Architecture Archives
Architecture Watch: City Hall Cools Out in Seoul
Judging by current building trends, it appears that civic architecture is a harbinger of the future: Korean firm Mass Studies have designed a mixed-use city hall for Seoul, South Korea. The building includes a symphony hall, offices, a large public gathering space, and a section that bears a slight resemblance to the Morphosis Opus on Mission Street. In the true democratic spirit of "E Pluribus Unum," Mass Studies are striving to create a single space from a combination of the existing city hall, their forward-thinking addition, and the newly integrated public plaza. Obligatory archi-babble:
"The new Seoul City Hall that is the spatial result of combining potentials will not only synthesize the past and the present, but define what is “public” in a completely new way. The purpose of this proposal is for the new City Hall to create a continuity with Seoul’s six hundred year old history while co-existing harmoniously with the larger future of the 21st century and beyond..."Although the office towers have (ostensibly) been designed to avoid overshadowing the existing structure, in these renderings, it looks like the addition is actually consuming it— classic.
· New Seoul City Hall by Mass Studies [Dezeen]
Architecture Watch: Renzo's Rainbow Connection
In Architecture Watch, Curbed SF expands its world view to new structures across the globe. Projects of note should be directed accordingly.
We think it's safe to say that all of San Francisco— nay, all the country— is eagerly anticipating the opening of the Renzo Piano-designed California Academy of Sciences. Though Piano's work is universally acclaimed for the most part, his new project in London, Central Saint Giles, misses the mark — at least judging by these renderings. Due for completion in 2009, the new 500,000 square foot mixed-use development consists of three 12-story buildings. Clad in individually colored ceramic and glass facades, the buildings definitely make a statement, although perhaps a bit garishly. Of the color, Piano says, "...by adding levitated, articulated and colorful buildings, (Central Saint Giles) physically expresses the people-focused and socially responsible credentials of modern corporate tenants." Of the color, Curbed SF says, "Whatevs Renz, it's totes ugs" (Because that's how we really do speak— it's not just a blog thing, you know.) Lesson learned, SF — the InterContinental really could be worse.
· Renzo Piano unveils new plans for London [World Architecture News]
· Invasion!: Science Squad Storms CA Academy of Sciences [Curbed SF]
Architecture Watch: Libeskind Doing His Thing in Hong Kong
In Architecture Watch, Curbed SF expands its worldview to new structures across the globe. Projects of note should be directed accordingly.
On the boards for Daniel Libeskind, architect of San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum, is the Creative Media Centre for the University of Hong Kong. Described on the architect's website as a "distinctive crystalline design" (distinctive, er, only if you've never seen another Libeskind building), the Media Centre will open in 2010 as the new home of the school's Department of Computer Engineering and Information Technology. The enormous building also includes obligatory concessions to green design, with a small roof garden and public green spaces. Although definitely not without merit, this thing essentially looks like an exploded, out-of-proportion version of a... Daniel Libeskind Building. Looking at something like this, we're reminded of how lucky we are that Libeskind seems to be showing a bit of restraint with the CJM.
· Studio Creative Media Center [daniel-libeskind.com]
· Veg.itecture: World Tour [Landscape + Urbanism]
Architecture Watch: Steven Holl's 'Sliced Porisity Block' Set to Menace Chengdu, China
In Architecture Watch, Curbed SF expands its worldview to new structures across the globe. Projects of note should be directed accordingly.
Famed firm Steven Holl Architects (think: current NYC Hudson Yards redevelopment contender) has been commissioned to build Sliced Porosity Block, a 105,000 square foot mixed-use "giant chunk of metropolis" (as the firm describes it) situated in Chengdu, China. The black-and-white megalith will house apartments, a hotel, retail, cafes and restaurants. Hell of a plan here— five vertical entrances will lead into a Rockefeller Center-sized urban plaza (known as "Three Valley") whose three ponds are inspired by a poem by ancient poet Du Fu. The scheme grows more conceptual: suspended above six stories' worth of retail space, said ponds will function as skylights, "pierced by diagonal stray escalators that thrust upwards to three 'buildings within buildings.'"
Three pavilions designed by Holl (history pavilion), Lebbeus Woods (high tech pavilion), and Ai Wei Wei (Du Fu pavilion) will occupy voids in the facades of the blocks. On the green front, 'Sliced Porosity Block' will vie for a gold LEED rating with geo-thermal cooling aided by the ponds and other tricks of the trade. Holl and company are blowing up in China, with the Vanke Center (a floating horizontal skyscraper) on tap in Shenzhen and the Linked Hybrid (eight towers and 660 geothermal wells linked by public sky bridges) set to open in Beijing this year.
· Steven Holl Architects [website]
Wild Card: Exercise in "Adaptive Reuse"
If you only knew how tempted we were to do a "Seawall Lot 337 Proposals: Early Reveal" headline here. Hell, maybe we're on to something here?
We stumbled upon this unidentified shipping container collection-cum-trailer park wild card on local blog Treough. A nice dose of unconditional love to the archifanatic who tells us where, exactly, this shantytown lives.
Public Space From Public Architecture
San Francisco's Public Architecture is one step closer to the construction of a permanent "Sidewalk Plaza" in front of Brainwash cafe and laundromat on Folsom Street. Champions of public space, the nonprofit architecture/urban design firm was recently awarded a grant from the Studio for Urban Projects, a research firm specializing in public art and the urban landscape. The Brainwash Sidewalk Plaza is a small part of Public Architecture's Open Space Plan — a vision for a more pedestrian-friendly Folsom Street. Their plan, a relatively Utopian scheme compared to the current state of Folsom, is undeniably ambitious in scope, yet has found support from the San Francisco Planning Department, Redevelopment Agency, and Transportation Authority. We'd love to see the whole thing realized, but with that many city agencies interested, it's amazing that even a small part of this plan will soon begin construction. Working in conjunction with CMB Landscape Architecture, Public Architecture is hoping to finish the plaza by the end of the year. Standing by . . .
· Sidewalk Plaza [Public Architecture website]
[Images via Public Architecture]
Greener Than Thou: Fed Building Too Green For LEED
Greener Than Thou is our report on San Francisco’s obsession with all things green, calling bullshit in the poseurs and lavishing praise on those who have secured their place in environmental paradise. Nominees, holler!
It's no secret that architect Thom Mayne has beef with LEED, the de-facto green design rating system that is now all but a prerequisite for building anything in San Francisco. Despite its widespread acceptance, LEED shouldn't be taken as sacred wri— no one knows this more than Mayne. Because of the way in which LEED ratings are awarded, The San Francisco Federal building does not currently qualify for even base LEED accreditation. Says Mayne in a recent interview, "I wasn't arrogant, but I was confident — I just assumed we had the platinum rating. All of a sudden we went through LEED and it wasn't working." Too damn ahead of its time, the systems used for environmental control in the Fed Building are so innovative that they have yet to be considered so by the overly-prescriptive commandments of Green. The Green Buildings Council, however, claim that LEED is a work-in-progress, and have consented to take the next few months to reevaluate the Federal Building. Hopefully they'll continue to update their requirements so that LEED becomes less of an pocket industry encouraging architects to "tack on" expensive third-party features and more of an impetus for carefully conceived, environmentally-integrated designs.
· The LEED Shade of Green [The New West]
· Thom Mayne Calls Bullshit on LEED [Curbed SF]
[photo via flickr user fionap]
Greener Than Thou: East Bay Container (Green)house
We've got a new toy! Forget the jump; for your viewing enjoyment, we now have the photo gallery seen below. Something catch your eye? Click, click, clickety, click-click away.
What better way to roll out a photo gallery than with a set of prefab porn? This East Bay container house was built by Leger Wanaselja Architecture. Cobbled together from 3 refrigerated shipping containers (instant insulstion!), the 1,300 square foot, 3-bedroom house boasts the usual (and sometimes dubious, as developments go) bevy of green stuff: wool carpeting, bamboo floors, "green" paint, brown cellulose insulation— and the use of solar tubes (qua?) as a means of harnessing energy. Ultimate green coup? The containers' doors were even re-purposed as retaining walls. Saints.
· PREFAB FRIDAY: Container House by Leger Wanaselja [Inhabitat]
[Ed. note: 1:10 PST. Indeed we are having tech diffs. But like good little bloggers, we don't pull posts. Bear with us. UPDATE: 1:14 PST. We have liftoff.]
Pelli Clarke Pelli to Green the Embarcadero
While the Transbay Terminal Tower is designed, redesigned, reviewed, and re-reviewed, architects Pelli Clark Pelli and developer Hines will have another San Francisco project to keep them busy. 110 The Embarcadero, as the project is currently known, is a 10-story tower aspiring for a LEED Platinum rating, an award that as never been given to an office building. The tower will wear its green heart on its sleeve, with a facade covered in a network of vines and planters, a kind of a natural echo of the green grid on the Mission Street JP Morgan Chase building (another Hines/Pelli Collaboration.) Despite its smaller scale and thoughtful design, we can't imagine that 110 The Embarcadero won't attract the ire of preservationists and traditionalist foodies alike— it will sit smack against the 1889 building that houses Boulevard restaurant, after all. 110 is planned for a 2013 opening — right around the time the Transbay Tower project should begin construction.
· A beautiful green building for Embarcadero [SF Gate]
[Images courtesy Pelli Clarke Pelli/ SF Gate]
Shocker: Don Fisher Wins CAMP Go-Ahead
Don Fisher has effectively paid his way into the Presidio Trust, and nobody's even pretending otherwise: today's Chron reports that Fisher's plans were chosen over those of the Presidio Historical Society, citing a lack of funding as one of the latter's downfalls. Fisher, on the other hand, will personally fork over funding for lease of the land and construction of the Gluckman Mayner-designed Contemporary Art Museum of the Presidio (CAMP). As a means of staving off protesters consolation prize to the losing party, no doubt, the Presidio Trust will also set aside $5M to develop a "history and visitors center" at the Presidio's Main Post.
Special bonus feature: Don n' Doris will also kick in $10M in pocket change so that the Presidio's asphalt Parade Ground may be replaced by lawn and a "promenade." Please excuse us while we dig out our debutante gown and drown ourselves in sweet tea.
· Presidio Trust to enter talks with Gap founder Fisher for museum in the park [SF Gate]
· Underdog Presidio Preservationists Make Bid for Endangered List [Curbed SF]
· The Old School Despises CAMP Design, Lacks Fear [Curbed SF]
· Balls to Bowling: Another Presidio Protest [Curbed SF]
· CAMP revealed: Fisher Delivers Design [Curbed SF]
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