National Art Museum of China Proposal

National Art Museum of China Proposal / MAD Architects

BY: LIDIJA GROZDANIC | OCTOBER - 1 - 2012

The building was designed by MAD Architects, as proposal for the international competition for the future National Art Museum of China in Bejing. Their concept is based on an elevated public square which is protected by a floating mega volume above.

The original structure of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) built in 1962, houses one of the country’s largest art collections and has played host to some of the influential exhibitions as recorded in contemporary Chinese history. The current plans are to move the institution into a new building, situated within a designated ‘art district’ on the central axis of the 2008 Olympic site.

MAD’s design is organized into three layers, where programs are divided by each level. The one-storey ground floor houses all ancillary functions and is conceived in such a way that it can be operated independently from the museum in off hours. Above this, a 20,000 square meter urban plaza program acts as the main gallery for permanent art collections and exhibitions. The arrangement of this hall gives visitors the opportunity to decide how to engage with the works on show, while simultaneously being surrounded by outward views of the surrounding cityscape courtesy of windows that wrap around the perimeter of the structure. This level is also directly connected to the former Olympic park via a bridge, thus making use of an area of the urban plan which would otherwise be ignored.

Pinup 2012 Student Competition Winners

Pinup 2012 Student Competition Winners

The AIAS, ADC and AIGA, the Morpholio Project, along with Death By Architecture, congratulates the Pinup 2012: Student Competition Winners and Honorable Mentions. Pinup 2012 was assembled as a means to publically promote the research, exploration and investigation currently happening in academia. All of the submissions exemplified outstanding work and the competition organizers are grateful for the enormous amount of students who were bold enough to confront the world with their voice.

The proliferation of device culture, social networking, and cloud technology are changing the way we work, and connect on a daily basis. For designers, this means that technology is not only transforming the process of production, but also the processes through which we share, critique, and organize ourselves around the work we do. The competition is first, and foremost an experiment in distributed intelligence. By leveraging the “wisdom of crowds” every designer can see and understand how his or her work is experienced by others. It has been predicted that in 2020, there will be 50 billion mobile internet connections worldwide, the equivalent of seven devices per person. Thus, this competition is not simply about the existence of technology, but rather why and how we harness it as designers.

PinUp 2012 poses the following questions: What are the standards and aspirations by which we evaluate design today? In an increasingly networked culture, what makes a project capable of cutting through the virtual noise, and starting a new conversation? How do evolving forms of media affect the way in which your message reaches its destination? What is your message?

The competition challenges you to confront the world with your work. By sending it out into the field you will test yourself and your projects. You are the designer, the curator and the critic.

PinUp 2012 was assembled by professors and students for students as a means to publicly promote the research, exploration and investigation currently happening in academia. It is supported by the AIAS, ADC, AIGA and is hosted by The Morpholio Project. Sixteen Honorable Mentions will be selected as well as featured in the Morpholio Community and the winning entrant(s) will receive a Community area dedicated specifically to their University or School as a public forum for their work. We look forward to your participation.

Winners

Anthony Shung Yiu Ko
AA School of Architecture

Jonathan Choe
Illinois Institute of Technology

Tetyana Serafin
Norwalk Community College CT

Anna Pietrzak
University of Cincinnati

Honorable MentionsJason Khoo
Singapore Polytechnic

Ivorin Vrkas
School of Design Zagreb Croatia

Matilda Schuman
Lund School of Architecture

Junsheng Fu
Tsinghua SA

Ziba Esmaeilian
SciArc

Tom Wilz
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point

Anesta Iwan
California College of the Arts

Dean Austin
Deakin Uni Australia

Chunxiao Xu
Tsinghua SA

Coralee Brin
University of Calgary

Hiromu Noir
TU Berlin

Trent Christensen
NYIT School of Architecture

New Wave Architecture

University of Semnan Auditorium and Library / New Wave Architecture

The project is located in the Iranian city of Semnan, and acts as an extension of the existing university campus. Taking a pivotal role in the complex and acting as a vibrant social hub, the added structures are two separate buildings – an auditorium and a library. The buildings pertain to the same architectural articulation, while creating different spacial characteristics. The dynamic and welcoming spaces of the auditorium are juxtaposed with the calm environment of the library. The achitectural dialogue creates a academic context that encourages interaction and learning.

The project attempts to approach a monumental and memorable picture of academic library and auditorium. The woven and crossing hasps on the façade link volumes visually while triangular dark glass openings illuminate spaces and illustrate authentic play of light and shadow. These elements provide a quiet atmosphere while diminishing the sunlight radiation, particularly in the hot summer. The Auditorium complex includes a 1000 seats auditorium, and 100. 200 seats convention halls, ,a multi-functional hall and a foyer. The library includes reading cluster, informal sitting newspaper, multi-lingual storages, computer station, reference collection hall, offices, exquisite book area and etc.

Expo 2012 Yeosu - South Korea

www.thietkeminhphi.com

Opening of the Thematic Pavilion for the EXPO 2012, Yeosu, South-Korea / SOMA

The Thematic Pavilion for the EXPO 2012 planned by the Austrian architecture office SOMA will be opened in Yeosu on 11th of May. Soma’s design proposal One Ocean was selected as the first prize winner in an open international competition in 2009.
The main design intent was to embody the Expo’s theme The Living Ocean and Coast and transform it into a multi-layered architectural experience. Therefore the Expo’s agenda, namely the responsible use of natural resources was not visually represented, but actually embedded into the building, e.g. through the sustainable climate design or the biomimetic approach of the kinetic façade. The cutting-edge façade system was developed together with Knippers Helbig Advanced Engineering and supports the aim of the world exhibition to introduce forward-looking innovations to the public.
The pavilion inhabits the thematic exhibition that gives visitors an introduction to the EXPO’s agenda. The Best Practice Area on the upper level functions as a flexible stage for organizations and institutions. The permanent building is constructed in a former industrial harbor along a new promenade. After the EXPO the pavilion will stay an attraction for tourists and local residents.

Urban Library of the Future

The two main aims in UNStudio’s design for the Urban Library of the Future and Centre for New Media in Gent are to create a dynamic, flexible and open knowledge environment, whilst simultaneously strengthening the character of the location with the introduction of a building with a distinct architectural identity. Sustainability is the guiding factor in the design, based on the conviction that not only must the environmental and user-friendly design of the Urban Library of the Future be able to evolve along with new media, but it must also offer the possibility for future change of use. Withan open landscape, spaciousness, extensive views, alternative circulation routes, several meeting areas and a public plaza, the design for the library affords a renewal of its urban context.

The building is both fluid in form and accommodating to its surroundings. This is evidenced by its appearance – which varies according to the orientation – as well as from the decision to lift the building volume above ground level, thereby creating light, transparency and expansive sightlines. However the layered structure and low construction volume ensure that the impact of the design on the urban profile is minimal and that views to the characteristic towers of Gent are preserved. The structure also makes it possible to introduce (green) roof terraces whilst also ensuring low levels of direct sunlight penetration.

Based on the functional organisation the volume is lifted in order to create public space around the Library. In conjunction with the promenade along the quays, this results in interaction with the surrounding water and thereby the revival of the Waalse Krook.

The internal organisation of the building is based on an open central void, around which the circulation takes place. This internal void enhances the spatial experience and creates clear orientation through the building. In addition to providing an extension of the urban context and the junction of the circulation routes, the internal void also functions as a link between the various functional clusters in the design. The void fulfills a bridging function between the city and the Municipal Library, and as such acts as a metaphor for public perception.

Great idea

Revolutionary Opera Theater for the Karmelitermarkt in Vienna

How to integrate an opera theater into the historic urban fabric of Vienna? This project seeks to develop a middle ground between excessive un-architecture and conventional opera theater. One of the strategies is to create a new vertical transition part as the coherent between the opera theater and the concert hall. It was designed as a solution to the substantial decrease of earth specially which site is located in a high density residential district. This tower proposes an intensive, yet ivy romantic environment with an Opera Theater, a Concert Hall and a Panoramic Restaurant where you will be able to find little squares, picturesque sightseeing to this city, parks, hanging garden, and many cultural facilities.

Tang Fei experimented with form production at the Excessive Studio II, Urban Strategies, Die Angewandte Vienna in Austria to produce an Opera Theater or a Concert Hall in the Karmelitermarket.