A+Awards: next up in our collaboration with Architizer‘s A+Awards is an apartment building in Austria that is covered in mirrors to reflect the facades of surrounding historic buildings. (more…)
Urban Cabin is a residential project designed by Suyama Peterson Deguchi in 2012. It is located in Seattle, Washington, USA. Urban Cabin by Suyama Peterson Deguchi: “Urban Cabin was designed for a retired couple interested in downsizing and simplifying their lives. The couple lived on the site for 26 years, creating and nurturing their private yet urban sanctuary. The challenge was to design an appropriate response to the ideals of..
Te Oro is a creative facility for young people from the communities of Glen Innes and Panmure. Te Oro emerged from the community itself, supported and funded by Auckland Council. Its purpose is to encourage the creativity of local cultures, both as performers and to impart knowledge; and to create a sense of pride and identity as a catalyst for social renewal. The design process was open and collaborative, involving local artists, cultural advisors, mana whenua, environmental and landscape specialists and the community itself, empowered to make every design decision possible.
The site, a carpark adjoining Line Road, terminates a “finger park” following a traditional pathway from the Tamaki River to higher ground. The design enhances the public realm and built environment of Glen Innes. A Master Plan for the whole precinct was developed. The community advocated strongly for the new building to adjoin the Ruapotaka Marae, the Library and the Hall – this was characterised as a “body of buildings”.
The Master Plan ties these buildings together around a new public “shared space” (yet to be constructed) which facilitates both pedestrian and vehicular use, whilst enhancing the spatial experience with landscape and street furniture. The precinct is tied together graphically by a “manaia” imprinted on the land.
The architecture resonates with traditional south-west Pacific buildings. The cross-section of paired columns and superstructure responds on plan to the dynamic of the pathway, deferring to the marae, and is delineated by a series of facetted LVL timber portals. This rhythm of “ribs” is inclined northward, to maximise the efficiency of the roof-mounted PV panels and is clad in an abstracted canopy of foliage.
This layering of ideas means Te Oro is interpreted by the community in multiple ways – a traditional place of learning and tuition; a grove of trees; an adzed log, a modern “fale”; an anthropomorphic “creature”, a giant tree-house or a musical instrument. In all these interpretations, Te Oro retains its sense of being “New Zealand Pacific” and completely specific to its people, place and time.
Local artists were commissioned to create signage and “sound-sites” which combine traditional and contemporary music, visual art and space through an assemblage of “sound cones”, CNC carved column panels and kowhatu.
The 1485m2 building has a strong environmental agenda, with the roof surface covered in 256 PV panels, which make Te Oro “Net Zero Energy”; rainwater harvesting, above-code insulation, double glazing, heat pumps, and LED lighting; all reducing operational cost.
This past weekend, the Bauhaus in Dessau was animated by the Bauhaus Festival. Titled “Circus, Circus – from Black to White,” the event was intended to present all the fun of the fair with a monochrome twist–in opposition to the wild colors usually associated with circuses–and in the words of the Bauhaus was a “kinetic explorations of bodies, objects, media, space and sound.” The event was also an opportunity to tap into the legacy of Bauhaus legend László Moholy-Nagy, whose experiments in film and media blend well with the performative nature of the circus. The event featured a number of performances by artists, while “Cybernetic Circus” by Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and the Initiative Neuer Zirkus turned the grounds of the Bauhaus into an “architectural landscape” of performance modules inspired by Maholy-Nagy. Also featured were installations by students at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle titled “Neo Luna Park.” Photographer Laurian Ghinitoiu traveled to the event to capture the festivities, showing their interaction with Walter Gropius’ famous building.
The starting point in creating the interior was the investor’s collection of paintings, antique furniture and extensive library of books. The apartment was divided and furnished in order to expose these items, but in such a way that they do not compete and do not dominate the space. All the new furniture pieces are very minimalistic and free of any visible details. The books have been closed in double-sided bookcases, which also serve as separators of the communication area and they also contain a bio fireplace and a TV set. The kitchen was also designed in a minimalistic way and all the appliances have been hidden in closets.
The entire system of walls and furniture was designed in such a way that spectacular window view of nearby lake and park can be seen from every place in the apartment. For this purpose, we also decided to give up on traditional doors in favor of full-height sliding doors, hidden in the walls – so that we gained even more open space.
The openwork wooden ceiling was designed to direct attention towards the view outside the window, to improve the proportions of the rooms and to add warm atmosphere.
The starting point in creating the interior was the investor’s collection of paintings, antique furniture and extensive library of books. The apartment was divided and furnished in order to expose these items, but in such a way that they do not compete and do not dominate the space. All the new furniture pieces are very minimalistic and free of any visible details. The books have been closed in double-sided bookcases, which also serve as separators of the communication area and they also contain a bio fireplace and a TV set. The kitchen was also designed in a minimalistic way and all the appliances have been hidden in closets.
The entire system of walls and furniture was designed in such a way that spectacular window view of nearby lake and park can be seen from every place in the apartment. For this purpose, we also decided to give up on traditional doors in favor of full-height sliding doors, hidden in the walls – so that we gained even more open space.
The openwork wooden ceiling was designed to direct attention towards the view outside the window, to improve the proportions of the rooms and to add warm atmosphere.
EFFEKT and collaborator karres+brands have won a competition to transform an industrial waste site into a new vibrant urban district and infrastructural hub in the historic center of the city of Roskilde, Denmark. Beating out seven other invited teams, the winning design will encompass 100,000 square meters of mixed-use development across existing railroad tracks, reuniting the city and “reinventing the station as an integral part of the city center.”
While Roskilde station is already the most trafficked railway hub in Denmark outside of Copenhagen, since its completion, the railroad tracks have acted as a barrier, cutting off the contemporary city development from its historic downtown. EFFEKT’s solution will transform the station into a “unifying hub” by injecting new urban life and improved pathways throughout the district.
“The new Station Area will transform the previous divided city into a new urban destination. It will create a coherent urban experience in Roskilde, inspired by and in respect to both the rich cultural heritage and the cutting edge contemporary culture that Roskilde is known for,” says Sinus Lynge, founding partner at EFFEKT.
To revitalize the station, the team rejected the traditional typology of a station as a ticket office and waiting room, choosing instead to integrate the infrastructural program into the surrounding urban fabric.
“A comfortable seamless transition is crucial to the design of the new station area. For this reason, we have designed the Roskilde passage as a new type of urban landscape, that smoothly flow under the railway tracks and optimally connects all modes of transport. In this way the public space is creates a new relationship between the two parts of the city,” says Bart Brands, principal of karres+brands.
“Where infrastructure often connects on a global and regional level, it also often divides a city in a local level. The new Station Area will be reintegrated as an integral part of the network of streets and public spaces in Roskilde. So many stations have already been transformed into shopping malls and related commercial programme. In Roskilde our aim is to transform the station into a new the city center blurring the lines between the city and the station,” says Sinus Lynge.
The winning design calls for shops, cafés and restaurants to be located directly alongside the station platform, meaning travelers will be greeted with a lively urban area immediately upon disembarking.
Rather than using a traditional bridge or tunnel, the two sides of the city will be connected by an “open green urban space” below the tracks, which will also be lined with shops, cafés, service areas and informal meeting places. Program pieces will be organized to foster increased efficiency and intuitive navigation through the station for the nearly 30,000 daily passengers.
“The passage creates a visual and spatial connection across the railway and is designed as a generous and open urban space adding space instead of occupying. This station area will be a part of so many people’s everyday lives, so the solutions must be optimal in terms of distance, time consumption, accessibility and comfort. The seamless and efficient transition between different modes of transportation will also increase the use of public transport. “ says Lynge.
A former parking area and leftover industrial land will also be transformed, serving as the site for new housing, offices, retail, and hotel structures, interspersed with a series of new urban spaces, each with its own individual character. The new district will be planned for a wide variety of scales, densities and programs that will allow the area to integrate seamlessly into the surrounding city fabric.
The winning design was selected by a unanimous vote from the jury. The two-phase competition was first announced in November 2015.
EFFEKT and collaborator karres+brands have won a competition to transform an industrial waste site into a new vibrant urban district and infrastructural hub in the historic center of the city of Roskilde, Denmark. Beating out seven other invited teams, the winning design will encompass 100,000 square meters of mixed-use development across existing railroad tracks, reuniting the city and “reinventing the station as an integral part of the city center.”
While Roskilde station is already the most trafficked railway hub in Denmark outside of Copenhagen, since its completion, the railroad tracks have acted as a barrier, cutting off the contemporary city development from its historic downtown. EFFEKT’s solution will transform the station into a “unifying hub” by injecting new urban life and improved pathways throughout the district.
“The new Station Area will transform the previous divided city into a new urban destination. It will create a coherent urban experience in Roskilde, inspired by and in respect to both the rich cultural heritage and the cutting edge contemporary culture that Roskilde is known for,” says Sinus Lynge, founding partner at EFFEKT.
To revitalize the station, the team rejected the traditional typology of a station as a ticket office and waiting room, choosing instead to integrate the infrastructural program into the surrounding urban fabric.
“A comfortable seamless transition is crucial to the design of the new station area. For this reason, we have designed the Roskilde passage as a new type of urban landscape, that smoothly flow under the railway tracks and optimally connects all modes of transport. In this way the public space is creates a new relationship between the two parts of the city,” says Bart Brands, principal of karres+brands.
“Where infrastructure often connects on a global and regional level, it also often divides a city in a local level. The new Station Area will be reintegrated as an integral part of the network of streets and public spaces in Roskilde. So many stations have already been transformed into shopping malls and related commercial programme. In Roskilde our aim is to transform the station into a new the city center blurring the lines between the city and the station,” says Sinus Lynge.
The winning design calls for shops, cafés and restaurants to be located directly alongside the station platform, meaning travelers will be greeted with a lively urban area immediately upon disembarking.
Rather than using a traditional bridge or tunnel, the two sides of the city will be connected by an “open green urban space” below the tracks, which will also be lined with shops, cafés, service areas and informal meeting places. Program pieces will be organized to foster increased efficiency and intuitive navigation through the station for the nearly 30,000 daily passengers.
“The passage creates a visual and spatial connection across the railway and is designed as a generous and open urban space adding space instead of occupying. This station area will be a part of so many people’s everyday lives, so the solutions must be optimal in terms of distance, time consumption, accessibility and comfort. The seamless and efficient transition between different modes of transportation will also increase the use of public transport. “ says Lynge.
A former parking area and leftover industrial land will also be transformed, serving as the site for new housing, offices, retail, and hotel structures, interspersed with a series of new urban spaces, each with its own individual character. The new district will be planned for a wide variety of scales, densities and programs that will allow the area to integrate seamlessly into the surrounding city fabric.
The winning design was selected by a unanimous vote from the jury. The two-phase competition was first announced in November 2015.
EFFEKT and collaborator karres+brands have won a competition to transform an industrial waste site into a new vibrant urban district and infrastructural hub in the historic center of the city of Roskilde, Denmark. Beating out seven other invited teams, the winning design will encompass 100,000 square meters of mixed-use development across existing railroad tracks, reuniting the city and “reinventing the station as an integral part of the city center.”
While Roskilde station is already the most trafficked railway hub in Denmark outside of Copenhagen, since its completion, the railroad tracks have acted as a barrier, cutting off the contemporary city development from its historic downtown. EFFEKT’s solution will transform the station into a “unifying hub” by injecting new urban life and improved pathways throughout the district.
“The new Station Area will transform the previous divided city into a new urban destination. It will create a coherent urban experience in Roskilde, inspired by and in respect to both the rich cultural heritage and the cutting edge contemporary culture that Roskilde is known for,” says Sinus Lynge, founding partner at EFFEKT.
To revitalize the station, the team rejected the traditional typology of a station as a ticket office and waiting room, choosing instead to integrate the infrastructural program into the surrounding urban fabric.
“A comfortable seamless transition is crucial to the design of the new station area. For this reason, we have designed the Roskilde passage as a new type of urban landscape, that smoothly flow under the railway tracks and optimally connects all modes of transport. In this way the public space is creates a new relationship between the two parts of the city,” says Bart Brands, principal of karres+brands.
“Where infrastructure often connects on a global and regional level, it also often divides a city in a local level. The new Station Area will be reintegrated as an integral part of the network of streets and public spaces in Roskilde. So many stations have already been transformed into shopping malls and related commercial programme. In Roskilde our aim is to transform the station into a new the city center blurring the lines between the city and the station,” says Sinus Lynge.
The winning design calls for shops, cafés and restaurants to be located directly alongside the station platform, meaning travelers will be greeted with a lively urban area immediately upon disembarking.
Rather than using a traditional bridge or tunnel, the two sides of the city will be connected by an “open green urban space” below the tracks, which will also be lined with shops, cafés, service areas and informal meeting places. Program pieces will be organized to foster increased efficiency and intuitive navigation through the station for the nearly 30,000 daily passengers.
“The passage creates a visual and spatial connection across the railway and is designed as a generous and open urban space adding space instead of occupying. This station area will be a part of so many people’s everyday lives, so the solutions must be optimal in terms of distance, time consumption, accessibility and comfort. The seamless and efficient transition between different modes of transportation will also increase the use of public transport. “ says Lynge.
A former parking area and leftover industrial land will also be transformed, serving as the site for new housing, offices, retail, and hotel structures, interspersed with a series of new urban spaces, each with its own individual character. The new district will be planned for a wide variety of scales, densities and programs that will allow the area to integrate seamlessly into the surrounding city fabric.
The winning design was selected by a unanimous vote from the jury. The two-phase competition was first announced in November 2015.
Sig Nordal 