I Like Architecture

Tenement House on the Edge of a Park by Loft Kolasiński

Miguel Rus — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 04:12:43 +0000

The Tenement House included the renovation and reconstruction of a 120 square meter apartment in a historic tenement house from 1907, located on the edge of a park.

The original wooden floors have undergone renovation. All the elements of stucco were restored. For the project the architects have used elements of lighting from the 30’s and 50’s from Poland, Czech Republic, Italy and France. The carpet in the living room was designed in the 60’s by Antonin Kybal. The armchair in the bedroom was designed by Pierre Guariche in the 50’s. The set of wooden furniture from the living room is by Grete Jalka. The set of drawers is a polish project from the late 50’s by Raymond Theophile Hałas. The bed designed by Loft Kolasiński, was made of oak wood finished with an oil. The bedroom is decorated by vintage, french, street poster of the movie “Matador” by Pablo Almodóvar from 1986.

Architects	Loft Kolasiński
Photography	Karolina Bąk
Location	Szczecin, Poland

Opposite House by rzlbd

Miguel Rus — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:05:41 +0000

The Opposite House, is a commissioned private residence located on the Scarborough Bluffs, closer to the east edge of the Greater Toronto Area. The clients, a professional couple who both work from home and enjoy an active home entertainment lifestyle, were looking for a modern dwelling that would offer everything they might need and more, including enough space to transition into, if their family grows at a later time.

The new build sits partly on an old bungalow’s footprint, close to a quiet back-street, with a 2.7 acre site sloping down to the shore of Lake Ontario. To the northern street side, the house presents a purposely low, dark-brick profile – just a single, unobtrusive 146-foot long storey [equal to the length of an Airbus A321, the most efficient single-aisle jetliner ever built]; its stretched fuselage – measuring 146 feet], allowing for an unimpeded lake view from all points even in the north end of the property. To the southern lakefront, the home’s face opens into a 10-foot curtain wall, lozenged in white. The house’s interior is 6,400 sq-ft; though massive in size, it feels quite human in scale, the result of the space’s precise geometric parsing, something the architect refers to as “mathematical poetry.”

Both outside and in, the Opposite House is at once familiar yet different, spectacular yet comfortable, private as well as public – presenting a study in subtly rendered juxtapositions. Two concepts are at work here: Louis Kahn’s “servant and served” maxim, wherein private, back-of-the-house functions are placed on one side, balanced by public relaxation on the other; and the “phototropic” nature of plants, which remain rooted in the earth while their heads blossom towards the sun – interpreted here as a north side wrapped in dark-black, textured brick and a south side presented in bright glass and smooth white stucco.

The main hall of the Opposite House forms a central nave that runs like a spine, east-west, along the home’s entire length, bracketed at either end by outsized windows. The foyer, with its 49-square-foot skylight, acts as a north-south transept, intersecting this main line, and descending via a stadium-stairway to the lower level. When the clients wish to entertain, guests can lounge on the agora seating and either admire the view from a dropped 20-foot double-height curtain wall or watch a show on the roll-down movie screen. The central nave and the north-south transept divide the building program into four main zones: 1- the garage, mudroom and storage, 2- a guest-room with an en-suite, 3- home offices/secondary bedrooms, bathroom facilities, and 4- the master bedroom, kitchen, dining, and living areas.

Architects	rzlbd
Area	6000 sqft
Photography	Borzu Talaie
Location	Toronto, Canada

The Modular Lilong by Lukestudio

Miguel Rus — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 08:57:04 +0000

The ‘Modular Lilong’ was designed for Value Retail China to showcase ‘Chuang x Yi’; a concept brand that provides a platform for Chinese fashion designers. The 150 sqm site is located in Yioulai Shanghai Village; a sister to Bicester Village in London – both global shopping developments. The intent of ‘Chuang x Yi’ is to create a retail experience specifically related to the context of Shanghai.

The term lilong refers to an urban typology, organized around meandering lanes, which often display creative solutions in response to issues of space shortage. The resulting blur between private and public, residential and commercial gives Shanghai its signature streetscape. Following the design brief to create a backdrop showcasing selective contemporary Chinese designers, Lukstudio re-interpreted the local, urban fabric with 3 ‘lanehouses’ arranged into different display areas; one waiting lounge, two dressing rooms, the main cashier counter and a service area.

The structure of these lanehouses is conceived as a modular kit of parts, so that it can easily be disassembled and re-installed in another shop location if needed.

The pieces are based on architectural features and textures found in a lilong. For example, old stone gates known as, ‘shikumen’ are used as entranceways, with their typical round corners seen in the smooth outline of the display cases. Furthermore, hanging washing lines are turned into copper-coated racks to display clothes, while bamboo rattan; a texture used in vernacular furniture, is applied to the divider screens. Display plinths and racks are positioned along the lane reminiscent of the common scene of scattering benches and stools.

Despite the clear boundary between the stone pavement and the wooden flooring, the open display allows a fluid visual dialogue between the urban lane and the elegantly stacked houses. The retail experience consists of many architectural layers combined into a cohesive structure; offering a sense of pliancy and order that reflects the adaptive nature of lilong life. In this way Lukstudio has generated a journey of discovery, connecting old Shanghai architecture with today’s design world.

Architects	LUKSTUDIO
Design Team	Christina Luk, Marcello Chiado Rana, Alba Beroiz Blazquez
Photography	Dirk Weiblen
Location	Shanghai, China

House in enjyuji by Tatta Architects

Alberto Seller — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 16:30:34 +0000

The site is located in Ukiha Yoshii town in southern Fukuoka prefecture. From Minoyama areas of the south side of the town rich water and wind, it is a magnificent landscape can enjoy land. Renovation of the Japanese house of this plan is built 60 years at the foot of the Minoyama land. Residents wanted a little richer life than the current three both, in the middle-aged and elderly people.
Existing buildings epidemic of design and distribution material of that era have been up 3 times renovated in up to now has been scattered. It advanced the design and that take advantage of the ceiling of the various elements like the ceiling of pine plate there from the time of completion when the person in the mix are attracted by the beauty of the beams of pine this beautiful pine plate to the core of the concept.

In this so-called Japanese-style house, such as there is no partition wall, its role is partition joinery supplement. When a large number of people gather at the time of festivals and memorial service is functional in very flexible, or the like can use the two-chamber joinery is tought as 1 room. Joinery is shape the room in a state of being removed is the transom where the four corners of the pillars connect it. The transom this time, has been changed from the soil wall on a glass plate. Has become the clear transom is let me spread the ceiling of pine board to the entire building even in the closed state of the joinery, space with its own sequence that will function as a thin outline of the room that it is taken off the joinery .

As a whole to change the position of the floor plan and stairs in accordance with the current of living the way, I am doing the swapping and HajimeSo beating of the pillars. Entrance joinery is equipped with changing the lighting and the blindfold and strike that put the blind in between the glass. I made a new wall portion is a diatomaceous earth of white, will be carried to the back of the building while shaded passes through the glass transom while sliding the entrance of the light wall of diatomaceous earth, which came in from the strike.

Owner garden in the grounds there is also that you are engaged in the landscaping industry and leave it all. And sit on the veranda south side of the vestibule is understood well that is willing connects the landscape of the home and Minoyama land.
I think that the possibility of local renovation found a little rich life without necessarily seek a dramatic change was visible in this project.

Architects	tatta architects
Photography	Tetsuya Yashiro
Location	Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan/td>

Hangzhou Zhongshuge by X+Living

Alberto Seller — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 16:03:34 +0000

After years of growth, Hangzhou Zhongshuge is always adhering to its initial desire to emerge as the most beautiful bookstore for readers, and constantly strives to work on the most culturally artistic bookstore, from learning how to walk, to live, to brave and to persevere.

Zhongsuhge-Hangzhou store is located within the bustling commercial center of Star Avenue, Binjiang District, adjacent to Qiantang River. Walking from Star Avenue Phase I to the forest gallery of Phase II, you can see the wholly transparent glass curtain wall fully covered with texts. Looking through the glass curtain, a pure white space consisting of circular bookshelf pillars escape the shackles of the surrounding environment. These white pillars carrying books rise up straight to the sky. Under the reflection of ceiling mirror, they seem to have a conversation beyond time. Additionally, the wall mirror doubles the transverse dimension to enable the whole book spaces to seem unbounded as the real nature. Upon exposure to the forest of books, we intend to acknowledge readers the awareness of knowledge as indispensable as oxygen from trees in our lives. These tree-like pillars stand tall, and emit the light of knowledge to indulge every soul comes here. The ceiling is decorated with small lights that are dancing joyfully as the elves guarding the forest. The ground-stationed desks are mingled with the forest, flexibly as creek to allow people to read by sitting on or standing beside. Tirelessly, they help us to acquire the strength granted by the texts.

Walking on the central axis of the forest zone and walking through a doorway as guided by the lights to the border of light and shade, we transit from the lightness to the profound main hall of Zhongshuge – an oncoming quiet reading corridor. Here, the entire bookshelf extends endlessly to the side. The darker and lighter-colored shelves are orderly advanced or retreated, as changing mountains or unattainable ladders or fortitude upright spines to silently convey the power of knowledge to us. The chandeliers floating in the ceiling mirror softens the entire space like a firefly. People under the lights, recollect the aromatic coffee or mediate in the world of books.

Cross the corridor is the stair reading area. The circular skylight pours down from the ceiling mirror, and the encircling bookshelves look like the swirling lamp belt. Here is a theater to unfold an outstanding drama, and the characters are book lovers sitting on the soft couch or standing beside the bookshelves. In the stair study, people can read or hold the reading party for book lovers to sit around.

In the Hangzhou Zhongshuge, there is a children pavilion, which is a book playground. The designer arts bookshelves as playground facilities including merry-go-round, roller coaster, hot air balloons and pirate ships to give children a happy reading experience as if playing in the playground, while the floor of galaxy maps not only inspires the imagination of children and also interestingly educate them the knowledge of galaxy.

The famous British novelist Somerset Maugham once said, to acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. Hangzhou store of Zhongshuge blends the definitions of books into every space by upholding the usual respect for books and knowledge, and infuses the minds of readers with the sacred books by way of design. In today’s distracting and harassing context, you still can find a place to rest your soul.

Architects	X+Living
Photography	Shao Feng
Location	Hangzhou, China/td>

Ding Hui Yuan Zen & Tea Chamber by 3andwich design / He Wei Studio

Alberto Seller — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:44:26 +0000

This is a factory renovation project. Rebuilt into an office in its latest renovation, the old factory experienced several times of renovation after its construction in 1970s. Unlike other factories with large space, the factory doesn’t have a big space span while the height is normal showing no special features. However, a 100 square meters backyard is quite impressive. Based on the owner’s requirement, designers need to reconstruct it into a Zen Chamber.

As a Zen Chamber, it should have the Eastern spirit and ancient concept. Certainly, the ancient concept is not a simple display of traditional symbols. This design wishes to convey the essence of the Chinese private gardens, such as “seeing a bigger picture from small matters” and “the path winds through high peaks”.

The core of the design is restructuring the circulation of the space. Designers gave up the simple layout of the existing circulation space with hanging stairs directly attached to its entrance. The design creates a longer circulation for people to calm down when entering the main space in the philosophy of Zen Tea. An extra-long, zigzag path is made: people can enter the building from the west side after passing through a long and narrow semi-outdoor corridor. They will enter the backyard after turning to the north and walking through the entire Zen Chamber.

Architect added a folded stairs in this area, located between the long ramp and paralleled stairs. People will see the inner courtyard and a big tearoom through the grating racks while stepping up the stairs. Then they can reach to the second floor through a long, narrow, and closed space. The second floor is served as the main public space of the building, including a Guqin (a representative instrument of traditional Chinese musical culture) room, small tearooms, meditation room and a large tearoom.

The changing rhythm of the brightness is another key of renovation. Around the inner court, the newly created space changes its appearance between the natural light and the artificial light arranging the transparent, semi-transparent and close-up visual effects. After entering the building, people could enjoy the courtyard in different time and different perspectives, and vice versa, which is also a practice of sampling the Chinese garden.

Architects	3andwich design / He Wei Studio
Photography	Zou Bin, He Wei
Location	Beijing, China/td>

Lily Nails Store by ArchStudio

Miguel Rus — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 14:45:08 +0000

Lily Nails is a nail and eyelash salon that owns numerous chain stores in Beijing and Shanghai. To meet the needs of an environmental upgrade of the brand, Arch Studio was commissioned to do the design for the brand’s new store in Yau Tang Shopping Centre, Beijing. The store is a rectangular space with an area of more than 60㎡.

The design gets rid of the symbolic method of over deco which was typically used while designing this type of store. The starting point of this design is to create a relaxed, cosy and natural experience environment, where customers can relax themselves and feel like being in a garden. A circle of 8mm thick white perforated steel plate extends from the mall corridor to the inner store; this helps to create a soft and pure curved space. Different from seat arrangement of a traditional nail salon, the six seats here enables customers to communicate happily while doing their nails.LED light film together with spiral steel plate creates soft and well-distributed interior light. As the green background of the whole space, the plant wall makes the new space full of vitality. The gap between the helical curve and the original square store forms other ancillary spaces naturally such as front desk display area, plant landscape and employee service area.

Architects	ArchStudio
Photography	Jin Weiqi
Location	Beijing, China

Massimo Dutti by Sordo Madaleno

Alberto Seller — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 14:45:20 +0000

The new flagship store for Massimo Dutti is located on Presidente Masaryk Avenue, one of the most prestigious streets in Mexico City. Home to leading brands, it is considered the city’s “golden mile” and has recently undergone a makeover to improve its urban qualities.

With the goal of turning the building into a veritable work of architecture that serves as an aesthetic reference point within this exceptional context, the scale and design of the project reflects a desire to integrate it into the Polanco neighborhood.

The building façade is designed to match the formal landscape of heights and voids found in the zone’s historical architecture. The rhythm of rectangular modules is formed by an orthogonal metal structure, while the texture of the façade is a screen inspired by a reinterpretation of the traditional wrought iron railings of Polanco. The screen generates a series of rectangular niches that are randomly repeated within the orthogonal mesh.

This is a lively and flexible architecture, thanks to the strong connection between interior and exterior. Each of these niches becomes a window, showcase or closed element, depending on the internal use. This system is only interrupted by the sheet of glass that frames the principal entrance, with a great triple-height vertical window.

The screen was manufactured using molds, and employs fiberglass in its construction. It represents a superb collaboration between traditional local skills and sophisticated technology.

While the first impression of clients is of the building’s urban presence, upon entering users experience new sensations in the imposing double-height lobby space. Inside, the store is conceived as an urban and contemporary space with a minimalist style. With simple lines and purity of materials, a versatile and timeless space is created that does not interfere with the demands of fashion and ensures the product holds all the attention.

The vertical circulation nucleus was conceived as a sculptural element that welcomes clients as the visual backdrop upon entering the store.

The furnishing is simple, with geometric forms in wood and steel detailing. Following the same scheme, the brand’s classic pieces were reinterpreted and simplified to be incorporated into this minimalist space. A number of original pieces were designed for the store, including the hanging showcases, exhibition tables, and payment area.

The rooftop terrace was designed to complement the experience of the store for clients and their partners, where they can relax and enjoy a coffee or refreshment. It will provide a versatile space with kitchen and washroom services that offers superb views over the skyline of Polanco, and will also serve to host brand events.

The selection of materials was focused on the classical but innovative essence of the brand to create a neutral setting. Pale stone employing different treatments was used, together with accents in wood and metal.

The combination of these architectural elements together with the use of a sober palette for the interior were the tools to achieve the elegance required by the site, and which the brand represents.

Architects	Sordo Madaleno
Photography	Jaime Navarro
Location	Ciudad de México, México

Fukumasu Kindergarten Annex by Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects

Alberto Seller — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 04:00:27 +0000

An extension project for the kindergarten in Ichihara, Chiba. It is aimed to be a community center not only for children but also for their families and graduates. We provided huge air volume to enables children to run around in the building by ready-made tent warehouse, which reminds of the existed warehouse stood in the same site. The tent warehouse also covers the freely folded wooden walls that forms place-like thing. We also tried to stimulate children’s imagination by leaving the things like front side and backside of the walls, and even the confliction of the brace structure.

Architects	Yasutaka Yoshimura Architects
Photography	Yasutaka Yoshimura
Location	Ichihara, Japan

KRONA Knowledge and cultural centre by Mecanoo

Alberto Seller — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 15:39:10 +0000

Courtesy of Mecanoo

The KRONA Knowledge and Cultural Centre enhances Kongsberg’s cultural institutions and stimulates interaction between diverse communities and disciplines. Comprised of a variety of functions, KRONA houses new teaching and technical laboratory facilities for Buskerud University College and Tinius Olsen Technical Vocational College, as well as a technical university library. The complex also includes a public library, cinemas, municipal offices and a theatre auditorium. Its functions are organised around a central void with shared functions, enhancing flexibility and reducing programme redundancy. Using subtle landscape elevations and strategically locating programme access points, visitors intuitively gravitate towards the Centre. Throughout the interior spaces, strong visual connections to public functions further enhance the liveliness of the complex.

Courtesy of Mecanoo

Located in one of Kongsberg’s most recognised locations alongside the oldest university building in Norway, Mecanoo’s design is sensitive to its historic context. It is shaped by the site conditions and opportunities. In addition to prefabricated elements, and use of ground source energy, the facility uses locally-sourced materials. A facade of rough slats references local architecture and contrasts with the interior of wood, concrete and subtle silver accents that reflect daylight. Facing the park, the building has a balcony for outdoor performances as well as an amphitheatre formed in the Hasebergtjerndalen park landscape below. The public and university libraries, located in the heart of the complex, appear to be cut from the building volume and continue the public space of the church square. The stone floor of the surrounding courtyards is drawn into the interior, enhancing the material continuity of the public realm.

Courtesy of Mecanoo

The KRONA Knowledge and Cultural Centre is highly flexible: in the evening the university canteen transforms into a café, the public library serves as a theatre foyer and the art gallery transforms into a bar for the film centre. The very concept of the building is adaptable in its components and form. Central to the shared programme is a number of large assembly rooms that accommodate a range of events including lectures, meetings, performances, receptions and concerts. The auditoria in the heart of the building are equipped for a variety of different configurations. These entertainment spaces are designed to be as open and flexible as possible, yet also create a vibrant, social atmosphere, and a connection to Kongsberg’s historical context.

Courtesy of Mecanoo

Architects	Mecanoo
Local architect	Code Arkitektur
Structural engineer	Rambøll Norge AS
ME engineer	EM Teknikk – Energi AS
Fire safety consultant	Rambøll Norge AS
Main contractor	Strøm Gundersen AS
Photography	Courtesy of Mecanoo
Location	Kongsberg, Norway