Twelve years after Santiago Calatrava revealed his design for the World Trade Center Oculus, the PATH station finally opened to the public in March. Although not officially confirmed by the Port Authority, the total cost of the Oculus is estimated to be nearly four billion dollars – almost double the original budget. The Real Deal has broken down the big-ticket costs that went into the making of the Oculus.
The design of the structure, building underneath the subway line, and Hurricane Sandy, among other reasons, all contributed to the extreme increase in the budget. The overall architectural design cost alone totaled roughly 405 million dollars, the skylight, which will open once a year on September 11, cost 32 million dollars, and the construction costs swallowed almost one billion dollars.
Read more about the big-ticket fees of the decade long construction, here.
Three fantasy house plans have been selected as the winners of the Design a Beautiful House competition: a marble-clad mansion, a subterranean lakeside dwelling and a linear property with faceted bays. (more…)
Villa La Madone is a project completed jointly by the Italian firms A2CM & Ceschia e Mentil Architetti Associati. The home is located in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France and was finished in 2013. Photos by: Aldo Amoretti
Milan 2016: Danish studio GamFratesi has borrowed shapes from typical mid-century furniture to create the Voyage chair and Collector desk for Italian brand Porro‘s 90th anniversary collection. (more…)
In spite of architectural inhomogeneity, gradual restructuring and devastation of original historical forms, the atmosphere of the community, especially in the central area is predominantly traditional – rectangular buildings with pitched roofs dominate the built environment. Regardless of the fact that the site is located on the boundary between historical and modern housing, the intention was to follow the architectural principles of former traditional built environment, as advised in the local zoning regulations.
Plan 1
The house of simple traditional shape, similar to the former building in height and size, fits appropriately within its environment. The main living area, situated on the ground floor in the center of the house is open to the height of the rooftop. Large glazed wall opens the central space to the garden. At the same time, light penetrates the interior via longitudinal window in full length of the opposite wall. The living space is defined by transverse walls dividing the space from the adjacent rooms on the ground level and the attic. Full width glazing of the living space creates the illusion of two detached buildings. This illusion is supported by interior windows of the level rooms open to the living space. This principle aims to create the atmosphere of a „living hall“ and relieve the sense of confined space. Whilst opening to the exterior, the atmosphere of being sheltered in between two houses, on a roofed courtyard prevails. The attic dwelling units, situated each on the other side of the house, connected via bridge are hereby intentionally separated.
Courtesy of Atelier K2
The northern part of the living space is characterized by contemporary fireplace and a bookcase, behind which stairs to the upper level rise to the center of the bridge.
The bridge, designed as a timber glue-laminated beam (U shape), does not burden the perception of the space, bearing simple appearance of a large solid piece of timber.
Courtesy of Atelier K2
With perpendicular relation to the house in the direction to the garden, a garden pavillion is situated. Part of the pavillion is an outside seating sheltered by the roof, the other half (with a basement beneath) serves as a storeroom for garden equipment and furniture.
Art Loft at Yoo Berlin is a residential project designed by Starck. It is located in Mitte, a district of Berlin, Germany. It is currently for sale for $3.8 million. Buy it now! Art Loft at Yoo Berlin by Starck: “The design of the apartment translates a reduced interpretation of the classic Berlin townhouse. All of its features – including floor-to-ceiling doors – were custom made for this property. The..
Knox Bhavan Architects has joined two flats in a converted school in south London, creating an apartment with spacious entertaining spaces and bedrooms that can be opened or closed (+ slideshow). (more…)
From the architect. The design for the Cultural Park Castellum Hoge Woerd is based on an architectural and landscape interpretation of an ancient Roman Castellum (fort), and represents an important – and unique – cultural heritage site in the Netherlands. It includes a theatre, restaurant, museum, environmental/sustainability centre, courtyard for events, and an outdoor area used for community programs.
The Lower Germanic Limes, once the border of the Roman Empire, is an archaeological line that stretches along the Rhine between Finxbach in Rhineland-Palatinate and the mouth of the Old Rhine at Katwijk. The Lower Germanic Limes are part of the European Limes: an elongated collection of archaeological sites running from the Antonine Wall in Scotland to the Black Sea in Romania, which once formed a single coherent military system. The Limes are also known as the largest archaeological monument of Europe.
The Castellum is built right on top of the contours of the remains of a Roman fortress. These are protected and viewed as an archaeological monument, and by defining them with a new building, the public can gain insight into life at the border of the Roman Empire – the ‘Limes’ – in the Netherlands.
While archaeological sites elsewhere in the Netherlands usually remain hidden beneath the surface, here the site is stimulating, engaging and tangible for the public. The Castellum also contributes to the identity of the Leidsche Rijn, the largest residential construction site in the Netherlands since 2006.
The complex has two defining elements: the ‘walls’ that follow the contour of the old fortress and the pavilion that breaks this defensive line.
The fort was built on an archaeological monument, right where 2000 years ago there was a Castellum. The ground has substantial differences in height: Hoge Woerd means “a natural drake”. However, the floor is on a single level. The ‘walls’ are 5.5 meters wide, and can be used for different activities. The height of the walls ranges from 4.5 to 6 meters. The facades are made out of wood, just like an ancient fort but with a contemporary system, consisting of a clear grid of steel frames with wooden slats. This system is applied both on the inside and outside. There are four entrance gates with a height of 10 meters.
Deviation from a traditional Castellum can be found in the added pavilion building. The reason for this addition lies in the desire to find a space for the Meern 1, a completely intact two thousand year old Roman ship, found and excavated during the development of the Leidsche Rijn. The pavilion is also the best solution to provide a modern auditorium for 250 visitors. The pavilion building cuts through the walls of the Castellum and it represents the only element that crosses the fort and provides a view to the courtyard. The facades of the pavilion consist of patterned aluminium panels, making reference to the history of the place.
Ground Floor
Inside the pavilion, functions are combined. The foyer of the theatre merges with the restaurant and provides an exhibition space for the Roman ship. The ship lies on top of glass sheets and around it people can read about its history.
The Monuments Commission have established clear criteria regarding building on such valuable archaeological ground. One of these provides that the ground can be compressed by approximately 10 cm. To achieve this at the Castellum, a 2 meters deep sand layer was used to compress and prepare the under-ground. One meter was then removed, and the remaining one-meter embankment was used for the foundation strips and for the piping. This is to prevent damage to the archaeological substrate. Almost the entire complex is built on sand, without a pile foundation with the exception of the theatre on the first floor of the pavilion. Here four clusters of foundation piles are used, thus giving the pavilion a hybrid foundation.
Sketch
At the entrance side of the Castellum there is an informal square where the location of the old bathhouse is marked with grass and cortex steel. The fort is surrounded by ditches, and grass slopes in the landscape indicate place where the Old Rhine used to flow.
The courtyard is an open grass field. The ancient Roman roads run like a cross through the terrain and extend through the gates. Visitors are free to interpret and use the inside space, which provides a safe atmosphere, a lawn surrounded by a six meter high wooden fort.
On the east side of the building, there is an open field for community activities. There are many different gardens with different purposes. To facilitate those activities: a stall, a storage, a apiary and a greenhouse. These buildings form an ensemblein terms of materials and playful positioning in the country, and represent an added value to the Castellum complex.
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SKETS, in addition to conducting the architectural work, was also responsible for the design of the interior and acted as a supervisor in the design of the museum exhibition. The building is designed by bringing together a number of different perspectives, where the cooperation between the various disciplines is essential. The architects played a directing and guiding role in ensuring this.
Malvern is a private residence renovated by Robson Rak Architects. It is located in Malvern, Australia and was completed in 2015. Malvern by Robson Rak Architects: “This tired Victorian residence was given a complete re-design with new addition completing the vision. Although the house uses fully automated technology, it’s disguised by a warm, textural palette. A timber ribbon of floor and wall travels through the house creating a harmonious, seamless..
The project was completed in late 2015 and is the final phase of the transformation of industrial units to studio spaces in South London for a sculptor and artist Sir Anish Kapoor. The project provided 3 new studio spaces. The artist works with differing media and processes and required flexible spaces for the unique processes to make work within self contained environments.
The brief asked for 7.5 meter high volumes with a roof structure having the load capacity to suspend a 3 metric tonne hanging load at any one point. The new spaces are naturally lit through diffuse glazed roof lights and 4 meter high clerestory pro led glazing onto the east facing street elevation.
The 1950’s pro led clerestory glazing maintained the architecture of the discrete and the ordinary. Large works have direct loading possibilities from the street.
Plan
Studio V The free spanning mezzanine provides a differing scale of studio space within a higher volume. Walls are a mix of self coloured in fill brick panels, smooth plastering or retained surfaces with the history of the artists interventions marked on the surfaces. The steel roof frame at 7.5 meter above floor level allows point suspension loads of 3 metric tonnes on any beam, significant loads from larger artworks can be spread over the complete roof system. The construction of the roof relied on normal industrial pro led insulated roof sheeting.
Studio VII The workspaces are flexible, used to layout and test exhibitions and fabricate works. Spaces maintain the atmosphere of a work place with a palette of materials and details from industrial architecture. Studio workspace with direct access to the street for loading of works. New space under mezzanine used as testing space for artwork replicating typical gallery environment.
