HUGO BOSS stores, New York, United States

HUGO BOSS and Callison partner on three new retail stores
Leading retail design firm Callison has been selected to partner with HUGO BOSS on the design development and implementation for three retail stores including a new specialty store in New York City’s Meatpacking District. The new store, located at 401 West 14th Street, marks a departure from the brand’s clean, straight lines and leverages the rustic aesthetic of one of New York’s most fashionable neighborhoods.

A curved dome lattice with embedded LED lighting juxtaposed with original brickwork, concrete, flooring and 20th century graffiti art creates a vivid showcase for the 4,915 sq ft store slated for completion in fall 2008.

Callison is also partnering with HUGO BOSS on the design development and implementation of two additional stores in New York’s SoHo district and Natick, Massachusetts. The 9,200 sq ft SoHo store, located at 555 Broadway, includes retail sales and ancillary support areas and is scheduled to open on September 25, 2008. The Natick store opened on April 7, 2008 and accommodates approximately 6,000 sq ft of retail and support areas.
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Vidyalankar Reloaded, Mumbai, India

Planet 3 Studios reiterates radical design expertise with daring addition to a Mumbai college campus
Taking forward the progressive education agenda of the institute, this significant new addition to the larger Vidyalankar campus is an adaptive-reuse of a pre-existing industrial structure that is being retrofitted into a very unusual learning facility.

Enthused by the success of their earlier designed ‘Vidyalankar Institute of Technology’ building, the educators and the students unanimously elected to have Planet 3 Studios Architecture Pvt. Ltd design this 35,000 sq ft space.

The program dictated multiple learning spaces and labs that would be available as a shared resource to the individual faculties of the earlier building. Located across an internal campus street, this structure directly faces the larger institute but differs in scale and significance.

A post occupancy study of the earlier building provided insights into what was appreciated and accepted by the end users. They decided to push the envelope further with more design interventions that challenged accepted notions of educational facility design. In a sense, this building is an intellectual and physical extension of the earlier facility.

Gutted of its core, the bare shell is currently receiving a mezzanine floor supported on an independent steel structure. Walls and partitions of lightweight building materials will bend, twist and turn to become large student work displays, rock climbing walls, graffiti strips, light sources, braille scripted tactile story boards, and above the canteen, outsized lotus petals.

The design language is intentionally indeterminate, almost as a knock on the head to wake students out of mental stasis. A staircase with a railing evoking frayed, open edges of a traditional Indian wicker basket rendered in stainless steel, a slide connecting two levels, game board near the entrance and strategically punctured roof with skylights illuminating the interior corridors, all will reiterate the unique nature of this facility.

While the façade of the earlier building was subtle and quiet in deference to the industrial neighborhood, this building is much more exuberant and makes its presence known. The idea of a striking skin enveloping the structure emerged in one of the early interactions with the faculty and students contributing to the programming process. Some dissenting voices wanted to completely demolish the existing structure and replace with a new one. On a campus photograph lying on the table, one of the educators scribbled out the original structure with a box marker. Their view about preservation prevailed and we saved the scribble as a memento. Later, when the view emerged that this building had to be more visually striking, they borrowed from the interesting graphic quality of the scribble to create the skin.

This skin wraps over an external patio that serves as a partially shaded public space. With street furniture, service from canteen and WI-FI facility, they expect it to be another space that students will accept as their own. At night, the colored glass punctures opening from the canteen and reflective skin surface will add a bit of drama and turn this into a really ‘Cool Club’ of a college. Who says learning has to be serious?..

Design Team: Kalhan Mattoo, Santha Gour Mattoo, Rashmi Pachgade, Roy, Kanwal Deep Kapoor.
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Freshwater House, Sydney, Australia

Style, functionality and location collaborate in this enviable Sydney home
Freshwater House in Australia has many enviable attributes, not least its location overlooking the water of Sydney’s Northern beaches.

Designed by local architects Chenchow Little and completed earlier this year, the house has a physical duality which represents both total protection and total openness. Making this possible is the unique use of dark folding screens surrounding the different levels of the house. Closed they present a secure and bold structure, foreboding from the outside yet cosy and safe on the inside. But once open, the house is flooded with light and open to the elements becoming part of the surroundings and presenting a welcoming home which makes the most of the spectacular views over the water.

In order to maintain a level of privacy for the sleeping quarters whilst making the most of the Australian climate and open-living, the design maximises the gradient of the site, placing the main bedroom in the lower axis surrounded by a secure courtyard.

In the main living space it is almost impossible to differentiate between the interior and the exterior when the shields are open. Same-level landscaped grass areas become a part of the living room and the clay coloured flooring expands the collaboration with nature in the open-plan space.

With beautiful design comes functionality and the screens present a solution to climatic changes - closed they both insulate in the winter and protect from harsh sunshine in the summer ensuring that the inhabitants can make the most of their stunning abode.
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Bundeena Housing Project, Sydney, Australia

Tony Owen NDM complete phase 1 of the Bundeena Housing Project near Sydney
The project is a collection of 15 stylish beach houses set in a pristine bushland setting. The site itself is just back from the beach and has stunning views of Port Hacking and Hastings Beach. What is unique about this development is that each house has been designed as if it were a stand-alone luxury designer home.

There are, however, a few coastal towns that have maintained this ‘holiday feel’ but are on Sydney’s doorstep. Bundeena, set in the pristine bushland of the Royal National Park south of Sydney, is one such place. Because Bundeena is surrounded by national park and cannot grow, it has retained its intimate and undeveloped charm, yet it has some of the most stunning views in NSW.

Tony Owen says, “You may find one-off contemporary beach houses like this in Sydney, but it is unique to find 15 purpose-built houses grouped together in this way.

"There are three different house types depending on the location, the slope and the shape of the land. Stage 1 are the ‘cross-over house’,” Owen says. In this house, the top floor, which contains the living areas, is oriented east/west and the lower level bedrooms run north/south. This allows the house to sit into the slope with minimal impact. The top floor maximises exposure to the northern sun whilst the lower level is directed toward the beach. This design allows for a large north facing deck area in front of the living room which sits above the bedrooms. Thus simple sustainable principles result in a very sculptural form.

The houses have been conceived specifically for the design-conscious city dweller. The site is sometimes quite steep so the houses have been designed on poles to touch the ground lightly and have minimum impact on the environment.

Owen says:"The houses have a progressive feel with clean contemporary lines. We sought to create a stylish lifestyle, but at the same time the houses are clad in timber and natural materials so that they fit into the natural landscape. We also designed the houses using principles of sustainable design. We always said that we should have a house where a water tank would not look out of place”. Because the site has a strong bushland character, the landscape is integral to the design
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Doon Street Tower, London, United Kingdom

Secretary of State approves major mixed use development on London’s South Bank
Master-planned by Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, the Doon Street scheme is set to stand adjacent to the National Theatre on Upper Ground London SE1. The mixed use development includes a 144.3 m, 48 storey slender residential tower of 329 flats with public uses at ground level, a new town square with lift and stairs to Waterloo Bridge, a public swimming and indoor leisure centre, Rambert Dance Company’s new headquarters and studios (designed by Allies & Morrison Architects) and an educational/office building.

Despite receiving planning approval from Lambeth Council and the Mayor of London in 2007, objections relating to the size of the tower, the lack of affordable housing and the impacts on the views of London from St James’s Park and Somerset House were lodged by English Heritage and Westminster Council.

Following a public inquiry in March Secretary of State Hazel Blears issued an approval yesterday. Taking into account the high quality design of the building and technical virtuosity, Blears concluded that the delicate balance between landscape and buildings would not be seriously damaged by the appearance of the Doon Street tower despite agreeing that the proposed development fails to preserve a setting appropriate to Somerset House. However, she considered that the harm is somewhat mitigated by the non-visibility of the tower from the courtyard, and the variation in its visibility from the terrace, as well as by the fact that other more intrusive buildings are visible above the north range.

With regards to not providing affordable housing it was concluded that the inclusion of a sports centre and swimming pool at no public cost negated this necessity and that the increase in resident population would assist in local regeneration.

English Heritage are appalled by the decision stating: “The Secretary of State has not only overturned the advice of English Heritage as her expert advisors, but she has also chosen to decline the opinion of an independent Inspector. English Heritage finds it incomprehensible that her reason for doing so was because she considered that community benefits outweigh harm to the historic environment as though one must be at the sacrifice of the other. There are alternative options that would have provided the same community benefits but would have been more sensitive, without causing serious damage to historic buildings spaces and views. Obviously we do not consider this matter closed and we are considering our next steps and the options open to us.”

The decision is now subject to a six weeks period when appeals can be made to the High Court to overturn the decision. To be successful any appeal would have to show that the Secretary of State had not followed the proper legal process rather than on the merits of the case.

Laura Salmi
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Dream Hub Yongsan Development, Seoul, South Korea

5 big names compete for $28 billion design
Five major architects have been shortlisted to redesign the business hub of South Korea’s capital city. Asymptote (with Hargreaves Associates), Foster + Partners, Jerde Partnership, Skidmore Owings and Merrill and Studio Daniel Libeskind have been given US$1m to submit designs to the Yongsan Development Co. for the US$27bn rejuvenation of the Yongsan international business district.

Following a three year war which ended in 1953, South Korea was rebuilt hastily and formed with little architectural thought. Near the banks of the Han River, the district, known as the “Dream Hub”, will cover 140 acres and transform the city into a more hospitable and architecturally interesting hotspot for business particularly aimed at being friendly to Western business.

Samsung C&T corporation are a major investor in the development - their Business Development Team Vice President, Gyeongtaek Lee, has no qualms over the viability of the project. He said: “Such an achievement is attributable to the fact that this is a low risk project with both financial and strategic investors balancing the consortium.” He added, “We plan to create a global business town starting with a spectacular landmark skyscraper and 12 commercial buildings.”

The 12 commercial buildings are expected to rise between 20-70 floors and a further 7 residential/commercial buildings will rise between 20-50 stories. The proposed date of construction is 2011.

Niki May Young
News Editor
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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The Walbrook, London, United Kingdom

Polymer technology used in one of London’s largest projects
The Walbrook construction is occupying 1.6 acres of land which will eventually become a mixed use office and retail development in London’s city centre. When complete, The Walbrook will provide a gross area of 600,000 sq.ft, including 410,000 sq.ft of Grade A net letable area and 35,000 sq.ft of retail and restaurant accommodation. But it is not the project’s scale which makes it remarkable, rather the materials used.

Similar to many buildings, the exterior of The Walbrook will be encased with solar shading which will help keep the building cool in the summer and warm in the winter, thus improving energy efficiency. But the cladding on this development is entirely comprised of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) with an automotive finish – making the sheen resemble that of a car. FRPs are commonly used in the aerospace, automotive and marine industries because of their enhanced strength and low-weight, boasting a strength to weight ratio higher than steel or concrete. FRPs have also been used in bridge construction but have not been used to this extent on buildings before.

The Walbrook, designed by Foster + Partners for clients Minerva, is currently under construction in between Bank and Cannon Street stations. Skanska, Arup and Roger Preston & Partners will combine efforts on the construction and engineering and hope to complete the project by the end of 2009 making a high-tech 50 metre long impact along Cannon Street.

Niki May Young
News Editor
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Ziggurat, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai's latest offering is a carbon-neutral 'pyramid' city
“Ziggurat” is the name of the temple towers of the ancient Mesopotamian valley with the characteristic form of a terraced pyramid with successively receding stories. Now the name is about to enter a new phase. Timelinks, a Dubai-based pioneering environmental design company, has chosen it to describe a sustainable city of the future.

The city, in the shape of a futuristic pyramid, will be exhibited at Cityscape Dubai and according to Timelinks, could support an entire community of up to one million people by harnessing the power of nature.

Ridas Matonis, Managing Director of Timelinks, said: “Ziggurat communities can be almost totally self-sufficient energy-wise. Apart from using steam power in the building we will also employ wind turbine technology to harness natural energy resources.”

Timelinks stress that the project is not just about reducing the carbon footprint. The 2.3 sq km pyramid has many other benefits. They propose that whole cities can be accommodated in complexes which take up less than 10% of the original land surface. Public and private landscaping will be used for leisure pursuits or irrigated as agricultural land.

The concept will also aim at a better quality of life for the inhabitants. Transport throughout the complex would be connected by an integrated 360 degree network (horizontally and vertically) so cars would be redundant. Biometrics would provide security with facial recognition technology.

Martijn Kramer, managing director of The International Institute for the Urban Environment told WAN: “As a general reaction the Ziggurat Project is viable from a technical point of view. However reflecting from a more sustainable holistic approach we do wonder if the food supply and waste system are taken care for, as the concept seems rather based upon carbon neutrality and energy saving.” Kramer’s initial reaction to “Ziggurat” also raises a very important issue: are people willing to live in a mega building of 2.3 sq km? Will the thought of living in a machine comfort people?

Timelinks has already patented the design and technology incorporated into the project and has applied to the European Union for a grant for technical projects. The intriguing mixed use concept will be unveiled at Cityscape Dubai which takes place at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre from 6-9 October 2008.

Laura Salmi
Reporter

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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New Barnet College, London, United Kingdom

New Barnet College campus to boost regeneration of North London
Barnet College, one of England’s largest further education institutions, has unveiled the first images of its plans for a new campus in Colindale, North London.

Identified as an ‘opportunity area’ by the Mayor of London, Colindale is undergoing an unprecedented phase of regeneration and is set to see some 10,000 new homes built in the coming years as well as hundreds of new jobs for the area. Key to the London Borough of Barnet’s vision for Colindale is the improvement of local education facilities and the College’s new state-of-the-art campus will play a key role in the area’s ongoing renaissance.

The development - designed by UK-based international architectural firm RMJM, which is renowned for its work in the education sector - will see the relocation of two centres to a central campus close to Colindale underground station. Accommodating a variety of curriculum activities, the state-of-the-art seven storey building will also provide facilities open to the local community including hair and beauty salons, hospitality training suites and a new restaurant.

RMJM director Matt Cartwright, leading the design team commented: “This new campus for Barnet College is an important milestone for the college and for the local community - it will lead the way in transforming Colindale. Urban regeneration must start at a community level and this new campus aims to deliver outstanding community facilities as well as its all important education function.”

The College’s Principal, Marilyn Hawkins, said: “This is an exciting project. The College has a tremendous reputation for delivering quality vocational training for young people aged 14 -19 at our current Grahame Park site. This new centre would allow the College to move to new levels of excellence in modern, purpose-built facilities.

“This is especially important with the new emphasis on apprenticeships and as the new specialist vocational 14-19 diplomas - in which the College is playing a leading role - come on stream.

“The design ideas are striking and very versatile, creating a building of which the community will be proud.”

Barnet College submitted an Application in Principal for funding to the Learning Skills Council at the end of July 2008
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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The Treehouse, Victoria, Australia

Australian design captures its surrounding landscape
Jackson Clements Burrows Pty Ltd Architects were formed ten years ago and have since been making architecture which empathises with its surroundings and according to their mission, their design methodology “is often informed by making intelligent decisions about perceived constraints”. Such constraints are not obvious in this angular design perched on a steep hillside at Separation Creek in Victoria, Australia.

The hazardous-looking balcony ledge appears so large as to be capable of toppling the structure from its roots on the rocky hillside, but the building stands strong in its foundations and the balcony juts outwards, hopeful of integrating with and surrounding itself with the spectacular landscape.

The house covers an area of 220 sq m and rests on two levels which, aside from the jutting balcony, hug the steep incline as a slim, wide design. With three bedrooms, a dining room and kitchen, the structure would be considered modest if it were not for the modular additions of a sun-room, study and living area (including the decked patio) on the upper level.

The house uses and blends with the surrounding landscape camouflaging itself with shades of green and using the land to create design features such as steps heading to the base of the building and rock mounds which both integrate the building within the landscape and bolster the house, providing further support.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Jardín de ZAGREB, Queretaro Qro, Mexico

Anonimous-LED practice what they preach with their Queretaro office
Anonimous-LED architects specialise in the blending of the natural and the man-made in design and their office in Queretaro Qro, Mexico embody this practice.

Three boxes – one of glass, one of wood and one of steel – float over the hill reaching out into the nature-reserve landscape beyond. The boxes are joined by a concrete element that by means of roof, wall and floor embraces architecture and irradiates nature. A palm-tree garden connects the wooden box and the steel box, and a bamboo garden connects the wooden box and the glass box. The concrete element lies upon 16 columns in order to generate parking space, maintain the slope of the ground intact and outline the view.

The access is created by means of a ramp that arises over a water body. The boxes develop the program in a lineal direction, to organise the lawyer's office, advertising’s office and the architect’s office. The experience emphasises the entrance to an interior but at the same time extends the views outwards to the green of the landscape
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Leadenhall Building, London, United Kingdom

British Land halt construction of landmark London build in preparation for construction cost reductions
British Land have confirmed this morning that London’s upcoming tallest building, the Leadenhall Building - nicknamed the Cheesegrater, has been delayed mid-construction in a money saving initiative following losses to the company of £572 million. The news follows the publication of British Land’s first quarter report yesterday and spurs concerns over the many commercial projects in the UK capital.

Designed by Richard Rogers, Leadenhall was due to rise to 736 ft and its 47 storeys would provide 612,000 sq ft of high quality office space. But with the market downturn, British Land have taken into account that office space is not at a premium and are looking into money saving measures on the scheme. They have already confirmed that the initial deadline of 2011 will not be met and are hoping that the project will now complete in 2012. Chief Executive Stephen Hester told UK newspaper the Telegraph:

"If we were to meet our 2011 schedule we would have to begin letting the property in 2010 and we don't believe we would be able to achieve premium rates at this time. We also think we are passing the peak of the contract cycle and steel prices are starting to fall, so we hope to get some of the costs down involved with the building."

Currently the project is at the demolition stage for the existing building, which is being deconstructed from the bottom up, but there is no indication as to when this will complete. As one of the most high-profile builds, and one which was already underway, the delay of the Leadenhall Building is further evidence that the UK construction industry is in crisis-mode brought on by the Credit Crunch. But the move by British Land and their confidence in construction cost reduction could mean a rope is due to be thrown to troubled developers.

Niki May Young
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Kalmar Museum of Art, Kalmar, Sweden

Tham & Videgard Hansson complete Kalmar Museum of Art
Situated in the City Park of the renaissance town of Kalmar, the new Kalmar Museum, designed by Tham & Videgard Hansson Arkitekter of Sweden, is built next to a restaurant pavilion dating from the 1930s by moderninst architect Sven-Ivar Lind.

The four storey black cube clad with large scale wooden panels punctuated with large glazed openings will house both the Kalmar collection of modern art and provide space for temporary exhibitions.

Domestic in scale this museum provides a variety of exhibition conditions. The two main spaces are the white box where one side can open up completely to bring in the exterior of the park, and the top floor gallery that is lit by shed head light shafts doubling its ceiling height. In addition, there is a public art library and open workshops. One of the main architectural features is an open stair that spirals the full height of the building. The four floors, each different from the others, are stacked on top of each other and create a vertical walk up into the greenery of the trees with a series of different spatial experiences while offering views of the environs including the Kalmar castle the lake and the city center.

The building is cast concrete. The interior finishes are exposed concrete, black stained plywood doors and panels, white painted walls and natural ash.

Sharon McHugh
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Blackfriars Station, London, United Kingdom

London's Blackfriars Station redesign will bridge the North and South banks of the Thames
Work has now started on the £350m redevelopment that will make London’s Blackfriars the first station to span the river Thames.

Two architects are involved in the project, (Jacobs designing the building and Tony Gee & Partners designing the bridge), which forms part of the £5.5bn Thameslink Programme to ease rail congestion and to cope with a predicted growth in commuters.

Although Blackfriars station used to contain an entrance on the South Bank in the 19th century, the present entrance is on the north side of the river. The redevelopment will extend the current platforms across the Thames, with entrances on both sides of the river.

The new South Bank entrance will provide direct access to major attractions such as Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.

The existing entrance on the north side will be replaced with a curvaceous glass building containing a shared ticket hall for National Rail and London Underground services and a mezzanine level.

Richard Parry, London Underground’s director of strategy and service development, said: “Once the works are complete, customers will get a new upgraded station with step free access, increased capacity and better interchange facilities between the Tube and National Rail services.”

A spokesman for Network Rail told WAN: “As well as spanning the entire length of the Thames, the scheme will accommodate a set of disused piers from an old railway bridge that was built in 1864. It’s a very interesting build.”

Blackfriars’ overground section will remain operational but the Tube station will be closed from March 2 2009 until work completes in late 2011.

The Thameslink Programme also includes a revamp of Kings Cross St Pancras, London Bridge and Farringdon station.

Oliver Ephgrave
Reporter
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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