Tuesday, 22 July 2008 |
Norihiko Dan — born in 1956 in the Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan — is the designer of the beautiful Munetsugu Hall, completed in 2007 in Naka Ward, Nagoya, Japan. It is a privately-funded concert hall that continues the age-old but almost-dead tradition of wealthy arts patrons initiating and financing the creation of art spaces. Fluid, white wall shapes are the distinctive feature of Munetsugu Hall’s main performance space. The walls bring to mind artistic sweep marks left by a gigantic builder who in his boredom doodled in his mortar tray with a massive trowel and then let the shapes solidify.
Norihiko Dan has won several architecture awards in Japan and Taiwan including the Distinguished Architect Award of the Japanese Institute of Architecture and the ARCADIA Award Gold Medal in 2007. His work has been part of exhibitions in Japan, Taiwan, USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy and the UK. In addition to being a respected architect and educator, Norihiko Dan is also an architecture historian and writes novels and screenplays.
Munetsugu Hall’s generous benefactor is Tokuji Munetsugu who with his wife Naomi made a fortune in the restaurants business. Their company Ichibanya Co. Ltd. (based in Aichi, Japan) operates more than 1,000 curry and pasta restaurants under the names Curry House CoCo Ichibanya and Pasta de Coco. Munetsugu spent two billion yen to build the 310-seat concert hall. He has also set up a nonprofit organization to support welfare, sports and arts activities. - Tuija Seipell
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Wednesday, 09 July 2008 |
We are on a hunt for supremely cool houses, from
beach homes, country homes and city pads to holiday houses and ski
retreats, we want to know where the coolest houses are for our upcoming book. We
are looking for the most unique houses from Sao Paulo to
Sydney. Slightly cool, standard-issue luxury won’t do it.
The houses we
want must think like Zaha Hadid who said “I like architecture to have
someraw, vital, earthy quality.” So, if you are an architect of such
a house, please submit your project for consideration or if you
a photographer who has photographed such a house, please get in touch -
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Monday, 07 July 2008 |
Golf and drab are synonyms, right? And the mere mention of Golf andCountry Club makes you run. Away. Fast. Golf may indeed have a bit ofan image problem but that did not deter the Zürich-based Smolenicky & Partner Architektur when they were retained to work on the expansion of the venerable Sempachersee Golf Club located near Lucerne in Switzerland.
In addition to the new club house-restaurant building and the newmaintenance building, both of which Smolenicky designed, the expansionincluded a second 18-hole golf course. All of this has made Golf ClubSempachersee the largest golf club in Switzerland and, quite likely,the club with the coolest club house.
In their approach to the club house, Smolenicky sought to manifesttwo things: what they call the “country character of the golfingculture of the Sempachersee course” and the course’s worldlysophistication. They took their design cues from “the rural warmth of atimber barn and the clear lines of a Maserati sports car.” Theresulting building, the sleek and minimalist interior, and themagnificent 180-degree panoramic views of the Sempachersee lake and theAlps might just be reasons enough to give golf another chance. Or, atthe very least, rethink what a golfing environment could look like. By Tuija Seipell
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Thursday, 12 June 2008 |
Humlegård House is the stark-looking, year-round residence of a former Finnish TV documentary producer. He moved to this house, located in the town
of Fiskars, 78 kilometers west of Helsinki, from a central-Helsinki
heritage apartment. Many aspects of Humlegård, especially its placement
to respond to the forces of nature, resemble the owner’s childhood
home, a large country manor in central Finland.
Designed by Kimmo Friman of Friman Laaksonen Architects
of Helsinki, Humlegård House is situated on a small, flat hill so that
the north-south line runs diagonally through the building. This is the
traditional way of placing a building so that it functions optimally as
an energy efficient and comfortable dwelling in the harsh, Finnish
climate. Protection from the wind and maximum use of sunlight are
primary considerations, and the placement of rooms is as much dependent
on how much the room needs heat and daylight as it is on how the
residents use each space.
The floor plan resembles the layout of a traditional peasant farmhouse,
split lengthwise into two. The house consists of three multi-function
areas: two large living rooms linked by a loft with a bathroom and
walk-in closet below.
In a typically Finnish fashion, the building appears simple, stark and
utilitarian yet exudes a harmonious and stylish form & function
sensibility. The owner and architect selected each building material
carefully, opting for traditional, natural materials. “I did not want
materials of which we did not have decades of experience,” said the
owner. Horizontal spruce board – left untreated for maximum structure
breathability -- is the main feature of the interior.
The spruce-clad outer facade weathers into a beautiful gray color that
matches the stark surroundings. The east-facing facade is clad with
galvanized corrugated-steel that protects the wall from rain and sun
and also reflects excessive sun away in the summer. The placement of
windows was determined by the requirements of the interior spaces. A
separate, tiny log sauna, also designed by Friman, was built later east
of the main building. By Tuija Seipell
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Wednesday, 28 May 2008 |
Antwerp, Belgium-based one-year-old sculp(IT)
is a partnership of two architects, Pieter Peerlings and Silvia
Mertens. They have recently completed a clever office, residence and
studio for themselves in what they call “Antwerp’s narrowest house”
located in Anwerp’s former red-light district. They took a 2.4-meter (7
feet 10 inches) wide space between two buildings, erected a steel
skeleton in it and installed four wooden floors, one each for work,
dining, relaxing and sleeping, plus a bath tub on the roof.
A one-piece staircase connects the floors. The walls are all glass,
allowing light in and creating a feel of space. In a nod to the area’s
“exhibitionist” past, each “window” to the street has a black frame
emphasizing the showcase or display aspect. The multi-color lighting
scheme completes the seedy notion. By Tuija Seipell
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
There’s a new planet in the solar system and it’s called Luxury.
Actually, it is here on earth, on a little-known island called Nurai,
located northeast of Abu Dhabi city.
The 130,000-square-meter island is about to be transformed into an
achingly glamorous and luxurious resort and exclusive private
residential estate, comprised of one boutique luxury hotel resort with
60 suites, 31 beachfront estates and 36 water villas.
The mammoth project is a collaboration between New York based Studio Dror, led by Dror Benshetrit, that has designed the residences, and the Paris-based firm AW2 are responsible for the design of the hotel.
The sheer scale of the project is awe-inspiring; the incredible
multi-storey water villas alone will span 515 square metres each,
comprising of three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a private rooftop garden
with spa pool, private infinity pool, multiple decks, outdoor barbeque
area, gourmet kitchen and concealed service quarters. No doubt Tom
& Katie are making their reservations already.
As for the private “Seaside” residences (which are sure to be snapped
up by Saudi Princes and oil shieks because they will probably be the
only ones who can afford them), the five bedroom-six bathroom estates
span across between 3,000 – 6,050 square metres.
Each “Seaside” estate will include a private beach and garden, rooftop
garden with spa pool, infinity swimming pool, indoor reflecting pools,
concealed service quarters, entertainment patios, outdoor dining areas,
chef and show kitchens and outdoor showers.
The resort is due to open in 2010 and residences start at €20 million. By Lisa Evans
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Thursday, 15 May 2008 |
Some of us think that our far off ancestors lived in the trees – and
during our childhood, when our thoughts and memories are most pure, we
yearn to climb trees growing in our gardens, in our parks, in our
cities. As we get older, the urge to climb trees subsides as we
ride elevators up to our offices in the sky and look out across the
cities where we live. Yet occasionally, as we’re sealed up tight
in our artificially climatic spaces, we long for a breath of fresh air.
At a German company called baumraum
an architect, a landscape architect, an arbologist, and a craftsman
design modern, natural and solidly constructed treehouses. Each
treehouse project is assessed individually. The team takes into
consideration both the condition of the environment and of the tree,
with the size and features the clients desire.
baumraum offers a range of wood-types as well as options for insulated
walls. Treespaces can be outfitted with sitting and sleeping
benches, storage spaces, a mini-kitchen, heating, glass windows,
lighting, as well as a sound system for multimedia. Every piece
is pre-fabricated in a workshop, and then brought together on site.
Sound like something you’ve been wanting? The baumraum team
offers free consultation where they can talk you through every option
available as you put together your dream treehouse. The
treehouses can span multiple levels and sit among several trees.
Treehouses are mostly secured with ropes, thereby minimising the impact
of stress to the tree or trees on which the house is placed. And
if a tree is particularly weak, or even if a treehouse is wanted where
there is no suitable tree, stilts are used to guarantee people
everywhere can once again climb trees. By Andrew J Wiener.
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Tuesday, 06 May 2008 |
We do our best to seek out exceptional design from all corners of the globe, and on Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands off the north west coast of Africa, we found an extraordinary architectural example in timber, glass and concrete. The House in Tenerife was built into the cliffs 300m above a black sand beach.
The entrance to the house leads to the upper tier of the double-height living room. And descending the concrete staircase, the minimalist interior becomes second nature against the surrounding backdrop – where the blues of the sky and the sea appear vertically in formation. Before long, the sensory experiences from the natural world envelope the built form, and the house’s relevance in its surroundings are revealed.
The layout places living areas of the home on the shorter end of the L-shaped form, while both bedrooms and bathrooms sit along the longer side. Both living and sleeping spaces open out to a wooden deck and pool that spills into nature.
The heaviness of the concrete double-story living room allows glass panels to sit effortlessly on the deck. The room’s only furniture, le Corbuiser’s chaise and Mies’ Barcelona chair face out, away from a small fireplace that meets a wall of two-storey shelving.
The sleeping spaces both open to the deck and pool as well. Each has its own bathroom – and from the master, the owners can sleep and bathe in the same space looking out at the same view, as the sink and the concrete tub sit at the foot of the bed.
The house even contains a basement where a home gym looks through a glass wall into the side of the pool. We couldn’t really think of anything else we would want from a home on a Spanish island – except great wine storage, we’d be doing plenty of entertaining. By Andrew J Wiener
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Friday, 18 April 2008 |
New Yorkers call it ‘Upstate.’ Londoners call it ‘the Country.’ But for many of the so-called Sydney-siders, living just about an hour north of the CBD in and around the stunning Pittwater Bay, it’s called home. And the design brief for the James-Robertson House set upon a steep slope at Great Mackerel Beach overlooking the bay was to provide the owners with a permanent residence that separates living, sleeping and guest spaces in three pavilion-like glass, steel and copper structures.
The Sydney-based team of Casey Brown Architecture abides by principles of lying built form atop of the natural environment, and their house perched above the blue waters of the bay is no exception to the practice. For the James-Robertson House, the architects, who also live on the hillside, employed their local knowledge of climate and topography in the relationship between the natural and the tectonic.
After crossing the bay by ferry, visitors and the very few local residents arrive at Great Mackerel Beach via a pier that jets out from the shore. The homes on the hillside sit at the edge of the Ku-ring-gai National Park – a vast expansive protected area just north of Sydney – and no road access means no cars at all – the dream of many urbanists worldwide.
The structure of the house is comprised of three double-storey pavilions that are anchored down into the rock formations yet seem to hang off the steep hill. The climate-sensitive design allows the vast open areas to capture sea breezes from the South Pacific Ocean just out beyond the Bay. Sunlight is effortlessly filtered through folding hoods, mechanical blinds and eaves and long overhangs. The entire steel structure was painted black, which helps the house fade into its natural environment. Along with the structural materials, the architects placed a copper roof above and used local timber and stone.
The two pavilions below house a guest room and bathroom on the lower level, while the main kitchen, dining and living areas are accessed via an exterior stone stairway. The upper pavilion sits 50 metres above the lower, and can only be accessed by riding aboard a very steep inclinator. The pavilion contains the laundry area below, and the master bedroom and bathroom were placed on the highest point for the most expansive views of the surrounding landscape. By Andrew J Wiener
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Wednesday, 16 April 2008 |
The owner couple of this beautiful pre-fabricated cabin on the shores
of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada, has been coming to their large
recreational property for a quarter-century. But the big property in a
great recreational location translated into lots of overnight guests
and no privacy for the owners.
They felt they needed a
“getaway,” a place at their own property where they could capture the
peace and serenity of the surrounding four-season nature without
disturbing any of the existing trees or structures. They needed a place
that remembers what the Simcoe cottage-country is all about.
The brilliant, award-winning solution by Toronto-based Taylor Smyth Architects
is the one-room Sunset Cabin, a real cabin with a decidedly
contemporary feel. The wonderful cabin has won several architectural
and design awards and met the clients’ needs perfectly.
It is a
one-room (190 square feet in size), self-contained box that was built
by furniture craftsmen in four weeks in a Toronto parking lot and
installed on site in 10 days.
Three of the exterior walls are
floor-to-ceiling glass and of those, two are encased in horizontal
cedar-screens for privacy, shade and light effects inside. One of the
cedar screens has a large opening providing a direct view of the sunset
from the built-in bed. The rest of the screen has random smaller gaps
to allow various vignettes of the surrounding nature and to create
fantastic light patterns inside. The slats are positioned so that there
is no direct view in from the outside, but at the same time, it the
inside feels almost wall-less.
The untreated cedar of the outer structure will turn silvery grey over
time, helping the cabin blend in with its natural surroundings. In
addition, the roof, visible from the existing main building, is a green
roof planted with native plants of the area, further ensuring that the
building mixes in with the landscape rather than sticks out in it.
All
interior surfaces are unpainted birch veneer plywood, including the
built-in storage cabinets. Doors at both ends of the cabin allow for
cross ventilation. The interior floor extends outside to form a deck
where the rustic feel continues with the screened-off outdoor shower.
The
owners are apparently spending more time at their property than ever
before. They enjoy the cabin year-round, heating it by a wood-burning
stove and, if needed, electric heaters. Most likely, they are not
inviting guests to share the space, so we can join in only by admiring
the images. By Tuija Seipell
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Thursday, 10 April 2008 |
Zaha Hadid’s silvery building resembling a sub-surface ferry or a space ship is the winning entry in the competition for the design of the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in the ancient city of Vilnius, capital and the largest city of the Republic of Lithuania.
Although Vilnius is one of Europe's smallest capitals, it has a long, strong and culturally rich history, beautifully reflected in its well-preserved Old Town with cathedrals dating back to the 12th century. The Pritzker prize-winning architect Hadid’s futuristic building will be an arts centre and a museum, housing selected collections of both the New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and the St. Petersburg- based State Hermitage Museum.
The jury selected Hadid’s (Zaha Hadid Architects) design over those of equally famous architects Daniel Libeskind (Studio Daniel Libeskind) and Massimiliano Fuksas (Studio Fuksas).
A feasibility study, commissioned by the recently established Jonas Mekas Visual Arts Centre in Vilnius, is expected to be completed by mid-June 2008. Depending on its outcome, the museum could open as early as in 2011. By Tuija Seipell
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Friday, 07 March 2008 |
People have paddled since time immemorial although the gear today
is much different from what it was in ancient times. Soon we will also
see a new type of rest and overnight shelter specifically for canoeists
that will take advantage of the water as a power source yet retain a
pristine and timeless peacefulness. Finnish architect and artist Sami Rintala,
together with architecture student Janne Saario, has created The Mill,
a modern wilderness hut that will be located in the Halikko river in
south western Finland, near the town of Salo, mid-way between Helsinki
and Turku. The wooden shelter even includes fireplaces and sleeping
platforms and the waterwheel in the middle of the stream produces the
energy for use in the shelter. To be completed in the fall of 2008, The
Mill is part of Halikonlahti Green Art Trilogy, which in turn is part
of an ongoing multi-year "Cross-artistic and Scientific Environmental Event"
The 39-year-old Rintala has created experimental and environmentally
sustainable installations and experimental buildings all over the
world, form the Scandinavian countries to Cuba, Canada, Japan and
Korea. By Tuija Seipell
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Wednesday, 05 March 2008 |
Most of us have a personal image of an ideal escape or getaway. A
secluded beach shack hidden on an island paradise - a tucked away cabin
built into a snowy mountainside - a private chateaux set on the quiet,
rolling hills of a vineyard - basically anywhere we feel removed from
the mundane normalcy of our own daily lives.
X.Pace, a Sydney/Singapore-based design studio is on the verge of
helping us redefine the ultimate lifestyle solution - the highly
luxurious Hingarae residences and resort located in Lake Taupo on New
Zealand's north island. Hingarae embodies everything one would
expect from 6 star standards - the ideal balance of extreme luxury,
privacy and ultra-modern built form set upon a pristine natural
environment.
The development will offer twenty eight opportunities to own a
fully-furnished Hingarae Module. Each individual Module is 200
square metres set carefully within 1 hectare of natural
landscape. Oversized glazing allows uninterrupted views to the
surrounding forest, green countryside, snow-capped mountains and
crystal blue lake. The interior design is equally rewarding
offering an exceptional imported blend of modern and futuristic
furniture. The main living space sits on a revolving disc floor
that allows orientation toward the exterior or the LCD screen.
Numerous additions to Hingarae Module ownership include an electric car
for all on-site traveling, personal use of Hingarae's premium luxury
4WD vehicles for off-site travel, access to on-call helicopter,
on-going membership to Jack Nicklaus' Kinloch Golf Club, ongoing winter
season's pass to Mount Ruapehu's Whakapapa (New Zealand's largest ski
area), shared use of Hingarae's motor launch and unlimited access to
the 6 Star Hotel Hingarae and all its facilities including a recording
studio. Hingarae also fully manages and maintains each Module and its
individual acreage.
Nearly every aspect of a superior style of living has been taken into
consideration during the conception and development phases of
Hingarae. Unlike anything in the world, this New Zealand
destination will soon embody the ultimate expression of escape for
those of us able to get in - as prices start from US$1.9 million. As
for the rest of us, we can always hope for an invitation from a
generous friend. By Andrew J Wiener.
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Monday, 11 February 2008 |
We’ve told you before about some of the creative uses for abandoned shipping containers –
and we wouldn’t keep bringing it up if we didn’t think that design
recycling is still essential. Also, we have never before found a
project where the principles underlying sustainability have been so
successfully achieved. Phooey Architects
completed work on Skinners Playground, a backyard for children living
in public housing in South Melbourne, Australia – and a low cost,
environmentally sound, and socially responsible solution.
Setting design aside for a second, we need to acknowledge that the
architects created a place to find a community support network; a place
for children to learn and grow; a place that provides a place to
escape; and a place where families know children are safe. The result
is similar to the Danish concept of allowing children within a
community to build their own play space. Although the children in South
Melbourne did not actually build this playground, they will take an
active role in how the activity centre will develop and grow.
Beginning with the desire to produce zero waste from conception to
completion, Phooey architects staggered, sliced and arranged four
unpainted shipping containers on the site of the playground. Any
additional material including windows, decking, carpet tiles and
joinery had to be durable, recycled, reclaimed, reused, plantation or
salvaged from demolition. Even parts that were cut off or unassembled
from the containers were used to make a staircase with a
balustrade, overhangs providing external shading, and various
decorative features.
Through the successfull stacking of the shipping containers, a variety
of indoor and outdoor, intimate and public spaces are created. Areas
are provided for study, art, dance, play and general hang out. Every
interior space has visual and physical connections to its surroundings
by opening up onto sandpits, play spaces and even a pond and reed bed
that receives much of the roof’s runoff rainwater. The containers are fully sealed and insulated allowing continued
use through Melbourne’s temperate winter months. And in the summer,
cool ocean breezes help prevent overactive children from
overheating. By Andrew J Wiener
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Wednesday, 06 February 2008 |
We have found a candidate for the winner in the Coolest Home Theatre
category. Just short of being a drive-in, this outdoor home theatre
surpasses the stinky basement family “media room” by close to a light
year.
Glass walls, clean lines, uninterrupted space, uncluttered rooms,
expensive detailing — the hallmarks of a modern, upscale classic are
all present in this stylish residence. Why anyone in possession of such
an amazing home with such breathtaking views, would want to watch
movies at home, is beyond us, but let’s just say that we wouldn’t mind
being invited to a screening or two. The terraces, patios and the 65-foot infinity pool and spa will keep
cinematically uninterested guests entertained as well. And we’ll all
stay at the separate guest house, of course.
But we must admit we are still lacking an invite to the
5,800-square-foot Skyline residence overlooking Hollywood and downtown
LA. The visit is up to the owner of the home, architect Hagy Belzberg,
a Harvard graduate (1991) who interned in Frank Gehry’s office.
The opulent home was designed by the entire team of his Santa Monica-based, 13-member Belzberg Architects that the now 43-year-old Hagy Belzberg founded in 1997. By Tuija Seipell
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