Tabanlıoğlu Architects, known for producing internationally relevant, contemporary architecture across the world has embarked on the restoration works of Istanbul’s oldest and the largest library, the Beyazit Public Library.
First founded in 1884, the State Library building was originally the soup kitchen and Caravanserai of a complex that included a kitchen, a primary school, a hospital, a madrasah and a hammam. The library is a section of the Kulliyah of the Beyazıt Mosque- the oldest surviving imperial mosque in the city- built by Sultan Beyazıt II and completed in 1506. The complex (Kulliyah) spatially surrounds and defines the historic Beyazıt Square.
Plan 1
Adjacent to Beyazıt Mosque, the Library is located in theBeyazıt Square that is connected to the spine of the historical peninsula, Divanyolu, and is one of the most vibrant spaces in the old part of the city.
The quarter, where the State Library sits, is infused with historical connections of a literary nature; the old-book bazaar (bouquiniste) that is set in a courtyard leads toBeyazıt Gate, one of the main entrances of the Grand Bazaar. The front façade of the library backs the monumental plane tree under which is the traditional open air coffee shop serving since the Ottoman times.
The exemplary updating and fine-tuning of the State Library involved the sensitive re-organization of the interior and careful restoration of the building fabric with its prominent multi-domed roof. In place of the former concrete roof, Tabanlioglu Architects installed a light and transparent inflatable membrane structure which covers the courtyard, filtering the daylight and providing a controlled atmosphere. In the renovated shell of the building, the black glass boxes devoted to the manuscripts,stand as a monolithic object of awe that are of a stark contrast to their surroundings.
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Lighting Design by studio Dinnebier, echoes the spatial and historical qualities of the complex, introducing geometric harmony with its surroundings, while the soft lighting at the edges of the raised floor, that follows the wall contours introduce another layer of depth to the spaces.
The flow through the building was modified in order to best serve its modern function with the main entrance now through the courtyard. A modest extension, respectful of the scale of the existing building, has been added to the northeast façade of the existing Library. Modern Turkish publications sit on the second floor and periodicals on the first, while the ground level houses the rare book collection, publications in the Ottoman era and other Ottoman, Arabic and Persian manuscripts that are now kept in air conditioned transparent cabins exclusively designed to fit in the intense atmosphere while preserving the legacy.
Plan 2
The ‘minimal intervention’ approach ensures the spirit of the place survives while modern facilities are grafted onto the historic fabric.The project aims further for environmental betterment, and urban regeneration of the public realm by reviving all the traces and capacities, principally the Beyazıt Public Square.
From the architect. This project involves building 93 multi-family and mid-range housing units in the Berges du Lac-Ginko development area, which forms part of the urban renovation scheme for the north of Bordeaux.
Widely referred to as Ginko, this new district sets out to redefine the components of urban life: the place occupied by cars, how people get around, the distribution of energy, the shape of the urban fabric, the relationship with nature, and so on.
Floor Plan
On the scale of the city block, we thought carefully about how to arrange habitually separate programmes—residential buildings, mid-range housing, row houses, and detached houses—in the most appropriate way.
The juxtaposed « cascade » arrangement both attenuates the block-like effect typical of long, low-rise developments and avoids urban sprawl. This fragmented massing makes it easier for residents to appropriate the homes, and we have ensured that most of the units command views of the lake.
So that pedestrian movements take precedence over vehicular traffic, the ground floor homes have private gardens that surround the car park inside the block and make the street more attractive.
The car park roof on level 1 is designed as a communal garden: this makes it possible for residents to walk around inside the block and between the buildings.
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Because the lobbies are at ground floor level, each building thus has three entrances: from the street, from the car park itself, and from the landscaped car park roof.
From the architect. Our senses open up when we sense a silence in a campus filled with sound, or when we feel darkness in a bright space. In this space time, a soundless force strongly gestures to us. Intension of the design for the BUFS(Busan University of Foreign Studies) Chapel is to create a silhouette towards the entire campus, which stands for the ideology of the school.
‘One cross’, ‘one silhouette’, and ‘one light’ became the central concept to make this a one and only being. The one and only space creates new relationships by opening itself up to the surroundings. Although it is not located on the dead center of the campus, it is expected to be the center of one’s heart as the light fills up the surrounding space, which brings a holy atmosphere.
The volume which reveals the energy of the mountain will become an object, which will emphasize the ideology. We revealed the structure through the materials of interior and the exterior and adapted the waffle slab structure in order to create space of ‘the one’. We only allowed bricks-which covers the whole campus-, white walls, and the object to sit on the top of the forest hill. The bridge and the massive door become and object that symbolize the one, and offers the direction of the users.
From the architect. Office AIO transforms tiny Hutong spaces into a serious coffee bar and B&B
Nestled within Xiang’er Hutong in central Beijing, Big Small Coffee + B&B has a total area of 34 square meters. The project consists of two parts: a coffee bar (19 sqm) and a guest room (15 sqm) linked by a courtyard shared with an elderly neighbour.
Owners of the coffee business wanted to bring serious artesian coffee to their customers in a small space, emphasising focus on just a good cup of coffee. Hence the brand “Big Small Coffee” – being small in size but big on intention.
site plan
Sun and Kwan – founders of Beijing studio Office AIO :“We imagined Big Small Coffee to have a fresh, and professional identity and we wanted to bring attentiveness to the design specific for its function and context. Making the most out of these two tiny spaces by turning constraints into design features.”
The spatial function is primarily split into two. Baristas and customers each occupies a side of the bar. This spatial distinction is expressed visually through a crisp change in materiality.
The small white butcher tiles scale the space, and is a timeless, versatile, bright backdrop. With a limited width available for baristas to move along the bar, strong magnets customised to the same size as the tiles are devised to provide easy, flexible access to tools, orders and any miscellaneous items.
The cork panels on the other hand is warm and inviting to the touch, it is also a sound absorber, making it an ideal choice of material in the context of a co-shared wall with the neighbouring living space.
Elongated bar concept
Tying the two sides together is the bar. Volga Blue granite is selected for its shimmering black with accents of a spectacular blue colour, secretly celebrates the brand’s visual identity.
The slab of granite is afloat by its mirror-clad body, punctures through the transparent glass façade. While providing extra seating on the front patio, the gesture also serves to dissolve the envelop in-between interior and the hutong scenes.
western elevation
Product display and storage is limited due to the spatial constraints. A custom designed open shelf unit is hung from above the bar bench, efficiently occupies the relatively generous height of the space without interrupting circulation. The transparency provided by the use of acrylic sheet diminishes the weight of the shelving unit visually, allowing focus to be on the displayed items.
On the southern side of the shop is another zoning threshold, marked by a camouflaged set of overhead storage cupboards. This threshold transits to the back of house washing area and a water closet. The washing area is meant to be accessed after hours, a full sized sink is in place but concealed during operating hours, allowing this right of way to remain a pleasant waiting area.
Hung by four hand crafted leather straps is a bold, singular 2.4M customised stroke of light. Floating right in the centre of the spatial volume above the bar, the luminaire catches ones eyes, adds weight to the space, while accentuating width and linearity when encountered front-on facing the bar. It also provides a softer, more delicate details to the threshold between shelf and bench top. Brightness is adjustable for the desired mood and or function.
A large opening on the southern slope of the pitched roof is introduced to bring in natural lighting as well as allowing the shadows from the trees above to cast onto the interior surfaces throughout the day.
With a north facing frontage, a crystal clear acrylic canopy provides protection from rain for customers sitting on the front patio while still allowing all available natural light and views to the foliage above to be preserved.
Stainless steel foldaway plates are custom designed to provide flexibility and interaction for the patrons to intuitively transform its function just by a simple flipping action. At its resting state, the plate serves as a small table for patrons who just want a quick coffee or to stand around and mingle. When folded up, the plates give way to circulation and becomes a series of slender support for picture frames to be displayed.
“But why not turn it into a guest room instead?”, Office AIO suggested.
The room was originally occupied by the landlord and her son until he went off to college. The 8sqm main room was used as a living space cramped with a TV unit / desk and a single bed / sofa, and the overstuffed 800mm wide wing was the son’s ‘bedroom’.
Office AIO made a small extension into the courtyard and tear down the original façade to create an L-shaped entrance leading into the guest room. This entrance is then filled by a set of double-hinged doors that can be opened up to form a small internal courtyard.
The main living space was refreshed with a layer of straw clay over the internal walls, straw mats lining the original pitched ceiling, walnut timber flooring to match the existing tone of the timber rafters, and new timber joinery. The result is a bright yet warm space with reminiscence of a traditional hutong dwelling interior.
The interior is furnished sparsely to fulfil the basic needs of a B&B: a built-in double bed with drawers to store extra beddings and luggage, a cantilevered cork desk for travellers to get some work done during their visits, and a classic Achille Castiglioni pendent as desk and bedside lamp.
The linear bathroom were covered in small white butcher tiles, with the water closet on the short end, and vanity and bathtub on the longer end closer to the window for natural light and ventilation.
From the architect. The site for the project measured 60×40. The requirement was to build a 30 bed dialysis center. The unique feature of the site was that it was adjacent to an ancient South Indian Temple which was revered by the neighborhood for both its architectural presence and religious value. The context in that sense was atypical of a generic urban setting. The position that we took was to make a sensitive intervention into the context, we looked at the building as a backdrop to the existing scenario with the temple as the main protagonist.
The wards were stacked vertically to accommodate the thirty beds. The building was detached from the ground to enable congregational and waiting spaces for the people. The services of the building were relegated to the rear and the terrace of the building was conceived to be a cafeteria.
The building façade is formulated by surfaces built out of brick that has a bellowing quality about them; the sensual quality of the surface dematerializes the brick surface and renders an ephemeral feel to the building. The slivers between the bellowing shells allow light to permeate into the building only to create a spatial and visual feel that is as divine as the temple outside.
The apartment is located nearby Kiyomizu-Temple, and has excellent views of the five sacred mountains of Kyoto. Our plan was to transform a typical (drab) Japanese condominium into a guesthouse where artists and creators can pursue their creative activities and enjoy living as well. We also tried to integrate traditional Japanese techniques normally not used in construction into the design.
Plan
[Highlights] In traditional Japanese lacquerware “Urushi-Nuri”, the technique calls for lacquer resin impregnated jute fabric reinforcement of the wooden base, forming a rigid composite structure beneath the polished upper coat.
This composite technique is alike to FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) layering, so we chose FRP using translucent resin for the washroom floor to mimic this method. The translucent resin is polished to reveal the underlying glass-fiber layers over the wooden base, resulting in a translucent, yet complex visual texture while achieving material strength and waterproofing needed for the location.
The Japanese have traditionally repaired broken ceramics by gluing fragments together with Japanese lacquer and gilding the seams with gold powder to enjoy the beauty of imperfection as “Kintsugi”, literally meaning “to join with gold”. In construction, traditional plastered mortar cracks when it sets. This cracking is usually deemed as inferior work, and current improved mortar seldom cracks. We noticed that this cracking resembles broken ceramics. Using traditional mortar, we emulated the art of “Kintsugi” in the living room by joining the cracks with gold coloured epoxy- resin, thus transforming what was considered imperfect into a subject of beauty.
The mirrored bathroom doors double as a changing room when opened. The highly polished metal surfaces reflect the room interior and surrounding scenery producing a kaleidoscopic effect.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected seven recipients of the 2016 AIA National Healthcare Design Awards, given to the year’s best projects in healthcare building design and healthcare design-oriented research. Projects were selected for displaying “conceptual strengths that solve aesthetic, civic, urban, and social concerns as well as the requisite functional and sustainability concerns of a hospital.”
The award is given in four categories: Category A: Built, Less than $25 million in construction cost; Category B: Built, More than $25 million in construction cost; Category C: Unbuilt, Must be commissioned for compensation by a client with the authority and intention to build (No projects were selected in this category this year); and Category D: Innovations in Planning and Design Research, Built and Unbuilt.
Read on for the list of winners.
Category A: Built, Less than $25 million in construction cost
The design for this LEED Gold radiation therapy building focuses on providing a highly supportive environment which provides treatment and care of cancer patients. The challenge was to create an environment that reduces stress for patients and families, provides the best current technological infrastructure, and is an excellent space for physicians and staff to perform their work. The design approach focused on the distinct needs of cancer patients and their treatment schedules, which typically occur five days a week for five to eight consecutive weeks. The design provides a calming, nature oriented experience through the use of natural light, organic forms, outdoor views to nature, soothing interior colors, and an internal “Zen Garden” which contains a vibrant living wall garden visible from the treatment areas.
For its first center in Queens, Planned Parenthood sought a facility that was a bold expression of its commitment to state-of-the-art care for all, provided an excellent patient experience, and welcomed one of the most diverse communities in the world. Since opening, the facility has ranked in the 99th percentile for patient satisfaction when compared to comparable hospitals. The building’s contemporary design contrasts with its brownstone neighbors, establishing itself as a welcoming and important community institution. The simply-planned, sleek, and light-filled interiors are uplifting and easy to navigate, reducing patient stress. A bold color system aids in orientation for the diverse users and brings spatial delight throughout.
Category B: Built, More than $25 million in construction cost
Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Regional Ambulatory Cancer Center; West Harrison, New York / EwingCole
Operationally efficient layout helps to reduce the cost of healthcare delivery and support both short- and long-term expansion possibilities at the West Harrison site for Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Regional Cancer Center. The challenge for the design team was converting what was a 1950’s office building with the dated brick and metal panel building with large floor plates, into a state of the art cancer center which upheld MSK’s preeminence as the leader in cancer treatment. The building not only accomplished the stringent task of achieving LEED Gold but also implemented additional healthy-building initiatives such as specifying entirely PVC-free products for both construction and design.
The Christ Hospital sought to unify their main campus and forge a model for integrated, patient-centered joint and spine care. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill worked with patients, medical professionals, and hospital staff to design the new state-of-the-art Joint and Spine Center. Inside the hospital, spaces for patients are filled with daylight, outside views are maximized to support well-being, and quiet spaces for family and staff are programmed with comfortable furnishings for conversation and rest. The building, a model for future hospitals with its flexible design and commitment to sustainability, is LEED certified. Since opening, the facility has ranked in the 99th percentile for patient satisfaction when compared to comparable hospitals.
The University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center; Phoenix / ZGF Architects LLP
The 220,000-square-foot UACC is intended to deliver the highest standard of care within an evidence-based, multidisciplinary model, using the most modern technologies. The building program includes spaces for radiation oncology, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy and interventional radiology, exam and procedure rooms, a support and wellness center, infusion, a clinical pharmacy, and a healing garden. The building was designed to emphasize the user experience, integrate the natural beauty of the landscape, and address the needs of the UACC staff and patients for years to come. An exterior shade system, along with chilled beams, the first to be used in an Arizona healthcare setting, greatly contributed to the sustainability of the facility.
University Medical Center New Orleans; New Orleans / NBBJ
University Medical Center provides New Orleans with critical safety-net care in a sophisticated 1.5 million-square-foot facility built to withstand natural disasters. Features include inpatient services, cancer care, behavioral health and a Level 1 trauma center. The design promotes holistic healing, from landscaped courtyards to all-private inpatient rooms with natural light and in-suite bathrooms. Wide double-bays and sliding breakout doors enable swift action in treatment zones. Floor-to-ceiling windows in public spaces create transparency and uplifting views, while custom artwork and graphics throughout the hospital celebrate New Orleans’ rich heritage. The project is the state’s largest teaching hospital and training facility for physicians, nurses and allied health professionals.
Category D: Innovations in Planning and Design Research, Built and Unbuilt
Seattle Children’s South Clinic advances the current hub-and-spoke model of healthcare that brings outpatient services closer to patients in their communities to offer more responsive care while reducing demand for acute care services. The clinic was designed with a focus on patient flow so providers can serve patients quickly and efficiently. Located in the Seattle suburb of Federal Way and within a shopping center—with existing parking and adjacent community destinations—the design adapts a former Circuit City store into a 37,000-square-foot outpatient clinic that houses urgent care, occupational and physical therapy, and a number of specialty services.
This year’s jury was comprised of: Doug Hocking, AIA, LEED AP BD+C (Chair), KPF; Rosalyn Cama, FASID, EDAC, CAMA, Inc; Tatiana Guimaraes, Assoc. AIA, Perkins+Will; Anthony Haas, FAIA, FACHA, WHR Architects; David Montalba, FAIA, Montalba Architects; Sid Sanders, AIA, Houston Methodist Hospital and Kenneth Webb, AIA ACHA, LEED AP BD+C, HKS.
For more information on the winning projects, visit the AIA website, here.
From the architect. Located in Florianópolis in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The house of Owls was built on a flat land between the Lagoa da Conceição and the beach of Moçambique in São João do Rio Vermelho neighborhood. The beach dunes are the natural habitat of the burrowing owl, for this reason the house got its name, because it is frequently visited by them.
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The house has a built area of 94 m² and is designed to be the beach house of a young couple of architects. Like many of the architectural projects, the budget was a major limiting factor for the amount available for the construction was R$ 60,000.00. Thus, a minimum needs program was adopted: living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and laundry area. The double high ceilings in the living room integrates environments and provides greater spatial extent, in addition to receiving the shelf that accommodates the owners` record collection and library.
With minimalist formal intentions, sought to rationalize the building, as proposed by Le Corbusier at the Maison Citrohan. In The project nothing was by chance, the garden terrace, for example, which is accessed by a ladder type sailor, allows views of the Lagoa da Conceição where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset.
The construction system used predominantly was the brick masonry. But the materiality experimented with different compositions such as reinforced concrete, used on the stairs and in some walls and beams and light wood frame run on the front wall, which received as external lock corrugated metal sheets and OSB as an internal closure, the aesthetics of materials in its raw state was used.
The choice of building systems and materials, were chosen taking into account the availability of local services near the building and also the constructive field of local builders.
In order to reduce environmental impacts, we used an evapotranspiration bed as an option for the treatment of residence sewage, this system treats the wastewater on site and also allows the use of these water pollutants in the form of inputs for crop production returning them, purified to the hydrologic cycle.
Perkins+Will has released plans for 98 Fourteenth Street, a 920 foot (280 meter) tall residential and commercial tower that, when complete, will become Atlanta’s second tallest building behind Pritzker Prize winning architect Kevin Roche’s Bank of America Plaza. The new tower is an integral piece of a planned development called the Midtown Art Walk, a half-mile pedestrian landscape featuring innovative architecture and interactive art elements between 2 transit stations in the district. The 74-story building will contain 382 luxury residential units and 180 corporate suites, as well as retail space on the ground level.
Courtesy of Perkins+Will
The tower’s four elevations will be made of curtain wall glass surfaces pushed to different vertical planes to create the overall composition of the building. A full story sky lounge indicates the change in program on the facade, and will provide dramatic views of the Atlanta skyline.
The building will offer a range of residences varying in size and floor plan options and additional amenities including a heated, infinity edge-pool; conference and media rooms; a fitness center and yoga studio; a children’s play area; bike storage; temperature-controlled storage for food deliveries; a private dining room; and a top-of-the-line kitchen and bar.
Courtesy of Perkins+Will
Courtesy of Perkins+Will
Retail will be located in the tower’s base, comprising 135,000 square feet (12,540 square meters), alongside 11 levels of enclosed parking. The building’s second level will extend to connect to Peachtree Street and 15th street, helping to improve pedestrian circulation within the block and to adjacent and future developments.
98 Fourteenth Street will begin construction this fall and is scheduled to be completed in 2019.
The disused shelter for rescue forces at the edge of the Erlenbach school campus had disappeared under an overgrown hill and a sports field over the years. From outside, the only identifiable markings were two entries dug into the hillside. It was just waiting on a new lease on life. The lack of swim lessons for the children of the lake community and the site’s proximity to the school made it the perfect location for partial redevelopment into a pool for beginners. A selective tender was created in 2012 to find a suitable general planning team for the building project.
The challenge put forth was to accommodate all areas of the pool in the underground shelter. The team of Pöyry Schweiz AG and illiz architektur was able to win over the client with an alternative approach: Instead of excavating under the former billet to accommodate the enormous volume of the pool, the pool would simply be suspended above the existing cubature of the underground space. This allowed the surface of the water to remain level with the surrounding terrain, thereby offering expansive views over Lake Zurich. Besides the pool’s volume and lift platform, the underground space was also used to house the technology and systems required for the building and pool as well as an entrance hall and adjoining changing rooms. The actual bathing hall was designed as a light-filled pavilion over the new pool and now marks the urban end of the school grounds.
Plan
Dark cubes along the terrain’s edge
Today, two seemingly intertwined dark cubes rest on the edge of the ground, only slightly reminiscent of the site’s original layout. The southeast corner of the military billet was exposed and parts of the outer wall removed. A one-storey glass façade now fills the span between the two flanking walls, providing a view into the hitherto hidden interior of the building. Deep dark green wall tiles radiate outward, bringing to mind the moment of immersion into a shady, clear lake. The diffusely luminous atmosphere continues throughout the entrance hall and into the changing rooms. Only as one emerges to the surface and into the bathing hall via a narrow staircase does the wall design become lighter and brighter – with the surface of the water appearing as sunny shores in silvery green and delicate pink.
Even as the colourful wall tiles unmistakably transform the structure into a swimming pool, the massive and raw character of the old facility remains largely intact. The concrete slab floor of the basement is covered with a protective coating, while cable guides, conduits and pipes remain visible, with corridors and changing rooms illuminated indirectly. Only through the exposed, prone front hall is the massive concrete structure truly revealed, emerging from a surface recessed deeply into the slope.
Structurally, the lately revealed building and the structure placed upon it have been formally united as a new entity. A massive coffered concrete ceiling spans the entire bathing hall and rests on a dense row of slender concrete columns placed along its edges. The ceiling almost appears to float over the delicate tile designs covering the interior walls. Between the columns, the silver-grey floor folds into benches that encircle the pool, while a filigree glass façade wraps around the raw concrete structure like an effervescent bubble. Steel and concrete supports stand in synchronous sequence, yet remain at a significant distance from each other. As the inside begins to glow at dusk, the contrasting interplay of lightness and solidity is particularly clear. The dark envelope of the building seems to dissolve, thereby revealing the plasticity of the superstructure and its exceptional tectonics.
Sig Nordal 