Story Hotel by Koncept

Story Hotel is a project in Stockholm by Swedish architectsKoncept, which opened earlier this year.

The renovation of an existing building was intended to capture a timeless quality, inspired by bohemian Paris hotels and New York pubs, and combines vintage and contemporary furniture.

Details of the existing building, such as the exposed concrete walls, have become integral features of the design.

Original doors from the building have been reused as headboards for the beds.

The hotel has been shortlisted for the European Hotel Design Awards 2009, the winner of which will be announced on 2 November.

Here are more details from Koncept:

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STORY HOTEL
A new hotel concept designed by Koncept Stockholm

Story Hotel opened on the 9th of March, and has already attracted a lot of attention. It is without doubt going to be a sought after meeting place, says the hotel manager Sören Hullberg.

Koncept was commissioned to develop a completely new hotel concept right in the heart of Stockholm at Riddargatan 6-8.

The aim has been to create a hotel that is both inspiring and surprising in an authentic and relaxed way. The location, nearby Stureplan, was perfect, and the building had in itself many qualities that has now been used in unexpected ways.

One of the main ideas has been that both the hotel and restaurant should have a timeless feel. New York pubs and bohemian hotels in Paris have been sources of inspiration. Much of the expression has also been picked up in the buildings existing details. Beautifully worn walls have been saved and for example the old entry doors have been reused as bed frames.

The especially made interiors together with a well chosen mixture of vintage and new design gives a perfected result which we really like, says Anne Marie Ekroth at Koncept.

Our assigners interest in finding smart and effective solutions has resulted in a very cost efficient hotel. They dared to leave the conventions, to trust us and therefore to win new grounds.

To commit to early development, work has paid itself off in ten folds. The construction costs were 40% lower than comparable projects, says Daniel Wengelin at Koncept. In all this means that the rooms will sell at a significantly lower price than what the competitors are able to offer.

Taichung Convention Center by MAD

Beijng architects MAD have designed a convention centre for Taichung, Taiwan.

The project will consist of a series of mountain-like buildings with pleated exterior surfaces, allowing natural ventilation and accommodating photovoltaic panels.

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The architects wanted to seamlessly integrate the topology of the landscape and the architecture.

Here are some more details from Mad:

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TAICHUNG
CONVENTION CENTER
2009

Beijing based MAD Architects has recently completed the design for the Taichung Convention Center, its first project in Taiwan commissioned by the Taiwanese government.

Taichung requires a metropolitan landmark that can go beyond the local to renew urban life and redefine the cultural landscape of the city, launching Taichung into the arena of world class cultural cites.

This requires unique architectural concepts and a new kind of architectural philosophy.

No longer characterized by mere considerations of height or visual impact, landmark buildings must first and foremost foster public recreation and inspire communication and imagination, redefining our relationship to culture and nature.

This project is conceived as a continuous weave of architecture and landscape, a futuristic vision based on a naturalistic spirit. The design inherits Chinese architecture’s long-standing attitude towards holistic integration and order of space, employing the essence of the East’s philosophy of a harmonized cycle between human and nature.

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In the face of the project’s enormous scale, the architecture no longer exists as a series of individual blocks, but instead is rendered as a collective form.

The resultant spaces come into focus in a natural order emerging from air, wind and light, fostering a resonance between human and nature.

The site and the program of this project are inherently high-energy. The ‘mountains’ provide a calming and unifying skin, and yet, under its calm surface, there are topological potentials waiting to be discovered.

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On the one hand, the architecture’s crater-shaped formation and resulting rotundas are the outcome of found site conditions.

On the other, it simultaneously shapes and influences the surrounding environment, opening up a dialogue between architecture and landscape.

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The surface of the ‘mountains’ is a high-tech, eco-friendly pleated skin system. The smocking-like envelope provides air flow to the building while keeping energy consumption at a minimum by utilizing solar energy.

The open courtyards that connect the individual mountains are integrated into a natural sequence of outdoor spaces.

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Like the quest for a harmonic coexistence between people and nature exemplified by Forbidden City and ancient Chinese gardens, this project seeks greater meaning in its non-material qualities, spaces encircled with the upmost naturalistic spirit.

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A single tree, a patch of bamboo, or a pond become central figures of the space. This approach to sustainable development is based not on technology, but on traditional philosophy and aesthetics.

Tai Chung, Taiwan
Type: Exhibition, Convention Halls, Office, Hotel, Retail
Site Area: 70,318 sqm
Building Area: 216,161 sqm
Building Height: 39m-85m
Skin: Pleated Skin System with Double Photvoltaic Glass

White O / Toyo Ito

Architect: Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects
Location: Marbella, Chile
Local Architect: Christian de Groote
Project Area: 370 sqm
Project year: 2009
Photographs: Nicolas Saieh

The site for this weekend house slopes gently down to the north-east, and has attractive views in the same direction. This proposal is intended to make dynamic use of the whole site, taking advantage of the special qualities created by this slope.

The house and site are composed together as a single continuous space, flowing along a spiral movement path, and centered on a partially enclosed garden. The approach to the house rises along the natural line of the slope, drawing visitors toward the rear of the site. Within the inner garden, the slope becomes continuous with the floor of the house, and then flows around and up to the more private areas of the house.

ground floor plan

Beyond the entrance is a spacious living area, which leads on to an adjacent dining area. We expect that the inner garden and the living and dining spaces will be used together, allowing a free indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Further ascending via a gentle ramp which wraps around the inner garden, the interior makes a fluid transition into a private zone containing bedrooms. Floating above the ground, these spaces have complete privacy.

Ascending the slope to the rear of the site, entering the house, and moving through the continuous interior – the house and site composed as a fluid progression of interior and exterior spaces with gradually changing characters and orientations.