Hasta La Ideas

World Architecture Festival 2012: it’s day two of the World Architecture Festival in Singapore and today 17 more award winners have been announced, including a house for New Zealand, a school with caged balconies and three projects by architects Hassell.

The winners have been selected from over 300 shortlisted entries in the sections of completed buildings, landscape and future projects. The completed buildings will also go forward to compete for the prize of World Building of the Year 2012, chosen by a jury that includes architects Ben van Berkel, Moshe Safdie, Mok Wei Wei, J. Mayer H. and Yvonne Farrell.

Above: photograph is by Nacasa & Partners

The award for best shopping centre goes to Klein Dytham Architecture for Daikanyama T-Site (above), a bookstore covered in a lattice of T-shapes that subtly reference the logo of the brand. Louvred steel bridges link up with aisles inside the three blocks that make up the complex, which sit between several large trees. The judges said the project ”proposes a new direction combining retail with a social experience, and integrating on-line retail with a tactile, physical experience.” Read more about the project in our earlier story.

The winner in the villa category is Shearer’s Quarters (above), a house on a working sheep farm on North Bruny Island, Tasmania, by John Wardle Architects. With a galvanised iron exterior and a timber interior, the building houses shearers and other guests on tree-planting weekends and holidays. The judges described it as “a deceptively simple, spatial and three-dimensional internal outcome” that “reflects the in-depth research undertaken by the designers of the history and physical specificity of its site and region.”

Turkish firm Tabanlioglu Architects has won the award in the transport category for the Bodrum International Airport terminal (above). The steel and glass structure contains large column-free spaces, with clear signage to direct passengers around the terminal. The judges commented that ”the complexity of the airport brief is resolved with openness and clarity”.

Above: photograph is by Hiroyuki Oki

Architecture practice Vo Trong Nghia has picked up a second award (after winning best house yesterday) in the schools category, for Binh Duong School (above) in Vietnam. Caged balconies provide open-air corridors along the sides of the building, sheltered from both harsh sunlight and tropical rain. The judges praised the “effortless critical regionalism” of the project and called it “a series of humanely scaled spaces and places.” Read more about the project in our earlier story.

Above: photograph is by Hufton + Crow

The new campus for London art and design college Central Saint Martins (above) by Stanton Williams is the winner in the higher education and research category. Located in and around a Victorian granary and two former transit sheds, the building provides studios either side of an indoor street, with overhead bridges and an arched, ETFE plastic roof. The judges described the building as “complex and challenging, but very well executed, showcasing a sensitive relationship between old buildings and new volumes.” Read more about the project in our earlier story.

Above: photograph is by Shannon McGrath

The award in the health category goes to The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne by Billard Leece Partnership and Bates Smart. The architects drew inspiration from the surrounding park to create a six-storey atrium containing grass-like green spaces, a meerkat enclosure and an aquarium, while rooms in the each of the wards offer views over the gardens and courtyards. The judges said the building “successfully overcame the stigmas often attached to hospitals” and “blends with the surrounding environment whilst at the same time being a demonstration of iconic architecture.”

Designs for a jumbled stack of apartments in Montenegro (above) by Indian firm Sanjay Puri Architects has picked up the future projects residential award. The studio was inspired by the organic patterns made by rooftops in a nearby old town to create the unusual shapes on the facade of Terasa 153, which will contain nine floors of apartments above two commercial floors. The judges explained that “the project was selected for its original connection to context, inspired by the local architectural language transposed into a new built form.”

The Beijing Artist Village Gallery (above) by Aedas wins the award in the future projects culture category. Comprising a museum and two artists’ residences, the proposed buildings will have forms derived from a Chinese watercolor painting, but will be constructed using hand-made local bricks. The judges liked how the plans will “recycle common materials into an extraordinary project reminiscent of an old Chinese village while incorporating contemporary use of traditional materials.”

The prize in the future projects commercial, leisure-led development category is awarded to proposals in Oman for the Gunoot Eco Resort, an environmentally-friendly 100-hectare development of buildings that will be constructed using low-skilled labour with cheap and sustainable materials. To demonstrate their ideas to the client, engineers SSH built a prototype structure (above) with help from local residents. Judges said the project “demonstrated an engaging social process” and “represented a rethinking of resort masterplanning.”

A former textile factory in Turkey that Emre Arolat Architects are converting into a university campus (above) picks up the award in the future projects education category. The AGU City City Campus will include an educational and administrative building in a converted warehouse, which will have its roof replaced to create an arcade, as well as new buildings and an orangerie. ”A very deliberate and sensitive decision was made to retain the old structures and walls, integrating them successfully into the new masterplan as well as architecture,” said the judges.

Architects Hassell have won the award for the future projects competitions category, with their proposals for Perry Park, a sports and recreation centre on a park and wetland site outside Sydney (above). The architects propose a series of buildings and facilities to accommodate basketball and hockey, including a sports hall with a plywood frame and polycarbonate roof. The judges thought the project showed “a sensitive and appropriate use of materials and architectural vocabulary that contributes to a sense of place.”

Hassell picks up a second award in the future projects transport category with designs for a transport interchange (above) in the new district of Binhai in Tianjin, China. The Tianjin Binhai Transport Interchange will create a connection between a high-speed rail network and three metro lines, as well as bus services and a taxi pickup, and will featured raised gardens along one edge to shield passengers from cold winds. “The structures are humanised and create spaces which are full of light and cleverly landscaped,” said the judges.

A factory and office building (above) under construction in Japan by Osamu Morishita Architect & Associates has won the award for future projects commercial, mixed-use. Once complete, the JST Product Complex will accommodate an electric connector manufacturer and will feature a folded steel facade that the designers compare to origami. The judges commented that “the exploration of origami for the facade and structure roots the project in Japanese culture.”

Designs by RTA Studio for a carbon-neutral house for a family of four (above and top) have won the future projects residential award. C3 House will be located within the scenic landscape of the Southern Lakes of New Zealand and will be almost entirely constructed from local stone. The judges praised its “highly-considered approach to energy use, both in terms of fuel requirements and the embodied energy use in materials.”

The winner in the future projects office category is 120 Fenchurch Street (above), a 14-storey building proposed for the city of London by Eric Parry Architects. A series of setbacks and recesses will create public spaces at ground level, plus the building will have a garden on its roof. The judges said they were “excited by the potential of a fully-accessible roof garden in the centre of London.”

Plans for a north wing at the Rigshospitalet hospital in Copenhagen (above) by 3XN receive the award in the future projects health category. The competition-winning proposals include a series of V-shaped buildings with gardens for patients located in between. The judges said it “goes beyond the simplistic design of a typical hospital, allowing for architectural value.”

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day two winners announced appeared first on Dezeen.

This house by Japanese architects a.a.+H has two roofs and four more tiny houses inside (+ slideshow).

The house in Saitama, north of Tokyo, has two sets of of roof beams which create an intermediate balcony space between them.

Half of the inner roof is covered with polycarbonate sheets which seal off the space while allowing light through to the ground floor.

The other half is uncovered, allowing a view to the outer roof which is clad in wooden panels.

Four small houses have also been built on each corner of the ground floor, nestling against the beams of the inner roof.

The tiny houses have corrugated slate roofs and chipboard screen doors in the traditional Japanese style, and they contain the bedrooms, bathroom and living room.

This isn’t the first house within a house we’ve featured on Dezeen – similar projects from Japan include an inside-out house that lets in rain and wind and a house hidden behind a facade of unglazed openings.

Other Japanese houses we’ve featured recently include a shimmering steel tower in Kyoto and a wedge-shaped house coated in gravel.

See all our stories about Japanese houses »

Photographs are by Hiroshi Ueda.

Here’s some more information from the architects:

Under a tree, under the tarps, Under the hut…
The concept was to configure the internal structure of the house to create the illusion that the inside of the home acts as the outside of ‘a house within a house’. By incorporating a layout that promotes ample natural lighting, outdoor living is brought into the residence.

Location: Saitama, Japan
Site area: 142.94m2

Building area: 71.55m2
Total floor area: 86.41m2
Type of Construction: wooden

Exterior Materials:
Corrugated metal roofing, corrugated slate, glass fiber reinforced polyester
Interior Materials: OSB, fiber reinforced cement board, corrugated polycarbonate

Above: ground floor plan

Design time: May 2010 – Jun 2011
Date of completion： Dec 2011

Above: first floor plan

Design: Kaoru Kuzukawa + Masatoshi Shikada　(a.a.+H)
Structural engineer: Taro Yokoyama (LOW FAT structure Inc.)

Above: section

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by a.a.+H appeared first on Dezeen.

News: Foster + Partners has won a competition to design a 200-metre skyscraper for collapsed real estate company Lehman Brothers Holdings and partner L&L Holding Company on Park Avenue in New York.

Lehman Brothers famously kickstarted a global financial crisis when they filed for bankruptcy protection back in 2008, but four years on the estate of the bank still controls more than $10 billion of real estate assets.

According to developers, the office tower will be the first new building on Park Avenue in over 50 years and is conceived as a tapered structure of steel and glass.

“Our aim is to create an exceptional building, both of its time and timeless, as well as being respectful of this context,” said architect Norman Foster. Citing Mies van der Rohe and Philip Johnson as inspitations, he explained how the building will “set a new standard for office design and provide an enduring landmark that befits its world-famous location.”

The tower will be split into three tiers, separated by landscaped terraces, and each section will feature column-free floors.

Other projects in progress by Foster + Partners include a pair of towers beside the Seine in Paris and an art museum with four overlapping peaks in China.

See more stories about Foster + Partners »

Here’s some extra information from the architects:

Foster + Partners wins competition for new tower at 425 Park Avenue, New York

Foster + Partners is delighted to be selected by a partnership of L&L Holding Company and Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LBHI) to design their new office tower at 425 Park Avenue. The new building will create an enduring landmark that befits its exclusive location, and is uniquely of its time and its place.

The project presents an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the existing character of Park Avenue and responds to the scale and datum of the Avenue and neighbouring buildings. Clearly expressing the geometry of its structure, the tapered steel-frame tower rises to meet three shear walls that will be illuminated, adding to the vibrant New York City skyline. Its elegant facade seamlessly integrates with the innovative internal arrangement that allows for three gradated tiers of column-free floors.

Offering world-class sustainable office accommodation, the new building anticipates changing needs in the workplace with large, open spaces that encompass flexible use. Each of the three tiers – low, medium and high-rise – is defined by a landscaped terrace that provides an excellent amenity for tenants and offers panoramic views across Manhattan and Central Park. At the street level, the conceptual design for 425 Park Avenue gives as much to the City as to the people that will work in it with the potential for a large civic plaza marked by significant works of art.

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for Lehman Brothers appeared first on Dezeen.

Stone bleachers climb onto the roof of this cultural centre in Molde, Norway, by Danish architects 3XN, creating open-air seating for visitors to the jazz festival hosted there each year (+ slideshow).

Located in the heart of the small town, the Plassen Cultural Centre will become a hub for the July event, which is one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe and attracts around 100,000 tourists.

The external staircase adjoins the northern wall of the building, linking the neighbouring market square with a roof terrace that accommodates a sunbathing lounge, an exhibition area and a sculpture garden.

The entrance to the three-storey building is positioned at the foot of the stairs, and leads into a concert hall through a triple-height atrium.

“There must be room for celebration in this building, both inside, on top of it and around it,” said 3XN’s Jan Ammundsen.”It must be able to withstand being invaded by happy people throughout the year, year after year.”

A jazz museum is also included inside the building, alongside a library, a small gallery and a series of rehearsal studios.

The architects used granite for all the exterior surfaces, which they claim “gives the building a bright monochrome expression” that contrasts with the “warm red light” that shines out through the windows.

Other projects completed by 3XN in the last year include another culture centre with glass hills outlined on its facade and an experimental food laboratory.

See more stories about 3XN »

See more buildings in Norway »

Photography is by Adam Mork.

Here’s a project description from 3XN:

Cultural Center ‘Plassen’
Molde, Norway

‘Plassen’ (meaning the square or the space in Norwegian) is formed like a giant paper cutting. The building literally grabs the city square, Gørvellplassen. It cuts and folds the surface, resulting in a building where the inside and the outside, the surface and the roof, merges into one. This compact and well-functioning structure with its highly usable and easy accessible areas maintains the public space of Gørvellplassen, and even enhances the flexibility of the square.

The flowing transition between the stages, the gallery, and the café creates the illusion that the inner and outer spaces are one. Emphasizing this principle, the windows of the building can be described as wide horizontal openings allowing plenty the daylight, and providing a splendid view from within as well as from the outside. The relatively low-rise building consists of just three floors that make room for the local theatre, ‘Teatret Vårt’, ‘The Bjørnson Festival’ and Molde’s International Jazz festival which attracts famous jazz musicians and a wide audience when it takes place every summer in July.

Contemporary and innovative, but at the same time simple and blunt, the design of the building resists any excesses. Hence, it is in accordance with the surrounding sober and regularly shaped buildings. Use of the same local stone on both walls and floors, creates a calm atmosphere. The exterior is dominated by the broad staircase. This created a lot of space for people to rest in nice weather. The staircase provides the jazz festival with a big open-air stage that may become a new focal point for the town.

The heart of the building is the main concert hall, solved in “box in box” room, to ensure optimal acoustics. Therefore, the concert hall is rectangular and stripped of fancy shapes. Finally, ‘Plassen’ contains a library and an arts centre with a gallery facing the upper square. The library is situated in the eastern wing with a strong exposure to the square.

Architect: 3XN
Project type: Cultural Center
Functions: Theatre, concert hall, café, gallery, library
Client: Molde Kulturbyg AB

Construction: 2009 – 2012
Official Opening: 14th of July, 2012
Size: 5,800 m2
Cost: 187 mio. norwegian kroner / / 25 mio euros
Engineer: Norconsult AS

Site plan – click above for larger image

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

First floor plan – click above for larger image

Second floor plan – click above for larger image

Long section – click above for larger image

Cross section – click above for larger image

North elevation – click above for larger image

East elevation – click above for larger image

South elevation – click above for larger image

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by 3XN appeared first on Dezeen.

Située près d’Auckland en Nouvelle-Zélande, cette splendide villa contemporaine appelée sobrement « Lucerne House » a été pensée et conçue par le studio d’architecture et design Daniel Marshall Architects. Plus d’images de ce projet moderne et raffiné à découvrir dans la suite de l’article.