© Jesús Granada

• Architects: Ruiz Pardo – Nebreda
• Location: Calle La Libertad, Nueva San Salvador, El Salvador
• Arquitecto Autor : Marcelo Ruiz Pardo
• Area: 1575.0 m2
• Photography: Jesús Granada

• Technical Architect: Sonia Nebreda
• Arquitectos Colaboradores : Arturo Alberquilla, Alejandra M. de la Riva, Loreto Moreno, Javier E. Lecumberri, Luis Pancorbo
• Consultants: Mecanismo (estructuras), JG Ingenieros (instalaciones), Arup (fachadas), JMIA (fiscalización)
• Contractor: Castaneda Ingenieros S.A. de C.V.
• Client: Puma Energy S.A. de C.V.

© Jesús Granada

From the architect. Puma Energy Corporate Headquarter is located on the Panamerican highway, passing through San Salvador. The new building, which is inserted between the existing commercial and industrial buildings that characterize this stretch of road with barely public profile, overlooks the road with a powerful cantilever taking part of the intensity of the traffic, showing its interior activity and acting as an innovative element of the urban landscape.

Floor Plan

The building consists of two superimposed and arranged crosswise blocks, interlacing solids and voids all around them. Thus, a progressive sequence of compressions and expansions arranges and qualifies the circulation and access areas. 

© Jesús Granada

From the street, it is possible to access the plot through the interior street, and through the front gardens, and then to an entrance hall. This area of spatial compression acts by adjusting the scale to the user one, in such a way that the entrance to the building occurs through a more secluded area. The part in the back of the plot is dedicated to the parking area which is located between the pillars and screens of the building. This space, far from being a residual area of the project, takes on special relevance since it is strongly characterised by the expressive structure that covers it and the green areas that surround it. 

Section

Continuous and transparent areas are planned thanks to the concentration of horizontal seismic forces in a few massive walls. Two different kinds of relations with the surrounding have been distinguished. On one hand the lower block defines a space that establishes punctual relations with the exterior and it is defined by walls with buttresses that support the roof slab. This configuration allows having continuous linear skylights parallel to the walls between buttresses, where the light enters. At this level, the accesses and the programme for external visits are resolved. 

© Jesús Granada

 A vertical void connects both blocks at their intersection allowing visual relations between different levels and programs. Here, the light is vertical and comes from skylights on deck in contrast to the horizontal spatiality of the open office area located in the upper level.

© Jesús Granada

The upper block houses the offices and collective uses. Structurally, this block is resolved by two parallel longitudinal gantries that make up two overhangs on opposite ends, and perpendicular beams to the same. This piece emphasize the horizontality and is connected to the horizon through a screen of steel planks which also act as inverted curtain wall supports and sun protection. 

© Jesús Granada

The planks are homogenous throughout the longitudinal façades (east and west), in such a way that they allow for full scattered lighting of the working area. The inner corridors that flow next to the façades also act as areas that prevent the direct sunlight exposure on the office areas during certain hours of the day.

© Jesús Granada

The East and West façades are therefore resolved by a “stick system” curtain wall from floor to ceiling with steel stiles and joists. Stiles located on the outside making up the sun protection system for the façade. The vertical and horizontal lateral joints between the glass panels of each pane of glass are sealed with neutral silicone and they have two isolated stainless steel pressers on each side of the glass. The vertical dimension of 3,200mm is constant throughout both façades, and the modulation for the horizontal dimension is also constant with a width of 750 mm.

© Jesús Granada

The struts are made up of reinforced steel sections while the beams are made by joining half-lap joints using some welded plates on the ends of the strut and the beams. Both pieces are fit mechanically using stainless steel screws, fit from the outside. Struts and beams are equipped with an anodised aluminium extrusion piece called the “nose”, which is fit on mechanically using stainless steel screws on the inner face of the aluminium profiling.

Elevation

On the other hand, while the South façade is resolved by a simple system of glazed enclosure mounted on aluminium extrusion carpentry, the vantage point that makes up the North façade is made using a suspended structure made up of reinforced steel sections. Both the floor and the ceiling of this vantage point are metallic and made up of sandwiched steel panels with an insulation core mounted in situ. These are load-bearing panels supported on their short sides on the steel H-shaped plates of the horizontal planks of the curtain wall, and fitted on mechanically to the steel mullions located parallel to the long sides of the panels.

Elevation

Therefore, to the south, the screen disappears and the enclosure is recessed from the structure border generating an outdoor terrace, while on the north side the enclosure exceeds the limits of the concrete structure and is projected over the road, offering views of the volcano and of the city.

© Jesús Granada

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Courtesy of White Arkitekter

White Arkitekter has been announced as the winners of an international design competition for a hotel and cultural center in the city of Skellefteå, Sweden. Selected from over 55 entries from ten countries, the winning proposal “Sida vid sida” (Side-by-side) calls for a 19-story timber structure containing a concert hall, museum, art gallery, city library and a four-star hotel. The new building will be the tallest wood-framed building in the Nordic region.

Courtesy of White Arkitekter

Referencing the region’s rich history of timber architecture, the 24,940 square meter building will be constructed of a glue-laminated timber frame, strengthened with steel trusses and enclosed with a glass envelope, allowing the structure to be seen from the street. Spaces have been designed for maximum flexibility, featuring retractable walls that expand or divide rooms to serve a range of functions.

“We want to engage the wider public, not only arts lovers, and the building’s transparency offers passersby the opportunity to witness behind-the-scenes work, such as an exhibition or new stage set coming together”,  says Lead Architect Robert Schmitz

Courtesy of White Arkitekter

The building’s generous height will offer views of the forested countryside and will be topped with a green roof providing thermal insulation, sound insulation, biodiversity and rain water absorption. City life will be brought into the building with an open ground floor and multiple entrances connecting to future bicycle and pedestrian routes, giving Skellefteå residents a cultural hub that is easily accessible.

Courtesy of White Arkitekter

“We’re very proud to have the opportunity to create a new home for the visual arts, theatre and literature. It’s when these different disciplines meet that the magic happens”, says Oskar Norelius, Lead Architect, White Arkitekter.

Construction is set to begin in 2017.

Courtesy of White Arkitekter

• Architects: White Arkitekter
• Location: Skellefteå, Sweden
• Lead Architects: Oskar Norelius, Robert Schmitz
• Team: Axel Bodros Wolgers, Karl Tyrväinen (landscape architect), Anders Johnson, Björn Vestlund, Sarah Dahman Meyersson (environmental specialist), Robert Niziolek (images), Katharina Björlin Wiklund (images)
• Engineering Consultant: Dipl.-Ing. Florian Kosche AS (DIFK)
• Area: 0.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2019
• Photographs: Courtesy of White Arkitekter

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Courtesy of OMA

The City of Los Angeles has selected landscape architects Mia Lehrer + Associates (MLA) with partners OMA and IDEO to design a new public park at First and Broadway in downtown LA. Located across from Los Angeles City Hall, the new development, to be known as “FAB Park,” will connect into the existing Grand Park, turning the area into one of the city’s most important civic spaces.

Courtesy of OMA

The design of FAB Park was conceived as a celebration of Los Angeles’ diversity through the themes of food, art and land. A split-level restaurant designed by OMA opens up to the park via a sweeping staircase, and will serve as a new lunch spot for employees of nearby government buildings and locals alike. To provide respite from the hot California sun, the park will feature native oak and sycamore trees alongside an array of OMA-designed sculptural shade canopies. Beneath the canopies, shaded outdoor rooms will give park-goers a space for small group gatherings, food fairs, art installations, and other community events.

Courtesy of OMA

“FAB park will be a meeting point for civil servants, journalists, arts patrons and DTLA residents. Our design for the restaurant is a dynamic building that facilitates two distinct levels of service: quick and casual on the ground, refined and elegant above. Each level activates diverse experiences ranging from café to test kitchen to amphitheater seating”, says OMA partner Jason Long.

Courtesy of OMA

Adding to the park design will be user-experience elements by innovation firm IDEO and a curation of art by Marc Pally. The design team also employed holistic sustainability and native planting strategies to strive for a “net-zero” energy rating and to handle all onsite stormwater capture, treatment and infiltration.

Courtesy of OMA

The 1.96 acre site was purchased by the City Parks and Recreation Department as a part of the city’s “50 Parks Initiative” and is the second Downtown LA park to announce design plans in the past month, following the highly-publicized Pershing Square competition won by French firm Agence Ter. FAB Park is slated to open to the public in 2019.

Courtesy of OMA

Courtesy of OMA

Courtesy of OMA

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Courtesy of in situ studio

• Architects: in situ studio
• Location: United States, Bahama, NC 27503, USA
• Architect In Charge: in situ studio
• Area: 0.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Courtesy of in situ studio

Courtesy of in situ studio

Site Plan

From the architect. The Corbett Residence is on a wooded site, down a winding drive. The drive is thin and meanders between trees to protect the house from view. The house is a low black box that strikes a line across the slope, mimicking the horizon.

Courtesy of in situ studio

Sections

The house is at the edge of a hill, above a creek, and is oriented to admit light and views of the forest. At the east end of the house, the master bedroom looks out to a large red oak and fern glade. Our clients, who are restrained, contributed beautiful ideas and challenged us to express necessity.

Courtesy of in situ studio

Diagram

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Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

The Museum of London has released a shortlist and designs for the West Smithfield International Design Competition, organized by Malcolm Reading Consultants. The site, which will be the museum’s future home after outgrowing its place at the Barbican, is part of London’s Smithfield Market and includes the Smithfield General Market building, the Fish Market, the Red House and the Engine House. Welcoming over a million annual visitors at its current home, the museum’s new facility would allow attendance to double and enable the display of never-before-seen artifacts from the historic collection. The competition was funded by the Mayor of London through a £200,000 grant.

This being an initial stage of the redesign process, the six shortlisted proposals offer a range of possibilities for what the new project – a combination of new construction and adaptive reuse – could look like. Further refinements will take place once a winner is selected by jury later this summer, after which the chosen team will work closely with the museum to promote institutional needs, while thoughtfully reimagining the historic Market space. 

“Every time I visit Smithfield I come away buzzing with ideas and the energy of the place,” says Museum of London Director Sharon Ament. “It is clear from their concepts for a new museum that the architectural teams have been equally captivated by Smithfield’s vivid history and vibrant character. These six concepts which suggest a fascinating range of options will give the jury plenty to consider when deciding upon an architect to work with us to design the new museum.”

The shortlisted designs will be on view at an exhibition at the Museum of London from June 10 – August 5, 2016. The museum intends to submit a planning application for the West Smithfield site to the City of London Corporation in 2017, with the new museum set to open in 2021.

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (DK) with Hawkins\Brown, Donald Insall and Gehl Architects

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (DK) with Hawkins\Brown, Donald Insall and Gehl Architects. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group (DK) with Hawkins\Brown, Donald Insall and Gehl Architects. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Caruso St John Architects (UK) with Alan Baxter Associates

Caruso St John Architects (UK) with Alan Baxter Associates. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Caruso St John Architects (UK) with Alan Baxter Associates. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Diener & Diener Architekten (CH) with Sergison Bates Architects, East Architecture and Graphic Thought Facility

Diener & Diener Architekten (CH) with Sergison Bates Architects, East Architecture and Graphic Thought Facility. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Diener & Diener Architekten (CH) with Sergison Bates Architects, East Architecture and Graphic Thought Facility. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Lacaton & Vassal Architects (FR) with Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio, Allies and Morrison and Alan Baxter Associates

Lacaton & Vassal Architects (FR) with Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio, Allies and Morrison and Alan Baxter Associates. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Lacaton & Vassal Architects (FR) with Pernilla Ohrstedt Studio, Allies and Morrison and Alan Baxter Associates. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Stanton Williams (UK) with Asif Khan, Julian Harrap, J&L Gibbons and Plan A

Stanton Williams (UK) with Asif Khan, Julian Harrap, J&L Gibbons and Plan A. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

Stanton Williams (UK) with Asif Khan, Julian Harrap, J&L Gibbons and Plan A. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

studio Milou architecture (FR) with RL & Associés, Axis Architects and Alan Baxter Associates

studio Milou architecture (FR) with RL& Associés, Axis Architects and Alan Baxter Associates. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

studio Milou architecture (FR) with RL& Associés, Axis Architects and Alan Baxter Associates. Image Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants

The Jury:

• Sonita Alleyne, OBE, FRSA, Founder, The Yes Programme
• Sharon Ament, Director, Museum of London
• Clive Bannister, Chair, Museum of London Board of Governors and Group Chief Executive, Phoenix Group Holdings
• David Camp, Governor, Museum of London and Chief Executive, Stanhope|
• Evan Davis, Governor, Museum of London and television and radio presenter (Jury Chair)
• Dr Stephen Deuchar CBE, Director, Art Fund
• Sir Simon Jenkins, journalist, author and broadcaster
• Professor Robert Mull, Architect, Former Director of Architecture and Dean of the Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design, and Trustee of the Architecture Foundation
• Lucy Musgrave, Director, Publica
• Jörn Rausing, Governor, Museum of London
• Malcolm Reading, Malcolm Reading Consultants (adviser to the jury)

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© Michael Gazzola

• Architects: Baldasso Cortese Architects
• Location: Yarra Glen VIC 3775, Australia
• Project Architect: Nic Lymn
• Architectural & Interior Team: Konrad Schaller, Wuff Keeble, Sherman Tan, Gabriella Muto
• Design Director: Steven Cortese
• Area: 230.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Michael Gazzola , Sherman Tan , Courtesy of Bcarch, Gabriella Muto

• Physical Model: Gabriella Muto
• Builder: Building Engineering Pty Ltd
• Landscape Architect: Aspect Studio
• Structure Engineer Civil Engineer: Perrett Simpson Stanton
• Service Engineers: Medland Metropolis
• Building Surveyor: BSA Building Surveyors

© Sherman Tan

Plan

Located on the Tarrawarra Abbey site, the conceptual design for the building was developed in response to recent grass fires which passed dangerously close to the site in 2009.

Utilising the inherent protective qualities and thermal mass of insitu concrete external walls, the design compliments the existing timber buildings on the site and provides a more robust sanctuary. Designed as a fire shelter, the contemporary design cuts into the gentle slope of the site and is topped with a planted green roof.

© Michael Gazzola

Section

The green roof adds to both the fire resistance and thermal performance of the building shell. Other ESD initiatives include natural ventilation and roof water storage tanks for irrigation & landscape purposes. Double glazed windows are protected by distinctive copper shrouds and protective screens where required to comply with BAL requirements.

Responding to increasing local and international research into the benefits of incorporating organic elements within building design, the extensive green roof system contributes to building insulation and energy efficiency, biodiversity and wildlife value, water management and fire prevention.

© Michael Gazzola

Diagram

At selected locations within the banded finish to the external concrete walls, rebated patterns reflect the Cistercian Monk’s of Tarrawarra Abbey motif. The interiors respond to the uniquely rural setting, using natural materials including polished concrete floors and spotted gum timber linings.

© Michael Gazzola

Elevation

While enhancing the overall aesthetic and requiring minimal maintenance, the green roof comprises a series of layers above the concrete roof deck, including waterproofing membrane, root protection layer, drainage layer, filter layer, growing media, irrigation, ballast and selected grasses & plants.

Catering for both recreational activities and workshop duties, the building is a contemporary facility which will complement the monk’s lifestyle of simplicity and order in this uniquely Australian setting.

© Sherman Tan

Details

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Courtesy of Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

• Architects: Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas
• Location: Tbilisi, Georgia
• Area: 10000.0 sqm
• Project Year: 2016
• Photographs: Courtesy of Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

• Contractor: Permasteelisa s.p.a.
• Engineering: Studio Sarti, AI Engineering
• Acoustics: AI Engineering
• Site Area: 10 000 m²
• Gross Floor Area: 9 200 m²

Courtesy of Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

Site Plan

The project site is located inside the green area called Rhike Park, in Tbilisi, Georgia. The building consists of two different soft shaped elements that are connected as a unique body at the retaining wall. Every elements  has his own function: The Musical Theatre and the Exhibition Hall. 

Courtesy of Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

Plan

The north part of the building contains the Musical Theatre Hall (566 seats), the foyer and several facilities, together with technical spaces for theatre machinery and various storages. The Exhibition Hall opens his great entrance with a ramp that brings visitors from the street level. 

Courtesy of Massimiliano & Doriana Fuksas

Section

The Music Theatre Hall, on the contrary, soars from the ground and allows the users staying in the foyer and in the cafeteria to have a view to the river and the skyline of the city. It is a periscope to the city and looks towards the river framing the historic core of the Old Tbilisi.

Elavation

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Back in September, Foster + Partners released details of their designs for a droneport in Rwanda, a humanitarian initiative that seeks to jumpstart and navigate the infrastructural challenges of emerging economies. In this video, Foster and others involved in the project explain the process of realizing the droneports, giving further details on its inclusion in this year’s Venice Biennale—with engaging new architectural visualizations to boot.

via screenshot from video

The project, which is slated to begin construction this year, was initiated by Jonathan Ledgard of Afrotech-Redline, who specifically approached Foster for his background work in airports and aviation. This striking juxtaposition between the low-tech landscapes of emerging economies and high-tech drones exhibit one of the key concepts behind the droneport: technological leapfrogging. The phrase refers to the adoption of advanced technology in areas where preexisting technologies are lacking, solving these areas’ challenges faster or more cheaply than the previous technologies ever could.

Courtesy of Foster + Partners

These initiatives are fruitful not only for the sites being serviced but technology in general, as scientists and researchers are given the opportunity to explore and innovate new technologies that may have no immediate purpose in the crowded technological landscape of developed countries. While drones in Russia are being used to deliver pizza, there is space and, in fact, a need in Rwanda for drones to serve as medical units. Multiple research labs and students from EPFL, MIT, Polytechnic University of Madrid, and ETH were tasked with innovating on the common thin-shell structure to withstand natural forces and to fit into the local context. The LafargeHolcim foundation was also responsible for innovating their pre-existing product, known as Durabrick, to create a new product that could be used as the building material for the droneports.

Courtesy of Foster + Partners

For the project’s execution the firm envisions a “kit-of-parts,” providing only the basic formwork for the structures and the brick-press machinery—with labor and materials sourced locally. The project’s greatest attribute is described best by Norman Foster himself: it is about helping emerging economies “with minimum imported products and maximum engagement with the local communities.”

Courtesy of Foster + Partners

The droneport project not only bypasses immediate technologies that are traditionally considered necessary infrastructure for developed countries, but it also envisions a new kind urbanism—one  that is perhaps less dependent upon highways, personal automobiles and subsequent gridlock. These are all elements of cities which, in recent years, have been problematized but at the same time have been irreplaceable in servicing the metropolis. In a few South American cities, we have seen the development of new urban transport options such as cable cars as a solution to the inadequacy of (or complete absence of) roads. Technological leapfrogging has the potential to flip the common narrative, allowing emerging economies not to play “catch up” but to be leaders in development. With the success of the droneport project yet to be determined, could we start looking forward to a new model of cities?

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© Andrew Latreille

• Architects: Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects + Designers Inc.
• Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
• Principal In Charge: Michelle Biggar
• Supporting Principal: Steve McFarlane
• Area: 156000.0 ft2
• Project Year: 2015
• Photographs: Andrew Latreille, Ema Peter

• Project Associate: Tracey MacTavish
• Others: Hozumi Nakai, Joshua Lunn

© Andrew Latreille

From the architect. To emphasize its status as a leading organization in the world of telecommunications that is also civically, culturally and environmentally minded, TELUS collaborated with Westbank to transform an entire city block of prime downtown Vancouver real estate into an inspiring workplace and a welcoming destination for the downtown community. The ambitious one-million-square- foot, $750 million development designed by Henriquez Architects comprises a 24- floor of ce tower and a 53- floor residential tower, with nine floors dedicated to TELUS’ national headquarters. of ce of mcfarlane biggar architects + designers (omb) was hired to create a thoroughly modern interior t-out for the company’s 1000 employee of ce that would reflect its brand through an environment that would be understated and functional, warm and inviting and celebrating of its locale—Canada’s West Coast landscape. They wanted the interiors to underscore TELUS’ company values (innovation, teamwork, growth, change and opportunity); and also demonstrate the brand’s stature through the most state-of the-art workplace technologies.

Plan

© Andrew Latreille

Creating a distinct sense of place, omb imbued the complex with local materials, particularly natural toned wood, interior gardens and art. Setting the overall tone for the complex, the welcoming, wood-clad lobby/reception area was framed with an omb- designed screen of abstracted leaf petals derived from TELUS branding, compressing the space and creating a sense of release in the multi-storey sky lobby garden. Inserted into this double height four storey space, floating “skybox meeting rooms,” an architectural first in Vancouver, increase programming capacity, link and animate every floor, merge the public and private realms and give users a memorable connection to the city. These oat over raised gardens planted with live trees and shrubs – recalling many of ces of the post-modern period, but not in vogue for many years.

© Ema Peter

The design team initiated and curated a comprehensive, customized art program to ensure the integration of art, interior design and client vision from the earliest stages. Founded on a nature-based theme – ‘Materials of Meaning’, the artworks, all by Canadian artists, express at different levels of abstraction the role of copper, wood and textiles as means to transfer knowledge, celebrate history and connect people.

© Ema Peter

Embracing TELUS’ combination of resident and mobile workers, omb fitted the headquarters with varied meeting spaces to foster different work styles, all fully yet discreetly wired. Offering differing levels of interaction along with acoustic and visual privacy, a variety of collaborative areas were constructed. The varied workspaces include standing touchdown (mobile) workstations along with formal meeting rooms, telepresence conference facilities and various lounges, designed to promote impromptu collaborations and teamwork. Interior gardens and planted roof decks also function as meeting places and provide a unique connection of workspace to the exterior landscape with dramatic views of the city and its natural mountain and ocean context. Special amenities, such as Café Fresh for staff and an extensive kitchen/lounge foster an of ce environment that values team building. Various spaces illustrate TELUS’ dynamic and multifaceted approach to telecommunications, including The Innovation Centre, where development teams test and showcase nascent technologies, ideas and concepts, as well as the TELUS Studios, where production teams develop branded documentary shorts in house.

© Andrew Latreille

With great attention to quality of space, light, views, art, furnishings and finishes, from the urban scale to the individual elements, omb crafted interiors that combine a sense of importance and modesty, timelessness and flexibility, capturing the essence of TELUS’ brand and leadership in Canadian and international telecommunications.

© Ema Peter

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Oscar Niemeyer’s modernist icon, the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum (MAC) in Brazil, recently played host to the Louis Vuitton 2017 Cruise Collection showing. The show coincided with the museum’s 20th anniversary, marking its reopening after extensive renovation. The remarkable nature of the building has drawn crowds to the outlying site, across the Guarana Bay from Rio de Janeiro, since its inauguration in 1996. The convergence of the fashion community to the landmark shows its smaller scale Bilbao effect in force.

Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

The building’s form is often described as futuristic and space-like, and perches atop the rocky cliffside allowing full panoramic views of the Guarana Bay. The iconic swirling red-carpeted ramp, which bridges the elevated museum to the paved ground proved the perfect catwalk, coming alive with the rhythmic procession of models. Spectators were arranged in twisting rows, extending the trajectory of the ramp and staying true to Niemeyer’s original design intention, for the building to emerge “from the ground” and “continuously grow and spread.”

Louis Vuitton (LV) are no strangers to staging their shows in an architecturally iconic settings; the 2016 collection was shown at another modern icon, John Lautner’s Californian Estate for Bob and Dolores Hope. Nicolas Ghesquière, the Artistic Director of Women’s Collections at LV and orchestrator of both shows explained the selection of Niterói as the continuation of  “the architectural journey that is so particular to the Maison Louis Vuitton.” This convergence of architecture and fashion is however, a first for the MAC, which will go on to host four exhibitions supported by Vuitton over the next year, according to a story by The New York Times.

“I so admire the power of Oscar Niemeyer’s conviction. His vision, his radicality, his utopia even,” said Nicolas Ghesquière. “Being able to show a fashion collection in such an architecturally powerful space is a sensorial experience. In Rio de Janeiro, what I saw most of all was movement and an explosive energy that lives somewhere between modernism and tropicality. I was fascinated by the constant duality between nature and urbanism and the pictorial explosion it creates.”  

AD Classics: Niterói Contemporary Art Museum / Oscar Niemeyer

The Niterói Contemporary Art Museum, also know as the MAC, was designed by the famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and completed in 1996. This iconic saucer-shaped structure, situated on a cliffside above Guanabara bay in the city of Niterói, brilliantly frames the panoramic views of the city of Rio De Janeiro and encapsulates the simple, yet brilliant signature aesthetic of Niemeyer.

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News via Louis Vuitton

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