interiordesignet

Spirited Set of Wall-Mounted Bathroom Elements by A-Cero

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:36:12 PDT

A-Cero is perhaps best known for their architectureÂ (and one-off oddities), but has a knack for statement-makingÂ interior designs and furnishings as well – this one-off venture into bathrooms, though, certainly befits their style.

The so-called Spirit Collection created for L’Antic ColonialÂ features a set of interlocking pieces that can be arranged like artwork on the wall – a curved glass mirror, white ceramic sink with an independent metal fixture above and organic stone-faced wooden vanity below.

What is perhaps most interesting here is the transition the designers made from their usual architectural fare, in this case blending emotive originality with modular functionality and mass-market availability.

http://dornob.com/spirited-set-of-wall-mounted-bathroom-elements-by-a-cero/

Exotic Curves: Tropical Modern Hilltop House in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:30:45 PDT

Mixing regional vernacular, local climate needs and a curved contemporary look, this award-winning residence addresses its client desires architectural mandates with an amazing dynamism but strong sense of balance.

Master bedroom and family rooms occupy the third floor to engage views of the valley and ocean below, while resort-style cabana guest rooms sit poolside on the more-private ground level.

On the outside, folding roof forms wrap and overhang breezways, terraces, verandahs, Â porches, decks and roof gardens, blending outside with insight and incorporating passive cooling and structural shading strategies throughout.

Inside, community, entertainment and dining rooms connect to these external spaces, while the most-enclosed areas are used for service and secondary functions (showers, toilets, pantries and the like).

Back and forth, curves shape everything from spatial forms to funnel-like entryways and overhead, ceiling-suspended, recessed-lighting panels, creating a sense of movement and a series of lovely transitions reflected even in the ground-shape forms of patios and pools.

On all sides,Â Aamer ArchitectsÂ added operable windows, large doors and swinging partitions to take maximum advantage of interior-to-exterior connections and natural ventilation opportunities.

http://dornob.com/exotic-curves-tropical-modern-hilltop-house-in-singapore/

Mountain Abode: Rural Chinese Home Radiates Simplicity

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:59:57 PDT

Sometimes, tradition provides the best design solution – and local materials make a good project great. There is no pretension and little decor in this sprawling mountainside residence, but there is plenty of framed natural beauty to more than make up for their absence.

Llixiaodong Atelier designed the dwelling to engage the overhanging mountains as well as regional waterways, all without interrupting these pristine and picturesque surroundings.

Modest stone walls work to establish interior and exterior spaces, zones of openness and privacy, but also draw the eye along their long straight tops toward the horizon. These lines are reflected in flat interconnected clear pools that likewise dot (and join) the property.

The primary dwelling is composed of a series of substructures made of unadorned wood and using unobtrusive metal fasteners, shaping a series of open courtyards in between them that are elemental and reminiscent of Buddhist monasteries with their Zen rock gardens.Â Simplicity is carried through to basic wooden screen doors and minimalist outdoor and indoor furniture. In short: the home is ultimately quite basic, very Chinese, but somehow universal at the same time.

http://dornob.com/mountain-abode-rural-chinese-home-radiates-simplicity/

Scrolling Bookshelf: Modular Scroll-Shaped, Roll-Up Library

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 04:16:46 PDT

Self-adjusting, scroll-shaped ends make space for as many (or few) books as you want to accommodate, all without the need for separate conventional bookends (or even existing shelf space – a window ledge, side table or floor would work too).

Aside from the physical need for support (and place to store spare lengths of the wrapped-up metal bands the hold it together), these end pieces also provide extra semi-secret storage space for pens, pencils or other odds and ends.

Exterior and interior foam padding and plastic shell (in black or yellow) prevents damage to your precious books and softens the look and feel of the Scroll Bookshelf.

Designed byÂ Xin-Hung Lin, Pei-Yi Chiu, Chia-Rung Shu, & Wung-Bing Lin, this is a clear but playful reference to pre-book volumes wrapped up and stored as scrolls, but there is balance, too; it incorporates modern materials and accommodates contemporary book shelving needs as well.

http://dornob.com/scrolling-bookshelf-modular-scroll-shaped-roll-up-library/

Light Wood, Literally: Glow-in-the-Dark Outdoor Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:17:33 PDT

Not light as in weight nor as in the tone of the wood, this furniture is literally alight from within – bands of bright orange, purple, blue and white layered between slices of wood to create a remarkable look. The stylistic result sits somewhere between high-end craft and luxury contemporary design.

Designed to work as small stools, ottomans, or coffee tables, just imagine turning out the lights and letting these objects be the sole source of illumination for a room – perfect for parties, though perhaps a bit strange and/or overly colorful on a day-to-day basis unless kept to a outdoor garden, porch or patio space that could use some additional nighttime lighting.

The so-called Bright Woods collection from Gruppo Avanzini employs stripes of various kinds of wood with resin infill between each layer. Most are more uniform in color, darkness and grain to give equal weight to both the wooden and artificial elements. Better pack some extra batteries before you buy it, though – at least until there is a viable passive-charging alternative for your light-up furniture objects.

http://dornob.com/light-wood-literally-glow-in-the-dark-outdoor-furniture/

5 Light-Up Outdoor Furniture Sets Glow White at Night

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:16:06 PDT

With the increasing ease of manufacturing strong, translucent and curved furniture from recycled synthetics, illuminated furniture has taken on a life beyond mere fad as people find the useful duality of having durable and double-use objects.

Vondom is one company tackling this typology from multiple angles, with sets like the above series of simple chairs, coffee tables, ottomans and flower pots.

They also have more unique forms made from the same materials, such as the above lounger that can balance on both flat and grassy or sandy surfaces.

Their patio furniture gets larger and lighter, too, with items like this light-up barroom table – a cool centerpiece for garden gatherings, cocktail parties or rooftop terraces.

Plust boasts particular softness without sacrificing modern style – cushy armchairs and spongy sofas with some give (and which also give off a nice atmospheric glow).

Solpuri starts with the same translucent-white base as other items in these collections, but layers on a separate adjustable shade and some removable liners and cushions for a more comfortable daybed experience in the sun or shade.

http://dornob.com/5-light-up-outdoor-furniture-sets-glow-white-at-night/

House Cat as Client: Interior Design Inspired by Pet Cats

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:05:04 PDT

All architecture has to start somewhere, so why not with the favorite family pet? Designed around the needs of its smallest residents, this compact Japanese dwelling blends fixed needs with fluid spaces for both humans and cats alike.

While various rooms are still divided by walls, a series of interior human-sized windows and door-less transitions are matched on a smaller scale by shelves and room-to-room slots acting as cat-oriented portals.

The feline-friendly shelving also organizes space, driven by and driving other design decisions including the placement of openings, counters and cabinets.

Framed in wood, these simple custom innovations by the Japanese firm Key Operation form another layer of detail that matches the window trims and built-ins found on various floors of the structure.

On the outside, local building codes necessitated dull grey stucco-covered sides but allowed sufficient freedom for unusually-square windows of various sizes (and the ability to paint a partially-enclosed garage a rather garish pink).

As models of the spaces show, there is rich complexity in plan and section enhanced by a playfully-tilted roof. Coupled with colorful illustrations, one can start to see a cat-like meandering in the method of the layout.

http://dornob.com/cat-as-client-interiors-inspired-by-needs-of-pet-house-cats/

Futuristic LA Loft: Like Living in the (Black & White) Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 19:13:54 PDT

Los Angeles has a history of letting technology drive design, but not in a form-follows-function kind of way. Rather, as is the case with this ultra-cool contemporary condo, folks like Frank Gehry, Morphosis and the local students at SCIArch love seeing what three-dimensional rendering and fabrication can do to shape a space itself – and not just the technologies found within a home.

Patrick Tighe architects have taken advantage of high-tech modeling techniques and complex manufacturing processes to craft a set of compelling ‘before’ ?images followed impressive real-life ‘after’ photo series. These techniques are available (and emphasized) in part, of course, because of the proximity of Hollywood – a place increasingly packed with 3D designers behind major motion pictures (animated or otherwise).

Starting with the truly blank-slate space of an empty warehouse, this design solution is perhaps not as extreme as it might first seem – it simply adds a new layer within the old, and focuses on creative interior elements rather than drab industrial surroundings.

And lest you think something so extreme could not possibly be sustainable, consider again the approach: a new and different element placed within the old. Removing it would actually be far easier than undoing a more complex and integrated renovation.

The result is a sculptural, stark-white, space-shaping intervention that wraps, winds and twists its way through a black-box void. It almost seems as if the loft were created less to be a luxury living structure and more as a television or film stage. However, it is in LA, so perhaps that is a perfect fit – the best of both actual residential architecture and scenes from imaginary movies.

http://dornob.com/futuristic-la-loft-like-living-in-the-black-white-movies/

OCD Organizers: Set of 7 Modular Desktop Office Products

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:07:43 PDT

Keeping things neat and tidy on your home or work desk can be tough, in part because most objects are made independently – different shapes and sizes from different manufacturers.

This series of square-edged tools (titled Buro – the German word for office) from Lexon makes a conventional organizer obsolete, letting you stack or array items in desk-top towers or drawer-slotted rows. Everything lines up in terms of length and height, from traditional tape dispensers, hole punchers, magnifiers, calculators and calenders to the more contemporary external hard drive most modern offices require.

Block-printed labels alongside the edge (as well as an beautiful range of colors and hues) let you easily pick out what you need for a particular task. This may be more than some of us need, but for those who spend all day sitting at a desk, it is nice to feel like everything around you is ready and waiting for, not distracting from, the work at hand.

This is not Lexon’s first foray into matching series and systems of items, though. They have an anodised aluminum-themed series of professional tools, a cute collection of monochromatic colored radios and a diverse bunch of bamboo-based products as well, all commissioned from various industrial designers. Still, while these are all aesthetically related by materials and aesthetic, there is something compelling about the physical interconnections of the Buro office set.

http://dornob.com/ocd-organizers-set-of-7-modular-desktop-office-products/

Organic Villa Expansion Transforms South African Cottage

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:31:52 PDT

A traditional villa of modest huts forms the core of this home, making the curved addition a beautifully contrasting extension, reaching out into the adjacent forest environs.

Elmo Swart Architects started with a simple gesture – a single arcing steel-framed plane that wraps up the outside of the building, clad partly in permeable bamboo where it forms a lofted outdoor deck.

Local materials inform and soften the stark modern shapes, from packed-earth walls and natural-wood finishes to furniture and furnishings from the old home moved into the new sections.

Inside, the expanded floor plan includes a pair of new studies, a bedroom and a multipurpose entertainment, art gallery and gathering space.

Outside, it hangs over the edge of an partly-underground driveway terminus, cantilevered to both conceal and protect cars parked outdoors below its floors.

http://dornob.com/organic-villa-expansion-transforms-south-african-cottage/

Surf & Turf: Wave-Shaped Home Lofted in FEMA Flood Zone

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:28:37 PDT

Florida beaches can be beautiful … but floods are far from fun (and all too frequent). This house, however, seems to welcome (or challenge) oncoming waves with a huge sweeping arc of its own.

This impressive mid-sized vacation-and-guest residence is situated on a thin barrier island, straddling a forested strip of Casey Key turf sandwiched in surf on both sides.

Designed by Totems Inc to mimic canoe and ship hulls, glue-laminated pine beams bring wooden warmth to the inside (and reference surrounding oaks) while allowing curves that would be impossible with traditional lumber.

Sometimes the best home property insurance for a flood lies in the architecture rather than a contract. Lofting the main living quarters a story above the ground provides built-in management, as damage is much harder to clean up in occupied interior zones (and mold is a serious issue).

The simple main-floor plan consists of a single bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchenette – a cozy bedroom is lofted above. Below, steel pilings sunk directly into the ground prevent root-system damage and provide support if the lower level is flooded.

http://dornob.com/surf-turf-wave-shaped-home-lofted-in-fema-flood-zone/

Futuristic Rooftop Living Room in a Compact Prefab Capsule

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 19:25:17 PDT

Self-contained, portable and prefabricated, this Living Roof idea encapsulates an ideal of mobile and modular urban expansion the only way most cities can still go: up.

Each unit can rotate into various functional configurations and can also exist off the grid; they rely on a highly-insulated exterior shells, a series of solar panels and mini-turbines on either end (that both generate power and pump rainwater to waiting collectors).

Falling somewhere between a UFO and a giant alien football, there is no doubt these portable rooftop pods make a strong visual statement- their additive nature is otherworldly but strangely beautiful.

“Used as an alternative to hotel rooms or as a temporary residence for multi-city dwellers, the Living Roof project exists as individual suites spread throughout the city. Inside, rather than dispersing activities horizontally, a functional ring vertically combines sleep, lounge and work areas.”

“Guests can choose their desired mode and the ring rotates the appropriate module downwards. Luxury, style and ecology are effortlessly provided in the Living Roof. A new urban retreat, a refuge to recover, plan excursions into the city, or simply stare into the stars.”

In numeric order (per the above diagrams) the space(s) include such features as a “seating element, writing desk element, infoscreen/television,Â exterior skin with photovoltaic cells, motorized sun shade louvers, wind turbine, generator and battery packs, wardrobe, entry hatch, shower area, water collection and filtration tanks, cooktop, sink [and] toilet compartment.” Project by adNAU.

http://dornob.com/futuristic-rooftop-living-room-in-a-compact-prefab-capsule/

Crystal Castles: 15 Glittering Glass Buildings

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 20:03:12 PDT

They shimmer in the sunlight, require no artificial lighting during the day and blur the lines between indoors and out, welcoming the landscape into lobbies and living rooms. These 13 buildings make stunning and often unusual use of large amounts of glass, whether choosing it as a facade material around a more conventional building, capitalizing on its dreamy diaphanous effects or using it to visually expand a space (sometimes at the expense of privacy).

Basque Health Department Headquarters, Spain

(images via: archdaily)

The Basque Health Department Headquarters building in Bilbao was in need of an energy-efficient update, but rather than tearing down the whole building and starting anew, Coll-Barreau Architects gave the existing building a faceted glass facade that not only insulates the building, brightens it up and enables ventilation, but also makes a dramatic street-side statement. The unusual shape of the facade was partially the result of strict city zoning rules.

Kanagawa Institute of Technology Glass Building, Japan

(images via: archdaily)

The lines between indoors and out are blurred in the crystalline Kanagawa Institute of Technology studio and workspace, designed by Junya Ishigami and Associates. With floor-to-ceiling glass, the building is totally transparent, giving students an incredibly bright space in which to work during the day, and turning it into a veritable art installation at night. Inside, supportive columns are arranged to subtly define ‘zones’ of the building without walling them in and cutting them off from the rest of the space and all of that natural light.

Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision

(images via: archicentral)

Conceived as a perfect cube with half of it buried beneath the surface of the earth, the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision in Hilversum is a dreamy vision in modern stained glass, gleaming in shades of red, blue and yellow. Housing a museum and offices as well as the national broadcasting archives, the interior design is a conceptual translation of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” with blood-red corridors and an atrium that architects Willem Jan Neutelings and Michiel Reidijk call their “inferno”. The colored glass panels that seem abstract from afar are actually famous images from Dutch television.

Parc du Futuroscope, France

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Vienne, France glitters with a series of brilliant glass buildings that together form Parc du Futuroscope, a theme park based on multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. The faceted cinema is harsh and jagged, calling to mind crystal shards, while L’Omnimax is a sphere encased within a glass box. A third structure, L’Imax 3D, is covered in mirrored glass tiles.

Selgas Cano Architecture Office, Spain

(images via: archdaily)

Most of us work in uninspiring office spaces that seem to have been designed with blandness and disconnection from nature in mind. We can only dream of gazing up at the treetops like the lucky workers who spend their days in the Madrid offices of Spanish architecture practice Selgas Cano. The tube-shaped office is sunken into the ground and features one long wall of windows, giving occupants the feel of being completely immersed in the woods.

Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe, Illinois

(images via: archdaily)

Now considered a classic example of use of glass in clean modern residential architecture, the Farnsworth House by Mies van der Rohe is a pavilion with all-glass walls that tie the residents to their peaceful woodland surroundings. The trees surrounding the home, which is located on a secluded 10-acre site just outside of Chicago, provide some semblance of privacy. The home is raised to be as light as possible on the land. Said van der Rohe of his design, “Nature, too, shall live its own life. We must beware not to disrupt it with the color of our houses and interior fittings. Yet we should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together into a higher unity.”

Glass Cube House by Santambrogiomilano

(images via: design buzz)

Could you live in a glass cube such as this, where even the walls and stairs are transparent? Designed more for aesthetics than practicality, the Glass Home by Carlo Santambrogio and Ennio Arosio was built to showcase the pair’s ‘Simplicity’ line of furniture. While it’s difficult to imagine living life quite this – transparently – the building itself, viewed as an art object, is quite beautiful to behold.

Bloch Building, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Missouri

(images via: stevenholl.com)

Steven Holl’s stunning addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City consists of five interconnected frosted glass boxes that occupy the sculpture park of the much more conventional existing museum. At night they become like paper lanterns in the grass, luminous and seemingly ephemeral. The ‘Bloch Building’ brings the museum, built in 1933, firmly into the 21st century, not only with its unusual exterior but with the visually engaging yet appropriately blank white gallery space inside.

La Estancia Glass Chapel, Mexico

(images via: archdaily)

When a young architect from Bunker Arqutectura wanted to get married at La Estancia Gardens in Mexico, the site owner thought that having the architect design a new chapel for the grounds was an utterly romantic idea. Less romantic were the seemingly endless arguments that followed over the design of the structure; the owner wanted it enclosed and air conditioned, the architect envisioned it open to the elements. The owner preferred a traditional look, the architect desired a modern aesthetic. What resulted is a compromise. To prevent an unwanted greenhouse effect, Bunker used U-profiled glass panes that fit together as a single membrane, allowing ventilation.

Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Center, Spain

(images via: salva del saz)

Resembling an oblong glass bubble from above, the Feria Valencia Convention and Exhibition Center reflects into a perfect sphere when viewed from the opposite side of the shallow pond that leads up to its entrance. In fact, the stunning glass structure is only the building’s roof. Most of the four-story convention center is underground.

ItHouse by Taalman Koch, California

(images via: inhabitat)

This gorgeous prefab house is located in a serene desert setting outside of Joshua Tree National Park in a planned community called Three Junipers. The itHouse, by Taalman Koch Architects, is primarily constructed of glass panels that fit into aluminum frames. Powered solely by photovoltaic and solar thermal energy, the house is off-grid and has a relatively small footprint at 1600 square feet.

X House by Arquitectura X, Quito, Ecuador

(images via: archdaily)

Designing their home without a site in mind, Adrian Moreno Nunez and Maria Samaniego Ponce focused on a design that would fit pretty much anywhere: “an open ended box, whose spatial limits would be the eastern and western ranges of the Andes.” They chose glass because it provides an unlimited sense of space and, in their year-round temperate climate, would not pose any problems with greenhouse effect or lack of sufficient insulation.

Langen Foundation by Tadao Ando, Germany

(images via: wikimedia commons)

Located in Neuss, Germany at the Raketenstation Hombroich, a former NATO base, the Langen Foundation is a museum storing the collection of Oriental Art and Modern Art. Visitors enter this Tadao Ando-designed complex through a cutout in a curving concrete wall, their eyes immediately drawn to the building’s distinctive glass envelope. This envelope not only provides covered corridors around the concrete core, but also reflects on the shallow man-made pond upon which it is partially set.

http://weburbanist.com/2011/06/24/crystal-castles-15-glittering-glass-buildings/

Inspiring Spires: A Celebration Of The Kuwait Towers

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:45:55 PDT

Kuwait officially achieved independence 50 years ago today, so please join us in celebrating the country’s most famous architectural monuments, the Kuwait Towers. Designed by Swedish architects and built by a Yugoslav construction firm in the 1970s, this trio of soaring spires spearheads the tiny, wealthy Persian Gulf nation’s march into a second half-century of oil-based prosperity.

Liquid Gold

(image via: Fasi_Cooldude)

The Kuwait Towers (Burjan al-Kuwait) are located in downtown Kuwait City, just off the seaward side of Arabian Gulf Street. They occupy a promontory shaped like the curled haft of a traditional dagger that juts into Kuwait Bay.

(images via: Icukuwait, Arabic Pictures and Hussain Shah)

There are no other highrise buildings in the general area of the Kuwait Towers, which contributes to their easy visibility and popularity with photographers. Since the Kuwait Towers officially opened in March of 1979, they have come to symbolize the wealth and prosperity that has boosted this formerly sleepy backwater into the world’s eleventh richest country per capita.

(images via: Graham Neff Photos, Kuwait Towers and Abhisculpture)

The reference to “liquid gold”? It obviously refers to Kuwait’s immense oil wealth: although it ranks just 157th by size, the country boasts the world’s fifth largest oil reserves. It can also refer to water, a precious commodity in this hot, dry, desert country. Though they may not look like water towers, storing water is actually the primary function of the Kuwait Towers: two large spherical tanks on the towers hold a combined 4,500 cubic meters (158,915 cu ft) of water.

Tanks a Lot

(image via: Spirit Whisper)

The idea of building the Kuwait Towers dates back to 1962, less than a year after Kuwait achieved its independence from Great Britain. The design by Swedish architects Sune Lindström and Malene Björn of Vatten-Byggnadsbyzan (VBB) received official approval in 1971 and when it finally came time to put shovels to earth (or sand, in this case), Belgrade-based contractor Union-Inzenjering was called in with most of the structural work performed in 1975 and 1976.

(images via: Psycho Milt, Indica-In-Q8 and Spirit Whisper)

The Kuwait Towers pleasingly express a combination of modern architectural themes and traditional Islamic design, with comparisons being made to slender minarets and the blue-tiled mosques of Bukhara and Samarkand.

(image via: Gary Brown)

In the case of the Kuwait Towers, however, instead of ceramic tiles the spherical exteriors of the water tanks are covered by 55,000 circular plates of Chinese steel tinted in eight different colors. The concrete portions of the towers are painted white and are tipped with aluminum for protection from lightning. In 1980, the Kuwait Towers were awarded the coveted Aga Khan prize for Islamic architecture.

(images via: DiaTribe and Kuwait Government Online)

All three towers are mainly made of reinforced concrete but that’s where a little individuality sets in. Let’s crunch some numbers: the main tower is the tallest of the trio, standing 187 meters (613.5 ft) in height. A large water tank is built into the main tower’s lower portion and just above it, at the 82 meter (269 ft) mark, you’ll find the Ofok Restaurant and two other eateries.

(images via: Kuwait Diary and Kuwait Government Online)

Higher up on the main tower at the 123 meter (403.55 ft) level, a second, smaller “Viewing Sphere” rotates once every half hour giving visitors on the observation deck a magnificent 360 degree view of Kuwait City and its environs including the nearby AquaPark.

(images via: Travel-Images, JourneyMart, Teach Anywhere) and CreativeSam)

The 145.8 meter (478.35 ft) high second tower serves purely as a water tower with a capacity of one million gallons. The third, or “small” tower, standing 113 meters (370.75 ft) high, contains electrical equipment and a bank of lights that illuminate the other two towers at night.

Saddam It So Much!

(image via: Jun See)

The First Gulf War began on August 2nd, 1990, when Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded Kuwait on the pretext of seizing back his country’s “lost 19th province.” It wasn’t until mid-January of 1991 that American-led coalition forces began air bombardments against the Iraqi Army and following a 100-hour ground campaign that began on February 25th, Kuwait regained its sovereignty. Seven months of Iraqi occupation, however, had left an ugly mark on Kuwait.

(images via: ImageState and Heritage Images)

The sabotaging of hundreds of Kuwaiti oil wells as part of a “scorched earth” policy is well documented, but Saddam’s troops were also responsible for other actions intended to erase all reminders of an independent Kuwait. One of these actions concerned the Kuwait Towers. Besides causing damage to the towers’ exteriors with gunfire and shrapnel, Iraqi soldiers intentionally destroyed the towers’ electrical utilities and vandalized interior facilities. One supposes it could have been worse.

(images via: CIMorelli)

Lest we be accused of overly demonizing the Iraqi’s, let the record show that Coalition forces made their own mark, as it were, on the Kuwait Towers.

(images via: Darcos and HD TravelPictures)

Throughout the balance of 1991 and well into 1992, damage sustained to the Kuwait Towers (estimated to be 70 percent) was repaired and essential technical and comfort facilities were restored to their original condition. Repairing the damage cost an estimated KD 2 million. It was an inspirational occasion for proud Kuwaiti citizens when, on December 26th of 1992, the Kuwait Towers were officially re-opened to the public by Finance Minister and Planning Minister Nasser Al-Roudhan.

Towers Of Power

(images via: Salah El-Deen Times and Kuwaits Blog)

Although the 50th anniversary of Kuwait’s independence occurs on June 19th, 2011, the country has denoted February 25th as Kuwait’s National Day and February 26th as Liberation Day. Can we expect the sky above Kuwait City’s waterfront to be lit up with fireworks once again on June 19th? If so, you can also count on the Kuwait Towers taking center stage in the celebrations, as over the past 30-odd years they’ve emerged as the most famous visual symbol of the nation.

Here’s a spectacular video of some of the fantastic fireworks displays and light shows taken on February 25thh, with the Kuwait Towers stealing the limelight:

National Day of Kuwait 2011 (Al-Nasheed Al-Watani), via BuzaidGT

(images via: David Henderson, Pamatid Sandness and Lonely Planet)

2011 was an extra special year for Kuwait as it was deemed “50-20-5”: the 50th year of Independence, the 20th year since Liberation after the Gulf War, and the 5th year of Ascension of the current Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

(images via: Cajie)

Thanks to Cajie (Cajetan Barretto) for both capturing the strikingly sublime beauty of this year’s celebrations and posting them online for all of us to enjoy and appreciate!

(image via: Coloribus)

Though a host of new and soon-to-open skyscrapers will eclipse the Kuwait Towers in height, the waterfront trio won’t give up their symbolic resonance as easily. When in 50 years celebrations begin in honor of Kuwait’s centennial, it’s certain that the iconic Kuwait Towers will not only still be standing, but will stand tallest in the hearts and minds of Kuwait’s people.

http://weburbanist.com/2011/06/19/inspiring-spires-a-celebration-of-the-kuwait-towers/

Brew with a View: 13 of the World’s Coolest Rooftop Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:51:27 PDT

Top-shelf cocktails, fine cuisine and unparalleled views of some of the most exciting cities in the world – what can beat that? These 13 sky bars represent the coolest, most chic rooftop recreation spots in Bangkok, London, Mexico City, Melbourne and of course, New York. Fire pits, live music, movies and stargazing only serve to sweeten the experience.

Sky Bar at Sirocco, Bangkok, Thailand

(images via: femtalks)

Ascend to the heights of one of Bangkok’s top luxury hotels – the second-tallest building in the city – and gaze over the glass walls of the rooftop deck at the sprawling metropolis below. Not only does The Dome State Tower boast the visually thrilling Sky Bar, but the adjoining restaurant, Sirocco, is said to serve food that’s even more impressive than the view.

Rooftop Cinema, Melbourne, Australia

(images via: world architecture news)

This might just be the coolest movie theater in Australia. Oh, yeah, and they serve alcoholic drinks, too – what more can you ask for? Owned and operated by a team of artists, the Rooftop Cinema plays classic, current and art-house films in the open air on the top of a six-story building. Sit back and relax in a colorful striped deck chair and just try not to be distracted by the bustle of the city around you.

The Penthouse, Madrid, Spain

(images via: memadrid.com)

Take in the heart of Madrid from The Penthouse, a skybar owned by entrepreneur Rande Gerber and frequented by stars of both the celebrity and celestial variety. The bar’s open until 3AM but you’d better arrive early, because the view here is so sought-after, there’s always a long line to get in. Find it at the top of Hotel ME Madrid Reina Victoria in Plaza Santa Ana.

The Strand Hotel, New York, New York

(images via: thestrandnyc.com)

Chosen by New York Magazine as Manhattan’s coolest rooftop bar, The Top of the Strand offers a jaw-dropping view of the Empire State Building four blocks away. With visuals dreamed up by Sex and the City set designer Lydia Marks, The Strand skybar dazzles, keeping patrons warm on chilly nights with an unusual retractable glass roof.

Moon, Las Vegas, Nevada

(images via: palms.com)

A wild smashup of the Playboy Club and the Palms, Moon is one of Las Vegas’ hottest tickets. Located on the 53rd floor of the hotel’s ‘Fantasy Tower’, the space age-themed Moon features a large central dance floor with color-changing tiles surrounded by VIP booths, all offering unparalleled views of The Strip.

Vertigo & Moon Bar, Banyon Tree Bangkok, Thailand

(images via: banyantree.com)

One of the highest al fresco bars in the Asia Pacific, the Moon Bar seems to hover like a spaceship over the chaotic streets of Bangkok. Sip cocktails and partake in canapes, or stroll over to The Vertigo restaurant adjacent to the bar and enjoy premium western cuisine like seafood and steaks. Both the Moon Bar and Vertigo are located on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Bangkok Hotel.

Gravity, Dublin, Ireland

(images via: bjaglin, savagesteve)

If you’re visiting Dublin, you’ve got to go to the Guinness Storehouse, where Guinness beer is fermented – and naturally, once you’re done taking a tour and working up an appetite for dark yeasty beverages, you’ll want to sit down and enjoy a proper pint. There’s no better place than Gravity, the seventh floor bar with a 360-degree view of the city of Dublin. The glass panels of the walls are printed with James Joyce quotes that relate to landmarks in the distance.

KU DÉ TA at Sands Skypark, Singapore

(images via: marinabaysands.com, senatus)

Ever since they pulled off an impressive feat of architecture by topping three 55-story towers with a ‘sky deck’, Marina Bay Sands has become one of Singapore’s ultimate destinations. Just wandering around the SkyPark could keep you busy all day, and when you’re ready to relax, you can take a seat at KU DÉ TA, a rooftop oasis with the SkyPark’s signature views and one of the world’s most stunning infinity pools.

Rooftop Bar, Standard Hotel, Los Angeles

(images via: bestclubsin.com)

Not only can you catch a stunning view of downtown Los Angeles from atop the Standard Hotel, you can catch a flick projected onto a neighboring skyscraper. The Standard features a dance floor, a pool with curving white lounge chairs and a patio with red waterbed ‘pods’ where you can relax and gaze out at the city.

Luna Bar, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

(images via: ariaski, shayan)

If you want to take in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur – with a drink in hand – look no further than the Luna Bar. On the 34th floor of the Pacific Regency Hotel, beside the KL Tower, the Luna Bar has both upper and lower deck seating areas offering a 360-degree view as well as a tempting swimming pool.

Top of the Gherkin, London, England

(images via: searcys.co.uk)

It may be small but the top floor bar at London’s 30 St. Mary Axe, affectionately known as The Gherkin, is an unforgettable experience. Gaze out the geometric windows at the highest bar in London and get a panoramic view of the city, from a vantage point nearly 600 feet above the ground. Not just anyone can waltz in and have a drink here, however; it’s a very exclusive private lounge and dining club.

Aer at the Four Seasons, Mumbai, India

(images via: fourseasons.com)

Mumbai’s highest rooftop bar is perched atop the chic Four Seasons Hotel, covering the entire roof of the 34th floor. Aer features modern white furniture and a glass balcony wall that might just give you a little bit of vertigo if you approach it too quickly.

Condesa DF Rooftop Bar, Mexico City, Mexico

(images via: mr and mrs smith)

The serenity of this rooftop bar, surrounded by lots of greenery, will almost make you forget you’re in one of the busiest cities in the world. The rooftop spa bar at the Condesa DF, a small boutique hotel in Mexico City, features a triangular space of dark wooden decking where sushi is served. Expect lots of charm and character: the wedge-shaped building itself is an architectural landmark from 1928 and it’s located in a very boho-chic neighborhood.

http://weburbanist.com/2011/06/20/brew-with-a-view-13-of-the-worlds-coolest-rooftop-bars/

Rain Collecting Skyscraper Cuts Water Usage

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:55:19 PDT

By Steph

Gutters aren’t pretty. Most architects, given the choice, try to find a way to conceal them so they don’t turn an elegant roofline into a clunky mess. But when it comes to the ‘Capture the Rain’ skyscraper, gutters are perhaps the most important element of the structure, and they’ve been integrated in a way that makes them a design statement of their own accord.

Designed by Polish architecture students Ryszard Rychlicki and Agnieszka Nowak, ‘Capture the Rain’ aims to harvest enough rainwater to supplement the daily needs of its 500 residents. Calculating the amount of water consumed by one person on a daily basis and comparing it to average annual rainfall in New York, the designers determined that with a large enough roof surface, they could reduce water usage by over 25%.

The core of the building is essentially a funnel, with a concave rooftop that acts as a pool for rainwater. Beneath the roof is large reservoir, from which water is sent into reed fields for natural filtering. The gutters that swirl around the exterior of the building, modeled on the ribbed surface of a leaf, collect additional water which is pumped from an underground tank up to the rooftop filtering system.

The designers imagine that this harvested rainwater could be used for such purposes as cleaning, watering plants and flushing toilets. Municipal water would be reserved for drinking, cooking and bathing. Such designated usage, say the architects, could help Americans get unsustainable water consumption habits under control.

http://webecoist.com/2011/03/18/rain-collecting-skyscraper-cuts-water-usage/

Floating Green Home Sets Sail w/ Solar Panel Power System

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 26 May 2011 04:28:35 PDT

One of the biggest problems of truly living on the water is, of course, power: where do you plug in your floating home when you are off on an adventure, or simply spending some time a little ways out from the shore? Solar power is an obvious solution to living off the grid and on the ocean, but this design is stunning even aside from its sustainable off-the-grid energy strategies.

This award-winning design from RAFAA Architecture & Design has not only already won awards but – unlike so many similar visionary concept designs – is also scheduled for actual mass-production, so you should be able to buy (or at least rent) one in the next few years. Its shape is both seductive but also sensible – a creative blend of boating curves and house-like walls, livable layouts and functional floor plans.

It has two floors – a lower level with the mechanical, plumbing and other behind-the-scenes systems that make the boat work and a second story with living, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom spaces (divided by screens and partition walls as needed from one another).

The title has a bit of a wordplay mystery: called the “Last Resort”, this floating house is perhaps a safer way to escape the end of the world than a land-locked bomb shelter would be, though, and certainly more stylish setting from which to watch the planet implode.

http://dornob.com/floating-green-home-sets-sail-w-solar-panel-power-system/

90° Furniture Makes Your World Super Flat!

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:18:12 PDT

So you aren’t satisfied with your folding chairs, huh? You say that your sleeping bag isn’t cutting it anymore. You want true flatness. You want to be able to really fold your furniture up. Kaptein and Bolt will flatten it out for you. Here’s 90° Furniture for your paper-thin, flippy-floppy world.

90° Furniture described by its designers Louwrien Kaptein and Menno Bolt:

Een interieur voor een antikraakbewoner/kunstenaar, bestaande uit 4 delen:
werkunit
zit- en slaapunit
kookunit
opbergunit
Twee gesloten panelen draaien open tot een hoek van 90˚. Ieder onderdeel is een ruimteverdeler en een functioneel meubel, naar believen in of uit te klappen. Het interieur is gemakkelijk te (ver)plaatsen en is toepasbaar in elke ruimte.

And in English!

An interior for an [artist] consisting of 4 parts:
Work Unit
Sitting and Sleeping Unit
Cooking Unit
Storage Unit
Two closed panels rotate open to an angle of 90 degrees. Each component is a room divider and a functional piece of furniture, allowing unlimited combinations. The interior is easy to replace and is applicable to each room.

I imagine these working best in places where they reach floor to ceiling. Yes? More room needed, and quite possibly more attention necessary payed unto unused space. This project also reminds one of a [similar project] made of cardboard. Possibly some recycled materials are in the 90° future?

Also if the translation has terrible mistakes, please notify! Noone hates bad Dutch translations more than me!

Designers: Louwrien Kaptein & Menno Bolt

http://www.yankodesign.com/2008/12/02/90-furniture-makes-your-world-super-flat/

Living and Breathing

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 02:04:12 PDT

Is Mongolia the hot spot for fringe architects? #27 of the Ordos Project in Inner Mongolia sets up another precedent for avant garde but functional design. We recently wrote about #35 of the Ordos Project – an underground home that takes advantage of the ground’s natural insulation. #27 deals with the extreme elements by a “skin and lung” concept.

The home is wrapped in a dark textured brick facade. The interior space is augmented by a huge “x” all in white plaster. Both materials change their density to deal with heat, cold, light, and air. The idea of the inner lung expanding and contracting isn’t literal, but more of a variance applied to their volumes.

Architects: Multiplicities via Arch Daily

Cross Section

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Moscow By The Pier

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:45:45 PDT

Agreed that Moscow is more famous for The Trinity, Red Square and Kremlin but you can’t ignore the beautiful Moskva River that flows through the city. Andrew Bedov wants to ensure that you don’t forget it, by constructing the enchanting Auqlis Pier. It promises to be the hub of connectivity, with water buses plying commuters upstream and down, with infrastructure akin to subways and metros. The waterbus station is planned in such a way, that it allows the commuters to enjoy the natural beauty of the river, while waiting for their ride.

Designer: Andrew Bedov

http://www.yankodesign.com/2009/06/12/moscow-by-the-pier/

One Fantastical Technology Campus

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:22:16 PDT

Those architecture masters over at UNStudio have their work cut out for them, and they’ve got the knives to do it. Today their project is Plot A of the Singapore University of Technology and Design campus (SUTD.) This location is Singapore’s fourth and most prestigious university, located on a site equalling 76,846 m². This set of buildings will be a place where technological innovation and economic growth will be driven, where advancement is their middle name, where people, ideas, and innovation spring forth and flourish!

This university will be built around four “key academic pillars:” Architecture and Sustainable Design (ASD), Engineering Product Development (EPD), Engineering Systems and Design (ESD) and Information Systems Technology and Design (ISTD). It’s around those pillars, the curriculum offered at the school, interaction between the disciplines, the professional world, and the community “at large” that UNStudio hopes to build this one-day-spectacular campus.

UNStudio’s Ben van Berkel has this to say about the project:

“The main aim of the design for the Singapore University of Technology and Design was to create a campus that celebrates both teaching and learning in an open and transparent way. The network of horizontal, vertical and diagonal vistas within the double quadrant organisation of the campus enables professors, students and faculty members to see, meet and communicate with each other through a network of crossing points, presenting opportunities for continuous interaction and exchange.”

The largest points of organization in the campus’s design are the LIVING and the LEARNING “spines” which cross, creating a central point at which all corners of the SUTD campus meet. It is through these connecting points that professionals, alumni, students, and faculty cross paths on the daily. Take a peek and think about enrolling someday!

Additional credits and details:

Building surface: Phase I: 88,000 m2, Phase II 125,000 m2 Total : 213,000 m2 Building volume: Phase I: 422,400 m3: Phase II: 600,000 m3 Total : 1,022,400 m3
Building site: 76,846 m2 Programme: University Campus Status: Competition
Credits
UNStudio: Ben van Berkel, Caroline Bos, Astrid Piber with Christian Veddeler, Jordan Trachtenberg and Ren Horng Yee, Adi Utama, Jeff Johnson, Melissa Lui  
DPA: Chan Sui Him, Teoh Hai Pin, Jeremy Tan, Seah Chee Huang, Wykeith Ng, Liew Kok Fong, Wang Ying, Yeong Weng Fai, Jaye Tan.
Advisors
Structural consultant: Arup Singapore Pte Ltd Primary cost analysis: KPK Quantity Surveyors (Singapore) Pte Ltd

Designers: UNStudio

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/11/29/one-fantastical-technology-campus/

Scratch Art: U.S. Dollars Sculpted Into Incredible Works

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:36:21 PDT

By Delana

Where art is concerned, is the medium as important as the message? In his 2011 exhibition Noblesse Oblige, tattoo artist Scott Campbell explores some unconventional materials that call into question our perceptions of that unique relationship. His series of carvings made of uncut U.S. currency throw together unparalleled opulence (wasting money) and working-class imagery.

Campbell’s history as a tattoo artist shows through in the images he carves into huge stacks of American money. Relying heavily on skulls, skeletons, butterflies and other pictures that would be at home in the pages of a flash book in a tattoo studio, these unusual sculptures are truly a study in differences.

The most-publicized piece of the show, a three-dimensional skull in a box, is made up of more than $11,000 in stacked, uncut sheets of real currency. The money speaks of opulence and privilege, but the skull inside brings to mind a far more down-to-earth mentality.

These pieces, with their tattoo art sensibilities and the over-the-top abundance of their materials, present a strange type of experience for fine art lovers. Much like the artists who paint with their own blood or box up their own excrement, the medium changes the message.

Imagine the same pieces carved instead into plain white paper. They would be considerably less striking, regardless of the obvious skill of their creator. We are drawn to juxtapositions like these because, collectively, we enjoy the visual surprises that come from fine art being rendered in an unexpected medium.

http://weburbanist.com/2011/04/06/scratch-art-u-s-dollars-sculpted-into-incredible-works//

2011 Skyscraper Competition, Top 35

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:16:11 PDT

The 2011 Skyscraper Competition is an endeavor to revolutionize efforts, vision and passion that architects put into building our future infrastructure. The projects have been adjudged for their use of new technologies, materials, programs, aesthetics and spatial organizations, along with studies on globalization, flexibility, adaptability, and the digital revolution. Hosted by the eVolo Magazine, the focus of the jury has been to pick out those ideas that understand architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments.

First Place: LO2P: Delhi Recycling Center by Atelier CMJN, Julien Combes & Gaël Brulé

LO2P skyscraper is destined for New Delhi, the highly polluted capital city of India. Reminding you of the London Eye, this Ferris wheel like structure is built using old cars recycled for sourcing building material for the new structure. The surrounding air will be purified through a series of large-scale greenhouses that serve as filters. Another set of rotating filters capture the suspended particles in the air while the waste heat and carbon dioxide from the recycling center are used to grow plants that in turn produce bio-fuels.

Second Place: Flat Tower by Yoann Mescam, Paul-Eric Schirr-Bonnans & Xavier Schirr-Bonnans

The Flat Tower is a new high-density typology that features a medium-height dome structure with perforated cell-like skylights. The dome’s large surface area is the ideal location to harvest solar energy and collect rainwater. The structure houses community recreational facilities at the ground level, residential and office are located at the upper cells. An automated transportation system connects all the units, which are different shapes according to their program. This project has been designed for the city of Rennes, France, in an old industrial area but can be adapted to fit any location.

Third Place: Re-imagining the Hoover Dam by Yheu-Shen Chua

At the present moment one can visit the Hoover Dam and partake amenities like a viewing platform, a bridge, and a gallery. But the problem is that they are located at different areas of the site. With this redesign project, Yheu-Shen Chua brings together all the focal points of the amenities plus adds in a vertical aquarium to enthrall the visitors.

Honorable Mentions

NeoTax: Three-dimensional City Grid by Studio DMTW – Marc Anton Dahmen, Rene Lierschaft & Anna-Maria Wiedekind

NeoTax is basically a three-dimensional city grid that is organized in a horizontal and vertical street grid. The network is based on a modular system where each module can be viewed as a separate quarter or neighborhood.

PoroCity: Rehabilitation for Mumbai, India by Khushalani Associates – Rajiv Khushalani, Thomas Kariath & Mihir Sanganee

Dharavi in Mumbai is one of the largest slums in the world and the Porocity is an effort to rehabilitate this area. The design is derived from a progressive subdivision of a right-angled Sierpenski’s Pyramid. Features include small self-divisible units that are 3m x 9m blocks, divided into collective housing units with north facing terraces, community spaces, small-scale infrastructure like clinics and supermarkets, educational institutions, factories, and offices. It is a car-free environment where means of vertical, horizontal and diagonal access is through elevators, moving walks, escalators, and funiculars.

Tower for the Dead by Israel López Balan, Elsa Mendoza Andrés, Moisés Adrián & Hernández García

This project is an underground vertical cemetery for Mexico City.

Fish Tower by Hsing-O Chiang

The Fish Tower is a prototype for a vertical fish farm that could be up to 30 times more efficient than traditional farms. It features a fisherman’s market and visitors center at ground level. The fish farms are designed based on the research and analysis of habitation and movement of specific fish species. Finally there is a section that is dedicated to R&D.

Sports Tower by Sergiy Prokof`yev & Olga Prokof`yeva

Sports Tower is a vertical complex that accommodates a variety of sports facilities in one site.

RE:pH – Coastscraper by Gary Kellett

The underpinning concept for the Coastalscraper is to reduce the acid levels of the oceans by adding fossilized Coccolithophores to the water. The perfect location for the project is the southeast corner of England, with a vast geological swathe of Coccolithophore (white chalk) spanning from the outskirts of London, and terminating in what is known as The White Cliffs of Dover.

Iceberg Autonomy: Oil Recovery by Akram Fahmi

The Iceberg Autonomy is an enclave, a seascraper of suspended oil collectors and separators – a new water-world in constant navigation.

Tourist City Skyscraper by Francisco Villeda, Heechan Park, Wouter Dons & Sandra Fleischmann

Tourist City is a proposed cluster of mega-structures in Cancun, Mexico that will keep a check on unplanned urban sprawling.

Rhizome Tower: A Thousand Underground Plateaus by Enrico Tognoni, Federico Tinti & Davide Mariani

The Rhizome Tower is an underground city and something out of a surreal fantasy! It’s essentially a ‘Groundscraper’ that harvests natural resources above and below ground while creating a new living typology. The idea is to cultivate a self-sufficient underground city and maybe even develop a nation or two in the process! The entire setup is divided into 4 layers that is organized around a central core. The first layer is above the surface and contains the recreational, and food production facilities, with agriculture fields, farms, and glasshouses. The entire façade is covered with photovoltaic cells to harvest solar energy and specific locations are also equipped with wind turbines. The second layer, approximately 60 levels, is the residential part, with a diverse range of living quarters according to family sizes. The third and fourth layers are used as offices, and service areas with the deepest part of the project dedicated to the study and harvest of geothermal energy.

Borough no. 6 – New York City by John Houser

Borough no. 6 occupies the space between 22nd and 14th street and 6th and 7th avenue in New York City. This grid-like structure houses infrastructure like train stations, parks, homes, offices etc. The ideal urban Utopia!

Singapore’s Waterfront by Giorgi Khmaladze

As the name suggests, Singapore’s Waterfront is intended as an extension of the financial district in Singapore. The structure emphasizes on the proper harvesting of resources like rainwater, natural ventilation and sunlight. The tower is positioned at a 20-degree angle to the site to face the nearby waterfront. Each residence or villa consists of a two-storey apartment and shaded private garden. A hotel and offices are located in the middle levels, where the porosity of the building changes from a series of small openings to larger ones.

Moonscraper by Luis Quinones

Lets go and live on the moon, the Shackleton Crater Rim on the South Pole of the Moon! No kidding, this project is located precisely there and it looks at moon being our home-sweet-home of the future!

Floating Olympic Complex by Andrew Chow Wai Tat, Tao Huang & Xue Liang Zhang

The main idea behind the Floating Olympic Complex is to create the first vertical Olympic architecture with large-scale inverted skyscrapers that will serve as host to the games and will later be transformed into a floating city with housing, offices, recreational areas, and infrastructure already in place. The design has several inspirational references, which include an umbrella shell structure, mushroom, and stalactite formations. This project is envisioned for the forthcoming games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

North Pole Skyscraper: A Trading Post for the World’s Freight Industry by Borja Muguiro

Proposed as the hub for shipping activities in the Arctic region, the North Pole Skyscraper slices vertically through the Arctic ice-shelf. It is an open structure that holds containers in multiple levels or platforms that serve as transaction posts between countries.

The On Demand Experience by Benjamin Feenstra & Jelmer Frank Wijnia

Here is a futuristic concept where the facilities arrive at your doorstep without you having to budge an inch! You need a golf course, a doctor, a movie…. demand and it will be there!

Waste Collector Skyscraper by Agata Sander & Tomek Kujawski

The Waste Collector Skyscraper is a recycling plant in the middle of the city. This specific project is designed for the Huangpu district in Shanghai, China. The structure has the potential to recycle 400 tons of MSW daily, in a comprehensive, clean, and self-sufficient process without intensive land use.

Hopetel: Transitional High-rise Housing by Asaf Dali

Here is a project based on transit housing for folks left roofless due to the economic crunch and calamities. An external skeleton with an open-scheme floor plan provides the base for internal tent structures and basic amenities like beds, showers etc. Shared amenities like laundry, storage and kitchen are also provided for.

3D Green: Vertical Farmland Inserted in an Existing Urban Fabric by Yiqing Jiang & Ying Tao

This project examines the idea of developing a vertical park and farm between skyscrapers in Shanghai, China.

Seeds of Life Skyscraper by Osama Mohamed Elghannam, Karim Mohamed Elnabawy, Mohamed Ahmed Khamis & Nesma Mohamed Abobakr

A dwelling for the newly liberated Cairo is based upon construction materials sourced from the recycled waste gathered from the city’s bin. The project is composed of an exoskeleton where different types of living and working units could be plugged-in.

Living Mountain: Solving Overpopulation by Anna-Maria Simatou & Marianthe Dendrou

The Living Mountain is a city-like skyscraper for one of the Earth’s harshest environments: the desert of Taklamakan, in the northwestern region of China. This high-rise structure mingles with man-made lakes and the housing areas are percieved as “living pods” of 2,000 square-feet with easy access to all the facilities. Rainwater is collected and circulated on top of the super-structure and freely cascades to the atrium while filtering the air and promoting the growth of indoor vegetation. Quite an oasis in the desert!

Tree of Life Skyscraper by Svirid Denis & Gudzenko Anastasiya

The Tree of Life is a skyscraper proposal for open mines around the world with an autonomous ecosystem. The lower end of the structure or the root, hosts the power station that harvests geothermal energy and includes a subterranean water purification plant. The stem is an external frame that provides stability to the structure. Pneumatic elevators offer transportation and the crown hosts the public area with housing sectors, offices, schools, and entertainment facilities. Attached to these structures there are a series of pods or terraces that are used as geoponic greenhouses, covered with solar panels and wind turbines.

Hydra Skyscraper by Milos Vlastic, Vuk Djordjevic, Ana Lazovic & Milica Stankovic

Hydra is a skyscraper that looks into the possibility of using Hydrogen power for consumption. The power is produced through electrolysis and could be stored in batteries and transported by truck, pipes or cables. The structure’s exoskeleton is built from grapheme. The project aims to harvest energy from lightning storms and store the power in several mega-batteries located at the base. It also features a research facility, housing, and recreational areas for scientists and their families.

Oil Platforms Transformed into Sustainable Seascrapers by YoungWan Kim, SueHwan Kwun, JunYoung Park & JoongHa Park

This project aims at transforming oil platforms around the world into sustainable seascrapers that produce and store fresh water. A modernized rig with all futuristic housing facilities.

Tensile Tower by David Gull & Jin Young Song

In the Tensile Tower project tensile cables suspended from the top of the mega column support the perimeter edges of the floor slabs. These cables spiral the tower at an angle in both directions, creating a diagonal configuration that provides resistance to torsion and overall stability.

Elevated Connectivity by Adam Nakagoshi, Thao Nguyen

The three-tier Elevated Connectivity is a high-rise proposal that creates a new urban grid above the city by connecting existing skyscrapers. The ground floor remains public and mainly used for transportation. The middle layer is dedicated to residences and offices while the third strata houses leisure and entertainment activities.

Rollin’ and Tumble: Vertical Amusement Park for Times Square by Dalho Yang & Seungdon Jung

The name says it all; a rollercoaster for the famous Times Square! It is an exploration of transportation in three dimensions, which has never been tested and tries to break the norm of using elevators and horizontal corridors.

Barbed-wire Skyscraper by Hyunbeom Cho, JinKyu Pak, HongSup Kim, Jiwon Kim

The Barbe-wire Skyscraper is based on the idea of a unified Korea in the near future and the importance of preserving the untouched natural habitat of the DMZ. The intention is to showcase museum and ecological reserve, where visitors will enjoy different sports facilities and outdoor recreational areas.

Lady Landfill Skyscraper by Milorad Vidojević, Jelena Pucarević & Milica Pihler

Lady Landfill Skyscraper is a bid to remove the Great Pacific Garbage Patch via a series of underwaterscrapers or floating islands. The structure comprises of self-sustained nodes that are organized by function hierarchy with four communication cores that connect three main programs – collectors at the bottom, recycling plant in the middle levels, and housing and recreational levels atop.

Kinetic Skyscraper by Victor Kopieikin & Pavlo Zabotin

The Kinetic Skyscraper has three main programs with a geothermal plant at the base, housing and offices in the upper levels, and a solar plant powered by thousands of photovoltaic panels on the façade. It even features a slew of kinetic housing units attached to a main exoskeleton. These units resemble a flower and are able to open, close, and direct towards sunlight.

Chernobyl Skyscrapers Network by Mengni Zhang

Chernobyl Skyscrapers Network is the reconstruction of a post apocalyptic environment around the Chernobyl power plant, Ukraine.

White Cloud Skyscraper by Adrian Vincent Kumar, Yun Kong Sung

The White Cloud Project is an air purification network of skyscrapers and is shaped as inverted buildings with ample public space at its base and residence and offices clustered on top. A fine membrane that cleans the air through an ingenious filtering process covers the structure. The air particles are trapped by the cloth-like structure and washed away by a constant mist. At the same time the collected dust is transported through a secondary branching system to a brick factory on the bottom.

Coalesce Skyscraper by Justin Oh

The final height of this skyscraper has not yet been decided, as perpetual development of the project has continued for more than twenty years! What is evident is that over the years, the distinct architectural style of each year, is reflected in each developing layer.

http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/03/09/35-amazing-award-winning-skyscraper-designs/

A Bus Can Be Sexy

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:57:10 PDT

Unlike many car-goers in Los Angeles, I will hop on the bus any chance I can get! I’m sure if the LA Metro looked anything like the Cityline concept others would be more inclined to use what I like to refer to as- my “public chauffeur”. The daytime LEDs add to it’s futuristic look, and I particularly love the way the windows merge seamlessly with the exterior panels and roof to create a smooth silhouette.

Designers: Rafal Pilat & Michal Bonikowski

http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/04/01/a-bus-can-be-sexy/

Galleria Centercity

noreply@blogger.com (Sastrawan Indra) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:53:20 PDT

It’s called the Galleria Centercity in Cheonan South Korea, designed to respond to the current retail climate in Asia. It’s a massive department store that also operates as a social a semi-cultural meeting place – a museum if you will.

Rather than being the outcome of a prescriptive, standard-critical approach, the design of the galleria is based on observations of current behavioural tendencies in large commercial spaces. Particularly in South East Asia, department stores serve a highly social function; people meet, gather, eat, drink and both shop and window shop in these venues. The department store is no longer solely a commercial space, it now offers the architect the opportunity to build upon and expand the social and cultural experience of the visitor. If today we are seeing the museum as a supermarket, then we are also now seeing the department store as a museum.

The exterior is a sight to be marveled at. The double layered facades are articulated in a trompe l’oeuil pattern of vertical mullions. The vertical lines on the façade make the scale of the building unreadable; does it contain three floor levels, or fifteen? On the inside, this play with scale and dimension is continued in a way that is at least as radical as the outside. Upon entering, the department store is revealed as a layered and varied space which encourages investigation and unfolds as you move through and up the building.

Programmatically, the Galleria Cheonan incorporates a number of cultural and public spaces, including an art and cultural centre and a vip room. In the basement, a food court and specialty supermarket constitute another distinct destination within the building, which is simultaneously integrated with the overall design strategy.

The main architectural theme for the Galleria Cheonan is that of dynamic flow. This is found both inside and outside. The architecture of the 66,000 m ² building responds to its central position by presenting a deliberately changeable aspect all-around. Moiré effects, special lighting and animations ensure that the outside changes appearance constantly.
The double layered facade encloses the building, with a number of strategic openings incorporated into the inner facade layer.These openings provide daylight to the interior. At the same time, the lamellas of the outer façade prevent direct sunlight from entering the building, ensuring a cooler environment, while the use of white finishes throughout the interior minimises the need for artificial lighting.

The interior derives its character from the accumulation of rounded plateaus on long columns. The repetition of curves, enhanced by coiled strip lighting in the ceilings of the platforms, gives the interior its distinctive character. Four stacked programme clusters, each encompassing three storeys and containing public plateaus, are linked to the central void. This organisation propels a fluent upstream flow of people through the building, from the ground floor atrium to the roof terrace. As the plateaus are positioned in a rotational manner in space, they enable the central space to encompass way finding, vertical circulation, orientation and act as main attractor of the department store. The spatial and visual connections within the space are designed to generate a lively and stimulating environment, in which the user is central.

The strategy for the building enclosure consists of creating an optical illusion. During the day the building has a monochrome reflective appearance, whilst at night soft colours are used to generate waves of coloured light across the large scale illuminated surface. The lighting design was developed in parallel with the architecture and capitalises on the double layered facade structure. Computer generated animations specially designed by UNStudio are incorporated into the lighting design and refer to themes related to the department store, such as fashion, events, art and public life.

Rather than creating a platform for a multiple billboard effect made up of individual brand identities, the thematic animated content of the fully integrated media façade facilitates a more holistic and site-oriented urban approach to branding.

Photography: Christian Richters and Kim Jong-kwan

Designer: UNStudio

http://www.yankodesign.com/2011/04/01/galleria-centercity/