Hasta La Ideas

News: architecture firm Snøhetta has unveiled the design for a new staircase linking the existing San Francisco Museum of Modern Art with the 21,000 square-metre extension currently under construction.

The terrazzo stairs will lead visitors from the Hass Atrium of the old San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) building to the first floor of the Snøhetta-designed extension, which is scheduled to open in early 2016. It will be positioned directly beneath a large circular skylight designed by Mario Botta, the architect of the original building.

“We have imagined a stair that feels at home in Botta’s atrium, yet introduces the visitor to the language of the new spaces, creating a powerful overlap moment between the two worlds,” said Snøhetta principal Craig Dykers.

He continued: “It bridges the current and future buildings, and extends the existing design vocabulary, while foreshadowing that of the new Snøhetta addition. Most importantly, the new stair serves the next stage in the trajectory of the museum, which is about reaching out, embracing a wider public and becoming more extroverted.”

The cantilevered body of the structure will be made from wood and will feature a clear glass balustrade.

“While grand in dimensions, the stair’s impressive cantilevered construction gives it a very modest footprint,” said Dykers. “Its atypically low walls make it feel smaller than it is, which gives the atrium a new, open, airy, character that looks to SFMOMA’s future.”

Snøhetta broke ground on the SFMOMA extension earlier this year. Once open it will double the gallery’s exhibition and education space, creating 12,000 square-metres of indoor and outdoor galleries.

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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art appeared first on Dezeen.

Jill et Lorna Watt ont décidé de recouvrir un magnolia situé dans le centre de San Mateo en Californie avec des fils, transformant ainsi avec talent et humour l’arbre en pieuvre bleue. Le projet intitulé « Yarn Bombed Tree Squid » est à découvrir en images et détails dans la suite de l’article.

Whether we value the utility, appreciate the form-factor or gravitate toward the less common—we love a wagon. Oftentimes, and especially in the US, wagons are not built with driving performance in mind. Fortunately, Mercedes-Benz sees enough of a market to justify selling…

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A combined car park and terrace covers the roof of this hillside house in Los Angeles by Californian studio Anonymous Architects (+ slideshow).

Anonymous Architects designed the single-storey home for an actor. It is situated on the edge of a steep slope, so the floors are arranged from top to bottom, with an entrance on the roof and rooms on the level below.

“The added benefit of providing the parking and the house as the same structure is to eliminate the need for additional foundations and walls for a garage,” said architect Simon Storey.

“The inversion moves the typical ground floor of the house up on the roof, and makes the simple act of arriving home and driving onto the roof of the house a surprise every time,” he added.

Supported by chunky concrete columns, the house appears to be thrusting away from the edge of the slope. A recessed balcony offers views of the San Gabriel Mountains to the north east of the city.

A kitchen sits at the centre of the plan and forms the corner of an open-plan living room, while three bedrooms and two bathrooms are positioned around the other side of the house.

A bridge connects the roof with the street, providing an entrance for both cars and pedestrians.

Other projects by Anonymous Architects include a tiny house with only three rooms lifted off the hillside by a set of concrete pilotis and a 4.5 metre-wide house inspired by narrow homes in Japan.

See more projects by Anonymous Architects »
See more concrete architecture and design »

Photography is by Steve King.

Here’s a project description from the architects:

Car Park House

Starting with a vacant lot with a very steep down-slope from the street, the design of the house places the carport on the roof with the residence below. In addition to being a dramatic shift of expectations, it is also a logical response to the building code which requires parking for two vehicles.

This inversion moves the typical ground floor of the house up on the roof and makes the simple act of arriving home – and driving onto the roof of the house – a surprise every time. The roof is also usable as deck space and has unobstructed views of the San Gabriel Mountains, which are to the Northeast of Los Angeles.

Because of the steep terrain the house is designed to float over the hillside. This reduces the amount of foundation required and also means that the only way to access the house is over the bridge – so it is truly a floating structure.

The added benefit of providing the parking and the house as the same structure is to eliminate the need for additional foundations and walls for a garage.

Date of completion: August 2013
Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles, California
Clients: Hal Ozsan/ Judson Williams
Architect: Simon Storey/ Anonymous Architects, Los Angeles
Lot Area: 8,477 sq.ft
Building Area: 1,405 sq.ft
Building footprint: 1,405 sq.ft – single level dwelling with roof deck/ parking. 3 bedroom & 2 bathrooms.
Method of construction: Concrete pile foundation with concrete pilasters above grade; steel (primary floor structure – cantilevers); wood floor, walls and roof

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Anonymous Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Sponsored content: San Francisco has maintained its status as the cultural haven of the California coast for decades. Through the counterculture of the hippie ’60s and ’70s and the rise of the Castro…

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