What’s interesting, instead, is that the German language – the vocabulary of which is richly structured around correlation and families of meaning – has a word that applies to both architecture and fashion. A correlation that’s resurfacing in contemporary architecture.

But how do the relate?

Isolation, protection, decoration, image, status, performance.

The debate on ornament is a longlasting one. Loos had a pretty clear idea about that (”Ornament and Crime”, Adolf Loos, 1908), as did Semper half a century earlier (”The Four Elements of Architecture”, Gottfried Semper, 1851).

Their ideas regarding the role and dignity of ornament in architecture were different if not opposite, yet they share a conviction that building walls and weaving textiles are not entirely unrelated actions. In fact, enclosures (walls, fences) have their origins in weaving and the most basic spacial divider is fabric.

Now, while ornament comes and goes in the architectural and fashion trends and is somtimes praised and sometimes blamed, this is as clear an indication that buildings and people require a similar kind of coating: people are dressed, buildings are clad.

The dispute on ornament is surely interesting, but ultimately unimportant. Behind the correlation between the words “wall” (wand) and “dress” (gewand) in German and some similarities in their figurative meaning, however, stands a crucial architectural dilemma: is it all about pleasing the eye?

In contemporary architecture Rem Koolhaas has often turned to the fashion industry, not just to design the buildings for Prada or to title one of his most significant books (”S, M, L, XL”, Rem Koolhaas, 1995), but also to shape his architectural way of imagining the city: a series of unappealing and undefined boxes shaped by program and dressed/covered in highly researched cladding.

In Fondazione Prada, which is almost complete and has already opened in Milan, the highly diverse buildings that make up the complex are clad in gold leaf, microperforated polycarbonate, aluminum foam, rough concrete coating.

The end product is all but unappealing or undefined, which leaves the clothes making the man, ehm building.

This is certainly good for Rem, for architecture and for our eyes; but is it good for our city?

[This article was originally published by Ilias Nissim on “An Iliasful of Architecture”]

Designed by the spanish studio Barozzi Veiga, the Philharmonic Hall in Szczecin was awarded the Mies van der Rohe Award 2015.

Perfectly integrated in the city, the Philharmonic hall is also able to emerge as a new addition.

That’s because of the glass: the transparent and translucent cladding transform its mass and its volume in a light, evanescent structure… a sort of ice palace. Moreover, glowing at night, the ribbed-glass somehow softens the building’s strict geometry.

The interiors are very simple and sophisticated at the same time.

Only the main hall shows a more expressive design, especially in its ceiling, which is characterized by a geometrical pattern that follows the Fibonacci sequence. Fragmentation becomes more and more intense the further it gets from the scene, realizing a mineral-like object, covered by gold-leaf: a way to recall the classical tradition.

The foyer is so wide that can also be used to host events.

Large skylights let in plenty of natural light, which spreads through the interiors thanks to the white walls. A spiral staircase and a continuous path lead to the various event rooms  that include several auditoriums, a 1000-seat concert hall , a 200-seat venue for chamber-music, conference rooms and galleries.

Shaped by memory and covered in glass, the Philharmonic Hall in Szczecin makes this magic possible: the building just belongs to its context, yet it’s impossible not to notice it.

Photo by
Barozzi Veiga
Hufton and Crow
Simon Menges

Architects bring multiculturalism to a socially challenged neighborhood.

Superkilen is a half a mile long urban space wedging through Nørrebro, one of the most ethnically diverse and socially challenged neighborhoods in Copenhagen.

Being so multicultural this district is highly dynamic, but it has seen its share of violence and is known for its riots and street crimes.

The architectural competition asked for an urban park to address the underlying social issues of Nørrebro.

Ultimately the project was divided into 3 connected urban spaces designed by BIG, Topotek and Superflex. The theme and aim of the development was to cultivate the conflicts and differences connected to migration, by using cultural identities and their symbols as the main figurative palette for the design. In this new artificial context the symbolic elements taken from different cultures are stripped of their meaning, becoming a foreign folly to which immigrants from various parts of the world can relate.

The design process required a significant collaboration with the local communities, which provided the team with the objects and ideas that were installed in the park. Some elements – like the Palestinian soil – were brought in directly from their place of origin, while others were decontextualized. As a result the area is a place that everyone can identify with and which blends together the danish culture with that of the migrants.

The 3  areas of Superkilen are color coded and are named after the illegal activities that took place in each spot: the Red Square, the Black Market and the Green Park.

The Green Park is a park for picnics and walking the dog.  The Black Market is the classic square with fountains and benches. The Red Square designates the urban life with cafés, music and sports.

The playful and diverse atmosphere of Superkilen draws visitors from other districts into its foreign character, while also giving the residents an active and inclusive meeting point.

In fact, the area as a whole is conceived as a giant exhibition of urban best practice.

Despite the simplicity of the idea, the design is complex and multi-layered. The unexpected mix of objects, trees and activities in Superkilen celebrates the success of subtle – yet powerful – architectural design  in addressing major social issues.

But integration and multiculturalism are just a tiny part of the goals that shape the overall project, the others being:

• More nature. Increase of vegetation and plants throughout the whole neighborhood arranged as small islands of diverse tree sorts.
• Better infrastructure. Bike paths will be reorganized, new connections linking to the surrounding neighborhoods are created.
• Leisure and “active living”. A world exhibition of furniture and everyday activities.

THE RED SQUARE – MARKET / SPORT

Designed by Bjarke Ingels (BIG) as an extension of the sports and cultural activities at the Norrebrohall, the Red Square is conceived as an urban counterpoint of the internal life of the hall. A range of recreational activities and the large central square allow the local residents to meet. The façades are visually incorporated in the project: the pattern of the pavement is stretched out on all sides, conceptually folding up and including the borders of the square.

[ FROM BIG ]

THE BLACK SQUARE – URBAN LIVING ROOM

This is the heart of the Superkilen Masterplan, and it was designed by Topotek. “Mimers Plads” is where the locals meet around the Moroccan fountain, the Turkish bench, under the Japanese cherry-trees. In weekdays, permanent tables, benches and grill facilities serve as an urban living room for backgammon, chess players and families.

[ FROM TOPOTEK ]

THE GREEN PARK – PLAY

Green Park, designed by Superflex, is a landscaped terrain filled with activities and surfaces which appeal to children, young people and families. A green landscape and a playground where families with children can meet for picnics and sports: “No matter where people come from, they can play football together”. The residents were asking for more greenery, so the last stint of Superkilen is an entirely green park where even the bike paths and pedestrian ways are painted green.

[ FROM SUPERFLEX ]

photos by  ©Iwan Baan, ©Hasse Ferrold, ©Jens Lindhe, ©Maria da Schio, ©Torben Eskerod, ©Mike Magnussen

Cantina Antinori hides its gigantic footprint in the land and melts its curves with the surroundings. Visitors are welcomed, then captured, by this magic building wrapped in soil.

Concealing the building beneath the earth, Archea Associati are both able to preserve the beauty of the landscape and to design the ideal spaces to let man and wine work together.

Man, nature and wine

Cantina Antinori is a wine cellar located in one of the most famous wine areas of Italy, between Florence and Siena. From production to distribution, wine is the hero of the building: following an upwards path, visitors are invited to learn and to discover its cellars and vineyards.

But it’s not just a place to buy and sell wine.

From subterranean rooms to open-air fields, passing through several spaces, the visitor can meet with the local wine tradition. A tradition made of ancient knowledge, handed from generation to generation, that finds its roots in a faraway place where people lived according to nature.

Cantina Antinori is conceived as the meeting point between man and nature, through wine.

The architecture

The Antinori Winery is conceived as a terraced vineyard. Italy’s agriculture heavily relies on terracing and its landscape is densely engineered for crops: the design by Archea Associati takes this century-long practice a step further, using it as an opportunity to merge agriculture, lanscape and architecture. All working areas perfectly integrate with the surroundings thanks to a special covering that defines a new ground, where vines are planted and which is crossed by two horizontal cuts that bring natural light in the building.

A horizontal façade along the hills.

Because the building’s borders are covered by the hill and it doesn’t show a precise form, its existence is revealed by the traces in the territory and the vineyards.

The experience

Interiors are organized following two parallel paths that overlap in some precise points, in order to create a full experience of the productive process inside the building.

A precise spatial organization for an immersive experience.

While grapes move along a descending path, from the vineyards to the fermentation vats, visitors start their rising itinerary from the underground parking all through the production areas, up to the restaurant and vineyards.

The cellar: true heart of the building.

Covered by a sense of mystery, the physical and emotional core of the building is the cellar, where wine is stored in barrels under a vaulted roof. Waiting to become one of the finest products of the world, wine is protected by darkness and precise thermo-hygrometric parameters.

Vernacular strategies

The materials and technologies recall the local tradition with simplicity and honesty. The use of terracotta and taking advantage of the energy naturally produced by the earth to cool and insulate the winery are just two examples of the vernacular strategies applied.

Antinori Winary was selected among the finalists for the Mies Van Der Rohe Award 2015, won by Barozzi-Veiga’s Philharmonic Hall Szczecin.

Photos by
Archea Associati
Leonardo Finotti
Pietro Savorelli

Steel memories

He studied English literature firstly at the University of California Berkeley that in Santa Barbara, where he graduated with a B.A in 1961.

> To support himself and his studies, he worked in steel mills.

This experience, along with the memories of the shipyard where his father worked as a pipe-fitter, extremely influenced his later work as artist.

“All the raw material that I needed is contained in the reserve of this memory which has become a reoccurring dream.”

(Richard Serra)

To Lift (1967)

Studies

Between 1961 and 1964 he studied painting at Yale University School of Art and Architecture, where he found many sources of inspiration. In fact, his greatest influencers were his very professors: artist Philip Guston and experimental composer Morton Feldman are perhaps the most important.

V+5 To Michael Heizer (1969)

Travelling

Once he graduated, he decided travel. So he spent one year in Florence and one in Paris. Thanks to a Fulbright Scholarship, he then moved to Rome with his wife, Nancy Graves.

New York and the first works

Back to the US, he set his studio in New York where his circle of friends included Carl Andre, Walter de MAroa, Eva Hesse, Sol LeWitt and Robert Smithson. In 1966, he used rubber for the first time and he began his experimentation with lead in 1968: a discovery which will shape his whole career.

> Low Rate Movers is the name of the furniture-removals business he started  to fund his work. Among his employees: Chick Close, Philip Gras and Spalding Grey.

Unconventional materials

His first works stood out because of their unconventional materials, such as fiberglass and rubber. These sculptures where totally abstract and process-based, made of molten lead hurled in large splashes against the wall of a studio or exhibition space.

The infinitive dictionary

For his works, he also elaborated a special dictionary, made of made-up verbs: “tu hurl” suggested the hurling of molten lead into crevices between wall and floor “to roll” suggested the rolling of the materials into dense, metal logs Then, he became interested in lead sheets and rough timber, so he started “to cut”, “to prop” and “to stack” to transform these materials into structures supported by their own weight

Site specific artworks

Using large rolls and sheets of metal he started working on a his series of huge outdoor and site specific artworks, that provided him worldwide notoriety. In spite of their weird anti anti-gravity shapes, the sculpture are often self-supporting, emphasizing the weight and the nature of the material.

A-specific material: corten

In one side his work are site specific, because of their shapes and because of the process that led to their realisation, while the material is totally a-specific. In fact, he often uses corten, a special steel that easily adapted to every environment. When exposed to air, corten starts an ossidation process that covers itself with a protective film, very similar to a patina of rust.

CORTEN  |  Cor-Ten steel was designed to acquire a dark, even patina of rust over time. The surface of the steel sculptures go through an initial oxidation process and after 8–10 years, the patina of the steel settles to one color (usually brown). This color will last relatively stable over the piece's life.

The viewers’ perception

With these works, Richard Serra wants to challenge the viewers’ perception of their bodies, sometimes in relation to the interior space carved inside the sculptures, sometimes with the landscape of his site specific and land art sculptures. Their dimensions usually dwarfs people, both inside and outside.

The importance of maquettes

Richard Serra sculptures starts from maquettes. Usually he makes that with a malleable material, leads is one of his favorites, so that he can continuously rework on ideas and shapes, to reach the final form. Other materials he uses are steel and, sometimes, wood >> He uses to work at an inch to foot ratio: if the sculpture he is working on is going to be 30 foot long, he composes a 30-inches model.

Selected Works

Torqued Ellipse

One of his most famous series is the “Torqued Ellipse”, inspired by the baroque church San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane designed by the Italian artist Francesco Borromini. The series began in 1996 with a single elliptical form; made of huge steel plates bent into circular sculptures with open tops, they rotate award as they lean in or out. After making some wooden models, Serra consulted a structural engineer, to better understand how pieces should be made to support themselves and to keep their balance. All steel pieces (corten, more precisely) were fabricated in Germany.

Tilted Arc

Placed in the Federal Plaza in New Yourk City, “Tilted Arc” is a soft and curvy arch (3,5 meter high) made of rusting mild steel. Since the very first day, there were many controversies about the installation, especially because people living and working in the neighborhood though that the giant wall could obstruct the passage through the plaza. In 1985, people voted to move the work away from the plaza. But the sculpture is site specific and, as Serra claimed, it can’t be moved. In 1989 the sculpture was dismantled and cut into three parts, then consigned to a New York warehouse. They were finally moved to a storage space in Maryland in 1999.

“To remove the work is to destroy it”

The Tilted Arc’s events were satirized by William Gaddis in his novel “A Frolic of His Own”. A huge sculpture has to be destroyed because a dog got entrapped inside it. Mr Szyrk, the artist, firmly rebels against this decision and is granted a preliminary injunction by the judge.

The Matter of Time

The Matter of Time was mounted in the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao in 2005. The whole work is composed by 8 sculptures that measures about 4 meters in height and weights from 44 to 276 tons. It includes one of Serra’s most famous works: the enormous sculpture Snake, a trio of sinuous steel sheets that creates a curving path.

Memorials

Richard Serra also realized several Memorials. “Berlin Junction”, designed in 1987 for those ho died during the Nazis’ genocide, was firstly shown at the Martin-Gropius-Bau, then installed at the Berliner Philharmonie. He designed “Gravity” for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and he was supposed to work with Peter Eisenmann to submit a design for Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jewish of Europe, but then he left the project.

Video Art

Richard Serra also produced some videos; his first one, named “Hand Cathing Lead” features a single shot of an hand in an attempt to repeatedly catch pieces that are dropped from the top of the frame. The film has a fixed rate of 24 frames per second that gives an illusion of continuity; the fall of pieces echoes the movement of the film through the projector, while the hand, opening and closing continuously, scans and articulates the advance of the film. Moreover, the hand, when shadowed by the piece of lead, resembles the silhouette of a dog trying to catch something; this is a reference to the origins of cinema, as art of shadow theatre.

Drawings

The attention of Serra was not focused on sculptural works or videos but also on large-scale drawings, especially on handmade Hitomi paper or Belgian linen, using various techniques. For his first works he used paintsticks (wax-like grease crayons). > Only a few of Serra’s top auction prices are for sculpture; the rest are for his works on paper.

When representing his site specific artworks and sculptures, drawings are not always preparatory studies: sometimes they are realized after their completation: a form of notating and verifying their spatial relationships. In the 70s, Serra made his first “Installation of Drawings”, realized with several works of canvas or linen pinned directly on the wall and thickly covered with black painstick.

Not only a sculptor, Richard Serra is an eclectical artist. His out of reach ability to link site, art  and viewer makes him one of the most recognized artist of our time.

Photos and images from:

Metropolis Guggenheim Gallery Gagosian Gallery MoMA United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Art Observed

Videos from:

Aphelis San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

“The ideal form of the gallery as a white cube is inseparable from the artworks exhibited inside it.”

[Brian O’Doherty – Inside the white cube]

Today, we are all familiar with the “white cube”. If you’ve ever been into a contemporary art museum, you’ve definitely experienced it: plain white walls, polished floors, basic furniture, artworks evenly lit from above (with the quiet help of artificial lighting).

This aesthetic, first experimented in the United States in the 50s, has come to define our idea of space in an art gallery. Its concept focuses on the intense relationship between space and visitor.

Alfred Barr’s “Cubism and abstract art” exhibition in 1936 – MOMA, New York. First example of the revolutionary “white cube” display method.

     > The interior

Total white abolishes any perceptive connection with reality, emphasizing a quasi-religious atmosphere in which time and social space are excluded. This neutrality makes the viewer concentrate on individual masterpieces, with nothing interfering with the experience. In this way Art frees itself from the idea of the exhibition as “introduction of a piece into a room”.

“We have to be able to forget that there are walls and have found no better way to do that, than with pictures. Pictures efface walls. But walls kill pictures.”

[Georges Perec – Species of Space]

     > The viewer

Let’s now focus on the visitor’s attitude. The space we have to interact with is aseptic, low on human presence: a kind of space in which the reception desk and the restrooms are so hidden that you can’t find them. This interior liberates the public from the sensation of being observed, favouring a personal connection with the artworks.

Marcel Duchamp – “Étant donnés 1 la chute d’eau, 2 le gaz d’éclairage”

Is it a coincidence that in the same years Marcel Duchamp proposed the installation Etant donné ?

[read all about  Duchamp’s installation ]

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Due to this lack of real life objects, the viewer is led to an attitude of reflection. In this way the “white cube” perfectly contributes to the aesthetic of silence: nothing is to be touched and people are rather quiet, no one laughs or is allowed to talk loudly. To the extreme, this atmosphere might even intimidate a less prepared public, making them uncomfortable in such a situation. What if we were intruders?

Out of the box / White fetish?

Ultimately, the “white cube” is a sort of label. It marks the shift from the gallery being the container, to it being the content itself.

Perfectly recognizable from outside, the “white cube” is conceived as a place free of context, out of daily life.

It says: “in here you find art”. And it establishes a separation between what is to be kept outside and that which is inside.

The hardest part is to apply this concept of gallery without forgetting the context, something which is done by David Chipperfield in his Am Kupfergraben 10 Gallery in Berlin.

Read more >>> Am Kupfergraben 10 Gallery | David Chipperfield

Other examples of buildings successfully integrating their “white box” interiors with the surrounding context:

After all, most museums and galleries still employ the “white cube” as the favored way for displaying art. But how often is it used as a model beyond its real meaning?

Passing on the intricate roots (social and historical) which came together into the well-known “white cube” concept, we can’t forget that some artists proposed over the years their own personal revolutionary idea of gallery space.

Kurt Schwitters’ Merzbau (1923-44) was an ever-changing gallery. Friedrick Kiesler proposed a cornerless panel setup for the Art of this Century exhibition (1942) in New York’s Peggy Guggenheim gallery. In his famous Sixteen Miles of String (1942), Marcel Duchamp erected a  spider web that totally shocked the public. And the list goes on.

There’s more than just white boxes

A confirmation of that is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, designed by Frank Gehry: perhaps the architecture that single-handedly tried the most to demolish the purist space style.

Its unusual form made of curvy reflective facades is home to a massive hall, where Richard Serra’s steel sculptures are displayed together with the museum’s structural elements and the city of Bilbao’s views.Frank Gehry’s approach values the potential of the museum as a catalyst of urban renovation more than its role as an art container.

As it often happens, this is the case where no one and everybody is right: there’s several iconic buildings out there to prove the Guggenheim’s success and there’s countless “white boxes” that put us in front of an artist’s masterpiece.

The “white cube” has been theorized by Brian O’Doherty. A writer that selected two words that perfectly suit an idea of space that everyone had at the time. Still present after fifty years.

Why?

Read more about      WATERFRONTS as opportunities of urban renovation

BENIDORM WEST BEACH PROMENADE
A colored stroll along the beach

The promenade designed by the architects at OAB is not a frontier between the sea and the city, or just a path to walk on Sundays. It is an in-between space where the transition from the city to the beach is easier than ever.

Designed as a colorful and wavy ribbon, this walk on the beach is a dynamic space with several areas for stopping and relaxing. It’s also an ideal stroll: a sinuous and soft path where you can take your time and watch the sea… right at the edge of the city.

To provide a coherent and, at the same time, various image, the waterfront is composed by three different layers:

> the edge of the path, made of white concrete
> the colored paving
> street furniture, vegetation and water

While creating a new topography that plays with lights and shades, the organic shapes are meant to recreate the motion of waves and the fractal structure of cliffs. The promenade collects different circulation flows (some along the way, some across) and always allows direct access to the beach.

WEST KOWLOON IN HONG KONG
A place to escape the city

Just inside the West Kowloon Cutural District, this waterfront is a sweet escape where you can do all that’s impossible within such a frenetic and crowded metropolis. You can stroll along the boardwalk simply enjoying its quietness, but you can also go jogging, rent a bike or have a picnic; there’s plenty of paths and play areas which are also lit at night.

This waterfront is able to be attractive without being an attraction. West Kowloon waterfront has some special features (the prismatic lights that emulate the towers of the skyline), but they are all vey delicate and soft elements. In fact, the most interesting aspect is the simplicity of its design. The promenade’s role is not to astonish the public, but to give the city what people who live in big cities need: a place to rest and to breath.

TORONTO CENTRAL WATERFRONT
A unifying ‘Multiple Waterfront’ for the city

After many decades of planning and development, Toronto still didn’t have a unified and coherent vision. The new waterfront, designed by West 8, addresses exactly this deficiency, creating a new image for the Central Waterfront.

The idea of a unique and articulate waterfront is made of four different gestures that create the ‘Multiple Waterfront’.

> the Primary Waterfront is a continuous water’s edge promenade, with a series of pedestrian bridges
> the Secondary Waterfront is a renovation of Queens Quay Boulevard with a new urban promenade and set of public spaces
> the Floating Waterfront is composed by a series of floating elements that offer new boat moorings and public spaces in relation to the lake
> the Cultures of the City creates the necessary connections from Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods towards the waterfront

The new waterfront extends along 3.5 km along Lake Ontario and in direct proximity to the downtown business district. With all its curves and wooden path, is not just an architectural and cityscaping exercise, but also a hub for collective activities and open air experiences. Besides the city-lake connection and the public accessibility, the project also brings the idea of a sustainable and ecologically productive ‘green foot’ in the culture of the metropolis.

BARCELONA’S RAMBLA DEL MAR
Sculptural waves between the city and the sea

The ‘Rambla del Mar’ was conceived by Albert Viaplana and Elio Pinon, two catalan architects born in Bercelona. Their idea was to continue the system of ‘Ramblas’ that runs through the city, connecting the historical heart of the city to one of its newest districts: the olympic port.

The ‘Rambla del Mar’ is also able to connect the European historical centre with the Mediterranean idea of experiencing the seafront.

The most interesting element of the project is the 300-meters-long dock, placed upon a series of pillars anchored to the sea bottom. The boardwalk is covered with a particular African wood named ‘bolondo’, which is characterised by a strong resistance to use and water decay (like ‘teak’). Along its edges are some benches and the iconic sculptural elements that clearly emulate the sea waves.

MARE VERDE IN PALERMO
A dreamlike lawn in Sicily

The meaning of the Italian ‘Mare Verde’ is ‘green sea’, and this is also the meaning of the whole project. Thanks to this large area, covered by grass, filled with colorful elements and punctuated by informal sitting, Italo Rota creates a strong connection between the water and the city. In fact ‘Mare Verde’ stands between the beach-life  and the urban life, between relax and socializing. The promenade is the common element that makes this connection possible.

The project is both a public space and a landmark, both architecture and land art. Through its oneiric (i.e. dream-like) characters such as the small skittles or the golden pillars, people reach a different dimension, where they can take a break from the city.

The promenade is the perfect medium between city and water. 

On one unique path, the promenade joins the urban experience, made of walking, meeting people and reaching places, and the calmness of the water, determined by the possibility to stop and relax, to spend your time however you want. Not just man, not only nature, the promenade is a separate layer that collects and connects the different ways of life.

Photos from
OAB Office of Architecture in Barcelona
West Kowloon
West 8
Pinterest
Barcelona.org
Divisare by Europaconcorsi

They are rather complicated areas of the city as they combine two different realities and their respective actors and dynamics: the harbor and water.

> The Harbor

Traditionally, it is a chaotic place where fishermen drive their bargains, where ferries and ships continuously leave and arrive, with their never-ending streams of people. The fascinating and folkloristic aspect often give in to the bad reputation of the harbor, especially in big cities: a poor and fairly dangerous district.

Trieste _ Italy

> Water

Wheather it’s the beach of a hyper-touristic destination or the riverfront of a historical city center, water will always be an extremely attractive urban element, both for tourists and residents.

Amsterdam _ Netherlands

Waterfronts are a city’s business card and maybe its most important postcard.

But they can also offer a great opportunity for urban developement, to upgrade forgotten and under-used parts of the city.

Great examples of waterfront design:

Hamburg, a prime example of waterfront and harbor development. Some keywords (water, public, ecology, history, adaptabiliy) and a long-term vision to revitalize a bleak district.

Copenhagen, a masterplan made of iconic volumes connected through the “fil-rouge” of the existing public promenades and open spaces.

Amsterdam, where the reinterpretation of the traditional dutch canal house helps redesign two peninsulas in the city’s docklands.

> HAFEN-CITY in Hamburg <

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain, Hamburg’s role in Europe grew impressively, becoming a crucial hub in central Europe. Moreover, with the growing of the Baltic Sea area, the city was able to leverage its connections with northern Europe.

> Hamburg understood its huge potential for development, and quickly decided to exploit it

The idea to transform the borders of the port around the city center was first considered in the 1990s. In that period, port capacity was built up south of the River Elbe, leaving some central areas on the north banks nearly unused. To begin with, they had to take control of the whole area: most art of the lands belonged to the city of Hamburg but buildings mostly belonged to private businesses.

In 1996  the well-known Hamburg architect Professor Volkwin Marq presented his first study on the urban regeneration of the port peripheries, laying down some of the development principles that are being used now (for example, the urban structure and the principle of mixed uses)

> In 1997 Professor Volkwin Marqhe presented “Vision Hafen-City

An area of over 150 hectares was to be developed into an upmarket inner-city mixed use district with residential, work, cultural and leisure; the removal of the HafenCity area from the Port of Hamburg was provided by the simultaneous establishment of a special fund under public law to hold “city and port” assets.

> An ideas competition was launched at the end of April 1999 and an international jury chose the winner in October: Hamburgplan, a Dutch-German team with Kees Christiaanse/ASTOC

> The masterplan was finally approved by the Hamburg Senate in 2000.

Then it was opened to the public.  The key points of the masterplan were discussed through a series of exhibitions and events. In the following years, this masterplan has demonstrated to be effective and well functioning. Basically, it can be bescribed by 5 +1 keywords: water, public, ecology, history, adaptability and FORESIGHT.

> Water and buildings

The project set a strong connection between water and building, both under the formal and functional aspect.  It takes shape through the accurate design of the borders, but it also conceives the buildings’ elevation as a device to protect the city from potential floods.

> Attention to the public space

The whole masterplan is woven with a fine-grained mix of uses (dwellings, schools, sport services, …) and many ground floors are designed as public open spaces (parks and green areas).

> Ecology

Noise levels, odours and air pollution were analyzed and calculated in order to reduce them and to create better living-conditions in the new district.  Connection to the district heating system, with its existing pipe infrastructure and gas power station, will be a suitable solution for providing electrical power and heating for HafenCity whilst minimising CO2 emissions and conserving Energy. Moreover, the run-off water from roofs and land surfaces will be drained directly into the Elbe and the harbour basins.

> History

Remnants of port and railway architecture are preserved as far as possible in order to help this new part of the city establish a new identity which is consistent with its past, with its history.

> Adaptability

As all other urban transformations, HafenCity needed years to be realized; the projects take actions by different and versatile moves, adaptable to any possible changes that might affect the development process.

> Foresight

Hafen City can be managed independently but it is planned to influence its neighbourhood, to reach, step by step, a widespread strategy; it is figurehead for a new business, social, cultural and urban economic breakthrough. What takes place in HafenCity is supposed to leave its stamp on Hamburg’s city center for many decades. Foresight is actually the most important aspect of such a big and complex masterplan. 

Photos by HafenCity Hamburg GmbH    ELBE&FLUT    Kuhn – Fotofrizz

> Copenhagen INNER HABOUR <

Everything started in 2000 when the municipality of Copenhagen asked three design studio for a new development of the entire city harbour.. In particular, the studio Henning Larsen Architects was commissioned to make different proposals for the area defined by  Knippelsbro and Tolboden.

> The new masterplan changes Copenhagen’s waterfront but also aims to strengthen previously initiated design activities, especially concerning open spaces and public areas 

The studio established that the water surface had to be the floor, while the sky had to be the ceiling of the new development. They were asked to design large volumes (buildings) on each side of the harbour.

All these buildings, regardless of function, couldn’t turn their backs to the harbour: on the contrary, they were all supposed to dialogue with the water and to complement the public promenades and squares.

> The Royal Danish Playhouse (design by Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter) and the new Opera (designed by Henning Larsen Architects) are just two bricks of this great ongoing masterplan

Photos by Henning Larsen Architects and Lundgaard & Tranberg Arkitekter

> BORNEO SPOREMBURG in Amsterdam <

https://vimeo.com/40718037

The architectural firm West 8 was commissioned a masterplan to redesign two peninsulas in the eastern part of the Amsterdam docks. These areas were meant to be exploited for water-related activities and residential functions (about  2500 low-rise dwelling units, with a density of 100 units per hectare).

> West8 suggested a new interpetation of the traditional Dutch canal house: three storey units with ground access, with internal patios and roof gardens.

At a small scale, this type was repeated in a great variety of dwelling modes and with the maximum of architectural variation. At a larger scale you perceive the perfect balance between the individual units and the long docks.

> Three huge sculptural blocks become landmarks in this residential area

Photos and drawings by West 8

This unexpected white cube contains the powerful world of art and perfectly relates it to the cultural heart of the city.

The gallery, which was founded in 1992, commissioned Chipperfield Architects with the interior design of the exhibition space. The interior is defined by daylight and pure lines, with solid materials characterizing the exterior. Spaces are organized in 5.5 meters-high rooms, while the simple floor plan varies depending on the placement of the windows. The idea is to create a neutral and well proportioned space for working and showing art, our absolute protagonist.

Furniture clearly follows the same idea: worktables are striking in their dimension, while the light grey linoleum of the tabletops plays off the light magnesium grey of the floors. All details are thought in order to chip in this sense of simple linearity.

As many works of art and installations need specific lights and atmosphere, spaces are smartly adaptable. The rooms are side-lit from different directions and daylight is controlled by adjustable panels, while artificial lights run unnoticed on the ceiling.

Don’t replicate the past, incorporate

The Am Kupfergraben 10 gallery is located on the Kupfergraben canal, overlooking the Lustgarten and the Museum Island. Placed in a strategic corner position, that occupies the footprint of a pre-existing building destroyed during the war, the contemporary building reacts to its immediate historic context, referencing the past without replicating it.

In this particular site, the continuation of the urban block facades was considered paramount within the scheme. Chipperfield respects that with no lack of originality: he replaces the pattern of Berlin’s typical urban block using a collection of large-scale independent structures. Large windows and brick courses with no visible expansion joints make the building develop its own sculptural image.

The building received the first prize in the “office and commercial buildings” category of the Fritz Höger Prize 2008. “The gallery in Berlin, which joins the sandstone facades of the historic neighboring buildings, proves not only the sustainability of the brick but also the material’s timeless ability for dialogue in its historic context.”

Photography by Ioana Marinescu, Ute Zscharnt for David Chipperfield Architects

A holistic vision of architecture

The sketch is the right solution to gather volumes and structure, to put together context and details. His drawings, mostly sections,  always include some natural elements like trees (relation with nature, sustainability, …) or the sun (solar exposure, shadows, …). Colors can help define different materials, while the thickness of lines shows the structure.

Some sketches focus on a particular detail, some offer a complete vision of the project, some others explain the concept. But they are all impressively communicative.

A building isn’t just a volume.

A building is made of users, functions and paths;  it’s made of different materials and it’s surrounded by a specific context. The good interaction of all parts of the project highly depends on the application of  building technologies and the knowledge of the latest innovations. But when the city canvas is empty, the architect has to create and invent.

And, last, a building is made of lines, shapes, colors, and patterns. People don’t want to live in a place they don’t like, human beings look for beauty and harmony.

A render is not ehough

A building that answers to all these matters, from technology to beauty,  surely comes from a responsible design in which every element is closely analysed.

But the most beautiful render, even the most detailed 3D model, will always show how the project is going to look like, not how it’s going to work and not even how it was designed. That’s a big loss of information, especially when each step of the project is a balanced architectural decision. A real pity.

Renzo Piano’s sketches represent his holistic vision of architecture

Architecture is made of both theory and practice, both philosophy and matter. Renzo Piano’s firm,  Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), is one of the most complete in the world: it’s able to provide full architectural design services,  from concept design to construction supervision, including interior design, urban design, landscape design and exhibition design.

CONCEPT

These sketches express the concept, the main idea of the project. They are composed by few, simple elements to communicate the essence of the building. Different thicknesses and color don’t necessarely match the structural hierarchies: they just make the sketch more expressive and understandable.

They are the first (and last) spark of the project.

Kansai International Airport Terminal
Osaka, Japan (1988-94)

Parco della Musica Auditorium
Roma, Italy (1994-2002)

Zentrum Paul Klee
Bern, Switzerland (1995-2005)

Pathé Foundation, Paris (France)
Paris, France (2006-14)

IN DETAIL

This kind of sketch is a stands in between the technical drawing and art. Renzo Piano uses them to describe one particular detail, which is fundamental for the whole building: very often these elements aren’t unique or isolated, but they are used repetitively throughout the building.
In the Menil Collection and in Kimbell Art Museum, for example, the covering characterizes the project not only from the outside but also from the inside, giving rhythm to the interiors and creating special lighting effects.

Read more >> DETAILS | An illustrated library of architectural details

The essence of the project is hidden in one detail.

The Menil Collection
Houston, U.S.A (1982-1986)

Kimbell Art Museum Expansion
Fort Worth, U.S.A (2007-13)

FRONT VIEW

Front views are used to give an immediate idea of how the building is going to look like. Sometimes there’s also some information about the structure (Maison Hermès sketch) but most times you just have a general idea of the outline and of the chosen materials (MUSE and Astrup Fearnley Museum sketches).

Projects made of pure shapes and precise lines.

Maison Hermès
Tokyo, Japan (1998-2006)

California Academy of Sciences
San Francisco, USA (2000-08)

Read more >> California Academy of Science | Man, nature and discovery

MUSE Museo delle Scienze
Trento, Italy (2002-13)

Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art
Oslo, Norway (2006-12)

TECHNICAL

These sketches are very complicated: not only do they represent the whole project, but they are also extremely detailed. They contain a large number of information, using words, numbers and symbols.
The sketch of The Shard (London Bridge Tower, London) is very impressive as in one unique drawing we can find: some measurements (like the height),  the relationship with the sunlight and some information concerning the internal structure and the ground floor. The circle tells us which part is going to be the core of the building and different colors hint at different functions or materials.

Tecnical sketches that build up the project

Centre Georges Pompidou
Paris, France (1971-1977)

Read more >> HIGH TECH | Tecnology and progress at architecture’s service

Jean-Marie Tjibaou Cultural Center
Noumea, New Caledonia (1991-1998)

Lingotto Factory Conversion
Torino, Italy (1983-2002)

London Bridge Tower (The Shard)
London, United Kingdom (2000-12)

STRUCTURE AND INTERIORS

Maybe they are not hyper-realistic but they make you understand how the building works, from structure to interiors. Different thicknesses correspond to different structural elements, while different colors correspond to different functions.

In the sketch of the Morgan Library and of the Auditorium del Parco the two lecture halls are represented by a series of curved and concentric lines; doesn’t matter if they are overdimensioned or unreal: you understand the program of the building.

Renovation and Expansion of the Morgan Library
New York, U.S.A (2000-2006)

Renovation and expansion of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Boston, U.S.A (2005-12)

Auditorium del Parco
L’Aquila, Italy (2010-2012)

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT

These sketches are very interesting as they combine structure, volume, interiors…and also the environment. The role of sun is emphasized: there are lines and arrows that shows its movement in the sky and the inclination of its rays. Moreover, sometimes the suns are two, to show different situations during the day or during the year.

High Museum Expansion
Atlanta, U.S.A (1995-2005)

Chicago Art Institute – The Modern Wing
Chicago, U.S.A (1999-2009)

Harvard Art Museums renovation and expansion
Cambridge, MA, U.S.A (2006-14)

Read more >> Harvard Art Museums | Exhibition and research combined, to harvest innovation 

That’s how Renzo Piano uses the Art of Sketches.

Each one is different from the other but they have in common one thing: they put in drawing his holistic architetcure. Even if they focus on some specific aspects (the concept, some details, some functions, …) they will always tell you something abouth the genius behind each project.

Nothing is left apart, everything in the building is Architecture.

Read more >> The art of sketches (intro)

All about Renzo Piano Building Workshop • RPBW

Photos by Alessandro Gadotti – Archivio Trento Futura, Enrico Cano, Hickey & Robertons Photography, James Iska Photography, John Safa, Kanji Hiwotashi, Marco_Caselli_Nirmal, Michel Denancé, Moreno Maggi, Nic Lehoux, Pierre Alain Pantz, Tom Fox

Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, the “Operaen” is located in Copenhagen’s inner harbour and completes the historical axis running from the Marble Church through Amalienborg and right into the Opera’s stage.

Not only is it an attraction for the area and the city, its position also makes the opera house an urban connector between the historical centre and the harbour: in fact, while this part of Copenhagen was largely afflicted by decay not so long ago, it is now undergoing major changes which are bringing it back to life.

The Opera is very active and lively at all times and in all seasons, making it a major player in the masterplan – also developed by Henning Larsen Architects. Along with a number of other cultural buildings, the Operaen contributes to the vibrant and inspirational urban space at Holmen.

“In 2000 the municipality of Copenhagen commissioned a development of the entire Copenhagen Harbour from three design studios. Henning Larsen Architects was commissioned to analyse the area defined by Knippelsbro and Tolboden and outline different alternative solutions. The project envisions the water surface of the harbour as the floor and the sky as the ceiling, the “walls” were lacking to define the (harbour) space. Thus, it was recommended to establish large elements in the shape of buildings on each side of the harbour fairway: no building may “turn its back” to the harbour.” [Text from Henning Larsen Architects]

The wooden shell that encloses the main auditorium is conceived as a freestanding sculptural volume that can be seen from the entire harbour thanks to the building’s glass façade: from the foyer, the auditorium can be accessed through stairs and footbridges. The dynamic angles of the circulation system and the various levels of che balconies that run alongside the façade allow for a beautiful view of the harbour, while creating a compelling interior.

From up here, the audience of the Opera can enjoy views of the entire foyer as well as a 180° view spanning from the harbour fairway, all across the city centre turrets and spires. Visitors can only access the building from the wide arrival plaza in front of the Opera. This platform faces the water and is part of the public walkway that connects – through a system of squares and paths – all the new buildings on the waterfront. The public can reach the plaza by walking the harbour promenade or by crossing the water span by boat. The arrival plaza is framed by the 32 m long floating roof. The roof structure is inspired by airplane wings, which must have a relatively small structural depth compared to their large span. Thanks to the roof and front square – which give the Operaen an urban dimension – the building fills at best its role as a new landmark, extending the reach and attractive capabilities of Copenhagen beyond the city centre. To emphasize the monumental character and maritime location of the structure, canals have been excavated on both sides of the Opera. With its exterior of stained maple, the Large Auditorium is conceived as a musical instrument. The same materials are used inside the horseshoe shaped hall: the rear walls and the floor are covered in stained solid maple elements and smoked oak, respectively. Horizontal recesses and reliefs are coordinated in number, and size on all rear walls, box walls and balcony fronts in order to ensure the best possible acoustics. The Large Auditorium seats from 1,400 to 1,800. The form of the structure shapes an intense space surrounded by the audience, with the “see and be seen” effect merging into the magic of the opera performance. A grid of light spots inserted in the 24 carat gold leaf covered ceiling lights the auditorium like the night sky.

Besides from the main auditorium the Operaen also houses a bar/restaurant, a performing arts school and a smaller auditorium seating some 200 people and dedicated to experimental theatre.

Image editing & analysis by Archiscapes

Drawings by Henning Larsen Architects

Photos by Adam Mork

Some think it is a necessary step of a design: its first spark. Some think it’s the best way to capture a concept; others appreciate its artistical veil. They are often used to seize the essence of the surroundings, as a way to discover and understand reality around us.

But sometimes, sketches may seem oblosete representations, totally unable to compete with the modern and sophisticated modeling tools.

By the way, despite the success of rendering softwares, the architectural sketch is not limited  to the old generations of architects.

From the historical masters of architecture, to today’s firms, the architectural sketch proves to be a versatile tool, which is able to represent everything concerning architecture.

Ideas and structures, details and context are just some of the many aspects that a sketch can describe. Each architect has his own idea and preferences… Let’s discover some these!

Le Corbusier

During his travels, Le Corbusier realized a large number of sketches collected in his ‘carnets de voyage’. The following are taken from ‘Voyage d’Orient’ (1910-11).

Besides that, he used sketches for his projects and, most importantly, to describe his theoretical work: ‘Vers une architecture’ (1923) is filled with drawings and diagrams. Also, don’t forget that young Charles-Edouard Jeanneret was also a painter!

Aldo Rossi

Aldo Rossi used sketches to support his intense theoretical activity, much like Le Corbusier.

To Aldo Rossi, the sketch is also a way to keep working on projects, even after they’ve been built. That’s the case of his series of Sketches representing the San Catalso Cemetery (Modena, Italy, 1984).

Robert Venturi

With  ‘Learning from Las Vegas’ (1972) Robert Venturi is calling for architects to be more receptive to the taste and values of the common people. His call for a normalized architecture that is understandable and recognizable by the broad public can be traced also in his sketches. These ideas are brilliantly exposed through some funny illustrations:

Frank Gehry

His sketches are both  the ‘first spark’ and ‘final step’ of the design. These scribble-like twirling lines don’t show much about the light, the materials or the context: in fact there’s little information about the building itself. However, Gehry’s sketches communicate with remarkable immediacy the shapes and volumes, as well as their interaction… Kind of. The ghost image of the building is safe. Click here to read more about Frank O. Gehry

Steven Holl

Using watercolors, Steven Holl gives life to his sketches. These are not napkin doodles: they take time and ultimately they say a lot about the building’s design. Here, sketches are used to explain the project and they include include arrows, symbols, descriptions, as well as direct references to the image of the building through color and shading.

The next set of drawings shows some interiors and their most interesting aspects, such as materials, human scale and, especially, the use of light.

Eduardo Souto de Moura

His sketches may seem a little confused and vague, like Gehry’s, but they contain a more complete idea of the project and not only its volume or general shape. You can perceive walls and their thickness, sometimes you also have an idea of materials and decoration. Often, there’s some information about the context, like trees, streets and cars.

So, basically there’s three ways to sketch:

• Organized, clean diagrams > theory and composition
• Ghost-like doodles > volumes and shape
• Expressionist drawings > materials and light

Architects use this tool in a very personal and natural way so, of course, there is no way to sort their work into boxes. But they all fall into some combination of the above. Not only do all contemporary architects use sketching as part of their design process, they also haven’t replaced it with technology. Cad drawing and 3d modeling, as well as image editing, are largely responsible for the advances in architectural form, but their use doesn’t overlap with drawing on paper. Software requires a degree of precision and measure that is only reached through sketch.

“I didn’t know I was such a famous and delightful person”

Philip Johnson talks about himself, his architecture, his mentors and the new emerging architects.

Needless to say, these guys are today’s archistars: Frank Gehry, Peter Eisenman, Robert Venturi, Richard Meier…

FUN FACT: In his early career as an architect without a license he kept moving around the U.S. to avoid legislation, only to be forced into school well beyond his 30s.

“I couldn’t wait for such a thing as a license, cause that meant I had to go to school, write a thesis, draw… I still can’t draw at this moment!”

An inspiring and entertaining talk with Philip Johnson.

[ Visit the “MATERIALS” section on Archiscapes ]

Elbphilarmonie, Hamburg – Herzog & De Meuron

Fortaleza Hall, Wisconsin – Foster & Partners

Louvre, Lens – Sanaa

New trade fair, Milan – Fuksas

Jerome L. Greene science center, NY – Renzo Piano

One World Trade Center, NYC – SOM

Nanjing Sifang Art Museum, China – Steven Holl

Corning museum of glass, NY – Thomas Phifer

Admirant entrance building, Eindhoven – Fuksas

Glass pavilion, Toledo – Sanaa

Gymnasium and Esplanade, France – LAN Architecture

UniCredit tower, Milano – Pelli Clarke Pelli

[ Find all about CERAMIC CLADDING on Archiscapes ]

[ Find all about PAPER TUBE STRUCTURES on Archiscapes ]

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© Photo Credits: Iwan Baan ; SC Johnson ; Thies Raetzke ; Herzog & de Meuron ; Enclos ; Studio Fuksas; SOM

The Pixel Building, Melbourne

National library, Minsk

York University central hall, York

Slovak Radio, Bratislava

Longaberger Basket Company HQ, Ohio

First World Hotel, Malesia

Residential tower, Johannesburg

Sometimes they clash, but the usual  and present approach is to
create connection and dialogue between them.

Here is the solution developed by the architecture studio 5468796 in Winnipeg .

In the early 1900s, the Avenue and Hample Buildings were the major retail destinations in Winnipeg; then they experienced a slow decline and the derelict properties became the site for a new urban resource: 75 rental apartments and 2000 sqm.
The project was committed in 2010 are completed in 2012.

[visit: the Avenue on Portage offical website]

>> The original façade is completely transformed by ‘simple’ actions.

> PULLING IN

On the ground floor, the glass façade folds in two narrowings that defines two different entries: one for the public and one for the residents. These V-shaped entrances look like a continuation of the sidewalk; they are doorways between the inside space (the building) and the outside area (the city).

> PUSHING OUT

Starting from the first floor, the façade is punctuated by steel balconies cantilever from existing window openings. Their mirror-finish aluminum cladding provide to their disguise with the rest of the building: according to the point of view, the balconies reflect the sky, the surrounding and the façade itself.

> MELTING TOGETHER

Thanks to this special cladding, you can see the balconies from the half-face of the building but it’s difficult to recognize their projection from the front side. Moreover, a faceted canopy unifies the ground-facade with the upper-facade. Once more, the building breaks its limits and trespass on the city the canopy stick out of almost 4 meters.

[Photos by James Brittain]

Music is not straight and rigid…it’s entartaining. And so its House.

Music changes any necessary time, just to amuse our ears; even the most melodic and pleasant tune has interruptions, peaks, pauses and slowdowns… or it would be monotone and terribly boring.

Coophimmelb(l)au won the competition for a new masterplan for the city of Aalborg (Denmark) in the far 2003, but the planning phase started only in 2008. The House of Music was realized in 2014, as part of the same project.

The building defines  the eastern edge of the Cultural Plaza and it’s a complement to the cultural and leisure functions  of the Nordkraft building, a former and recently renovated power station. Together, the two buildings and the urban areas defined by the whole masterplan create a new center for art, music, and education in Aalborg.

The House of Music aims to be an “hybrid space for shared use”, that incentivizes the exchange between audiences, artists, students and educators. In fact, the building collects many different purposes – such as cultural uses and pedagogical functions – and also wide public spaces, all organized in an open and synergetic system.

The core of the House of Music is the 1300-seat concert hall.

The U-shaped main block develops around the concert hall, provided by education and practicing rooms, performing spaces and three additional halls. On the north side, a vertical foyer with a view of the fjord; on the west side, the connection with the Cultural Plaza, the links between the building  and the city center.

The adopted typology ensures natural light and maximizes the views above the surroundings;  moreover, the southern façade is covered by solar panels.

An efficient system of circulation enables a proper overlapping of functions: food service,  lounges and some areas in the foyer becomes perfect meeting places in such a big building.  On the other side, the separation of entries allows all of the institutions to operate independently.

Instead of its chaotic and crazy appearence, the House of Music demonstrates to be an extremely efficient and pragmatic building, also  releasing spaces for communication and integration.  

Photos courtesy of CoopHimmelb(l)au – Duccio Malagamba – Markus Pillhofer

Nicholas Grimshaw is a master of airport design and this is how he creates wonderful spaces you’d rather get lost into than just walk through.

In fact airports, unlike the bus stop, have developed from simple take-off stations to transportation hubs and are evolving into self-standing ecosystems, much like a detached branch of the city they connect. And a fully functional one at that!

Elevation, section & interiors: this is where airport design really lies.

A pioneer of high-tech architecture, it is still Grimshaw’s signature and which typology, better than airports, to showcase the prowess of naked structure?

Structural and architectural devices to bring natural light in, a slender structure to create wide-spanning spaces and lightweight see-through materials. These large buildings with gigantic footprints are made into pleasent dynamic spaces that remind us of the accomplishment of flying and of the excitement of travel.

click here to LEARN ALL ABOUT HIGH-TECH ARCHITECTURE 

Zurich Airport | Zurich, Switzerland, 2004

Incheon Airport | Seoul, South Corea, 2011

London Heathrow Airport, Terminal Two Concourse B | London, UK, 2014

Pulkovo Airport | St Petersburg, Russia, 2014

Frankfurt Forecourt (masterplan) | Frankfurt, Germany

Istanbul New Airport (in construction) | Istanbul, Turkey

[All photos courtesy of Grimshaw Architects]

CCTV Headquarters, Beijing

Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh

TV Tower, Prague

Novoli Courthouse, Italy

Royal National Theatre, London

Epi Apartments, Seattle

Fang Yuan Building, China

The whole project consists of 4 new buildings arranged on a pre-existing cruciform complex, creating four new courtyards around the headquarters.

The first three buildings were realized between 2002 and 2004; the fourth and latest addition was commissioned in 2014. It will add a new access point to the complex, as well as a café, meeting rooms and offices.

The additions are different in form, size and section, but they share the same façade treatment: wide room-height windows, slightly twisted off their axis.

This special glazing makes Helvetia a shimmering organism, a precious and prismatic building that changes with weather and time. During the DAY, windows reflects the neighboring buildings, the surrounding nature and, most of all, the sky, both its sunlight and its clouds. At NIGHT, the façade gets totally transparent, transforming the building in a theater for Chinese shadows.

[Photos by Herzog & De Meuron]