Coop Himmelb(l)au's Shenzhen projects

The first is a scheme for two museums – one of contemporary art, the other of architecture and city planning.

Coop Himmelb(l)au described the building as " a dynamic monolith", serving as a focus point at the new Futian Cultural District element of Shenzen's masterplan.

The second is the Dalian International Conference Centre. In August last year Coop Himmelb(l)au beat practices including Zaha Hadid Architects to win a competition to the centre, which will create a 100,000 sq m building housing a conference centre, an opera house, and an exhibition centre.

Porsche Museum

Porsche Museum completes in Stuttgart

A symbol of speed, agility, style and prestige, the Porsche is the car that every man, woman and child has dreamed about driving, even just once. Now, in Porsche's home city of Stuttgart, stands a place where all of those dreamers can drool freely - if not at the shiny speed-machines, then definitely at the monolithic car cathedral of the Porsche Museum.

Open to the public as of 31st Jan the museum, designed by Austrian firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, offers dramaturgy from every perspective. "The new Porsche museum represents our conception of architecture which is constantly moving in the field of interaction between buildings and their users," says Roman Delugan, co-founder of Delugan Meissl Associated Architects.

The exterior is simultaneously engaging and appropriately reflective of the stature and confidence of the brand. Textural surface alterations and varying levels and angles offer a structural complexity reflecting the manufacture of a well-oiled machine, while slashes of glazing allow the building to shine outwardly and beckon passers-by inside, further lured by a gently sloped ramp towards the entrance.

Once inside visitors are welcomed by a restaurant, museum shop and coffee bar and can view product development at work in the Classic-Workshop archive surrounding the two-level space. Taking enthusiasts towards the exhibition space is a dramatic cathedral-esque elevator space which narrows in anticipation of the abyssal exhibition space beyond. Stretching into a far-fetching gallery the collection unfolds and meanders through varying levels connected by sloping roads that visitors can steer themselves through and experience over 100 years of automotive design prowess.

Antwerp Port Authority, Zaha Hadid

Located on the boundary between the city of Antwerp and its harbour, the new headquarters for Antwerp Port Authority will house approximately 500 staff (currently working in separate buildings) in a single new building that comprises a former fire station and the new extension.

The new Port House design consists of two entities: the existing fire station and a new crystalline volume lifted above the retained building. Together they form an impressive new landmark as the headquarters of the Antwerp Port Authority, overlooking the city and port, and symbolizing Antwerp as a port of global importance and a major economic driver of the region.

“I am absolutely delighted to be selected to build the headquarters for the Antwerp Port Authority. Antwerp is one of the world’s busiest shipping ports and the new Port House design reflects the city’s worldwide significance in communication and transportation. The dichotomy between the reflective, faceted form of the new extension and the powerful structural mass of the existing fire station creates a bold and enigmatic statement for the city,” states Zaha Hadid.

The jury selected the design by Zaha Hadid Architects as it preserves the dignity of the existing fire station whilst adding a new landmark that will contribute to the further development of the Het Eilandje district of Antwerp.

Al Dana at Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

5+design designs commercial heart of the Al Raha Beach development.
Formed around a circular marina and establishing the commercial heart of the 10.5-kilometer Al Raha Beach development is Al Dana, a stunning mixed-use waterfront project. Al Dana is set to offer the highest quality of living - mixing commercial and residential properties with superior entertainment, dining and leisure activities.
Al Dana’s layout features semi-circular zones that radiate from the middle and increase in height to create an impressive maritime façade allowing sea views for inland buildings. The project's architecture features buildings with cutting-edge design, engineering, and interiors establishing a unique image and identity within the development, and setting new standards of architecture and urban design excellence in the region.

Casa em Lousado, Lousado, Portugal

Correia/Regazzi's architecture is grounded on the conviction that the identity of a work is determined by the way in which the conception process embodies the specificities of its origin.
Through incorporation one defines its singularity and so, the features of the surroundings are fundamental - the maintenance of traditional walls results in a two-storey house with particular spatial definition when they burst through the windows. The weightlessness of the volume, achieved through the horizontal fragmentation and hanging of the projection of the bedroom patios, emphasize the lower level transparency.
The plastic possibilities of materials are determinant and consciously introduced as aesthetic means without questioning programmatic issues of constructive logic. The distinctive shape of this house answers to the aesthetic considerations related to the constructive questions.

Banyan Tree Corniche Bay

Banyan Tree Corniche Bay. Foster+Partners
La Gaulette , Mauritius, 2006
The masterplan is for a discreet and environmentally intelligent architecture that blends harmoniously with the lush and extensive landscape. Green fingers of lush vegetation extend down towards the sea, with a series of contemporary buildings inserted amid tropical plantings to create an architecture that at once responds to the contours of the landscape and recedes into the green totality.Co-architects: d’Unienville & Associates Architects Ltd

Yueda Xinyi Time Mall

Located within the historic Caojiadu commercial circle and one of the last remaining contiguous parcels of Shanghai’s Jingan District, the one million square-foot Yueda Xinyi Time Mall marks the transformation of Shanghai’s Jingan District from a high-end residential community to a world-class, mixed-use destination for business, entertainment and leisure. Designed by Callison, the Yueda Xinyi development heralds an innovative concept in mixed-use design. In addition to a diverse array of specialty shops, restaurants, entertainment space and high-rise office tower at Yueda Xinyi, the development will feature grand public spaces and open-air pathways designed to complement the contemporary Shanghai design aesthetic and create an inviting public space for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

Chengdu development By Callison

Chengdu was the worst hit city, being just 80 km away from the epicentre, but is now set to be the location of a new urban community, named 24 City, which will house 60,000 new residents. China Resources Land Limited as developer for the project have selected Callison to design phase one of the 3.3 million sq ft mixed-use project which will also include a 38-storey office tower and an indoor/outdoor retail center.

In an effort to encourage and provide for young professionals moving into Chengdu, (Chengdu is host to 16 degree level universities), Callison’s design provides for a youthful and uplifting lifestyle. This is a design for living, not for relief. A hybrid retail complex modulates indoor/outdoor shopping and entertainment among lush landscaping and expansive view terraces. There is even an indoor skating rink, an 8-screen movie complex and a supermarket in the lower level of the office tower. Restaurants and the public garden will remain open after the center closes, offering public events and providing night-time entertainment for residents and visitors.

Happy birthday Oscar

Brasilian architect Oscar Niemeyer turns 101 on 15th December 2008. Oscar Niemeyer was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the 15th December 1907. Oscar Niemeyer graduated from the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro in 1934. The oldest living architect, Niemeyer is well known for his modernist concrete architecture and his involvement in the design of Brasilia, the new capital of Brazil. Niemeyer won the Pritzker Prize in 1988 and has continued his involvement in architecture passed his 100th birthday last year.

One of Niemeyer’s first works following graduation from university was the Ministry of Health and Education in Rio de Janeiro on which he collaborated with Le Corbusier until 1938. Further notable works include the Pampulha architectural complex including a casino, restaurant and the Temple of St. Francis of Assisi, in Belo Horizonte and the Caracas Museum in Venezuela.

First Visit to Medan

I was visiting a downtown shopping mall-

Sun Plaza, and amazed to see a bit of "Frank Gehry".

Grand Swiss-belhotel, Medan. This hotel is converted from the initial intended apartment block. The interior is well-done,and very trendy.The closest thing I can relate is the rooftop garden which links all the apartments together.