Hasta La Ideas

This combined house and gallery in Singapore by architecture studio Lekker Design comprises a single rectilinear building with another twisted inside it.

The twisted inner volume towers up through the roof to house the bedrooms and other private spaces of the residence, keeping them separate from the triple-height gallery on the ground floor.

A boxy staircase leads up from the gallery to the floor above and passes by a perforated metal screen that shields a window to the bathroom.

The narrow building forms part of an existing row of houses, located in the red light district to the north-east of the city centre.

Other combined houses and galleries we’ve featured include a residence for Australian artists in Japan and a gallery beneath a pool of water in South Korea.

Above: photograph is by Eugene Goh/Light Works Photography

Photography is by Darren Soh/FullframePhotos, apart from where otherwise stated.

The text below is from the architects:

This is a small building, with two programs – a house and an art gallery – squeezed into a very dense envelope, in the midst of Singapore’s red light district.

The design attempted to balance this programmatic double-life through a play of two volumes. The lower volume contains a triple-height gallery and kitchen.

Above is a rotated tower, which appears to be partially suspended below the ceiling of the gallery; this holds the bedrooms and private spaces. The building has been designed such that the client may open the gallery to the public, via a separate access.

The Gallery House is sited in a typical Singaporean lot, between two very long party walls. In order to bring natural light deep into the interior, a series of small gardens have been extracted from the facade and roofline.

This creates a complex series of nested spaces, merging the interior with tropical landscape.

Ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Rooms are unexpectedly located and strangely formed, partially overlapping with others or sharing views of interior canyon spaces. The largest of these contains the main stair, which winds informally between rooms at front and back.

Upper floor plan – click above for larger image

Project title: Gallery House
Architects: Lekker Design
Location: Singapore
Size: 3,500 ft sq.
Project year: 2012
Design Team: Ong Ker-Shing, Joshua Comaroff, Germain Goh, Sio Lim, Peter Then, Joshua Feldman

Section – click above for larger image

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by Lekker Design appeared first on Dezeen.

Australian architect Andrew Burns has completed a pointy gallery and studio for artists-in-residence in Japan to replace one that was destroyed during the major earthquake of last year (+ slideshow).

The first Australia House was created in 2009 inside a 100-year-old farmhouse in Niigata Prefecture to provide a place where Australian artists could engage with Japanese communities in the production and exhibition of their work.

Following the earthquake, a competition was launched to design a replacement that would be completed in time for the fifth Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale taking place in the region over the summer.

Burns’ design for the new Australia House Gallery and Studio is a two-storey triangular structure with a charred wood exterior and a steep pointed roof.

The gallery is located in a double-height space on the ground floor and is overlooked from the living quarters on the floor above.

Above artwork: Mountain home – dhirrayn ngurang by Brook Andrew

A strong timber frame increases the stability of the building, so that it can be used as a refuge during any future natural disasters.

Above artwork: Mountain home – dhirrayn ngurang by Brook Andrew

We’ve also featured a series of artists’ studios on the picturesque Fogo Island in Canada – see them here.

See more stories about studios for artists »

Photography is by Brett Boardman.

Here’s some text from Andrew Burns:

New Australia House Gallery & Studio Opens in Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Andrew Burns’ new Australia House gallery & studio project has opened to wide acclaim on 28 July 2012 at the start of the 5th Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale. This is one of the world’s largest international art festivals, held every three years in the Echigo-Tsumari region, encompassing Tokamachi City and Tsunan Town in Niigata Prefecture.

Australia House will be a focus for the special & continuing dialogue between the peoples of Australia and Japan. Its design takes into consideration environmental sustainability and natural disaster-prevention and reflects a merging of Japanese and Australian culture. The building includes galleries and residential space for Australian artists to stay, work and exhibit and will allow collaborative projects between Japanese and Australians.

The new building replaces the original Australia House which collapsed soon after a powerful aftershock on 12 March 2011.

Burns’ design proposal for Australia House was selected unanimously from among 154 international entries in an international design competition by judges Professor Tom Heneghan, Fram Kitagawa, General Director of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale and Tadao Ando, Jury chair and Pritzker Prize winner. The design reflects the Triennale’s theme of “Human Beings are part of Nature”. Other entries included Brit Andresen, Sou Fujimoto, Peter Stutchbury with Janet Laurence, Sean Godsell, John Wardle.

‘This building extends our focus as a practice on developing innovative, contemporary, socially engaged processes that go beyond the everyday to explore how we relate to our world, and build communities,” said Andrew Burns.

“I am particularly in the cross-over between culture, art and design, and what that says about who we are today. I see enormous potential to take these ideas and further develop them in an international context,” he added.

Artist Brook Andrew was selected as the Australian artist to present in the Echigo-Tsumari Triennale this year, leading to an exciting and rare collaboration between architect and artist during the final resolution of the building design.

The Australia House project is supported by the Tokamachi City Government, International Culture Appreciation and Interchange Society, Inc., the Australia-Japan Foundation, and the Australian Embassy Tokyo.

Andrew Burns Architect collaborated with accomplished Japanese architects Souhei Imamura of Atelier Imamu and Sotaro Yamamoto, Atelier Sotaro Yamamoto for the delivery of the project.

About the design of Australia House

‘It has been an extraordinary privilege to design this important cross-cultural centre, and to be part of the Echigo-Tsumari Triennale, one of the leading visual arts festivals in the world,“ says Burns.

‘Architecture is not simply about shelter, or building, or fashion, or the person who designed it – architecture fundamentally shapes the way we live, how we experience the world, and our place within it.”

Australia House – literally – physically manipulates the way the visitor connects with the landscape, using large screens and windows. Its triangular form obviates the traditional four walls concept, and blurs the lines between artwork and gallery space.

Site plan – click above for larger image

‘My hope is that this humble wooden building, part farmhouse, part gallery, and part site specific artwork, gives each person who enters it the opportunity to glimpse the world around him or her, and him/herself within it, a in new way, ‘ Andrew Burns said.

Oneʼs perception of the building alternates between the dynamic appearance of an art object and the familiar presence of a rural dwelling. The roof rises steeply to the daikoku-bashira, which becomes a charged element within the gallery space. The triangular form creates a long dimension and widening perspective within compact space. The internal spaces are calibrated to amplify the experience of landscape.

Ground floor plan

The building provides opportunities to alter the physical experience of place and time by shifting panels and walls, against the background of a landscape and its dramatic changes over the four seasons. This is a deep rural landscape which changes throughout the year – from intense heat and green in the summer months, to up to 3 metres of snow in the winter.

The appointment of Melbourne-based artist Brook Andrew has resulted in a close collaboration on the final aspects of design. ‘Brook’s interpretation of the architectural design has uncovered further possibilities for the project, “ says Burns. “

‘Throughout, we have sought to establish a dialogue between the visitor, the building, the artwork and its site, so that each person takes away from it a different experience.”

First floor plan

Judges comment:

Here is what Tadao Ando, Chair of the judging panel for the Australian House competition, said in September 2011:

‘It is difficult to form a triangle. However, that difficulty can create interesting architecture. I find the approach to this house attractive and the different elements well arranged. The idea of dealing with snow is thoughtful, considering that the site is located in a heavy snowfall region. It would be fantastic if only the triangular roof was visible as the rest of the house is covered with three-metre-high snow.’

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by Andrew Burns appeared first on Dezeen.

Construction is underway on a Olympic-themed museum in Tianjin, China, comprising five connected rings.

Designed by Dutch architects HAO and Beijing studio Archiland, the museum will commemorate the legacy of Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was president of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001 and an influential promoter of the games.

Exhibitions dedicated to Samaranch’s work will be housed in a figure of eight-shaped building that will loop around an entrance courtyard and garden in the two largest rings of the complex.

The three smaller circles will contain sunken courtyards, providing spaces for temporary exhibitions, administration and research.

The Samaranch Memorial Museum is due to complete in 2013.

See stories about this year’s Olympic games here »

Here’s a project description from HAO:

The HAO / Holm Architecture Office + Archiland Beijing design for the Samaranch Memorial Museum in Tianjin, China is under construction.

After adjusting the design of the competition scheme, the Samaranch Memorial Museum construction is well under way. The museum is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Concept diagram – click above for larger image

Project Information:

Juan Antonio Samaranch, the president of the International Olympic Committee from 1980 to 2001, devoted his life to the Olympic. Throughout his presidency he advocated for reform and inclusion and was a strong supporter of Chinas bid as host city for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The five interlocking rings of the Olympic Logo serves as the foundation for the buildings design.

By re-arranging the rings and varying the scale we are proposing a museum consisting of two rings above ground and with 3 sunken courtyards.

The two main rings serve as counterparts in the story of the life of Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The first ring lifts and invites the visitor in through a public courtyard. This ring focuses on the legacy of the work Juan Antonio Samaranch did with the Olympic Committee and the impact it has had on China and the world. The second ring encloses a lush garden and focuses on the life and work of Juan Antonio Samaranch, serving as a memorial to his achievements.

Together the two rings create a continuous loop taking the visitor through both the exhibition and memorial areas.

The surrounding park design is includes art and activity zones anchored by a new lake.

The Samaranch Memorial Museum is designed to take full advantage of green technologies. Solar cells is designed to be installed on the buildings roof and geothermal heating and cooling will provide climate control.

“With the design of the Samaranch Memorial Museum we propose to merge two existing typologies: the memorial and the museum. This new combination allows the building to both honor the life of Juan Antonio Samaranch while simultaneously creating a place which focuses on the true legacy of the Olympics: creating opportunities for people to meet and celebrate across cultural and geographical boundaries.” Jens Holm, Founder, HAO

Name: Samaranch Memorial Museum
Program: Museum and Landscape
Type: Competition
Size: 15.000 m2 building, 80.000 m2 landscape
Client: City of Tianjin
Collaborators: Archiland Beijing, Krag & Berglund, Cowi Beijing
Location: Tianjin, China
Status: Completion 2013

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by HAO and Archiland Beijing appeared first on Dezeen.

Movie: architect Piers Gough of CZWG and structural engineer Hanif Kara explain their design for Canada Water Library, a bronzed, hexagonal building on a constrained site in south London, in this movie by filmmakers Living Projects.

Read more about the building in our earlier story, and see more stories about CZWG here.

Living Project also produced a film about the Maggie’s Centre for cancer care that the architects completed last year. Watch the movie here.

See all our stories about libraries »

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by CZWG appeared first on Dezeen.

This library by London architects Studio Egret West looks like a row of books (+ slideshow).

Clapham Library occupies the lower floors of a 12-storey building, sitting underneath a number of private apartments.

The exterior of the building is clad in white bricks infused with a mineral aggregate which gives the facade a sparkling effect.

Inside the library, bookshelves follow the curve of a wide spiral ramp which leads up from the cafe and children’s library on the basement level to the reading room on the upper level.

A spiral staircase also corkscrews straight to the upper level for quicker access.

On the basement level, the children’s area doubles as a space for readings and musical performances with room for up to 100 seats.

A study bench inside the long ramp provides additional seating for events, while the ramp itself can also be used as a viewing platform.

Acoustic buffers hang down from the ceiling at angles to limit noise in the library.

The library completes the £80m Clapham One regeneration scheme, which also includes a leisure centre, a doctor’s surgery and housing.

We recently featured another project by Studio Egret West – a shoal of titanium fish outside a shopping centre in east London.

See all our stories about libraries »

Photography is by Gareth Gardner.

Here’s some more information from Studio Egret West:

Cathedral Group and Studio Egret West collaborate on new London library

The new Library Building in Clapham has opened its doors to complete the £80m Clapham One mixed-use regeneration scheme, which has transformed leisure services across two sites in Clapham Town Centre. The Clapham One development has been delivered by PPP (Public Private Partnership) specialists Cathedral Group, working in partnership with United House and Lambeth Council.

In addition to the new library, the scheme also provides a highly sustainable leisure centre, a new GP surgery and some of the most high quality residential accommodation in the borough including affordable housing, in partnership with Notting Hill Housing Group.

The £6.5m, 19,000 sq ft public library, which has been designed by the architects Studio Egret West, is located in the heart of Clapham on the High Street on the site of a former office block, Mary Seacole House. In addition to holding more than 20,000 books, it provides a stunning new performance space for local community groups, as well as modern meeting room facilities. It is housed in a 12-storey, mixed-use building, with the community uses focused on the ground floor and the Clapham High Street frontage, and the high quality residential apartments above.

Behind the Library is the Primary Care Centre which includes two separate facilities, the Clapham Family Practice and a Primary Care Trust Resource Centre. There is also a basement car park that provides plant area and the required parking for the Primary Care Centre and the Library, along with car parking for the residential homes above.

Click above for larger image

Library design

The Library has been designed as a distinctive public building with a well-defined identity that sits underneath a discreet, private building of desirable homes above. The Library embodies an audacious spiral design of seamlessly connected spaces. The openness and flexibility of the central space allows it to be transformed into a performance area, where the open spiral ramp offers visitors a great view of any performance.

The spiral represents a path of seamless learning, which connects the multifunctional building in a way that has not been seen before. On entering, it is immediately apparent where all the various elements of the building are located with the ramp spiralling up towards the reading room and down towards the childrenʼs library.

Click above for larger image

The bookshelves follow the spiral of the ramp and face towards the open side of the ramp. This means that wherever you are standing, and especially from the entrance you will be able to see the main focus of the Library, the books. The books are arranged on standard shelving units that sit on level plinths which are part of the Library ramp. The books follow the ramp into the basement area where the childrenʼs Library is located.

Angular acoustic buffers hang down from the ceiling to prevent too much noise. At the bottom of the ramp, in the centre of the space and overlooked by the whole building, is the performance space which doubles as a reading area for the childrenʼs Library in the daytime.

Click above for larger image

The stage is overlooked by the ramp as it spirals down from the reading room. As well as having a possible 100 seats at ground floor, there is also a study bench that follows the inside edge of the spiral, which can be used as additional audience seating. This configuration enhances the flexibility of the performance space. It can be used as a traditional theatre with rows of seating in the ʻstallsʼ and the ʻcircleʼ along the ramp even provides an ʻupper circleʼ.

Alternatively, the space can be used for smaller scale readings with seating around tables next to the stage area. As the performance space is at the centre of the building below the void, it lends itself to orchestral or musical performances. With musicians located in the reading area and the audience viewing from the ramp above the whole space will fill with music.

The Cafe is located on the ground floor. It has a prime high street position in the new Library without interfering with any of the community facilities in the building. It acts as a magnet from both the street and the Health Centre.

The exterior of the building is designed to be elegant and unobtrusive. Although the form of the building is unique, the colouring has been kept purposefully low key. Cladding reinforces the form of the building, but also gives it a texture that will become more interesting the closer it is viewed.

The material employed is a white split-clad brick infused with quarts (sparkling Mica aggregate) for adding glistening qualities. The blocks are formed by breaking a single cast element into two sections, the broken (or split) face is unique to every block and has a three dimensional finish. From afar the masonry finish will have a uniform look, leaving the form of the building to shine through. When viewed from close-by the finish will be non-uniform with shadows and bright spots providing texture to the building.

Rising above the library and around the corner of the High Street into St Luke’s Avenue is the residential component in the form of three white, sculptured volumes. The soft curvaceous, three-fingered composition breaks up the massing of the building, gently stepping down to meet the Georgian house scale of the neighbouring residential streets. A cantilevered element at the first floor level is supported by a large, render-clad sculpted column, nicknamed ‘the stiletto’.

Developers: Cathedral Group and United House
Partners: London Borough of Lambeth
RSL partners: Notting Hill Housing Trust
Architect: (Mary Seacole House site) Studio Egret West
Contractor: (Mary Seacole House) United House
Contractor’s Architect: DLA Architecture and Studio Egret West (Library fit out)
Architect: (Leisure Centre site) LA Architects
Contractor: (Leisure Centre site) Morgan Ashurst

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Studio Egret West appeared first on Dezeen.