© Christian Richters

• Architects: Casanova+Hernandez architects
• Location: Shkodër, Albania
• Architect In Charge: Jesus Hernandez, Helena Casanova
• Advice Photo Curator: Kim Knoppers
• Historian: Zef Paci
• Local Architect: Atelier 4
• Structural Engineer: Diana Lluka
• Mechanical Engineer: Spiro Drita
• Electrical Engineer: Dëshire Mena
• Constructor: R&T Group
• Area: 1138.0 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Christian Richters, Courtesy of Casanova+Hernandez, Blerta Kambo

Site Plan

© Christian Richters

From the architect. In 2013, the Albanian Ministry of Culture envisioned a plan to rebuild the cultural infrastructure reactivating abandoned historical buildings. The Marubi Museum is a pioneer project of this programme. The plan to create the museum has enjoyed an enormous national repercussion because of the historical importance of exhibiting, among others, the photographic legacy created during more than one century by three generations of photographers from the Marubi family. 

© Christian Richters

Dialogue between tradition and modernity 

The design for the Marubi Museum aims to promote a rich dialogue between tradition and modernity, between the past and the present. The legacy of the tradition is underlined by restoring the historical building designed by the Albanian architect born in Shkodër, Kolë Idromeno, while preserving its spatial and structural qualities without any volume transformation or new interior partitions. Conceptually, Idromeno’s building becomes an important “object” of the exhibition to be shown, contemplated and visited. 
A modern image associated to the new museographic program is achieved by installing five “functional boxes”, which are prefabricated and detached from the original building, working as pieces of furniture or sculptural elements. Tradition and modernity establish a dialogue in every corner of the building. At the exterior of the museum, a showcase element works as a landmark that indicates the museum entrance; in the interior of the building, the original windows and spatial qualities of the building dialogue with the exhibition boxes; and in the courtyard, the old building coexists with a new modern volume. 

© Christian Richters

Section

Open, accessible and alive cultural landmark 

On the one hand, the museum program expands into the public space and one of the “functional boxes” becomes a showcase installed in front of the museum, serving as a landmark that invites citizens to visit it. On the other hand, public space enters the museum and the project erases the border between street and institution with a transparent and accessible ground floor that hosts a free-entrance multifunctional space for lectures, workshops and temporary exhibitions. As a result, the project intends to create an open and alive museum capable of becoming a cultural landmark linked to the street life of Shkodër. 

© Christian Richters

Museum Identity 

The modern image of the museum is based on an abstract pattern, which is inspired by the geometry of the aperture of the photographic camera that opens and closes to control the light. This abstract pattern is used to design the structural layout of the five exhibition boxes installed in the building, integrating as well a complete and versatile exhibition system that includes frames to exhibit photos and documents, showcases for objects and video screens for slide-shows and short movies. 

© Christian Richters

© Christian Richters

The abstract pattern, which is always mixed with the photos and objects of the collection, becomes the symbol of the museum. It can be recognized at different scales and in several parts of the building such as in the logo of the museum, in the design of the street showcase, in the layout of the functional boxes inside the building, and even in the structure of the new artistic facades of the courtyard that frame the views over the surroundings and filter the light within the building. Marubi National Museum of Photography acquires its own specific identity by linking all spatial, structural, functional, graphic and visual aspects, helping visitors to identify building and collection with a complete, rich and unique experience.

© Christian Richters

Concept

Product Description: The design of the different parts of the museum is based on the abstract pattern inspired by the geometry of the aperture of the photographic camera. This pattern is used on different scales within the building and defines its identity. On the bigger scale, the pattern is used to define the geometry of the curtain walls of the courtyard that frame glasses of three different transparencies. On the smaller scale it defines the geometry of the supporting aluminum cladding system of the functional boxes. The Deko GV cladding system has been adapted specifically to the necessities of the functional boxes in order to allow, on the one hand, the creation of frames to exhibit photos, documents and information texts and, on the other hand, show cases to exhibit objects. Other frames support translucent glasses where there are no pictures or objects behind.

http://ift.tt/2iUBWiR

View from basketball court to east facade

• Architects: META-Project
• Location: Ji Lin，Songhua Lake
• Project Date: Design 2014／12；Complete 2015／12
• Client: Vanke Songhua Lake Resort
• Area: 10000.0 m2
• Status: Construction Complete
• Design Team: Wang Shuo，Zhang Jing， Cao Shibiao， Lan Tian，Wu Yaping，Zhao Yu
• Lighting Consultant: Han Xiaowei
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Chen Su， Fang Chun

View from the pathway to the basketball court

Location plan

From the architect. New Youth Commune, a mixed youth community on the edge of Vanke Songhua Lake Resort bordering natural villages, contains 800 people with the upper space for Vanke staff, the middle rented to self-employed townspeople and the ground facilitating camping students and open to surrounding villagers.

Sunken playground under the entrance bridge

Addressing the ant tribe problem, having investigated the mixed dwelling phenomena peculiar to China from hutong, tube-shaped apartment to village-in-city and comprehended the inner dynamics of youth communities, the architect proposes a new spatial paradigm restructuring interpersonal relations in a gesellschaft.

Mountain view from the north side

The ordinary residential pattern is mutated into a quartet, externally undulating and internally interlocked. Bridges, stairs and tiered seating around the full-height atriums compose an open-street-like public route connecting all communal spaces for varied daily utilities. Thus, the simple and flexible framework blends innovative spaces into daily lives, encouraging inter-level encounters among the private, shared and collective zones and finally the community growth.   

Interior facade in the atrium

The project responds to the hybrid contemporaneity and proposes a new paradigm for community symbiosis: mutual cooperation and positive environmental interaction through inter-spatial sharing based on equality and self-sufficiency – a prototype community for contemporary ‘new youths’.

The step seats near the entrance

The practice continues [META:HUTONGS] and Reset Apartment, a series of experiments that analyses the spontaneous evolution of urban space production and elicits a valid composite social-cultural-spatial archetype.

Evolution of share-living Typology

http://ift.tt/2jAV7ic

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

• Architects: guga Urban Architecture
• Location: Pangyo-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
• Architect In Charge: Junggoo Cho, Jina Yoon, Seunghwan Jeong
• Area: 223.9 m2
• Project Year: 2012
• Photographs: Yoon Joon-Hwan

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

From the architect. This contemporary red brick house embraces Hanok, a traditional Korean architecture, for a family with two children near Seoul. Clients had specific demands for their own house that it should have a restful space for them and a spacious home for their children.

A fifth of the population of the entire country now resides in the capital. As a response to the growing demand, it has been inevitable to build tall apartments with less consideration on design to speed up the whole process. Correspondingly, it became the most popular type of living. However, there are also shortages. “Clients told us that they could hardly feel at home in their house. Apartment blocks are famous for noise issues between the floors.” Architect continued “Accordingly, activities are highly limited” The identical design and restrained lifestyle now make many inhabitants to find an alternative way to dwell in the city.

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

Embedding Hanok into a contemporary building was a big challenge for the architect. “There were two requests. Firstly, a part of the house should be Hanok. Secondly, it should have Madang, Korean garden, facing south” The contrast between the Hanok part and the contemporary part seems to be prominent. Balancing these two different construction methods was the main concern in this project. “Madang is like a buffer zone to dilute any possible disconnection” said architect. Madang also naturally blends into the living room through the large windows. It functions like a big playground for the children where they can run around all day. This playful moment continues to upstairs where the small library and the study room can be found.

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

Section

The three big volumes of Hamyangjae was the manoeuvre to enclose Madang. The architect had to seek an alternative solution that could keep Madang private since having fences is not allowed in the neighbourhood.

As a result, the entrance is enlarged that has a terrace on the top and a storage below. The three masses of Hamyangjae makes every side of the building distinctive. From the outside of the entrance, Hanok completely disappears. On the other side, the whole mass splits into three volumes and gives a hint of Hanok. “Hanok unit can be completely detached from the red brick part without any damage” explained the architect.

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

Product Description.

Bay window: The bay window was carefully chosen in order to fit with the whole conceptual design. Apart from bringing a strong visual connection, the bay window is able to open from the center to the extremity, allowing a strong physical continuity from the inside to the outside Madang. 

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

Traditional design system windows: Windows are important elements in the traditional korean architecture. First, they allow the light to enter in the house while giving a strong privacy to the habitants. Secondly, the type of pattern are related to the inside program and also symbolic to the status of the habitants. Finally, it is also an important factor of the inside atmosphere. In this project the use of a modern system window allowed the project to keep those traditional qualities but also to have a good isolation and ease of use. 

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

Wooden floor: Wooden floor is usually need to in the Hanok to symbolize the meeting spaces. The use of the precious material give some importance to those space that we used to call Maru. It is also used to differentiate the meeting space from the individual room called Bang. In this way a Hanok can be seen as an alternating of Maru and Bang. The Maru can also be seen as a threshold which connect the inside space between themselves and also the inside spaces with the outdoor spaces. In this project, the whole Hanok is covered with a modern wooden floor in order to take advantage of the floor heating system which is not compatible with the traditional one.

Plan

Granite stone: Granite stone is an important element in the traditional Hanok. They are used for the foundation of the project Gidan and also the wooden columns are standing on a strong piece of stone called Choseok. In this project, in order to fit with the modern life style, we decided to extend the granite stone as the ground material for the whole Madang Korean courtyard. Compared to the originally soil covered Madang, the stone pavement allows the children to play in a clean environment but also multiply the programmatic possibilities. The living room rather than covered with a wooden floor is covered with a stone pavement which highlight the continuity between the Madang to the inside space.

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

Red bricks: The red bricks are an important outside materials for the contemporary and traditional Korean architecture. It is also, usually, used for the urban Hanok. It is then logical to use this material to connect the contemporary and traditional part of the house into a unique ensemble.

Hanji paper wall: Hanji paper are used in order to create a limit between spaces. It separate in a subtle way the spaces between them. Those frameless elements, when they are closed, give the feeling that the wall is unified. In the other hand, when opened, they give the feeling that 2 connected spaces look like a unique space. Finally, the slight transparency of the Hanji give an impressive and harmonious atmosphere to the space.

© Yoon Joon-Hwan

http://ift.tt/2jpkRfm

© Nguyen TienThanh

• Architects: H&P Architects
• Location: Van Quan urban zone, Ha Dong district, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Architect In Charge: Doan Thanh Ha & Tran Ngoc Phuong
• Project Team: Pham Linh Chi, Trinh Thi ThanhHuyen, Chu Kim Thinh, Nguyen Hai Hue, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Mai, Nguyen Duc Anh, Nguyen Xuan Khiem, Pham Nang Toan, Ha Van Phu, Nguyen Ba Dan, Dao Hong Duong.
• Area: 85.0 m2
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Nguyen TienThanh

• Manual Woodwork: Mành Mành salon, H&P Architects, volunteers

© Nguyen TienThanh

Plan Renovation

From the architect. Mành Mành salon is renovated from a deteriorated hair dressing salon in a populous community in Van Quan urban area. The project develops an approach to reuse available materials such as door, glass, table and chair, brick, low-quality wood,.. to create a fresh and distinctive but friendlier space to the nature.

© Nguyen TienThanh

Diagram

The ordinary and simple charm at street hairdresser’s in Hanoi, which is closely associated with Trees giving wide shade and Old brick walls, inspires designers to create an unusual but familiar space- a space suggesting the idea of A long hair as well as Mành Mành climbing plant garden or Cissus sicyoides pergola (a quite popular climbing plant in Vietnam, also known as Princess vine, Millionaire vine and Curtain Ivy) with its long roots covering the space underneath.

© Nguyen TienThanh

Highlights of the project are some 200 thousand wooden beads (diameter d=2.7cm) recycled from low-quality wood (of 2 types: colorless and color of vine fruits at their ripeness). These wooden beads are chained into strings of various lengths (11 beads/ string in average) to produce effects on human senses of zigzag–styled ceiling and beaded curtain separating the space underneath. 

© Nguyen TienThanh

Five human senses will be awoken in Mành Mành climbing plant garden by gentle light (sight), soft rustle among the beads (hearing), blend of light fragrance of leaves and beads (smell) while one is there, sipping at his tea (taste), and hairdresser’s skill fulness that brings about comfort (touch) and relaxation to customers upon their experiencing the hair service.  

Like Architecture, Human will become more Beautiful and Healthier once he lives in a harmony with the Nature.

© Nguyen TienThanh

http://ift.tt/2jMLjzo

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

• Architects: MU Architecture
• Location: Saint-Adolphe-d’Howard, QC, Canada
• Architect In Charge: MU Architecture
• Area: 3600.0 m2
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

• Project Team: Jean-Sébastien Herr, Charles Côté, Jean-Philippe Bellemare, Pierre-Alexandre Rhéaume, Floriane Deléglise
• Contractor: Paul Lalonde et fils

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

From the architect. Located in the verdant Laurentians in Quebec, the Estrade Residence reveals itself discretely on the shores of Lac de la Cabane in St-Adolphe d’Howard.

It is by studying the steep and rocky topography of the place that MU Architecture decided to highlight the peculiarities of this site with an adapted and captivating architectural intervention. The first objective was to design a house in total harmony with its environment.

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

Floor Plan

The singular topography of the project takes the form of a rocky crest that plunges into the lake. In order to create a discovery path, a series of animated volumes come to anchor, skirt or levitate on this unevenness. Their staggered and superimposed layout generates a multitude of terraces that embrace the site. This deployment creates a rich dialogue between architecture and the wild landscape.

The Estrade gives birth to long walls of natural stones which seem to be born from the depth of the ground. As they seem to project themselves towards the landscape, these long walls generate and protect the apartments on the ground floor while giving users direct access to the land bellow. The rocks extracted during excavation were reused in the landscaping around the house, becoming also actors of this architectural narrative.

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

Discreet and intriguing thanks to its blind masses; the Estrade Residence is revealed slowly, volume after volume. A wide recess under what seems to be a floating cube invites us to penetrate into the place. From the entrance, an aerial and magisterial staircase welcomes the visitor and unfolds in a vast luminous space. Lined up precisely on large openings, it connects all levels in asymmetric flights. The absence of columns in the design makes the glass railings levitate, thus giving the impression of great lightness. Minimalism and attention to detail bring to the residence a certain purity and comfort that immediately gives the tone to the project. Each corridor leads to a luminous opening and makes us discover a larger and more complex residence than at first sight. The spaces offer both conviviality and intimacy through a different atmosphere at each level.

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

At ground floor level, the open space is well defined and offers breathtaking views of the lake. Bathed in natural light the main floor ends with a veranda that extends the kitchen to the outside. This large volume of the ground floor stretches perpendicularly to the natural ridge so as to maximize the panorama over more than 60 feet in length. The black ash coloured kitchen and integrated furniture contrasts with the whiteness of the walls and breaks the monochromy. In addition, the double-sided fireplace located in the center of the common room accentuates the warm feel of the place. The floors, covered with natural wood as well as the terrace allows for a seamless and subtle transition from the interior to the exterior. This main volume cladded with natural cedar forms the heart of the project and brings the family together. It marks the transition between the activity of the lower spaces devoted to children and the calm of the parental suite upstairs.

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

At the top, a second black cedar mass dramatically overlooks the entrance and dominates the surroundings. It houses the master’s apartment, complete with a bathroom and a large walk-in.

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

The volumetric and vernacular aspect of the Estrade residence combined with its materiality testifies to an architectural writing that composes with its environment. This tripartite composition, spread over several levels, blends with nature following the seasons. Moreover, the articulation of its areas within its masses integrates the house softly and reduces the impact of its 3600sq.ft. Its spatial quality is due to the comfort and feeling of well-being, reflecting the image of the tranquility of the place.
via v2com

© Ulysse Lemerise Bouchard (YUL Photo)

http://ift.tt/2iCFBTV

The site of the future Amavarati. Image

Foster + Partners has been selected as the winners of an international competition to design a new £500 million capital for the state of Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India. The brief calls for a new 365 hectare masterplan that will serve as a new municipal capital for India’s eighth largest state, which lost its previous capital, Hyderabad, when state lines were redrawn two years ago.

A photo posted by Deepthi (@deepthi94) on Dec 27, 2016 at 10:57pm PST

//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js

The new 740,000 square meter civic core will be located on the southern bank of the Krishna River near the existing cities of Guntur and Vijayawada, and will feature an assembly building, a secretariat,  and offices for departments leaders, as well as ministerial residences and guest houses.

Following the competition win, Foster + Partners will now work with Mumbai architect Hafeez Contractor to finalize plans. The project is expected to be completed by 2022.

The new capital complex will serve as the centerpiece of a ground-up 200 square kilometer settlement to be known as Amaravati, which is expected to take up to 25 years to complete.

News via Architect’s Journal.

http://ift.tt/2joO1ez