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Mikou Design Studio Wins Competition To Redesign Dunkerque Theater

manuel — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:18:56 +0000

Paris-based Mikou Design Studio has recently won the competition for the renovation of the Bateay Feu Theater in Dunkerque in the northernmost tip of France. The theater’s program foresees a big concert hall with seating for 500, a black box theater space, foyer, cafeteria, loges, practice hall, dressing rooms, backstage areas, storage space, café, bar, gift shop, and offices on a gross floor area of 4,500 square meters (48,440 square feet).

How Mikou Design Studio explain their concept:

“A theatre as an open, structuring urban venue.”

‘We conceived the new Bateau Feu theatre in Dunkirk both as an open urban venue – which is welcoming by the diversity of the complementary programme of events and activities that it provides and their strategic orientation in the urban space – and as a structuring civic building and arts amenity located on the Place du Général de Gaulle square.

By its location on Place du Général de Gaulle, the Bateau Feu theatre orchestrates several scales and dimensions, with four free façades that face onto and react to various different urban situations: an intimate domestic scale on the west for housing and the planted garden, a public scale on Rue du Jeu de Paume, a developing future major thoroughfare onto which the shops of the future shopping centre face, and a non-institutional scale on Place du Général de Gaulle which questions the expression of a new contemporary theatre in the city.

On the east, the façade of the theatre’s large hall faces onto the urban space in an architectural and spatial composition which links together the inside and outside of the amenity.

On the south, the theatre “enters the city”, welcoming the public in the flow of spaces designed on the urban site. The open, generous entrance foyer – which is itself in dialogue and spatially connected with the large hall on the ground floor – and the small hall, the café bar, the bookshop and the lounge areas on a south-east diagonal which links together these social meeting-places.

The glazed monumental staircase leading to the raised foyer and to the upper entrance to the large hall, placed on the south façade on the side of the entrance esplanade, also participates in this spatial scenography of the theatre’s significant spaces. Visually, it opens the space on the underside of the forum pierced by large voids, allowing through top lighting and revealing the volume of the large hall. A chandelier designed like a lighted canopy increases the theatrical effect and corresponds to the vibrations of the internal space.

Expression and Materiality

The renovated theatre is a unified building that is arranged in steps that descend to the square in a succession of light, vibrant volumes from the stage-house to the foyer.
The architectural expression chosen for the theatre’s façades is a perforated metal cladding in a range of luminous ochre tones which matches the mystery and magic of the theatre.

The successive setbacks of stepped volumes reveal a series of large illuminated “frames” that face towards the square. An artificial lighting system shall be placed in these frames, between the rain barrier and the perforated metal cladding, to create night lighting and to visually enhance the theatre and the square.

On the west, in the garden, the building melts into the intimacy of the housing with an anthracite brick plinth that matches the scale of the block of housing and creates a visual distance from the perforated metal elements located in the background.

This new theatre is open to everyone. Its extension and rehabilitation provides an opportunity for experimenting the effects of architectural and urban renovation on the public.
It offers a variety of spaces and provides a multitude of possibilities for using, occupying and experiencing the various spaces related to the theatre and its annexes, to cater for different types of people and allow different circulation flows of people at the same time.

Dunkerque Theater – Fact Sheet:
Competition: November 2009
Position: 1st Prize
Client: City of Dunkerque
Design Team: Mikou Design Studio (Salwa Mikou, Selma Mikou, Cécile Jalby, Iskra Pencheva, Trevor Ablott, Lorenzo Donati, Lieselotte Huyghe, Mickael Courtay)
Area: 4,500 sqm (48,440 sqft)
Program: Concert Hall, Black Box Theater, Foyer, Practice Hall, Dressing Room, Backstage, Storage, Café, Bar, Gift Shop, Offices
Budget: 14.55M Euros (21M US Dollars)

Modern Desert Escape // Half Moon Bay // Saudi Arabia // R204DESIGN

Harvey — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:59:40 +0000

On a prominent site fronting the scenic Half Moon Bay in Saudi Arabia, the Northstar Resort will offer a world-class waterfront hospitality experience. The site lies at the northern apex of the cove, giving rise to the concept of establishing the project as a wayfinding landmark for the region.

Among its program elements are an indoor entertainment center, serviced apartments, a variety of restaurants and cafes, a health club, a mosque, and a 5-star hotel. A portion of the site will be devoted to private chalets with male and female clubhouses, all with grand views of the surrounding water. The center of the project will feature a mixed-use retail and commercial center.

One of the primary challenges was addressing the harsh climate and intense sun typical of the region. Through deep openings, massing and patterned screens, the design reflects the traditional aspects of vernacular architecture, while fusing modern details appropriate to the given functions.

When the weather permits, the pedestrian experience features a boardwalk experience, lined with shading devices, traditional pools and fountains to abate the microclimatic conditions. With the application of passive and active climate control and energy strategies, the new complex is also being designed to achieve LEED certification.

Another challenge was the explicit standards of privacy of the local culture. Physical and visual separation between units, as well as between various male and female activities provided additional layers of complexity in an already complex program aiming to convey an open and inviting atmosphere.

In the end, the design aims to respect the local culture and traditions through its use of regional materials and patterns, while providing a waterfront resort experience of international stature, giving the entire bay a refreshing new identity.

Perkins+Will Awarded First Place At International Architecture Biennale

manuel — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:09:10 +0000

Perkins+Will’s masterplan for SANY Beijing was selected as the first place winner in the “Conceptual Design” category at the 8th International Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism. The judging committee based their award selection on four central themes of the exhibition: spatiality, connectivity, originality and sustainability.

The Perkins+Will submission featured the SANY Beijing masterplan which consolidated existing plans into one. SANY, the largest heavy equipment manufacturer in China and one of the top 10 heavy equipment manufacturers in the world, wanted to achieve a higher degree of efficiency in their manufacturing process and create a memorable visitor experience. These elements along with a great degree of environmental efficiency were major guiding principles behind the design.

Perkins+Will’s solution came from a truly collaborative and interdisciplinary effort, led by the Urban Design group, Corporate + Commercial + Civic architecture group and the Shanghai office. They worked under one umbrella goal: the campuses should exist in harmony with nature.

By following this concept the team achieved the following:

* Created and preserved wetlands
* Protected sensitive watersheds
* Buildings designed for optimal solar orientation and community interaction
* A distinctive brand image defined for SANY, while providing for exponential growth in their manufacturing base

The design also took local culture into consideration by emulating the Peng, a Chinese mythological bird. Perkins+Will used the Peng as inspiration to unify the three main buildings for both design and operational functionality.

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects To Design Zero-Energy Office Building In Aarhus

manuel — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:35:44 +0000

Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects have been announced as winners of the competition for a new zero-energy administration building of the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark. The competition, involving six firms, was won in collaboration with the contractor E. Pihl & Son, Engineers Grontmij / Carl Bro and GHB Landscape Architects.

Danish practice SHL architects has taken the environmental ambitions of the municipality of Aarhus as a key driver for the project and created a zero-energy office building, the first of its kind in Denmark. The building has 1,100 m2 of solar cells for the production of electricity, 420 m2 of solar thermal panels for absorption cooling and heating water, and rainwater harvesting for reuse in lavatories and for watering.

“This is a genuine sustainable solution. For instance, we use recycled glass for the facades and reuse 96 % of the materials from the demolished building on site. Moreover, it has been crucial to us to keep the design on a human scale to offer the best possible physical conditions to the users,” said architect John Lassen, partner of schmidt hammer lassen architects.

The new building for 240 staff and their clients will be built as an extension to the municipality’s existing administration office dating from 1965. The complex will be situated on a hillside in the southern part of the city and be highly visible from the passing intercity road.

The access to the new building will go through an existing alley of unique and beautiful plane trees. The overall proposal is based on the qualities of the old buildings and the preserved charming garden. Even before it is built, the new complex is already equipped with garden spaces, trees and plants that it would otherwise take decennials to grow.

The full complex will appear as a fully integrated classic modern composition. The new extension is an independent unit consisting of two parallel wings of 2-3-storey buildings connected by towers concentrating stairs, elevators, lavatories and washrooms. Consequently, the office areas are liberated from functional units and are flexible to any sort of organization. Three gardens are placed between the two wings to draw nature into the building and enable the employees to follow the seasons from their desks.

The new project is part of the schmidt hammer lassen strategy to design an increasing number of sustainable houses of a very high standard. The company is currently working on two other office buildings with a clear focus on sustainability.

The “Crystal”, a new head office of Nykredit in Copenhagen, is a 6,800 m2 crystalline structure which manages to combine a completely transparent building with an energy consumption of 25 % less than the present energy legislation. Photovoltaic panels on the roof producing 80,000 kWh per year is one of the features to lower consumption.

The 42,000 m2 mixed-use office complex Amazon Court in Prague, Czech Republic, incorporates a range of sustainable solutions. Throughout the design process, there has been close collaboration with engineers in order to reduce the building’s energy consumption to about 50% less than that of a standard office. This building is soon to be inaugurated.

Facts about “Grondalsvej 1”:
Address: Grøndalsvej 1, DK-Aarhus
Surface: 6,000 m2 gross floor area
Client: The Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark
Architect: schmidt hammer lassen architects
Project Partner: Architect John Lassen
Contractor: E. Pihl & Son
Engineer: Grontmij/Carl Bro
Landscape architect: GHB Landskabsarkitekter

Gehry Partners Has To Step Down From Museum Of Tolerance Jerusalem Project

manuel — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:07:16 +0000

For six years Frank O. Gehry has been set to stamp his illustrious mark on one of the most historic cities in the world with his design for the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem but following a wave of protest Gehry Partners has been dropped as architect for the scheme.

Following a unanimous decision taken by its Board of Trustees at its November 5, 2009 meeting, the Simon Wiesenthal Center has announced “that it is redesigning its Museum of Tolerance project in Jerusalem to reflect today’s world economic realities, and will shortly name the new architect for the redesign.”

“This is the right decision for us,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the Center’s Founder and Dean. “The good news, however, is that the project is moving forward; we have a fantastic site in the heart of Jerusalem and we can now refocus all of our energies on bringing to Jerusalem and the people of Israel, a project of crucial significance to its future. Unfortunately, Frank Gehry will not be the architect on the project. Frank has done an amazing job and has worked with us at every step of the way to realize our dreams. We will shortly name the new architect for the redesign.”

Frank Gehry added: “I greatly value my relationship with Rabbi Marvin Hier and admire his determination to establish a Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem that will serve as the embodiment of human respect and compassion. Unfortunately, our staff and resources are committed to other projects around the globe, and thus I will not be able to participate in the redesign effort. Contrary to a published report quoting my partner Craig Webb, this parting has nothing whatsoever to do with perceived political sensitivities. The Museum of Tolerance project is vitally important, and I have no doubt that Rabbi Hier will create a visitor experience that will bring people of all faiths closer together.”

The project has been plagued by fury from within Jerusalem which halted the project for two years, and a petition against the project following planning approval in 2008.

The new architect is due to be named shortly, according to Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Mangrolia Chausseures By Visiondivision

manuel — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:22:07 +0000

Visiondivision were commission to design three shoe stores on Reunion Island for a local shoe tycoon. Reunion Island is an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. The tropical island is an overseas region of France.

‘We made a design that could be easily recognizable and applied in all of the Mangrolia Chausseures stores. We decided to design one specific shoe box that can be multiplied and stacked into almost any form, allowing different store layouts but at the same time being easily recognizable as a Mangrolia Shoe store.

The shoe box is made out of Plexiglas, a plastic that creates a nice transparent effect.

Each box has a lid and a light. The boxes are made as pieces of Lego that can be fixed together in different formations. The box can be mass manufactured thus making it precise and cheap.

Saint Denis – The ocean
The Saint-Denis shop is the biggest one and located in the largest city and it is also the only shop that the Mangrolia family owns, so we propose that it should be turned into a flagship store; making it the centerpiece for the Mangrolian empire.

Being the flagship store we also wanted to make it into the most spectacular one.

The upper floor has boxes in the floor formed as a river, which “flows” from both of the entrances to the stairs which leads to the basement level which is completely covered with boxes, almost as an ocean.

A sofa shaped as Reunion Island is set in the middle of the shoe ocean where one can try out the different models or watch a slideshow projected on the wall of the assortment that the store has to offer.

In some of the boxes, legendary shoes can be kept; for example sneakers from the 80s or fashionable shoes made famous through celebrities, creating a small museum that will attract more visitors and fame for the Mangrolia business as the collection grows.

Saint-André – The Library
This shop has shelves of shoes arranged into smaller rooms with different themes; casual, formal and sport for example.
The transparency of the plexi-boxes makes the shoes look like they are frozen into ice blocks and will create a very intriguing and inviting showcase for the customers.

Le Port – The loop
All the functions of the shop are integrated in to a loop; showcase for the shoes, cashier and seating to try out the shoes.
The loop is extruded where it needs to be high; the cashier and the main showcases and then sinks down to the floor where the entrances are, allowing a free flow of circulation.’

Urban Renewal // Lausanne // Switzerland // R204DESIGN

ShavkatKarimov — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:13:07 +0000

Located in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, against the shores of Lake Geneva, Lausanne is a quiet city that is home to the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee. The project site resides near the center of the city, where a gorge has been formed from an ancient river, covered since the 19th century. For years, the 12 acre area, known as Flon, served as an industrial district, surrounded by a rich fabric of historic buildings, but over time the warehouses and lots became vacant, leaving a void in the middle of the city.

An ambitious master plan was then envisioned by local developers to reinvigorate the defunct district, with the aim of bringing livelihood back to its streets and to connect various nodes and attractions in the surrounding area. A residual alley would be converted into a pleasant landscaped walk, lined with shops and cafés, terminating in a public plaza. The plaza would serve as an anchor point, adjacent to a cinema and various restaurants. One of the first projects to initiate this urban renewal would be a mixed-use project fronting the plaza.

Los Angeles based R204DESIGN and local Swiss architects Plancherel/Schmid were commissioned to design the mixed-use project, which would come to be known as “Les Colonnades” for its marching columns fronting the adjacent pedestrian passage. The program consists of a high-end restaurant on the ground floor, 2 floors of commercial office space, and residential flats on the top floor.

The building employs a number of environmental design strategies to mitigate heat and energy transfer, including automated louvers and lighting schemes. The roof was designed as a series of private roof gardens for each of the 8 residential tenants, all with an inspiring view of the surrounding historic district. The compact planning of the varied program elements into a simple, clean box provided an efficient but elegant, green design that would reflect the Swiss cultural aesthetic.

Today, the area of Flon has become an example of successful urban renewal, providing pedestrians a pleasant connection by foot to the public transit nodes and historic attractions. With the guidance of the visionary master pan, the area now features several other examples of modern architecture, giving the newly defined district a coherent sense of identity and place.

Eco Friendly Garden Building

ShavkatKarimov — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 22:22:42 +0000

A higher number of home workers and new business startups along with new corporate working strategies has led Pod Space to develop a line of high end eco friendly garden buildings.

Pod Space creates garden buildings with the environment in mind. They are designed to achieve high efficiency ratings and are insulated to perform as well as modern houses.
The timber used in the structure, windows, doors and cladding is FSC or PEFC certified and is obtained from sustainable sources. They feature Scandinavian windows and doors, high performance insulation, low energy heating, lighting and organic sedum roofs.

Architecturally designed, the pod concept is a self contained unit with options to add compact, kitchens, W.C and shower rooms. If more space is required a number of ‘satellite’ pods can be connected using a contemporary planar glazed walkway.

In short, the Pods have been designed for minimal maintenance whilst giving workers a dedicated workspace away from household disruptions. They are completely customizable in terms of size and specification and In the majority of cases do not require planning permission. They are a cut above the usual crowd. For further information visit www.pod-space.co.uk.

Niles North and West High School Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) Labs by Legat Architects

douglas — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:34:28 +0000

Science department renovations catalyze the curriculum at Niles North and West High Schools. In the new STEM labs, chemistry, biology, and physics merge with engineering and mathematics, enabling students to apply knowledge acquired in coursework toward real life problem solving in an environment replete with contemporary technologies. The project was designed by Legat Architects, Inc.

Materials, colors, apparatus, and exposed connections create an aesthetic that blends industry and science. Highlights include chemical-resistant epoxy resin lab tables, maple work tables, metal cabinetry, and resilient rubber sheet flooring. An exposed ceiling features outlet reels, compressed air, data ports, and an steel pipe grid that allows students to suspend objects.

Each lab has two primary zones, enabling independent study and group sessions to occur simultaneously. The Think Tank encourages students to think out loud and supports global conferencing. It offers full AV input and output, a plasma TV, projectors/screens, and interactive white boards.

In the Lab Zone, students have everything they need to apply lessons and test ideas: flexible configurations, storage, places to plug in, and sophisticated equipment (e.g., bomb calorimeter, shaking tables, spectrophotometer).

In the corridor, large observation windows showcase students working within a STEM setting.

Photos copyright Steinkamp Photography.

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Administration + Information Center By Aedas

manuel — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:56:13 +0000

Being part of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University new campus, Aedas project Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Administration + Information Center has been honored by the Architecture Award of the Asia Pacific Commercial Property Awards 2009. The project is designed by Andy Wen, Design Director of China.

The Administration + Information Center is situated in a beautiful environment inside Suzhou Industrial Park, where there is a harmonious coexistence of the city’s rich cultural traditions and its rapid economic development with convenient traffic. It has a complicated program consisting of administration center, learning and resources center, training center and student activities center. All of the programs are connected by the voids inside the building following the concept of Taihu stone, the ornamental stone used for decorating traditional Chinese gardens.

Eroded over time by wind and water this limestone is found on dozens of islands and along miles of shoreline surrounding the Taihu lake located on the west side of the city of Suzhou. The stone is found in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes and was appreciated by the Chinese scholars during the ancient time. As such the voids have become the functional spaces which allow the building to interact with the surrounding environment and become a vessel which attracts people to go inside.

The Administration + Information Center is adjacent to the two main promenade axes in the campus. The laboratories are located on the east side and the classroom building on the north.

It will be a dynamic gathering space in the future.

More: www.aedas.com.