alejandrocabrera

Inverted Warehouse Townhouse - New York

2011-12-29T08:41:00.000-08:00

This is not exactly a cozy home but its brutaliststrength fits an old Manhattan warehouse well.

The Inverted Warehouse Townhouse has receivednumerous U.S. awards. It is the creation of Dean-Wolf Architects of New York,where architect Charles Wolf and designer Eunjeong Seong were in charge of theproject.

We like the visible stairs that create a sense oflift and movement upward. We like the large surfaces of brick, steel and glass.We like the visibility between floors and from space to space that solves thepotential problem of dark boxy rooms inside a windowless warehouse.

It is an impressive conversion of a loft (of 10,500square feet) within a vast warehouse that covers the entire lot, leaving noroom for outside space, garden or patio.

The main achievements of Dean-Wolf's work are cuttingthe roof open to let the natural light in and then using glass panels to let itshine into the dark centre of the expansive structure.

By doing this, they also created "outdoor"space inside, making the residence feel like it has a courtyard. They alsocreated a large garden deck off the main living room.

To open up the key areas of the residence to thisnatural light, the main entry, via an elevator, is now on the fifth floor wherepublic spaces and the bedrooms, playrooms and study are located. In a moretypical townhouse, this "parlor" floor would be accessed through thefront steps of the building. - Tuija Seipell http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

Methodist Chapel conversion

2011-12-16T07:30:00.000-08:00

It is no secret to regular readers that Kim and I have a "thing" for church conversions. Today's remodel is amazing. A minimalist conversion of a stunning stone-built Grade II-listed former Methodist chapel (1868) in peaceful countryside on the Dorset / Wiltshire border. A once austere house of worship is now an austerely beautiful house to worship. Designed by Gary Tarn and for sale through The Modern House Real Estate Agents here, the price will have you selling your soul but oh my what a home! (Many thanks to professional house stalker Selina for the introduction to this website.)

Party by the beach

2011-12-05T14:14:00.001-08:00

Where the rainforest meets the sea on a Brazilian island there is a sliver of sand. Where the rainforest meets the sea there are palm trees. Where the rainforest meets the sea there is a house. A stone house and concrete and glass house. A perfect beach party house. Casa Paraty by Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27.

Wooden House With Inner Courtyard

2011-11-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

DI Bernardo Bader designed this house with a valuable “indoor environment quality” achieved by the inner garden courtyard which is hidden from outside views.Project description:A congenial alternative to the classical single-family houses in vorarlberg with their typical one-piece cubatures and poorly screened private outdoor areas because in the majority of cases the gardens are just surrounded by some hedges.The parcel of land, just measuring 500 square meter, is located in a soon-to-be populated area of settlement at the outskirts of the village sulz. It lies between existing development and the agricultural green belt and girded by highly frequented paths leading to the recreational area in the close neighborhood.The house is arranged on two floors. The ground floor contains kitchen, dining- and living room, secondary rooms and the garage. The terrace encloses the greened patio in whose centre a tree grows through the open roof.

LA MAISON CHAMPS ELYSÉES

2011-10-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Parisian hotel La Maison Champs Elysées spans two buildings, one dating from the Second Empire under Napoleon III, the other built more recently. Belgian fashion design house Martin Margiela, who won a competition to re-design the historical part of the building, created 17 hotel suites called the Couture Collection, a restaurant, a smoking room, a bar, and the reception area. The spaces, which opened this past summer, offer harmonious contrasts and touches of surrealism and marks the designer’s first foray into hotel interiors.

The Gilded Lounge suite is covered in wallpaper made from black and white photographs taken of the Second Empire-style Gilded Salon located on the hotel’s second floor.

The suite includes a WC with a library mural of books.

The three Lost Mouldings suites are subtly embellished with wooden moldings that start and finish at random. The monochromatic scheme is decorated in various shades of white, from very light gray to light beige. The salon and bedroom are separated by a central space with sliding partitions.

The Curiosity Case suite resembles a carbon cube, with black painted walls and black stained parquet oak floor. The atmosphere is both hushed and voluptuous.

The curtains are fashioned from black wool cloth with fine pinstripes reminiscent of the traditional fabric for a gentleman’s suit.

In the lounge, a wall is devoted to a curiosities case that displays various objects and texts.

The pictures, objects and furnishings in the White Cover suite are draped with loose, white covers.

There are five Margiela-designed Junior Couture suites, split over two levels. The hall, which includes the dressing room, leads to a staircase going down to the bed. The flooring, walls, and bed are done in layered silver birch.

Opposite the bed, an imaginary landscape has been specially printed on the wallpaper, and is reflected on the adjacent mirrored wall.

The configuration of white tiling with black grout in the bathroom has a graph paper effect.

There are six Deluxe Couture suites designed by Margiela. The wall above the bed is highlighted by three squares of painted light, giving the illusion of sunlight streaming in from the adjacent windows.

The light beige wool carpet is printed with a red Persian rug trompe-l’œil beside the bed.

The White Lounge is just one of the enchanting public spaces that Margiela conceived.

Even the restaurant patio furniture is draped in white covers, and surrounded by lush plantings.

The hotel reception area is shaped like a mirrored prism. The floor is Pierre de Mareuil limestone flagstone with random black slate insets (“scattered as if by the wind”). Look carefully below the brushed stainless picture lights. They illuminate nothing, or what the hotel terms “missing paintings.”

Adieu!

Necessary-021-room-room

2011-10-16T19:57:00.001-07:00

Necessary #021. Room Room
10/12/2011

Architectural barriers are not a problem only for the movement-impaired. Walls inside a house, for example, make it impossible for deaf people to see someone else in an another room, thus completely blocking all sign communication. Japanese architect Takeshi Hosaka a tried to offer a solution to this problem with his Room Room house, a home for a family in which the two parents are deaf. The architect furnished the house with openings in the walls (in the shape of fine squared niches) that allow all the members of the family never to lose eye – and ear – contact of one another. (via Dezeen)

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Photo di Koji Fujii / Nacasa & Partners

Loft in Barcelona

2011-09-20T07:43:00.001-07:00

YLAB arquitectos renovated a 100 square meter apartment with a big terrace in an old building in the hearth of a traditional neighborhood in Barcelona.

Here is the project description:

The house has a very deep and narrow floor plan and only two facades at the ends, one to the street and the other one to the terrace in the inner courtyard.

The proposal is an integral architectural intervention of the space with two main goals: to maximize the lighting and ventilation from the facades eliminating unnecessary partitions, and to obtain a new distribution that contains all the uses required by its young owner: a bedroom suite, a guest bathroom and bedroom, a working studio, a kitchen and a dining room for parties and meetings.
In order to maximize the lighting it is necessary to achieve a structural intervention that completely eliminates the internal partitions and a structural wall located directly behind the back façade, which is key to the optimal use of light.
Moreover, due to the difficult geometry of the housing, all the different functions can only be accommodated through a flexible and unconventional distribution that allows joining and separating spaces and even change their function, depending on the occasion. The new distribution consists of a large diaphanous and spacious common area, which runs continuously from façade to façade, and a private semi-closed box formed by the bedroom suite and guest bathroom.
The common area is formed by the entrance hall, dining room, library, studio and living room in the rear facade, and the kitchen in the front facade. All these areas are aligned along a longitudinal wall made of hand made solid brick.
The bedroom is located between a high cupboard, with the double function of entrance hall wardrobe and bedroom closet, and a large wooden core containing the two bathrooms, which becomes a piece of furniture with shelves in the studio area. This furniture hides two large sliding wooden doors that allow the independency of two different spaces: the bedroom, which is separated from the common area, and a part of the living room containing a sofa-bed, that allows a punctual use as a guest room.

The wooden core is a deep framework framing and raising the bathrooms. The cross partitions are resolved with sliding translucent glass doors to enable lighting, ventilation and visual connection between spaces. In the inside all inner surfaces, including ceiling and floor, are covered with light colour Bisazza mosaic and mirror. The sanitaries and fixtures are suspended or free standing to contribute to the feeling of transparency. The result is a game of gloss and reflections that multiply the light and convert the bathroom into a bright and sophisticated space, in contrast to the warm and sober rest of the house.

Photos by Raúl Caneles & Esther Algara

house-of-slope-by-fujiwarramuro-architects

2011-09-07T07:15:00.001-07:00

A sloping corridor coils around the inside of a house in Osaka to connect three staggered storeys.

The house was designed by Japanese studio Fujiwarramuro Architects and is located in a dense urban area.

Timber columns and criss-crossing metal braces support both the stepped and sloped floors.

The 25 metre-long ramp leads past clusters of rooms for each family member to a rooftop balcony with a skylight.

Another Japanese house previously featured on Dezeen is surrounded by staircases and slides, rather than ramps – see the story here and see all our stories about houses in Japan here.

Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano.

Here are some more details from the architects:

House of Slope

This residential project is built on a flag-shaped site in Osaka surrounded by densely packed buildings.

Even when faced with these challenging site conditions, we felt that it would be possible to come up with an interesting design solution based on a structure that appears to “float” in a large, open space.

By ensuring a continuous sense of spatial circulation through the flag-shaped portion of the site, the inhabitants of the house are able to “drift” through their favorite spaces like goldfish in a bowl.

The sloping structure that extends from the first floor through the second and up until the roof – covering a length of some 25 meters over approximately one-and-a-half revolutions – allows the family members to distribute themselves across its entire length, each occupying a different section of the building.

Several beams offer structural support for the wooden slope and spiral-shaped floors of the building, creating a residential space made up of ambiguously demarcated domains that are staggered apart yet also integrated with each other, thereby achieving a sense of breadth and openness.

Location: Sakai, Osaka, Japan
Principle use: single family house
Site area: 103.91 m2
Building area: 52.17 m2
Total floor area: 107.49 m2

Project architect: Shintaro Fujiwara, Yoshio Muro
Project team: Fujiwarramuro Architects
Structure: Timber
Photographer: Toshiyuki Yano

rounded-loft-by-a1architects

2011-08-24T09:23:00.001-07:00

A stainless steel net takes the place of a banister around the staircase and first floor corridor of this apartment in Prague.

A1Architects converted the former attic of an apartment block into a two-storey residence with living rooms and bedrooms on the lower level and a guest suite on the upper floor.

Illuminated timber bookshelves are arranged like a wall of bricks behind a staircase that ascends from the living room, whilst two hollow bottom steps provide additional storage space.

Walls and ceilings in this room and elsewhere in the apartment have rounded edges.

The apartment also contains a marble and granite kitchen, grey-plastered feature walls and exposed timber columns.

A1Architects previously designed a larch-clad teahouse with a tall roof – see our earlier story here.

Photography is by David Maštálka of A1Architects.

Here are some more details from the architects:

Rounded Loft

Prague, Czech Republic
Lenka Křemenová & David Maštálka / A1Architects

At the beginning of the year 2010 we had started designing grand attic loft in Prague. It was a new challenge for us to deal with almost “boundless” space for living according to our previous experience focused mainly on small scale.

The issue of “boundless” space became the main motif of our work. The private spaces such as bedrooms are of course separated, but the rest of common activities rooms are connected within one fluent space.

It starts at the entrance hall with dressing wardrobes and slightly continues towards living space and kitchen with large dining table, the space is also opened to upper gallery which is meant for guests. To reach specific fluency of space we decided to round off some of the interior corners, which finally give the space its unique smooth character.

Due to these softened corners one moves and feel simply free and the boundaries of walls somehow disappears. Even the staircase with integrated fireplace and library climbs up in rounded corner. The railing is made out of thin stainless steel net, so it is safe but even smooth and transparent.

Next to the main continuous living space there are three bedrooms and one study room, and some storage spaces integrated mostly as built in furniture.

The issue of materials was another important part of the project. Their main attributes are touchableness and pure naturalness. We chose carefully many of them together with clients at stone workshop and joinery. Most of wooden furniture were tailor made pieces.

Beige large format tiles are used on all attic floors to support the feeling of continuity. We exposed as much of the wooden bearing structure as we could.

The kitchen counter is made out of black granite stone which is next to bright marble on the wall behind. There is used walnut wood for the dining table and ash veneer for the light above.

The living space is connected with the kitchen by raw grey plaster.

Client: private person
Authors: A1Architects
MgA. Lenka Křemenová, MgA. David Maštálka
Project: A1Architects
Floor area: cca 220 m2
Realisation: 2011
Study: 2010

jaffa-flat-by-pitsou-kedem

2011-08-24T08:38:00.001-07:00

Wall coverings have been peeled away to reveal a vaulted stone ceiling that’s several hundred years old inside this refurbished apartment in Tel Aviv.

Israeli architects Pitsou Kedem removed walls between the sandstone brick columns to create an open plan living and dining room surrounded by arches.

An exterior wall was replaced by a thinly framed glass arch that now links the living room to a balcony overlooking the port of Old Jaffa.

The architects installed Corian shelving and surfaces to rooms, as well as a stainless steel kitchen.

A transparent glass cylinder surrounds a shower in the bedroom.

Framed glass doors provide access from this bedroom to a second outdoor terrace.

Other refurbished interiors featured on Dezeen include a Tokyo apartment with the appearance of an elegant building site and a former poet’s house converted into a writer’s retreat.

Photography is by Amit Geron.

Here are some more details from Pitsou Kedem:

Jaffa Flat

The language of minimalism imbedded in a historic residence in Old Jaffa.

The 100 square meter residential home is located in Old Jaffa. Its location is unique in that it is set above the harbor, facing west with all of its openings facing the majestic splendor of the Mediterranean Sea.

Whilst it is difficult to determine the buildings exact age, it is clear that it is hundreds of years old.

Over the years, it has undergone many changes and had many additions made that have damaged the original quality of the building and its spaces.

The central idea was to restore the structure’s original, characteristics, the stone walls, the segmented ceilings and the arches including the exposure of the original materials (a combination of pottery and beach sand).

The building has been cleaned of all of the extraneous elements, from newer wall coverings and has undergone a peeling process to expose its original state.

Surprisingly, modern, minimalistic construction styles remind us of and correspond with the ascetic style of the past, and this despite the vast time difference between them.

The central idea was to combine the old and the new whilst maintaining the qualities of each and to create new spaces that blend the styles together even intensify them because of the contrast and tension between the different periods.

The historical is expressed by preserving the textures and materials of the buildings outer shell and by respecting the building engineering accord.

The modern is expressed by the opening of spaces and by altering the internal flow to one more open and free and the creation of an urban loft environment along with the use of stainless steel, iron and Corian in the various partitions, in the openings and in the furniture.

The project succeeds in both honoring and preserving the historical and almost romantic values of the structure whilst creating a contemporary project, modern and suited to its period.

Despite the time differences, the tensions and the dichotomy between the periods exist in a surprisingly balanced and harmonic space.

Design team: Pitsou Kedem & Raz Melamed

Experiencing The Past

2011-08-18T11:06:00.001-07:00

If you're an adventurous traveler, the kind who seek the unexpected when abroad, this might be the kind of lodging you might want to experience. Yet another minimalist hotel in Italy, this one is quite different from the one featured in yesterday's post. Austrian architects feld72, took an abandoned house in Prata Sannita, north of Naples, Italy, and transformed it into The Million Donkey Hotel, resembling the town's original cave-like houses built into the the rocky hillside. The hotel is far from being a 5-star resort, but the experience of going back to Medieval times is priceless. Although the hotel doesn't offer many rooms, they're extremely unique, especially Il Letto Volante (The Flying Bed), a room with a rolling bed that gives you the option of sleeping indoors or under the stars — of course, given you don't suffer from acrophobia.

Images © Hertha Hurnaus

Roof Garden Apartment by Tonkin Liu (UK)

2011-08-02T11:06:00.001-07:00

Roof Garden Apartment by Tonkin Liu; photo by Mike Tonkin

This airy rooftop apartment located in London’s sought-after area of Shoreditch has been realised by the British practice Tonkin Liu. Built atop an old brick warehouse, the two-storey family house boasts six bedrooms, a play area, a living room and a terrace enclosed with fragrant climbers while its fine-white-mesh and galvanised-steel façade ‘mirrors the changing colour of the sky and captures light and shadows.’

Roof Garden Apartment by Tonkin Liu; photo by Mike Tonkin

About the project:

‘On top of a warehouse in Shoreditch an empty roof overlooked the city. The brief was for a six-bedroom family house with outdoor spaces that maximised the potentials of the site. The owners wanted a place for the family to grow that would bring life and greenery to the Shoreditch cityscape. The existing brick warehouse structure was damaged and rebuilt after the war. The central columns were not adequate to take any additional loads. The load of the new building had to be delivered to the perimeter walls. From a ring beam at roof level the structure grows up to forms a transfer structure at high level from which the new building is hung. On the gable and party walls and within the floor slabs the frame is braced within the timber substructure. To the south and west a 7m tall loggia is formed by the external structure, framing the view of the city. ’

Roof Garden Apartment by Tonkin Liu; photo by Mike Tonkin

‘The house is entered via a bridge that comes from a neighbouring building. The lower floor is divided into 5 bedrooms and a play area with a sunken conversation pit. All the rooms open out onto a terrace enclosed with planting. The main living space is a tall room on the upper level. In the centre of the space a tower, housing the polycarbonate bathroom, rises up through the structure to bring in light. Patterns of rain are projected onto the floor by lighting the skylight from the roof level. To the west the master bedroom can be closed off with a giant sliding door. A cantilevered balcony overlooks the city to the south. A spiral staircase leads up to the green roof, the solar collectors and a large roof deck surrounded by fragrant planting. ‘

Roof Garden Apartment by Tonkin Liu; photo by Tonkin Liu

to Tonkin Liu’s profile on Architonic

to the Roof Garden Apartment project on Architonic

cite-de-l’ocean-et-du-surf-by-steven-holl-architects-and-solange-fabiao

2011-06-28T18:19:00.001-07:00

Steven Holl Architects have collaborated with Brazilian architect Solange Fabião on this wave-shaped museum of the sea in Biarritz, France, which opened this week.

The Cité de l’Océan et du Surf has a cobbled plaza over the concave roof, which gently descends to meet the sloping ground.

The galleries of the museum are contained within this curving concrete block, while two acid-etched glass boxes at one end accomodate restaurants and a surfer’s kiosk.

The museum houses exhibitions about scientific issues associated with the sea and tides.

Above photograph is by Steven Holl Architects

Photography is by Iwan Baan apart from where otherwise stated.

Here are some more details from the architects:

Cité de l’Océan et du Surf opens in Biarritz, France

The Cité de l’Océan et du Surf, located in Biarritz, France will open to the public on June 26, 2011.

Above photograph is by Steven Holl Architects

The museum, a design by Steven Holl Architects in collaboration with Brazilian artist and architect Solange Fabião, aims to raise awareness of oceanic issues and scientific aspects of surf and sea.

Above photograph is by Steven Holl Architects

Derived from the spatial concept “under the sky” / “under the sea”, the museum’s concave exterior creates a central gathering plaza, open to the sky and sea, with the horizon in the distance.

Above photograph is by Steven Holl Architects

On the interior, the inverse convex curve becomes the ceiling of the main exhibition space, evoking the sense of being “under the sea.”

san-telmo-museum-extension-by-nieto-sobejano-arquitectos

2011-06-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Moss is expected to grow on the perforated aluminium skin of this museum extension in San Sebastián by Spanish studio Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos.

With its rear wall pushed into the edge of the hillside, the new two-storey block stretches out at a right-angle to the San Telmo Museum.

A staircase ascends across the block, allowing vistors to climb over the roof and onto the landscape.

The museum extension contains galleries for temporary exhibitions as well as an auditorium, library, teaching areas, cloakroom, shop and cafeteria.

Photography is by Fernando Alda. See more images of this project onAlda’s website.

This information is from the architects:

San Telmo Museum Extension
Competition 1st Prize 2005

The Museum of San Telmo, in its present condition, represents the result of a long process of successive modifications which has partially altered its physical and functional character over the years.

Its location on the fringe where the urban structure meets the topography of Monte Urgull is a reflection, on the other hand, of an urban problem very characteristic of San Sebastian: the solution of a division never completely solved between natural and artificial landscape.

How to approach a contemporary extension of San Telmo in response to new requirements for space and stringent landscaping conditions, while expressing its connection to the location with the passing of time?

The direct and radical gesture which defines out proposal implies paradoxically its practical dissolution in the landscape of Monte Urgull.

We will limit ourselves to building a new green wall, deep and light, which is defined by the existing topography, and which hides in its interior two pavilions which will house the new programme.

This decision heighten the appreciation both of the historical buildings as well as the new entrance to the museum, which offers access to the old building – which will incorporate the permanent exhibitions – as well as to the new pavilion for temporary exhibitions.

The main vestibule will therefore constitute a natural link with the new areas for cloakrooms, shop, auditorium, mediatheque, didactic hall and cafeteria which complete the necessary areas in a museum with these characteristics.

A “green wall”: on certain occasions the metaphor associated with an architectural idea gives a sense to each and every aspect of the project.

Hence the slight changes of direction of the wall are sufficient to provide a natural solution to pedestrian access to Monte Urgull, to configure an open air exhibition space, or to house a café-terrace open to the landscape and to the town.

Les bureaux d’ AOL par Studio O+A

2011-06-20T13:32:00.001-07:00

Voici quelques photos des nouveaux bureaux d’ AOL à Palo Alto en Californie aux Etats-Unis. Un intérieur repensé par Studio O+A, l’agence qui avait déjà conçu les bureaux de Facebook! Des habitués de l’architecture pour start-upers!

Un espace organisé en open-space, typique de la start-up californienne ! ;) Des cabines cylindriques créent des espaces pour le travail collaboratif.

Un style légèrement industriel avec ses poutres apparentes. Résultat : des bureaux qui rendent jaloux ! Entre espaces de détente (billard, jeux vidéo…) et de travail « relax », on sent ici une atmosphère unique, propre aux entreprises internet qui se développent sous le soleil de la Silicon Valley !

Le site de Studio O+A.

moritzburg-museum-extension-by-niento-sobejano-arquitectos

2011-06-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

Photographer Roland Halbe has sent us these images of an extension to a museum inside a ruined castle in Halle, Germany, by Spanish studio Niento Sobejano Arquitectos.

The architects inserted the extension above the 15th century stonework of the Moritzburg Museum, providing a roof to the previously open-air top floor.

A new floor suspended from the centre of this roof creates an additional exhibition area without bringing any columns into the main gallery.

The extension also includes the addition of a trapezium-shaped metal entrance.

More architecture photographed by Roland Halbe on Dezeen »
More stories about museums on Dezeen »

The following information is from the architects:

Moritzburg Museum Extension
Competition 1st Prize 2004

The ancient castle of Moritzburg in the city of Halle is a very valuable example of Gothic military architecture, typical of Germany at the end of the 15th century. Its turbulent history has inevitably been reflected in the many alternations it has undergone over the years. But despite these, the building still keeps the original structure of its main architectural features: the surrounding wall, three of the four round towers at the corners and the central courtyard.

Loft 24-7 - Sao Paulo, Brazil

2011-06-13T17:59:00.001-07:00

Standing out in Abu Dhabi takes more than clever gimmicks. Among the opulence of luxury hotels, lavish restaurants and all other forms of pampering and spectacular entertainment – including Ferrari World and a few breathtaking golf clubs – being merely great is nowhere near enough.

The legendary Cipriani Group is one of the brave enterprises that has recently entered the competition for the attentions of the demanding super-elite clientele.

Cipriani’s nightclub, Allure, at the Yas Island Yacht Club on Yas Island, has a few features that warrant at least one extra bat of even the most worldly of eyelashes.

The night club’s location is one such feature. Allure overlooks the water and extravagant super yachts of the Yacht Club. It is also connected by a bridge to magnificent five-star The Yas Hotel. But the most amazing part of the nightclub is the view. What you see from its balcony is a real Formula One™ race track.

Designed by Orbit Design Studio (Bangkok, London and Singapore), Allure is divided into The Main room adorned with gold leaf and bronze cladding, and The Terrace that overlooks the race track.

Orbit has also designed the Sound Phuket night club we’ve featured, the Bed Supperclub in Bangkok, and many other luxury bars, clubs and restaurants designers throughout Asia, the Middle East and Europe. - Tuija Seipell
http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

Photography by Owen Raggett.

COORDINATION ASIA - Shanghai Office

2011-05-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

OFFICES

COORDINATION ASIA - Shanghai Office

May 27 2011

Berlin and Shanghai-based COORDINATION ASIA has just migrated its Shanghai office from an old textile mill to a glass-company headquarters. The former office was located on the banks of Suzhou Creek at No. 50 Monganshan Road in an old textile mill now known as M50 and housing a mix of creative businesses, cafes and restaurants.

COORDINATION ASIA’s new digs are located in the former headquarters of the Shanghai Glass Company at Huangpi Road 688, a building waiting for complete renovation in 2012.

COORDINATION’s CEO Tilman Thürmer, now more or less permanently located in Shanghai, says he misses the artistic community of M50, but loves the downtown location and the cool vibe of the new space.

The team at COORDINATION created a sleek 300 square-meter home for itself among the crazy “old-style European mansion” decor that was the result of a renovation in the 90s. They kept the marble, hardwood, built-in bookshelves, hidden storage, weird ceiling molding and the odd mix of ceiling light fixtures but covered most of it with black paint, a colour prominent in many COORDINATION projects.

The result is an elegant and artsy creative space that could be mistaken for a completely customized environment. - Tuija Seipell. http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

José Adrião Arquitecto : Baixa Pombalino building

2011-05-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

À Lisbonne, au coeur du quartier historique de Baixa Palomobino, rue des Fanqueiros, l’architecte José Adrião a réhabilité un immeuble à colombages bâti au 18ème siècle et paré des traditionnels azulejos. Destiné à la location saisonnière, chaque appartement a conservé les éléments structurels et décoratifs de la bâtisse, témoins d’une époque.

About : « The intervention aimed for the adaptation and refurbishment of a “Pombalino” building, turning it into a short term rental unit.

Located in the heart of the historical area of Baixa, in Lisbon, the building sits at the corner of Rua dos Fanqueiros and Rua da Conceição. Since its construction in the late 18th century, there has been a great deal of changes and modifications that deeply modified the original character of its fractions.

As project strategy and as a way of reducing costs, the decision was made to accept its existing heterogeneous character. The intervention was defined as a new addition in continuity with its history, incorporating the changes of different times and setting aside a possible restoration process.

The main actions determined by the project were: the typological change from two apartments per floor to three, the introduction of an elevator, the substitution of all infrastructures and the conservation of a substantial part of construction elements, such as floor boards, the wooden ceilings in overlapping boards, internal and external tiles, window frames and doors. The trim needed and the “patches” were considered as such. »

Photos © FG + SG

Yellow Brick House - Vilnius, Lithuania

2011-05-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

This residence in the Pavilniai Regional Park, near the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, is one of those that we just have to point out, although it is neither brand-new nor unfamiliar to many readers.

The confident combination of history and modern needs of an upscale family was achieved by the architectural firm G. Natkevicius & Partners.

Located by in the valley of river Vilnia that gave the city its name, the park and the city have a rich history with the oldest written records dating back to 1323. The Puckoriu escarpment in the park has rare rock formations from the Ice Age. A large munitions factory on the site dates back to the 17th century.

It seems that in Vilnius private residents can buy pieces of such storied land, and when the current owner of the site - a banker and collector of antique books - bought it, a single bright-yellow building stood on it. On further examination, the owners found out that the building was part of the cannon foundry and it was built of valuable, historic Vilnius-made bricks.

The yellow house itself was not as big as the four-member family wanted their home to be, so they decided to build their new home of glass and erect it around the historic brick house. The exposed brick adds a tactile sexy feel and softens the potentially cold atmosphere of the glass structure. A sensuous curved opening, cut for the staircase that is outside the brick house, adds another focal point that works beautifully with the square elements around it.

The owners' antique library is now in the basement of the old brick house, the kids' rooms are on the ground floor, the master bedroom on the top floor. The other functions - living, dining, cooking, baths, garages - are all within the new glass structure. As a stunning bonus to the historically sensitive solution, the residents enjoy an amazing 360-degree view of the park. Sigh. - Tuija Seipell http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

Shrine Flat-table by Sschemata Architecture Office

2011-05-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

Japanese designer Jo Nagasaka of Sschemata Architecture Office presented this series of wooden tables with fluorescent resin encasing their gouged-out tops at Spazio Rossana Orlandiin Milan last month.

Called Shrine Flat-table, the piece is based on a traditional Japanese design with eight legs.

The colour of the resin is more or less intense depending on the varying depths of the wood across its surface.

More about Sschemata Architecture Office on Dezeen »

See all our stories about Milan 2011 »

The information below is from Jo Nagasaka:

Flat Table peeled

The Shrine Flat-table is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional Japanese Hassoku dai, which means 8 legged table. The top of the Shrine Table can be separated from its legs.

In addition to the traditional table we added a layer of coloured epoxy poured on a wooden surface which grain had been gushed out to create different depth and by doing so various intensity in colour.

Shrine Flat-table comes in 3 Heights with the following dimensions: 750×300 (top) and total height of 540, 720 or 900mm.

Metropol Parasol by J. Mayer H.

2011-04-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

Architects J. Mayer. H have completed a giant latticed timber canopy as part of their redevelopment of the Plaza de la Encarnacíon in Seville, Spain.

The Metropol Parasol scheme includes an archaeological museum, a farmers market, an elevated plaza, and bars and restaurants, all contained beneath and within the parasol structure.

More architecture by J. Mayer H. on Dezeen »

Here are some more details from the architects:

Completion of Metropol Parasol

April 2011 marks the completion of “Metropol Parasol”, the Redevelopment of the Plaza de la Encarnacíon in Seville. Designed by J. MAYER H. architects, this project has already become the new landmark for Seville, – a place of identification and to articulate Seville’s role as one of the world´s most fascinating cultural destinations. “Metropol Parasol” explores the potential of the Plaza de la Encarnacion to become the new contemporary urban centre. Its role as a unique urban space within the dense fabric of the medieval inner city of Seville allows for a great variety of activities such as memory, leisure and commerce. A highly developed infrastructure helps to activate the square, making it an attractive destination for tourists and locals alike.

The “Metropol Parasol” scheme with its impressive timber structures offers an archaeological museum, a farmers market, an elevated plaza, multiple bars and restaurants underneath and inside the parasols, as well as a panorama terrace on the very top of the parasols. Realized as one of the largest and most innovative bonded timber-constructions with a polyurethane coating, the parasols grow out of the archaeological excavation site into a contemporary landmark, defining a unique relationship between the historical and the contemporary city. “Metropol Parasols” mix-used character initiates a dynamic development for culture and commerce in the heart of Seville and beyond.

International Competition: 1. Prize, 2004
Project: 2004-2011
Opening: March 27th 2011
Completion: April 2011
Client: Ayuntamiento de Sevilla and SACYR
Architects: J. Mayer H. Architects
Technical Consultant and Multidisciplinary Engineers for Realization: Arup
Timber Construction Company: Finnforest-Merk GmbH, Aichach

Maison Leguay by Moussafir Architectes

2011-04-20T07:45:00.001-07:00

French practice Moussafir Architectes have completed this refurbishment and extension of a house in the Parisian suburbs, adding deep larch wood window frames.

Named Maison Leguay, the project comprises two new matching blocks constructed either side of the original brick house, creating an enclosed inner courtyard.

The connected trio of blocks are separated from one another by narrow glazed gaps.

Here is some more information from the architects:

Maison Leguay

Cloning a house

In order to preserve the character of this classic brick-and-stone suburban house while doubling its surface area, we decided to duplicate it by adding two side blocks, two ‘clones’ set at right angles to it, where there used to be a shed.

This arrangement has allowed us to create a harmonious trio of buildings set around an inner garden, while preserving the street alignment.

The new home is made up of three dissociated elementary blocks, a square and two rectangles, separated by two narrow glazed gaps and with matching sloping roofs.

With its new truncated roof that lets the light from the south into the living areas laid out on the north side, the ‘stem cell’ blends in so well with its extensions – thanks to its shape, the materials used and its fenestration – that it becomes hard to distinguish the old from the new.

The load-bearing brick used for the original house has been used in the extension as an external protection for its insulation, while rough load-bearing breezeblocks used for the extension line the existing walls, which are thus insulated from inside.

To complete the fusion, large larchwood boxes with windows form glazed openings in all three blocks, offering visual perspectives through the house and into the garden that runs along its north-south axis.

Client: private (Laurence et Frédéric Leguay)
Architects: Jacques Moussafir with Gilles Poirée

Address: 2, rue Charcot, 92270 BOIS COLOMBES

Brief: Restructuring and extending a house
Budget: 360,000 €. ex tax

NSA: 232 sq m (114 sq m restructured + 118 sq m new build)

Date: 2005-2011

Click above for larger image

Georgian Meets Modern

2011-04-19T19:42:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not this magnificent 1801 house in Somerset, England, was once a shoe company. It took four years and five architects to transform it from business offices into a modern family home for six. The interiors, by London designer Ilse Crawford, are truly astonishing. I'm specially enamored with the bold contrast she created by using super modern decor in such an Old World setting. She made a conscious effort not to fill all 40 rooms with tons of furniture that would interfere with the architecture. Her sense of design is flawless. I don't have words to express my fascination for this place... It's absolutely drool-worthy. If you want to learn more about the design of Dinder House click here.

Images Magnus Marding via T Magazine

D House by Panorama

2011-04-14T07:00:00.001-07:00

Chilean architects Panorama have completed this compact cliff-top house in Matanzas, Chile.

The ground floor of the D House contains a living space and a child’s bedroom.

An enclosed terrace to the north provides an outdoor space sheltered from the wind.

The first floor plan is rotated 45 degrees in relation to the ground floor, creating a double-height space over the kitchen/dining area.

The remaining first floor space houses the master bedroom and bathroom.

More houses on Dezeen »
More Chilean architecture on Dezeen »

Photographs are by Cristobal Valdés.

The following is from the architects:

Architects: Panorama (Nicolás Valdés+Constanza Hagemann)
Location: Matanzas, Chile
Project Area: 96M2

This house in Matanzas , Chile by Panorama, is situated at the top of a cliff, 65 mts. approximately above sea level.

A two storey house, for a couple and their son, is structured within a square volume of 9 by 9mts.

Inside intersects another volume at a higher level, which is rotated 45 degrees in relation to the floor plan, allowing double heights and the organisation of space in the first floor.

The program is ordered in a simple way, a single space for the living room, dinning room and kitchen and on the back a sleeping area and the stairs to the second floor.

Then, to the side and facing north the terrace, partly enclosed, allowing the users to be outside the days of extreme wind.
Finally, in the diagonal volume, the room and the toilet.

Three defined sectors as the result of the orientation to the panoramic views of the landscape, the isle, the beach and the forest in front of the ocean.

Carriageworks

2011-04-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Sizzling shortlisted entry in the 2011 Australian Interior Design Awards. The Carriageworks by Hare + Klein Interior Design. I'm seriously packing my bags and planning a home invasion. Kitchen is to die for. Love the industrial vibe and the dining room, or is that workroom, is simply perfect. This is not the only shortlisted property by this talented team of designers. I may just have to feature some more!

Club MUSEE - Madrid

2011-03-23T10:16:00.001-07:00

Club MUSÉE is Madrid’s fresh take on what night clubs could be — a combination art gallery and night club, but both with a sharp, trendy edge.

Designed by creative director and designer Parolio of Madrid’s Parolio & Euphoria Lab the space provides a strong back-drop for powerful art.

At Club MUSÉE black glass and mirrors, bright-colored sculptural furniture and a three-meter-wide LED video screen create a visual challenge for the artists’ work that ranges from paintings to video art and other installations.

The work of upcoming photography and illustration talent is currently on display from photographer Robert Bartholot from Berlin, Paco Peregrín from Madrid and illustrator Glenn Hilario from New York.

The visual feast is supported by music mixed by Madrid’s hottest DJs who offer electronic, pop and house music.

Parolio’s strong sense of drama, theater and color work well at Club MUSÉE, and is evident in many of his other projects, including Pacha Madrid night club and Le Marquis restaurant and lounge. - Bill Tikos

apartment-in-el-born-by-arquitectura-g

2011-03-22T09:16:00.001-07:00

Spanish studio Arquitectura-G have renovated this apartment in the El Born area of Barcelona by adding wooden storage and mezzanines.

Divided in two by a solid wall, the apartment comprises a kitchen and dining area on one side with a living room, study and bedroom on the other.

Thin white metal steps lead from this second part to a mezzanine that extends over half the floor area, with an even higher platform holding the bed.

Photographs are by José Hevia.

Here are some more details from the architects:

Accommodation of 34 m2 and 4.5 m in height, divided by a load bearing wall in two rooms of similar size, located in El Born in Barcelona.

Assuming this separation, the housing project divides into two areas:

The first consists of the kitchen and a mobile cabinet, which operates as a bar, kitchen side table and dining table. It is a social area linked to the driveway, which improves the electrical installation and use television to spread beyond the mere fact of cooking and eating.

The second stay, however, responds to needs of a greater degree of privacy. That is why the space is fragmented into different trays that house the program in height, providing a gradient of intimacy without losing the visual connection between them.

Thus, the first tray, which occupies half the area of this room, is understood as an ambiguous space dressing room and study area. The second highest one-quarter of the plant surface, contains the space for a bed.

For the resolution of this scheme in height, are particularly important furniture, adapting to different places, meeting the urgent need for storage, and the connection and relationship between levels.

Neglecting current standards of habitability and construction, it gives each area the necessary scale for each item and use the appropriate features.

The spaces are formed depending on the size and privacy they require, and wealth is given by the relations generated between them. For this reason, rather than speaking of space “up” or “below”, we can talk of “spaces between”, “spaces next to” or “spaces.”

Work: Reform of Housing in the Born, Barcelona
Architects: ARCHITECTURE-G (Jonathan Arnabat, Jordi Ayala Bril, Aitor Fuentes, Igor Urdanpileta)
Contributor: David Fernandez Taboada
Sponsor: Ms. Santarelli
Location: Barcelona (Spain)
Reformed Surface: 34 m²
Project Year: 2010
Year built: 2011

MINIM, Barcelona Loft

2011-03-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

MINIM, Barcelona Loft

Last month we showed you Zecc Architects' skillful repurposing of various structures—churches, schools, factories—into living spaces. The overall structures were left formally intact and recognizable while the surfaces were cleaned up and modernized, providing a beautiful "best of both worlds" combination that skewed more to the clean side of things.

Then there's the visually "dirtier" side of things. Another firm doing industrial-to-living conversions is Barcelona-based MINIM, comprised of designers Elina Vila and Agnes Blanch, with a slightly different philosophy: Rather than cleaning, replacing or re-sheetrocking the surfaces, their goal in a recent printing factory conversion was to preserve and even expose as much of the original texture as possible, removing layers of plaster and cement in a procedure that's more art than science:

The surfaces were then sealed in a protective clearcoat, so you're not constantly sweeping up that fresh layer of grit. The results are stunning, and bring to mind something more in line with the original Soho artist's loft.

Check out more shots here.

Alemanys 5 by Anna Noguera

2011-03-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Barcelona architect Anna Noguera has converted a sixteenth-century house in Girona into two contemporary holiday apartments.

The conversion employs a palette of steel, concrete and oak.

The house retains its traditional “badiu” or covered balcony and a pool has been added in the walled garden.

Alemanys 5, which overlooks Plaça de Sant Domènec in the Catalan city’s medieval quarter, can be rented throughWelcome Beyond.

Here’s some info from Welcome Beyond plus text from the architect:

Architect: Anna Noguera (www.annanoguera.com)

Location: Carrer Alemanys, 5 17004 Girona Spain

Description

Located in the core part of Girona’s medieval quarter, within the scope of the first wall and overlooking the Plaça de Sant Domènec, is the property Alemanys 5, whose original building dates from the Sixteenth Century.

Its recent restoration integrates old and new, where sober and clean lines look for the enjoyment of essential elements such as space, light, shadow, fire, stone, water or silence.

Apartments

“El Badiu” (The Veranda) is a 180 m2 duplex in the upper two floors equipped with a master suite and two children suites, kitchen-dining room, great living room with fireplace and a spectacular veranda terrace facing south with exclusive views over the old quarter. It sleeps up to 5 – 6 people.

“El Jardí” (The Garden) is a 100 m2 apartment equipped with two double bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, a large living room with kitchenette and a nice private garden with solarium and swimming pool. It sleeps 4 – 5 people. The house can also be rented as a whole unit, with 5 bedrooms sleeping 10 – 12 people.

Amenities

Car park, elevator, fireplace, staellite TV, DVD, stereo and Internet access. Daily cooking and cleaning service is available upon request.

Interior

Furniture: www.pabordia.com

Lightning: www.susaeta.net

Kitchen: www.albertaubach.com

Anna Noguera, architect of Alemanys 5:

”The reform has been approached as a search for the most intrinsic characteristics of the actual construction, while the building is freed of additions, surface elements and recent reforms, interpreting the old elements not so much through an historical optic as through their architectural qualities.

Click above for larger image

Alemanys 5 is situated in the oldest part of Girona’s Barri Vell (Old District) inside the area of the first ramparts. Its location on calle Alemanys is special as it stands in front of one of the old fates of the wall, the Rufina gate, which provides views from the house to the convent of Sant Domènec and from there to the house, with the vision of the Cathedral as a backdrop. Although it is difficult to determine the antiquity of the built bodies, the most important reform dates from the sixteenth century. It later underwent many other reforms and additions that disfigured the original volumetry.

Click above for larger image

The site consists of a built body and a lateral garden with the façade giving on to the street. Two centrelines structure the building, one giving on to the street and another one to the interior part of the plot, with crossed facades giving on to the courtyard and garden. A large covered porch, or “badiu”, crowns the street façade and is one of the most characteristic elements of the house. In the courtyard, an old cistern collects rainwater from the roof.

Click above for larger image

The new layout respects the logic of the structure to adapt it to the new functional requirements. On the ground floor, from the main door, the vestibule and small premises are accessed, on the first floor are a dwelling with an exit to courtyard and garden, and the second and third floors accommodate a duplex dwelling, with the night zone in the lower floor and the living room and kitchen in the upper floor to provide vistas and a roofed terrace.

The project is organised around the two centrelines that structure the floor plan. The staircase has been shifted to place it next to the lift, in the interstitial space between the two directional lines of the centrelines. This space is configured as the hinge that generates the entire layout.

The refurbishment has been undertaken with very few materials: iron, concrete and oak wood. The forgings are exposed. They are in concrete with wooden shuttering, or wooden beams and beam fillings for the roof. Lintels and crowning of the stone walls are executed in steel sheeting one centimetre thick.

The staircase and lift space is lined in Corten steel panels to differentiate it as a hinge space. The floors of the staircase and front centreline are covered in wooden floorboards and those of the back centreline in polished concrete. The stone walls are exposed both in the exterior and in the interior, with special attention paid to the texture, colour and execution of the joins. The facing stones of the demolished constructions are recovered for cladding the cistern courtyard. It was sought to preserve the natural colour and texture of the materials in order to better integrate them with the colour and texture of the stones.

The garden, framed by tall stone walls, is formalised into three consecutive planes that go from hardest to softest: concrete, turf and water. The paved zone contiguous to the house is in planed concrete and is covered by a set of cables on to which the wisteria can climb. The plane of turf, finished off with a steel profile, floats above the water of the pool. It is like a dark, long reservoir that overflows and disappears, reflecting the neighbouring wall.”

Classic Loft with Wooden Furniture Design in Apartment

2011-02-25T16:21:00.001-08:00

This design was insisting that not all apartments are designed with modern, luxury and glamor design, but this loft in apartment designed classically in almost wooden furniture. It is located in an apartment on Lafayette Street New York. Designing on 2.500 square meters make this loft simple and elegant with it is classical. Inspire by natural materials, the designer use wood as the main furniture’s materials. classic design is still reflected in the use of separation as well as shelf space made of wood, also with a wooden pole in the middle of the room. In this room the designer want to expose the usage of natural wooden material to built a house and to be some eccentric furniture for interior.

Parisian With A Twist

2011-02-24T08:12:00.001-08:00

By far this is one of the kookiest homes I've come across. The very unexpected mix of elements in this Parisian home is simply amazing. My love for unusual artifacts and furniture has me drooling over all the eye candy in this pad. It almost feels like walking into a modern art gallery, that's why it took me a while to realize this was actually someone's home. The more I looked at the pictures the more intrigued and fascinated I became. I wanted to know the concept behind each piece and its story.

If I had to pick a favorite room in this pad, I think this bedroom would walk away with the prize. I would have never thought of covering the ceiling above my bed with a cluster of globes. Brilliant!!! It's such a fun and unpredictable idea that would put a smile on my face every morning. I hope they're well mounted to the ceiling. :)

Even the bathroom had to have that quirky touch, of course. This boat-shaped bathtub looks genius sitting amid a sea of white. For sure, this is not your typical cookie-cutter decor. They have stretched the boundaries of what is expected. Although some might be overwhelmed by the amount of artsy pieces in this home, I think the overall result is very successful for this unique style. Any thoughts? BTW, doesn't this remind you of this apartment I posted last week?

A Visionary's Dream

2011-02-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

This 1930 textile factory in the banks of the Rhine River (19 miles from Cologne, Germany) was brought to life, after almost disappearing in ruins, by visionary entrepreneur Tilman Paas. After falling in love with the property, he led the rehabilitation of the 300,000 square-feet complex. While the project was taking place, Paas installed an iron foundry and a carpentry shop in the smokestack to be able to tackle the larger jobs. Only 3,200 sq. ft. of the building was assigned for his living quarters, and the rest was allotted to offices, meeting rooms and a private space he rents to a friend. The access to the main house is through a polished iron gate that leads to the multilevel living space.

The ample living space is infused by natural light that comes through towering 20 feet-high windows. Instead of dividing the space with walls, Paas designed an oak module that houses both bathrooms —one downstairs and one upstairs— and also serves as a bookcase. He also designed some of the furniture pieces in the house, like the very cool coffee table he made using metal beams, industrial wheels and glass. The dreamy openness of the space is also perfect to display his art collection, which includes pieces by Picasso, Warhol and Calder.

As for the decor, Paas integrated contemporary pieces with antiques and, of course, his own creations in a very clean and streamlined manner. I really fancy how the raw industrial elements coexist beautifully with the natural wood and the original mix of furnishings — creating a very interesting and sophisticated look. There is no doubt that Paas' vision and passion for this old structure make this home a very special place.

A Gentlemen’s Club Office

2011-02-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

Pool tables, free beer and “casual everyday” dress code may have become the desired and appropriate work environment in many companies, but for some, a gentlemen’s club atmosphere works better.

London-based architecture and design firm SHH created this elegant office in London for an international investment company. The offices are located in a five-storey Georgian townhouse connected to a two-storey mews by a partially covered walkway. Several marble-inlaid fireplaces, marble mosaic floor tiles and beautiful ceiling cornices were kept from the previous occupants but the rest underwent a thorough modernization.

The resulting milieu is imposing and somewhat intimidating. Its dark, black-and-white photography vibe harkens back to some secret storied past, yet the contemporary treatments, especially the dramatic lighting pieces return the thoughts back to today.

Some of the light fixtures are by Modular and Foscarini and the statement chandeliers were custom-designed by Michael Anastassiades.

Custom-work, limited-edition pieces and classic furnishings such as Eames chairs accent each space, giving stunning jolts among the calm opulence.

Showing up in dated jeans or worn-out sneakers (unless you are Steve Jobs or Richard Branson) in this space would not seem appropriate, and should cue sports be allowed, they would most likely be the English Billiards variety.

Founded in 1992 by David Spence, Graham Harris and Neil Hogan (the S, H and H), architecture and design firm SHH is now a practice of more than 50 people working globally on architecture, design and branding projects.

Many of SHH’s retail, hospitality, nightclub and office clients are in the luxury category, but their client list includes also names such as Sheraton, Adidas, Pizza Hut, Aphostrophe and McDonald’s. - Tuija Seipell

http://www.thecoolhunter.net/

Corner project by Guise

2011-02-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

Swedish interior designers Guise have inserted these tall black free-standing cabinets throughout a Stockholm apartment.

Top photograph is by Jesper Lindström

Called Corner project, the cabinets provide storage space and divide the apartment, which has no interior walls.

Above photograph is by Rasmus Norlander

The units come in three different sizes and are all of the same height.

All functions are housed within the pillars, including the kitchen sink.

Photographs are by Mathias Nero unless otherwise stated.

More interiors on Dezeen »

Above photograph is by Jesper Lindström

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Above photograph is by Jesper Lindström

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Here’s some more information from Guise:

PROJECT BRIEF
The assignment was to redesign an apartment of 45 m² from 1900 on Jungfrugatan in an exclusive area in central Stockholm.

Above photograph is by Jesper Lindström

The client’s request was to create storage space as well as giving the apartment a unique identity.

CONCEPT
The main concept is based on breaking up the traditional sequence of rooms and functions to become a nonlinear and nonhierarchical arrangement of space.

The previously strict spatial segregation, with kitchen, living room and bedrooms have been broken up by introducing a forest of columns that define the rooms.

Since the apartment has no walls in the traditional sense, the spatiality is created by the pillars relationship to each other rather than by clear physical boundaries.

PLANNING
The apartment is inscribed in a square of around 45 square meters. The entrance door is located in one corner of the plan, facing one of the apartment’s two windows.

Above photograph is by Jesper Lindström

The previous plan had a wall that strict shared the apartment in the kitchen and living area. A small alcove was positioned close to the bedroom.

All the existing walls were torn down and replaced with a forest of columns that separates the rooms from each other.

Above photograph is by Rasmus Norlander

Even the bathroom walls have been torn down, the toilet is housed in one of the columns, providing necessary privacy.

Above photograph is by Rasmus Norlander

Also the WC-pillar is freely positioned and is thereby able to be, like all other columns, walk around.

Above photograph is by Rasmus Norlander

All the functions associated to the apartment is housed inside the pillars.

Above photograph is by Rasmus Norlander

The positions and size of the pillars derives from functional aspects. All volumes are specially produced for this project goes from floor to ceiling.

The sizes of the pillars vary from 400×400, 600×600 to 800x800mm. The height is 3050mm for all pillars except the bathroom module.

West 57th by BIG

2011-02-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group have designed a residential building for Manhattan, New York, with a rectangular plan pulled up at one corner to form a triangular tower.

Called West 57th, the 600-apartment block will be organised around a central courtyard, providing residents with views of the Hudson River.

The sloping roof will rise to a peak of 467 ft and its surface will be punctured by roof terraces.

The other three façades will comprise balconies and bay windows serving each of the apartments.

Construction is due for completion in 2016.

More projects by Bjarke Ingels Group on Dezeen »

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Here’s some more information from American developers Durst Fetner Residential:

DURST FETNER RESIDENTIAL SELECTS BIG TO DESIGN 600-UNIT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING ON W57TH STREET

West 57th, designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, introduces an entirely new residential typology to New York City that will add an inviting twist to the Manhattan Skyline.

Durst Fetner Residential (DFR) today announced the design of West 57, a 600-unit 80/20 residential building on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues.

The building is designed by renowned Danish Architect firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and is their inaugural North American project. The building’s program consists of over 600 residential units of different scales situated on a podium with a cultural and commercial program.

The building will strive for LEED Gold Certification. “It’s extraordinarily exciting to build a building whose architecture will attract visitors from around the globe,” said, Hal Fetner, CEO of Durst Fetner Residential.

“BIG’s design is innovative, evocative and unique and the building’s beauty is matched only by its efficient and functional design that preserves existing view corridors while maximizing the new building’s access to natural light and views of the Hudson River.

West 57th will establish a new standard for architectural excellence and its creative design, sustainable-construction and operations, breathtaking views and distinctive amenities will make it New York’s most sought after residential address.”

The building is a hybrid between the European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise.

West 57th has a unique shape which combines the advantages of both: the compactness and efficiency of a courtyard building providing density, a sense of inti- macy and security, with the airiness and the expansive views of a skyscraper.

By keeping three corners of the block low and lifting the north-east corner up towards its 467 ft peak, the courtyard opens views towards the Hudson River, bringing low western sun deep into the block and graciously preserving the adjacent Helena Tower’s views of the river.

“New York is rapidly becoming an increasingly green and livable city.

The transformation of the Hudson River waterfront and the Highline into green parks, the ongoing effort to plant a million trees, the pedestrianization of Broadway and the creation of more miles of bicycle lanes than the entire city of my native Copenhagen are all evidence of urban oases appearing all over the city.

With West 57th we attempt to continue this transformation into the heart of the city fabric – into the center of a city block,” Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG.

The form of the building shifts depending on the viewer’s vantage point. While appearing like a warped pyramid from the West-Side-Highway, it turns into a slender spire from West 58th Street.

The courtyard which is inspired by the classic Copenhagen urban oasis can be seen from the street and serves to extend the adjacent greenery of the Hudson River Park into the West 57th development.

“The building is conceived as a cross breed between the Copenhagen courtyard and the New York skyscraper. The communal intimacy of the central urban oasis meets the efficiency, density and panoramic views of the tall tower in a new hybrid typology. The courtyard is to architecture what Central Park is to urbanism: a giant green garden surrounded by a dense wall of spaces for living”, Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG.

The slope of the building allows for a transition in scale between the low-rise structures to the south and the high-rise residential towers to the north and west of the site. The highly visible sloping roof consists of a simple ruled surface perforated by terraces— each one unique and south-facing.

The fishbone pattern of the walls are also reflected in its elevations. Every apartment gets a bay window or a balcony to amplify the benefits of the generous view and balconies which encourage interaction between residents and passers-by.

DFR commissioned Copenhagen based BIG in the spring of 2010 to introduce a new residential typology to Manhattan. As of 2011 BIG has opened a new office in New York in order to oversee the development and upcoming construction of West 57th.

W57 DATA

PROJECT: West 57th Street
CLIENT: Durst Fetner Residential
ARCHITECT: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group SIZE: 870,000 ft2 (80,000 m2)
LOCATION: Manhattan, New York, USA
STATUS: Direct Commission

COLLABORATORS: SLCE Architects (Architect of Record) , Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects, Thornton Tomasetti (Sturctural), Dagher Engineering(MEP), Langan Engineering (Civil), Hunter Roberts (Construction Manager), Philip Habib & Assoc. (Transportation), Israel Berger & Assoc. (Building Envelope), Nancy Packes (Marketing), Van Deusen & Assoc. (Vertical Transportation), Cerami & Assoc. (Acoustical), CPP (Wind), AKRF (Environmental), German Glessner (Renderings & Animation)