The Golden Horn Library will be located in Galata, a historic neighborhood at the crossroads of Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural and visual memories.

The Galata District was once the Genoese quarter of the city and was surrounded by its own city walls and towers. Today, nearly all the walls are gone, but the iconic Galata Tower remains and provides the district with its identity.

The Golden Horn Library looks across the waters of the Golden Horn to the Historical Peninsula, overlooking the seven hills of Istanbul, each hill crowned with its own monument. Views include Hagia Sophia, Nuruosmaniye Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, The Cistern of Mocius, Fatih Mosque, and Yavuz Selim Mosque to the southeast, and Mihrimah Sultan Mosque to the northwest. These seven hills represent the history of old Constantinople, surrounded by historic city walls. Views of the dancing domes of the seven hills, and the iconic Galata Tower, provide a silhouette of the city over the Golden Horn.

Alper Aytac states: “The Golden Horn Library was conceived as almost a “Turkish Flying Carpet”, woven by the culture and the context”. The profiles of the monuments and the axiality of the seven hills pointing towards the Galata Tower form the main roofscape, with the three closest hills inspiring the roofscape housing the functions of the library and learning center. The remaining hills, set further away, provide a smooth transition between the building and the landscape, functioning as a sort of plinth of public space between interior and exterior.

Sectionally and proportionally, the nearby Azapkapi Sokullu Mosque, designed by the great architect, Sinan, sets the precedent, with its elevated prayer hall almost floating over the city to protect the interior against bustling city noise. This strategy was duplicated in order to insulate the library and learning center from noise. Beneath, the ground level houses the busier and noisier activities of the auditorium, a spiraling children’s library, and a restaurant.

Alper Aytac states: “The Golden Horn Library is a beacon of knowledge in the city of Istanbul, and it aims to be an instrument of connectivity between symbols of the city on both sides of the Golden Horn. It radiates energy that is injected into the city, rather than funneling energy out of the city for itself.”

Aytaç Architects

The post Golden Horn Library was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

This competition proposal for the redesign of the townhall square of Farsala, a small town in central Greece, draws inspiration from the centuries-old history of the city and the wider area, which has been an important passage between the north and south of the mainland.

Through its 4000-year history, the area has faced multiple and important military conflicts as a battlefield for ancient Greeks, Romans, Ottomans, and modern Greeks. At the same time, Farsala is considered the birthplace of Achilles, the mythical Iliad hero. Achilles’s figure is not only the epitome of the unbeatable heroic warrior, but also connected with the turbulent transition from the old era of heroes to the upcoming era of the city-states.

Inspired from these historical facts and mythologies, the proposal employs the concept of “conflict” and depicts it in the paving design of the new square. Multiple clashing square-shaped parts whose geometry affects one another shape a paving that begins from the entrances to the square leading to its center, where the proposal suggests repositioning Achilles’s statue, alongside the central floor fountain.

The initially square-shaped parts are each time reshaped because of the clashes between them. These reshaped parts consist of a zone of exposed concrete at their perimeter, while their inner segment contains sequential parallel zones of local stones and marbles that are either new or recycled from the site.

The flowerbeds and the floor fountains follow the same design logic. Small bumps with trees and low vegetation shape the flowerbeds that surround the central part of the square forming a garden, which aims to advance and enrich the microclimate of this public space. The multiple floor fountains placed at key points of the garden enhance the presence of nature in the square, offering moments of play and surprise. The floor fountains at the central part of the square and at the garden are concealed in the paving. Brass ribbons designate the drainage zone of the fountains, an area that appears as a continuation of the paving. Water surprises the visitor of the space by jumping out from the nozzles concealed in the paving, and it either creates an ephemeral shallow pond, or drains directly using the nozzles drainage system. The design of the lighting fixtures as brass bells refers to the Byzantine history of the area, while timber and marble seating equipment is positioned in a way to follow the paving pattern.

Oikonomakis Siampakoulis Architects

The post New Farsala Square was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The building is in a residential area in north Athens, surrounded by three calmed roads with a distinctive neighborhood feel. The new building houses eight independent units on four floors raised on pilotis, and a house with a garden on the ground level. The block is placed at a distance from the property limits and is slightly tilted to make the best of its southern orientation.

The design relies on the elaboration of a clear geometric structure, symmetrically distributed along the central vertical circulation core. The internal programmatic arrangement of each unit leads to the creation of a recessed façade, bracketing all four sides of the volume. A second façade, in reinforced concrete, is placed at a distance, negotiating the limit with the surrounding urban fabric. Further, it highlights the internal distribution of the building, underlining its spatial qualities, such as the two structural voids on the southern façade, on the first and second floors. This creates two layers of depth, allowing the perception of the structure as a single volume.

This second façade, compositionally independent, with its own proportions and geometry, is the “face” of the building towards the city.

Agis Mourelatos

The post Apartment building in Neo Iraklio was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Renaissance is a boutique residential block consisting of 4 one-bedroom flats, 4 two-bedroom flats and 2 three-bedroom flats. Inspired by the history of the area but with a modern note, the building consists of a raw podium made of arches that is presented as the base of the building.

The frame and the main body of the building are made of bare dark colour render material depicting the roots of a place, which will always exist no matter how much time passes.

Thin decorative elements consisting of arches and vertical columns embrace the building, regenerating the past which also acts as a sun shading system and gives more privacy to the tenants from the surrounding buildings.

Surrounded by flowers and vegetation, the building aims to create a new way of living to the residents, providing a distinctive experience. The boundary between interior-exterior blends smoothly as every apartment has wide openings facing the large verandas which include its own private garden zone.

The vertical landscape covers approximately 50% of the building’s façade area. This exceptional living environment is working like a natural “brise soleil”. The plants will act as a natural sun control shielding the apartments from direct sun during summer while admitting a maximum of sunlight in winter.

A variety of Cypriot climbing and spreading plants will be continually transformed by the cyclic movements of the different seasons. Old olive trees continue this vertical landscape on the ground floor of the building. It creates the link to the adjacent road and gets a part of the scenery of the area.

Kailistudio

The post Renaissance was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The location for which the design was made is situated at the southmost end of Evia peninsula, in Karystos, just 180m away from the sea.

The main idea of the design was to highlight the presence of the water element, wishing to add flow in a static and peaceful landscape. Therefore, a 27m water aisle, which ends in a multi – level pool, has been created.

On the ground floor, the space arrangement and the huge openings offer a view at the Evoikos bay as well as at the outdoor space of the property. In addition, the sliding glass boards along the east part provide an unobstructed view of the water element.

The house has two entrances: the main one, directing east, where access channelled is through a bridge over the pool, and the second at the north, with access to the kitchen.

On the first floor there is the master bedroom with en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet; outdoors, the veranda is ideal for accommodating a private living area.

The east part of the building has large openings from the ground up to the first floor looking over the garden, offering privacy to the ground floor and to the master bedroom.

A small sitting area – study and two guest bedrooms – both en suite – are situated at the basement. Outdoors, a deck, trees and a pool are the main attractions with the natural sound of the flowing water.

Maria Karapatsa

Maria Karapatsa

The post Villa in Karystos was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The design philosophy centers around free movement in space. Fluidity and drift, combined with the free interaction of the walking visitor with various hosted activities, aim towards an enhanced spatial experience. As the movement of the visitors largely unfolds within an urban setting, the proposal removes this image through free drift in space.

The aim of the study is the upgrade of the locations, with increased greenery and new, added uses; creating proper infrastructures that will cater to the needs of residents and visitors alike, may also attract tourist interest, with a variety of thematic activities. The latter will be coordinated with the landscape design of the area at large, creating green spaces, event and entertainment venues, as well as spaces for quiet isolation.

The main entrance leads the visitor to a “river” of activities crossing through the length of the site, providing a variety of options. Through this green trail, one explores and discovers space, perceiving the park through free movement within. Greenery frames the space, erasing the boundaries of a conventional walking trail. On the contrary, a free, open space unfolds, combining different stimuli.

A game between the urban and the natural landscape is established, and transitions are optimized. The open space is equipped with moveable elements, to accommodate open-air uses. Urban furniture is freely distributed in space, creating places of rest, while vegetal strips enhance this trajectory with aromatic plants, shrubs, and trees, creating an immersive experience. Lush vegetation on the sides of the trail creates a filter between city and nature.

Polys Thoma,
Eleftherios Vomvolakis

The post Salina Municipal Park was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The idea confronts the conflicts between man and nature, between rebirth and memories, innovation and environment. Open green spaces and harmony between the buildings are the aim of the general plan. The park and the green areas will be the elements in common, the link that holds together the various parts of the new intervention, starting from 26 October Ave. which becomes an important boulevard, an element of gentle mobility that reconnects the city to the project area.

This intervention proposal is a “project within a project” which implies a harmonious integration with the rest of the urban space of the city. The past and industrial commemoration must not be lost but must make use of a strong enhancement of all the historic buildings that will finally be given a new life, becoming areas for both public and private activities and services. This intervention is a new part of the Big City, an opportunity for its rebirth. The project area reconnects an important strip of the city, it is a new center of gravity which proposes new relationships between the consolidated fabric on one side and the industrial port on the other.

The new project intervention is proposed to become an infrastructural HUB. The location is strategic and becomes easily accessible by any means of transport thanks to the inclusion of public service stations, bicycle and car sharing stations. Current and future residents will benefit from the use of self-driving electric rental cars that will be made available to reach the places of interest in Thessaloniki. Less cars for a more efficient and sustainable service.

MAU Architecture

The post T-Wave was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The project consists of the implementation of sports equipment typical of the Valencian community, such as Trinquet, in Gestalgar, located in the region of “Los Serranos”. This equipment will be accompanied by a Civic Center, which will complete the sport facility.

A Trinquet is a piece of equipment with a morphology so defined by the activity that must be carried out in it that it is inevitable to understand the typological characteristics that can help us understand which are the elements that make up the space.

Playing a “pilota valenciana” game or going as a spectator is an action with a more active component than other sports. So much so that, for example, the vast majority of Trinquets have a café or bar attached, which you sometimes have to go through to get to the “pilota” court.

Another important part of the “pilota valenciana” is education, as teaching the game to new generations is essential so that the sport does not lose fans and players are born. Therefore, the fact that there may be classrooms in the Trinquet dedicated to teaching could help to ensure that education is implemented within the complex.

Sergio Varea Giménez

The post Sports and Civic Center in Gestalgar was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

A local developer and owner of a unique piece of land in Yeroskipou, Pafos, Cyprus, invited the architects to participate in a competition for designing and developing an outstanding residential resort for locals and tourists. The project has been set to become a new hyper luxury Tourist Residential Resort for area’s tourism.   

Set in a plot right next to the sea, the project pursues environmental standards of sustainability in an effort to preserve the region’s stunning and picturesque landscape. Additionally, it has been designed to blend itself effortlessly and smoothly into the beautiful natural landscape of sown and reaped fields.

The masterplan has been visioned to become a special enterprise zone. Beyond hyper-luxury accommodations, it includes exclusive facilities for the residents as well as external visitors. This project seeks not only to complement the existing touristic facilities of Kato Pafos but to upgrade the services, offering a new unique paradigm establishing a new financial model.

The proposal is respectful of the environmental sensitivity of the region, taking a “green” approach that will have the least detrimental impact on the wonderful landscape of the area. Using sustainable materials, the idea is to carry out most of the disruptive construction work in off-site and allow greater control in factory conditions.

The proposed Resort is in a plot of 5844m² south-east of Pafos, with stunning views of the rising and setting sun, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea to the south-west. Formed of 10 residential buildings positioned at the edges of a triangular arrangement to ensure maximum visibility to the sea and all looking towards the heart of the development, the Club House, the Resort is defined by its materiality and structure.

Each 2-storey block consists of two parallel vertical white walls which support an upper lightweight structure, forming a two-bedroom family at the ground floor level and a one-bedroom hyper-luxury residence at the first-floor level.

The opposite edge of triangles peak point is marked by the neat and contemporary volume of the Club House consisting of a double height fine-dining restaurant and a vibrant roof-top bar with views out to the sea as well as an underground luxury spa for relaxing and recovering.

Using textured, earthy tones the resort is made predominantly from timber and streel structure, reducing the concrete walls and its embodied carbons. The buildings propose a lightweight structural frame construction along with a minimal precast foundation, minimizing the impact on site. Louvers along with screens and solid facades mitigate the low strong sun during summer season while they offer privacy, keeping though the architectural lightness of the elements.        

The Masterplan’s vision explores the balance of landscape and built area to achieve the ideal luxury tourist resort. Our vision sources its inspiration by the surroundings, low and high vegetation, goldy fields and the long coastline with the sandy linear beach.

AYK Associates Architects

The post Tourist Residential Resort in Cyprus was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Sanderumgaard garden was established on the danish island of Fyn between 1793 and 1828 by Johan Bülow, the most famous garden designer of his time in Denmark. Its 15 hectares are connected via a network of paths across various natural structures, as well as a 2 km channel system that grants access to visitors via small boats.  The scenic beauty of the garden immediately became a source of inspiration for Bülow’s contemporary artists, authors, and poets of the Romantic period (Clemens, Eckersberg, Molberch, Winther).

In order to create contrast with nature, and emphasize the romantic character of the garden, Bülow dispersed 14 small pavilions in hut-like forms across the site. The pavilions were placed amidst lush vegetation, at secluded locations and could only be discovered by the “wandering souls” who dared to walk off the main road. Those small pavilions were monuments to a thought or a notion, often written above their door (“Døden vis, dødens tid uvis”, “Death known, its time unknown”). They were meant to be experienced in solitude, the preferred state of being of the Romantic soul.

When the architects were invited to reflect on adding a new pavilion to such a stylistically complete universe, they considered two options: either continue on Bülow’s path and create a modern version of his solitary bastions of culture, or pursue quite the opposite direction: a pavilion that is a hymn to nature, only this time as a collective rather than a solitary experience. Such a pavilion should be big enough and suitably shaped to encourage interaction between people, but it should also invoke a sense of modesty and dignity which would unite people in quietly witnessing a spectacle of a far grander scale : nature itself.

The proposal introduces a circular covered arcade which circumscribes a small courtyard in its middle. The courtyard is landscaped as a hybrid Nordic / Japanese garden, with moss, runic stones, and a cherry blossom tree: Its flowers, lasting only a few days a year, reminisce the ephemerality of life -an idea the Romantics would surely appreciate. The double-pitched roof is asymmetric in size, which allows the placement of a poetry room where the plan is deepest. This gives space for visitors to warm their hands at the fireplace, drink a cup of tea and even read poetry of the Romantic era. The arcade is otherwise open and accessible from all sides, and functions as shelter for impromptu gatherings such as concerts, gardening classes, or more formal events such as wedding receptions.

The pavilion is placed at a newly created island and is accessible by boat and via new bridges connecting it to the existing path network. The project is currently under funding with more than 60% of the construction budget covered.

SQ1 – SquareOne

The post Sanderumgaard Pavilion was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

This house is located in Parque Conde Orgaz, a low-density residential area in the northeast of Madrid, on a large and remote plot that is barely visible from the street. The architecture responds to this hidden and slightly sloping setting, with soft curves and fluid spaces, transforming the terrain into terraces according to the site views and orientation.

The car park and service area occupy the lowest part of the plot, leaving a generous platform on top for the piano-nobile of the house. This level is arranged as an open-plan space that wraps the landscape around it. In its northern end, the massing offers a welcoming gesture to mark the main entrance, at the front, it encloses an intimate courtyard towards the swimming pool, and at the back, the living room faces a private garden.

The spaces for daytime activities occupy the ground floor, which also encompasses a guest room and a separate office. The bedrooms, enjoying spacious terraces with stunning views of the city, are located on the upper level.

The dining room opens towards the east to capture the morning sun, surrounded by a large curved glass window and protected by the cantilever of the upper terrace. The living room is situated on the opposite side, with a slightly sunken area to form a cosy space overlooking the garden, furnished with an outdoor seating area around a fire pit.

The facade of the house features large floor-to-ceiling windows between the curved white-rendered walls, while the upper floor is wrapped with a series of delicate wooden slats. This permeable skin becomes a protective layer to provide privacy to the master bedroom while its materiality highlights the curved contours of the flat roof.

The formal language of the house is also used in the interior design of the fixed furniture. The kitchen is configured as an independent island with rounded corners and white finishes. The ceramic tiling of concave pieces without joints creates a pattern of vertical lines that resembles the slats of the facade.

The intervention on the landscape underlines the curved lines of the building and the terraces, retained by masonry walls in natural stone. The profuse vegetation is concentrated on the perimeter of the plot to provide privacy, while a system of gentle ramps connects the different levels. The accesses are paved with white concrete slabs, and the transition areas covered with random stepping stones.

AQSO Arquitectos

AQSO Arquitectos

The post House in Madrid was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The house in Aegina is organized around a central patio. The dialogue with the natural terrain of the plot as well as the unobstructed visual views of the land were elements crucial to the design. The visitor enters from the highest point of the patio from where the movements are distributed around the three living areas of the house – the master bedroom, the guest rooms and the lounge area – and the swimming pool. The morphology of the patio follows the outer sloping terrain and as it gradually descends through a path of terraces and outdoor seating areas leads the visitor to the view. Its final level, in combination with the airy living room, constitutes an expanded covered balcony to the sea. Its transparent roof bears the pool-observatory. The patio functions as a vital living space of the residence and so does the rooftop swimming pool. The bedrooms maintain their privacy while at the same time referring to the heart of the whole – the patio and the sea view. The section of the house levels creates an internal microcosm of spaces and movements, constituting a path that can bypass the enclosed spaces and end up outside the plot around the side of the daily activities volume. The morphology of the complex expresses the function of each individual space housed under it while the selected rough materials set up a direct dialogue with the island’s topos. The individual volumes are embraced by a dynamic curved, unifying outer skin that holds the whole together and forms a characteristically acute, yet silent gesture of a human intervention on the natural landscape.  

The visitor enters the house after descending a few steps and reaching the front door. The door follows the outer skin of the house in morphology and materiality resulting to its “camouflage” so as not to disturb the overall visual aesthetic balance of the outer surface. The resident is now inside the inner atrium where the whole organization of the house is revealed to him / her. The atrium functions as a “panorama” of movements and glances while at the same time it shapes the outdoor life of the house through step-seats and a built-in sitting space. Its organization into levels and corners, flower beds and water elements creates an internal visitor-friendly micro-scale that comes to imitate the island alleys and terraces and to offer interest and reasons to stay in it. Outdoor living acquires equal value with indoor living.

The pool of the house was designed as a visual continuation of the water element of the sea and at the same time as an observatory – “belvedere”. This was achieved by placing it in a receptor tank formed by the roof structure of the living room volume. Thus, its visual continuity-integration with the sea is immediately perceived when entering the highest level of the atrium. The visitor’s vision field “perceives” the water tank as one with the sea. The route towards the pool is made possible through the use of a staircase starting from the entrance level of the patio and leading to the roof of the guest-bedrooms. Then, a connecting slab leads the habitant to the elongated water tank.

The gradual and flowing transition to the second and third level of the atrium signals the possibility to enter the guest-bedrooms and the main master bedroom respectively. Each function is housed under different morphoplastic elements. The common element of both volumes that accommodate the bedrooms is the curvature. The roof of the guest rooms projects as a semicircular cantilever towards the atrium in order to achieve two results: To extend the roof surface of the guest rooms which acts as a seating area for the pool, while this curved extension projects less aggressively towards the atrium and at the same time enriches the vocabulary of islandic forms that are designated to convey the aesthetic vocabulary of the proposal.

The entrance to the guest rooms is made possible through the double puncturing of a concrete breeze block wall bearing plantation and also standing as an element of the night light scenario of the atrium. Each guest room is an independent residential unit. The roof of the rooms recedes in relation to the curvy outer wall, thus forming a single skylight that runs through both bedrooms. This design solution leads to the increase of natural day light reaching the rooms, to the direct visual contact of the inhabitant with the element of the sky and finally to the detachment of the volume housing the rooms from the perimeter wall so that it can be perceived as an independent synthetic element of the solution.

The entrance to the master bedroom is situated on the third level of the atrium. A grand opening on an inclined concrete wall leads to the private functions of the master bedroom, through the descent of a ramp. The wall separates and isolates the private life of the couple from the shared life of the house. The wall formed by exposed reinforced concrete bears a twofold role: it is an element on which the different morphologies of the living room and bedroom volumes “collide”. At the same time the wall acts as a filter of movements and glances from the patio and the living room to the master-bedroom. Its separative role is reflected upon its monolithic morphology and the robustness it exudes. Both the guest houses and the master bedroom offer access to private open spaces overlooking the sea. The curvature of the exterior walls that enclose the whole complex is shaped that way in order to emphasize the “opening” and the reference of the residence towards the sea.

The living room was designed as an elongated space with its long dimension unfolding parallel to the sea view. The absolute transparency provided by the sliding windows that run through the long sides of the living room allows the visitor’s gaze to “penetrate” unhindered from the highest point of the atrium to the sea. The living space is transformed into a frame-pavilion with direct reference to the seafront and the water element. Its division into two levels, corresponding to the living room and the kitchen area, ensures the connection of the latter with the natural ground level in the SE part of the plot. The transparent roof of the living room, which at the same time serves as the bottom of the pool above, contributes to the visual connection of the two elements as well as to the attribution of a surreal atmosphere in this space. The “water” roof generates a unique natural day light that is never constant throughout the passing of hours. The view of the bodies that swim offers a theatricality and a certain flow in a space that aims to the unification of the outside with the inside in every possible way.

ADD Architecture Studio

ADD Architecture Studio

The post Hedonistic Π was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The design aims to integrate the building into the local natural landscape and to incorporate its elements into the body of architecture. The main building volume is broken into smaller ones, differing in size and height according to their use; they are oriented to the south in a way that creates intermediate courtyards and allows uninterrupted natural light in all the interior spaces. This choice is grounded on the fact that life in Greece, especially during the summer months, is bound to the outdoors and to the courtyard space, which is one of the most distinguishing features of Cycladic vernacular architecture.

Access to the house begins from street level through a vertical flight of steps following the topography; all living spaces are on the same level with slight variations in height, creating viewing platforms or subdued, protected areas.

The living room is sunken to merge with the level of the swimming pool, creating two higher courtyards on its sides; one is sheltered under a pergola, creating stable shading conditions, and the other is planted with an olive tree, resulting in different lighting ambiences during the day. The outdoor bathroom is placed at a lower level for privacy, while intermediate landscaped strips act as a visual barrier.

The openings are placed in a way that frames different views and allows abundant light and ventilation with changing shadows, according to the time of the day.

The roofs are planted, both for integration into the landscape and for reducing the energy footprint of the building.

alias architects

alias architects

The post Hill Cubes was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The 200m² house is located in the Ag. Onoufrios in Chania. The design was informed by the view to the mountains lying east and west and by the requirement for nearly zero energy building (nZEB).

The optimal south-western orientation is one of the bioclimatic tools employed, and the volumetric treatment of the building maximizes this exposure.

Specifically, the double L-shaped layout and the guesthouse volume, integrated inside the ground, maximize the southwestern exposure during the year, following the changing angle of natural light during the year.

Two main solar spaces are created in that direction: one with a shading cantilever and one with rotating louvers and a massive wall. Warming and cooling of those spaces is achieved with natural means, transposing the desired thermal mass to the other spaces of the house. The solar space behind a corner frame becomes a cool, sheltered open-air area during the summer months.

The water surfaces at the south-facing walls, the planted roof, protection from the western sun, the vertical cross-ventilated air duct and the small northern openings, as well as the roof openings with controlled shading, complement the two solar spaces for optimal performance. Concurrently, the photovoltaic panels, the solar ZNX production system and the vertical geothermal system contribute to the minimal energy footprint of the building. This way, near zero energy consumption is achieved, in accordance with the European Directive 2010/31/EE.

Parti Architecture

The post NUS House was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The 270-degree glass structure of this cabin is nestled into the rock and stands a bit in front of the cliff, provoking the sense of “impossible architecture”. Just like a lighthouse, it is confronting the sea breeze on everyday basis.

This project, now under construction, was developed as a holiday home for a surfer, who is no stranger to a confrontation with the powerful element of nature – the air. As an archetype of this cabin, the architects took an ancient lighthouse, standing unwaveringly at the very edge of the earth and indicating a safe passage for ships.

The idea behind this minimalistic cliff cabin is to create a feeling of weightlessness of the architecture overlooking the ocean. However, the building, which is set on a vertical pillar and secured with a foundation made of recycled concrete, is absolutely equilibrated.

The central pillar takes up small internal space and, at the same time, includes most engineering and communications, maximizing the view over Atlantic Ocean. Privacy is achieved by an integrated system of window blinds around the perimeter.

Minimalist open-concept interior of a 48 sq. m. cabin includes only an essential furniture. Warm beige theme provides homely vibes and cosiness independently the weather and “mood” of the ocean outside. Functional zones – living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom – invisibly flow from one to another.

Stylistically, there is a combination of modern style with geometrical shapes and live primitive design: straight lines, rounded forms of sofas, round lamps, straw panels as surface of the wall, roughly processed logs, ceramic decor, low dining chairs. All the furniture is down to earth avoid overlapping the dramatic view. The bathroom privacy preserved by usage of a special glass with transparency adjustment.

Yakusha Design

Serhiy Chornousov

The post The Air was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

San Miguel de Allende is one of Mexico’s premier tourist sites, with wine activity throughout the region that has enabled significant tourism and economic growth. In recent years, vineyards offering tastings and tours, as well as the region’s breathtaking architecture, have proven to be a popular combination. It is within that context that ASP was presented with the opportunity to engage in a project to develop a multipurpose complex in a field featuring a small hill.

The project consists of a master plan that is divided into private estates of 6,000 to 8,000 m², as well as 87 hectares of vineyards and buildings destined for public recreation and relaxation. Public areas include a boutique hotel, a spa, a clubhouse, a restaurant, an equestrian club, and multiple sports courts.

The intent of the design was to develop an aesthetic to complement, rather than compete with, existing elements. ASP achieved that vision by integrating each volume into the landscape while using strategically-located horizontal concrete and stone platforms to prevent obstructed views from within each space. The materials used, including stone, wood, earth, gravel, and pavers, serve as unifying elements due to their chromatic and neutral finishes, as well as their local origins.

The complex also features an orchard that supplies some of the restaurant’s fresh ingredients. The vineyards are irrigated courtesy of a drip irrigation system, supplied by two existing wells. As part of the boutique hotel, an artificial lake was designed to generate microclimates and microenvironments that favor the landscape.

ASP Arquitectura Sergio Portillo

The post Vineyard “El Pedregal” was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The Danish architecture firm Cobe is to create a new and exclusive 14,000-m² design center for the multinational organisation Geely Design, which develops and executes new world-class designs for the Chinese automotive juggernaut Geely. The new building is going to form the setting for Geely Design’s development of, among others, the new electric car brand Lynk&Co in a unique campus named “Uni3 by Geely” on Gothenburg’s harbour front, set for completion in 2022.

The new design center will be a multi-purpose building that strengthens and reflects the organisation’s identity and philosophy, rooted in an automotive design defined by themes such as “personal”, “new tech”, “dark”, “urbanism” and “respect”. The new design center is no ordinary office building but more like a giant, four-story-tall machine. It offers large spaces with room for constructing clay models of cars in a scale of 1:1 as well as dark areas where virtual designers can work on giant screens in the spectacular design space at the top of the building.

The exterior materials are inspired by an automotive universe and setting, where the use of glass and metal in the facade and concrete on the terrain creates a natural connection with the cars that are designed inside. The interior materials are similarly inspired by the softer interior universe of cars, with an emphasis on light curtains, comfortable furniture and sophisticated detailing.

A core aspect of the design is the relationship between private and public areas, since copying is a major challenge in the automotive industry, as it is in the design world in general, which makes it crucial to prevent prying eyes when it comes to the most sensitive activity of all: the ongoing design of new cars. At the same time, the building should also appear open and welcoming to visitors and locals. Cobe addressed this challenge by designing the building in four stories, with a showroom on the ground floor accessed via a large public square with access to the waterfront. The middle floors will contain canteen, meeting rooms and offices. Finally, on the top floor lies the double high “Chamber of Secrets”, where Geely’s designers will have a spectacular and completely sealed-off innovations lab. Centrally placed in the lab is a sunken yard, where designers can move car models outside in order to register how daylight is reflected in the surface of the car. The floor of the yard is the glass roof of the central atrium, strong enough to support the weight of the cars. The facade is similarly open and transparent on the ground floor and gradually becomes more private towards the top of the building, as black metal slats on the glass facade are spaced closer and closer together in a vertical progression.

Cobe

Cobe

The post Geely Design Center was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The project involves the design of a new summer resort in a Mediterranean scenery, consistent with the contemporary way of living, where simple building volumes merge into the landscape and everyday living takes place between indoors and outdoors.

The main objective of the design was maintaining a low energy footprint and the adaptation into the environment, by using small openings to the north, proper shading and ventilation as well as simple shapes with variety in spaces, from closed to semi-open and open areas, including patios, arcades and pergolas.

The HO is organized in three units: The center, with all shared functions, outdoor sport facilities and parking spaces; the blocks of rooms around the central pool and the blocks of bungalows isolated from the center. The building units are connected through a network of pathways and green spaces adapting to the terrain and changing their materials and shapes passing through the different units.

Two massive volumes covered in wooden louvers and the transparent space of the reception in-between, compose the center of the hotel. The design is sustainable, with the solid façade to the North preventing overheating and the skin of wooden louvers protecting the building from the sun and allowing cross-ventilation. In addition, a central patio is placed in the Spa & Gym building, equipped with a pool-hydro massage and wild flora, offering a cool relaxing area. The Café –Restaurant provides an outdoor space covered with a pergola for shade, while an arcade leads from the reception tothe main pool area and rooms, passing by the Café –Restaurant with shops along the way.

The variety of outdoor spaces is important, providing at once planting, shade, sociability and privacy. Sunbathing and tranquility areas around the pool are equipped with a small bar for refreshments, free spaces with sparse high planting for play and relaxation and rooms with outdoor open corridors, private gardens and balconies.

The block of rooms is organized in a simple way, offering a broad selection of shapes that adapt to different terrains. All rooms are planned in a grid and are arranged in a linear sequence, with large rooms in the basement and smaller ones on the upper floors. Open, outdoor staircases with corridors connect the buildings and their clusters of rooms, following the elevation lines of the plot and the preferred orientation.

The block of bungalows also follows a simple logic of organization, with the rooms placed in a row forming arched units, achieving better integration in the terrain and a wide range of unobstructed views from their private courtyards and pools. They are placed freely on the site, benefitting from different outdoor spaces, which may extend to the sandy beach, follow the rocks with steps or end on a platform on the waterfront.

The landscaping is lush with native plants for shade and privacy and vegetation recedes in places that need free space for activities. Every roof is planted with local bushes and plants creating a microclimate that prevents overheating and allows the continuity of the natural site for birds and insects.

The ability of adjusting the size of this hotel is a key parameter in this design process; the hotel can begin to operate with few rooms and grow later by adding more room blocks and bungalows or by creating larger blocks. This growth strategy, combined with the flexible adaptation to different locations and sites, makes this a prototype to be emulated.

alias architects – Liakopoulos I Buchholz I Associates 

Aris P. Liakopoulos, Edith Liakopoulos-Buchholz, Maria Kalogeraki

alias architects

The post Hotel HO! was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Superfarm.fr is a Paris-based start-up company researching innovative solutions to urban farming. In the footsteps of pioneers in vertical agriculture such as Dr. Dickson Despommier and recognizing that we will lack agricultural areas to feed the growing human population in the coming years, Superfarm provides a sustainable response to the urban food problems.

Vertical agriculture in urban areas is an alternative to the current scheme of farms and agri-food industries, which has become ineffective and subsequently dangerous for the global balance. As a vector for ecological transition, the Superfarm project is part of a resilient approach, paying attention to health and human relations to food. Far from the traditional urban farm producing salads or other fruits and vegetables, the project focuses its production on the culture of foods with a high nutritional value, including fish or honey, striving to recreate an ecosystem in an urban environment. Seaweed culture, beekeeping, insect farming, aquaponics and various greenhouse cultivations and outdoor cultures, allow each living organism to serve the growth of others.

The project is implemented in a pragmatic way, in town and on the water, facilitating the withdrawal of human activity from natural environments so that ecosystems can be restored. On a 12x12m small surface, and at thirty-four meters height, a six-storey building is erected on the water to cope with the land crisis and the high prices of urban soil. Each unit produces high-yielding foods with high nutritional value: Vertical production in stages is four to five times more efficient than the average yield of traditional horizontal farming. Health risk and water consumption are reduced through a highly controlled indoor environment without pesticides. Fresh products are provided by promoting short circuits between producers and consumers, including a direct sales area accessible from a footbridge, as well as a storage area for dry goods, cold rooms for perishable goods and a space-conditioning. The project is energy self-sufficient, with the installation of wind turbines and solar panels that allow the ventilation and lighting of indoor production areas. On a neighborhood scale, Superfarm can lead to job creation and an ethical and responsible citizen contribution to the urban economy, by creating collective awareness and by federating local agents around a common project of innovative and healthy urban agriculture.

The start-up is currently developing a less energy-consuming and more economical version of Superfarm. For more details, visit superfarm.fr .

Nicolas Abdelkader

The post Superfarm was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The objective of the proposal is the ecological and environmental rehabilitation and transformation of the altered lignite mining landscape, into a productive and fertile land, preserving the memory of the space. Using ecology as the regulator of reconstruction processes, a new local entity is created, with new uses that will function as a pole of attraction. The intervention acts as a strategy developed on four thematic axes of organization: ecology, circulation, production and landscape.

The central idea is born out of the need to create a structural spine-network system, that will organize the space, clear the area boundaries and stitch it into the existing site as a regeneration of the existing landscape. The need for environmental enrichment and restoration of ecological structure and biodiversity has led to landscape management as a succession of agricultural and forest zones. This system, in synergy with the circulation network, geometrizes and interconnects the boundaries of the study area, the individual spatial units and the habitats. The result produced is governed by local metabolic processes, producing a series of landscapes of different characters and qualities. Through these gestures, the proposal aims to unify and integrate existing land fragments into a new continuous landscape, that is in constant ecological change, while offering a rich program of uses and potential for the local community.

Topio7 / Panita Karamanea – Thanasis Polyzoidis, Architects – Landscape Architects

George Dimitropoulos – Spatial Planer, Georgia Kountouri – Architect

The post Landscapes of metabolism was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The municipality of Haarlem, the Netherlands, announced the winners of the European tender procedure it had launched for the sale and development of the former site of the city’s Slaughterhouse (Slachthuisterrein). The project was awarded to the BPD (developers) and De Nijs (contractors) collaboration, along with design Team Slachthuishof consisting of Hans van Heeswijk Architects (monuments’ redevelopment), vanOmmeren architecten (new housing) and ZUS (public space/landscaping).

The project, a 36 ha development of new construction and renovation/restoration named the Slachthuishof, will comprise a new living area with a total of 166 dwellings in a mix of 85 terraced houses, 31 starters apartments, 28 senior apartments, 19 city apartments (social) and 3 XL family dwellings. Other functions include cultural facilities, hospitality, business activity and the pop centre, a long cherished wish among musicians in Haarlem.

The construction of the pop centre is included as a separate building assignment in the tender; therefore its realisation in the Slachthuisterrein can be brought to the forefront of the planning. The plan for the centre was coordinated with future users Stichting Hart and Patronaat music hall.

The development team will realise a meeting place for all people in Haarlem, which contributes to a sustainable future. Houses are gas-free. Great attention is given to water storage capacity. Water that is not absorbed into the ground is collected and stored by an integral system of bioswales and gutters. Solar panels will be installed on the new homes, satisfying the greater part of the electricity demand. By using local sources, such as heat and cold storage, the area is provided with heat in a sustainable way. Lastly, the design of the public space will also be worked out in greater detail together with local residents, according to the municipal wishes and guidelines for citizen participation, with the aid of mostly local entrepreneurs.

Team Slachthuishof:
Hans van Heeswijk Architects,

vanOmmeren architecten,

ZUS [Zones Urbaines Sensibles]

The post Slachthuishof was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Zaha Hadid Architects have been selected by the jury of the international design competition to build the new Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall in Yekaterinburg, capital of Sverdlovsk oblast region in Russia.

A cultural hub across Eurasia, Yekaterinburg has built a rich musical tradition; moving the city’s acclaimed Ural Philharmonic Orchestra, from the existing 1936 building to its new home, will provide an inspirational venue and also create a new public plaza.

Echoing the physical aspects of sound waves, the design of the new Philharmonic Concert Hall is based on the properties of musical sound resonance creating wave vibrations in a continuous smooth surface. The design re-interprets these physical acoustic properties to define spaces for the auditoria that are suspended within the canopy, appearing to float above the new civic plaza that is both the lobby of the Philharmonic Concert Hall and an enclosed urban square.

Providing a 1,600-seat Concert Hall and a 400-seat Chamber Music Hall of the highest acoustic standards, these new auditoria are nestled within the surface deformations of the suspended canopy; liberating the lobbies from obstructions to open this space as a vibrant new gathering place for the local community.

The new building will inhabit the void between the old Civic Assembly Building and Weiner Gardens; not competing but complementing the surrounding heritage built ensemble that will include the preservation and renovation of the current concert hall. The new building seamlessly merges with the park’s landscape; opening its transparent glass facade to offer views of the renovated Weiner Gardens and a new amphitheatre for outdoor performances in the summer.

Enhancing its connections with the surrounding urban fabric of the city, the new building’s large glazed facades blur the boundary between interior and exterior, inviting visitors to experience a new public civic space that continues to its rooftop terrace overlooking the city’s Church of All Saints.

A total of 47 international teams submitted proposals to the design competition that was organised by the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure Development of the Sverdlovsk Region with the assistance of the charitable foundation for support of the Ural Philharmonic Orchestra.

Zaha Hadid Architects – Patrik Schumacher, Christos Passas, Alessio Costantino

The post Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In 2022, an entirely new Natural History Museum of Denmark will open its doors, merging the three current locations of The Botanical Garden, the Geological Museum, and the Zoological Museum. The new museum designed by Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects, will be situated in the Botanical Garden in Copenhagen.

Dutch design agency Tinker imagineers won the international tender to design the new scenography for an area of almost 4.900 m2. The exhibition budget is 22 million euros, and the collection consists of more than 14 million objects.

Tinker will be responsible for the concept, design (3D, 2D and multimedia) and production supervision of the new exhibition. The central theme of the museum is “Our Planet”, covering the entire history of Earth, from its creation to the present day. Visitors will see nature’s great riches as well as the ways in which humankind has influenced the planet. Moreover, they will experience how they can contribute to a sustainable future for our planet.

This will be the second museum interior the design agency does in Denmark, following the opening of Tirpitz, a museum fully integrated into the West Danish dune landscape, Tinker designed with Bjarke Ingels Group.

Tinker imagineers

The post New Natural History Museum of Denmark was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Nestled in the dense forest of Harestua, located 45 kilometers north of Oslo, a new planetarium and visitor center is designed to be placed near the twelve-meter research tower of Solobservatoriet, largest astronomical facility in Norway and Northern Europe.

The design comprises a brand new 1,500 m² Planetarium at the centre of seven scattered cabins, comfortably accommodating up to 118 guests in total. Each cabin is shaped like a small, imaginary-named planet, seemingly orbiting around the planetarium, like planets orbit around the Sun. Some are halfway driven into the ground, others gently rest on the soft forest floor, as if they just landed. The smallest, Zolo, is 6 m in diameter and houses a two-bed cabin.

The Planetarium, echoing the world’s very first planetarium, conceived by Archimedes around 250 B.C., is a cross between landscape and built structure, with a green roof that visitors can stroll on to gaze up at the starry sky. Wrapping around the engraved with constellations golden cupola, the three-story theatre with 100-seat capacity emerges from the earth, gradually revealing itself as people approach.
Around it is a reception, café and exhibition area and a gently swirling ramp leading up to an exhibition mezzanine and the outdoor roofscape.
On its lowest level, below ground, the Planetarium dedicates a generous, bowl-shaped space for children to unfold.

The new facilities will offer a range of scientific activities within astronomy, sun studies and natural science, in an ambitious expansion of the current and modest facilities, turning the entire site into a publicly accessible and international knowledge hub, also providing accommodation for teambuilding and like activities.

Snøhetta

The post New Solobservatoriet was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In Norwegian, “under” also translates as “wonder.” Serving exclusively locally sourced seafood, the restaurant is designed half-sunken into the sea. The building’s monolithic form breaks the water surface to lie against the craggy shoreline, becoming part of its marine environment as it comes to rest directly on the sea bed five meters below the water’s surface. With meter-thick concrete walls, the structure is built to withstand pressure and shock from the rugged sea conditions while the coarse surface of its sleek, streamlined form will become an artificial mussel reef to rinse the sea and naturally attract more marine life to its purified waters. Outside opening hours, parts of the restaurant will be shared by marine biology research teams.

Informational plaques about marine biodiversity and the Norwegian coast will be mounted alongside the trail leading guests to the restaurant entrance at the water’s edge. The building comfortably accommodates 80-100 guests and unfolds in three levels; the entrance leads to the wardrobe area, then one level below to the champagne bar and further down to the last level of the restaurant. Marking the transition between shoreline and ocean, a narrow acrylic window cuts vertically down through the restaurant levels. From the bar, guests can also look down at the seabed level through the 11 x 4-meter panoramic acrylic window of the restaurant.
Colours are inspired by the coastal zone, gradually darkening towards the interior. The warm oak of the restaurant interior contrasts with the rough concrete shell, creating an intimate atmosphere. Sustainable materials and an advanced heating pump technology guarantee a comfortable indoor climate.
Through its architecture, menu and mission of informing the public about the biodiversity of the sea, Under will provide an under-water experience activating all the senses – both physical and intellectual.

The post Under was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Perched over 2,000 metres above sea level on the curving rim of a great canyon in Jabal Akhdar, Anantara Jabal Akhdar Resort was designed by Atelier Pod, chosen to create the architecture and interior design of the resort, after being shortlisted amongst ten internationally recognised design companies.
The long inaccessible Jabal Akhdar, Arabic for “The Green Mountain”, is a towering massif on the Sultanate of Oman’s vast Saiq Plateau. The luxury resort is located on a 66,000 m² cliff edge plot, with a total built-up area of 24,000m² including 115 rooms, six restaurants and lounges, a signature spa and recreation facilities.
The resort reflects the fortification typology of the Nizwa region’s stronghold, ensconcing guests in modern ramparts inspired by the commanding mountain citadels and re-imagined with sophisticated modern interiors.
In the lobby, a wooden geodesic dome spanning over ten metres in diameter with a peaceful contemporary fountain centred beneath it opens out to the central courtyard decorated by revisited Omani arcades, overlooking the garden terraces and beyond to the dramatic gorge.
With a large open fireplace serving as a central focal point, the courtyard is unmistakably the heart of the resort, bringing together a souk, a coffee shop, a library, as well as pathways leading to the main restaurant and banquet and linking the pool, rooms, and villas.
A freestanding tower on the western side of the courtyard is a testament to the ancient Omani Keep, or Burj. Distinctive by its conical curvature and smooth encircling ramp, it houses a lounge and a specialty restaurant while also serving as an observation tower for a night under a blanket of stars.
A total of 115 luxury guest rooms and villas overlook either the dramatic canyon or tranquil gardens. The resort’s 82 Deluxe Rooms boast a spacious bedroom, amongst the largest in the country, and a spa-like bathroom complete with a rain shower and separate bath alongside a balcony. Meanwhile, the 33 One- or Two-Bedroom Villas grant guests an intimate escape, each with a private infinity pool overlooking the cliff or hiding in an exotic garden.
Other unique design elements include the spa, where a mysterious rough stone cube shields the sensual hammam. The Omani tradition of integrating the ancient water channel system, called “falaj”, with cleansing spaces was adopted to offer intimacy to secluded areas around the spa. These areas harbour jacuzzis, daybeds, and hammocks.
Apart from the architecture, interior design and artworks, Atelier Pod executed the resort’s lighting design in collaboration with LDC Madrid, and landscape design with HED London.
This majestic resort is the fourth collaboration between Atelier Pod and Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spa.

The post Anantara Jabal Akhdar Resort was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The New Opera and culture house amalgamates opera, library, school, cultural facilities, and youth center. The complex represents culture in its most pervasive and innovative form. To create spaces for the unexpected, spaces to inspire us, spaces where the collective and individual can coexist, to inspire experimentation, invention, heterogeneity and freedom is to liberate culture.

There are already two significant buildings on the site – a 19th century school building and an early 20th century Folkets Hus (People’s House). To engulf them by a third larger building would diminish their integrity. The design strategy creates a porous cultural compound of three very different free standing buildings that are autonomous yet connected. The two existing buildings will be fully refurbished and filled with a host of new activities. A ribbon-like glass bridge that doubles as exhibition gallery connects the library in the Folkets Hus to the main foyer of the new building. The school building will contain youth cultural activities. An underground passage will link it to the stage level of the new auditorium.

RED CARPET Inside the new building the public circulation route serves as collective space open for an array of speculative activities. A procession of movement from entry to restaurant, via the red carpeted circuit that weaves it way through the building, reveals at once both the rich interior setting and views of Kristiansund.

THE HALL The objective for the auditorium is simple: allow for the greatest number of guests to be as close as possible to the stage. From the stage, the performers will see an ocean of people, wall-to-wall. The multi-purpose hall, driven by the demand for flexibility, is often the victim to the paradoxes of big- small, invisible-exposed, functional-beautiful. The design of this hall is one were flexibility exists without succumbing to the generic.

ROOM WITH A VIEW On the top floor of the new building restaurant, canteen and orchestra rehearsal room can be combined to create a very large room with spectacular views. An expansive exterior terrace adds greater flexibility in a setting where different scenarios, be they planned, impromptu, or incidental can occur.

FACADE The façade of the new building is curtain-like, selectively revealing the activities within. From the exterior, the perception is of a soft dress, covered in small reflective sequins, shimmering, constantly changing, and flowing. From the inside, the lighting varies from translucent to transparent, providing an even light throughout the building.

The post Opera in Kristiansund was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The purpose of the proposed project was the creation of an innovative office environment that will establish new standards in office design and simultaneously become a landmark in the city’s developing area. The vicinity’s lack of any significant focal points set the basis for the structure’s introversion. Vibrant foliage in the four courtyards brings vitality and breaks-up the interior solidity of the suburban block. The building’s perimeter functions as a continuous and porous stratum that encloses the inner as much as the outer spaces. At ground level, it entices staff and guests to the building’s interior. Above, a semi-translucent platform houses the News Room, which like a lighthouse- forms a landmark by emitting light across a level region. The abovementioned structural qualities – permeability and brightness are a symbolic embodiment of the Cypriot News Agency’s function as a point of intersection of incoming and outgoing information. The new home for the Cypriot News Agency pans out over three floors and a lower ground floor. The ground floor principally consists of common areas, such as the main entrance, conference rooms and the canteen. These are organised around the four courtyards, with each of these yards serving a different purpose. The main entrance is through the courtyard that looks onto the road. On the northern side the courtyard attached to the canteen is an area for staff and guests to meet and interact. To the east, a third courtyard leads out from the office spaces located on the ground floor. First floor spaces are arranged according to functional criteria, these are the workspaces for graphic designers, photographers and administrative operations. The orientation of office areas is predominantly towards the protected courtyards with extensive glazing and windows that open out onto these spaces. To a lesser extent there are outward looking smaller apertures. Interior and exterior spaces are enfolded by a permeable layer of ceramic panels, their earthy hues form a “link“ between the brightly lit platform above to the natural environs of the grounds below. The News Room is located on the building’s top floor, in the form of a raised platform. Office spaces are randomly configured around four light wells that link this floor to the courtyards, draw in the foliage from below and offer a vista to the sky. The News Room’s perimeter is enveloped by an imperemeable shielded glass with interior insulation to provide protection from the sun during the day and allow the diffused light to fill the interior. At night, the light of the interior emanates out across the sky. Finally, the basement consists of the parking, the Business Centre, storage and electromechanical areas.

The post Cypriot News Agency was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The industrial complex is situated on the route that links Thessaloniki to Lakkoma in Chalkidiki. It covers 18.800m² and will house office buildings, exhibition centres and industrial buildings. The project, owned by a textile manufacturer, aims to bring to a single base its assets, currently dispersed across the centre of Thessaloniki. Planning includes 2.650m² of office space and exhibition rooms (design rooms, workshops and showrooms) and 8.600m² of industrial zones (department of imports and exports, warehouses and so forth). The 30° curve of the eastern wall (towards the road) is a predominant feature as well as the system of perforated metal gratings that run at a 120m arc. The curve resolves the problem of needing to position the main, narrow façade of an elongated building on a parallel axis to the highway. As a result the exhibition room has a greater “window display”, while it allows more time for motorists arriving at the company to recognize the complex. The curve of the perforated grating serves a similar purpose. It creates a second 120m long exterior wall to protect the glass façade on the eastern side from the sun and homogenizes the three independent structures that house the complex’s import and export offices and warehouses. At the same time it is a visual and sound barrier from the national highway. The interior of the first edifice houses the office spaces, the exhibition rooms, a restaurant and the design rooms -workshops. On the eastern side, behind the glass surface that faces the road, two floors accommodate the reception area (6,5m). A number of the exhibition rooms have similar vertical “funnels” in order to exhibit large textiles perpendicularly. The second building divides into imports and exports. Two external ramps regulate the loading and unloading of merchandise. The warehouses that cater the needs of the entire complex are located in the third building.

The post Industrial Complex, Thessaloniki was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Polytechnic School of Cyprus Twenty seven European architectural firms and syndicates from Cyprus, Greece, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain and elsewhere shortlisted to participate at the international tender for the new complex of the Polytechnic School of Cyprus. The entire surface area spans approximately 22.000m². Eighteen proposals were submitted, judged and shortlisted for three awards and two accolades. The first prize was awarded to a syndicate of three firms:

i) Chrysanthos I. Chrysanthou and associate architects and landscape architects ii) Heracles Papahristou architects iii) Kotsiopoulos and associate architects

The second was awarded to Ignacio Garai Zabala (IDOM, Spain), while the third to Gavriilidis (Cyprus) and A.N. Tombazis (Greece) Associates and two accolades to Betaplan – Xenopoulo/Hatzinikolaou (Greece, Cyprus) and Konstantino Marathefti (Cyprus).

Winning Project The complex will consist of three academic departments organised into wings- the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Technology Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering- the School’s central administration and communal areas. All main facilities face towards the North and the South, while beginning from the ground level upwards the 6 floors are split into the research laboratories, the majority of the post-graduate areas, the lecture halls and the Department reception and administrative areas. Office spaces are located above the partially covered pedestrian area and form three distinct volumes that identify each department. A central aspect of the project is the belt that forms the main public zone and consists of the main public spaces and the areas of the School’s central administration. Through its geometry, the folds and the resulting spaces filled with greenery a link is created between the floors and establishes the area as a point of human interaction. This area is characterised by the layer of 2m wide blinds that run parallel to each other but at different inclinations. This structural element controls the area’s microclimate naturally and –in combination with the value of the microclimate and its contribution to the production of energy through the photovoltaic systems- constitutes in itself a spatial experience for pedestrians crossing the complexes’ central zone. The designers intention was to highlight the university’s dual character, the rigor of the organization and classification of knowledgeon the one hand and the freedom to exchange ideas and of human interaction.

The post Polytechnic school of Cyprus was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The answer to the trajectory of the economical crisis can be found in advanced techniques and technologies based on the need for a new way of thinking. Following these technological and construction advances, design and contemporary Architecture is gladly forced to propose innovation as a solution to the economical constraints; thus, the biggest chance for new ideas to create space. With this in mind, ‘Garden with House’ emerged.

On site, taking down a tree demanded its replacement with fifteen new trees. Constraint became opportunity, deciding to organize the areas of the house around interior and exterior green spaces keeping the existing trees in place. This movement gave a sustainable character to the house, giving it the ability to ‘breath’ almost naturally through the air compression at obvious and strategic points of the perimeter and air release in the main atrium.

The form of the project is a result of a series of typological studies on a primary unit that repeats itself, rotates, splits, mutates in order to create interior and exterior gardens for the house. The overall synthesis has an extrovert character allowing in the surrounding space to penetrate the interior of the house. The sensation of what is ‘inside’ and ‘outside’ is inverted. The borders of interior and exterior space are thin and always negotiable.

The post G = GARDEN was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The building is placed on a double faceted 900m² site, located close by to the centre of the suburb of Voula and the beach. The building block consists of 4 separate two-storey residences of total size 162m² to 324m². Two of them occupy the ground and first level, having a pool and a private garden, while the other two are split on second and third floors taking advantage of the breathtaking view towards the sea. The external shape of the building is defined by clear volumes and the use of contemporary materials, while glass balustrades do not interrupt the stunning view.

  The high aesthetic result of the residences is achieved through the use of modern forms and materials. Special attention has been paid to the sunlight, blooming the interior through the wide span openings. On top, there is a roof garden with custom made constructions that form a place to dine, a lounging platform and a Jacuzzi

The post Modernistic approach in Voula was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Envisioned by Steve Jobs as a center for creativity and collaboration, Apple Park is transforming miles of asphalt sprawl into a haven of green space in the heart of the Santa Clara Valley. The campus’ ring-shaped 260,128.51 m2 (2.8 million-square-foot) main building is clad entirely in the world’s largest panels of curved glass. Steve would have turned 62 on Friday, February 24. To honour his memory and his enduring influence on Apple and the world, the theater at Apple Park will be named the Steve Jobs Theater. Opening later this year, the entrance to the 1,000-seat auditorium is a 6.09 m glass cylinder, 50 m in diameter, supporting a metallic carbon-fiber roof. The Steve Jobs Theater is situated atop a hill — one of the highest points within Apple Park — overlooking meadows and the main building. “Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The workspaces and parklands are designed to inspire our team as well as benefit the environment. We’ve achieved one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world and the campus will run entirely on renewable energy.” According to Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer, the company has approached the design, engineering and making of its new campus with the same enthusiasm and design principles that characterize its products. Apple Park will also include a visitors center with an Apple Store and cafe open to the public, a 9,290.34 m2 fitness center for Apple employees, secure research and development facilities and the Steve Jobs Theater. The parklands offer 3.2 km of walking and running paths for employees, plus an orchard, meadow and pond within the ring’s interior grounds. Designed in collaboration with Foster + Partners, Apple Park replaces 464,517.06 m2 of asphalt and concrete with grassy fields and over 9,000 native and drought-resistant trees. With 17 megawatts of rooftop solar, Apple Park will run one of the largest on-site solar energy installations in the world. It is also the site of the world’s largest naturally ventilated building, projected to require no heating or air conditioning for nine months of the year. The process of moving more than 12,000 people will take over six months, and construction of the buildings and parklands is scheduled to continue through the summer.

The post Apple Park was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

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The post WH1 was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

In an ethereal landscape at the edge of desert and sea, this new resort and spa is framed within the founding principles of one of the most timeless and influential civilizations. Simultaneously establishing itself on the landscape, and receding into it the design plays the counterpoints of presence and absence, the references of above, below and in-between: establishing balance. Formally, it is a reversion to geometric primitives that is resonant with the Euclidean landscape of the desert and allows for a timeless monumentality. Here the topographic transition from the desert dunescape to the beach stays true to the ancient vernacular traditions of in-earth building, having a reverence for the landscape, and the materials of the region. The discrete and select carvings on the earth provide opportunities for drama and surprise. Hence gardens, pools, public spaces and meditative areas are all found in the interstitial spaces at the gathering of program. There is interplay of solid and void, with a reduction and clarification towards a silent monumentality. Designing with the most primitive as well as the latest construction techniques and materials from the most advanced scientific study the illusion is pushed just within limits of reality. A vibrant dialogue between built form and landscape, inspired by, and in awe of the power of the desert. Τhe project received the Jury Winner award at the Architizer A+ Award gala in Miami, USA, May 2016.

The post Destination Spa + Resort was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

“Jadalnia” (which in Polish means “Dinning Room”) is the fourth project of the “Pastel Collection” entirely designed by Karina Wiciak. “Pastel Collection” consist of 4 thematic interior designs, designed in pastel colors, together with furniture and fittings, which in each part is interconnected, not only in terms of style, but also by name. Τhese interiors are not made to a specific order, but designs based on the author’s fantasy and his fascinations of various sorts. The design of the club & restaurant project is based on the author’s fantasy, as a non-standard place at the borderline between scenography and architecture that lightly and with humour reminisces a dining room, inspired by the tale of Alice in Wonderland, so the climate in the interior is heavily surrealistic. The “dining room” was designed in fresh, green color, which is present in the form of grass, not only on the floor but also in the walls. A very important element of the decor, which fits the theme dining room are furniture in the form of a scaled cups and lamps in the form of cutlery, including the table and chairs named “Porcelana” (which in Polish means “Porcelain”)and the “Zastawa” hanging lamps (which in Polish means “Cutlery”).

The post Jadalnia was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

A house of a different kind, a smart home that makes the most of Nature’s freely offered elements. 0+ House has a surface area of 110m2, is designed by Makridis Associates and is the first modular, pre-fabricated ecological home that due to its bioclimatic design, its selected construction materials fully adjust to the geographical characteristics of its installation site. Simultaneously, insolation and daylight are used to the max while the morphology of its shell – via the use of specific materials and methods – contributes to substantial energy saving. A virtual walk-through of the construction of 0+House will be presented for the first time within the DPOINT GREEN VILLAGE special event context in Kiosk 13 of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre – helexpo, co-organized by Interiors from Greece. Visitors will be able to walk along an exhibition corridor comprising of architectural drawings which will wnd in a dark Theatre Box. There, those interested will be able to watch a virtual walk-through of all the construction phases of the first modular, prefab house in Greece guided by sustainability. During the exhibition, the DPOINT GREEN CONFERENCE will also take place, split in three daily workshops: 1.Friday 12/2, Smart Buildings, Smart Cities 2. Saturday 13/2, 0+House case study 3.Sunday 14/2, ECOWEEK: Applications of ecological building

The post 0+ House was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

 The UN Peace Park masterplan has been initiated to increase the number of tourist in the city of Chungju, the birthplace of Ban Ki-moon, the current UN Secretary General. The new UN memorial building will be the focal point in the UN Peace Park, comprising a 1,500 seating UN assembly hall, 2 conference halls, theatre and exhibition space. The UN Memorial should be a very prominent building within the UN peace park, creating a local landmark but also a building of national and international significance. A memorial to the UN should represent the colletive nature of the United Nations, where many individual nations are coming together to create something great, bigger then any single one of them, without losing their individual identities. The building cells represent the collective nature of the UN identity and are inhabited by the different functions in the building, ranging from exhibitions to education, conference, office, restaurant, event and public viewing platforms.

ACME, London

Kelvin Chu , Daewon Kwak , Friedrich Ludewig , Isabel de la Mora , Monica Prenziuso, Teresa Yeh

Yooshin Architects & Engineers, Seoul

Samyong Park, Daeoh Kwon, Hyunkyoung Oh, Jungheum Yun, Eunkyoung Ko  

The post UN – Memorial was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

For over fifty years, with its thousand offices and sixty-one recording studios, the Maison de la Radio is a landmark within the urban landscape along the Seine and remains the most important public news service production centre. Also a performance venue, it is known for its concerts in Studio 104 (Olivier Messiaen Hall) but also for its live programmes in Studios 105 and 106. The construction of a new hall will fit coherently into the overall plan at the intersection of the new public areas that take advantage of the vast, glazed foyers that open onto the Seine. The design adapted to the limited space by developing a vertical volume where balconies are superimposed. The 1461 auditorium seats are distributed around the orchestra in small blocks, bringing the audience close to the stage in proximity to the orchestra, with the furthest distance between them being about 17m. The walls are broken down into many facets of several timber species (beech, birch, cherry) used in the moulding composition of the different planes whose geometry and linings were edited by the renowned acoustics engineer Yasu Toyota of Nagata Acoustics. Comparable in size to the largest contemporary international venues (22m wide and 15m deep), the stage is composed of 18 modular lift tables able to accommodate 120 musicians and adapt to various orchestra configurations. In the form of an oval lens, a «canopy», large timber acoustic reflector, is suspended at 14.50 metres above the stage and deflects the sound to the musicians and audience. To effectively connect the centre of the building to its periphery, a unifying, common space, the agora is located within the courtyard of the inner-ring and covered with a glazed canopy. It includes a space for temporary exhibitions, a cafeteria and an open radio studio and connects to the existing grand hall by a «nave», installed within the space created by the demolition of the former Studio 103. In addition to this new internal street, there are four new glazed 32 metre-long footbridges connect the outer and inner rings on the fifth floor. The building is staged within a large garden through the creation of a 700-place underground car park. The rehabilitated Studio 104 –Olivier Messiaen Hall with a 840-seat capacity has a choir stall that replaces the original organ stand, new reflectors and acoustic curtains improving its acoustics and a completely redesigned floor and seating. The tower has been converted into large workspaces with new offices and meeting rooms at half-level, while the broadcasting studios (including the France Inter and France Info) are redesigned as boxes within the box for acoustic purposes. The revitalization of the Maison de la Radio use and image will cost in total 241,5 Million euros and is to be completed in 2017, giving this conserved symbol a new lease of life.

The post Maison de la Radio was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

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The post PANGIA BEACH was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Stefan Antoni, Director of SAOTA – an international architecture firm based in Cape Town, recently visited Grande Baie, Mauritius to witness the official commencement of work on site at SAOTA-designed Le Parc de Mont Choisy Golf and Beach Estate. Antoni, co- project leader along with Greg Truen, supervised the team formed by Roxanne Kaye, Colby Swartz & Michael Wentworth, responsible for the design and master plan of the estate. The site used to be a sugar plantation and has some wonderful historic buildings and avenues of Banyan and Flamboyant trees that will be retained. The intention has been to capture the spirit of Mauritius and particularly Grand Baie. The villas and apartments, designed as groups of pavilions, are arranged around outdoor living, landscaped spaces and pools. The forms, materials, finishes and colours together with the natural surfaces, textured walls, wooden ceilings and pergolas, and timber shingle roofs have been chosen to engage with the environment to create a timeless and elegant contemporary Estate.

The post MONT CHOISY was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The restaurant-bar Suszarnia (in Polish it means “drying room” –  a play of words on the project’s desert theme)  is the third project of a thematic series “Pastel Collection” comprising 4 interior designs in pastel colours whose furniture and fittings are interconnected. The design of the project is based on the author’s fantasy, as a non-standard place at the borderline between scenography and architecture that lightly and with humour reminisces a desert location. The basis of the project is the colour yellow, with tonal differentiations like the delicate yellow of the floor simulating sand, or the golden yellow on the curtains and palms. An important element of the décor is the large irregular stone blocks which continue on the design of the furniture, chairs and tables, symbolising rocky clusters and buildings often present in desert conditions. In continuation with the project theme, the hanging lamps are designed in shapes of the sun and the moon.

The post Suszarnia was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

According to Philip Olmesdahl, SAOTA director and project leading architect, construction has already started on Epique Island, a 75-villa residential estate located on the 2.6-hectare peninsula jutting into the Aegean Sea, for client Aksoy Holdings. Villas enjoy exclusive use of a large private beach with various associated amenities, including a beach bar, ample ablution facilities, and a clubhouse with a lap pool and restaurant. There is a kids’ club offering daycare facilities for younger children, as well as a games room and secure lounge space for teenagers and young adults. The 136,000 m² size estate also includes a boutique hotel and a 250-berth marina. The region is a noteworthy summer destination, less than two hours from Istanbul and the villas have been designed to respond to this. The architectural language is contemporary; the feeling one of “barefoot” luxury. Villa designs reflect 10 variations of three types – each with a strong focus on achieving a panoramic view for the generous open-plan living space, and providing ample outdoor living areas to enjoy the Bodrum summer. Sustainability was an important consideration. The villas rely on passive design measures to reduce reliance on mechanical systems. Generous opening doors and windows promote cross ventilation. Primary living rooms are well shaded with generous overhands creating “outdoor rooms”. Natural light abundantly lights interiors, reducing use of artificial illumination. Courtyard spaces will be created off the villas, allowing all-season spaces where owners can take part in comfortable outdoor living. Buildings are executed to highest standards of insulation. Local materials were relied on to contribute to the sense of place and enhance the sustainability objectives. Electrical and mechanical systems are contemplated to reduce electrical demand, for both heating and cooling. Hydro warmed floors will be used, and in-ceiling concealed air conditioning will moderate indoor temperature as required. Water heating would be via heat pump systems to limit electrical demand. The villas will include state of the art control systems to mitigate energy wastage and compliment the lifestyle of the residents. Site-planning has focused on minimising impact on the environment; existing vegetation has been taken into account in the design, with mature trees retained or re-planted on the upper slopes. Excavation on the island has been carefully planned to limit the amount of soil and rock removed from the site, and substantial rock will be re-used to clad the villas. Roads, set back below tunnels, will limit the landscape intrusion, while visible roads will consist of smaller lanes, with localised parking areas.

The post Epique Island was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

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The post The Beach was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The Floating Seahorse, one of the most talked about luxury lifestyle products this year, is now under fabrication in the UAE. The first Floating Seahorse will be born on 15th December 2015 and the exciting countdown is now underway! The Floating Seahorse has been designed and engineered in Dubai and is currently being fabricated in the UAE. The first Floating Seahorse is less than 30 days away from completion. After months of undertaking research, tenders and due diligence, Kleindienst and The Heart of Europe have teamed up with key contractors and suppliers to fabricate the world’s first Floating Seahorse. Over 5,000 hours have been invested in research and development and more than 13,000 hours in design and engineering. Over 200 specialists and professionals from 25 different countries have been involved in the exciting Floating Seahorse project. Each Floating Seahorse will weigh 188 tonnes and feature 25m2 (269 sqft) of underwater glazing and a coral garden spanning 46m2 (495 sqft). The underwater level of The Floating Seahorse will be the idyllic environment in which seahorses can live and breed in their natural habitat in The Arabian Gulf. The Floating Seahorse is a marine style retreat (essentially a boat without propulsion) which has its own plot in the Arabian Gulf.  Just 4km from the coast of Dubai, each individual Floating Seahorse will boast three levels, one underwater, one at sea level and an upper deck.   The master bedroom and bathroom will be totally submerged underwater and will command breathtaking views of the surrounding coral reef and marine life.  The sea level accommodation will boast floor to ceiling windows, uninterrupted sea views, a fully-fitted kitchen with a dining area, an open plan living area and when the glass façade opens the sun deck becomes an extension of the living space. The upper deck is the perfect place for alfresco dining and relaxation and features an informal bed, a mini bar, a kitchenette and a beautiful glass-bottomed Jacuzzi.  The deck can be converted into a winter bedroom which can be enclosed with retractable drapes. The Floating Seahorse has been designed and developed by leading European architects (like A-cero) for Kleindienst Group’s iconic island project. The seahorse is an endangered species so the Kleindienst Group will create an artificial coral reef beneath the luxury retreats as a protected area in which seahorses can safely live and breed.  Very soon, people will be able to see up-close and personal, the beautiful and elegant Arabian horse of the ocean.

The post The Floating Seahorse was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

A home built by two million Swedes, the Hemnet Home is a data experiment to lead the way for a new type of architecture. After analysing 200 million clicks and 86 000 properties on Hemnet, Sweden’s most popular property site, the company asked Tham & Videgård to create Sweden’s statistically most sought after home. The house is in short based on two parts. A direct interpretation of Big Data statistics from all the Hemnet users gave an average value that determined the measurable properties of the home including size, price, number of rooms, bathrooms and floors. To this Tham & Videgård have added a reading of the Swedish house condensed into two iconic types: the red wooden cottage that represents history, local resources, crafts and national building traditions, and the white functionalist box which stands for modernity, optimism, industrial development, the welfare state and international ideals. The aim was then to create an architecture that combines the statistics with the features of the two iconic types – the rationality of the functionalistic box combined with the quality of craftsmanship and material presence of the Falu red cottage. The result is partly a mathematical translation of the statistical 1.5 floors within a cubic volume which is fully utilised by fitting in a terrace and a double height void on the upper level. This corresponds to statistics which indicate a desire for a balcony/terrace and an open kitchen, which Tham & Videgård have interpreted to make the kitchen one of the home’s most important social spaces, emphasised with a double floor to ceiling height and the inclusion of space for both dining and stairs. A terrace is inscribed within the cube and thus provides a sunny terrace protected from the wind and also offering privacy. This is beneficial, particularly for denser housing areas. The kitchen’s extra floor to ceiling height together with one large window placed in each room combines into a simple and energy-efficient construction filled with generous daylight and a spacious interior. The facade is made of standard wooden boarding mounted onto a curved nailing batten to achieve a well crafted character and material presence inspired by the heritage of carefully detailed timber architecture. The wave shaped facade panels create an enhanced depth and shadow effect. The exterior is painted entirely with traditional Swedish Falu red colour.

The post The Hemnet Home was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

According to designer Krzysztof Kotala : “The complex consists of seven arenas, which are multifunctional character. It combines the function of a sports, recreation and exhibition. Underwater Arena in no way affects the natural ecological balance. The complex is built in the bay, where the Dubai Authorities reconstruct the coral reef. The construction will allow the full perception of the natural ecosystem. Underwater Arena fits into the natural environment because it resembles the coral reef. Object in its design structure is divided into three parts. Part dug into the seabed include tennis and the audience with background and the technical part. Deep part consists of two zones Lobby and Hall. The lobby is connected with the audience, and visitors can watch the depths of the sea around the object. The hall is designed to observe the reef located on the rooftop. By the carbon-glass glazing located above the tennis court visitors can also watch the reef. The water at this location is not deep and not too much weighted structure. The above-water portion of a structure resembles an atoll with characteristic shoal inside it. For the construction of the facility will be used modern technologies and materials environmentally neutral, i.e. .: nano-cement and carbon glass. The investment can bring economic benefits to Dubai. Organization of the Fifth Slam in Underwater Arena is likely to increase worldwide interest in Dubai, in terms of branding benefits and increase the tide of tourists. ”

The post Underwater Tennis Center was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The main idea behind Freedom was to build an autonomous house that need not be tied to any appointed location. Freedom – deriving from the English word “free” and the Russian word “house” – is an architectural structure for dwelling purposes – living in FREEDOM one can visit places where man’s foot has never been set. The materials and technologies applied for the project really exist and can be used on construction of the FREEDOM. The Freedom house can hold a balance over the earth by the volume container filled with helium, as a dirigible does (aerostatic lift). The lift up, as well as down can be performed by the thermo-container, like for a balloon, and by blade rotor engines with which the captain can turn the Freedom house up, down, forward, backwards, or around its axis. The living area is about 300m² comprising 6 rooms of 25-30m², the switchboard premise, 50m² cargo premises, 40m² of storage and a 100m²guest room. Entrance into the house is by use of the pneumatic telescopic elevator or via the cargo hatchway in case if the house is tied up to any vertical object (such as a column, a tower, many-storey building, high relief and etc). Τying up is accessible from the earth, by means of 8 pneumatic harpoon anchors placed on the inner perimeter of the Freedom; upon the complete landing eight pneumatic telescopic bearers move out from the second level’s lower part of semi-sphere, with the gyroscope they level the horizon of the FREEDOM on the cross-country terrain and can be applied on angle of slope up to 20 degrees. The prototype of the lifting structure was designed by Soviet scientists in the 1980’s by the Constructor’s Bureau “Termoplan” headed by Yuriy Alekseevich Ryzhkov, then Rector of Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI).  In 1989 the assembling of the model with expected carrying capacity of 3 tons was commenced in Ulyanovsk at the aviation plant n.a. Ustinov.(at present time it’s named as “Aviastar”), but the project was cancelled due to the breakup of the USSR and cancellation of financing.  However, architect Ulitin Dmitriy, and designer Taratuta Anastasiya, of  design studio Artzona decided to revive the stopped venture.

The post Freedom House was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

The competition entry developed by ATELIER 8000 proposes a succinct shape of a simple cube which is seated on one of its vertices and aims at inducing a feeling of lightness and randomness in the observer. Due to its position within the landscape the cuboid evokes an erratic block left behind by the retreating glacier. In the context of mountain peaks the sharp edges of the building merge into the outline of the neighbouring rocks when viewed from distance and thus naturally join the landscape of the site. Thanks to the positioning of the construction, three sides of the facade are visible from any viewing point, which amplifies the play of light and shadows – the same effect which can be observed on the neighbouring rocks. The glass surfaces of windows and photovoltaic panels along with the light transparency of the metal plating complete the whole picture of the site with a touch of glimmer – just like the glints and reflections which can be observed on the surface of a mountain lake or on thawing ice. The construction is built with glued laminated timber beams made from larch wood. The aluminium facade system is designed in the form ofsquare panels. The dimensions of the individual elements of the facade are designed in the module of 1x1m to facilitate easy handling and transport to the building site. The basement contains a garage for the snowmobile, staff entrance, ski storage, drying room, boots + backpacks, restaurant restrooms, technologies. The ground floor is occupied by the restaurant with a wood-burning fireplace and deck. The 1st and 2nd floors house accommodation, while the attic contains sleeping accommodation for emergency needs and a meditation room. The design of the individual technical facilities of the building aims at meeting the demanding targets of energy sustainability of the hut. In terms of its energy generation and consumption the hut has been developed as a passive building with very low thermal losses. The shape and orientation of the hut are adapted to utilise the solar energy to the maximum possible extent. The parts of the facade with energy generation units (photovoltaic panels, thermal solar collectors) are oriented southwards and eastwards and face the sunrays directly.

The post Kezmarska Hut was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

With Lilloland, a new type of escape is imagined: environmental and cozy, fixed and mobile, functional and attractive. A true experience focused on nature and a change of scenery. The light and modular habitat can be taken apart and transported and can be turned into spaces dedicated to catering, leisure or rest. The aim is for the user to have a sense of freedom, to evolve at will in natural spaces and authentic or atypical places, enjoying the beauty of exceptional views. Samuel Fricaud and Cédric Fages constitute the concept team; both experienced in the creation of ambitious concepts, they developed Lilloland, an ode to refined nomadism. The high-end lodge is the main realization of Lilloland: an open structure in a preserved natural area. The aim of this type of accommodation is to bring the comfort of a hotel suite to an outdoor experience; aesthetics, a free and nomadic spirit, a life in the open air, with high standards of quality and an optimal comfort. The lodge is the perfect symbiosis of architecture and nature.

The post Lilloland was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.