lego bricks

Marcio Kogan's nursery project pecially directed for children aged from 0 to 3 years. The Architects have made a priority to conceive of an abstract non-stereotypical space with a ludic character that would meet the functional demands of the numerous procedures within the nursery. Circulation is achieved through ramps and the use of friendly materials such as a soft floor and operational ergonometry that are fundamental for a safe and comfortable environment for the children. Other than the usual services to accomodate the young ones, the Architects have also added importance to the landscaping to guarantee the safe interaction among the children. Bright colours such as yellow, orange and red were selected to create a stimulating atmosphere.

bamboo du jour

Aesthetically, this house is a sculptural and abstract replica of a traditional house. Karawitz Architecture reveals a double faced site sensitive house that is closed on the north to limit energy loss and opened on the south to take benefit of free sunshine. This project was the best performance low consumption house in France and the first house in the Parisian region to receive the European labeled certification PHI (Passiv Haus Institut). The Architects used an openworked second skin in non-treated bamboo envelops the skeleton made of massive wood panels. This coating, that becomes grey with time, has been inspired from the typical barns in this region. It covers the windows and continues on to the roof. Identical shutters that cover the large picture windows on the south creates light and shadow during the day and night.

under the skin - fourteen

John S. and James L. Knight Building, Akron Art Museum, Coop Himmelblau by Stanley Greenberg

roman tower

Global Architects and Bloot Architecture co-operated in an international team of architects and became third in the Vertical Spa in Rome International Architectural Competition. ARQUITECTUM and the Istituto Nazionale di Architettura want to bring a new element to the city’s debate and enigma - a 100m high tower, next to the Coliseum, which would present itself as an 'important' element showing Rome's complexity and hope that the building filters the perception of the local urban context.

under the skin - thirteen

Greenwich Street Project, New York, Winka Dubbeldam by Stanley Greenberg

toy blocks - three

Hong Kong by Michael Wolf

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Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, Bard College, Frank O. Gehry by Stanley Greenberg

sedap makan

DSA+s designed a restaurant for an owner who dreamt of having an outdoor Japanese Noodle restaurant using bamboo to materialise an umbrella concept. The form would function as a shelter and by overlapping the umbrella together, the Architects hopes that it would create a giant roof. The structure is tied up by a rope called 'ijuk' and each roof is supported independently by 4 bamboos, which is tied up with a cross-beam. The wide and high roof allows the wind to flow freely through the restaurant.

toy blocks - two

Hong Kong by Michael Wolf

under the skin - eleven

Schermerhorn House, Brooklyn, Polshek Partnership by Stanley Greenberg

sunken traffic

Salto AB's concept of the open air exhibition grounds is based on a road; while passing by, your route will be surrounded by different landscapes. The Architects have came up with a solution that forms a long 8-shaped path, where functions with different character are placed in succession like a comic strip. All space necessary for the museum is scooped into the landscape leaving rest of the environment as natural as possible.

toy blocks - one

Michael Wolf has lived and worked in Hong Kong since 1994. Stimulated by the region's complex urban dynamics, he makes dizzying photographs of its architecture.

One of the most densely populated metropolitan areas in the world, Hong Kong has an overall density of nearly 6,700 people per square kilometer. The majority of its citizens live in apartments in high-rise buildings. In his series Architecture of Density, Wolf investigates these vibrant city blocks, finding a mesmerizing abstraction in the buildings' facades.

Some of the structures in the series are photographed without reference to the context of sky or ground, and many buildings are seen in a state of repair or construction: their walls covered with a grid of scaffolding or the soft colored curtains that protect the streets below from falling debris. From a distance, such elements become a part of the photograph's intricate design.

Wolf explores the theme of the organic metropolis - that which develops according to the caprice of its citizens as much as the planning of its architects. In Architecture of Density, his vision has evolved to evaluate the high-rises that shape the spatial experience of Hong Kong's citizens. Wolf finds in each building a singular character, despite its functional purpose and massive form.

Michael Wolf (born in Munich, 1954) grew up in the United States and Germany, and studied at the University of California, Berkeley, and with Otto Steinert at the University of Essen in Germany. Two previous books—Sitting in China(2002) and Hong Kong: Front Door/Back Door (2005)—feature his much-acclaimed photographs of China. His work has been widely collected and exhibited internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago; Cleveland Museum of Art; Museum Centre Vapriikki, Tampere, Finland; Kestner Museum, Hannover, Germany; Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany; and the Daegu Photo Biennial, Korea. Wolf’s work is held in major collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Microsoft Art Collection; and the Neuberger Berman Art Collection. He divides his time between Europe and Asia.

under the skin - ten

Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Graduate Engineering Center, Clemson University, Greenville, SC, Mark Scogin Merrill Elam Architects by Stanley Greenberg