion.

2012, Changsha, China
Project area: 344,250 sq m
Site area: 111,389 sq m
Status: Concept

Zoomlion Headquarters International Plaza – Twin Towers

The philosophical concept of dualism is embedded in the nature of Zoomlion. As a machine maker, the characteristics of Zoomlion are masculine, machinery and full of industrial power. However, the end products produced via Zoomlion machines that will be used by the general public is refined and people-friendly. This duality is intrinsic to Zoomlion’s existence.

From the project itself, the office for internal use represents the company, while the hotel for external use is associated with its external image. This characteristic of duality is expressed in two distinct design schemes concepts with two distinct articulation of architectural forms.

The twin towers are representing the idea of the dualism. The office tower which is 199.2 m in height is the symbol of Zoomlion. The geometry of the building is form by massing spin around along with the core of the building. Volume of the spinning massing varies and creates a masculine, machinery look of the tower. There is a bridge that connects two towers to top floors of office tower. Refined and elegant geometry of hotel tower that is 280 m tall is contrast with the rough texture and geometry of the office tower. The image is a vivid simulation of the space shuttle tied up to the launching pad of space center. This image emphasizes the industrial strength of Zoomlion product.

The podium of the twin towers is a huge elevated platform that contains more than five floors. The elevated platform is support by giant trapezoid shape structural columns. It is a floating platform hanging over the campus and open up the ground for public spaces and landscaping. More substantially, podium floor plates reach far for a panoramic view of the city. Because of the floating podium, the footprint of the building decreases substantially and frees up the space for a park-like green campus.

2012, Changsha, China
Project area: 283,000 sq m
Site area: 111,389 sq m
Status: Concept

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by amphibianArc appeared first on Dezeen.

This weather-forecasting lamp creates an indoor cloud to warn of grey skies outside (+ movie).

The Nebula 12 by Swiss design studio Micasa LAB combines liquid nitrogen and hot water to create a billowing cloud of steam, which is kept in circulation around the lamp by vacuum suction.

The form the cloud takes and the colour of the lamp depend on the weather forecast for the next 48 hours.

A grey cloud appears on an overcast day, while a patch of low pressure is signalled by a red light seeping through the cloud. On sunny days the cloud disappears, leaving a warm yellow light, and at sunset the light turns warm orange.

The weather forecast is sent to the lamp via a WiFi connection with a Nokia Lumia 920 mobile phone –the only phone the lamp works with so far.

Micasa LAB is the design studio attached to Micasa, a German furniture and interiors brand.

Above: movie by Micasa LAB showing the Nebula 12 in operation

We’ve featured a few cloud-generating projects on Dezeen, including a house in Kuwait with a courtyard concealed by mist and a water feature in London that erupts in misty clouds.

See all our stories about weather »

Here’s some more information from the designers:

The Nebula 12 is a concept developed by Micasa LAB, Zürich. Using meterological data from MetOff, the Nebula forms to represent outside weather: wake up to a flooding yellow light on a sunny day, or below a real cloud on that overcast winter morning. The cloud involves some peculiar techniques, liquid nitrogen, WiFi, and high power vacuum suction.

In the standard mode, Nebula 12 predicts the weather for the next 48 hours. A threatening low-pressure area is announced by a red cloud, and sunshine is shown in yellow. At the same time, the user can adjust the settings and define the source of information themselves. And the best is: regardless of how dark the cloud is, Nebula 12 never brings rain. At least, not within one’s own four walls.

The light but stable creation can be used in many ways: Nebula 12 can, like a natural cloud, change in colour and brightness and thus can be used as a variable source of light for romantic evening meals, when doing homework, when reading or just chatting.

The cloud is easily connected by WIFI to your Nokia Lumia 920.

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by Micasa LAB appeared first on Dezeen.

These delicate bowls by Japanese design studio Nendo are so thin they quiver in the wind (+ movie).

Nendo created Shivering Bowls for the KAMA. Sex & Design exhibition at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan. Eight designers were asked to produce a piece that explores the idea of eros, the Greek term for erotic love, and Nendo responded by creating an extremely thin bowl from silicon.

“We wanted to express eros through a design that invokes desire – a design that viewers simply can’t bear not to touch,” said the designers.

The bowl changes shape when touched by a finger or buffeted by a breeze, as the movie shows.

The KAMA. Sex & Design exhibition runs from 5 December until 10 March 2013 at the Triennale Design Museum, Milan.

Other projects by Nendo we’ve featured recently include a collection of glass bowls that look like the bottom half of a Coca-Cola bottle and a chair that’s wrapped in fishing line rather than varnished.

See all our stories about Nendo »
See all our stories about bowls »

The movie is by Takahisa Araki and photographs are by Hiroshi Iwasaki.

Here’s some more information from Nendo:

Shivering Bowls

A set of bowls for the KAMA. Sex & Design exhibition at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan. The curators asked eight designers to create an object, in conjunction with an exhibition that explored ideas of eros in design from ancient times to the present, from a cultural anthropology and mythical perspective.

We located the intersection of eros and design in the spiritual pleasure provided by an object’s touch, and decided to make an extremely thin bowl out of silicon for our contribution. The bowl resembles a ceramic one, but with a tension to this perception, generated by the extreme thinness that would be impossible to achieve with clay. The bowl changes shape as easily as liquid when it is touched, and continues to quiver momentarily in response to the outside force. We wanted to express eros through a design that invokes desire – a design that viewers simply can’t bear not to touch.

KAMA. Sex and Design
Date : 5th Dec 2012 –10th March 2013
Place : Triennale di Milano, Milan, Italy

The post Shivering Bowls
by Nendo appeared first on Dezeen.