Aerial View

Plan

View from “Urban Light”

Crossing Wilshire from Spauling Avenue

View from Japanese Pavilion

Underside view

North Stair – Exhibition Level

“Meander” Gallery along Wilshire Boulevard

“Meander” Gallery Perspective

“Cabinet” Gallery Perspective

“Chapel” Gallery Perspective

“Cabinet” Gallery Perspective

Project: Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s

Architect: Peter Zumthor Architects

Location: Los Angeles, USA

Image: LACMA

Zumthor’s design will replace four deteriorating buildings (the Ahmanson, Art of the Americas, and Hammer buildings, and the Leo S. Bing Center) to improve the flow and functionality of the museum, as well as better connect with the surrounding environment. LACMA considers the new building not as an expansion but rather an update, as the new building will actually reduce the overall built square footage by approximately 25,000 square feet.

The new building will consist of an elevated main gallery level raised 20-30 feet above the ground and supported by 8 pavilions containing spaces for art display, retail, a restaurant, and theater and public programs. In contrast to the traditional archetype of a museum as a fortress, the design emphasizes transparency and horizontality to make the building feel open and approachable from all sides.

The galleries have been separated into three different typologies: “Meander”, “Cabinet” and “Chapel”. Located around the perimeter of the building, 71,000 square feet of “Meander” spaces receive natural light from the tall glazed panels and feature continuous benches along the edge. “Cabinet” spaces recalling traditional museum galleries feature lower ceilings and more controlled light and provide 34,000 square feet of exhibition space. The third gallery type, the “Chapel” spaces, feature tall ceilings and lighting from clerestories that pop out of the museum roof.

The building is currently undergoing environmental impact testing, with an anticipated construction start date in the fall of 2018. The building is expected to be finished by 2023, coinciding with the opening of a new Metro line station across the street.

Project: New national gallery-ludwig Museum
Architect: Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates (SANAA)
Location: Budapest , Hungary
Image: SANAA

Our proposal for the New National Gallery and Ludwig Museum is an open extension of the City Park. The relationship between building, park and urban environment is constantly shifting as people move through a network of galleries, terraces and activity spaces.
City Park itself changes dramatically from one season to another, with its ice rinks transforming into boat lakes. Our design looks to accentuate this effect: it is not a building within a park but a place where they are one and the same. It is a museum that fluctuates with seasonal shifts.
The open ground floor and gently sloped terraces that characterize the building allow the museums to be accessible from all sides, activating the spaces around
the entire museum. Ours is a contemporary form of public space – one where city, gardens and exhibition rooms become part of an experiential whole.
The chronological sequence of the Permanent Collection connects the two museums and extends through the height of the building. There are two main circulation routes through these exhibition spaces: the first is through the galleries themselves providing temporal continuity across the centuries; the second is composed of a sequence of social spaces and external terraces. This latter path allows visitors to rest, enjoy activities and views or leam more about the artworks on display. Like in a park, people are invited to determine their own routes and experiences.

The architectural form extends horizontally, floating low above the ground. Approachable from all sides our proposal is a transparent building that highlights and reflects the beautiful surrounding trees. Formed from a network of terraces, the edge itself is blurred and appears to dissolve into the landscape. The full height of the building is similar to that of the large surrounding trees and the museum sits among them like an inhabited canopy and extension of this tree-scape.
While the exhibition volumes are distributed in a grid, the slopes and roofs are distributed playfully, creating spaces between slabs and volumes that let natural light penetrate the center of the building. The proposal is defined less by architectural facades than by activities that unfold within. Like the park itself it is not constant – it changes across the course of each day and every season.

Architects: MVRDV, ADEPT
Location: Frederiksberg, Denmark
Area: 3200.0 sqm
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Adam Mørk

The 3200 m2 Ku.Be House of Culture in Movement was designed for the municipality of Frederiksberg as a focal point for both the immediate community and also the wider area of Copenhagen; one that the people themselves could take ownership of and that would evolve its programme based on the specific wants and needs of its users. The project is a new typology, developed out of the response to a brief that solely asked for a building that would bring people together and improve the quality of life. In reply MVRDV and ADEPT answered with one that blends theatre, sport and learning into a space where body and mind are activated to promote a more healthy life for everyone, regardless of age, ability or interest; creating links between people that wouldn’t otherwise connect with each other.

The six primary volumes which make up Ku.Be, each with their own programme, are clad in a unique colour and material, clearly defining them within the building; from outside these shapes are hinted at in the fragmented tile façade. “We designed Ku.Be to encourage the unexpected,” explains MVRDV co-founder Jacob van Rijs. “Larger volumes are suited to hold performances or public meetings, smaller ones can be for exhibitions or debates. The fast-pace rooms are perfect for dance, or parkour; and zen rooms give you the contrast of yoga or meditation. It’s between these volumes where the real fun will happen though; spaces where we hint at a use, but which will become entirely user-defined.”

The six primary volumes which make up Ku.Be, each with their own programme, are clad in a unique colour and material, clearly defining them within the building; from outside these shapes are hinted at in the fragmented tile façade. “We designed Ku.Be to encourage the unexpected,” explains MVRDV co-founder Jacob van Rijs. “Larger volumes are suited to hold performances or public meetings, smaller ones can be for exhibitions or debates. The fast-pace rooms are perfect for dance, or parkour; and zen rooms give you the contrast of yoga or meditation. It’s between these volumes where the real fun will happen though; spaces where we hint at a use, but which will become entirely user-defined.”

The route through the building focuses on developing and encouraging alternate forms of movement. The Labyrinth gets people on their hands and knees climbing through a three dimensional network of cubes from the second to third floors; or alternatively they could take the Mousetrap, a vertical maze. A net which spans several floors throughout the building, lets users climb up from floor to floor – suspended over the voids – and slides and fireman poles offer a fast way to get back down. “In Ku.Be we tried to turn your average experience of a building on its head,” tells ADEPT co-founder Martin Krogh. “What would otherwise be a simple, mindless journey through the building turns into an exploration and discovery of movement. Here it’s you that defines the route, however you want: climbing, sliding, crawling … jumping.” To cater for all abilities and ages, both easier and more standard ways of moving around are provided but even then a visual connection is maintained throughout Ku.Be.

The urban gardens outside form the connection between Ku.Be and the urban realm, playing an important role in expressing the eight volumes and the activities happening inside. The diverse landscape – a system of microclimates with changing sounds, lights and scents which blends seamlessly into a hill with integrated slides – reaches out into the gardens and ends in an amphitheatre outside.

By becoming an extension of the urban landscape of Frederiksberg and integrating the community to such an extent, the House of Culture and Movement looks to become an incubator for further development within the neighbourhood.

Ku.Be is MVRDV’s third completed project in Denmark. Ragnarock, a museum for youth culture, pop and rock music opened in April of this year in nearby Roskilde and the Frøsilos, a conversion of two old silos into housing, was completed in Copenhagen in 2005.

Aside from Ku.Be, ADEPT has completed a number of cultural and educational buildings within the last few years. Among these are Dalarna Media Library in Falun, Sweden, Cortex in Odense, Denmark and UCN in Aalborg, Denmark.

MVRDV and ADEPT achieved the project through close collaboration with: Soeren Jensen Engineers who provided the complex structural engineering to support the visionary architecture; SLA landscape architects, who designed the urban garden surrounding Ku.Be ; and Max Fordham LLP to achieve environmental comfort throughout the building. Ku.Be was made possible by major contributions by Realdania and LOA (Lokale- & Anlægsfonden).

Project: Vessel
Location: New York, USA
Architects: Heatherwick Studio
Group Leader: Stuart Wood
Project Leader: Laurence Dudeney
Team: Einar Blixhavn, Charlotte Bovis, Antoine van Erp, Felipe Escudero; Thomas Farmer, Jessica In, Nilufer Kocabas, Alexander Laing, Elli Liverakou, Luke Plumbley, Jeff Powers, Matthew Pratt, Peter Romvári, Ville Saarikoski, Takashi Tsurumaki, Ivan Ucros Polley.
Image: Heatherwick Studio

On 14 September 2016 Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group announced Heatherwick Studio’s design of Vessel, a new public landmark for the Hudson Yards development in Manhattan.

Due for completion in Autumn 2018, Vessel has been commissioned as the centrepiece for the largest development in New York City since the Rockefeller Center. Rather than just be something to look at, Heatherwick Studio‘s design undertook the challenge of creating a landmark every inch of which could be climbed and explored. Vessel will lift the public up, offering new ways to look at New York, Hudson Yards and each other.

Its 154 interconnecting flights of stairs, 2,400 steps and 80 landings will create a mile’s worth of pathway rising up above the public plaza. It will stand 150 feet tall, with a diameter of 50 feet at its base, widening to 150 feet at its top. Currently in fabrication in Italy, it is constructed of a structural painted steel frame with its underside surfaces covered by a polished copper-coloured steel skin.

Architects: Students Lisa Albaugh, Benjamin Bourgoin, Jamie Edindjiklian, Roberto Jenkins and Justin Oh

Location: London, UK

State: In their semester-long project at Zaha Hadid’s final studio course at the Yale School of Architecture

Year: 2015

In their semester-long project at Zaha Hadid’s final studio course at the Yale School of Architecture, students Lisa Albaugh, Benjamin Bourgoin, Jamie Edindjiklian, Roberto Jenkins and Justin Oh envisioned a new a high density mixed-use project for London’s Bishopsgate Goodsyard, the largest undeveloped piece of land still existing in central London.

The student team utilized biomimicry and sculptural structural members reminiscent of Hadid’s signature style to create a complex consisting of a high-density tower, a mid-rise block, a train station bridging the gap between these taller structures, and a park landscape that mediates between the existing viaduct and the various access points throughout the site.

In their language of smoothly blended towers rising sinuously from the ground, the team sought to respond to the collage-like nature of London’s skyline, where the “agglomeration of differences between towers diminishes their engagement on an urban scale.”

Each of the project’s four typologies retain an individual character, but are blended into a continuous field that allows programs to overlap on the urban scale. In this manner, living, working, recreation and transportation functions can coexist within the complex.

Through their material studies, the team questioned the need and desirability of the traditional tower core, electing instead to break up the crucial tower elements—structure, elevators, stairs and mechanical systems—into individual strands. When articulated on the outside of the building, these elements give the tower a unique appearance from both street level and against the urban skyline that is never the same from two different viewing angles. This also frees up the tower’s center, allowing for crossed views, light and air not typically seen in skyscrapers.

In the project’s base, shifts in scale allow different program types to blur from residential units to hotel units, corporate office to start-ups, large retail stores to cafés. Arched openings allow access to the public areas, and serve as touching down points for the structural and functional strands that give the buildings their character—a character that is both inspired by and contributing to Zaha Hadid’s ongoing legacy.

Architects: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU Wolf D. Prix, Helmut Swiczinsky, Wolfdieter Dreibholz ZT GmbH
Design Principal/CEO: Wolf D. Prix
Project Partner: Frank Stepper
Project Architects: Hartmut Hank, Christian Halm, Thomas Schwed,
Michael Beckert (TPL), Johannes Behrens (TPL), Günther Weber, Jürgen Tiltmann (TPL), Oliver Cassik (TPL), Philipp Munz (TPL)
Design Architect: Karin Miesenberger
Architectural Management: Christian Maeder, Sascha Hempel, Markus Tritthart, Damian Witt
Project Team: Magdalena Baczkowska, Markus Baumann, Michael Beckert, Johannes Behrens, Hilde Benda, Marcelo Bernardi, Nico Boyer, Jan Brosch, Timo Carl, Anna Rita Cedroni, Jasmin Dieterle, Sabrina Dlugosch, Marcus Ehrhardt, Jan Ruben Fischer, Brigitte Fuchs, Volker Gessendorfer, Sergio Gonzales, Gesine Görlich, Martin Gruber, Guthu Hallstein, Sebastian Haffner, Simone Hainz, Sascha Hempel, Rob Henderson, Emanuele Iacono, Martin Jelinek, Rashmi Krishna Jois, Ivana Jug, Frank Pascal Kaul, Matt Kirkham, Daniela Kröhnert, Bernward Krone, Christian Labud, Anke Lammert, Monika Lyzyczka, Steven M, Christian Maeder, Dimitra Mamou, Ariane Marx, Christoph Maurer, Matthias Niemeyer, Martin Oberascher, Ross Olson, Renate Ott, Gerhard Pfeiler, Ellen Pietrzyk, James Pike, Robert Pippan, Jakob Przybylo, Anna Ptaszynska, Stephanie Rathgeber, Carmen Renz, Salome Reves, Donna Riedel, Akvile Rimantaite, Pete Rose, Penelope Rüttimann, Stefan Rutzinger, Oliver Sachse, Kristina Schinegger, Benjamin Schmidt, Marita Schnepper, Thomas Siegl, Ebru Simsek-Lenk, Denise Sokolowski, Augustin Solorzano, Anja Sorger, Andrea Stollenwerk, Ernst Stockinger, Crystal K.H Tang, Jürgen Tiltmann, Markus Tritthart, Josef Tröster, Günther Weber, Andreas Weissenbach, Clemens Werb, Judith Werkhäuser, Markus Wings, Eva Wolf, Barbara Zeleny, Thomas Zengger, Zeyneb Badur, Fabien Barthelemey, Oliver Cassik, Alejandro Corena, Alexander Daxböck, Mario Dignöss, Helmut Frötscher, Annegret Haider, Christian Halm, Gregor Kassl, Gernot Köfer, Alexander Laber, Anita Lischka, Rangel Malinov, Oliver Martinz, Philipp Munz, Barbara Roller, Nicole Rumpler, Wolfgang Ruthensteiner, Stefan Salchinger, Stefan Schadenböck, Thomas Schwed, Hannes Schwed, Eckart Schwerdtfeger, Sylvia Spernbauer, Christoph Treberspurg, Johannes Weigl

Model Building: Ivana Jug, Filip Adamczak, Anna Balint, Mark Balzar, Oliver Berger, Robert Campell, Julian Chiellino, Ariane Dehghan, Jasmin Dieterle, Guido Ebbert, Heike Folie, Emilia Grzadzielewska, Benjamin Hahn, Laura Hannappel, Thomas Hindelang, Michael Hirschbichler, Ulrich Hoke, Rafal Jedlinski, Malte Kaiser, Reyhan Kargi, Vera Kleesattel, Stefan Kotzenmacher, Quirin Krumbholz, Daniel Kuhnert, Gretha Kuustra, Malgorzata Labecka, Jelena Lazic, Marta Leszczynska, Jörg Lonkwitz, Rita Lopez, Ariane Marx, Bruno Mock, Sarah Müller, Yusuke Nishimura, Seoug O, Ross Olson, Ulrich Peintner, Fabian Peitzmeier, Anna Ptaszynska, Jois Rashmi, Danuta Ratka, Salome Reeves, Benjamin Schmidt, Thomas Stock, Kadri Tamre, Philipp Trumpke, Andreas Wachter, Angelika Wiegand, Melanie Wohlrab
Local Partner: AS&P Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, Frankfurt, Deutschland,
Architektur Consult ZT GmbH

Client: European Central Bank (ECB), Frankfurt/M., Germany
Structural Engineer: B+G Ingenieure, Bollinger und Grohmann GmbH, Frankfurt/M., Germany
Climate Design: Arup GmbH
Plumbing & Hvac: Ebert-Ingenieure München GbR
Lightning Design: Bartenbach LichtLabor GmbH
Site Infrastructure: Dorsch Consult Verkehr und Infrastruktur GmbH
Landscape Planning: Vogt Landschaftsplaner GmbH
Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Area: 185000.0 sqm
Project Year: 2014
Photographs: Robert Metsch, Paul Raftery

Urbanism and architecture

The location for the new headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt’s Ostend district has the potential of adding a new landmark to the Frankfurt skyline that will be visible at great distances. The starting point for the design of the towers was the urban perspectives of the city of Frankfurt.
At a height of around 185 meters, the double tower, with its polygonal shape and east-west orientation, has a striking profile that is visible from all important reference points in Frankfurt’s city center, as well as from the river Main. Thanks to its form and presence, the double tower will become a characteristic feature of the Frankfurt skyline.

Urban planning and integration

The imposing form of the Grossmarkthalle (wholesale market), which so strongly characterizes Frankfurt’s skyline and the north bank of the river Main, unites with the vertical profile of the towers to form a significant ensemble that considers both the local urban design environment and the general urban spatial context, thus creating a tension between Frankfurt’s banking district and the Ostend area. By concentrating the ECB’s functions in the Grossmarkthalle, the south side of the premises, facing the Main, can be largely kept free of construction. The prominent view of the south side of the hall from the Main embankment with the clearly visible profile of the high-rise emphasizes its special position.

The architectural concept of the tower

The tower ensemble is the result of a design process inspired by the urban links with the city of Frankfurt. Owing to its clear orientation towards the important urban perspectives, the ensemble enters into a dialogue with the important urban reference points in Frankfurt: the Alte Oper, the Museumsufer and the financial district.
Starting with the economical typology of a double-slab high-rise, a second design step combines the urban planning specifications with the geometric transformation of the towers, in order to generate a multi-faceted building structure while preserving its urban significance.

The vertical city

The atrium between the office towers becomes a “vertical city”. Through platforms we are creating spaces, plazas and pathways between the towers, just as they exist in a city. The connecting and transferring levels divide the atrium horizontally into three sections of different sizes, with heights ranging from around 45 to 60 meters.
These connecting platforms, bridges, ramps and stairs form a network of links between the office towers. They create short paths between the individual office floors in each tower and thus enable larger, interconnected usable office spaces on one or more floors in both towers, thereby also promoting informal communication.
This new typology supports a dynamic development of form and enables differentiated office spaces with different panoramic perspectives.

The Grossmarkthalle – a forum for communication

Our design reinforces the Grossmarkthalle’s existing potential as an “urban foyer” housing a conference and visitor center, as well as a library and restaurant, through the incorporation of a building for the press center which traverses the structure of the Grossmarkthalle. This so-called entrance building, in which ECB press conferences will be held, occupies a special position in content, form and space and thereby marks the entrance to the ECB.
Since the western parts of the Grossmarkthalle were reconstructed after being destroyed during the Second World War and do not, therefore, represent part of the substance of the original building – even in the way they are constructed – we propose, as agreed with the historic preservation authority, that the incision for the new entrance to the ECB be in this part of the hall.
We continued to develop the concept of integrating the extensive functional areas into the Grossmarkthalle, as suggested during the Optimisation Phase. As before, the required new facilities are being placed in the spacious interior of the hall as independent building structures (the “house within a house” concept). The building structures, which are at diagonal angles to the Grossmarkthalle, allow the hall to be experienced along dynamic spatial sequences – and this not only in the public areas of the hall’s ground floor, but also on the upper levels, which, with their conference and restaurant facilities, are largely reserved for employees of the ECB. The restaurant structure, as a visible sign of the new functional areas in the hall, generously orients the employee restaurant and terrace towards the Main in the south.

Architects: Gould Evans
Location: 1647 Naismith Dr, Lawrence, KS 66044, United States
Project Designers: John Wilkins, Managing Principal; Steve Vukelich, Project Architect; Kelly Dreyer, Project Designer; Tony Rohr, Design Principal; Sean Zaudke, Architect; Jonathan Holley, Architect
Area: 48000.0 ft2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Steve Hall; Hedrich Blessing
Manufacturers: Novum Structures, Zahner
Mechanical Engineer: Henderson Engineering, Lenexa, KS
Structural Engineer: Bob D. Campbell + Company, Inc., Structural Engineers, Kansas City, MO
Civil Engineer: Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A., Lawrence, KS
Geotechnical Engineer: GeoSource, LLC, Topeka, KS
Exhibit Consultant: Ralph Applebaum Associates, New York, NY
Food Service: Robert Rippe + Associates, Inc, Minneapolis, MN
Building Science Consultant: Building Science Corporation, Westford, MA
Structural Glazing Consultant: Novum Structures, LLC
Acoustic Consultant: Acoustical Design Kubicki, Shawnee, KS
Code Consultant: FP+C Consultants, Inc., Kansas City, MO
Construction Mangaer: Marlan Construction, Lawrence, KS

A unique hybrid of museum and student commons, the new DeBruce Center at the University of Kansas creates a permanent home for the historic two-page document on which, in 1891, James Naismith outlined The Original 13 “Rules of Basket Ball.”

Using The Rules document as a point of departure, the architecture focuses on the creation of an immersive experience to tell the story of the University’s role in the development of the game. Program is arranged along a linear pathway that winds through the open interior, connecting the story of The Rules and all building program – including a 200-seat dining commons for students and visitors, nutrition center for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, coffee shop, museum store and exhibits.

The building consists of two main volumes: a three-story transparent prism within which exhibit and path are delicately suspended, and a single-story bridge connecting the building to the historic Allen Fieldhouse arena where James Naismith perfected the game. Within this bridge, the original 451-word document is enshrined by a perforated scrim containing the more than 45,000 words that make up the contemporary rules of the game, offering visitors a way to physically experience basketball’s evolution over 125 years.

A refined material palette of structural glass and honed black concrete highlights pedestrian movement within a transparent and overlapping building program. This spectacle of social activity breathes life into what might otherwise be a very traditional museum experience. Aluminum provides a substrate for marrying architecture and museum content – a continuous aluminum ramp weaves together exhibit content while perforated aluminum scrim walls wrapping the space where The Rules document is housed pay homage to its author and other significant figures in the history of the sport.

Architects: SANAA

Location: 365 Lukes Wood Rd, New Canaan, CT 06840, USA

Architect in Charge: Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa

Design Team: Shohei Yoshida, Takayuki Hasegawa, Tommy Haddock

Area: 83000.0 ft2

Project Year: 2015

Photographs: Iwan Baan, Dean Kaufman

© Dean Kaufman

© Iwan Baan
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© Iwan Baan
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© Iwan Baan
Site Plan

Floor Plan
© SANAA

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Landscape Architects: OLIN

Executive Architect: Handel Architects

Project Manager: Paratus Group

MEP Engineer and Lighting: Buro Happold

Structural Engineer: Robert Silman Associates

Civil Engineer: McChord Engineering

Sustainability Consultant: Transsolar

Building Envelope: Front

Glazing: Roschmann Steel & Glass

Roofing: Zahner

Acoustics: Harvey Marshall Berling Associates, Nagata Acoustics

Geotechnical Engineer: Langan Engineering

Geothermal Designer: Alderson Engineering

Meadow Consultant: Larry Weaver Landscape

Soils and Wetlands: Environmental Planning Services

Conservation Planning and Herpetologist: Michael W. Klemens LLC

Graphics: Pentagram

Project Description

Creation of a multipurpose building and landscape design for Grace Farms, an 80-acre natural environment in New Canaan, Connecticut that the non-profit Grace Farms Foundation is preserving as a gift of open space for people to experience nature, encounter the arts, pursue justice, foster community and explore faith. The facilities of the building will be made available by the Foundation to Grace Community Church and other select nonprofit and community groups, and will be the site for pub- lic amenities and programs ranging from coffee and tea service, discussions, intimate concerts and family-friendly art classes and athletics to a curated, multi-disciplinary series of cultural projects and events.

Landscape

Approximately 77 of the 80 acres of Grace Farms are being retained in perpetuity as open meadows, woods, wetlands and ponds. OLIN’s design preserves and enhances the existing habitat for native flora and fauna while integrating a community garden, athletic fields and a SANAA-designed playground and trails. Trees that were cleared for construction are being milled on site to construct the furniture for Grace Farms, including 18- foot-long community tables. Fifty-five 500-foot-deep geothermal wells have been drilled on the property for heating and cooling. Seventy percent of mowed areas will be returned to natural meadows by Larry Weaner Landscape Associates.

Architectural Directive

In its architectural brief, the Foundation asked for a venue of “cultural interest and curiosity via open space, architecture, art and design in order to provide people with an opportunity to:

1. Experience Nature: Our aim is to draw people into this beautiful landscape, to enhance one’s experience of nature through all five senses, and to allow nature itself to inspire in us an experience of awe.
2. Foster Community: We hope to provide a warm, welcoming environment that fosters personal relationships through passive and active, social and artistic activities.
3. Pursue Justice: We will offer resources and feature opportunities to improve lives by helping others, showing mercy and advancing justice together.
4. Explore Faith: We aspire to create an environment for reflection, study, discussion and worship.”

Architectural Concept

SANAA’s goal was to make the architecture of the River become part of the landscape without drawing attention to itself, or even feeling like a building, with the hope that those who are on the property will have a greater enjoyment of the beautiful environment and changing seasons through the spaces and experience created by the River.

Design Highlights

Nestled into the rolling landscape of Grace Farms, the River begins on a knoll and then flows down the long, gentle slope (a change in grade of 43 ft – 9 in) in a series of bends, forming pondlike spaces on its journey. Structurally, the building of glass, concrete, steel and wood is in essence a single long roof, which seems to float above the surface of the ground as it twists and turns across the landscape. The walkways, courtyards and glasswrapped volumes that form beneath the roof are remarkably transparent and invite people to engage with the expansive natural surroundings.

• Architects: loci anima
• Location: Angoulême, France
• Project Year: 2015
• Architect in Charge: Françoise Raynaud
• Client: Community of Greater Angoulême Agglomeration
• Photographs: Philippe Le Roy
• Project Director: Jonathan Thornhill
• Project Manager: Xavier Maunoury
• Construction Manager: Marine Bichot
• Structural and HVAC engineers: Grontmij
• Facade Engineers: Van Santen & Associés
• Environmental Engineers: Alto
• Landscape Architect: Exit
• Acoustic Engineers: Avel
• Security Engineers: Casso & associés
• Quantity Surveyor & Siteworks Direction: Grontmij
• Building Controler: Alpes Controle
• Site Coordination: Ouest Coordination
• Site Security: Socotec
• Environmental Consultant: Addenda
• Cost: 13,8 M€

In a context of the increasing use of virtual media, loci anima has delivered theAngoulême Alpha media library. Built on the site of a former industrial area in the north-east of the city, the Alpha media library brings added value to the Houmeau district, which is being radically overhauled, improving the social and cultural life of people in this area.  Its direct proximity to the railway station means that it is easily linked to all of the communes of Greater Angoulême (in time, a footbridge will provide direct access), but also to the world as a whole. For example, it is only natural that the Alpha has become the cornerstone of the comic festival and plays host to the public and journalists from all walks of life.

Inspired by the Scandinavian model, this building is concrete evidence of a new generation of cultural spaces where citizens are able to meet, to exchange, to learn, to relax, these famous «third places». Neutral and open to all, making no distinction in terms of age, this type of space seeks to erase socio-cultural differences and blur the boundaries between the public and the private, the collective and the individual. The “third place”, an idea developed in the early 1980s by the urban sociology professor Ray Oldenburg, is different from the “ first place’, the home, and the “second place”, the workplace.

In answering this question, Françoise Raynaud, founding architect of loci anima, uses vocabulary associated with childhood and with colour. She then designs a building with multiple facades, a “rose of views”, facing the important landmarks of Angoulême and that face each other from the earth and from the sky. Made up of ve coloured parallelepipeds, cleverly stacked one on top of the other, the media library, viewed from the highpoint of the city, forms an A for Alpha and for Angoulême. Each of these ve “worlds” which make up the edi ce is scalable and identi able by the colour-material of the metal of the celestial body that is associated with it. So, the world of “creating” is anthracite in reference to Saturn and to lead. The world of “understanding” recalls the moon and silver. The world of “imagining” is represented by Jupiter and bronze. The sun and gold are to be found in the world “from one world to another”. Finally, the world “manufacture” is red copper, paying homage to Mars.

Connotations of the imaginary world of childhood are also seen in the design and the furniture which is geometrical, fun and functional, responding to the different uses that the media library offers. Wooden frames around individual desks isolate the reader in an atmosphere that lends itself to concentration that at the same time, opens a window to the outside. Massive naturally lit tables encourage exchanges during group work. Indoor and outdoor seats are in the shape of extra-large objects, for example a safety pin or a peg, providing seating that is fun, friendly and modulable. The architect has freed up the space under the ceiling in the entrance hall by placing the large East staircase in levitation, creating, as soon as one enters the building, a space that each individual can colonise and own. Additionally, the spaces are extended outside with terraces or gardens, for indoor/outdoor living,  to make the most of natural light everywhere and to open up or close off the spaces depending on the heat levels and mount of light necessary or desired.

Based on the observation that the city dweller is increasingly cut off from nature and finds in the elements of life and nature a rich source of dreams and of pleasure, loci anima has, here again, created this building as a space for the living. Sun, air, plants, water and metal are all materials used in the construction of the project. Over and above the real and intrinsic performances of the building on environmental aspects (low energy consumption buildings), this way of seeing, which is specific to loci anima, instils a symbolic and sensitive dimension to the project. 

Architect: Kengo Kuma and Associates
Location: Vancouver
project commissioned: westbank corporation and Peterson
Year: 2016
Image: Kengo Kuma and Associates; v2com

Kengo Kuma và Associates đã tiết lộ kế hoạch đầu tiên của văn phòng Bắc Mỹ nhà chọc trời, một tháp cao cấp sử dụng hỗn hợp trên một trang web tiếp giáp với công viên Stanley  ở  Vancouver . Được biết đến như ‘Alberni bởi Kuma,’ tháp 43 tầng kết hợp nhà ở 181 với không gian bán lẻ và nhà hàng trong một thể tích thẳng có dấu bởi “sốt dẻo” trên hai bên. Những cong là thuộc tính chính thức quan trọng nhất của tòa nhà, trong khi một vườn rêu tại căn cứ của tòa tháp là tính năng không gian quan trọng nhất của nó. Dự án này được tổ chức bởi Westbank và Peterson , và là một phần của một nhóm các dự án kiến trúc quan trọng được phát triển bởi các cặp ở thành phố bờ biển phía tây.

“I have always wanted to have a project in Canada because of its closeness to nature,” says Kengo Kuma. “Typologically, this is a large-scale project in North America, a dream for any foreign architect. We have done towers, but not to this scale and level of detail.”

The building’s facade is a combination of anodized aluminum and glass panels to reflect neighboring structures and the sky. Wood panels are visible on the underside of extruded floor plates – where the facade has been “scooped” – creating patio spaces meant to act as open gardens and personal urban spaces. Wooden planks are also used for the floors within the building, adding similarities to other signature works by Kengo Kuma and Associates.

“In Japanese space, boundaries are considered mutable and transient,” says the architect. “This is always an important part of my work. In this project, the minimal glazing details and the layered landscaping blurs conventional boundaries to enhance the sense of continuity. The design celebrates the presence of nature in Vancouver.”

Project: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Image: Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Night view

United States Olympic Museum site plan

United States Olympic Museum aerial site view

United States Olympic Museum view from Vermijo Avenue

United States Olympic Museum plaza (summer)

United States Olympic Museum plaza (winter)

United States Olympic Museum lobby atrium

United States Olympic Museum theater

United States Olympic Museum boardroom

Project: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Architects: Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Image: Diller Scofidio + Renfro

The United States Olympic Museum, a new cultural facility recognized by the International Olympic Committee, celebrates American Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs, home of the United States Olympic Training Center, the 65,750 square foot museum takes its athletes as inspiration; the design idealizes athletic motion by organizing its programs – galleries, auditorium, and administrative spaces – twisting and stretching centrifugally around an atrium space. Visitors arrive at the ground level of the atrium, and then ascend to the top of the building quickly and gradually spiral down through a sequence of loft galleries, moving back-and-forth from the introspective atrium to the building’s perimeter and views to the city and the mountains. The museum and the landscape are designed to form a new public plaza, nestling a distant view of Pikes Peak and an intersecting axis bridging downtown across the train tracks to the America the Beautiful Park to the west.

“It’s a rare opportunity to be part of a team that will bring the stories of U.S. Olympians, Paralympians, and the Olympic movement to the public in a building structure. The challenge for the architecture will be to embody the elegance of form, dynamism, and strength so characteristic of the athlete, and the appearance of effortlessness and without an ounce of fat!”

Architects: MAD

Directors : Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
Advisor : Bao Pao
Design Team : Zhao Wei, Kin Li, Liu Huiying, Lin Guomin, Bennet Hu Po-Kang, Julian Sattler, Nathan Kiatkulpiboone, Li Guangchong, Fu Changrui, Yang Jie, Zhu Jinglu, Younjin Park, Gustaaf Alfred Van Staveren
Client : Junhao Real Estate Beijing Jingfa Properties Co., Limited.
Location : Beijing, China
Type : Office, Commercial, Residential
Time : 2012-2016
Site Area : 30,763sqm
Building Area : Above ground 128,177sqm, Below ground 94,832sqm
Building Height : 120m

Facade Design & Optimize Consultant : RFR
Landscape Design Consultant : Greentown Akin
Lighting Design Consultant : GD Lighting Design Co., Ltd

As a recent realization of the concept “Shanshui City”, “Chaoyang Park Plaza” has begun construction. It marks another milestone in one of the practices of MAD’s design theory. This project pushes the boundary of the urbanization process in modern cosmopolitan life by creating a dialogue between artificial scenery and natural landscapes.
Chaoyang Park Plaza is located in the central business district (CBD) of Beijing, and is composed of over 120,000 square meters of commercial, office, and residential buildings. The site is on the Southern edge of Chaoyang Park, one of the largest public parks in Beijing. Its proximity to the park will not only create breathtaking views of the city, but will also highly impact the skyline of Beijing.
By transforming features of Chinese classical landscape painting, such as lakes, springs, forests, creeks, valleys, and stones, into modern “city landscapes”, the urban space creates a balance between high urban density and natural landscape. The forms of the buildings echo what is found in natural landscapes, and re-introduces nature to the urban realm.
Like the tall mountain cliffs and river landscapes of China, a pair of asymmetrical towers creates a dramatic skyline in front of the park. Ridges and valleys define the shape of the exterior glass facade, as if the natural forces of erosion wore down the tower into a few thin lines. Flowing down the facade, the lines emphasize the smoothness of the towers and its verticality. The internal ventilation and filtration system of the ridges draw a natural breeze indoors, which not only improves the interior space but also creates an energy efficient system.
Landscape elements are injected into the interiors of the towers to augment the feeling of nature within an urban framework. The two towers are connected by a tall courtyard lobby with a ceiling height of up to 17 meters. The site and sounds of flowing water make the entire lobby feel like a natural scene from a mountain valley. At the top of the towers, multi-level terraces shaped by the curving forms of the towers are public gardens where people can gaze out over the entire city and look down at the valley scene created by the lower buildings on the site.
Located to the South of the towers, four office buildings are shaped like river stones that have been eroded over a long period. Smooth, round, and each with its own features, they are delicately arranged to allow each other space while also forming an organic whole. Adjacent to the office buildings are two multi-level residential buildings in the Southwest area of the compound. These buildings continue the ‘mid-air courtyard’ concept, and provide all who live here with the freedom of wandering through a mountain forest.
The project was awarded the “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)” Gold certificate by U.S. Green Building Council. Its use of natural lighting, intelligent building, and air purification system make this project stand out from others being built today. The ideal of “nature” is not only embodied in the innovation of green technology, but also in the planning concept. This project transforms the traditional model of buildings in a modern city’s central business district. By exploring the symbiotic relationship between modern urban architecture and natural environment, it revives the harmonious co-existence between urban life and nature. It creates a Shanshui city where people can share their individual emotions and a sense of belonging.

Balkrishna Doshi named 2018 Pritzker Prize Laureate. Image Courtesy of VSF

Balkrishna Doshi’s Work:

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore . Photo courtesy of VSF

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore . Photo courtesy of VSF

Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore . Photo courtesy of VSF

Balkrishna Doshi Biography

Balkrishna Doshi was born in Pune, India on August 26, 1927, into an extended Hindu family that had been involved in the furniture industry for two generations. Displaying an aptitude for art and an understanding of proportion at a young age, he was exposed to architecture by a school teacher. He began his architecture studies in 1947, the year India gained independence, at the Sir J.J . School of Architecture Bombay (Mumbai), the oldest and one of the foremost institutions for architecture in India.

Doshi’s ambition and initiative guided many pivotal moments in his life—from boarding a ship from India to London, where he dreamed of joining the Royal Institute of British Architects; and moving to Paris—despite his inability to speak French—to work under Le Corbusier; to responding to the responsibility and opportunity of rebuilding his native country.

He returned to India in 1954 to oversee Le Corbusier’s projects in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad, which include the Mill Owner’s Association Building (Ahmedabad, 1954) and Shodhan House (Ahmedabad, 1956), among others. Beginning in 1962, Doshi also worked with Louis Kahn as an associate to build the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and they continued to collaborate for over a decade.

In 1956, Doshi hired two architects and founded his own practice, Vastushilpa, which has since been renamed Vastushilpa Consultants and grown to employ five partners and sixty employees, and has completed more than 100 projects since its inception. Infused with lessons from Western architects before him, he forged his artistic vision with a deep reverence for life, Eastern culture, and forces of nature to create an architecture that was personal, laced with sights, sounds, and memories from his past. Alongside a deep respect for Indian history and culture, elements of his youth—memories of shrines, temples and bustling streets; scents of lacquer and wood from his grandfather’s furniture workshop—all find a way into his architecture.

Of the tremendous range of completed buildings, which include institutions, mixed-use complexes, housing projects, public spaces, galleries, and private residences, Doshi recalls one of his most personal endeavors, Sangath (Ahmedabad, 1980), his architecture studio. “Sangath fuses images and associations of Indian lifestyles. The campus integrates, and memories of places visited collide, evoking and connecting forgotten episodes. Sangath is an ongoing school where one learns, unlearns and relearns. It has become a sanctuary of culture, art and sustainability where research, institutional facilities and maximum sustainability are emphasized.”

He established Vastushilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental Design in 1978 to evolve indigenous design and planning standards for built environments appropriate to the socio-cultural and environmental milieu of India. Today, it serves as an effective link between academics and professional consultants. Doshi was Founder, former Director and former Chairman of the School of Architecture and Planning (Ahmedabad, 1966-2012), which was renamed CEPT University in 2002. He is currently Dean Emeritus and continues to reside in Ahmedabad.

Having been recognized both nationally and internationally, Doshi is the recipient of the Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters of France (2011); Global Award for Lifetime Achievement for Sustainable Architecture, Institut Francais d’Architecture, Paris (2007); Prime Minister’s National Award for Excellence in Urban Planning and Design, India (2000); Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1993-1995) for Aranya Community Housing; Gold Medal, Academy of Architecture of France (1988); Gold Medal, Indian Institute of Architects (1988); and Padma Shree National Award, Government of India (1976). Doshi is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Indian Institute of Architects, and an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He served on the Pritzker Prize Jury from 2005-2007, and on selection committees for the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture. 

A retrospective of his works, “Celebrating Habitat: The Real, the Virtual and the Imaginary,” opened at the National Gallery of Modern Arts, Delhi, India (2014), before traveling to the Power Station of Art Shanghai, China, (2017). He recently delivered the 27th Annual Architecture lecture at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, U.K. (2017).

Published texts include Paths Uncharted (Vastushilpa Foundation, 2011); “Community Building in Indore, India” in Where are the Utopian Visionaries?: Architecture of Social Exchange by Hansy Better Barraza (Periscope Publishing, 2012); and numerous works in relevant international journals such as A+U (Japan), Architectural Review (United Kingdom), and Abitare (Italy), among many others.

Doshi was a member of the International Committee for preparing the International Charter on the Education of Architects, sponsored by International Union of Architects in association with UNESCO (1995), and holds honorary doctorates from the University of Pennsylvania, United States (1990) and McGill University, Canada (2005). He has been a visiting professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign; Rice University, Houston; Washington University in St. Louis; and University of Hong Kong, among others, and has lectured at prestigious schools and institutions throughout the world.

Jury Citation

Indian architect Balkrishna Doshi has continually exhibited the objectives of the Pritzker Architecture Prize to the highest degree.  He has been practicing the art of architecture, demonstrating substantial contributions to humanity, for over 60 years. By granting him the award this year, the Pritzker Prize jury recognizes his exceptional architecture as reflected in over a hundred buildings he has realized, his commitment and his dedication to his country and the communities he has served, his influence as a teacher, and the outstanding example he has set for professionals and students around the world throughout his long career.

Doshi, as he is fondly called by all who know him, worked with two masters of the 20th century—Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn. Without a doubt, Doshi’s early works were influenced by these architects as can be seen in the robust forms of concrete which he employed. However, Doshi took the language of his buildings beyond these early models. With an understanding and appreciation of the deep traditions of India’s architecture, he united prefabrication and local craft and developed a vocabulary in harmony with the history, culture, local traditions and the changing times of his home country India.

Over the years, Balkrishna Doshi has always created an architecture that is serious, never flashy or a follower of trends. With a deep sense of responsibility and a desire to contribute to his country and its people through high quality, authentic architecture, he has created projects for public administrations and utilities, educational and cultural institutions, and residences for private clients, among others.

He undertook his first project for low-income housing in the 1950s. Doshi stated in 1954, “It seems I should take an oath and remember it for my lifetime: to provide the lowest class with the proper dwelling.” He fulfilled this personal oath in projects such as Aranya Low-cost Housing at Indore, 1989, in central-west India and the Co-Operative Middle Income Housing, Ahmedabad, India of 1982, and many others. Housing as shelter is but one aspect of these projects. The entire planning of the community, the scale, the creation of public, semi-public and private spaces are a testament to his understanding of how cities work and the importance of the urban design.

Doshi is acutely aware of the context in which his buildings are located. His solutions take into account the social, environmental and economic dimensions, and therefore his architecture is totally engaged with sustainability. Using patios, courtyards, and covered walkways, as in the case of the School of Architecture (1966, now part of CEPT) or the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board in Jabalpur (1979) or the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore (1992), Doshi has created spaces to protect from the sun, catch the breezes and provide comfort and enjoyment in and around the buildings.

In the architect’s own studio, called Sangath (Ahmedabad, India, 1980), we can see the outstanding qualities of Balkrishna Doshi’s approach and understanding of architecture. The Sanskrit word Sangath means to accompany or to move together.  As an adjective, it embodies that which is appropriate or relevant.  The structures are semi-underground and totally integrated with the natural characteristics of the site.  There is an easy flow of terraces, reflecting ponds, mounds, and the curved vaults which are distinguishing formal elements.  There is variety and richness in the interior spaces that have different qualities of light, different shapes as well as different uses, while unified through the use of concrete. Doshi has created an equilibrium and peace among all the components—material and immaterial—which result in a whole that is much more than the sum of the parts. 

Balkrishna Doshi constantly demonstrates that all good architecture and urban planning must not only unite purpose and structure but must take into account climate, site, technique, and craft, along with a deep understanding and appreciation of the context in the broadest sense. Projects must go beyond the functional to connect with the human spirit through poetic and philosophical underpinnings. For his numerous contributions as an architect, urban planner, teacher, for his steadfast example of integrity and his tireless contributions to India and beyond, the Pritzker Architecture Prize Jury selects Balkrishna Doshi as the 2018 Pritzker Laureate.

Jury Members

Glenn Murcutt, Chair

Stephen Breyer
André Aranha Corrêa do Lago

The Lord Palumbo
Richard Rogers
Sejima Kazuyo
Benedetta Tagliabue
Ratan N. Tata
Wang Shu
Martha Thorne, Executive Director

more: https://www.pritzkerprize.com/laureates/balkrishna-doshi

Architect: OMA
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Client: Realdania Byg
Year: 2006 – ONGOING
Program: Museum / Gelary, Mixed Use
Partner: Ellen van Loon
Director: Adrianne Fisher

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

© Rasmus Hjortshøj, COAST Studio

Architect: OMA
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Client: Realdania Byg
Year: 2006 – ONGOING
Program: Museum / Gelary, Mixed Use
Partner: Ellen van Loon
Director: Adrianne Fisher
COLLABORATORS:
ENGINEERING: ARUP
ENGINEERING: Cowi
LOCAL ARCHITECT: C. F. Møller
FAÇADE ENGINEERING: ARUP, VS – A
CARPARK CONSULTANT: Alectia
LANDSCAPE: Inside Outside, Kragh & Berglund
LIGHTING DESIGN, SCENOGRAPHY: 
SCENOGRAPHY: Ducks Scéno
ACOUSTICS: Royal Haskoning DHV
SUSTAINABILITY: 
LANDSCAPE: 1:1 Landskab
COST AND RISK MANAGEMENT: Aecom
LOCAL ARCHITECTS: C. F. Møller
LOCAL ARCHITECTS: PLH Architekter

DAC / BLOX

Architect: Oscar Niemeyer
Associate Architects: Paul Chemetov and Jean Deroche
Design Team: Jean Prouvé, Hans Muller, José Luis Pinho, A. Gattos and Jean-Maur Lyonnet
Structural Engineer: Jean Tricot
Structure and Services: BERIM
Location: Paris, France
Photograph: Denis Esakov
Client: Central Committee of French Communist Party
Year: 1980

Architect: Oscar Niemeyer
Associate Architects: Paul Chemetov and Jean Deroche
Design Team: Jean Prouvé, Hans Muller, José Luis Pinho, A. Gattos and Jean-Maur Lyonnet
Structural Engineer: Jean Tricot
Structure and Services: BERIM
Location: Paris, France
Photograph: Denis Esakov
Client: Central Committee of French Communist Party
Year: 1980

600 Collins Street, Melbourne from Zaha Hadid Architects on Vimeo.

Location: Melbourne, Australia
Client: Landream, Australia
Architect: Zaha Hadid Architects
GFA: approx. 70,075m2
Height: 54 storeys, 178 meters
This mixed-use building in
Melbourne’s Central Business
District incorporates retail,
commercial and residential
components with diverse
apartment typologies and
designs.
Design: Zaha Hadid & Patrik Schumacher
Project Director: Michele Pasca di Magliano
Project Team:
Johannes Elias
Hee Seung Lee
Cristina Capanna
Sam Mcheileh
Luca Ruggeri
Nhan Vo
Michael Rogers
Gaganjit Singh
Julia Hyoun Hee Na
Massimo Napoleoni
Ashwanth Govindaraji
Maria Tsironi
Kostantinos Psomas
Marius Cernica
Veronica Erspamer
Cyril Manyara
Megan Burke
Ahmed Hassan
Local Architect: PLUS Architecture
Structural Engineering: Robert Bird Group
Building Services Engineering
and Sustainability: ADP Consulting
Planning Consultant: URBIS
Quantity Surveyor: WT Partnership
Facade Consultant: AURECON
Landscape Designer: OCULUS
Wind Engineering: MEL Consultants
Traffic Engineer: RATIO
Building Surveyor: PLP
Fire Engine: OMNII
Pedestrian Modelling: ARUP
Acoustics: Acoustic Logic
Land Surveyor: Bosco Jonson
Visualizations: VA

Located on the western boundary of Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), at the nexus between Collins Street and the Docklands, within an area of the city that is evolving into a new commercial precinct in its own right.

The Collins Street façade is comprised of an colonnade of sculptural, curved columns that supports a unique façade system. These solid elements embody the traditions inherent within finest examples of historic architecture in Melbourne’s CBD, yet reinterpret them in a contemporary solution that is driven by the building’s structural integrity and the logical division of its overall volume.

Evolving from the city’s very distinct urban fabric, the arrangement of the proposed tower takes inspiration from its mixed­use program, converting the building’s overall volume into a series of smaller stacked ‘vases’. Central to the concept is the break­down of the vertical volume by the design team to establish a coherent relationship between tower, podium and surrounding streetscapes.

In addition to housing a different programmatic element, each ‘vase’ gently tapers inwards to offer additional communal space at its base, inviting the interaction fostered at a street level to continue inside the podium, where a public amenities, retail and commercial spaces, as well as easily accessible civic spaces have been included to promote public engagement. A significant proportion of the ground level is given over to public realm, with external areas dedicated as a new plaza accessible 24 hours a day

The design improves the flow of pedestrian traffic and increases connectivity with existing transport infrastructure, which includes the adjacent Southern Cross railway station and existing tram network that runs parallel to the site.

The creation of a new pedestrian route that connects Collins with Francis Street, further alleviating pressure at the Collins/Spencer Street junction. 350 bicycle parking spaces and bays for electric vehicles and shared car clubs are included within the design.

A delicate filigree envelops the building, including the Francis Street service areas to ensure there is no sense of “back of house” to the surrounding areas. Designed to use 50 per cent less energy than a conventional mixed­use tower, this filigreed façade contributes to a reduction in the direct solar gain of the building and emissions. High performance glazing system, high efficiency central cooling, high efficiency lighting and grey­water reuse systems will be incorporated to reduce consumption of resources and further lower the emissions.