Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

This social housing block in Slovakia by Bratislava studio Nice Architects features a series of protruding balconies that angle towards sunlight whilst blocking out the noise of car traffic below (+ slideshow).

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

Nice Architects shaped the balconies in accordance with the sun’s trajectory across the facade of the four-storey North Star Apartments building, which is located in Senec, a small town outside of Bratislava.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

The architects were tasked with creating social housing situated on a busy street that would be visually appealing but came at a low cost – €500 Euros per square metre.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

“The goal was to enrich this locality and create an iconic, easy to remember and original building, as an opposite to the patchy and chaotic surrounding development,” said architect Tomas Zacek.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

The building’s location, opposite the town’s observatory and perfect north-south orientation inspired the architects to name the building after the famous star.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

“North Star is not only the brightest star on the northern hemisphere, it was traditionally used for high seas navigation,” explaned Zacek.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

The building contains nine one-bedroom apartments across its three upper storeys, while five small shops occupy the ground floor.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

Each apartment features one of the angular balconies, which protrude from the all-white facade at different lengths.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

The top corner of every balcony is exposed to the south, reflecting the sun’s rays into the apartments. As the sun traverses the front, the shadows alter the appearance of the building depending on what time it is. They also offer seclusion from neighbours.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects

The lower sections of each balcony are deliberately enlarged on one side to shelter the space from oncoming traffic.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Balcony concept diagram

The windows that do not feature the enclosures are fitted with Juliette balconies and a small outer area covered in gravel.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Scheme concept diagram

All of the windows in the development face directly west, giving residents the opportunity to enjoy sunsets over the local school garden across the street.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Scheme concept diagram

On the ground floor, the facade is made up of monochrome stripes graduating from black to white to deter graffiti artists.

Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Site plan – click for larger image
Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Ground floor plan – click for larger image
Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Typical floor plan – click for larger image
Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Section – click for larger image
Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Section – click for larger image
Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Front elevation – click for larger image
Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
Back elevation – click for larger image

The post Angular balconies stretch towards sunlight
at North Star Apartments by Nice Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

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

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The architects won a competition in 2010 to design the mixed-use masterplan, which proposes seven curving tower blocks surrounding a public plaza in the east of the Slovakian capital.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

A decommissioned coal-fire power station sits at the centre of the site and will be converted into an art gallery as part of the project, while a series of additional pavilions will be constructed alongside.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

The plans are laid out as a network of circular and elliptical patterns, with pathways weaving between residential and commercial buildings, plus landscaped seating areas stepping up over the rooftops of shop units.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

An underground parking area will be included on a basement floor and will be accessed by raised entrances around the site perimeter.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Also this month, Zaha Hadid has been appointed by the Mayor of London to develop plans for a major new airport and launched a range of twisting auditorium seats. See more design by Zaha Hadid.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Here’s a project description from Zaha Hadid Architects:


Bratislava Culenova New City Centre

The design is based on a dynamic field strategy which organises the new city centre’s program along a gradient of circular and elliptical patterns. A fluid field emerges from the underlying matrix in a series of larger tower extrusions towards the site’s perimeter and intermediate scale pavilion-like structures surrounding the cultural plaza adjacent to an existing decommissioned power station.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Above: building design diagram

To activate the ground throughout the whole site and provide public spaces of the highest quality, the underground car parking is covered by a one storey high modulated platform, which is perforated at strategic points for day-lit spaces that accommodate retailing, landscaped parks and various points of interest such as the cultural centre, museum shop, conference space and event halls.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Above: landscape design diagram

Towards the site’s perimeter the platform is slightly raised at specific points to define the site’s edge and accommodate programmatic points of interest, access points to the parking levels below and access to office and residential towers above. At other strategic zones, the platform lowers to merge with the surrounding city level to link the new urban parks and plazas with the surrounding city fabric.

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects

Above: concept masterplan – click for larger image

The scheme creates density via efficient high-rise structures while providing a generous and highly activated ground level with public spaces that are gradually differentiated within a 3-dimensional field condition.

The post Bratislava Culenova New City Centre
by Zaha Hadid Architects
appeared first on Dezeen.

Studio Allt

Slovakian designers simply making all that they like

by Adam Štěch

allt-1.jpg

Based in the Slovak capital of Bratislava, the young designers behind the Allt studio produce simple-yet-poetic conceptual furniture and lighting, aiming to create a personal world of friendly products with strong backstories.

The Allt studio—whose name offers a simple abbreviation of their tagline, “all that we like to do”—was established in 2011 by Peter Simonik and Elena Bolceková. Simonik received his degree from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, while Bolceková finished her studies at the Institute of Industrial Design at the Faculty of Architecture in 2011. Both of these creative individuals personify different approaches to art and design, and together they make a strong team that produces beautiful objects augmented by original presentation.

allt-6.jpg

This year, the studio exhibited work in prestigious galleries around Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as the GASK museum in Kutná Hora. The pair garnered attention with Allter Space, a solo show at the Art Design Project gallery in Bratislava. Inspired by hidden craft, nature, technology and everyday urban life, design objects on display included the Highstack and Lowstack benches constructed out of stacked planks of wood, reminiscent of the unfinished storage vessels found in industrial sawmills and carpentry plants. The result exuded a fresh take on form that meets functionality and exhibited strong local ties to the wood production industry in Slovakia.

allt-4.jpg
allt-5.jpg

Other pieces included a modular carpet system called Cityscape, inspired by the surface of street pavements, as well as the “Who is Watching You” lamp, designed after the simplification of the CCTV camera.

allt-8.jpg

Simoník and Bolcekov&#225’s artistic versatility expands to include not only graphic design but also photography, which they used to highlight the presentation of their furniture in Allter Space. Their inclusion of these purely decorative designs dovetailed nicely with the essence of their products and created an environment that entirely surrounded the viewer. For more information about the studio or to contact the artists for special commissions, visit their website. Select items are also available for purchase through their online shop.


Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

This small bookshop in Bratislava, Slovakia, has a climbing wooden floor that allows it to double up as an informal auditorium.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

In the daytime these chunky wooden steps provide seats for anyone having a leaf through the books, while during events and talks they can be filled with rows of spectators.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Completed by Slovakian architects Martin Jančok of Plural and Aleš Šedivec of Totalstudio in 2010, the bookshop also contains a coffee shop at the floor’s peak.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

A staircase here leads down to staff rooms and storage areas that are concealed below.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

One of our most popular stories of all time features a bookshop inside a former church – see what you think here or see all our stories about bookshops here.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Here’s a little more text from the architects:


Bookshop and coffee bar.
2010, Bratislava, Slovakia

How can a small bookshop compete within a network of firmly established booksellers? What can it offer to customers? How can it draw attention?

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Our aim was to create a flexible space that would not only sell books but would also be capable of facilitating various collateral events such as projections, readings, minor concerts, workshops, etc.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Two focal points of the bookshop are placed at both ends of the longitudinal space.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

A checkout is next to the entrance and a coffee bar is on the opposite side on an original elevated gallery.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Both levels are connected with cascades which serve as an auditorium during collateral events and allow customers to sit, read, relax or communicate through regular opening hours.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Books are stored in long shelves along both sides of thebookshop. By this means a clear oragnization and a monumental effect is achieved. New titles and bestsellers are displayed at several mobile stands.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

The permanent part of the program – storage, deposit, office and lavatory – are placed under the gallery and accessible via a staircase at the edge of the coffee bar and cascades.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Authors: Martin Jančok (Plural), Aleš Šedivec (Totalstudio)
Graphic design: Marcel Benčík
Client: Ladon, s.r.o.

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Structural engineering: Geostat
Carpenter: Treeman
Total floor area: 170m²

Alexis by Martin Jančok and Aleš Šedivec

Plural Bookshop

Installée à Bratislava en Slovaquie, voici cette construction imaginée par Plural et TotalStudio pour un établissement doté à la fois d’un café et d’une librairie. Une structure en escalier et une large bibliothèque occupant l’ensemble de espace. Plus d’image dans la suite de l’article.



plural-bookshop11

plural-bookshop10

plural-bookshop9

plural-bookshop8

plural-bookshop7

plural-bookshop6

plural-bookshop5

plural-bookshop4

plural-bookshop3

plural-bookshop2













Previously on Fubiz

Copyright Fubiz™ – Suivez nous sur Twitter et Facebook