Hasta La Ideas

This bright-white house in Alicante by Spanish studio Fran Silvestre Arquitectos features an 18-metre-long balcony that stretches out towards the Balearic Sea (+ slideshow + movie).

Fran Silvestre Arquitectos designed the structure as a single monolithic volume that nestles against the rockface whilst also projecting out towards the shoreline.

Living rooms and bedrooms are contained within the protruding upper storey and offer panoramic views through an entirely glazed facade.

A staircase climbs through and across an exterior wall to connect these rooms with an infinity pool and terrace.

Concrete was used for the entire structure, but the walls were coated in stucco to create the clean white aesthetic.

The architects explain how they always try to design houses around the habits of future residents. ”Dialogue is always present, since the work becomes part of the identity of those who inhabit it,” they explain. “This dialogue seeks comfort and also utility, and examines the conflicts and joys of daily acts of human life.”

Others houses by Fran Silvestre Arquitectos that we’ve featured include a residence where all the rooms are on show and a wedge-shaped house that thrusts out from a rock face.

See more Spanish houses on Dezeen, including a house with four hovering concrete wings.

Photography is by Diego Opazo, movie is by Alfonso Calza.

Here’s a project description from Fran Silvestre Arquitectos:

House on the Cliff
Calpe, Alicante.

We like the virtue of architecture which makes possible constructing a house on air, walking on water…
An abrupt plot of land overlooking the sea, where what is best is to do nothing. It invites to stay.
A piece that respects the land’s natural contour is set in it.
Above, a shadow, the house itself, looking calmly at the Mediterranean.
Under the sun, the swimming-pool brings us closer to the sea, it becomes a quiet cove.
In the inflection point, the stairway proposes a evocative path, a garden in the basement…

Due to the steepness of the plot and the desire to contain the house in just one level, a three-dimensional structure of reinforced concrete slabs and screens adapting to the plot’s topography was chosen, thus minimizing the earthwork.

This monolithic, stone-anchored structure generates a horizontal platform from the accessing level, where the house itself is located.

The swimming-pool is placed on a lower level, on an already flat area of the site.

The concrete structure is insulated from the outside and then covered by a flexible and smooth white lime stucco.

The rest of materials, walls, pavements, the gravel on the roof… all maintain the same colour, respecting the traditional architecture of the area, emphasizing it and simultaneously underlining the unity of the house.

Architecture: Fran Silvestre Arquitectos
Project team: Fran Silvestre, María José Sáez – Principals in charge
Maria Masià, Adrián Mora, Jordi Martínez José V. Miguel – Collaborating architects

Structural engineer: David Gallardo | UPV
Building engineer: Vicente Ramos, Esperanza Corrales, Javier Delgado

Interior design: ALFARO HOFMANN
Collaborators: Fran Ayala, Ángel Fito
Contractor: Construcciones Alabort

Location: Toix Mascarat, Calpe, Alicante

Site area: 962,84 sq m
Built area: 242,00 sq m

Cost: (P.E.M.) 650.000 euros

Above: lower floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: middle floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: upper floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: roof plan – click above for larger image

Above: cross section one – click above for larger image

Above: cross section two – click above for larger image

Above: cross section three – click above for larger image

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Fran Silvestre Arquitectos appeared first on Dezeen.

The residential buildings of Paris appear to be sailing through the sky like kites in these dream-like images created by French photographer Laurent Chéhère (+ slideshow).

“All these flying houses are the fruits of my travels in the popular districts of Paris; Ménilmontant and Belleville,” Laurent Chéhère told Dezeen, explaining how he manipulated photographs of real buildings to create impossible images inspired by “the poetic vision of the old Paris.”

Some of the buildings pictured look just like typical houses, while others boast unusual features like a giant window or wonky walls.

“Sometimes I use the realistic, metaphoric, symbolic and subjective, if it is necessary to tell a story,” said the artist.

One image shows a circus tent, with juggling sticks and balls falling out of its open base (above), while another shows a caravan gliding through the sky (below).

A house on fire is pictured in one shot (below), while traces of life can be spotted in some of the other residences, such as smoke billowing from chimneys and legs hanging out of a window.

“I tried to get these sad houses out of the anonymity of the street, to help them to tell their story, true or fantasised,” said Chéhère.

The images are on show at the Galerie Paris-Beijing in Paris until 8 December.

See more manipulated photography on Dezeen, including images of buildings pulled apart.

See all our stories about photography »

Here’s some more information about the exhibition from Galerie Paris-Beijing:

LAURENT CHÉHÈRE
Flying Houses

Galerie Paris-Beijing is pleased to present the work of the French photographer Laurent Chéhère.

Employing traditional photography and digital manipulation, his surreal series, Flying Houses, elevates architecture to a new level. The artist takes a variety of residential structures out of their defining neighbourhood backdrops. Released from their choked streets, the houses float amidst the clouds, like kites.

Inspired by the poetic vision of the old Paris and by the famous short-length film The Red Balloon directed by Albert Lamorisse, Laurent Chéhère has strolled around the Belleville and Ménilmontant neighbourhoods, glancing at their typical and “tired” houses.

Captured mid-journey, moving above the clouds as they remain tethered out of frame, like balloons to their thin strings, these old edifices glide high above the surface, revealing their hidden beauty.

Some of flying houses are adorned with clotheslines and flowers pots, while others carry signs and businesses away from the fire flames… All of them seem to find a second life, uprooted from their native city and heading for other skies.

Laurent Chéhère’s Flying Houses are a real invitation to travel and a metaphor of the fleetingness of the world that allow us to plunge into a dreamlike and moving world full of cheerfulness and humour.

Laurent Chéhère (Paris, 1972) is an award-winning creative advertiser and tireless traveller. From Shanghai to Valparaiso, from La Paz to Lhasa, from Bamako to Bogota, he feeds his imagination and gives us his view of the world.

He loves exploring the cities, suburbs, countries, as he likes to explore all fields of photography from reportage to conceptual image. Laurent Chéhère exposed the series Flying Houses at Dock en Seine City of Fashion and Design in June 2012 where he won the Prix Special. The series is being shown in China at the 2012 Pingyao International Photography Festival.

From Thursday 25th October to Saturday 8th December 2012.

Galerie Paris-Beijing
54, rue du Vertbois
75003 Paris

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Laurent Chéhère appeared first on Dezeen.

Here are photos of the full collection of furniture designed by actor Brad Pitt, which features a dozen pieces including a bed, tables, chairs and a marble bathtub (+ slideshow).

Created in collaboration with furniture maker Frank Pollaro, the Pitt-Pollaro collection, which went on show this week in a gallery in Chelsea, New York, goes under the slogan “Designed by Pitt, built by Pollaro. Made in USA”.

Pitt met Pollaro in 2008 when the star ordered a custom-made desk from Pollaro for his chateau in the south of France. Pollaro discovered that Pitt had sketched hundreds of furniture designs and offered to turn them into reality.

The result is an eclectic range of Art Deco-meets-Dictator Chic pieces that were all hand-crafted in Pollaro’s New Jersey workshop. Each item has been produced in a limited edition and is individually signed and numbered.

Pitt has previously shown interest in contemporary architecture, and in 2006 initiated the Make It Right project to provide housing designed by leading architects including Frank Gehry and David Adjaye for New Orleans residents made homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

Here’s some text from Pitt-Pollaro:

Pitt-Pollaro is a collaboration between Frank Pollaro, President of Pollaro Custom Furniture, Inc., and Brad Pitt. It reflects a shared passion for modern furniture design and superb craftsmanship.

The Pitt-Pollaro collection currently consists of twelve pieces: a bed, two dining tables, three cocktail tables, two club chairs, an integrated shelf unit, a stone bathtub, and a decorative wall installation. Each piece is hand crafted in Pollaro’s Union, New Jersey workshop. All are limited edition pieces, numbered and signed by Brad and Frank. The furniture can be customized in terms of materials, finish, and accessory details to fit a client’s decorative palate. New design pieces will be added to the collection in the future.

Meeting of the Minds

In 2008, Brad Pitt commissioned a custom desk from Pollaro Custom Furniture. Frank Pollaro personally delivered the desk to Brad’s chateau in the south of France. During the installation, Brad and Frank found they had a common passion for furniture and fine details. They discussed design history and their appreciation of materials, old and new. Most importantly, they shared a commitment to perfection.

During their discussion, Frank noticed a design sketchbook on a nearby table. Intrigued by the hundreds of furniture sketches that Brad had created over a ten-year period, Frank encouraged Brad to allow Pollaro to transform his drawings into reality. Brad enthusiastically agreed to move forward. In reviewing the sketches, they selected what would become the initial pieces of the Pitt-Pollaro collection.

Brad advanced the design process for the selected pieces by personally building wire or clay models. In Pollaro’s design department, these sketches and models were translated into design drawings, where the engineering aspects of the furniture could be studied. After further review and revision by Brad and Frank, the design drawings were turned into shop drawings and photo realistic renderings. Brad visited Pollaro’s shop frequently to participate in this development process and select materials from Pollaro’s inventory of rare materials. Only after this exhaustive study was complete could production begin.

The Results

Over a four-year development period, driven by their common vision of unequalled quality, Brad and Frank created all of the pieces that currently comprise the Pitt-Pollaro collection. Designed by Pitt, built by Pollaro. Made in the USA. They dedicated hundreds of hours to meetings where Brad’s vision of design was balanced with Pollaro’s legendary craftsmanship. Prototypes were created, revised and recreated until Brad was satisfied with every detail of the design, and Pollaro was confident of the comfort and structural integrity of each piece.

Frank Pollaro said, “The design development process for the Pitt-Pollaro collection was exhaustive, and Brad insisted on being intimately involved in every step in the process.

Each piece took at least six months to create. The bed alone took more than 2,600 hours to design and build. Brad would not settle until each piece was exactly as he envisioned. And, of course, Pollaro’s high standards of craftsmanship and integrity are built into every piece.”

The Exhibition

Pollaro’s 2012 private exhibition in New York City is the culmination of the Company’s 25-year history of creating museum quality furniture. More than 70 pieces of the finest art furniture are on display. The collection has an overall value of $3 million.

That exhibition provides the platform for the world premiere of the Pitt-Pollaro collection. These pieces, never before seen in public, were four years in development. Together, they represent the combined vision of Brad Pitt and Frank Pollaro.

Several of the pieces in this Pitt-Pollaro collection have already been sold and are being displayed with the cooperation of their owners. These pieces will be placed in private residences and will probably not be seen again in public in our lifetime.

Frank Pollaro stated, “I thank Brad for entrusting Pollaro with the responsibility for translating his vision into reality. Together, we have traveled a long, hard road to make the Pitt-Pollaro collection happen. In the process, I have gained respect for Brad’s work ethic and his commitment to excellence. I have also gained a friend. I am pleased to share this work with the visitors to the 2012 exhibition.”

Brad Pitt portrait is by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

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by Brad Pitt appeared first on Dezeen.

When Zaha Hadid Architects’ 330,000-square-metre Galaxy Soho complex opened in Beijing last month our readers were left guessing how it relates to the surrounding neighbourhood. This set of images by photographers Hufton + Crow shows just that (+ slideshow).

Completed last month by Zaha Hadid Architects, the retail, office and entertainment complex comprises four domed structures, which are fused together by bridges and platforms around a series of public courtyards and a large central “canyon”.

The buildings sit within the second-ring business district in the north-east of the city, but are also prominently visible from the narrow alleyways of the densely populated surrounding neighbourhoods.

These ancient passages, named hutongs, have been typical of Beijing’s urban fabric for hundreds of years, but have been in decline since the mid-twentieth century as the city’s development continues to increase.

The architect claims that the buildings respond to and are respectful of China’s historic building typologies, with courtyards and “fluid movement” between spaces.

“The design responds to the varied contextual relationships and dynamic conditions of Beijing,” said Hadid at the time of the opening. “We have created a variety of public spaces that directly engage with the city, reinterpreting the traditional urban fabric and contemporary living patterns into a seamless urban landscape inspired by nature.”

The decline of Beiijing’s hutongs was one of the issues addressed during this year’s Beijing Design Week. The event’s director Aric Chen commented during the festival that contemporary China should “slow down” and look to “craft thinking” to deal with the disparity between the country’s small and large-scale design challenges.

In other recent news, designer Michael Young has tipped China to have a design scene that will rival Japan’s in less than 20 years.

You can see more images of Galaxy Soho in our earlier story, following the opening last month.

Zaha Hadid Architects has also just been selected to design a new national stadium for Japan and completed an art gallery at Michigan State University.

See all our stories about Zaha Hadid Architects »

See all our stories about China »

Photography is by Hufton + Crow.

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photographed by Hufton + Crow appeared first on Dezeen.

This may look like a pair of barns in a field, but its actually the new home that Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron has completed for the Parrish Art Museum on Long Island (+ slideshow).

Herzog & de Meuron drew inspiration from the archetypal house to create the two gabled structures that comprise the building, which is reminiscent of the stacked volumes the architects created for the VitraHaus furniture gallery in Germany.

Above: photograph is by Matthu Placek

“Our design for the Parrish Art Museum is a reinterpretation of a very genuine Herzog & de Meuron typology, the traditional house form,”  said Jacques Herzog. “What we like about this typology is that it is open for many different functions, places and cultures. Each time this simple, almost banal form has become something very specific, precise and also fresh.”

Galleries and other rooms are arranged in two parallel rows beneath the shallow-pitched roofs, while a long corridor is sandwiched between to create a run of ten sub-divisible exhibition spaces at the centre.

“All galleries have large north-facing and small south-facing skylights, which fill the spaces with ever-changing daylight and allow direct views to the sky and the clouds passing by,” said Herzog & de Meuron senior partner Ascan Mergenthaler.

Overhanging eaves create sheltered terraces around the building’s perimeter, including a cafe terrace that the gallery hopes to use for events, workshops and performances.

Above: photograph is by Matthu Placek

Chairs and tables designed by Konstantin Grcic furnish this terrace and offer visitors a place to look out across the surrounding meadows.

Above: photograph is by Matthu Placek

The new building doubles the size of the museum’s previous Southampton home on Jobs Lane, where the arts institution had been based since it was first established in 1897.

Above: photograph is by Matthu Placek

The galleries open with a special exhibition celebrating the work of artist Malcolm Morley, while the permanent collection will contain artworks from the nineteenth century onwards.

The architects revealed the finalised designs for the building in 2009, following a series of budget cuts that forced them to reconsider their original concept.

See more stories about Herzog & de Meuron, including interviews we filmed with both Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron at the opening of their Serpentine Gallery Pavilion this summer.

Photography is by Clo’e Floirat, apart from where otherwise stated.

Here’s a design statement from Herzog & de Meuron:

The starting point for the new Parrish Art Museum is the artist’s studio in the East End of Long Island. We set the basic parameters for a single gallery space by distilling the studio’s proportions and adopting its simple house section with north-facing skylights. Two of these model galleries form wings around a central circulation spine that is then bracketed by two porches to form the basis of a straightforward building extrusion.

The floor plan of this extrusion is a direct translation of the ideal functional layout. A cluster of ten galleries defines the heart of the museum. The size and proportion of these galleries can be easily adapted by re-arranging partition walls within the given structural grid. To the east of the gallery core are located the back of house functions of administration, storage, workshops and loading dock. To the west of the galleries are housed the public program areas of the lobby, shop, and café with a flexible multi-purpose and educational space at the far western end.

An ordered sequence of post, beam and truss defines the unifying backbone of the building. Its materialisation is a direct expression of readily accessible building materials and local construction methods.

The exterior walls of in situ concrete act as long bookends to the overall building form, while the grand scale of these elemental walls is tempered with a continuous bench formed at its base for sitting and viewing the surrounding landscape. Large overhangs running the full length of the building provide shelter for outdoor porches and terraces.

The placement of the building is a direct result of the skylights facing towards the north. This east-west orientation, and its incidental diagonal relationship within the site, generates dramatically changing perspective views of the building and further emphasises the building’s extreme yet simple proportions. It lays in an extensive meadow of indigenous grasses that refers to the natural landscape of Long Island.

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Herzog & de Meuron appeared first on Dezeen.