Energy Roof, Perugia, Italy

'Energy Roof' designed as architectural icon
Nestled comfortably right in the heart (or the thigh) of Italy is the bustling ancient city of Perugia, known for its popular university, it's annual Jazz festival and soon, for an architectural icon by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU set to awe its inhabitants and visitors alike.

Serving both as a canopy and a gateway to visitors of the popular archaeological underground passage at Via Mazzini, the structure is conceived as an energy sponge capturing the sun's rays and the wind's breath. An outer layer of photovoltaic cells optimized automatically using a computer driven scripting program absorb energy from the sun to the west while the east wing collates wind power using wind turbines within a second structural layer. A third inner layer works with the second as a combination of laminated glazing and translucent pneumatic cushions.Not only will the roof and underground passage be provided with energy from the structure but the 'Energy Roof' as it is coined could provide a substantial boost to the city's power grid.

Currently in the planning process the designs have many hurdles yet to jump, but if approved the ambitious concept would bring not just an ultra-modern icon to the city but a reawakening of the city's own history. Based on historical documents showing its existence, COOP HIMMELB(L)AU proposes to excavate the old Etruscan city wall in the area below Piazza Giacomo Matteotti as part of an underground public gallery space exhibiting the history of Perugia, which would be accessed under the roof through openings in the ground.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Museum of Tolerance, Jerusalem, Israel

Gehry Partners dropped from Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem project
For six years Gehry has been set to stamp his illustrious mark on one of the most historic cities in the world with his design for the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem but following a wave of protest Gehry Partners has been dropped as architect for the scheme. A collaborative statement issued to WAN by the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Founder Rabbi Marvin Heir and Frank Gehry advises that a unanimous decision was taken by the Board of Trustees to redesign the Museum to 'reflect today’s world economic realities'.

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

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

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

Several well-known architects petitioned against the decision, which would have seen Gehry's flamboyant design bound for permanence on the site of an ancient Muslim cemetery, claiming the plans were a 'blow to peaceful co-existence'. Will Alsop, Charles Jencks, Richard MacCormac and Eva Jiricna all signed the petition which read: "The site in Mamilla, near Jerusalem's Independence Park, is on disputed burial land taken over by the Israel’s Land Administration in 1948, whose ownership is claimed by the Islamic authorities.

"To pursue this divisive project that will include "two museums, a library-education center, a conference centre and a 500-seat performing arts theatre, would seem highly insensitive, a statement of Israel's hegemony over the Palestinians, rather than any expression of 'tolerance'. All the architecture in the world cannot engender harmony on the basis of trampling over people’s rights and history. It is inflaming passions in an already combustible Middle East, and will push any peace accord further off the horizon."

The petition went to the high court but was over-ruled on the basis that in 1960, no objection was received for the construction of a parking lot on the same plot of land. The new architect is due to be named shortly, according to the statement.

Niki May Young
News Editor

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Faroe Islands Education Centre, Torshavn, Faroe Islands

BIG wins largest ever commission on the Faroe Islands
BIG, in collaboration with Fuglark, Lemming & Eriksson, Sámal Johannesen, Martin E. Leo and KJ Elrad have won the largest ever commission on the Faroe Islands for a 19,200 sq m Education Centre in Torshavn.

The winning design was chosen among five submissions by a unanimous jury, comprised of an architect, representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Landsverk together with principals from each of the three schools. As the largest educational building project in the country’s history, the institution combines a gymnasium, Torshavn’s Technical College and Business College in one building, housing 1,200 students and 300 teachers.

Located on a hillside, 100m above the sea level with a panoramic view overlooking the sea, mountains and harbour of Torshavn, the project is designed as a vortex, radiating out towards its surroundings while at the same time focusing in on the school’s inner landscape for learning the lessons of life. Each institution is organised as a school in a school with ideal conditions for each, while creating a sense of community for learning and life. At the school’s heart is an open rotunda space, creating a natural gathering point across floor levels and academic interests. A stepped interior reflects the undulating Faroese landscape with its alternating plateaus, stairwells and terraces serving different social and academic activities.

Bjarke Ingels, Creative Director, BIG said: "The school is a pedagogical diagram turned in the form of a building in the open hilly landscape formed by the considerations to the internal functional needs rather than external limitations. The architectural expression of the new Education Centre in Marknagil captures the essence of: form follows function."

Jakup Pauli Johannesen, Partner, Fuglark Architects commented: “The architecture of the school emphasises an educational equality, with lobbies and the central rotunda space promoting a sense of community across the three different schools.”

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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CityCenter, Las Vegas, United States

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MGM Mirage celebrates grand opening of Las Vegas complex
After five years, the ribbon has been cut on the MGM Mirage’s CityCenter in Las Vegas. Gensler was selected to lead the project’s seven design architects and hundreds of consultants to deliver this city-scaled mixed use development.

The 67 acre built environment comprises four separate hotels, a retail and entertainment district and residential towers, and is the world’s largest LEED Gold-certified development, garnering six certifications for the various project components. CityCenter is placed between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo Resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and is a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World.

Bobby Baldwin, President and CEO, CityCenter said: “This is the future of Las Vegas — CityCenter is in an entirely new category. To achieve what we wanted, in the time span we wanted, we knew we’d have to bring on a single firm with unparalleled visionary talent that could undertake such an extraordinary effort. Gensler stepped up to that challenge, and CityCenter is a testament to that.”

J.F. Finn, Gensler principal and CityCenter Project Executive commented: “CityCenter is the design equivalent of the Japanese game of Go, only in three dimensions. With all the components running in parallel, one modification could trigger dozens of impacts that had to be addressed and resolved.”

Laura Paton
Editorial


source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Financial and commercial department of Voest Alpine Stahl GmbH, Linz, Austria

Heavily cantilevered steelworks headquarters completes in Linz
Offering 'intelligent steel solutions' to their customers, voestalpine chose a design for their new office in Linz, Austria that would act as a bold structure to lead by example. Penned by Feichtinger Architectes the new sales and financial center features a dramatic cantilever stretching out across a vast void, accompanied only by the existing 'Blue Tower' which together form the portal to the site of voestalpine.

The gently sloping underside of the cantilevered canopy guides staff and visitors into the building with the addition of LEDs to light the way. Glass and steel are predominant offering transparency and strength across the 23,160 sq m built up area.

Within, central community areas facilitating conference facilities, archives, coffee and chill-out areas and copy equipment open out to covered atriums which produce a vertical chimney ventilation effect. Privacy is offered to individual offices with frosted glass walls out to the circulation areas.

In addition, a spacious garden deck provides an outdoor area of green fields and paved areas. Interestingly the roof provides not only green planting but a conference area in addition to indoor meeting facilities on the 4th floor, accessible via lift.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Campus Biometropolis, Mexico City, Mexico

Foster + Partners reveal designs for major new health city masterplan
Foster + Partners has revealed its designs for a 71-hectare teaching and medical facility in Mexico City upon notice of their appointment to the project. Campus Biometropolis masterplan in the south of the city will integrate care facilities with high tech teaching spaces, research institutions and laboratories and feature a vital new nature reserve showcasing the Pedregal lava fields as a highlight of the design.

The wilderness area, together with enhanced landscaped zones, will account for half of the site and preserve Mexico City’s indigenous plants and animal species whilst creating an attractive landscape for the built areas. The campus will include offices, apartments, shops and amenities to create a sustainable, mixed-use community. The arrangement of buildings navigates a course around the Pedregal lava fields, a network of subterranean lava tube formations and caves, sections of which will be exposed to encourage scientific investigation.

The site is close to Mexico City’s southern medical cluster and the National University. The scheme integrates hotel facilities for visitors to the hospital and conference centre, facilities for bio-tech industries, clinical studies and a number of specialist units, planned to target six key areas of medicine: cancer, cardiovascular, infectious diseases, pharmaceuticals, nutrition and geriatrics.

The masterplan integrates public piazzas, pedestrian streets and cooling courtyards and the buildings will be oriented to capture cooling winds from the north. Given Mexico City’s water shortages, the campus is designed to maintain and augmenting the proportion of green space through which water can be absorbed naturally into the aquifer below. Rainwater will also be harvested from roofs, roads and available open space. The transportation strategy is designed to encourage the use of public transport. Solar-powered electric vehicles will move people around the campus, walking distances are short and a bus connection to the nearby university station will fully utilise the available capacity on a quieter section of the metro line. While parking spaces will be incorporated, they will be located below a raised podium level to create a pedestrian environment and maximise the available space for the nature reserve at ground level.

Nigel Dancey, a senior partner and design director at Foster + Partners, said: “Campus Biometropolis is our first masterplan in Mexico, building on our growing portfolio in Central and South America. It is the first of its kind – a unique opportunity to create a medical district of international importance. The masterplan will incorporate state-of-the-art facilities and buildings with a wide range of functions. The project will help safeguard the recharging of the aquifer supplying much of Mexico City and protect indigenous plant and animal species, as well as the important geological formations found on the site.”

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Chicago Spire, Chicago, United States

Union boss steps in to save the floundering Calatrava project
North America's tallest tower was stopped dead in its foundations last year as the recession bells clanged and key players argued over alleged non-payment of millions of dollars in fees. But now the fate of Calatrava's Chicago Spire looks much brighter as union boss Tom Villanova, president of the Chicago and Cook County Building and Construction Trades Council (CBTC), has entered talks to loan $170million to the project's Irish developer, Shelbourne Development Group in a bid to create work for 1000 workers.

The Chicago Spire was set to become North America's tallest tower after commencing construction in 2007. Designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava the Spire was to reach 2,000 ft and open in 2011. Following the marketing launch it had sold 30% of all of the building's 1,200 apartments in the first three months. But the recession halted work on the project without ever leaving its foundations. The Fordham Company was the original developer and namesake for the project when it was in its previous, shorter incarnation as the Fordham Building. Following a relaxation of height restrictions in Chicago new designs were released increasing the building's height. The recession, however, took its toll on The Fordham Company which failed to produce sufficient funds and the project was subsequently taken over by Shelbourne who acquired the land. Just several months later, however, and Calatrava's office placed a security lien on the property having not received over $11million in fees and the project ground to a halt.

Advanced talks are now said to be underway and if Villanova's offer is accepted, the Chicago Spire will recommence construction as a full union project. A spokesperson for Shelbourne said: "The loan would mean 7.5 million man hours of union labor – which is important right now as there is high unemployment in the construction sector and this project would put people back to work."

Niki May Young
News Editor

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Namba Parks, Osaka, Japan

2009 Winner ULI Awards of Excellence: Asia Pacific / 'Green' TOD Design for People
Namba Parks, located in Osaka, Japan, was named as one of four outstanding developments selected as a winner of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2009 Awards of Excellence: Asia Pacific competition.

Designed by The Jerde Partnership, Namba Parks sits adjacent to the Namba train station. It was conceived as a natural amenity in the city, literally an urban jungle, offering a sloping rooftop park that is bifurcated by a sinuous, open-air “canyon” path that reinforces the connection with nature while forming the primary circulation pattern.

Namba forms a dramatic new identity for the city. Alongside a 30-storey office tower and 46-storey residential tower, the project features a new lifestyle commercial center with a rooftop park that crosses multiple blocks while gradually ascending eight levels from the streets of the city. The sloping nature of the park serves as a green and highly visible oasis in a city where nature is sparse. By connecting to the street, the sloping park plane will draw people up and into the project among groves of trees, green spaces, water features and outdoor terraces, where they can dine, read, socialize, or simply taking in views of the city.

The second phase, completed in 2007, physically extends the sloping rooftop park, which rises from eight to 10 levels, and canyon, which opens just above the street on the end of the project opposite the train station.

Namba is a benchmark example of Green Transit-Oriented Development where economic performance and quality green design emerge as a single objective.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Cooper Union, 41 Cooper Square, New York, United States

Morphosis' interior design of Cooper Union building revealed
In June this year WAN brought you the first look at the exterior of Thom Mayne's spectacularly individual Cooper Union building in New York ahead of its official completion. Now that the hub for future architects is fully functional, with its ribbon cutting earlier this month, new images have been released revealing its inner sanctum.

The Cooper Union is one of the United States oldest higher education facilities, founded in 1859 by Peter Cooper and includes the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture. Specialising in the advancement of science and art the 150 year-old's new building is designed to reflect Cooper’s fundamental belief that education of the highest quality should be as 'free as air and water'. The images taken by Iwan Baan show the community spirit embodied within building's vast open spaces, a cohesive design and an inspirational attention to detail.

"Internally, the building is conceived as a vehicle to foster collaboration and cross-disciplinary dialogue among the college’s three schools, previously housed in separate buildings," said Mayne. "A vertical piazza—the central space for informal social, intellectual and creative exchange—forms the heart of the new academic building. An undulating lattice envelopes a 20-foot wide grand stair which ascends four stories from the ground level through the sky-lit central atrium, which itself reaches to the full height of the building. This vertical piazza is the social heart of the building, providing a place for impromptu and planned meetings, student gatherings, lectures, and for the intellectual debate that defines the academic environment."

The building is a definitive landmark both for The Cooper Union and New York's Cooper Square connecting the school to its community.

"In the spirit of the institution’s dedication to free, open and accessible education, the building itself is symbolically open to the city," added Mayne. "Visual transparencies and accessible public spaces connect the institution to the physical, social and cultural fabric of its urban context. At street level, the transparent facade invites the neighborhood to observe and to take part in the intensity of activity contained within."

As part of this connection 8,800 sq ft of public space takes form in the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, the Menschel Board Room, and the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Exhibition Foyer and Gallery. The remainder of the 175,000 sq ft of space over 9 stories accommodates 39,000 sq ft of laboratories, 10,000 sq ft of studios, 15,400 sq ft of classrooms and over 5,000 sq ft of student space.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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FLAME - Exposition Pavilion, Żory, Poland

New exposition pavilion as gateway to the city of Żory
FLAME exposition pavilion is situated with prominence on an exposed site near the main access road to the city. The aim of the pavilion is to promote the city of Żory and to showcase its offerings to newcomers, tourists, partners and investors as well.

The name of the city – Żory means “fire”, ”burnt”, “flames”. In XII century, when Żory was founded, forest was burnt in order to create free space for the new city. This tradition is still alive – there is a Festival of Fire in summer, and the logo of the city is a small Flame.

It became obvious to the architects, that they should design a building, that looks like a flame. The building consists of three independent walls that “swim” next to each other. Their composition and shapes covered with copper plates resemble dancing flames. Spaces between the walls are fully glazed forming entrances to the pavilion. Walls are made of architectural concrete, covered on the outside with copper plates and left untouched inside. The floor is paved with black stone, and continued to the outdoor elements.

The Pavilion has two main spaces –one for exhibition and the second – for presentation. A model of Żory centre will be exhibited under the glass floor. With a small bar, office , restrooms and technical rooms the program is complete.

Surrounding the pavilion is intensive landscaping. The Pavilion and the landscape work together creating a symbiosis of space consisting of pavilion itself, pedestrian paths running through the pavilion and green walkways.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Palestra, London, United Kingdom

A significant addition to South London's commercial office market
The 295,000 sq ft (net internal area) / 405,000 (gross internal area) speculative development for Blackfriars Investments Limited and Royal London Asset Management is located on Blackfriars Road directly opposite the new Southwark underground station. The building’s bold architecture is seen as an expression of the developer’s confidence in both the scheme itself and in the South central market as an important new business location in central London.

With large, virtually column-free, flexible floor plates capable of subdivision, the building provides twelve floors of high quality contemporary commercial office space in a distinctive building in an acknowledged emerging business location. The ground floor retail and 5th and 6th floors were pre-let to The London Development Agency twelve months prior to the building’s completion and were occupied in September 2006. The remainder of the building was occupied by Transport for London at the end of 2007.

With its use of colour, retail pod at ground floor and distinctive floating block design, the Palestra building pioneers a new approach to commercial office design and symbolises a commercial renaissance of London’s south central business district.

The Architect says of the building; "A commercial brief need not negate the creation of a building enjoyable for passers-by. I am confident that Palestra will prove an enhancement to Blackfriars bridge road and be a fitting landmark for this part of the city."

The design is characterised by three separate volumes stacked on top of each other to break down the mass of the building and relate it to its surroundings. All three volumes differ in size, proportion, orientation and appearance yet are unified by the same architectural language. The lower tilted ‘ground-scraping’ slab lifts up towards the west cantilevering six meters above the pavement to create a dynamic building entrance and public space.

Visitors approaching the building will enter directly under the inclined soffit into an attractive reception complete with art wall, coloured glass cladding to stair core and a specially designed tilted reception desk. A key feature of the ground floor is the extraordinary pod shaped retail unit that has been let by the London Development Agency for public exhibition space. Lift lobbies adjacent to reception provide ready access to the eleven (twelve floors include the ground floor) upper office floors.

The building is clad in a glazed curtain walling system treated with a random pattern of coloured ceramic frit and solid panels to achieve a patchwork effect of colour giving scale and texture to the facade.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Guangzhou Metro Authority Headquarters, Guangzhou, China

Guangzhou Metro HQ envokes speed, movement and progress
As part of an invited international design competition, Perkins Eastman created a sweeping, grand vision for the future 50,000 sq m (538,000 sq ft) headquarters of the Guangzhou Metro Authority. With the expansion of several metro lines, this building will enable the company to house all the planning and construction group activities under one roof. Sited on a major transit intersection, the concepts of “speed” and “progress” are incorporated into the plan, facade, and volume to provide a distinct identity for the corporate image of the Authority, while sustainable features reflect the core environmental values of the organization. The building will be developed in partnership with The Metro Design Institute in China, with construction expected to begin in mid-2010.

The building’s form represents physical speed, beginning at signature prow - the symbolic and functional entrance into the interpretive traditional courtyard - and spirals up around the circumference of the dynamic circular form. A significant part of the program includes a facility for training new employees while providing continuing training to existing employees, contained in the lower volumes of the building. The taller tower houses the administrative functions. Located in the plinth and spiraling to street level, the complex also includes public exhibit space and a museum to disseminate information to the public about the achievements in transportation engineering of Guangzhou Metro.

The Metro Authority is committed to being a 'green' company, and sustainable design strategies are specific to the climate, construction techniques, and technologies of the region. The humid, tropical climate in this part of China is addressed in the building design in several ways, most visibly is the integration of a terracotta sunscreen system on the exterior envelope that contributes to a reduction in the cooling system by providing direct shade. Green roofs insulate the building and are part of a larger design strategy to address storm water management as well as to create an outdoor amenity for employees. A significant percentage of the exterior envelope will be constructed with high-performance glass to provide daylight to the majority of the indoor spaces as well as to visually connect interior with exterior spaces.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Okhta Center, St. Petersburg, Russia

Russia’s controversial tower project wins final approval
A 400-meter tower designed by RMJM for the Russian energy giant Gazprom has gained final approval from the city of St. Petersburg, despite opposition from residents and UNESCO. At 77 stories tall, the new tower, known as the Okhta Center, will eclipse the city’s tallest structure, the spire of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, by more than a factor of three and may become the tallest building in Europe.

The building will serve as the headquaters for Gazprom's oil unit OAO Gazprom Neft, and include a concert hall, art museum, hotel and a business center. While supporters of the project say it promises to transform the depressed city into a thriving one, critics fear it will alter St. Petersburg’s character, which to this day exhibits the low rise profile and ambience of a 19th century city. Among the project’s critics is David Sarkisyan, Director of the Moscow Museum of Architecture. In an interview with Bloomberg.com, Sarkisyan called the decision to approve the project 'monstrous and barbaric'. "The tower is a symbol of political ego and people will always resent it,” he said. Residents rallied to defeat the project right up until the end, clashing with police and Gazprom security guards in the process.

UNESCO has threatened to strip the city of its status as a world heritage site if the tower is built.

Sharon McHugh
US Correspondent

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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San Francisco International Airport Terminal 2, San Francisco, United States

San Fran Airport expansion tops off
While the world cries out for sustainability, there's one thing that people just aren't prepared to reduce, and that's air time. So increasingly, while passenger figures remain steadily on the rise, the air industry is looking to building design to generate not just new terminals, but green points too. The same is true at San Francisco International Airport's new Terminal 2 building which topped off last week.

Accommodating a 22% growth in passenger traffic, Gensler's design provides 587,000 sq ft of LEED Silver registered property (aiming for official certification once complete) and the architects advise the measures taken are projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the facility by an estimated 1,667 tons, or the equivalent of 210 homes worth of CO2 emmissions every year.

To achieve these savings the architects have incorporated abundant use of natural light, saving in energy use for lighting during day hours; introduced efficient mechanical systems to distribute air at a higher temperature and lower velocity than traditional systems to save energy and provide cooling for just the spaces that require it; and used reclaimed water in a stand-alone plumbing system which will be independent of external sources.

A one-off saving of 12,300 tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent to that emitted from over 1000 homes) which would otherwise have been created in the construction process has been made by reusing a substantial portion of the infrastructure of the existing building in the renovated T2. The building itself is to be used as a teaching tool with 'engaging' signage highlighting the importance of sustainable measures. Combined with an aggressive recycling policy and hydrating stations which will encourage users to refill or recycle their plastic bottles, Terminal 2 is set to be an agent for green solutions in transport.

Aside from the necessary sustainability nod though, the terminal, upon completion, is designed to provide an emphasis on service, hospitality, and comfort, all of which, as we all know, are essential when the unavoidable delays occur. To meet this standard Gensler have incorporated a post-security re-composure zone complete with zen-garden style water features (to take you to your 'happy place' while you put your shoes back on), a selection of hotel-inspired seating areas in the departure lounge together with a range of retail options, and your choice of two children's play zones where you can watch your kids wear themselves out before the long journey ahead.

These comforting design features also have a parallel benefit, say the architects: "We believe that if the average passenger is calm, relaxed, and confident in where he/she is going, this helps the entire airport operate more efficiently and safely and makes it easier for security personnel to identify suspicious behavior. So we really worked to create an experience that is comfortable, calm, and easy to understand via features like the revesting area post-security, the meeters and greeters (arrivals) lounge, as well as things things like warm colors, comfortable hotel-like furniture, etc. Having the ability to integrate the latest security technology into the airport already puts the terminal ahead of most others who have had to shoehorn it into a space that wasn’t designed to handle it. The security checkpoint will feature body-scan technology, and a pre-queuing area that flows into the actual security queue."

At a cost of $383 million, the extension will provide 4 new gates, 8 new security lanes, 26 ticketing positions and not to forget, 4 new baggage reclaim carousels when it opens its gates in 2011.

Niki May Young
News Editor

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Liège-Guillemins TGV Railway Station, Liège, Belgium

Liège-Guillemins TGV Railway Station opens in Belgium
13 years in the making, and three years after topping off, the new high-speed rail station at Liège-Guillemins designed by eminent architect, Santiago Calatrava, has finally opened in Belgium. Billed as the 'epicetre of the North European High Speed Network', the station can now beat as the heart of any transport network should.

Members of the Belgian royal family together with international dignitaries and Calatrava himself attended opening celebrations which were all held within the structure. With less than 200,000 occupants in Liège, the station is set to provide a new pulse for the former industrial city, acting as the first part of a planned architectural vision for a corporate center in Belgium and the launch of Liège’s renewal.


Calatrava was first commissioned to design the new Liège-Guillemins Station in 1996, and was tasked with the seemingly impossible duty of replacing the existing station without disturbing the ongoing train services and daily passage of 36,000 people.

The results of his efforts are a cathedral for passage throughout Europe. The vast glass roof encases exposed working platforms and the dynamism of the moving ensemble of passengers and trains, asserting the urbanity and bustle represented within the high-speed network. The architect's vision of a building without facades adding to this energy. Commuters can now travel to Aachen, Cologne and Brussels, as well as to Frankfurt, Paris, London and the Southern portions of Europe at a modern pace through this monumental gateway.

“It was my goal to create a 21st century transportation facility that would not only unite Liège with the rest of Europe, but would also serve as a symbol of the city’s renewal,” said Calatrava. “The project, as a whole, creates a new gateway into Liège and re-establishes a relationship with the city.”


Niki May Young
News Editor

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, United States

Pritzker Prize winner reveals Museum of Nature & Science plans for Dallas
Thom Mayne has revealed his dramatic design for the new $185 million Perot Museum of Nature and Science at Victory Park in Dallas with groundbreaking due this Autumn. Described as a “living educational tool featuring architecture inspired by nature and science," the new facility designed by his firm, Morphosis, will provide 180,000 sq ft of display and archive space on a 4.7 acre site just north of downtown Dallas.

"Museums, armatures for collective societal experience and cultural expression, present new ways of interpreting the world," said Mayne. "They contain knowledge, preserve information and transmit ideas; they stimulate curiousity, raise awareness and create opportunities for exchange. As instruments of education and social change, museums have the potential to shape our understanding of ourselves and the world in which we live.

"The new Perot Museum of Nature & Science in Victory Park will create a distinct identity for the Museum, enhance the institution’s prominence in Dallas and enrich the city’s evolving cultural fabric."

At 170 ft and 14 stories high the structure presents itself as a cube structure atop a plinth. Working to a theme of 'nature in an urban fabric' its roof alone offers one acre of rolling native landscape featuring all the native flora and fauna of Texas and including a large urban plaza for events. Surrounding the building too landscape design, created in conjunction with Dallas-based Talley Associates, brings together science and technology with nature acting as an extension of the building design. The two are so integrated that, to mention one example, the parking lot is used to generate energy to power water features (post-rain).

80% of the building will be open to the public (an unusually high percentage) and facilities will include 10 exhibition galleries, including a children’s museum and outdoor playspace/courtyard; an expansive glass-enclosed lobby and adjacent outdoor terrace with a downtown view; state of the art exhibition gallery designated to host world-class travelling exhibitions; an education wing; large-format, multi-media digital cinema with seating for 300; flexible-space auditorium; public café; retail store; visible exhibit workshops; and offices.

A signature design feature within the museum is a 54-foot continuous-flow escalator contained in a 150-foot tube-like structure that dramatically extends outside the building. It will take visitors from the light-filled lobby atrium to the museum’s top floor. Patrons will arrive at a fully glazed balcony high above the city, with a bird’s-eye view of downtown Dallas.

“We believe the new Museum will provide an unforgettable experience for our visitors and help them better understand and appreciate the world we share,” said Nicole Small, President and CEO at the Museum of Nature & Science, “And our hope is that it will inspire young people – and those of any age – to pursue careers in math, science and technology

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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DnB Nor bank headquarters, Oslo, Norway

Pixelated design for DnB NOR headquarters enters main construction phase
Foundations up to basement level are now complete at the main building of the new DnB NOR headquarters in Norway. The new headquarter cluster with a total surface of 80,000 sq m, is developed by the Norwegian Oslo S Utvikling (OSU), and its pixelated central building, designed by MVRDV with 17 floors and a surface of 36,500 sq m, is due to be completed in 2012.

In 2003, MVRDV, together with Norwegian firms Dark and a-lab, won the competition for the Bjørvika waterfront development and designed a dense urban master plan along Nyland Allé, the Oslo Barcode, that will be developed and realised by OSU in phases.

The project combines Norwegian bank DnB NOR's twenty offices into a new cluster of three volumes with a common basement and a 3,000m2 underground concourse interlinking the three buildings of the bank.

The project aims to create synergy and identity for the firm translating social and democratic culture into the design and making the space an enviable working facility. MVRDV's building is conceived as a steel ‘rack’ which permits adaptation to the flexible nature of the organisation. The steel rack is wrapped in a stone skin, which adopts Norwegian environmental standards. It appears as a rock, a strong shape within the boundaries of the Barcode. The niches of this rock provide space for vegetation growth: the positioning of the pixels creates roof gardens or outside areas for every floor.

The generic office floors which provide more than 2,000 flexible working spaces recline and are recessed in various places to reflect the urban context and to create communal indoor and outdoor areas and outstanding daylight conditions. At street level the building volume is opened by sheltered entrance zones, and intersected by a public passage leading to the Oslo Central Station. The pixelated design allows this specific response whilst being highly efficient and flexible. As a result, every floor of the building is both unique and generic: the pixelated volume makes the generic specific.

Additional facilities include a panoramic 140 seat canteen on the top level, an executive lounge with a view over the fjord, a board room, in the heart of the volume, DnB NOR’s trading room with 250 work stations, and the main entrance with a reception and access to the concourse. These collective elements are connected by a staggered continuous internal route of terraces, encouraging informal meetings and communication between employees and a series of wooden stairs and bridges allows travel between levels.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
architecture NOW

New Orleans Arcology Habitat ( NOAH), New Orleans, United States

Floating city concept designed for ecological living solution
Kevin Schopfer, heading up Ahearn Schopfer architects practice, has developed this unconventional solution to ecological living, specified for use in New Orleans.

Together with Tangram 3DS, a firm specializing in visualization and computer animation, Schopfer has designed and presented New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) as a proposed urban Arcology (architecture and ecology), whose philosophic underpinnings rest in combining large scale sustainability with concentrated urban structures, in this case a floating city.

NOAH's structure is designed for concentrated use with around 20,000 housing units at an average of 1,100 sq ft, three hotels, 1,500 time-share units and 500,000 sq ft of retail space. Also incorporated are three casinos, 500,000 sq ft of commercial condominiums, parking for 8,000 cars, a school, 100,000 sq ft of cultural facilities and a 20,000 sq ft health facility, making the structure socially self-sufficient. All fitting together with public amenities and administrative offices into an estimated 30 million sq ft.

Asked about why NOAH took this form, the architect responded: "The Pyramid shape is the strongest, most able shape to guarantee structural stability when considering the size and height to width ratio of the entire structure. The shape was also chosen so that the wind and inclement weather would be able to blow through the building instead of fight it."

Transportation through the structure would be made possible by the implementation of staggered 'zone elevators' and a mini electric 'subway' system.

Chosen as the 'city that needs it most' the design of NOAH is not created to complement the fabric of New Orleans but as a 'sustainable icon' which would be forever anchored by its coastline.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
architecture NOW

Pentominium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Contractors appointed to world's tallest residential tower set for Dubai
A glimmer of light has been shed over the gloom of Dubai's construction industry this week as contractors have been appointed to work on the world's tallest residential tower, set to grace the skies of Dubai in just two years.

Pentominium, designed by Dr Andrew Bromberg, Executive Director at Aedas, is currently the 6th tallest building under construction but not topped out according to statistics from the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Once completed - by the newly appointed Lebanese construction firm, Arabian Construction Co - it will provide 116,200 sq m floor space...and a much needed lift of confidence in the Dubai market.

Not the austere symbol expected of a land in financial turmoil, the Pentominium will maintain the modern ethos we've all come to expect from Dubai: 'more is more'. Trident International Holdings have collaborated with some big players to offer the height of luxury. Complete with a banquet room, sky lounge, observation deck, business centre and even its own cigar lounge sponsored by a collaboration with Davidoff fine cigars, if you like hotel-living this could be right up your street.

The tower itself is not out of place in Dubai. It's tall, really tall at 516 m. But what makes the design intriguing is its height to width ratio - this is an extremely slim-line design. Aedas explain the shape resulted from the project's main challenges of 'density/proximity to neighbours and the extreme environmental pressures of Dubai'. Addressing this issue the building is split into two sides, one which features a system of balconies and a vertical layer of glass to mitigate solar gain, and one which is staggered with sky gardens and apartment pods of one storey height, breaking up the density and offering privacy to outdoor space.

Having won several awards at the Arabian Property Awards before the financial crisis hit, the appointment of a contractor is a positive sign that quality projects can pull through the tough times, even in Dubai.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
architecture NOW

5** Spa Hotel, Andalusia, Spain

Year-round retreat for those with 5 star lifestyle
Through a competitive interview process of an international shortlist of architects that included Thomas Heatherwick and David Adjaye, Amin Taha were selected to conduct a masterplan for this Residential Hotel Resort. The brief called for a 5** Spa hotel and 200 homes that together would create an all year round retreat community.

The challenges seen and highlighted through the interview process were in part related to the design/construction logistics of the very steep site but mostly targeted at how to set a precedent for sustainable development along a coastline that is disappearing under heavy urbanisation; How to avoid destroying the reason for being there in the first place; and How to form a believable community with working social spaces that go beyond the serviced apartment concept?

The architects' approach was to combine planning height guidelines with passive environmental controls mainly through thermal mass. With part cut and part fill the development would essentially be buried under local flora with grey and rainwater storage irrigating the more heavily landscaped social areas. Glazing being set far enough in to avoid solar gain during hotter months but allow it during winter and with cross ventilation brought in using solar chimneys. The ‘dug-in carved-out’ theme is continued with communal pools that join to external terraces and pedestrian routes and expand in areas to create an urban framework. A hierarchy of public spaces is centred at the hotel whose facilities are slightly fragmented to stand alone as it were around the village square.

source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
architecture NOW