Mühlgrund ARTEC Architekten Strange Architecture

Here's a special for you - let's not get a pretty and blue - this post is about the funky and ugly - and I'm going to present a special post on this particular apartment building in Vienna, Austria. You know it's weird when you stare at it from the outside - all black with a funky zig-zag shape from the outsides of the building. When you look into the inside, you see a very odd green interior which to a normal person is very disturbing. While I don't like this color scheme, I'm very tempted to look more into the merits of this building, despite it's disastrous colors - among them is the use of natural lighting to light up the stairways as well as each individual rooms. This building's very peculiar color scheme probably helped it stood out from a neighborhood of small condos and apartments. But the really interesting thing about this building is if you peer into the other side of the building - you see your eyes playing tricks on you as you seemed to see a very messed up facade on each balcony - it becomes an illusion, much like the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Despite all the weirdness this building has, it does blend in with the industrial concept, or Bauhaus designs that have originated in Germany and thus spread out to other Germanic countries. It is a staple of industrial architecture - it is not modernist by any measures - instead it becomes it's own style in a special niche.

Lotte World Tower: A tower in South Korea

This is a building whose function in a cities skyline is very similar to those of One World Trade Center - almost identical - this building has the potential to dominate the skyline and give a city a particular landmark in which to identify it as - this particular tower will dominate the skyline of the South Korean capital, Seoul. This will serve multiple purposes - from being office complexes to apartments, this one will really stand out in the skyline. At first glance, this tower doesn't seem to distinguish itself from other skyscrapers and architecture that has blossomed over the years - it just seems to be a curved blue obelisk. However, when you take a look at the top from an aerial vantage point, it becomes a flower, a simple of grace whose concept is echoed throughout East Asian culture - the modesty and peace. To support that notion, take a look at the outside of the building - it is not solid reflective glass - instead it's a form of transparent blue glass which allows one to peer into the exoskeleton of the building. This further supports the concept of this building embodying the flower concept, or the symbol of the lotus. This kind of stylistic difference makes this particular skyscraper very unique among modernist buildings, especially skyscrapers. But that's not it; the rendering of the circular platform like structure at the bottom of the Lotte World Tower gives even more credence to the concept of a budding flower, complete with green plants and perhaps a shopping complex. The many intricacies of this building is what makes this particular skyscraper unique and outstanding - giving Seoul something to be proud of.

Seal Rocks House 4

The summer for me is almost over and to commemorate the end of this year's summer, I'm going to do a post about a particular architecture featuring a very special beach house. This is the Seal Rocks House 4 in Australia which serves as a very nice modernist beach house. This kind of beach house is very unique, as it features a open courtyard, it does not include the raised level in which American beach houses typically operate - it sits not too far off the ground. Also interesting of note, is the flora and fauna of the interior courtyard which features plants and shrubs indigenous to Australia as well as match up with the beach. The interior courtyard draws inspirations from two different sources. One is the ancient Roman villa, and the ancient Romans were very much a seafaring group - the concept of a central courtyard - the very concept of the villa is native to the Romans - and this particular building serves to emulate that concept. The other source of inspiration is the need for privacy while on a vacation - the need for a personal space in which family and friends alike can enjoy the beach weather while surrounded by a warm atmosphere. The functionality doesn't just end there though, as it also served as a comfortable living space, with windows facing the courtyard and different color coded interiors for different room types as well as a outdoor barbecue area and an exterior shower to use after a trip to the ocean floor. All of this, combined with the soft color of the wood flooring gives this particular house a warm and charming feeling, complete with enough function to make it a vacationer's paradise.

Summer Cafe in Russia

The two words, Summer and Russia don't always come to mind, but in this iteration, that is precisely what this architecture is about - a cafe in modern day Russian town named Bashkortostan. This piece of building holds many significance to coffee and and the general idea of cafes; but it also has a very functional side to it.

First of all, the color scheme is very complimentary to the coffee - the ideal coffee is brown after the mixture of creamer - the shape of the building - polygons in ring like unison allows it to depict the crushing of ice into a frappuccino or mocha - the idea that coffee isn't just that hot coffee with creamer - instead it's something much more - like frappuccino. Of course, the Russian winter is also perfect for hot drinks like coffee, and the color scheme displays it's purpose nicely, with the odd shape an added boast to customer recognition when they want a warm drink.

The function and eco-friendliness of this particular building is also heralded - it is made of particle board on the inside and more refined particle board on the outside - I'm sure that the particle board used is heavily refined and laminated so as to not drop unwanted ingredients in customer's drinks along with solid wood trusses to support the structure as a whole and ties in the homely aesthetic of the building. A reason for this is because this can be a temporary building - as it is relatively easy to take down after it has served its purpose or have been closed.

School Library in Africa in Gando, Burkina Faso

Architecture isn't all about the fanciness of modernist architecture - in some cases, mud bricks baked by the sun can suffice and make a bold statement in the barren and boring African village architecture - a proposed library to be built in the village of Gando, Burkina Faso in Africa was scheduled to be constructed in an effort to increase literacy and awareness of the outside world in the tiny village. It is part of a global campaign to help improve the standard of living in African nations through an increase in knowledge. This ovular building makes a statement in the otherwise squarish dominated excess of many traditional African villages - the pillars form nice shade for the children and adults to be able to enjoy some books. This particular design pays homage to traditional African architecture as well as serve as a functional place where kids can enjoy the latest books and enrich their knowledge.

One World Trade Center: Renderings

Everyone can remember the iconic 9/11 tragedy which left two of the what was the two tallest buildings in the world by two hijacked airplanes. The aftermath of the destruction and debris and two tall blue lights into  the Manhattan skyline. The resulting project to fill the void was One World Trade Center, which was so symbolic in so many aspects. I will first analyze the symbolic aspects of this particular construction.

The symbolic of the One World Trade Center - one single building as opposed to two buildings is symbolic of the same fate that the twin towers suffered. It is also symbolic of the unity of the American people after the  tragedy - one because of the pride in which the two towers originally stood - one taller tower to symbolize the pride and honorful stubbornness of the American people - the land of the brave.j

The architecture holds true to many of these tenets as the highly reflective surface of the World Trade Center makes it very symbolic of it's place as the new epicenter of New York architecture and it's skyline. It's lone prescene marks a strong statement on American pride as well as restore New York City's functionality and skyline as it looks forward from the tragedy as the financial capital of the world. The modernist form of the building serves to further emphasize this point.

Jordan Commercial: This is where it starts

This is an unusual diversion from my common rambling of architecture and the likes, but today I'm going to make a design post based on an awesome Jordan Commercial released recently, titled "This is where it starts" about two kids that watched the plays of the USA 2012 national basketball team and feels inspired to follow in their footsteps. I cannot stress the awesome design and the details of this commercial. First of all this commercial starts with the Chinese kid, Meng Ling watching Carmelo Anthony dunking it home and the scene shifts to the other end of the globe with Ben Watkins, the American kid celebrating the play with the announcer. The first aspect of this commercial is continuity - that two kids are watching the same thing simultaneously. After the match, the scene shifts to Meng Ling making a shot at the basket during class while Watkins missed a shot on his mini basketball board. After then, both Meng Ling and Watkins attempt a match with an older kid - both making the shot with a backwards spin and drive to the basket. Both of these show continuity - however their careers soon branch out and turn to different directions as Meng Ling is accepted to a sports school while Watkins hone his skills near a football stadium during football season. Quickly afterwards, Watkins select his college - which turns out to be Georgetown while Meng Ling signs for UNC. Then the scene quickly shifts to a match between Georgetown and UNC in which Watkins won the game through his buzzer beater. This particular scene was notable for a couple of details - first of all the cutouts of Meng Ling is a direct reference to Jeremy Lin during Linsanity. What's more, the match isn't taking place at Dean Smith center, yet the uniforms that Watkins and Meng Ling wears show their respective names . Perhaps some of the finer details involve Jeremy Lin himself - as he could be seen in this commercial in a very brief cameo as well as the timing of the clock as 0.04 as the buzzer winds down. The details in this scene is astounding. Going to the NBA draft 2029, it seems that Derek Fisher, the NBA player's union leader appears to be the NBA comissionor at that year - though the man in question isn't Derek Fisher, just an lookalike. Looking down at the draft bar with the information, you could see the Mavericks taking Meng Ling as the first pick, the Bobcats with the second and the Raptors with the third and the Knicks with the 34th pick. The design of the 2029 Draft scene is expected of a futuristic theme - lots of blue and white transparencies. Later the scene shifts to a Pre-season workout in which Watkins pulls off a trick shot against Meng - which quickly translates to a Rookie of the Year award for Meng which was countered by Watkins winning the NBA championship with the Bobcats on April 9, 2031 which was shown on the calendar on the wall in Meng's apartment. Once again, the futuristic concepts of design returns as Meng rides his spectacular "unicycle" in consolidation. The scene quickly shifts again to the 2030 Cairo Olympics in Egypt where the futuristic aspects of design come into play again, with a match between USA and China, with China down by one point. In an inbounds pass, Meng receives the ball in the air as he attempts to surpass Watkins for the winning dunk. Perhaps most interesting is that the score on the final scoreboard appears as USA 98 - China 92 - or it could be a animation error in which the original score is 98-97.

Other fine details from this clip:
-2031 is after 2030 Olympics even though the Olympics scene is show afterwards. Perhaps there was a typo that the Olympics meant to be 2032, the real year in which that Olympics is expected to be shown.
-2030 may be reference to the FIBA world cup tournament sponsored by FIBA held ever four years and every two years after an Summer Olympics.
-Watkin's number is 16 except with the Bobcats
-Olympic tradition dictates that no number bigger than 11 may be worn because there are only 11 players on any squad - yet Meng and Watkins both wear number bigger than 11 in the "Olympics". Perhaps that's why it says 2030 Cairo and not 2032 Cairo.
-The uniforms at "Cairo 2030" are the same as they are this year at the 2012 London Olympics.
- The Raleigh Durham International Airport is correctly portrayed by the video as that's the major international airport to the Triangle Area.
-Both players grow mustaches during the Olympics and during the NBA Championships scene.
-Mavericks was the first team to draft a Chinese player - Wang Zhizhi

Floating buildings on a.....boat?

Okay so here we're going to take an exclusive look at some architecture on.....boats or should I say ships. Normally architecture is bounded to terra, or land - but for the ultra wealthy, they could afford to splurge on ultra luxury yachts that don't really classify as boats - they become ships. So I'm going to examine three different types and comment on their merits with regards to design.

Type 1:

 This is the Monaco inspired version emphasizes the classical architecture that dots the famous French city as well as making a reference to the classical runways that make up the classic Monaco on the slope at the side of the boat facing the viewer. Not only that, the tower in the middle of the ship serves as decoration as well as an operation center. But also, to finish off the the design, there are stylized pool as well as the roman roof tiles compliment the Mediterranean styling. However, of course, this kind of ship will cost a fortune and the engineering would also be quite prohibitive.

This one is a bit more modest, as this one tries to capture the spirit of outdoor decks on this particular ship - using trees as the inspiration. The clean wooden deck is clear testimony to this ideal as the ship looks to form a social area where people can mingle with each other - the staircases leading up to the deck is a clear indication of this area being the main social place - as it probably leads to the deck from the residential areas.

Ah, this one is intriguing as this one is a direct attempt at copying an island on a boat - to get the island experience on a ship complete with a volcano at the top and an "edge-less" pool at the front of the ship. This one is a clear Pacific influence, as the thatched huts and volcano shows - but like the two ships before it, this one implements trees to add to the authenticity of the the experience. Of course, this one is the second most elaborate of the different ships designs, but it offers a very streamlined design - the huts and the central building all seem to blend in very well with the rest of the ship. The "waterfall" from the volcano forms a nice waterfall in which the people on the porch of the "volcano" will be able to enjoy the view with the water flowing in front of them. Otherwise, this one is a great piece of design as leisure seekers will certainly look to enjoy a cruise on an "island" setting.

ArchDaily Article: 10 reasons Architects probably won't fix it

There is based on an ArchDaily article that wrote on the incompetence and obscurity of modern day architects.

Here's what I think

1. Architects are not leaders
Architects can be leaders! They form the artistic backbone of any projects; they have the final say in what the design would be; whatever the engineers do will be overshadowed by architects. While it is true that architects have to collaborate with other peoples such as engineers, they do form the backbone of what the final project actually looks like.

2. Architects are not relevant
I digress, as architecture is all around us - we might not know who designed it, but whoever designed left an indelible mark on society. That is the Beauty of Architecture

3. We don’t need any more buildings
America is growing, and the suburbs around us are probably already developed. How about the suburbs that aren't? They should be growing with new contracts available.

4. Architects are not in charge.
Well, it's a a revelation to know that clients pay much less for their architecture fee than say water fee, so I'm going to agree on this point for the sake of practicality

5. Architects Value Design
Well, that's what architects are about right and that's why engineers exists - but style doesn't mean that the consumer likes it - style doesn't always reflect current trends or hot properties so for the best marketability, style may have to suffer for this to work out.

6. Architecture is not a business
Back to that previous statement - Architect's aren't business person - they want what they think is the best for their clients but clients tend to believe that architects are very "arrogant" because of their insistence on the benefits of their design. Whatever the consumer wants, architects have to bend to that which makes residential projects fairly straightforward.

7. Architects want to be different
Well style doesn't always mean substance, but architects and designers love aesthetics - as much as well also like functionality, our styling takes the priority - but the public isn't going to understand that -- back to that bad business model thing.

8. Architects are behind
Architects even with today's AutoCAD still requires the same procedure of conversation with the engineers and supervisors which greatly decreases the rate of productivity - which is why modern technologies isn't have the same watershed breakthrough in efficiency with other industries.

9. Architects haven’t told our story
Thanks to a mindset on design, architect's websites and catchphrases often try to be "different" and "innovative" - this is a symptom of architects, but very confusing to consumers who can't distinguish between good and bad architecture - let along those badly phrases marketing lingo.

10. Architects don’t believe we can fix it
Well, I'm not so sure what to make of this one because architecture is a slowly expanding field which hasn't been hit as badly during the recession than other occupations, but thanks to the stagnation, architects' aren't particularly optimistic about the recovery of the economy.

2014 World Cup Final Maracanã Stadium

At the conclusion of the Euro 2012 tournament, the next major tournament is the World Cup, in Brazil two years time. Brazil, as a member of the BRIC group of powerful developing countries. Not only Brazil is hosting the World Cup, but also the games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil 2014 is being seen as the opening moment of Brazil's global prominence and they set out to host the 2014 World Cup with their hopes on the FIFA World Cup trophy. To commemorate their status as the "mecca" of football, they looked back on their rich tradition with the Maracanã Stadium. This stadium is famous for it's intimidating crowds much like the Estadio Azteca in Mexico as well as being the site of famous duels over the years. The Brazilians have recently experienced somewhat of a conflict between their traditional free flowing attacking form of football and a more pragmatic more defensive form of football. However, the the new stadium perfectly merges the two different eras together - the remnants of old Brazil with the new guard as well as an continuation of the Brazilian festival of colors and samba.

Looking at this facade, the original stadium hasn't changed at all, allowing spectators to recognize it's classical exterior as the Maracanã Stadium - yet the exterior is still modernist enough to blend in with icons in Brazil such as the Cathedral of Brasilia - notice the white skeleton outline that dominates both structures. This structure is also renovated in the exterior by adding a new walkway that emphasizes the scale and creates a space like a park that allows spectators to walk into the Stadium as well as being more convenient to pose for pictures thanks to this new plaza leading up to the Stadium.

 Looking at this stadium, it doesn't seem to be very spectacular - one does not want to change a renowned stadium too much - however the most prominent change that can be seen here aside from rearranged seating is the giant white canopy that hangs over the stadium to provide shelter from the scorching Brazilian sun but also provide a light filter to allow spectators to view the screens and brighten up the surroundings This is a classical move used in the ancient Colosseum, where the canopy performed many of the same functions. This no frills renovation makes it easy on the budget yet still retains much of it's classic aesthetics.

Storage House by Ryuji Fujimura

Hello and welcome to a post reflecting upon an earlier and pioneering post regarding the functionality and styling of storage house homes and today we embark on a post to review this great and eco friendly housing choice. I introduce to you Ryuji Fujimura's version of the storage container house:

This one is inherently different from the other storage houses that we've reviewed so far because it doesn't simply take the normal shape of storage houses - instead this uses recycled storage container as it's walls and it provides sturdy and minimalist sidings. This is extremely eco-friendly because instead of individual sidings, you get a full one piece exterior wall that is capable of withstanding most of mother nature and the construction is made out of iron which is much sturdier than the vinyl sidings that contemporary houses employ. And yet with the minimalist exterior also comes with the minimalist interior which is a nod to a modesty prevalent in asian culture. The spartan interior also provides sufficient function but it also provides a green way to transfer heat passively from the basement to the floor - using gaps in the basement. This allows the house to be very functional and energy efficient. Thanks to the low profile exterior, this house does an excellent job of blending in with the surrounding buildings - it doesn't take too much away from neighboring buildings but it still attracts attention to its white exterior.

The Hive Apartment

Hello, welcome to another post on architecture as we revisit one of the inspirations in architecture: nature - specifically this nice building in Australia which obviously draws from the natural inspiration of bee hives and yet it doesn't explicitly use the honeycomb pattern which has made beehives so popular. Instead, the reference to beehives is made by the extra use of yellow tinted light bulbs which evoke the color scheme of beehives. But also, there is a graffiti like carved window which emphasized its name as the "Hive" which can be seen below. The unique yet puzzling design of the windows is meant to emphasize the chaos of beehives - as bees transport themselves to one beehive to another. But of course, the Beehive is also symbolic of a home - a person's hive or den. As much yellow as there are outside, the Hive Apartment's interior is uniquely white which excludes a modernist design motif with hexagonal floor tiles, which ties in with the radical exterior arrow shaped windows on the building. The interior is not only know for it's hexagonal floor tiles, though - the entire interior is veyr polygonal in shape.

Villa SK / Atelier Thomas Pucher architecture review

Hello and welcome to a special post about an unique architectural work that encompasses the concept of modernity and tradition. Specifically, this refers to the trend in which modernist elements are built alongside much more traditional styles. This house from Austria shows that a modernist facade can dominate the more traditional pyramid style roof yet it's still built well enough for functionality and the remnants of the traditional roof is still intact.

 The cobblestone veneer on the left side is a homage to the Austrian mountains and the general rockiness of the area as well as provide a nice blend with the environment - the light near the exterior door gives it a special ambiance and the glass walkway enhance that light by focusing it along the physical glass space.

This shows the side view of this part. This is a nice sheltered space in which to relax and still enjoy the beautiful embrace of the natural scenery. The original house is still intact as it deliver the light and house the residents. The low profile view of the extended patio allows it to become a modernist statement yet it also blends in with the background - modernist and tradition seamlessly blending together.

 Under broad daylight, the extended patio isn't obstructive to the overall house - it becomes a compliment to the house as it points towards the direction of the house. 

The fine details of the patio allows us to see that during broad daylight, there is a sizable amount of natural sunlight, thus conserving energy and providing a non-obstructive exterior in which to blend with the rest of the house. This is a very nice addition to this traditional house which epitomizes the concept of fusion between modernist architecture and traditional styles.

London Olympics 2012 - Architecture at the Summer Olympics part V

Hello and welcome to yet another special on the London Olympics as we wrap another wonderful day in the London Olympics. Thanks to Olympic fever, I couldn't resist sharing with you this interesting "architecture" the ArcelorMittal Orbit tower which is positioned right next to the National Olympic Stadium. Every Olympics have some sort of tower which allows spectators to view the Olympic greens from a height they cannot get into the National Stadium - this tower is a perfect symbolic piece of architecture which symbolizes many different aspects of Britain and the spirit of the Olympics. The name itself is very appropriate for the event, as the Olympics have made London the epicenter of the world's attention - thus making the orbit name extremely suitable. But the swirling flame like structure is also reminiscent of the unconventionality of the London opening ceremony medley. This of course, the space needle like structure along with the "flames" is also a direct reference to the Olympic torch, which is shaped very similar to that. However, the aesthetics aside, this building is also an engineering marvel because the "flames" actually extend to the ground and that's what keeping the structure from falling down. Overall, this is a very solid effort by the London Olympics committee and I feel that this is a wonderful addition to the Olympic Park.