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Edition29 ARCHITECTURE for iPad

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 03:18 AM PDT


Edition29 ARCHITECTURE is an innovative app for Ipad, if you are new to this app, let’s take a quick look at the video above.

Edition29 ARCHITECTURE is one of the top 10 newspaper and magazines apps sold on Apple iPad in 2010, along with other publications such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Wired Magazine, as recently reported by the Financial Post.

The 5th Issue of Edition29 Architecture is the biggest one so far with over 170 pages of amazing visual drama elicited through great photography of structural sculptures that serve as residences from Japan to Portugal.

The RA House in the Kansai region by Japanese Architect Yoshiyuki Moriyama is an elegant cube like cement platform with glass facades planted on top to open up the living spaces to the scenes that surround this area. In this story, the architect speaks in Japanese and describes the house section by section as only the creator of this edifice can express. An amazing short film of the RA House accompanies this visual photographic journey.

The "Torreagüera Atresados" House set in Torreaguera, Spain, is a simple unfinished concrete block curtained with glass and cantilevered perpendicular to the functional base that is covered in multicolored reflective glass.  This is simplicity redefined as a work if art that allows a family to live and grow under its roof.

Following in the footsteps of buildings showcased in the past issues of Edition29 Architecture, this ISSUE 005 builds on the collection of great buildings that deserve to be seen, noticed and collected as a body of work that exemplifies genuine creativity and functionality in its inception and execution.

The cover photograph is of the RA HOUSE in the Kansai Region of Japan by photographer YASUNORI SHIMOMURA.

+ The app costs $2.99 available from iTunes store.

Edition29 a Edition29 ARCHITECTURE for iPad

courtesy Edition29 ARCHITECTURE

Edition29 b Edition29 ARCHITECTURE for iPad

courtesy Edition29 ARCHITECTUR

Edition29 c Edition29 ARCHITECTURE for iPad

courtesy Edition29 ARCHITECTURE

Utrecht, ‘Rijkswaterstaat’ Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Posted: 22 Mar 2011 02:16 AM PDT


The investigation of the site and the diverse town planning structures in the environment may be focused on two main themes:

  • the creation of a strong identity for the Ensemble Westraven itself – it should function as an Island, as a microstructure within the city structure
  • the attempt to achieve the most possible 'urban Integration' into the existing and intended town planning surroundings.

The Ensemble Westraven itself appears as a solitary building at the edge of the city directly at the waterside of the Amsterdam Rijnkanaal.

02 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat visualisation 600x457 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Render courtesy WES International GmbH

Regarding the mentioned points we suggest to put the ministry on a 'silver tray', to place it on a 'carpet' above the water. The Rijkswaterstaat as "master of the water". This "carpet", of course, has to support the attitude of the building and the architecture as well.

One of the main tasks is to find both, the right scale concerning the building, and, different atmospheres and moods concerning the quality of spaces used by the people.

Westraven Jannes Linders 1 600x450 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Image courtesy WES International GmbH | Photo by Jannes Linders

Westraven Jannes Linders 3 600x799 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Image courtesy WES International GmbH | Photo by Jannes Linders

This aim may be achieved by reduced means: the concentration on a calm 'water carpet' which will also function as a mirror and which will start a dialog between the glass facades, the art of Ned Kahn, the sky and the water of the canal…

Due to some technical problematics and prohibitions the 'carpet' had to be reduced in size during the preliminary design development. Regarding the alternative solution, the lawn with the polished structure used as a 'drawing', this was difficult. Regarding the main concept, the water carpet, size and power of the water are still convincing. That's why we suggest to follow the water-concept.

03 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat visualisation 600x408 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Render courtesy WES International GmbH

Westraven Peter Christiaan 2 600x387 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Image courtesy WES International GmbH | Photo by Peter Christiaan

Approaching the building means getting the first impression. The entrance area is the place where the client welcomes his guests and employees. Therefore the 'picture' of a square, of an inviting plaza would be appropriate.

The lane for the access road could be integrated in the plaza without showing itself as a main road. In front of the building the 'water carpet' would appear as a huge element on that square, as a second layer. To the north, there will be a more charming atmosphere under weeping willows along the former ditch.

06 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat Peter Christiaan 600x450 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Image courtesy WES International GmbH | Photo by Peter Christiaan

This entrance area will be kept free of parking cars and bicycles. A Bus-stop-position and parking loft for disabled people are located west of the entrance area. Six busses may find their parking position under the bridge. East of the building there may also be a charming area under trees, which connects to the canal and the green 'park area' opposite of the canal.

Between the edge of the water carpet and the canal should be one linear sitting element.

The Hall

The entrance hall has to connect inside and outside spaces.

07 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat sketch paradise garden 600x422 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Sketch courtesy WES International GmbH

For the public area there might be a poetic white space, very reduced, with lounge furniture. A space where you are inside and outside at the same time, with slim and high columns and covered by a web.

Here the visitor as well as the employee may find a place to sit down in futuristic lounge sofas, allowing his mind to feel free and to look outside, to see the sky above and to think about the future.

From above there could hang some green "candelabra" with scurrile shaped twiners.

08 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat sketch paradise garden 600x424 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Render courtesy WES International GmbH

In contrast the employees' garden might represent the image of surprising opulent paradise. In the green space full of plants there may be some paradise birds in a volière, white ducks in an enclosured area, a pond full of goldfishes. Twiners growing along wires lead vertically and diagonally across the space. In some hidden places there are chairs to sit and relax.

The terrace around the building integrates technical requirements and offers the possibility to use it even as 'terrace'.

Concerning the environment of the site it would be useful to 'refresh' some areas. The surrounding elements could be used as a frame, could provide the 'stage' around the building.

From the crossroads at the Transferium it is not possible to see the tower. Therefore the view to the edge of the Ministry Building should be focussed – for example by lines of colouring poplars, used like curtains.

09 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat paradise garden 600x399 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Image courtesy WES International GmbH

If the Transferium could be covered with an astonishing material, it could become a sculpture itself. Another possibility is to make it less important by covering it with trees. The suggested solution is the attempt to achieve best qualities and atmospheres by reduced means.

The project has been awarded Dutsch 'Construction Award 2009', 'Daylight Award 2008' nominated for 'National Steel Prize', nominated for 'Building of the Year 2008', nominated for 'Mies van der Rohe Award 2009'.

01 Utrecht Rijkswaterstaat plan 600x399 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

Layout plan, drawing courtesy WES International

+ Project credits / data

Project: Utrecht, ´Rijkswaterstaat´ Ministry of transport and waterfeatures
Completion: 2008
Location: Utrecht, The Netherlands
Design: WES International GmbH | http://www.wesup.de/utre05082.html, with Architectenbureau cepezed
Photographers: Peter Christiaan, Jannes Linders

+ About WES International
WES partners Foto von Ingolf Timpner 600x600 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbH

WES International partners - Peter Schatz, Henrike Wehberg-Krafft, Hinnerk Wehberg, Michael Kaschke, Wolfgang Betz, image courtesy WES International | Photo by Ingolf Timpner

Philosophy

logo wes gmbh 75 600x140 Utrecht, Rijkswaterstaat Ministry of transport and waterfeatures | WES International GmbHThe office is conducted by the four partners Peter Schatz, Wolfgang Betz, Michael Kaschke and Henrike Wehberg-Krafft. Hinnerk Wehberg is involved as advisor and representative. We place a great deal of importance on all of the working phases, imposing high standards regarding design, content, "artistic" quality, and professional realisation.

The work of our firm encompasses the architectural design of interior and exterior spaces, the planning of open spaces and sites and the preparation of property surveys and urban planning concepts as well as "Kunst am Bau" (the German concept of construction-related public art).

Along with many pioneering projects in Germany and Europe, such as the Jungfernstieg in Hamburg, the grounds for the new head offices of the German magazine “Spiegel” in Hamburg, the “Autostadt Wolfsburg”, the International Garden Exhibition 2003 in Rostock and the grounds for the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Waterfeatures "Rijkswaterstaat" in Utrecht, WES International is currently taking on an increasing number of projects in China and Arab regions.

The exceptional quality of WES International's work is demonstrated through its continual success in international design competitions. In recent years the firm has won numerous prizes, including first prize for the master plan Dubai Pearl with ASP Schweger Associated Architects, first prize for the site plan of the mosque Grande Mosquée d'Alger in Algiers with the architectural firm KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten and first prize for the site plan of China Mobile South Base in Guangzhou with gmp, von Gerkan, Marg und Partner.

WES International was also chosen as the best landscape architecture firm in Germany in 2008 by the jury of the international book "Made in Germany – Best of Contemporary Architecture". Tim Richardson ranks the office among the 50 visionaries of the contemporary Landscape in his book “Avant Gardeners”.

Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 10:30 PM PDT


Brazilian architect Coletivo Arquitetos designed a temporary sales office for a real estate enterprise in the waterfront city of Santos, Brazil. To permit reuse of the same structure in other sales stands, the project conceived modulate metallic structure. The idea was to create a covered and open plaza to suggest the continuity of the boardwalk to the beach, inviting the public to interact with this space. For this was created a pavilion composed of two drop boxes. An internal box where it develops the whole program, and an outer box surrounding the first made of a set of tubes of circular cross section. Between the two boxes there is a corridor that, after dark, is lit by colored LED with different colors, and where you can track the construction of the project and sighting the sea.

Architect: Coletivo Arquitetos | arq. Cesar Coppola / arq. Daniela Coppola

COLETIVO YUNY VISTA2 REV01b 600x450 Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Image courtesy Coletivo Arquitetos

COLETIVO YUNY VISTA04 1A 600x450 Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Image courtesy Coletivo Arquitetos

COLETIVO YUNY VISTA04 1B 600x450 Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Image courtesy Coletivo Arquitetos

COLETIVO YUNY VISTA04 1E 600x450 Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Image courtesy Coletivo Arquitetos

COLETIVO YUNY VISTA04 1F 600x450 Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Image courtesy Coletivo Arquitetos

COLETIVO YUNY VISTA04 1H 600x450 Santos Sales Office | Coletivo Arquitetos

Image courtesy Coletivo Arquitetos

Design Talks at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan

Posted: 21 Mar 2011 07:31 PM PDT


Scuola Politecnica Design Talks at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in MilanFrom 23 March 2011 at the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, the new calendar of lectures with top figures of graphics and contemporary design.

For the fifth edition of Design Talks, the Scuola Politecnica di Design SPD proposes a new series of encounters with well-known international designers who have been asked to recount their professional experience combined with their personal path of research. Introduced by Silvia Sfligiotti and Ali Filippini, who curated the programme respectively for the graphic and design sections, the conferences will be held at the school, located in the lively artistic and creative complex of Via Ventura 15 in Milan.

Here is the first lecture,
23 March 2011: Sergio Menichelli \ Studio FM Milano