Rotterdam Market Hall by MVRDV

Construction has begun on a combined residential project and market hall in Rotterdam, designed by Dutch architectsMVRDV.

Called Rotterdam Market Hall, the building will comprise 228 apartments forming a tunnel over the market hall, glazed at each end.

The market hall itself will house 100 market stalls, shops and restaurants.

1,200 parking spaces and a supermarket will be located underground.

Each apartment will feature a balcony on the exterior of the building and a window onto the market hall below.

The project is due to be completed in 2014.

More information on the project website.

Images are by Provast.

Here are some more details from the architects:

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Construction Start MVRDV Market Hall

Today the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb and city councilor Hamit Karakus have officially started the construction of the new Rotterdam Market Hall. The arched building located in the centre of Rotterdam, developed by Provast and designed by MVRDV is a hybrid of public market and apartment building. Completion is set for 2014. Total investment is 175 million Euro with a total surface of 100.000 m2.

At the place where Rotterdam was founded, near the historic Laurens church, the Market Hall will be realized as a new urban typology. The Market Hall is a sustainable combination of food, leisure, living and parking. Fully integrated to enhance and use the synergetic possibilities of the different functions, a public building emerging from housing.

An arch of 228 apartments, of which 102 for rent, will create a large hall which houses 100 market stalls, shops and restaurants, 1200 parking spaces and an underground super market. The apartments will all have a balcony on the outside and a window to the inside of the market. Insulation will prevent any unwanted effects. The 40 meter tall and wide opening of the front and back will be covered with a flexible suspended glass façade, allowing for maximum transparency and a minimum of structure. The interior of the arch will display market produce.

The project with a total of 100.000 m2 is set to be completed in 2014 and part of the current regeneration of Rotterdam’s post war centre. Project developer Provast realizes the building, Unibail Rodamco invested in the shops and restaurants whilst Housing Corporation Vesteda will manage the rental apartments, making the building a socially integrated part of the city.

The Langley Academy by Foster + Partners

London architect Foster + Partners have completed an academy clad in wood in Berkshire, UK.

Called The Langley Academy, the project incorporates a three-storey building with a full-height atrium where 1,100 students can assemble.

Three yellow, cylindrical, two-storey volumes within this space house science laboratories.

Two arms leading outwards from the atrium are lined with 38 classrooms.

Vertical wooden louvers shade the building.

Students will be educated about science and environmental issues through the visible green features of the building, which include solar collectors, grey-water reuse, and a network of pipes illustrating how energy is collected and carried through the building.

Photographs are by Nigel Young.

Here’s some more information from the architects:

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Official opening for The Langley Academy

The Langley Academy, designed by Foster + Partners, is being officially opened today by Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE. It is an exemplar of sustainable design, a theme which is showcased by the building itself.

The first academy to specialise in museum learning, it also highlights rowing, cricket and science in its curriculum.

With an enclosed full-height atrium at the heart of the three-storey building, the social life of the school revolves around this assembly space for 1,100 students.

A recurrent element in several other of Foster + Partners’ academy buildings, the atrium is defined by a sense of transparency and openness – like a gallery of learning – which in this case also resonates with the museum theme. Inside the atrium there are three yellow drums raised above the floor on circular columns.

These two-storey pods house the Academy’s ten science laboratories, reinforcing the importance of science teaching.

A dedicated sports and culture block contains specialist facilities for music and drama including a fully equipped theatre, a TV and sound recording studio, soundproofed practice rooms and a rehearsal space, sports hall and lecture theatre.

The academy’s two light and airy covered streets extend from the atrium and are lined with 38 classrooms.

The environmental features save 20% in water consumption and approximately 150 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to a traditional academy and are used in the teaching of science and environmental issues.

Students can see the solar collectors on the roof and the workings of the exposed plant room, as well as the network of pipes that illustrate how energy is generated and carried through the building.

Rain water is collected and stored and grey water filtered for reuse in sanitation and irrigation; a system of horizontal louvers provides shade; and the building has been configured to allow out-of-hours use by the wider community, ensuring its sustainability over time.

Foster + Partners and Buro Happold collaborated on the environmental design.

Nigel Dancey, a senior partner and design director at Foster + Partners said:

“Environmental performance and appearance are indivisible at The Langley Academy. The school pioneers a revolutionary new educational concept which draws on the theme of museums and galleries, so that the school itself is like an exhibit, with its physical manifestation a showcase and educational tool for environmental design.”

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Museum Learning and the Academy’s Museum

The Langley Academy is the first school in the UK to provide Museum Learning and runs its own Museum. Museum Learning is more than just museum visits.

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Ancient artefacts and objects are brought into the classroom to spark questions, debate, analysis and provide connections across the curriculum.

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Museum Learning also provides unparalleled access to significant cultural institutions across the country and the Academy has run 12 museum visits so far this year, involving hundreds of students.

Gimpo Art Hall by G.Lab*

Seoul architects G.Lab* of Gansam Partners have unveiled their proposal for an art centre with a branch-like structure for Gimpo, South Korea.

Called Gimpo Art Hall, the design is inspired by the image of a tree, symbolising the area’s agricultural history.

The bulk of the building is elevated, creating a public plaza and walkway at street level.

Visitors enter via steps up to the first floor.

Construction is due to begin in 2010.

More by G.Lab* of Gansam Partners on Dezeen: Casamoro Condominiums.

Here’s some text from the architects:

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Gimpo Art Hall

The proposal for the Gimpo Art Hall embraces the city’s status as an emerging regional hub while reflecting upon history and local environment.

This Art Hall aims to become a signature destination in the city.

The image of a tree was chosen to reflect the culture of Gimpo’s agrarian past and also as a symbol of the central gathering space for the community.

The concept for the design was derived from considering the City’s History and newly found economic status in South Korea.

Situated on the southern bank of the Han River, Gimpo is a city in the process of transforming from an agricultural economy towards a contemporary consumer-based economy.

Flow and Branch:

Fluidity and Linkages describes the culture of this region.

The ability to adapt and stay the course, while connecting to and impressing upon a variety of cultures and economies are traits.

Aesthetically, the Structure sprouts from the ground, branches, multiplies, and envelopes the building Core and Nesting it above the street.

This structural-aesthetic reinforces Gimpo’s roots and modernization, while creating an interesting play on light and shadow.

The site also offers opportunities of pedestrian connectivity and guided views.

Sub-Basement Plan. Click for larger image

The Art Hall is located on the eastern end of a city block, with street access in all directions excluding the west and views toward a park and mountainscape to the south and southeast.

Basement Plan. Click for larger image

There is a pedestrian friendly walk connecting the site to the new gymnasium opposite the eastern road which is incorporated in the design. The emphasis on pedestrian access is inherent and accentuated in the design.

Ground Floor Plan. Click for larger image

Float, Cover, and Reveal:

By lifting the building mass above the street level, a covered pedestrian plaza is created. The formal Entrance is also elevated, resulting in a public viewing deck which amplifies unobstructed sightlines.

First Floor Plan. Click for larger image

The Floating Theater nested inside the building volume along with the branching facade allows for varying degrees of apertures /openings which punctuate views from the interior and reveal the city/landscape beyond.

Second Floor Plan. Click for larger image

“Growth with Elegance and Sophistication, re-imagined in the Gimpo Art Hall”

Architect: G.Lab* by Gansam Partners
Location: Gimpo, South Korea
Client: City of Gimpo
Project architect: Chuloh Jung
Design team: Youn-Sook Hwang, Lawrence V. Ha, Sang-Hyun Son, Krittin Campitak, Kyung-Mi Ahn, Namjoo Kim
Project area: 8,150 sqm
Competition Year: 2009
Construction Year: 2010
Status: Construction Documentation Phase