Architecture Revived

The Golden Mean Gives Form and Distance In Space

2012-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

The Golden Proportion is not just a mysterious number. The reason why this proportion is aesthetically pleasing has been known for ages. It mathematically unites objects into a grid and clarifies to the mind the object's mass and distance.

Mass and Distance
Proportion Within Form
Golden Mean Gives Form/Mass
Quantum Reasoning

Very simple mathematical reasoning allows us to see how the golden mean lets us know whether objects are far away or small. An environment that conforms to the golden mean helps the brain figure this out quicker.

Mass and Distance have a Linear Relationship

Imagine you are looking at two telephone poles on the skyline. You can't tell how far away they are but it looks like they are the same size. So you jump really high in the air and take a look at them from a different point of view. You realize that one of them is much farther away than the other one, but it is also much larger so that made it look closer.

Things look bigger when they are closer to you. This simple fact provides the basis for relationships of all objects in space. Mass=1/distance. The greater the distance to an object, the smaller the mass of the object appears.

But we can't tell whether a singular object is far away or if it just small. From our point of view it is the same thing. We need a third object to reference and judge against. Maybe a line of telephone poles that are the same size.

With enough objects in space that relate to each others' masses and distances, we can know how mass and distance relate- mass gets smaller as distance gets greater. Each pole's top and bottom are parallel and converge on a vanishing point. It is a linear relationship

The perceived distance between poles is D=x-1 where x is the length of the previous distance between the closer poles. The Length of the entire perceived row of poles is the sum of each space: L=∑(x+1)/i where i is the distance between you and the first pole.

Harmonic Series Gives Form

Now let's keep throwing telephone poles in there at random. After a while there are so many telephone poles that you can't see through to the other side, all you see is telephone poles. The point at which this happens is the very instant these telephone poles become an object, a single unit in space.

At what point does this occur? It depends on the distance between poles and the size of the poles.

The harmonic series tells you at what rate you can add smaller pieces of a pie to make the entire pie. The poles get smaller at a linear rate, remember, as they get farther away. With the harmonic series, all the poles a distance of 1 away from you will add up to a mass of 1/4; all the poles a distance of 2 will add up to a mass of 1/9; and so forth. If you keep going, all the poles together will add up to a mass of 1.

It is a very simple rate: 1/k². This is also the rate at which light gets dimmer through space.

Harmic Series and Linear Series Prove Golden Mean

What happens when we make these two equations equal to each other: 1/x² = 1/(x+1)?

The rate at which mass gets smaller in distance is equal to the rate at which smaller parts make up a whole. There is only one number that x can equal: 1.618 or the golden mean.

The golden mean gives a relationship between distance and mass that lets the viewer determine if objects are either small or far away. If the objects fit into this proportion there is no question.

This can also be demonstrated geometrically. If the viewer is a distance of 1 away from the first telephone pole and the pole is 1 in size, all you need to do is space the second pole 1.618 away and it will appear to you 1/1.618 in size. Or you can make the second pole 1.618 in size, space it 1 away, and it will appear 1 in size.

Golden Mean Allows Quantum Physics

The Quantum theory states that there is a definite size that relates all energy in the universe. Energy and matter can be broken down to a basic size and no further.

Our original problem of things getting smaller as distance gets greater therefore isn't such a big problem. On a quantum level the golden mean can let us know the distance between everything, as all energy is made up of the same units. Furthermore, we know that there is a finite distance that can be reached between two objects in space.

Think of the telephone poles as quantum units of energy and distance as the momentum that separates those energies from the observer.

Parmenides contended that space doesn't really exist if there is nothing in it and that motion or multiplicity therefore doesn't exist. The ability of energy to travel between states is what gives us what looks like space. The golden mean is a standard that the space appears as, according to the mass of the energies being perceived.

Copyright Benjamin Blankenbehler

Architecture in the Digital World

2012-01-14T21:38:00.000-08:00

Many principles of architecture apply to computer programs. What you see on a computer screen affects you in the same way buildings do. Like buildings, computer programs create the environment that we exist in. Computer programs give us a space to live in and to work.

Computers first of all act as tools. But they are also much more. People have emotional relationships with their computers as they would with their house or car. Look, for example, at how much value people place on iphones. Computers have become an important part of our environment.

Like buildings, a lot of thought needs to be put into how people relate to a computer. The part of an operating system that shows the windows, scroll bars, buttons, text, etc. and which lets you type and move your mouse around is called the the GUI, short for Graphical User Interface. The part that shows the desktop is the shell. The shell on a Windows operating system is explorer.exe.

To understand what a shell is, press ctrl-alt-delete on your Windows computer, go to "task manager" , click on the "processes" tab, right click on "explorer.exe" and select "end process." Your desktop start-bar just disappeared. That's what it's like without a shell. To bring the bar back again, go to the applications tab, press the new task button, type in explorer.exe in the box, and press OK.

Do you remember how difficult it was to use DOS? DOS had a primative shell. It only showed text and accepted simple commands. The introduction of the mouse and buttons in Windows, the entire concept, changed everything. Remember how much better it felt to use OS X (on newer macs) or Windows XP after Windows 98. Windows XP and OS X felt better because it looked more lively. Its graphical user interface was more sophisticated.

What a shame it is that something as great as Linux was long ignored because no thought went into its "architecture." Linux was really well designed but few know about it. Android is an OS built with Linux as its foundation and a new, better shell. The Android shell made people fall in love with their phones.

What makes Apple products so special? How does it make you feel? What about this product makes people feel like that? Steve Jobs made sure Apple put serious effort into their "architecutres."

The GUI in OS X give the computer a sense of life. The launcher bar at the bottom moves in a fluid motion whenever you touch it with the mouse. The icons similarly jump up and down. More transparency adds to that fluid, crystal feel. The buttons look like some kind of magical crystal. It has an expensive-looking gloss just by in increase in the brightness in a rectangle-shaped area. The buttons have a physical, glowing look. Acceleration rather than constant speed makes the windows more appealing, especially when minimalizing. The shadows and reflections from windows and the desktop gives you a sense of room and personal space.

The computer is a good example of how principles of architecture apply to other fields of design. Industrial design is not too important to program. What is really important and overlooked is functionality and ease of use, timeless principles that historically tied technological design with architecture.

-Guest post by Christian Blankenbehler

Architecture In The Wizard Of Oz: Dorothy's Cottage

2012-01-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

Funeral Chamber
Primitive Hut
Light in the Darkness
Divine Protection

Funeral Chamber

The original Wizard of Oz shows a gray Dorothy asleep on her bed. She rises as if lying dead on a willowy cloud, merging into a dark sphere. A window in this sphere hints at a bright world beyond.

Egyptians portrayed the entrance to death as a cavern. The tomb structure took the form of a dark, tiny room like a cottage. At the same time Egyptians viewed death as as a climb upward into the sky. The dead body passed into the caverous pits of the pyramid, and yet descended up its slope into the sky. An image of Dorothy peacefully flying up into the bright heavens while asleep on a bed is perfectly appropriate to the Egyptians.

“…you shall become clean with her in the sky [and in] the Duat with Horus of the Duat. The Looking (Waters’) cavern has been opened to you, your striding the sunlight has been broadened for you.” (p.190)^[1]

This funeral chamber was at the same time deep in the earth and high in the sky. It was called a house: “….‘house’ in Classic times would usually mean the chamber located on the top of the stairs of a pyramidal temple.” ^[2]

Primitive Hut

Dorothy's cottage can best be considered a point of transition. The simple cottage represents Dorothy's primitive and un-evolved beginnings. The whirlwind represented evolution, as described by author L. Frank Baum's Theosophist colleagues. Roman writer Vitruvius spoke of th a primitive hut from which all architecture originates. Early contructions of houses were the original temples, said Vitruvius. Midieval scholars such as Walther Rivius and eighteenth century architect Marc-Antoine Laugier grasped on this explanation for man’s origins.

Dorothy’s cottage was a typical American cottage:

“Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room.” (11)

It follows the simplest description of a primitive temple, and further dwelling-places for Dorothy follow the description. On her first night in Oz, Dorothy "reached the cottage, and Dorothy entered and found a bed of dried leaves in one corner.” (49)

The walls of the primitive hut imitated trees which held up the natural canopy, Vitruvius said, looking much like the log cabins in the book's illustrations.

The fireplaces in both cottages represent man's earliest technology. Early man’s discovery of fire was his most basic technology for social gathering, said Vitrivius. This was why Frank L. Wright placed special importance on the fireplace, making it the most inner sanctum of a house. ^[3] She continued to find cottages or natural conapies in which to sleep overnight throughout most of her journey:

“They were obliged to camp out that night under a large tree in the forest, for there were no houses near. The tree made a good, thick covering to protect them from the dew, and the Tin Woodman chopped a great pile of wood with his axe and Dorothy built a splendid fire that warmed her and made her feel less lonely.” (75)

Dorothy awoke up from the rays of the sun each morning. Each cottage or sleeping place was therefore illustrated inside a sphere, so we know it was a holy place. Her sleeping arrangments evolved into a larger and brighter place:

Dorothy’s House > Forest Cottage > Forest Camp Fire > Palace at Oz.

She evolved toward rebirth.

Light in the Darkness

Dorothy’s death was represented by her peaceful sleep in her cottage amidst the tumultuous cyclone.

“Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room. She sprang from her bed and with Toto at her heels ran and opened the door.” (19)

Her little cottage was flooded with a new light in the same way the Egyptian pyramid received resurrecting light for the deceased. It wasn't so much an arrival as a discovery of the light. The sun had always been there, but it had burned the land gray with consuming fire. Everything had turned into gray dust:

“When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side… The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it…” (12)

Even Aunt Em had lost her healthy red. The intense light of the sun had burned her gray. Uncle Henry was worn out by all the work from the farm. But Dorothy’s youthful exuberance gave her a chance to be transformed before it was too late.

“When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child’s laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy’s merry voice reached her ears...

Uncle Henry never laughed. He worked hard from morning till night and did not know was joy was. He was gray also, from his long beard to his rough boots, and he looked stern and solemn and rarely spoke.” (12-13)

The red sun needed to be viewed in a new way so it could illuminate the seven colors, a metaphor for Dorothy’s self-actualization. In “Over the Rainbow” Dorothy wished for a physical transportation to get illuminated. Dorothy needed to be physically moved into the sky where light and color originate.

The film’s switch from black and white to technicolor shocked audiences of the day, as it was one of the first films ever presented in color. It illustrated the concept of transportation to another world where one could see things in a whole new way, bringing renewed life and vitality. To Theosophists like L Frank Baum, the variation of colors and brightness of the sun brought spiritual revelation. It was an exestential journey filled with fragrances and music:

“This is a vision that came to one, watching… He knelt in the Holy of Holies of a Temple, where there were flowers and perfumes and beautiful objects, strains of distant music, harmonious divine and tinted lights from jeweled windows…

A long, long while he knelt there, in an ecstasy of adoration, his soul filled with wonder and joy of it. But lo! He looked up and all this had vanished. It was cold and empty and full of grey light, and the pain of revelation was overwhelming.”^[4]

Perhaps Baum borrowed his colorful transformation from this story. The very pages of Buam’s book changed color from gray to different colors of the sun in the sky.

The transformation of the sun in the book symbolized Dorothy’s higher self becoming physical. Drawing on mystic Jewish sources, Theosophists saw two parts in the beginning of the universe: The Deep and God. The God moved upon the Deep and everything resulted. The God (Ain-Soph) merged with the deep’s Source of Light, unmanifested Logos, and gained physical form. Logos manifested as a chariot descending from the sky. This manifested Logos was the physical form of the body.

“But after He created the form of the Heavenly Man, He used him as a chariot wherein to descend, and He wishes to be called after His form.”^[5]

God discovered the unmanifested logos and thus formed the physical objective universe, according to Theosophist colleagues.

“In the Zohar… It is the Depth, the Source of Light, or Propator, which is the unmanifested Logos or the abstract Idea, and not Ain-Soph, whose ray uses Adam-Kadmon or the manifested Logos (the objective Universe) "male and female"– as a chariot through which to manifest.”^[6]

A sudden flash jarred the dead awake. The Egyptian concept of reawakening from light was later seen in Christianity: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” (John 1:5)

Theosophists quoted this scripture, and explained that “the Light awakened the astringent Spirit, and gave all into the Hands thereof to hold or preserve it.” ^[7]

This reawakening was represented by statues in the Egyptian vaults. Statues representing the desceased’s body or spirit had sunlight poured upon them; “penetrating mystically by the apertures of the temple to the statue hidden in the darkness of the sanctuary at the heart of the sealed naos.” (396)^[8]
The Egyptian Book of Breathings described the living light shining in the darkness:

“The sky is opened, the earth is opened, the apertures of the celestial windows are opened, the movement of the Abyss are revealed, the movements of the sunlight are released.” ^[9]
“Thou awakenest every day and seest the ray of the sun…. thou breathest by it every day when thine eye beholds the rays of Aton…. Re shines upon thy cavern (house or hill), O Osiris, that thou mayest breathe and live by his rays.” ^[10]

The first rays of the sun shone on the deceased Egyptian king on New Year’s morning. This was the first creation, the first resurrection, which leads to subsequent rebirths. Up until this event there was deepening darkness and death. The new light created an upward spiral of progression, as Pharoah passed on his divinity to illuminate others.

Dorothy later became this role of light giver, “she who shines into her temple on New Year’s Day.” ^[11]
The sun shone on the tomb in the the Duat, underworld, in orderto grant resurrection. The suns “rays are upon him mysteriously. Khepri comes forth early from the Duat at dawn; his full glory bursts upon the world at the House of the Apparition…” (398) ^[8]

This first creation was also represented by the Pharoah’s ritual battle with the evil serpent, ^[12] as seen in the bible’s Book of Revelation dragon.The victory over the evil serpent Apap heralded a bright New Year with the rise of a bright new sun:

“It was represented in the mythology that when Horus had conquered Apap in one of his great battles the reptile sank, pierced with wounds, into the depth of the waters, and this event was said to have occurred at the very moment of the new year.” ^[13]

Divine Protection

Dorothy was safe in her cottage. She had her friends to help her, but but she also had one other protection, often overlooked, and that was the kiss that the Good Witch gave her in both the movie and the book.

“’It is a long journey, through a country that is sometimes pleasant and sometimes dark and terrible. However, I will use all the magic arts I know of to keep you from harm… I will give you my kiss, and no one will dare injure a person who has been kissed by the Witch of the North.’

She came closely to Dorothy and kissed her gently on the forehead. Where her lips touched the girl they left a round, shining mark, as Dorothy found out soon after.”(27)

“…while you bear upon your forehead the mark of the good Witch’s kiss, and that will protect you from harm.” (66)

In Hinduism, the Bindi is worn on the forehead as a symbol of protection by following by a god. It is often placed above the doors of houses. The horseshoe illustrated above the door of Dorothy’s cottage was also tear-shaped and had reflective metal that made it the symbol of divine protection in many cultures.

“Upon ancient Celtic sculptures the horse-shoe represents the arch of heaven, and was regarded as having divine powers.” ^[14]

This symbol is derived from the ancient Egyptian use of a half-moon shape for protection againt the evil eye:

“…the half moon was often placed on the heads of certain of the most powerful Egyptian deities, and therefore when worn became a symbol of their worship… this theory of the origin of the superstititous use of the horseshoe.” ^[15]

The nineteenth century custom of hanging horseshoes above the doorway had Egyptian roots: “…the horse-shoe form is believed to be a survival of an ancient religious symbol often seen in Assyrian and Egyptian sculptures, siginifying the mystical door of life.” ^[16]

People in Baum’s time hung it above doorways for divine protection: “Another extremely comon protective device is attained by nailing a dung-coated horseshoe above the door…” ^[17]

^James P Allen, The ancient Egyptian pyramid texts (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Lit, 2005)

^Jessica Zaccagnini, Maya Ritual and Myth: Human Sacrifice in … , Southern Illinois University Carbondale , 190

^Richard A. Etlin, Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier: the romantic legacy, (UK: Redwood Books, 1994), 205

^Cavé, “In a Temple,” Theosophy, Volume 12, Issues 1-7 (NY: Theosophical Pub. Co., 1898), 24

^Zohar, ii., 42b in Judge, The Path, Volume 1

^Helena Blatavsky, The Secret Doctrine: Cosmogenesis, (London: Theosophical Pub. Co., 1888), 214

^Jakob Bohme, The Works of Jacob Behmen, the Teutonic Theosopher…, (Montana: Kessinger Pub., reprint 1764), 193

^F. Daumas, Sur trios represenetations de Nout a Dendara, , (ASAE 51, 1954)

^Pyramid Text 503: 1078, in Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts, 179

^Book of Breathing, 39,57, in Nibley, The message of the Joseph Smith papyri…, 60

^Normandi Ellis, Feasts of Light, Celebrations of the Seasons of Life Based on the Egyptian…, (IL: The Theosophical Publishing House, 1999) xxv

^see Jon. D. Mikalson, Herodotus and religion in the Persian Wars, (USA: The University of North Carolina Press, 2003), 187

^Gerald Massey, Ancient Egypt, the light of the world:..., Vol.1, 292

^ed. Cora Linn Morrison Daniels, Charles McClellan Stevens Encyclopaedia of superstitions, folklore…, Vol. 2, (Chicago: J.H. Yewdal & sons, 1903), 1291

^Robert M. Lawrence, “The folk-lore of the horse-shoe,” Journal of American folklore, 9-10, (1896): 288-289

^Robert Means Lawrence, The magic of the horseshoe, (Boston: Houghlon, Mifflin, and Co., 1898) , 67

^Middleton A. Harris, Morris Levitt, Ernest Smith, Toni Morrison, The Black Book: 35th Anniversary Edition, (reprint USA: Random House, 2009), 137

© Benjamin Blankenbehler

Review For Brother MFC-6490CW Printer: Poor

2012-01-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

Specs:
-35ppm black/28ppm color
-6000 x 1200 dpi max resolution
-down to 1.5 picoliter droplet size
-two-year warranty
-19.2 x 21.3 x 12.7 inch; 34.4 lbs
-802.11b/g wireless and 10/100Mbps wired network interface
-Similar printers: MFC-250C, MFC-255CW, MFC-290C, MFC-295CN, MFC-490CW, MFC-495CW, MFC-585CW, MFC-790CW, MFC-795CW, MFC 990CW, MFC-5490CN, MFC-5890CN, MFC-5895CW, MFC-J220, MFC-6490CW, MFC-6690CW, MFC-6890CW

- 2 out of 5 stars

Architects are always on the look-out to find an all-in-one printer, scanner, copier that has an 11x17 paper option. This printer fits the bill, but buyer beware! There are many cons: No double sided printing, tedious to switch paper sizes, failure to print on most anything but standard paper, below-par photo quality, weak customer support, slow, noisy, sucks through ink quickly.

The ink cartridges will be empty before you know it (they claim to be empty anyway), and you will end up spending twice what you should for replacements. Most printers like to milk their customers for ink, but Brother takes the game to a higher level. Brother "cleans" the cartridges frequently.

The scan quality is excellent. The printer offers full network capabilities, though it is hard to set up correctly. It faxes. But all in all it is a weak product. I don't recommend it!

(Brother MFC-6490CW Printer 2 out of 5 based on 1 ratings. 1 reviews. Specs retrieved from www.amazon.com and about.com.)

Fort Vancouver Regional Library, Vancouver Washington

2012-01-02T14:25:00.000-08:00

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Adin Dunning of Miller Hull Partnership designed the main library for Vancouver, Washington. The vast exterior glazing, thick concrete massing, and stacked elements in a free environment was first implemented in the nearby Seattle library. The exterior is somewhat more conservative here, however, and fits into the architectural context. The innovative signage at Seattle's library can also be found here, as each floor is labeled brightly on the bare concrete staircase.

Wood interiors warm up the otherwise cold and brutal concrete. The streaming sunlight is mitigated by careful shading methods. New materials are presented to give each space a different character, and a balcony above the entrance introduces the visitors to a wonderful green space and connects them back to the city.

This project is not as stunning as the Seattle project, but it presents a few differences that give a feel that is more appropriate for a city library. Mostly, it looks to the Seattle library as a template for library language and design, which is wholly appropriate to do.

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Unilever, HafenCity Hamburg Germany

2011-12-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

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Behnisch Architects designed the Unilever Headquarters building on the Strandkai of the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany. As part of the HafenCity development, the project emphasizes urban development and environmental sustainability. It boasts LED energy-efficient lighting, natural thermal cooling, and a large atrium that lets natural light into the heart of the building. Walkways criss-cross this space in a very constructionist way, with plenty of interactive opportunities and clashes of functionality.

Sheets of ipasol solar control glass on the exterior facades provide an extera protective barrier and a thermal space for heat gain or cooling. It also gives a dynamic texture to the blocky leaning forms that reminds one of the tipsy old-style German buildings. This gesture toward historic precedence and affinity for transparency can also be seen in the London Unilever building retrofit.

Interestingly, Unilever's expensive projects haven't proven too costly in the wake of the 2009 recession, as new building projects continue, and Unilever is called the best place to work. This wonderful example of architecture can at least be partly a cause, or result, of this effort.

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Taj Mahal, Agra India

2011-12-17T10:43:00.000-08:00

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Emperor Shah Jahan created the Taj Mahal "crown of palaces" in Agra India, completed in 1648. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri of Persia supervised the design, with extensive personal involvement in the construction, and architects included Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan and Makramat Khan. The famous white mausoleum is just one part of the enormous 55.5 acre complex, dedicated to Jahan's third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. But the notion of romantic dedication is ironic as it was their son, Aurangzeb, who arrested the Mughal leader shortly after the mausoleum's completion and held him in captivity until his death. The British invaders abused the site until it was restored in 1908.

The lotus flower is borrowed from the Egyptians as a symbol of regeneration in the afterlife. Indeed, the entire layout of this Islamic complex follows Egyptian sensibilities. A lively Taj Ganji, the equivalent of a shopping mall today, contrasts the spiritual otherworldliness of the complex. It gives way to a grand gateway structure full of tombs of servants and predatory rooms for the procession inside. A gathering hall for attendants recalls the Egyptian hall of Maat. The 300m2 Charbagh garden is divided into quadrants and alludes to the holy garden of paradise, with its fountains of life and cypress trees of death.

The mausoleum comes next in the procession and is flanked by mosques. The site gradually slopes downward in steps toward the river, as the water suggests rebirth and cleansing in the afterlife. The tombs are actually located below ground, at water level. The mausoleum's domes are tipped with moon symbols, and it is the moon garden across the river that symbolizes the eternal paradise awaiting the family. This moon symbol is ingeniously mixed with the symbol for Shiva, the Hindu god of exaltation.

The base is 55m across with chamfered corners, and a large pishtaq on each side in an iwan is flanked by stacked pishtaqs. Atop a 7m drums stands the 35m dome, which has the same height as the structure's length. It is flanked by smaller domed chattris, with guldastas beyond that, and minarets at the final corners. The minarets tilt outward as an opitcal illusion of vertical alignment from far away, much as with Greek temples. The rational design for repetition and proportion incorporated advanced calculus and revolutionized the idea of symmetry. Each element establishes a realm of space in the grand procession and gives greater privacy to the more intimate and inward concentric spaces. The technical achievement of Ismail Afandi's dome is only surpassed by the foundation structure of deep wells packed with stone.

The calligraphy by Amanat Khan reveals that the tomb models the throne of God above the Garden of Paradise. An inscription on the southern facade on the main gate quotes the Q'uran: "Come back to your Lord... And enter you My Paradise!" The white marble of the edifice symbolizes purity and the light of the sun that revives the dead and inspires the living. Flowers, vines, and fruits carved into the stone emphasize growth in this heavenly garden. This element and the proportions of the building can make its language comparable to the Corinthian column, feminine and slender. The inlaid gems at the tombs further emphasize divine light, with the crypt's inscription: "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Glorious!"

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Centrum Galerie Dresden, Germany

2011-12-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

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Ferenc Simon and Ivan Fokvari of T+T Design out of Hungary designed the rebuilt GDR 'Centrum' department store in Dresden, in East Germany. It was completed in 2009, with 52.000 m² of shopping space and 1.000 parking spaces. Several other projects seek to help transform the Altstadt area, which has never been much to look at since being destroyed in WW2 and the Communism that followed.

Great lattice patterns of Art Nouveau adorn the walls, as with the John Lewis store in Leicester. Black ardesia stone adorns the floor, and geometric patterns fill the exterior. Natural lighting carefully illuminates circulation and public spaces.

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Hôtel de Ville, Paris France

2011-12-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

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Dominique de Cortone and Pierre Chambiges designed the Paris Administration Building, completed in 1928. Théodore Ballu and Édouard Deperthes led the reconstruction of the building in its original French Renaissance style. The interiors were given a plush Baroque decoration that can also be seen in the Paris Opera. Ballu also built the Church of La Trinité near the Louvre.

Art fills the complex by leading artists of France, including Auguste Rodin, Raphaël Collin, Ernest-Eugène Hiolle, Henri ChapuJean-Paul Laurens, Puvis de Chavannes, Henri Gervex, Aimé Morot and Alfred Roll. It featured prominently in France's revolutions and still today is one of the city's most impressive buildings. Temporary exhibitions are often displayed in front of the building, such as an impressive Christmas display, and grand events are often held in the halls.

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Melbourne Recital Centre/MTC Theatre, Melbourne Australia

2011-12-13T18:20:00.000-08:00

^roryrory - flickr/cc license

Ashton Raggatt McDougall designed the Melbourne Recital Centre in the Southbank of Melbourne, Australia. Completed in 2009, the main hall has seating for 1000, and a smaller auditorium seats 132.

Accoustic designers Arup filled the interior with Hoop Pine plywood to reverberate bass notes. Weaving patterns on the wood evoke the natural patterns found in native trees. The room's proportions follow the classic "shoe-box" geometry of the ideal European performance center. The dynamic exterior with its clashing elements is similar to the nearby Federation Square. Grand entrances of glazing are positioned strategically with 250mm of concrete on steel springs to block noise from Southbank Boulevard.

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ION Orchard Development, Singapore

2011-12-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

^trioptikmal - flickr/cc license

Benoy designed the The Orchard Residences and ION Orchard in the shopping district of Singapore. The mall opened in July 2009, and the 218m tower was finished the following year. With 4 million monthly visitors, retail and high-end occupants defied the recession and the site enjoys robust growth.

The bright flashy exterior is at least partly to thank for the success, as it hearkens to a happier age and begins to place a modern face on Asian retail. It is an Asian version of the new Las Vegas Aria Casino. The Orchard has the same kind of exciting exuberance as the nearby Marina Bay Sands. The retailers' merchandise is displayed and becomes part of the architecture, with organic forms tying it all together. Ten stories of retail, parking, and transportation are carefully linked in an intricate circulation system. It offers 33,000 ft2 of stores and a 5,300 ft2 cultural center.

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Unité d'Habitation Housing, Berlin Germany

2011-12-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

^dalbera - flickr/cc license

Le Corbusier designed the "Corbusierhaus" in several places around Europe, including Berlin Germany and Marseille France. Corbusier scaled down his perfect model for a communist city into a residential urban block. Communal functions were included in central areas, including schools, medical facilities, and recreation, so that occupants would rarely need to leave. Residences were packed together as closely as possible, and the ground level opened up into a wide green zone.

Pilotis lift the massive structure, according to Corbusier's five pillars of design, and each unit received a terrace. Windows were as large is possible to let in the light, and they were shaded by portrusions from the building. Variations of primary colors, and a busy mix of shapes and proportions suggest a healthy mixing pot of people living there.

Often called the first example of Brutalism, the bare concrete mixes together finely with soft wood and bright colors. The state housing of today's Europe is often turned to a cheaper direction, with ugly concrete and deterioration. America's projects are even worse, and their implosion famously heralded the end of Modernism. Communist Oscar Niemeyer followed Corbusier closely with his own Berlin Housing project, a utopian vision.

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Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA

2011-12-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

^rvaphotodude - flickr/cc license

Rick Mather Architects + SMBW designed a 165,000 ft2 extention to the 1936 the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The rough stone West Wing was added in 1985 by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer.

A three-floor atrium has walkways criss-crossing at the entrance. The Modern white limestone exterior fits with the early American classical style of the nearby campus. The three portions of the museum match each other well, with a carefully human scale. Peebles and Ferguson Architects of Norfolk designed the main buiding and it opened in 1936.

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Bagsvaerd Community Church, Denmark

2011-12-07T19:19:00.000-08:00

^seier+seier - flickr/cc license

Jørn Utzon (1918-2008) designed the Bagsværd Kirke near Copenhagen, completed in 1976. Sheet metal, prefabricated concrete, and white glazed tiles is stripped down to the cheapest possible exterior. Full-length skylighting on the roof is carefully crafted to shine through the rolling interior ceiling. These glass roofs run down the pathways between the ambularies and main buildings. The cheap concrete suddenly becomes a natural formation of white, with lighting and size considerations determining the design.

Courtyards filled with greenery bring the natural element to this gradient. It is a supernatural experience of being rolled through spiritual waves, in a way that was cemented into the ancient cathedrals and is rarely seen in architecture today.

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Arteplage Neuchatel, Neuenburg Switzerland

2011-12-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

^Maedi.- flickr/cc license

The Swiss Expo.02 held in 2002 had five arteplagues around the area, at lakes Neuchâtel, Bienne/Biel and Morat/Murten.

One profound piece was the monolith by Jean Nouvel in Morat. A rusted metal box sat in the middle of the water and was visited by ferries. Another project that challenged the notion of a building was the Blur Building by Diller, Scofidio + Renfro. Thousands of jets sprayed mist on a floating deck to entirely conceal the buiding. A similar cup-shaped dome was to be seen at the Galet project, built by Canobbio. A PVC membrane had air blown into it and was suspended by a steel ring.

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Switzerland Pavilion, Shanghai Expo 2010

2011-12-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

^oemaix - flickr/cc license

Buchner Bründler Architects and Element designed the Swiss Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo 2010 in China. The curtain of woven aluminium absorbs energy from sunlight, which is used the power lights during the night. Like many pavilions this year, the circulation consists of a swirling ramp. A chairlift travels around the concrete structure and swirls freestanding up to a rooftop garden, a sort of winding journey through Yin and Yang. This kind of journey around soaring concrete is reminiscent of a ski lift in the Alps. The hilly roof gives a kind of Swiss experience. The jagged red barrier of the curtain contrasts with the green garden atop, and a fascinating experience gets the visitor there, which is what the building is all about.

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Fukutake Hall, University of Tokyo Hongo Japan

2011-12-02T16:21:00.000-08:00

^Guwashi999 - flickr/cc license

Tadao Ando designed the University of Tokyo's Fukutake Hall at the Hongo Campus, completed in March 2008.

The thin linear site acted as a buffer between the dense city and the college campus. Historic Japanese buildings, European Modern, and International Modern surround the site. Ando ingeniously picks the shared qualities of these elements and abstract them to a very minimal design of concrete. Clerestory windows peek over the outer wall and a horizontal line allows pedestrians on the sidewalk to glimpse in. Restaurant seating and stairs are packed into the courtyard behind, with quick availability to the multi-stories.

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Preston Pointe, Louisville Kentucky

2011-12-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

^local louisville - flickr/cc license

Henry Potter of Potter & Cox Architects designed the Preston Point building on 333 East Main str. in Louisville, Kentucky. It was completed in 2004 at a height of 172 ft and building cost of $11.3 million.

The stainless steel Modernist exterior contrasts solid structure with clear glazing. The unusual metal roof curves gently inwards toward a high point. It radiates down toward a circular eave. The structure extends below this eave to reveal 1,800 ft2 terraces at each floor below. The mixed-use building accommodates ground-level stores, restaurants, and condos. Parking accomodates 45 cars in the basement.

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Louis Pierquin Center, Nancy France

2011-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

^Alexandre Prévot - flickr/cc license

Agence Brunet Saunier designed the Centre Louis Pierquin for UGECAM Northeast, a therapy and rehabilitation organization. It was completed in 2006 in Nancy's Stanislas - Meurthe quarter.

The multi-colored surfaces designate different characteristics to different levels. Pilasters raise the metal portion to allow pedestrian traffic through much of the ground level. This ground area is often painted black to let the green nature stand out. The result is a stimulating yet therapeutic design that carefully links important centers.

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Hotel de Région, Montpellier France

2011-11-26T09:18:00.000-08:00

^Wolfgang Staudt - flickr/cc license

Ricardo Bofill designed the Regional Hall in Montpellier, France, completed in 1989. The Arc de Triumph is an obvious source for this monumental symbol. The classic arched icon is digitized into a gridded modern object, but Bofill cites Marne-la-Vallée's Theatrical Urban Complex as the main source for his interpretation of classical forms. Like an ancient theater seating, the towering architecture surrounds the courtyard, and a four-columned pavilion stands in the center. The same framed view, with ancient structure mixed with modern materials, can be seen in this Regional hall. It is larger than life, a "disturbing collosalism," the "new Corinthian Order." He breaks from a set architectural language in order to make mass-production possible.

Jean Nouvel recently drew from this design and turned it to a Constructivist direction for the city's new Hôtel de ville de Montpellier.

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Uniqa Tower, Vienna Austria

2011-11-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

^paisteline - flickr/cc license

Neumann + Partner designed the Uniqua Insurance Company headquarters in Wien, Austria, completed in 2006. Mader Stublic Wiermann provided artistic content and Lichtkunstlicht designed the lighting. LED modules were placed in vertical stips between the double-layered glass and they flash photographic patterns during the nighttime. Eckelt Glas constructed the complex glazed facades. The 182,000 lights make it an enormous screen.

It towers to 246.06 ft at 22 floors, yet a third of the energy used is created with local geothermal heating and heat pump methods. It is one of the largest skyscrapers to be rated GreenBuilding, and the first in Austria. The building opened in 2006 at the height of the most recent economic boom. Uniqa's stock skyrocketed and then plummeted upon the building's completion.

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Study: Entering Rooms Causes Memory Loss

2011-11-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

A new study from the University of Notre Dame finds that the human mind compartmentalizes memories according to rooms and different spaces. The passage through doorways causes a lapse in memory as the brain tries to adjust to a new series of memories and episodes:

“Entering or exiting through a doorway serves as an ‘event boundary’ in the mind, which separates episodes of activity and files them away,” Radvansky explains.

“Recalling the decision or activity that was made in a different room is difficult because it has been compartmentalized.”...

(^BruceTurner- flickr/cc license)
Radvansky found that the subjects forgot more after walking through a doorway compared to moving the same distance across a room, suggesting that the doorway or “event boundary” impedes one’s ability to retrieve thoughts or decisions made in a different room." (newsinfo.nd.edu)

The significance of doorways was understood by Egyptians, Greeks and other ancient cultures. Vitrivius laid down specific modular forms for doorways, according to the proportion and architectural style of spaces. The function of spaces further influenced the doorway apertures. Passage through the arch of triumph meant a new page in Rome's history. The compartmentalization of memories was used to separate activities, but also to map out the collective human experience in the building. It was a means of making the building a model of the human mind.

Religious structure of Egyptian temples placed heavy importance on doorways, as they symbolized the passing of one spiritual state to another. The solstice sun shone on Abu Simbel's inmost sanctuary to symbolize the glorification of Pharoah. Passage under the lintels into a new concentric circle at Stonehenge similarly meant a change.

As architects program spaces and consider the circulation between functional spaces, it is vital for them to holistically consider the meaning of passage between these spaces. Children, who as of yet are not programmed to think of spaces as separate functions, will always choose the path that is more interesting. Ever wonder why a child will choose to trample through the leaves rather than walk on the sidewalk? The individual spaces are fairly easy to make sense of, but the challenge is to tie everything together. Architecture can help map out the individual events of life and make sense of everything as a unified whole. It is innate human nature to seek the more interesting path. The passage between spaces should be the greatest event in the building- yet it rarely is. The doorway should be the greatest contradiction and complexity- yet when is that ever the case?

Montpellier City Hall, Montpellier France

2011-11-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

^kriss69 - flickr/cc license

Jean Nouvel designed the new Hôtel de ville de Montpellier in the city's Port Marianne. Inspiration for the unique form came from the previous town hall, the Hotel de Région, which was loosely based on the Arc de Triumph. Another city hall in 1975, the hotel Belleval, became a simple high-rise of gridded windows. The Regional Hall attempted to digitize the classic Arc de Triumph icon into a gridded modern object, and this was pushed further by Nouvel, resulting in a profound and complex structure. The surrounding site is still unfinished.

The same pragmatic integration of systems can be seen in the Caltrans L.A., but the mimicry of digital successfully steers the Montpelier to a Tretris-like world of shifting blocks. This kind of thing rarely turns out well. But this project sets a new standard for modern architecture. Subtle shifts of color from green to blue create a striking gradient, punctuated by serrated, translucent, and reflective materials. Voids of gaping spaces render a 3-dimensional maze. The lighting could have come straight out of the movie Tron, and oversized murals adorn some ceilings.

The result is a Constructivist style pushed into a new millennium, where digital methods assemble the building. Sustainability is strangely suggested in the grand urban complex, with the Lez riverside and park site integrated into the civic and residential buildings. Nature is carefully controlled and stacked into a modern hanging gardens with the city hall solemnly in the center. It rises 134 ft and was recently completed in 2011.

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Firenze Santa Maria Novella Station, Florence Italy

2011-11-19T12:58:00.000-08:00

^AroundTuscany - flickr/cc license

The Gruppo Toscano (Tuscan Group), including Giovanni Michelucci and Italo Gamberini, designed the Florence train station. Though these architects were Futurists, the railway station is decidedly Fascist, with a floor-plan inspired by a bundle of sticks, the very symbol of Fascism.

The universal dynamism and bare-boned structure of Futurist architecture can be seen. The basic elements of the station's function and structure were abstracted to the essential and then treated as a machine. Great grids of skylights lead the passenger to the platform, where open-aired slits stand above the waiting train. It is as bare as a factory yet sculpted carefully for each space's function.

Fascism is more to be seen on the exterior, with a sand colored brick that strips all ornament and gratuity. It ignores all context and precedence in an effort to be relevant to the now and unite all classes of people. It is a vigorous style which conforms to all people and cultures, yet imposes a dominant authoritative dogma. The Novella Station is the essential link between optimistic Futurism and destructive Fascism. Today's schemes are just as optimistic, and considering the social unrest of today, could turn out just the same!

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Uto Elementary School, Kumamoto Japan

2011-11-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

^mab-ken - flickr/cc license

Kazuhiro Kojima+Kazuko Akamatsu / CAt designed the Uto Primary School 宇土小学校 in Kumamoto, Japan. It was completed in 2011.

The overall scheme appears like a Californian apartment building, with raised walkways that criss-cross to stacked units. Green courtyards of trees and grass fill between. Glazing is carefully placed in the walls with clerestory and full ribbon windows. The classrooms are divided with small stilted walls that allow more interaction between spaces. The steel structure is evident to be seen from the inside and outside. It is a solid design that celebrates the structure and influences a clean, interactive, and happy learning environment.

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Semper Opera House, Dresden Germany

2011-11-17T17:45:00.000-08:00

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Gottfried Semper designed the Semperoper in 1841 for the Saxon State Opera, and it was rebuilt in 1878 by his son Manfred Semper following a fire. It was reconstructed again in 1985 after being firebombed by Americans in the second World War.

Semper's democratic ideals can be seen in the design of this building, ideals which earned him expulsion from the kingdom after the failed May uprising. His Neo-Renaissance style included artistic portrayals of great thinkers, but invited the public to sit evenly on the terraced seating. The exterior encourages this circular plan and steps up in three steps toward the stage. The result is a spectacular view from any seat, as opposed to the Paris Opera, and a clear explanation by the exterior of what the structure is doing inside.

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Aberdeen University Library, Scotland UK

2011-11-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

^Gordon M Robertson - flickr/cc license

Schmidt hammer lassen architects designed the Library for Aberdeen University, completed in 2011. The shimmering form is strong contrast to the historic college Gothic of the university, founded in 1495. The central swirling staircase seems inspired from the London City Hall and spirals wildly up into the bright sky. These white layers reach up vertically at the exterior facade, this time taking the form of a cube.

A variety of public and private spaces fill the 15,500 m² floor space, eight floors, with up to 1,200 of various reading spaces. It contains over a million books and exhibition spaces. It is designed to be multi-functional as well as culturally significant.

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Samitaur Building, Culver City California

2011-11-15T18:42:00.000-08:00

^lavocado@sbcglobal.net - flickr/cc license

Eric Owen Moss Architects designed the Samitaur Building in Central Los Angeles, soon after the racial riots of 1996. The Brutalist concrete building speaks of the fire resistance and safety that became so important at that time. Office rooms are raised away from the public venues for the Kodak Company, and thick solid structure ensures endurance through earthquakes.

Operable windows allow natural air to flow through the linear space. Sculptural swivels react in a functional way to the circular staircases and gathering spaces open up for employees, an outdoor lounge and a roof deck. It is a rough and gritty yet beautiful project for the warlike inner city.

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Simone de Beauvoir Library, Paris France

2011-11-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

^zigazou76 - flickr/cc license

Rudy Ricciotti designed the Bibliothèque Simone-de-Beauvoir in the Grammont (cultural) district of Paris, and opened on November 6, 2010. It stands at the terminus of the Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir bridge and is cradled by the four buildings of the French National Library. As the city's archives, it contains over 20,000 references in various formats, including 3,000 DVDs.

The cultural district recently received a new park designed by Jacqueline Osty. The repetitive elements of this modernist structure follow the buildings in the context, indeed the modern French sensibility of buildings and parks. The neatly lined trees are reflected in the tilted pilasters bellow the busy forms. The raised mass invites the pedestrian level to investigate inside, with an exhibition hall and auditorium. It completes a classically arranged center for learning and record-keeping. The white stone exterior has a monumental and permanent nature. The architecture itself, as a method of record-keeping, seems distant and object to the changing culture.

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ING Bank Headquarters, Amsterdam

2011-11-11T13:34:00.000-08:00

^fychu - flickr/cc license

Meyer & Van Schooten Architecten designed the ING Group offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands, completed in 2002. An institution that avoids the word "bank" in its name is obviously trying to get away from the negative stigma of financial big-shots, and this symbol for the company is no different. The futuristic, modern form is far removed from their conservative logo of a lion crest.

The raised 12m stilts follow the Whale Apartments sensibility as a great ship wading toward the water. The building begins at the vertical height of the nearby freeway. The tip tilts down as the tall buildings in the area transition toward the shore. The metal and glass skin wraps completely around the roof and underside to make a self-contained object.

A double-skinned glazing suggests transparency, although inside exterior wall has ordinary windows. It preaches sustainability in design. Natural air rises from the underside through the middle. But is it really all that environmentally friendly considering the material and labor? Is it really wise to try to transform an unfriendly image into something that stands out and appears to have relationship with the city's architecture as a whole? Perhaps this building represents the folly of big corporations of recent years, more than anything.

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Pont du Gard, Remoulins France

2011-11-10T18:27:00.000-08:00

^Cédric Puisney - flickr/cc license

The Pont du Gard Roman aqueduct bridge spans 275m and rises 49m above the Gard River near Nimes, France. It carries 44 million gallons of water each day. Three tiers of arches support the massive aqueduct, with the first tier serving as a road bridge. The toll collected from this bridge over the years motivated local rulers to keep the bridge in good repair, leaving us with a pristine model of Roman ingenuity.

Advanced engineering is evident in the structure. The mass is thin at the top of the arch, just the right amount of material, and larger pieces of limestone protect moments of greatest stress, at the base where the arch meets the column. This reveals a sophisticated understanding of stress and moment forces. The stacking technique reveals calculus in the concept, which architects seek to utilize today.

The entire aqueduct lowers only 2.5 cm per 456m, or a gradient of 1 in 18,241. It is somewhat of a mystery how it was constructed, as each stone had to be crafted precisely before being placed, and no mortar was used. But it is assumed that workers used the same tools and methods as medieval builders of the cathedrals. It was built some time in the 1st century AD.

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Audi Forum, Tokyo Japan

2011-11-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

^Retinafunk - flickr/cc license

Creative Designers International designed the Audi Forum Tokyo Omotesando avenue in Takyo, Japan. It is also called "the iceburg" because of its crystalline form and soaring height. A clear glazed chimney is surrounded by angled glazing that lights blue at night. As with other automobile showcase buildings, the functionality of this building is sacrificed for a symbolic form.

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Governor's Palace, Williamsburg Virginia

2011-11-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

Henry Cary designed the Virginia Governor's Mansion in Williamsburg, where he also designed the first Virginia Capitol building. The state's general assembly appropriated £3,000, overseen by Edmund Jenings, to build one of the grandest buildings in America at that time. Completed in 1722, the palace quickly became a symbol of royal British presence in the colonies and of the resulting social inequality. It was burned down in 1781 and rebuilt in 1934 by Perry, Shaw and Hepburn architects.

The basic form of the building can be traced to neo-Classical Nether Lypiatt Manor, with wings protruding into the front on either side and a octagonal domed steeple in the center. These same additional elements could be seen in Cary's nearby Capitol building. The royal crest hung boldly on the front frieze of both buildings.

The bedrooms were enormous even by today's standards. The comforts of wealthy living needed to comply with the exigencies of governmental business. Arsenals of guns and swords hung in the front room as a reminder of England's military might. Large gardens surrounded the estate, and a long ballroom was added at the rear to receive dignitaries and public servants. An equilateral cross floor-plan allowed guests to bypass living rooms to reach these entertainment rooms. Italian and Dutch influences can be seen in the exterior form.

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Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University Columbus Ohio

2011-11-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

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Peter Eisenman designed the Wexner Arts Centre for Ohio State University, completed in 1989. Laurie Olin designed the landscaping.

The city and university meet at the site with a 12 degree misalignment of their street grid arrangements. Added to these grids is the yet dissimilar scaffolding arrangement of white metal that suggests incompleteness. The Deconstructivist forms clash and intersect each other, boxes of black glass, white frames of steel, soft castle-like brick, splintering and break through each other. Taking a cue from early Modernist works, Eisenman gave it a blatantly Post-modernist spin with visual symbolism and non-functional play. This architecture is not about shelter, it is strictly about artistic presentation.

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CosmoCaixa Science Museum, Barcelona Spain

2011-11-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

^Jordi Payà - flickr/cc license

Josep Domenech i Estapà designed the original building for the Cosmo Caixa in 1909. Esteve Terradas and Robert Terradas completed the renovation in 2005 preserving the original building and expanding the museum to 30,000 m². The project cost 100 million euros.

The new wing is raised above ground and accessed by a large swirling ramp. A 300 year old Acariquara tree towers up the middle of the swirl. The London City Hall uses the same device to symbolize evolution of the species and society. Glass walls allow visitors to view a cross-section through a swampy jungle in a giant 1,000 m² room.The new planetarium has a 14m diameter dome to allow plenty of seating.

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Great glasshouse, National Botanic Gardens of Wales Llanarthney UK

2011-11-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

^col&tasha - flickr/cc license

Sir Norman Foster designed the main glasshouse for The National Botanic Garden of Wales, which opened in 2000. The 95m greenhouse is the largest of its kind in the world, with 785 panels of glass. Steel structural ribs suspend panels of glass with a soft curvature similar to his Canary Wharf entrance. The bulb protrudes from the green grass like a futuristic mound. The relationship between man-made and natural takes a twist, on this 568-acre site of man-made nature.

Also symbolic of man's efforts to create green technology, the gardens aren't able to financially support themselves. An annual £550,000 from Wales supports the gardens, and help pay for the more recent tropical greenhouse designed by John Belle in 2007.

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Palais Garnier Opera House, Paris France

2011-10-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

^Craigyc - flickr/cc license

Charles Garnier designed the Opéra de Paris, completed in 1875 at the height of the Second Empire. Napolean III envisioned a temple to the arts as the pinnacle of a modern movement. Baron Haussmann razed significant portions of Paris to introduce modern avenues, uniform 6-story mixed living units, and grand civic centers. The opera was meant to be a world center for lofty artistic pursuits, which only the upper class could access, and as such was an architectural wonder of the age.

Garnier's travels and intense study of Greek and Roman classics is firstly evidence in the visage of his Théâtre National de l'Opéra. Historic symbols of the higher arts mixed with modern technology of the beaux-arts school, with divergent results. Gaston Leroux described the effect:

In the orchestra stalls, the drugget covering them looked like an angry sea, whose glaucous waves had been suddenly rendered stationary by a secret order from the storm phantom... They made for the left boxes, plowering their way like sailors who leave their ship and try to struggle to the shore. The eight great polished columns stood up in the dusk like so many huge piles supporting the threatening, crumbling, big-bellied cliffs, whose layers were represented by the circular, parallel, waving lines of the balconies of the grand, first and second tiers of boxes. At the top, right on top of the cliff, lost in M. Lenepveu's copper ceiling, figures grinned and grimaced, laughed and jeered... And yet these figures were usually very serious. Their names were Isis, Amphitrite, Hebe, Pandora, Psyche, Thetis, Pomona, Daphne, Clytie, Galatea and Arethusa. Yes, Arethusa herself and Pandora, whom we all know by her box, looked down...

The 30,000 Franc, 6 ton chandelier was unprecedented for its time. It obstructed views and provided a bright central source of light that disturbed many. Then a counter-weight failed in 1896 and it fell and killed one person. But views, safety, and acoustics weren't the main concerns of the design. The rich Baroque decorations and lavish sculpture work of historical artists cemented a Neoclassic style that stretched to the limits the cohesion of modern rationalism and technology with historical values and social oppression.

The circular celing above the chandelier was replaced in 1964 with a crappy painting by Marc Chagall, but otherwise the building has kept its plush, gloomy atmosphere that has become a trademark of what many call Gothic. If architecture is the means of social control and personal artistic revelation, this is certainly one of the greatest works of architecture ever created.

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(1001th post!)

Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus Ohio

2011-10-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

^salisasaki - flickr/cc license

Peter Eisenman and Richard Trott & Partners designed the Columbus Convention Center in Ohio, completed in 1993. This early work by Eisenman was crucial in his development of Deconstructivism. Like his nearby Aronoff Center, sections of building clash and erupt like geological formations.

Aerial diagrams show strips of buiding that follow the flow of the freeway and shift around each other to cover 600,000ft2. The exterior facades are meant to be viewed at street level and mimic the typical street fronts of the city in a Post-Modernist way. A central axis corridor runs the length of the building and branches out to sub-spaces. Balconies overlook this hall. The interior is actually pretty boring though.

The forms are underdeveloped and crude, with a budget of only $94 million. This building is a massive complex with new ideas that were realized to a greater degree in Eisenman's later projects. The angles from bricked buildings across the street and the repetitive volumes of the trainyard are abstracted and presented like a hastily sculpted piece of rock.

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Milstein Hall Studio, Cornell University Ithaca NY

2011-10-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

^Unexplained Bacon - flickr/cc license

Rem Koolhaas of OMA designed Milstein Hall for the Cornell College of Architecture, Art and Planning AAP in New York. It was completed this year with 14,000 m2 of area, and came after a contentious abandonment of Steve Holl and Barkow Leibinger Architects for the project.

The building links historic Rand Hall and Sibling Hall, with a daring cantilever over University Avenue and a view of the gorge on the opposite side. While previous designs demolished those old buildings, this building weaves between and connects fragmented areas. It lines itself respective to existing buildings. Program is introduced within these bounds and stack loosely on three floors. Exhibition space lies below the front faculty plaza and leads to a 282 seat auditorium. The stacked seating leads upward to studio space and a grand domed gallery below. This concrete bubble cuts away and swirls in a fascinating way, with boring repetitive lighting introduced in a new context.

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Ken Iwata Mother & Child Museum, Imabari City Japan

2011-10-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

^mab-ken - flickr/cc license

Toyo Ito designed the Ken Iwata Mother and Child Museum and next-door Toyo Ito Museum of Architecture in Imabari City, Ehime Japan.
今治市伊東豊雄建築ミュージアム / シルバーハット

The parallel barrel vaulted ceilings are similar to Louis Kahn's Forth Worth museum. A latticework of steel structure holds up the thin white shell structures, and a second row is offset, adding complexity. The concrete walls seem heavier but still attempt lightness so as not to hold the slender roofs down.

Ito's concrete is much more stylistic in the circular building. A swirling entrance leads to a self-effacing structure that ignores the gorgeous coastline and concentrates on the grass courtyard. This sculpture garden is thus separated from the environment while the wall art all points to the ocean. This turns upside down conventional rules of museum design- that wall art should have a dark, closed environment and sculpture should be placed frelye in the environment.

The architecture museum is dark black and assumes geometric shapes, which seem to mimic the hills. It likewise consists of steel panels on a concrete base but is less of a shelter or display venue than a playground of shapes and materials.

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Rotermann Quarter, Tallinn Estonia

2011-10-25T18:19:00.000-07:00

^jodastephen - flickr/cc license

Hanno Grossschmidt designed the Rotermann Square in Tallinn for investor Urmas Soorumaa. Old industrial buildings by Christian Abraham Rotermann were a blight between the downtown and sea port before Grossscmidt renovated the them and placed modern structures atop. In any such project it is crucial for the designer to clearly contrast the old and new as much as possible, or blend them seamlessly.

Soorumaa began the project in 2001 with 80.000 m² of reinvigorated space. The multi-use space combined living apartments and retail. Unfortunately much of it went unused and the project probably lost money due to the economic downturn. The price of renovating the historic structures besides the cost of construction of new portions made the project enormously expensive.

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Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom, Vienna Austria

2011-10-22T13:52:00.001-07:00

^Jean Léonard Polo - flickr/cc license

Jean Nouvel designed the Sofitel luxury hotel in Wien, Austria. The front facade slopes back over the entrance. The walls are pure glass around the five-story lobby. The building's trademark video panel ceiling is visible through this glass from the street. Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist created these video ceilings, and they are seen throughout the hotel's restaurants and gathering spaces. The sloping wall below this lobby ceiling reflects the vibrant ceiling with angular strokes and contrasting monochromatic colors. Individual rooms are decorated with simple white or black elements. This suggests the calm privacy of these rooms versus the vibrancy and complexity of gathering spaces. A vertical wall of 20,000 plantings by Patrick Blanc line the walls.

The top floor's walls of pure glazing and a flat roof is a common theme in luxury buildings, such as with Dirty House. The bright ceiling shines down to the street in this example. The angular structural beams in this hotel is typical for Nouvel, with clean extremes in color and form. It was completed in 2011.

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AAMI Park Stadium, Melbourne Australia

2011-10-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

^Jean-René Vauzelle - flickr/cc license

Cox Architects designed the The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium at Edwin Flack Field next to the MCG, Tennis Center in Melbourne. It was completed in 2010 at a cost of A$246 million.

Prefabricated sections fit into a geodesic steel bioframe. It has half the material than a conventional stadium, 2,500 tons of steel, and offers unobstructed views of the pitch though the seating is well sheltered. The panels are a translucent construct of glass, metal, and louvers to let sunlight through. LED lights make the structure glitter in the night time.

The stadium has a 30,000 capacity but the foundation anticipates expansion to 50,000 seats, with additional roof structure needed. Major Projects Victoria, Grocon, Arup and Norman Disney & Young contributed to this innovative structural design.

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Three Townhouses, Prague Czech Republic

2011-10-20T18:01:00.000-07:00

^Mataparda - flickr/cc license

Josef Chochol (1880–1956) designed the Tres Casas Adosadas in Prague, around the hill's edge from the downtown cathedral. Chochol was an influential Socialist Architect and founder of the Left Front association. Elements of his teacher, Modernist Otto Wagner, can be seen in his houses. The function of each part determined the form, with walls sloping into windows or sloping above windows to provide shading. These gestures are subtle, but the lack of decoration is startling in a composition that otherwise adheres to classical forms. A leftist artwork of statues adorns the frieze and intricate lacework criss-crosses the lower windows. This reflected his Cubist ideal that ornamentation should be part of the integral structure. These houses are some of Chochol's final work before switching to Constructvisim.

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Heron Tower, London England

2011-10-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

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Kohn Pedersen Fox designed the Heron Tower in London England, near the Gherkin and St Paul's Cathedral. At 230m tall it is the third tallest structure in London.

The building is grouped into eleven "villages" each with their own atrium and business amenities. The split between these three-story areas is evident from the exterior. A three story sky bar brings luxury to the top floors. Solar panels cast a tiny dent into the building's energy usage. The relationship to the Swiss Re can be seen in the clean glass facade treatment and revealing of structure along the vertical length. The project cost £500m and was completed in 2010, just in time for the economic recession to go from bad to worse.

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TWA Flight Terminal, JFK Airport New York

2011-10-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

^Kai Brinker - flickr/cc license

Eero Saarinen designed the TWA Flight Center in 1962, and restored by Beyer Blinder Belle. Heavy concrete soars playfully into the sky with the form of a large bird taking flight. Circulation fits perfectly into this scheme with an entrance at the "head," a major artery down the spine, and departure gates fanned out from the wings. Tubes connect large spaces, with a futuristic repetition that evokes distance and time.

The new JetBlue Airways terminal, completed in 2005, continues this theme with white-washed interiors and large bubbly glazing around the curved structure. It emphasizes the upward lift of the plane's wing. A formal arrangement is important to unite it all.

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Salt Lake City Temple, Utah

2011-10-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

^"A Day To Cherish" by Murry Dalton - flickr/cc license

Truman O. Angell designed the LDS Temple in Salt Lake City, completed in 1893. Design and construction for the temple began immediately upon arrival of the exiled Mormons into unexplored Utah, even before basic necessities were arranged. As a 40 year achievement of trailblazing Americans, this building represents the religious revolutions and social acceleration of the early 19th century United States.

Brigham Young drew inspiration from St. Paul's cathedral, St. Andrew's Church, Westminster Abbey, Worcester Cathedral, and the Tower of London for a neo-Gothic feel. The quartz monzonite structure speaks to the desire for permanency after the previous two temples had been abandoned and ruined by angry mobs. The sandstone foundation was buried early in construction to appease federal troops, the largest troop movement on the continental US, and had to be redone from scratch. The appearance was a drastic departure from previous temples, perhaps to bring separation from the previous church architect, William Weeks, who had turned against the church.

A Gothic design was appropriate for such an audacious undertaking, as the settlers had little to work with. Late Victorian decoration is found inside with cherrywood furnishings and large murals. Twelve cast-iron oxen hold up a baptistery below ground level. Minute details in rarely visited locations were carefully crafted in this building, much beloved by the community.

Procession is extremely important for the rituals that take place in the temple. The symbolic ascension from disorder to order, from unrighteousness to righteousness takes place through the arrangement of spaces and doorways. As well, special programs for this particular temple require other entrances and spaces, including a 300 seat assembly hall. James Talmage explained some special features:

While there are four doorways leading into the Temple directly from the outside, the usual entrance is through the detached building known as the Annex. Under ordinary conditions only Church authorities who assemble in council meetings enter by the outer doors, though on the rare occasions of special convocations of the Priesthood many pass those portals.

The Annex is entered on the ground-level through a spacious vestibule, eighteen by twenty-one feet, with wave-glass on three of its sides. The floor is of mosaic tiling, bordered with marble blocks. This ante-room is supplied with steam heat and serves the incidental purposes of a cloak room. At the Annex door stand two large columns of marble mosaic, and in contact with the adjoining walls are two other columns, of the same material and of corresponding design.

…The main apartment, however, is the Annex Assembly Room. This occupies the central part of the building, and has seating capacity for three hundred persons. The room consists of a central area thirty-six feet square, with a semi-circular alcove of nine feet radius at both north and south sides. The north alcove is occupied by a platform or stand, raised ten inches above the floor, and is furnished with a small lectern. The central body of the room has an imposing column of Corinthian design in each of its four corners; these columns rest upon massive pedestals and extend to the ceiling. Small columns of similar design support the arches which divide the alcoves from the main auditorium. Over the arches at the north end appear portraits of the living First Presidency; and around the walls are portraits of the present Council of the Twelve Apostles, arranged in the order of seniority of ordination. Within the alcoves hang the portraits of the dead,—at the north those of past members of the First Presidency, and in the south recess, those of Apostles now deceased. On the west wall is a full-size reproduction of Munkacsy’s famous canvas, “Christ before Pilate;” this copy is the work of Dan Weggeland, one of Utah’s veteran artists. The ceiling is formed by the intersection of four arches, producing a quadruple groin structure. Each of the four lunettes is occupied by triple series of arched windows consisting of colored glass in simple design.

The temple's relationship is less important to surrounding buildings than what we see in European cathedrals. Skyscrapers soar next door, for example, while Catholic cathedrals are typically obstinate in being the tallest. Streets are laid out with the temple in the center and pedestrian plazas with gardens and pools surround the site. Symbolic images, such as carvings of star constellations and hand-shakes feature the facades. This beautiful edifice stands as a powerful reminder of the pilgrims plight that continually seeks refuge in America, and of the tenacious will of a community united.

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Fallingwater Residence, Mill Run Pennsylvania

2011-10-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

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Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Kaufmann House in Mill Run of Stewart Township, Fayette Pennsylvania. Wright designed it in 1935, in the middle of his life, and it went on to inspire his other innovative works such as the Guggenheim museum and the Marin Civic Center. Falling Water is considered one of the best houses ever built.

The De Stijl art movement inspired strong horizontal and vertical planes that slip and slide past each other. Soft masonry and stone facades blend into the beautiful natural surrounding. The motion of the creek and static power of the hills collide in this arrangement. Cantilevered concrete pushes out over the water in way never before seen. Always inventing with new and cheaper methods and materials, Wright embraced reinforced concrete, which turned out to be under-designed and had to later be strengthened.

Paths of rainwater runoff is celebrated. Glass meets stone walls with frames hidden inside the wall. Separations of spaces are carefully considered, with much space moved outside onto decks. The primal human nature of stone caves, water, and fire meet modern technology in a grand vision full of detail.

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University of Television and Film, Munich Germany

2011-10-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

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Here are some more images of the Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film HFF in München Germany, by Gottfried Böhm. Böhm's characteristic brutalism takes a very light external appearance as curtain walls of glass completely surround the heavy interior. A reveal separates the heavy masonry siding below, like a pedestal.

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333 West Wacker Building, Chicago Illinois

2011-10-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

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Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates designed the skyscraper office buiding at 333 Wacker Drive on the Chicago River. The sheer immensity of this edifice stuns the public. The curved green facade seems like a reflect of the river, which is renown for its green reflections of Chicago's architecture. This natural soft shape contrasts the hard triangular angle on the city side. This deep abstraction speaks to the sensibility behind modern buildings in the city. The Merchandise Mart building across the river severely contrasts the 333 Wacker by its rectilinear minimalism and vertical emphasis. Each contextual built element was carefully considered. At a total cost of $1.2million, the stunning glass blocks more than half the sun. Mechanical systems became decorative elements and spoke to the elevated trains nearby.

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Landscape Formation One, Weil Am Rhein Germany

2011-10-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

^LeonL - flickr/cc license

Zaha Hadid designed the Trinational Environmental Center Landesgartenschau pavilion at Weil am Rhein. Similarities can be seen with the Vitra fire station design.

The isolated object first considers pre-existing paths of travel across the site. Paths ramp and wind around introduced program spaces, and concrete planes curl and sweep through. Glazing is less exciting than at the fire station, but plays a crucial role in filling negative space with light in this structure. The exterior gravel ground is unfortunate and the object looks more isolated than anything.

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Our Lady of The Annunciation Chapel, University of Mary Bismarck North Dakota

2011-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

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Marcel Breuer designed the University of Mary church Monastery at the college's Benedictine Center in Bismark, ND. It was completed in 1963. The characteristic Brutalist concrete building includes seating for 500 and a pipe organ with 1,641 pipes. The meditation room includes a statue by Gerald Bonnette and terra-cotta flue tiles.

The complex is arranged with a classic courtyard surrounded by buildings. A fountain sits outside the grand foyer to the chapel. Tilted pillars influence the sweeping tilt of the main roofs. Light streams through the sides in a carefully considered lighting scheme. Acoustic tiles attempt to blend into the concrete... not very well.

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Casa Milà La Pedrera, Barcelona Catalonia Spain

2011-10-08T11:34:00.000-07:00

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Antoni Gaudí designed La Pedrera "The Quarry," completed in 1912. He designed it for Roser Segimon and Pere Milà, who made their wealth from attrocities in the America's and were famous for their love of money.

Typical for Gaudi, the Art Nouveau building appears to be naturally formed out of stone. Hard and permanent stone and iron contradict their flowing shape. Josep Maria Jujol designed the decorative wrought-iron balconies. The iron front gate follows a similar spider web design. The clash of human program and natural forms creates an interesting dynamic as naturally built materials attempt to subordinate to modern technology. The chimneys display this effort the best with dreamy forms and broken bottles attached. Sweeping stairways and balconies render the roof a labyrinth of wandering and discovery. It was one of the most innovative houses of all architecture.

Many spiritual Catholic symbols are found throughout the building, perhaps in an effort by Gaudi to make up for the worldly ways of the owners. Moral contradiction and disdain can be seen. Gaudi planned on a statuary to the Virgin Mary and almost abandoned the entire project when the client objected. Casa Mila went on to influence the appearance of many buildings including Hundertwasserhaus, Einstein Tower and Guggenheim New York.

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Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2007, Kensington Gardens London

2011-10-07T13:24:00.000-07:00

^karaian - flickr/cc license

Artist Olafur Eliasson and Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen of Snøhetta designed the . Similarities can be seen with the Oslo Opera House which the two collaborated on as well.

Metal clads a timber structure in a dramatic spiral. White sun shades twist along this curve to suggest a gradual change as the visitor ascends the spiral staircase. Perspective of the gardens changes. Inside, steps formed like geographic crusts descend deeper into an inner void as the staircase leads up to a viewing deck of the gardens. The design is built around the ways visitors socially interact with the park, with each other, and with the architecture.

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Serpentine Pavilion: 2011 , 2010 , 2009 , 2008 , 2002

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One New Change Shopping Mall, London England

2011-10-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

^London Chow - flickr/cc license

Jean Nouvel designed the One New Change shopping centre next to St. Paul's Cathedral in London, UK. Important paths of travel, views, and gathering places wrinkle the form of the 220,000ft2 building, most notably the cathedral, allowing it to fit in comfortably with the urban environment despite its futuristic appearance.

Exterior glazing meets clean walls at a gradient, giving an effect similar to the Signal Box in Basel. Deconstructionalist design continues with the four paths as they meet at the middle, with walls and roofs splintering and fracturing. Walkways, eating venues, and green roofs bring the public to meet the sky, where they also get fantastic views of the city. Prince Charles unsuccessfully tried to block the construction of this complex.

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Norwegian Glacier Museum, Fjærland Norway

2011-10-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

^Bosc d'Anjou - flickr/cc license

Sverre Fehn designed the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjaerland, Sogn og Fjordane Norway. Located at the scenic Jostedalsbreen National Park, it was completed in 1991 and added on in 2002 with the Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre. Fehn received a Pritzker prize in 1997 as a professor of architecture.

The angular concrete bunker recalls the stone mountains carved by glaciers. The long entrance canopy suggests a long duration of time for these natural landscapes to be formed. It extends in a strait line and abruptly shifts upward as it meets the building, as if it were a glacier sliding down a mountain. Two stairways on either side of the entrance lead to a roof-top view. Small portholes and strips of glazing peek through the heavy concrete, but on the right side angled glass planes rise lightly into the air like gaping cavities in the hillside. This provides magnificent views for the snack seating. Mitered glass defract the light like crystals.

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Serpentine Pavilion 2010, Kensington Gardens London England

2011-10-04T18:03:00.000-07:00

^edosbornphotography - flickr/cc license

French architect Jean Nouvel designed the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2010 in London, England. Bold geometric planes rise softly from the city toward the park, overlapping each other. The steel and polycarbonate forms form a box frame and repeat, with a glass and fabric box on one side and a tall diagonal plane on the other side. The stark red color recalls the famous British phone booth and bus, and contrasts with the green nature. A variety of transparencies suggests an evocative perception of the greenery according to the architecture.

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Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2011, Hyde Park London

2011-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

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Swiss architect Peter Zumthor designed the 2011 Serpentine Park Pavilion in London, England. The black rectangular structure introduces itself in the human-built natural setting as a timber framed structure of gauze and black Idenden over scrim. Several dark entrances bring the visitor into a narrow corridor around the perimeter of the interior gardens. The roof slopes down to this courtyard garden in a form reminiscent of of Southern European or Middle Eastern designs. Dutch designer Piet Oudolf created these gardens.

It is garden within a pavilion within a garden. The architecture only blocks out street noise and directs circulation. The natural elements constructed by human hands deliver the experience. This is a refreshing departure of previous Serpentine pavilions which celebrated the architectural expressions. It is a simple yet evocative discovery that an urban park should always seek to give.

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Serpentine Pavilion: 2010 , 2009 , 2008 , 2007 , 2002

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New Carver Apartments, Los Angeles California

2011-10-01T13:39:00.000-07:00

^Gelatobaby - flickr/cc license

Michael Maltzan Architecture designed the New Carver Apartments in L.A. California, completed in 2009. The 97 units house homeless, disabled, and elderly in a cost-effective yet stunning structure. The circular shape diffuses sound from the nearby Santa Monica Freeway.

Communal spaces on the ground floor invite the surrounding community to take part in kitchen, gardening, and counseling activities. Exposed concrete from the freeway structure inspire the concrete mass in this part of the building. It forms a dramatic staircase around the courtyard with galvanized sheet metal fins, metal architecture, and metal structure screening private units and private balcony spaces. Yellow slivers hint at the product of this arrangement. The sixth floor deck bring it back to a final communal space with an explosion of yellow.

This is an experiment that we have seen often before, highly visible and celebrated housing for the needy, and an effort the integrate it with the community at large. The cost is a whopping $18.4 million, and comes at a time when people simply don't have that kind of money to give away to charities like Skid Row, no matter how much it helps.

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La Maison des Arts, Domaine Universitaire Bordeaux France

2011-09-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

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Massimiliano Fuksas designed the Domaine University's Museum of Art in Pessac outside of Bordeaux, France. Fuksas was controversial as always with this design, but very versatile in his approach and final product.

Graffiti is evidence of the rough neighborhood that the site is in, and the building's dirty texture and oppressive massiveness reflects that. Each part of the program occupies a box, which is arranged into a six-part grid. Ribbons of windows separate these boxes of program vertically and horizontally the entire 88ft length, also providing circulation space in-between. The "radio campus" broadcasting center sits atop and cantilevers over the side, a statement of the provocative power for media to break away from established art.

Much like Dirty House in London, the general public criticizes the building's shoddy appearance. Oxodized copper green helps diffuse the brutal appearance, but the interior has cavernous exposed structural concrete. Critics say lighting is depressing, the layout is difficult to navigate, acoustics are rough and leering heights are dangerous.

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Schulich School of Business, York University Toronto Canada

2011-09-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

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Hariri Pontarini Architects and Robbie/Young + Wright Architects designed the Schulich College of Business and Executive Learning Centre on the edge of York University in Toronto Ontario Canada. Completed in 2005, it offers 260,000ft2 as a gateway into the campus.

The exterior facade has curving curtain walls of glass and limestone. Concrete and copper flashing give it a sleek and modern aesthetic. Some wood is introduced as this pattern continues in the interior. Natural circulation routes lead the building's smooth footprint into four wings with a central atrium. Total construction cost was $110 Million.

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Palace of Arts, Budapest Hungary

2011-09-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

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Zoboki - Demeter and Associates Architects designed the Művészetek Palotája in Ferencváros Budapest, Hungary, completed in 2005. ARTEC designed the world-class acoustics for the Concert Hall. The Bartók National Concert Hall seats 1,700 people and features one of the largest pipe organs in Europe. The building also holds the Ludwig Museum, the Festival Theater, and permanent art exhibitions.

The orchestra pit has three lifts the change the acoustics of the hall and capacity of the ensemble performing. Curtains, banners, a control chamber, and an acoustic canopy are also motorized to adjust the sound.

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9/11 Memorial Pools, World Trade Center WTC New York

2011-09-27T17:51:00.002-07:00

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Michael Arad and Peter Walker designed the Reflecting Absence memorial for the victims of the 911 terrorist attack on Ground Zero, New York. Two sunken reflecting pools mark the footprint of the World Trade Towers that collapsed on September 11, 2001. Water cascades over black marble into these large rectangular fountains, which have sunken rectangular pits in the middle that descend farther into darkness. Names of the victims are etched in brass panels around the edges of the pits fountains.

The marble was cut to match grains so that it looks like one continuous sheen. Careful edge treatments allow the water to pour gracefully in one continuous wave. Underground passageways from the museum give views from behind the waves. These and other considerations ballooned the overall 9/11 memorial project over $500 million and caused cutbacks in other areas. A relatively frantic construction schedule also allowed it to open on September 12, 21010 for the event's tenth anniversary.

Planted trees by Peter Walker and Partners continue the grid throughout the enormous site, transforming it into an urban park. The memorial museum breaks up this rigidity with flying fragments of buildings with a fierce wedge that cuts between the two pools. Freedom Tower stands closely at one end. A much anticipated project that has been plagued by budget gaps, scandal, and ridiculous delays is finally beginning to blossom.

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Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik Iceland

2011-09-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

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Henning Larsen Architects designed the Harpa Reykjavik Concert Hall & Conference Centre as a revitalizing element for the east harbor. The color of the black Icelandic sand forms great masses in this building and shimmer like earthy jewel in the sun. Artist Olafur Eliasson contributed to the unique glass facades that distort and diffuse the northern sun.

Geometric steel structure is fitted between crystalline glass and gestures sculpturally to the city and to the ocean harbor. Colored LED lights in the facades illuminate a kaleidoscopic effect at night, enhancing the contrast between human technology and natural inspiration. It gradiates between natural inspiration, dark thick mass, and jeweled glazing. The 1,800 seat auditorium explodes in horizontal strips of cardinal red.

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Bahrain World Trade Center, Manama Bahrain

2011-09-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

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Atkins, led by Shaun Killa, designed the Bahrain World Trade Centre in Manama Bahrain, completed in 2008. Three skybridges connect the twin towers and each have 29m wind turbines. Wind tunnels into this space to produce 11-15% of the towers' power consumption.

At 50 floors, the towers rise 240m, and twist into a sail-shape much like the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. Located in the heart of the downtown central business district, the buildings rejuvenate local businesses and interact with local landmarks, including the NBB, BFH, Abraj Al Lulu buildings. It offers dining and shopping in a mall, and a hotel.

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Alhóndiga Culture Center, Bilbao Spain

2011-09-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

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Philippe Starck designed the Alhóndiga Bilbao Culture and Leisure Centre in Bilbao, Basque County Spain. Ricardo Bastida designed the original building in 1909 to store wine and after years of neglect it was transformed into a venue for sports and events.

Starck concentrated on three buildings within the old structure. Curly, plump columns suspend floors above the 6,000m2 indoor plaza. The media library and sports education complex are housed inside the brick, minimalist block above. Skylights look up to the swimming pool, which has a transparent roof above it. It is a vertical stack of interesting spaces the effect each other in fascinating ways. HVAC and lighting systems are bare and brutal for all to see.

Italian set designer Lorenzo Baraldi contributed to the technical solution for this arrangement of space, and added a theatrical flare. Each pillar is different and inspired by a historical era. Starting with 800 designs, he produced an experience of travel through human history. Cinema and museum spaces in the basement give temporary installations of current artists.

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Ascent At Roeblishing's Bridge, Covington Kentucky

2011-09-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

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Daniel Libeskind designed the Ascent residential condominium building near the Roebling Suspension Bridge of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was completed in 2008 at a budget of $50 million, providing 70 luxury living units.

The texture of the blue and white bridge can be seen in the Deconstructionist buiding. It curves in a grand gesture to a 293 ft height. As the bridge arcs over the precious Ohio river, the building arcs around the front entrance. Glass curtain walls checker with white panels, a decoration inspired by the bridge structure, although the building has a concrete interior structure.

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HafenCity, Hamburg Germany

2011-09-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

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Hafen City Hamburg is a new district of 157 hectares at the city's port being developed for sustainability and urban efficiency. With more than $433 million invested at its conception in 2010, it includes leading designers such as Herzog & de Meuron and Richard Meier. The budget ballooned by millions of dollars, and eventually stalled with the economic downturn. Initial completion date was 2013, though much of the area is already inhabited.

Notable buildings include Baufeld 10, Der Spiegel headquarters and Marco Polo Tower. The Elbphilharmonie will be the crowning achievement when it is finished, and the modern mini-city will be complete, packed full of stunning architecture.

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