Milan 2016: Italian duo Formafantasma have created a trio of installations that reference the form and materials of Japanese car brand Lexus‘ LF-FC concept model (+ slideshow). (more…)
Formafantasma bases Anticipation exhibition on Lexus concept car
Architecture
7 Outstanding Examples of Cultural Heritage in 3D Models, As Selected by Sketchfab
Using photogrammetry to capture and model existing buildings is a fantastic way to share cultural treasures with the world, and with VR features cropping up everywhere even enables us to give people virtual tours of a site of cultural significance from thousands of miles away. But beyond that, capturing a model of a building is also a great way to digitally preserve that structure at a given point in time – this technique is even being used by Harvard and Oxford to protect structures placed at risk by the ongoing wars in Syria and Iraq.
In that spirit, our friends over at Sketchfab have compiled a selection of cultural treasures that have been immortalized on their platform. Read on to see all seven models, and don’t forget that you can view all of them in virtual reality using Google Cardboard.
Jableh Theater, Syria
Constructed in the first half of the third century AD, the Roman Theater of Jableh was designed to seat around 7,000 spectators, and was a key factor in establishing Jableh, on the coast of Syria, as an important city in the late Roman Empire.
Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome, Italy
The Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome – also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian – has a long and complex history which reflects the dramatic changes that have taken place in the city over two millennia. Originally built in 139 AD to house the remains of the Emperor Hadrian and his family, the building’s tombs were destroyed when the building was converted into a military fortress in 401 AD. Almost a millenium later, the building began to be used by the Popes of the Catholic Church as a refuge, fortress and even a prison. Now, the building is a museum.
Qubbat al-Khazna (Dome of the Treasury) at the Ummayad Mosque, Damascus, Syria
Built in the courtyard of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, the Qubbat al-Khazna originally held the mosque’s endowments and precious manuscripts. The small octagonal structure was completed in 789 AD, and like the mosque itself was decorated with mosaics which show hints of both earlier Syrian patterning and an early development of Islamic decoration.
Baroncelli Chapel at the Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy
The Baroncelli Chapel at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence is notable for its many frescoes depicting biblical stories of the Virgin Mary, painted between 1328 and 1338 by Taddeo Gaddi. In the above model by Matthew Brennan, each of these frescoes are labeled with annotations to outline the stories depicted.
Church of the Gesù, Rome, Italy
Constructed in the 16th century, the Church of the Gesù – or to give its full name, Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù all’Argentina – is considered by many to be the first example of Baroque architecture. Designed by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola until his death in 1575, the construction was then taken over by Giacomo della Porta, who revised the building’s main facade and parts of its interior, seen in the model above. Giacomo della Porta’s design included more dynamic flourishes that would go on to influence the design of many later churches, especially those in the new world.
Segovia Cathedral, Spain
Built in the 16th century, the Segovia Cathedral is in a way remarkable for how young it is; by that time in most of the rest of Europe, its late Gothic stylings had become thoroughly unfashionable. However, the building is notable for its fine Gothic vaults, which can be seen in the model above. Interestingly, though it focuses on these vaults, the model makes use of a low-poly approximation of the rest of the church to give context to the element it wishes to highlight.
Painted Hall, Greenwich, London
Designed by Sir Christopher Wren, Greenwich’s Painted Hall is notable for its decoration by the artist James Thornhill. Completed in simple oil paints rather than as a true fresco, these paintings were recently the subject of an extensive restoration.
Lee Broom’s Salone del Automobile delivery van arrives in Milan
Milan 2016: in this exclusive Dezeen movie, London designer Lee Broom explains the concept behind his “blink and you’ll miss it” travelling exhibition in the back of a delivery van, which arrived in Milan on Monday (+ movie). (more…)
Today we like: coloured glass
No longer just for church windows, stained and coloured glass is cropping up repeatedly at this year’s Milan design week, where Patricia Urquiola and the Campana brothers are among those presenting tinted transparent furniture. See more design with coloured glass »
Eduardo Souto de Moura Wins the Ibero-American Award for Architecture and Urbanism
© Yusuke Suzuki
On April 2nd, the jury of the 10th Ibero-American Architecture and Urbanism Biennial DESPLAZAMIENTOS / DESLOCAMIENTOS met in Madrid to select the winner of the Ibero-American Award for Architecture and Urbanism.
After deliberations and voting, the jury decided to honor Eduardo Souto de Moura, who was nominated by the School of Architecture at the University of Lisboa.
Souto de Moura was selected because of the widespread recognition of his work and his important contribution as a professor at universities in various countries. Souto de Moura creates new and rich relationships between different scales, places and times, experimenting with materials and structures, and creating projects rich with emotion.
Västra Kajen Housing / Tham & Videgård Arkitekter
© Åke E:son Lindman
- Architects: Tham & Videgård Arkitekter
- Location: Jönköping, Sweden
- Chief Architects: Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård
- Area: 10900.0 sqm
- Project Year: 2015
- Photographs: Åke E:son Lindman
- Design Team: Eric Engström, Mårten Nettelbladt, Malin Belfrage, Helene Amundsen, Karolina Nyström, Marcus Andrén, Andreas Helgesson, Dennis Suppers
- Client: Vätterhem and Riksbyggen
Site Plan
Site Plan
From the architect. Located on the quayside of the Munksjön lake, these two urban housing blocks are based on a long term strategy of sustainability, creating attractive housing on one of the best sites in central Jönköping. Rather than a row of standard housing slabs, the requested number of apartments was assembled into two large units. The two compact volumes establish a solid position proportionally acceptable both to the city as well as the lake. It also minimizes the building envelope in line with the low energy concept.
© Åke E:son Lindman
Plan
An outer layer of terraces surrounds the perimeter of the buildings and provides all apartments with generous outdoor spaces. These are contained within a transparent screen of anodized aluminum that diffuses the light and with its arched shapes creates alternating open and filtered views. It offers a buffer zone between the intimate domestic interior of the apartments and the vast scale of the water landscape and urban context outside. By shifting the voids in the screen every second level, a characteristic pattern emerges that unites the six floors into one distinct cubical volume.
© Åke E:son Lindman
The apartments are organized around a large vertical atrium, a top lit stairwell dignifies a grand entrance hall and provides an important interior space for visitors and tenants in which to socialize. The atrium hall also functions as a natural preheating of fresh air, thus contributing to over all energy efficiency. The majority of the apartments are located in the corners, all benefitting from good views and light.
© Åke E:son Lindman
Section
Glossy green bricks lend woven texture to Belgian primary school by Areal Architecten
Glazed mint-green bricks alternate to create a basketweave pattern across the walls of this school building by Areal Architecten, which also frames a series of terraces and covered play spaces (+ slideshow). (more…)
Call for ArchDaily Interns: Summer 2016
ArchDaily is looking for motivated architecture lovers to join our team of interns for Summer 2016! An ArchDaily internship is a great opportunity to learn about our site and get exposed to some of the latest and most interesting ideas shaping architecture today.
Interested? Then check out the requirements below.
- Applicants must be fluent English speakers with excellent writing skills.
- Applicants must have completed their first year of university/college.
- Applicants must be able to work from home (or school/workplace).
- Applicants must be able to dedicate 15 hours per week; the schedule is flexible, but you must be reachable Monday through Friday.
- Writing experience is a huge plus. If you have a blog or used to write for the school paper, tell us about it on the form below.
- Basic experience with online blogging platforms, Facebook, Twitter, or Photoshop are a plus. Please indicate this in the form below.
- The internship will run from May/June to August 2016, with training occurring during the months of May/June.
If you think you have what it takes, please fill out the following form by Tuesday, April 26 9:00 AM EST. We will contact potential candidates (and only potential candidates) for follow-ups during the last week of May. Late submissions will NOT be accepted!
ArchDaily internships are compensated.
Sou Fujimoto unveils “forest of light” installation for COS
Milan 2016: Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto has used spotlights, mirrors and specially composed sounds to create his “shifting forest of light” that responds to visitors’ movements for fashion brand COS (+ movie). (more…)
Russian Pavilion at 2016 Venice Biennale to Examine the V.D.N.H – Moscow’s Soviet “Amusement Park”
© VDNH
The Russian contribution to the 2016 Venice Biennale has been revealed to be “an account of how the V.D.N.H. (the ‘Exhibition of Attainments of the National Economy’)—a unique complex in both scale and architecture—is being transformed into a multi-format cultural and educational space, accessible to all.” Entitled V.D.N.H. Urban Phenomenon, the show will examine the park’s global significance “given that the whole world is concerned by the question of how to develop society’s intellectual potential and how to create effective mechanisms for cultural assimilation.” Following the Biennale, the exhibition will be permanently relocated to the V.D.N.H. in Moscow.
According to Sergey Kuznetsov, Chief Architect of Moscow and the exhibition’s curator: “Unlike most theme and amusements parks, the V.D.N.H. does not merely provide citizens with leisure, but has an educational and cultural mission. […] Taken together,” he continues, “the coherence of this urban ensemble, the diversity of its public spaces, and its necklace of national and thematic pavilions create a territory which is capable of accumulating and multiplying society’s intellectual and cultural energy, and it is this which in the final analysis is helping us win the battle for quality of life.”
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According to Kuznetsov, the outline of the exhibition involves “art and multimedia technologies to talk about the past, present, and future of the V.D.N.H.” In addition, “a section dealing with the history of the exhibition will present artefacts from Soviet times” while there will also “be a video installation immersing visitors in the atmosphere of the V.D.N.H. today.” The pavilion’s commissioner, Semyon Mikhailovsky, has added that a number of researchers have been invited to take part, including sculptors, graphic artists, and students from the Moscow Architecture Institute, the Russian Academy of Arts, and a number of other higher education institutions in Russia.
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Mikhailovsky continued by saying that “the V.D.N.H. today is an example of a space in which the fight for an audience is being conducted using urban design, architecture, and education, and in this sense it makes an ideal fit with the theme for the 15th International Biennale of Architecture, which the latter’s curator Alejandro Aravena has defined as ‘Reporting from the Front’.”
© Alexey Rezvy
© Alexey Rezvy
© Alexey Rezvy
© Alexey Rezvy
© Alexey Rezvy
