Amsterdam studio Uxus has designed a gift shop with stackable shelving for the new Tate Modern extension, which is set to open to the public this week (+ slideshow). (more…)
“The TGZ is a success story and has been one for almost 30 years. It is not just the City of Würzburg that benefits from the centre, but the entire Mainfranken region. It provides a home for young start-up companies, while the close connection to the university facilitates an intensive knowledge transfer. That is why we supported the new building with a 5-million subsidy,” explains Bavaria’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Ilse Aigner, during the inauguration of the new building on 11 March 2016. The TGZ provides ideal site conditions for innovative and technology-oriented company founders: on a floor area of about 2,200 m2 they can rent offices of various sizes and benefit from rooms, service, advice, and networks. That’s exactly why the flexibility of rooms and functional utilisation units as well as the modularity of the façade play an important role in the design. Following a VOF procedure, the work group consisting of kister scheithauer gross architekten und stadtplaner GmbH, Ingenieurgemeinschaft TEN and IDK Kleinjohann GmbH & Co. KG was awarded the contract in 2013.
The site in the newly developed “Campus Hubland Nord” is characterised by its prominent location as an entrance situation towards the urban district, and so the TGZ as one of the first buildings at this point is generating an identity for the entire quarter. The design by ksg proposed an L-shaped volume consisting of a main building accommodating offices and training rooms as well as a 600 m2 workshop. A mobile station with publicly accessible parking facilities adjoins at the southern site boundary. Between the mobile station and the workshop, an elevated level is laid out on the ground floor, which forms a large flight of stairs in the western part and creates a public square. A large opening in the elevated level affords perspectives and facilitates the natural ventilation of the car park in the basement. In the interior, the building impresses with a simple, pragmatic floor plan typology, which is bound to economic optimisation and maximum flexibility. A functional, symmetric circulation core ensures maximum flexibility for the uses on all levels. System partition walls allow diverse floor plan divisions. A meeting room with a glazed corner affords views to Würzburg’s city silhouette.
The modular façade on the east and west side with a 1.20-metre grid is composed of dark metal elements tilted towards the south, which allow a subsequent equipment with photovoltaic panels. The entire ground floor area is as a plinth covered with fibre-cement panels, thus design-wise merging the individual building components of the workshop and mobile station. “The TGZ is an important component, which is in terms of urban planning and design aspects more than just an innovation and start-up centre,” says the originator of the design, Johannes Kister.
City Loft is a private home located in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was designed in 2015 by Studio Mode. Photos courtesy of Studio Mode
From the architect. The site of the Escherpark building, a clearly defined block just outside of Zurich’s city center, is located in the immediate vicinity of numerous cultural institutions and spacious parks. With several schools and recreational areas within walking distance and a physical relationship to the nearby lake, the opportunely situated area is ideal for a residential development. The Escherpark project new construction reacts to the local, semi-urban struc- ture of irregularly scaled, detached buildings and develops an ensemble of eleven buildings out of four unique volume types.
In contrast to the existing built context, the new design actively choreographs the subtle variations in outdoor space. The free space between the buildings stretches like a park as a meandering field of vegetation; a system of paths leads through the space, making this inner world between the buildings accessible.
In addition to the differences between the buildings themselves, the way the volumes fit into the terrain intro- duces further variation in orientation and positioning of residences, as well as in their physical and visual relationships to the gardens and to one another. While every apartment is a unique experience from within, all offer framed views of the dense garden.
The exterior simplicity of the façade – intended as discrete background to the vegetation – is accomplished through a vertical, ventilated wood façade. Floor-to-ceiling glazing is shaded by shutters of wooden slats identi- cal to the façade. The wood is treated for fire safety such that no chemical components are required to guaran- tee its longevity.
Design Miami/Basel 2016: a demountable office by French Modernist designer Jean Prouvé, which was used as a swingers’ club until recently, has been restored for display at this year’s Design Miami/Basel fair (+ slideshow). (more…)
From the architect. Huangpu Village, built as dormitories by the Japanese army in support of its marching south during World War II, was the first military village in Taiwan. The traditional Japanese architecture bears a special history. After Japan was defeated and had surrendered, the dormitories became deserted from continual disrepair. In 1947, the Army Training Command Headquarters was relocated to Fengshan. General Sun Li-jen and many of the military officers were arranged to stay in the dormitories left by the Japanese, originally named “Chengzheng Village”. The dormitories were later renamed
“Hunagpu Village” when the Hunagpu Military Academy was re-established in Fengshan and Kaohsiung became the center of military affairs from 1930 to 1980.
The reconstruction project of the military village was completed at the end of 2013, and Huangpu Village was about to be dismantled. Fortunately, people from various communities came together and fought for keeping this village. The City Hall proposed the listing of Huangpu Village as the city’s cultural landscape, which was approved by the Review Council. Project “Residence for Maintenance” was launched in 2015, after which cultural workers and citizens were encouraged to apply for temporary residence. HAO Design was in charge of restoring an old house which it named the “J. Y. Living Experiment Studio”. We tried to give the house a unique style while retaining its original structure. In addition to keeping to the historical context, HAO Design built an imaginative “Living Lab”, a workshop for lectures, drawings, sketches and cement work. This studio also provided art residency and exchange, allowing members of the renovation project to practice interior design skills and creating their ideal lifestyle at the Studio.
Although renovating an old house was an exciting task, the house when we took over was falling apart. There were no water or electricity. Considering the historical significance of this building and its special cultural value, the project team strove to create a new sense of space without causing too much damage. For instance, the roof tiles were characteristic of a Japanese building, but the roof leaks were a serious problem. The team had to apply waterproofing coating before restoring the tiles. The red gate symbolic of a military village had already been replaced by a modern aluminum gate, so we decided to introduce the industrial feature of Kaohsiung by presenting a red freight container gate which reflects the culture and landscape of Kaohsiung city.
Upon entering the container gate to J. Y. Studio, there is a short walk to the porch; despite the brief distance, we arranged walkways to indicate directions into various spaces and grouted several footpaths. We used gravel and sand at the corners to grow tropical plants suitable for the climate of southern Taiwan. Succulents, Japanese ivy, golden barrel, small cactuses, agaves and crane flowers were planted in the small entrance garden, bringing vitality and imagination to an old space. At the garden side of the house, we built a small wood pallet terrace connected to the sliding door and covering the outdoor AC unit. Capturing the essence of a Japanese building, this outdoor terrace allows people to sit and enjoy the breeze in a moment of leisure. To recreate the stone steps common in Japanese houses, we built a series of “Lego bricks”
with waterproof wood adjacent to a small pink door in hopes of bringing elements of fun and imagination to the space.
Entering the house through the unaltered green porch, one is reminded of an elevated Japanese house. Originally the master bedroom, the washitsu (a Japanese-style room) is the main space of J.Y. Experiment Studio. The wardrobe was preserved completely and turned into a functional wall cabinet once the side panel had been removed. It can be used to store books and display a radio, typewriter, vases, suitcases and other such decorative objects. The structure of the ceiling was also preserved but painted in cocoa to echo the wooden tones of the room. The board on the wall was covered with wallpaper of weaving patterns to retain a Japanese style. The wooden sliding window that faces the garden was remade with solid wood. The lower part of the window was replaced with transparent glass, which allows for sunlight and an unobstructed view for those sitting in the room.
The anteroom retains the original ceiling, terrazzo floor and brown walls of the old house, preserving the beauty and simplicity of a traditional era. We arranged track lighting here and set it out as an exhibition space. We decorated the space with Taiwanese armchairs produced in the 50s using R-shaped wooden tenons; a classical Japanese Karimoku sofa popular in the 60s; Taiwanese trumpet stools reminiscent of pop art from the 70s; and a yellow floor lamp symbolic of the Space Age. With a delicate old medicine cabinet and a rattan tea table, the embellished interior brings back the flavors of the past. The mix and match between Taiwanese and Japanese elements form a unique but non-conflicting atmosphere. Besides practicing with room decoration, the project members also gather at the washitsu to watch movies. This old house has survived the selection of time. By understanding it and incorporating our interpretations within it, we in the present hope to safeguard its beauty and continue to demonstrate the variety and possibilities of life.
From the architect. This is a renovation for our own apartment in Kanagawa. .8 (TENHACHI) Architect & Interior design reconfigured the layout of the 67-square-meter property, creating one big open space with two open box spaces. The concrete ceiling and beams are left exposed throughout, contrasting with the white walls and furniture doors that have been added. None of the walls reach the ceiling, which allows us to see that the new infill pieces are different from the structure of the original concrete.
Except for the Toilet, all the spaces are connected. Two added boxes open to the main connected space. We think that there are both public behaviors and private behaviors in a house. These two boxes play the role of a gentle connector.
The lower level of the white box is a bedroom with a hidden atmosphere, made intimate by a floor level 50mm lower than the living room. The upper level is the ladder-accessed kids-space, special for children thanks to the low ceiling height and scale.
Wood flooring surrounds the wooden box, and the angled lines continue into the wall. This box contains the Bathroom, Basin, and Washing spaces, with big openings to the living room. White curtains are the only soft material, installed for privacy. Viewed from the Living Room, the interior of this box appears as a three-dimensional frame. The Bathtub and Rain Shower are at center stage, brightened by the backing of white hexagonal tiles.
At the heart of the Living area is a 4.5m long table, made of Japanese cedar (sugi). This central table hosts many functions, acting as the kitchen, dining, workspace, and kids’ drawing space. The table is not divided by functions, but instead gently connects them. Daily family situations take place here, and when people gather for parties, this transforms into a 20 seat common table.
From the architect. Located in front of a bus-stop at a junction of a minor road and a busy main road, this reconstruction of a small bungalow house is attracting attention from the community for its dynamic form and interesting use of materials. The unique combination of raw off-form concrete and finely crafted solid teak screens from Bali veils and protects the house from its harsh urban environment without compromising on views, natural light and ventilation.
Solid boundary walls and landscaping mitigate the traffic noise from the main road while providing an intriguing visual delight to bus drivers, passengers and passersby.
The grand double volume living room, surrounded by a mezzanine study, library and corridors improves connection between occupants and gives the living space a dynamic interactive quality.
At ground level, the internal spaces of the house blends easily with the outdoor decks, gardens and swimming pool, which also provides passive cooling to the house.
The master bedroom located in the attic enjoys the comfort of deep overhangs, plenty of natural light and long distant views, not typical of such a dense urban site.
Bjarke Ingel’s Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, which opened last week, will have an afterlife touring Asia and the USA after being bought by Canadian developer Westbank. But what happened to the myriad seasonal architecture marvels erected around the world last year? Dezeen investigates. (more…)
From the architect. Located overlooking the proposed Metro Sports Facility at the Western end of Moorhouse Ave on the fringe of the Christchurch CBD, the brief called for a new commercial development with a mix of bulk retail, office space and hospitality.
As the new building is on a major arterial route in Christchurch, it primarily experienced while driving. Our design approach was to generate the building as a billboard that shifts dynamically as you drive East or West along Moorhouse Ave, capturing the motorists’ attention.
The building is cast as collection of characters and references to Christchurch’s architectural canon. Amongst others, the cast includes the striped façade of the Antigua Boat Sheds, and the zigzag verandah of Paul Pascoe’s, now lost, Christchurch Domestic Airport Terminal.
During demolition of the previous earthquake damaged building on site a large hand painted sign was revealed, ‘The Farmers’. As this sign would be archived again, between our new building and the neighbours’ existing building, we decided it should to be translated into the design of the façade of the new building.
An abstract machine was created to manipulate the vertical sun shading fins and gloss/matt Alucobond panels of the façade through Binary and Morse code to give the impression of a random fin and façade pattern, allowing the ‘The Farmers’ sign to be coded within the new façade.
Functionally, the ground floor consists of a café/restaurant space at the entrance corner. This space opens an outdoor dining area underneath the faceted mirror stainless soffit of the cantilevered floor above.
The remainder of the ground floor consists of large format retail and office space.
The first floor is accessed via a dramatic double height foyer space, which is capped with a large skylight. A faceted wall battened with cedar cascades down from the skylight to the ground.
The foyer staircase is defined a blackened steel balustrade which folds into flush into the tiled floor at the base of the staircase.
