Museum of Guangdong, China

The new museum’s floor area will feature about 650,000 square feet organized into four large exhibition halls. The building is a large, squat, Modernist box punctured with small alcoves that allow natural light to seep inside. The museum’s simple form is grounded in the Chinese vernacular, drawing inspiration primarily from the lacquer box, which has long served as a vessel for precious Chinese objects. The building also relies on a traditional Chinese courtyard motif, organized in a series of concentric, layered spaces. Its reliance on traditional Chinese architecture is meant to provide a contrast to Hadid’s more organic and curvilinear design. The existing museum holds a large collection of Chinese artworks and Cantonese artifacts.

This design was led by Rocco Yim from Hong Kong. The design was named winner of the competition in May 2004, defeating international architects and firms such Coop Himmelblau, Peter Eisenmann, UN Studio and many more. (to find out more...)

text and images from: http://archrecord.construction.com/ar_china/news_0506Guandong.asp

posted by s-super-chii

Ho-Am Art Prize, Soeul, Korea

Korean American Architect Kyu Sung Woo has been named the winner of the 2008 Ho-Am Prize in the Arts. The Ho-Am Prize in the Arts recognizes Koreans who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of culture and the arts through their creative efforts and accomplishments. He is the first architect to receive this prestigious award, which is often considered to be the Korean equivalent to the Nobel Prize.

Kyu Sung Woo is the most prominent Korean American architect practicing in both Korea and the United States. His architecture and urban design work represent a style informed by nature. By resisting ornamentation and exaggeration, Woo combines the minimalist ideals of the West with the quiet spaces of the East. His utilization of light, space, and movement combine to create a unique and meditative experience.(to find out more..)

images & passage from:
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=10140

posted by midori mizu

Koolhaas Interview

Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas talks about new trends in architecture and urban development, the end of the European city, the rise of Dubai, Russia and China, the obsession with XXXL and the difference between the people who design buildings for a living and "star architects."
(to find out more..)

Rem Koolhaas: "I have a very hard time with the expression 'star architect'."
Rem Koolhaas on the CCTV Tower in Beijing: "It looks different from every angle."

image & passage from:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,566655,00.html

posted by midori mizu

NEXT-GENE20:Taiwan's Experimental Housing Masterplan

Kengo Kuma - Aimai House

Akihisa Hirata - Architecture Farm

Hailim Suh - Ridge House

Toshiko Mori - FlexiVilla

Yung Ho Chang - Triptych House

MVRDV - Observer

IaN+ - Villa Palladio

Fernando Menis - House Aurum

Graft - bei-lin = shell under copious rain

Julien De Smedt - The Twirl House

Shu-Chang Kung - Radix House

David Chun-Tei Tseng - Terra Vista

Kris Yao - COCOON

Wen-Chieh Chiu - The Elf on the hilltop

Kyle Chia-Kai Yang - The House Q – In Phrase of Stratus

Hsueh-Yi Chien - Chromosome-H

Irving Hung-Hui Huang - Z-HOUSE

Ray Chen - Floating Courtyard

Sheng-Yuan Huang - Monsoon and the earthworms

Yu-Tung Liu - Calligraphic House

NEXT-GENE20 is a project that challenges 20 architects from around the world to design villas along the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area in Taiwan.(to find out more..)

images & passage from:
http://archinect.com/features/article.php?id=77401_0_23_0_C

posted by midori mizu

Freehand Drawings in Sand

French chefs make arts on plates, we may say it's because their unpopulated lands aren't as abundent as in North America, where a chef does arts off his plates and onto the ground, in unbelieveably gigantic scales. I daren't claim he's a good chef, but judging from what is seen in his website he does enjoy food. Food & art comes close, as both are fundamentals of humanity and celebrations of life~



Jim Denevan makes freehand drawings in sand. At low tide on wide beaches Jim searches the shore for a wave tossed stick. After finding a good stick and composing himself in the near and far environment Jim draws-- laboring up to 7 hours and walking as many as 30 miles. The resulting sand drawing is made entirely freehand w/ no measuring aids whatsoever. From the ground, these drawn environments are experienced as places. Places to explore and be, and to see relation and distance. For a time these tangible specific places exist in the indeterminate environment of ocean shore. From high above the marks are seen as isolated phenomena, much like clouds, rivers or buildings. Soon after Jim's motions and marks are completed water moves over and through, leaving nothing. (to find out more..)




While they neither damage crops like the Crop Circles, nor permanently occupying large area of land like the Nazca Lines, you can say they're green arts. And rather than appearing overly precise/complicated (most crop circles do), they are more casual & simple.
Perhaps he's trying to have some cultural/artistic exchange with the ETs..

passage from: http://www.jimdenevan.com/jim.htm
images from: http://www.jimdenevan.com/
images edited by: http://dearasis.blogspot.com/

posted by afterrabbit

Herzog & de Meuron's revised Tate Modern extension revealed

A perforated engineering brick facade will now allow the concrete-frame building to glow at night, with terraces overlooking the City.The scheme, which will add 21,500sq m to the existing 35,000m space, has been reduced from 70m to 65m high across 11 levels with protruding “boxes” removed and a rooftop balcony added, echoing the top of Tate Modern's chimney.
(to find out more..)

image & passage from:
http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=725&storycode=3118445&c=1&encCode=00000000017d3777

posted by midori mizu

The rods of light - Solar Collector

In a collaboration between the community and the sun, Solar Collector gathers human expression and solar energy during the day, then brings them together each night in a performance of flowing light.
Twelve tall shafts rise at angles from a roadside hilltop. Using simple web-based controls, members of the community compose wave-based patterns that flow across pulsing lights that are spaced along the shafts. At dusk, Solar Collector comes to life with the patterns created that day. (to find out more..)



Go to www.solarcollector.ca and create your very own flowing wave pattern!!


passage from: http://gorbetdesign.com/proj_solar.html
images from: http://gorbetdesign.com/proj_solar.html & http://www.solarcollector.ca/create.php & http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/06/26/canadas-shimmering-solar-collector-sculpture/#more-12089
images edited by: http://dearasis.blogspot.com/

posted by afterrabbit

101 Things I Learned in Architecture School

Few days ago, a senior of mine recommended me to take a look at this book. He claimed it is a MUST HAVE for every single architecture students. Well after i google this piece on net, no doubt i will head to bookstore to check it out this coming weekend.

About the Book:
This is a book that students of architecture will want to keep in the studio and in their backpacks. It is also a book they may want to keep out of view of their professors, for it expresses in clear and simple language things that tend to be murky and abstruse in the classroom. (to find out more..)

About the Author:
Matthew Frederick is an architect and urban designer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has taught at a number of colleges and universities, including Boston Architectural College and Wentworth Institute of Technology.

Awards
2008 Silver Award Winner, Architecture Category, Independent Publisher Book Awards. Winning entry, General Trade Illustrated Category, in the 2008 New England Book Show sponsored by Bookbuilders of Boston.

image & passage from:
http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11266

posted by midori mizu

Design Angst

image from:
http://joannagoddard.blogspot.com/2008/07/design-angst.html

posted by midori mizu

Arup move in to London abode

Arup, the global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants has moved into their new workplace in Fitrovia, London.On this assignment MoreySmith challenged Arup’s traditional approach to interior design by transforming the space through the introduction of a series of innovative additions as part of the dramatic refit. Features include MoreySmith’s skilful selection and inspired layout of a range of contemporary furniture. Diverse wall finishes, display systems, signage, graphics and storage were introduced to create a novel and appealing working environment for the Arup team.
(to find out more..)

image & passage from:
http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=10117

posted by midori mizu

Some Ideas on Living - Ryue Nishizawa & Stephen Taylor

The first North American exhibition of residential projects by architects Stephen Taylor and Ryue Nishizawa is taking place at Montréal's Canadian Centre for Architecture. The exhibition highlights the innovative approach both architects bring to the design of housing in their respective cities; Taylor in London and Nishizawa in Tokyo. 'Some Ideas on Living...' is curated by CCA curator for contemporary architecture Giovanna Borasi who worked in close collaboration with the two architects to realize the exhibition. 'Some Ideas on Living...' fills six galleries at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, divided between the two architects. the adjacent rooms are open to one another and contain one architectural project each, displayed using a variety of mediums and original display furniture by the architects. Specially built large-scale models of each residence are the centre piece of the displays, accompanied by drawings, renderings and photographic prints of the projects. This arrangement is intended to establish a connection between the two architects and their projects, which helps to identify differences and similarities. The exhibition not only highlights the work of the two architects but also their respective cities and cultures. Tokyo and London are two cities rich in history and contemporary importance. They are both dense urban areas of a similar scale and complexity. As they deal with growth related issues, London and Tokyo are redefining living in an urban environment. The work of Nishizawa and Taylor highlights the evolution each city is currently undergoing as they aim to find a new identity for the 21st century. Using architecture as a basis, larger cultural perspectives on the idea of home, privacy, community and other themes can be extrapolated from the exhibit. The origins of these emerging ideas serves to highlight the differences between the two cultures and also underlines the similarities between all people. Overall 'Some Ideas on Living..' provide us with just that, some ideas on living, no absolutes. The exhibit underlines the fact that the idea of home is different for every individual, and will continue to be. (to find out more..)
& more at www.someideasonliving.org.





passage & images from: http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/ideasonliving.html
images edited by: http://dearasis.blogspot.com/

posted by afterrabbit

Four Seasons Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

The development enjoys commanding views of the 50 acre KLCC Park as well as the Petronas Twin Towers. The Four Seasons hotel and affiliated serviced apartments are comprised in the forty-two story tower, while luxury condominiums will occupy the seventy story north tower. The tower's formal characteristics have been developed to complement the Petronas Towers and the overall skyline of Kuala Lumpur. Complex site geometries have been distilled into a clear diagram to organize the circulation of pedestrians and vehicles throughout the site. Podium planning has been developed to support the different user groups that will live, work, and play at Four Season Centre. The new development will link both above and below grade to neighboring Kuala Lumpur City Centre retail properties. (to find out more...)

by Pickard Chilton

text and images from: http://www.pickardchilton.com/pagProject.aspx?Group='HOTEL%2b%2526%

posted by s-uper-chii

Bulgarian eco town 'the biggest mistake of Norman Foster's career', say protesters

They say it will destroy the Black Sea coast's last remaining virgin stretches of beach and will have a devastating effect on the rich biodiversity of an area which has environmental protection status under the EU's Natura 2000 programme, which aims to protect endangered species and habitats.

Biliana Voutchkova, a concert violinist holidaying on Karadere beach with her family, as she has done since her childhood, said: "This has been a magnet for those wishing to spend time away from civilisation and to enjoy nature, but soon it will be lost forever and we'll only realise the consequences once it's too late."

Dimiter Georgiev, an ornithologist from nearby Varna, said the habitats of numerous species would be "directly disturbed and destroyed by this construction", including those of otters, butterflies, woodpeckers, honey buzzards, lesser spotted eagles and red-backed shrikes. "We know from experience that these species don't move elsewhere, they just disappear," he said, citing the demise of several species of lark, shrike and bunting in areas given over to resort developments.

(to find out more..)

image & passage from:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/14/greenbuilding.climatechange

posted by midori mizu

The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture

The Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture is a comprehensive portrayal of the finest built architecture from around the world completed since the year 2000. Divided into six world regions, the Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture provides an important overview of global and local trends in architecture for a wide range of users. The geographical contexts for twenty-first century architectural production are explored in a global framework presented in accessible graphic formats. Each of the six world regions is introduced by an in-depth look at their unique urban and architectural issues. This statistical data has been researched and analyzed by a team of from the London School of Economics.

More than 1000 key buildings have been chosen through a rigorous selection process involving a panel of expert advisors and specialists from every region. Each building is fully illustrated with drawings and photographs, and each is described by a short essay. Further information includes key data such as construction cost, client name, area of the building, and geographical coordinates. Cross-referencing between projects helps the user to find other buildings by the same architect included in the book. In addition, a mass of useful information is provided, including details about the architects' practices, as well as extensive indices.

image & passage from:
http://archinect.com/books/enlarge.php?id=77362_0_25_0

posted by midori mizu

807studio

This studio produces some of the greatest picture of Malaysian Architecture that are completed by famous architectural firms such as Hijjas Kasturi, GDP, ZDR and more... This studio is run by Azrul K. Abdullah. There isn't many pictures there because the creator is renovating the site, but there is much we can learn. (to find out more...) also check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/klheritage

images from : http://www.807studio.com/html/publicexterior.html

posted by s-uper-chii

ITER, Complementary Buildings - CEA CADARACHE / Juan Herreros Arquitectos

Our deployment strategy is compromised to build without altering the conditions of the forest, to inhabit the forest without violence creating a symbiotic architecture with its microclimate and its density. To do so, we are disclaiming to open large breaks on the continuity of natural cycles and are proposing to build linear buildings of optimum and constant width that occupies corridors from which have been lifted only the required trees, allowing the maximum proximity of the remaining facades. The original density of the forest will always be present and architecture appears filtered through the foliage. (to find out more..)

image & passage from:
http://www.archdaily.com/3574/iter-complementary-buildings-cea-cadarache-juan-herreros-arquitectos/#more-3574

posted by midori mizu

London 2012 Olympic pool in more trouble

Contractors bidding for the 2012 Olympic Pool, designed by Zaha Hadid, have expressed concern over the design and material for part of the roof structure. A lot of people seem to want this project to fail, for some reason. The aquatics centre for the London Olympic Games is over budget and there are serious concerns over the construction of the wooden roof.
(to find out more..)

passage from:
http://archinect.com/news/article.php?id=77026_0_24_0_C
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7484443.stm

image from:
http://www.diving-gbdf.com/images/Stratford.jpg

posted by midori mizu