Hasta La Ideas

Earlier this year Slovenian firm OFIS Arhitekti transformed three Baroque houses in Ljubljana into an apartment block with a secret courtyard, which is featured in this third movie from our series about the studio’s work.

Located in the city’s historic centre, the three buildings had most recently been used as the offices and bookshop of a publishing company, before OFIS Arhitekti were brought on to combine the spaces and create twelve new apartments.

Providing daylight for each apartment proved difficult so the architects added glass elevations around the existing courtyard, which they then converted from a storage area for air conditioning units into a small garden for residents.

“Since the court is very narrow and enclosed from all sides, the main concern was to provide as much light as possible to become a form of internal garden,” said the architects.

Behind the glass, rows of arches with stone pillars provide traces of the original architecture, while the street-facing elevations are restored to their original condition.

The movie was produced by Carniolus and follows one about an Alpine holiday hut and another about a social housing block inspired by hayracks.

Other projects by OFIS Arhitekti on Dezeen include student housing inspired by wooden baskets and an apartment with staggered floors.

See all our stories about OFIS Arhitekti »

Photography is by Tomaz Gregoric and Jan Celeda.

Above: level 1 plan – click above to see larger image

Above: level 2 plan – click above to see larger image

Above: attic level 1 plan – click above to see larger image

Above: attic level 2 plan – click above to see larger image

Above: north section – click above to see larger image

Above: south section – click above to see larger image

Above: east section – click above to see larger image

Above: west section – click above to see larger image

Above: sun diagram – click above to see larger image

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by OFIS Arhitekti appeared first on Dezeen.

The next movie in a series about the buildings of Slovenian practice OFIS Arhitekti features a social housing block on the outskirts of Ljubljana with a latticed facade inspired by local Alpine hayracks.

Named Hayrack Apartments, the building was completed in 2007 and contains a total of 56 residences that vary from small studio flats up to large, four-bedroom apartments.

OFIS Arhitekti designed the building with an L-shaped plan to frame a central courtyard and to avoid disturbing the roots of a 300-year-old lime tree that’s also located on the site.

Wooden beams were used to create the criss-crossing and linear facade patterns, which are typical of old farms, barns and hayracks in the area. ”Traditionally farmers use the beams to store grass and corn. On the housing facade one can hold flowers or other balcony decoration,” explained the architects.

Textured grey tiles cover the sloping rooftops, intended to replicate the appearance of slate.

We first featured the Hayrack Apartments in 2007, just after the building was competed, along with a residential development of a shopping market.

This is the second movie in the series produced by Carniolus. The first features an Alpine holiday hut in a national park.

See all our stories about OFIS Arhitekti »

Photography is by Tomaz Gregoric.

Above: ground floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: first and second floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: third floor plan – click above for larger image

Above: roof plan – click above for larger image

Above: section A – click above for larger image

Above: section B – click above for larger image

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by OFIS Arhitekti appeared first on Dezeen.

Californian firm amphibianArc was inspired by images of spacecrafts to come up with two different skyscraper proposals for the headquarters of a Chinese machinery company in Changsha (+ slideshow + movies).

Above: option one – single tower

The designs, for industrial vehicle manufacturer Zoomlion, were commissioned following amphibianArc’s previous proposals for a shape-shifting exhibition centre to host the company’s exhibitions and product displays.

Above: option two – twin towers

Both new proposals feature skyscrapers that are 199.2 metres in height, in reference to the founding year of the company; 1992.

Above: option one – single tower

The first design includes one prominent office tower, with seven spacecraft-inspired pods protruding from one side. “Seven spacecrafts represent seven founders of the enterprise,” amphibianArc’s Shu Yang told Dezeen.

Above: option one – single tower

Five additional buildings of between 80 and 100-metres would be constructed around the tower, while a small “transformer building” would sit at the base.

Above: option one – single tower

Just like the architect’s previous project, this structure would feature a facade that flaps like the wings of a huge insect.

Above: option one – single tower

The second design is for a pair of skyscrapers, including an office tower and an accompanying 280-metre hotel.

Above: option two – twin towers

The architects based the design on an image of a rocket launching from alongside its supporting structure. ”The twin towers scheme is inspired by the spacecraft, the Long March Carrier Rocket, that China just launched using the crane manufactured by Zoomlion,” explained Yang.

Above: option two – twin towers

The hotel is pictured with a streamlined exterior, while the headquarters building is designed as a stack of box-like structures with an exposed steel framework that references scaffolding. A bridge would add a vertiginous swimming pool to the top of the towers, plus a five-storey podium would stretch across the base.

Above: option two – twin towers

Our earlier feature about the design’s for Zoomlion’s exhibition centre was described as “extravagant”, “dangerous” and “breathtaking” by readers. See the full story and comments »

Above: option two – twin towers

Also this month, we announced the news that the world’s tallest building will be constructed in China in 90 days, while Chinese architects told Dezeen that there is “an absence of a modern Chinese architecture and design language”.

See more stories about skyscrapers »
See more stories about China »

Here’s project descriptions for each of the two proposals:

Zoomlion is one of China’s leading manufacturers of construction machinery equipment and is ranked top 10 globally in the construction machinery industry. amphibianArc was invited to design its new headquarters located in Changsha, China. Our criterion is to match its forward thinking, unique, and mechanistically imaginative corporate image and values.

Zoomlion Headquarters International Plaza – Single Tower

This scheme uses the multi-level and multi-centre space layout strategy, achieving the goal of multi-function and multi-target. 280 m ultra high rise single tower as the highest point of the massing, the scheme proposes 5 towers of 80-100 m and a podium to form an enclosed space. The structure of the conference facilities falls back on the 199.2 m ultra-high tower, which represents the founding year of 1992 of Zoomlion. A water feature suspended at the vertical midpoint of the tower represents the spiritual and architectural center of the complex. The most visible feature in the scheme is the “seven spacecraft” – seven pods representing the seven founders of Zoomlion.

2012, Changsha, China
Project area: 344,250 sq m
Site area: 111,389 sq m
Status: Concept

Zoomlion Headquarters International Plaza – Twin Towers

The philosophical concept of dualism is embedded in the nature of Zoomlion. As a machine maker, the characteristics of Zoomlion are masculine, machinery and full of industrial power. However, the end products produced via Zoomlion machines that will be used by the general public is refined and people-friendly. This duality is intrinsic to Zoomlion’s existence.

From the project itself, the office for internal use represents the company, while the hotel for external use is associated with its external image. This characteristic of duality is expressed in two distinct design schemes concepts with two distinct articulation of architectural forms.

The twin towers are representing the idea of the dualism. The office tower which is 199.2 m in height is the symbol of Zoomlion. The geometry of the building is form by massing spin around along with the core of the building. Volume of the spinning massing varies and creates a masculine, machinery look of the tower. There is a bridge that connects two towers to top floors of office tower. Refined and elegant geometry of hotel tower that is 280 m tall is contrast with the rough texture and geometry of the office tower. The image is a vivid simulation of the space shuttle tied up to the launching pad of space center. This image emphasizes the industrial strength of Zoomlion product.

The podium of the twin towers is a huge elevated platform that contains more than five floors. The elevated platform is support by giant trapezoid shape structural columns. It is a floating platform hanging over the campus and open up the ground for public spaces and landscaping. More substantially, podium floor plates reach far for a panoramic view of the city. Because of the floating podium, the footprint of the building decreases substantially and frees up the space for a park-like green campus.

2012, Changsha, China
Project area: 283,000 sq m
Site area: 111,389 sq m
Status: Concept

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by amphibianArc appeared first on Dezeen.

Herzog & de Meuron’s 1111 Lincoln Road multi-storey car park in Miami Beach also plays host to parties, yoga classes and weddings, explains proprietor Robert Wennett in this movie produced by filmmaker Elizabeth Priore (+ photographs by Hufton + Crow).

Named 1111 Lincoln Road, the concrete building with floor slabs supported on wedge-shaped columns was completed in 2010 to offer naturally lit parking levels that can also be used for other activities above a row of shops and restaurants.

“I had the opportunity to change people’s perception of what parking is and to build a type of building that becomes a social gathering space and a public space” says Wennett. “Everything we do in the garage is not what you expect in a parking garage.”

He goes on to explain how the building contains “a grand central staircase” rather than an enclosed stairwell and is also filled with public art. “To want to go to a parking garage, versus wanting to exit it as soon as possible becomes a new paradigm,” he declares.

Finally, Wennett explains that he lives in an apartment on the top floor of the building. “People always ask me ‘why would you want to live inside of a parking garage?’ but the moment they arrive they never ask me the question again,” he says.

Directed and produced by Elizabeth Priore, the movie is a semi-finalist in the Focus Forward filmmaker competition. Five winners are due to be announced in January.

We first revealed designs for 1111 Lincoln Road back in 2008, before featuring photographs of the completed building after it opened in 2010.

Herzog & de Meuron also recently completed a gallery that looks like a pair of barns in Long Island.

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.

See more photography by Hufton + Crow on Dezeen or on their website.

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by Herzog & de Meuron appeared first on Dezeen.

In this movie filmed by Dezeen, British designer Benjamin Hubert explains why he placed a double-length second hand over the pleated face of Plicate, his first watch for Italian accessories brand NAVA, which is available from Dezeen Watch Store now.

Plicate was designed with a “distinctive language” of faceted textures, Hubert explains in the movie. The watch has a series of pleats on its face, with each of the folds representing one second.

The second hand stretches across the diameter of the watch face in a contrasting colour. “Our idea was to make it double-length so you have a real piece of sculpture moving around the watch,” he says.

“If you have a second hand on a watch it’s really a decorative feature, particularly on an analogue watch,” he adds. “So why not make that more extreme, make that more decorative?”

The time-adjustment dial and back of the watch strap echo the faceted texture of the face, while the asymmetric clasp is inspired by festival wristbands.

The Plicate is now available now from Dezeen Watch Store in blue, grey or orange.

Browse more watches on the Dezeen Watch Store or see all our stories about Benjamin Hubert, including a recently launched trestle table held together by sheets of bowed steel.

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moving around the watch” – Benjamin Hubert appeared first on Dezeen.