The last major project of Philip Johnson's career is a mega hit

Is a modernist residence the latest luxury accessory of the rich and famous? Judging from the brisk sales of units at The Urban Glass House, a new, luxury condominium project located in Soho New York designed by Philip Johnson and Alan Ritchie, one would think so. The 11 storey 40-unit project, which is ready for occupancy in 2007, is 80% presold. And the penthouse unit set a record for the neighbourhood. No small feat given that real estate market has cooled and that the units here are pricey, ranging from 1.6 to 12.5 million dollars. Part of the project’s success is that it has been cleverly marketed as the urban version of an iconic building, Johnson’s Glass House in New Caanan, Connecticut, which the architect completed in 1949 and occupied until his death in 2005. Ritchie says in scale and context, the Urban Glass House echoes the Seagram building. But the details are drawn from the Glass House. The building’s palette is limited and restrained, with steel and glass as primary materials. Inside, Annabelle Seldorf has designed rich, warm yet spare interiors. White oak floors are laid in a chevron pattern like the brick floors in the original Glass House, and large expanses of glass are used throughout.

Rogers slams Olympic design and build contracts

Reports in the UK trade and national press that award winning architect Lord Rogers has threatened to boycott the 2012 Olympic Games now appear exaggerated. His office has told WAN that the word ‘boycott’ was not used in this context, however he is heavily critical of the design and build process that led to the award of the £280 million stadium to a consortium led by contractors McAlpine and HOK architects. Rogers position is important not only because of his international standing but because he an advisor to London Mayor, Ken Livingstone. Rogers was cited in the press as saying “Every major Olympic stadium that I am aware of went though a design led procurement process.” The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has responded that each venue was considered separately and argued that design and build contracts can produce fantastic venues. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told WAN that: “Everyone involved in preparations for the London 2012 Games is committed to achieving high standards of design for the venues and the Olympic Park as a whole. That has to be reconciled with the demands of a tight construction programme and deliverability. Richard Rogers is working closely with the ODA team to achieve these aims.”

Hamiltons Architects granted planning for mixed residential development

The skin of the building is a profiled perforated brass with flush windows, this continues the approach to materiality in the London based Hamiltons Architects who produced the award winning Brewery Square with its copper and zinc skin. Flush sliding windows and recessed balconies compliment the seamless facade with frameless glazed shop fronts and penthouse top floor. The facade insulation and shading system obviates the need for air conditioning. The proposal includes insulation and cladding made from recycled material and an integrated ventilation system to reduce the energy requirement for the development. The building will consist of 26 flats.

Coop Himmelb(l)au Architects unveil new Lyon museum

The opening of the visitor’s pavilion at the construction site of the Musée des Confluences took place on October 8 at Quai Perrache, Lyon. The Musée des Confluences does not consider itself as an exclusive temple for the intellectual bourgeoisie but as a public place providing access to the knowledge of our age. Stimulating a direct and active use, it is not only a museum site but also a venue in town. The architecture hybridises the typology of a museum with the typology of an urban leisure space. The concept of two complexly connected architectural units are a result of the striking interface-like situation of the building site. The crystal rising towards the side of the town is conceived as an urban forum and entrance hall for visitors. Its shape that can be read clearly stands for the everyday world. In contrast to this the cloud hides the knowledge about the future; it is a soft space of hidden streams and countless transitions.

Zaha Hadid's first built project in UK is unveiled

The design is Zaha's response to a brief set by Maggie's, which challenged her to create a relaxed and aesthetically uplifting environment. It is located on the edge of a hollow adjacent to the hospital. The hollow has a dramatic topography, which in combination with the natural foliage and trees creates a very distinctive protected environment in stark contrast to the other facilities of Victoria Hospital. The centre has been designed as a transition between the two different types of spaces - the natural landscape and the hospital. Externally the form of the Centre derives from a folding surface and a connecting ground slab. The folding surface articulates a directional emphasis of moving the visitor into a different space from the rest of the hospital grounds. By cladding the visible roof and two opposing walls with the same material and making the remaining elevations a mix of translucent and clear glass, the directional nature of this form is reinforced. The opening of the Fife centre brings the number of Maggie's Centre to five, other architects who have given their services for free include Richard Murphy, Page & Park and Frank Gehry. Currently under construction is Richard Rogers Maggie's Centre in London, which is due to complete in October 2007. Further project designs from architects for other Maggie's Centres nationally include Reiach & Hall, Richard MacCormac, Wilkinson Eyre, Daniel Libeskind, Piers Gough and Kisho Kurokawa.

Biscoe Architects unveil new plans for retirement village in Queensland

The new community clubhouse at Hervey Bay will provide the residents with a high quality multifunction facility designed for the subtropical climate. The clubhouse facility contains a range of functions that will allow residents to socialise, exercise in the gym or pool, study in the internet library or relax around the twenty-five metre swimming pool or lounge bar. The indoor and outdoor spaces have been designed to integrate seamlessly by incorporating expansive areas of glass and stacking doors. Extensive lush landscape areas surround and floor into the central courtyard space. This subtropical spa/resort style facility will become a community hub and meeting place. This innovative new building will encourage a wide variety of activities and social interaction.

Clean lines create powerful statement for VOLA

The VOLA showroom initially appears very fragmented and incoherent as they stretch over three different interconnected building structures. In an attempt to continue and complement Arne Jacobsen’s and thereby VOLA’s minimalist and aesthetic expression, Aarhus Arkitekterne have tried to unite the fragmented room and the many surfaces with simple elements, making the space appear homogenous and clear. The super graphics featuring two of VOLA’s classics on the back wall add depth to the central room. In addition, a meeting/open room elevated above floor level has been established at the back wall. This adds dynamism to the showroom by having the folded wood surface extending from the back wall in steps towards the showroom floor.

Piercy Conner Architects wins highly acclaimed Living Steel competition

The challenge was to create an economically viable alternative that would be expressive, joyful and responsive to the environment. The SymHouse Mk.1 conceptualises the symbiotic relationship of a sealed, conditioned contemporary living space enveloped by a permeable responsive outer skin. As the two "natures" permeate each other, the in-between spaces become an outdoor room and the internal spaces engage with the landscape. The permeable outer skin is created from a series of perforated steel panels that are positioned according to layered data from sun path studies, key views and privacy. The resulting facade is reminiscent of many screens and freezes found in Indo-Islamic architecture. Construction of the prototype Symhouse Mk.1 will commence early 2006.

Architecture for aviation industry in Austria

Project A01 architects from Vienna have completed the new headquarters for "Schiebel" who are the leading producers of autonomous helicopters. The building reflects the ambition of the Austrian firm to be a global player in the aviation industry. The production facility opened in September 2006 at the airport in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The monolithic office block is clad with black basalt concrete elements that sit on a mirrored base and seems to float above the ground. The production area, using the latest processes, is directly connected to the airfield providing the necessary space for air shows. The interior design is also relating to this ambitious environment.

3xn scoops MIPIM Future Project Award for Offices 2006

3XN's visionary and empathetic wining proposal unites the Middelfart Savings Bank's high ambitions for their new head office. The new bank premises will ensure an open, transparent, and comfortable environment for employees and clients. Being one of the first new developments along the harbour front, it will also prompt demands for a high architectural quality in future developments. One large roof covers all functions in the building. It's a wide wooden structure with numerous openings that let in abundant daylight from the North, and allow for the employee's direct view of the sea from everywhere in the building. In this way, the light and friendly atmosphere, as envisaged by the bank, is achieved. The new building is carefully fitted into the context. On one side, the village street is respected by adhering to existent dimensions, scale and roof shapes. Towards the harbour, the building retracts and makes way for a new, triangular space embracing the view. From the square, one enters a big indoor 'market place', the heart of the building. With its central position, the building will become a natural meeting point for clients, staff and visitors.

Guy Battle, one the UK’s leading environmental consultants talks to WAN in London about the Stern Review

"In the arena of architecture and building today, we are ready for this. As an industry, we have been getting fit. However we have been talking about this for some time now and are often frustrated by clients not taking the carbon problem seriously. This is now a real issue and the review will make a big difference. Suddenly the sceptics will wake up and realise that this is not just a possible issue for our grandchildren but will affect all companies within 30-40 years. Stern has moved this issue from a 'lets do this because it’s green' mentality and placed it firmly in the centre of the city with a 'do this or your business will fail' edge."
Shown here is the Madrid headquarters of Endesa, Spain’s largest power generator. The building designed by Kohn Pederson Fox with Battle McCarthy is an ultra low energy building powered by a complex combination of green energy sources including earth tubes and daylight with the result that the building is actually a net power generator heralding a new direction in building design.

Michael Jantzen designs the Wind Shaped Pavilion

The design proposal for the Wind Shaped Pavilion was to create a large fabric structure that can be used as a public or private pavilion. As a lightweight fabric structure, the wind slowly and randomly rotates each of the six segments around a central open support frame. This continually alters the shape of the pavilion, while at the same time generating electrical power for its nighttime illumination. The shape of the structure starts out as a relatively symmetrical form. Then the wind begins to alter that shape randomly, with only a slim chance of ever returning to its original symmetry. If the structures scale and the materials were to change, it could become an apartment complex, and or some other commercial building. In this case, the occupants could take control and rotate the segments to adjust to changing desires or needs, such as weather conditions, best views, etc. For more information on the Wind Shaped Pavilion and other amazing designs take a look on www.humanshelter.org.

City history museum at world heritage site by the Mersey River

3XN’s winning proposal for a new British national museum; the Museum of Liverpool, will establish a dynamic, open and accessible structure that grows out of its riverside site. The site falls within the Liverpool World Heritage site and it is conceived as inclined or elevated platforms, gradually forming a sculptural structure. It is estimated that the new museum will attract at least 750.000 visitors on a yearly basis, and that Liverpool, with the Museum as a symbol of the Liverpool’s ongoing regeneration, will be elevatated into the front rank of European tourist destinations. The museum will be a focal point of 2008 when Liverpool becomes European Capital of Culture. With this impetus the first phase of the museum must be complete in October of the celebration year. After the Capital of Culture Year, phase two, the exhibition fit out will begin with the museum completion scheduled for April 2010.

Collett & Farmer unveil the new child and parent centre for the Coram family

The 3,700 sq m building designed by architects Collett & Farmer replaces a number of dilapidated buildings including a late 19th C swimming pool and small mortuary building. The new building will provide much needed childcare facilities, including a new health centre focused on children’s needs, crèches and parents centre promoting good parenting and serving 600 local families as well as a training and arts centre for the excellent work the charity does in promoting and actively demonstrating child welfare both at a local and national level. The building will be one of a new generation of highly sustainable projects now being built in London and is naturally ventilated throughout and will include rainwater recycling, passive solar control, passive cooling and is designed to accommodate solar panels on the roof to achieve renewable energy requirements on site and to obtain the highest possible rating under the BRE assessment method for sustainability.

Foster + Partners unveils designs for 980 Madison

Designs for a new residential tower at 980 Madison Avenue in New York have been unveiled. Foster + Partners proposes to create two fused elliptical residential towers. Designed in 1947 by Walker and Poor, two floors would accommodate a public art installation, and the roof garden would be reinstated as a publicly accessible sculpture court. Formerly functioning as art galleries and an auction house for Sotheby’s, the original building’s simple detailing would be respected and restored. Its later additions – including some 50 windows – would be removed, together with the unsightly roof extension added in the 1960’s. The green public sculpture court would delicately separate the old and the new. In keeping with the dynamic mix of building heights and styles from different periods that characterise the Upper East Side, the design for 980 Madison creates a new landmark to join the numerous other distinctive buildings in the district. Sympathetic in height to the neighbouring Carlyle building, 980 Madison offers an opportunity to create a 21st Century, sustainable counterpart. Harnessing natural solar resources, the towers are clad in delicately fluted thermal panels to provide a comfortable internal environment while assuming an elegant urban presence.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill unveil their design for the Shenzhen tower

AVIC plaza stretches along a major artery of Shenzhen, bridging the old downtown and modern city center. In the center sits a retail podium, which is sited diagonally to encourage north-south movement across the plaza. Flanking the podium are two triangular plots: on the northeast plot sits a high-profile office tower, while on the southwest are more secluded apartment towers. The apartment towers connect at every third floor with two-storey public gardens and at the podium roof. Atop the retail podium is the signature tower, which will be an important landmark for the city, its twin vertical blades registering a dynamic profile on the skyline. The tower's verticality is enhanced by mullions, which are further accentuated by fritted glass extensions. These luminescent extensions provide shade the interior from direct sunlight while preserving views from the building of the rapidly growing city.

David Chipperfield Architects win competition

David Chipperfield Architects has been appointed to design 'One Museum Place', a prestigious new mixed-use building in Atlanta, Georgia including luxury condominiums, a private dining club, retail facilities and a new contemporary art gallery. One Museum Place will sit in the heart of midtown Atlanta on Peachtree Street, opposite Woodruff Arts Center, which includes Richard Meier's 1983 High Museum of Art and the Wieland Pavilion - Renzo Piano's recent addition for contemporary art. It also overlooks the Ansley Park residential neighbourhood, containing some of the city's oldest family homes. The $135 m 400,000 sq ft mid-rise building will contain over 80 apartments, varying in size from 2000 to over 6000 sq ft. A 15,000 sq ft contemporary art gallery will provide highly flexible space for temporary shows including those by a resident artist programme.

African American Cultural Center breaks ground in Pittsburgh

The August Wilson Center for African American Cultural Center designed by Perkins+ Will Architects recently broke ground in Pittsburgh. The building is dedicated to the achievements of African Americans in Pittsburgh and people of African descent throughout the world. The 65,000 square foot two-storey structure is made of local steel, aluminum and plate glass. The ground floor, which is treated as an extension of the street, contains the building’s public spaces, including a gift shop/book store, a music café, a 500-seat theatre and a 4,000 square foot gallery. The second storey houses a second gallery, a 200-seat multi purpose room for performances and rehearsals and education and administrative spaces. The most distinctive feature of the Center is a tall, bowed structure of metal and glass that marks the corner of the building. It has multi readings as a prow or a shield or calls to mind the idea of a leading edge. The building, which is estimated to cost 35.9 million, is slated for completion in 2008.

As “Celebrity” architects capitalise on their names, they may be storing up problems for their practices when they retire

This week it was revealed in the UK press that Lord Foster charges a premium if he is personally involved in the design of a project. The process dubbed “cash for credit” apparently involves a stipulation in the practice’s standard fee agreement that the client cannot use the name ‘Norman Foster’ in association with the building ….’ The logic being that having a building designed by Norman Foster adds value to the real estate. But not all icons subscribe to this practice, Zaha Hadid is known for being “hands-on” and her office confirmed to WAN today that “Zaha is involved with every one of our 34 current projects” This fuels both the debate about who takes credit for buildings in large firms and what will happen to their practices when the current “grandfathers of architecture” Richard Rogers, Renzo Piano and the like finally retire…. Or maybe they will follow Oscar Niemeyer who still goes into his studio every day at the age of 98….

Himmelb(l)au Architects complete Villa Soravia

Villa Soravia - the summer house in the resort area of Millstatt, Austria has been completed. It is located at the southernmost point of the resort area of Millstatt, directly on the shores of the lake, Millstätter See. This site previously held a building that was an addition to an existing hotel with a nearly identical outline, as building regulations stipulated its basic preservation. This outline determines the outer appearance of the four-storey villa on the small plot of land. The design is based on a spa villa. Running to the second storey is a footbridge that covers the boat docks, which are integrated into the building. The footbridge acts as the villa’s horizontal connection to the lake. The distinctively sloped tower, which cuts into the body of the building, holds the vertical development of the upper living levels.

Rem Koolhaas’s first design for London

Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon from OMA are to design the headquarters for Rothschild bank that will redefine the look of luxury in London’s Square Mile. The redevelopment of New Court will enable the Bank to house its entire London staff in a single, modern, efficient building. New Court will be made up of a central core of ten efficient and flexible office floors linked to three annexes, with meeting rooms, an auditorium, vertical circulation and reception areas. A Sky Pavilion sits on top of the central cube, housing client meeting rooms and a multifunctional panorama room with views across the City, including St Paul’s Cathedral. Visitors and staff will be able to appreciate the Church of St Stephen Walbrook from the roof garden at level eleven. In February 2005 Rothschild sponsored a restricted competition amongst a number of Europe’s leading architects to design a new headquarters for the Bank. New Court will be OMA’s first building in the City of London.

German architect, Peter Lanz unveils plans in Israel

Peter Lanz has won an international competition to rejuvenate this huge artificial landmark located between Tel Aviv and Israel's airport. Spanning 50 hectares and consisting of a 60-meter mountain of trash, this landfill site is hoped to be turned into a public park for the 1.5 million residents of the Dan region. The first stage of the plan is to reinforce the steep slopes of the mound which are in danger of collapsing onto the adjacent route 4. In addition, projects are nearing completion to tap bio-gas, a by-product of decaying organic matter, from the 16 million cubic meters of garbage. The project hopes to be completed by 2011 and the transformation will be an international attraction at a cost of 100 million Shekels (20 million Euros). The top plateau will be the highlight of the project, lit by night, it will includes a fountain and amazing panoramic views of Tel Aviv.

North Carolina Museum of Art breaks ground on $138 million expansion

The North Carolina Museum of Art will break ground in October on its much anticipated expansion project, designed by up and coming New York Architect, Thomas Phifer. A native of South Carolina, Phifer spent a decade as a design partner at Richard Meier’s office before founding his own firm, Phifer and Partners in 1997. The expansion initiative will add 127,000 square foot of galleries and public space housed in a single-storey glass and steel sky lit pavilion to the 164-acre site and transform an existing building, designed by Edward Durell Stone, into a center for temporary exhibitions, collections management, education and administration. In addition to the buildings, landscape architect Peter Walker will create lyrical gardens, outdoor galleries and a network of bike trails and walking paths for what is reputed to be America’s largest art museum park. The project is scheduled to open to the public in 2009.

Core Architects collaborates on one-of-a-kind Condominium with Philippe Starck

It was a creative meeting of the minds when Core Architects Inc., Philippe Starck and YOO collaborated and designed Seventy5 Portland, a new condominium development in Toronto, Canada. Located in the ultra-trendy fashion district of King West, Core’s eleven-story building is an architectural accomplishment with clean lines created from glass, cast-in-place concrete and anodized aluminium frames. A community-based courtyard, designed by Philippe Starck, is the show-stopper. This fantastic outdoor space will be complete with unconventional lighting, lounge chairs, oversized mirrors and a 100-foot outdoor table extending into the lobby.

RUR Architecture to break ground in Dubai

New York based RUR Architects has unveiled their design for this 22-storey tall commercial tower in Dubai. Perched on a two-storey podium the 0-14 tower is to break ground the first week of December 2006 in the heart of Business Bay in Dubai. The building comprises 300,000 square feet and the design for O-14 is for a tower sheathed in a forty centimeter-thick concrete shell perforated by over 1,000 openings that create a lace-like effect on the building’s façade. The shell is not only the structure of the building, it acts as a sunscreen open to light, air, and views. A space nearly one meter deep between the shell and the main enclosure creates a so-called “chimney effect,” a phenomenon whereby hot air has room to rise and effectively cools the surface of the glass windows behind the perforated shell. This passive solar technique essentially contributes to a natural component to the cooling system for O-14, thus reducing energy consumption and costs, just one of many innovative aspects of the building’s design.

Steven Holl Architects win invited competition

New York based architect Steven Holl has revealed his winning design for the Vanke Center, a progressive new sustainable 60,000 sq meter mixed-use complex in Shenzhen, China. The building, a ‘floating horizontal skyscraper’, will contain a conference center, hotel, serviced apartments and offices. Vanke Center incorporates several new sustainable elements designed specifically for the development. The floating buildings create a flexible area of shaded landscape underneath the building, allowing sea and land breezes to pass through the site. Moveable façade screens made of special composites protect the inner glass against high solar and typhoons, whilst renewable energy such as solar power and geothermal cooling are among the key issues to be explored in this project. The Vanke Center is set to break ground in April 2007.

Teeple Architects with IBI/HB Architects

The project is envisioned as an urban form, inflected environmental conditions to which it is subjected. Its roof profile is formed to direct wind / into atria that have been displaced from the original volume of the building. The building is ventilated entirely through natural stack effect without the use of fans. Air is brought into the building underground, tempering its natural state. Temperature control is achieved through ground source heating and cooling that adjusts the temperature of the building’s concrete thermal mass. The energy modeling has demonstrated an improvement of 72.8% over the Model National Energy Code.

Fosters to restore Munich museum

Foster and Partners have unveiled their vision for the expansion, restoration and renovation of the Lenbachhaus Museum in Munich. Untouched since 1955, the gallery spaces will be sensitively re-organised and restored, and the antiquated services and technical installations will be replaced with state-of-the-art systems. The sympathetic restoration of the building will maintain the unique character of the garden-fronting facades, while the building along Richard-Wagner Street will be transformed into an exhibition building fit for the 21st century, creating a lively dialogue between the old and new parts of the museum. A new entrance will further improve connections within the gallery, and will also enhance a sense of openness for the wider community, allowing direct access to the café and conference room independently of the galleries. The museum will therefore be both a cultural centre, as well as an important new amenity for the city.

Foster’s “Bow” to dominate Calgary’s skyline

The EnCana Corporation, Canada’s No l Energy Producer, this week unveiled designs for its new Calgary-based headquarters. Designed by Foster and Partners, the 59-storey crescent-shaped glass and steel tower, which has been dubbed “The Bow” after its shape and the river that runs near it, will be Canada’s tallest building west of Toronto and Foster and Partner’s largest project in North America. The project, which covers two city blocks, will house 1.7 million square feet of space. In addition to allowing EnCana to centralize its employees in a single location, the building will house indoor gardens, public spaces, retail space, a boutique hotel, and other cultural amenities. Construction of the tower will begin in the summer of 2007 with occupancy expected in 2011.

SMC Group to design the 2010 Landmark Tower

Birmingham and Telford Based Architects SMC Hickton Madeley Ltd, part of the SMC Group plc, have secured the lead designer role on the Pinnacle Project in Birmingham. The 175m tower boasts six unique themed rides, a scenic lift giving panoramic views of the city and a one hundred and forty cover restaurant and bar, while the six storey building at the base provides over 25,000m2 of accommodation and ancillary services. It will represent the highest building in the Midlands and potentially the highest restaurant in Europe, giving huge scope and presence to the rejuvenation programme and public connections for Birmingham’s Eastside and plans for the new public park.

Grimshaw/Ammann & Whitney design for Queens Museum unveiled

The Queens Museum is set to undergo a long awaited expansion. After a national competition in 2001 naming Eric Owen Moss as architect for the project failed to produce a design Museum officials could endorse, the Museum hired Grimshaw Architects with Ammann & Whitney in 2005 to come up with another design, one that would respect the original building’s pedigree. That design was unveiled on 4 October. The expansion project more than doubles the size of the museum, adding 50,000 square feet of new galleries, flexible performance spaces, educational studios and visitor amenities. Seven new galleries are organized around a centrally located sky lit ‘Winter Garden’ that opens the building up to natural light, strengthens its connection to the adjacent park, and improves upon existing circulation. In addition to revamping the Museum’s interior, the architects have redesigned the building’s exterior with glass curtain walls to give the Institution greater visibility. The project will cost $37 million, 33 of which has already been secured. Ground breaking is scheduled for 2007 with completion slated for the winter of 2009/2010.

Camenzind Evolution to complete exclusive office headquarters in Zurich

This new office building is situated within a beautiful cluster of mature trees and generates its geometry directly from its surroundings. The building forms an opening spiral and creates a new concept for office buildings. All office spaces are openly arranged along the internal circulation ramp, which leads around a stunning atrium. A unique three-dimensional communication environment was created which opens up new possibilities of creative and communciative working. The building concept has a wide potential for other usage, current discussions with potential tenants range from a private health club to a museum or even a public event-space. The building is due to be completed in November 2006.

Polshek Partnership architects unveil design plans for the Museum of the City of New York

The Museum of the City of New York undergoes a major albeit much delayed transformation. In 1986 the Museum of the City of New York, the only museum dedicated to the history of the City, announced plans to thoroughly revamp its Harlem NY digs, originally built in 1932. While that project has languished for twenty years, The Museum announced that the first phase of its 70 million transformation is finally underway. Designed by Polshek Partnership Architects of New York, the first phase of the work calls for a 23,000 square foot two-storey glass addition to be built at the rear of the Museum that will house a curatorial center, a new gallery and other amenities. The new wing, which will cost 28 million, will be ready for occupancy in 2008. It is anticipated that the entire project will be completed in 2012.

Foster and Partners' first zoological building marked its' groundbreaking today

The Elephant House sets new standards in zoological design, poviding the animals with a stimulating environment. Replacing a structure dating from 1914 the Elephant House is covered with lighweight, glazed domes to provide natural light, the spaces maintain a strong visual connection with the sky and changing patterns of daylight. Broad public viewing terraces give a fantastic view over the herd paddock. The colours and textures convey a sense of the dry riverbed as found at the edge of the rainforest, with mud holes, scattered pools of water and shading objects, the new Elephant House will be a place where the animals can play and interact naturally.

Foster and Partners design radical resort complex

The ultra luxury new US$2 billion residential resort and hotel designed by Foster & Partners, built by Vantage Real Estate Development, a subsidiary of Shaheen Business and Investment Group, (SBIG). Inspired by the unique landscape in which it is situated, Serrenia is set over 650 acres, or three million square metres, with 736 residential units, including palaces and a range of villas and apartments. In addition, there is a 200-room 7-star luxury hotel, a world-class spa, a signature 18-hole golf course, restaurants, retail and several sporting facilities. Serrenia's Marina 'Hub' is one of the focal points of the development - with an extraordinary wave shaped floating roof and a vast airy, cool space below. A central pier, yacht marina and beach club extend from the hub.

Centerbrook designs $35 million medical library in Colorado

Centerbrook Architects and Planners has a $35 million medical Library under construction at the developing Fitzsimons campus of the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center. The 227-acre campus, located in Aurora, is one of the newest and largest medical research and patient care centers in the United States. The initial phase of construction, to be completed in late 2007, is estimated to cost $1.385 billion. The 113,000-square-foot medical Library will be the “front door” to the new campus. The Library will support a wide range of medical research by academics, clinicians, the general public, and biotech companies on the Aurora campus. Completion of the Library is expected in November 2007. Centerbrook Architects and Planners is the Design Architect of the Library. Davis Partnership of Denver is the Architect of Record.

Richard Rogers scoops UK Award

Madrid's Barajas Airport by Richard Rogers has won the UK's most prestigious architectural award, the RIBA Stirling Prize. WAN's poll of it's readers successfully predicted this outcome unlike most the of British press which forecast Zaha Hadid's Phaneo Science Centre as the winner and Channel 4's own poll which selected Michael Hopkin's Evelina Children's Hospital. The British National press had criticized the award saying that it rewarded iconic architecture over good design, reporting a list a faults with previous winners. However they failed to differentiate between design and construction citing items like leaking roofs which are as likely to be construction defects as design. Accepting the award, Richard Rogers pointed out the difference between Madrid’s Barajas airport and London’s T5. The Heathrow terminal was started some eight years earlier than its Spanish counterpart and still under construction despite being half the size.

Firm hired to remodel high school

Moon Area School Board has hired a New Castle architectural firm to design a new middle school and remodeling work for the high school.
The board voted 5-4 recently to hire Eckles Architecture Inc. to design a new middle school, rather than a new high school, that a previous board advocated.
Eckles will receive 6 percent of the costs of the new construction project and 7 percent of the costs of the remodeling at the high school.
The board hired Hayes Design Group of Bethel Park to design the remodeling for McCormick Elementary School in the eastern part of Moon with a 6-3 vote, with board members Mark Scappe, Mary Tobin and Lisa Wolowicz dissenting. The closed school building most recently had been rented to USAirways as a training center.
Board president Mark Limbruner said McCormick could be reopened as an elementary school by September. He said the new and remodeled secondary buildings should be completed by 2010.
Limbruner said the Hayes fee will be about 6 percent, with extra incentives if the building is open for the next school year.
Scappe, who dissented in the votes on the secondary schools, along with Peggy Bell, Tobin and Wolowicz, said he did so because the combined project cost of the two schools would be $73 million, along with an additional $7 million for the McCormick work.
"(School director Benjamin) Bonham said the board had only $65 million to spend. I said, 'You don't have all the funds. Until you get the funds together, I have to vote no,' " Scappe said.
"I feel this project is going to cost way more than they say it is," Bell said. "I think we should have stuck with the original plan to build a new high school."
But Bonham said construction manager URS "seems to think $65 million is a reasonable budget, using simple design and not being extravagant. They (the previous board) borrowed the money, and we have to spend it," he said.
A consultant to the current board, Thomas & Williamson, earlier this year recommended replacing the middle school.
Bonham said the most recent estimates by the administration showed just under $80 million is available for construction and remodeling.
"The initial bond has appreciated," he said.
Bonham said most board members scrapped the former high school project because it cost too much. "We couldn't get contractors to do value engineering," a way to reduce costs by carefully evaluating each segment of a project, he said.
Thomas & Williamson told the board that the original estimate for the high school, $47 million to $48 million, was too conservative. Bonham said the price could have reached $58 million just for the high school.
The planned high school remodeling will include taking the building down to the studs and replacing all of the electrical and mechanical systems, Bonham said.
Scappe said he had a problem with working on and opening up McCormick before meeting building needs at other schools. "I have a problem with opening (McCormick) up first" before the other schools are attended to, Scappe said.
"I felt we needed to put it to a referendum. Let the taxpayers decide if they want that building," he said.
Supporters of opening up McCormick say the district needs the space because its elementary schools are filled to capacity.

In Las Vegas, W Hotel Project Favors the Little Guy

Lacina Heitler Architects recently won the competition to design a new $2.5 billion W Hotel, Casino and Residences in Las Vegas. It is the largest project to date for the small New York firm, which until now had been best known for designing boutique stores in Manhattan, such as Galo, and Searle. It beat out Carlos Ott of Uruguay; Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, and the London office of HKS Architects to win the job.
The new W will be located on a 24.5-acre site just east of the Strip. Plans call for two 50-story Modernist glass towers combining for 4,000 hotel and condo-hotel units, as well as 20 restaurants, bars, and lounges. There will be a Bliss spa, fitness center, and 75,000-square-foot casino; Fred Segal, the Los Angeles retailer, will also open a 100,000-square-foot store. The complex is being developed by a joint venture between two-year-old Las Vegas–based investment company The Edge Group and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide.
“Lacina Heitler’s design was elegant and timeless as well as realistic to build from a construction standpoint," says Adam Frank, a development team principal. “Also, as a smaller firm, they were hungry. We would be dealing with the company principals as opposed to a large design team whose names aren’t on the wall.” Groundbreaking is set for mid-2007, with completion anticipated by late 2009.

Landmark EnCana building unveiled

EnCana’s 59-storey glass and steel tower was revealed Thursday, ushering in what many believe will be a new era for the city’s downtown east side.“I’ve never seen a development generate so much excitement as this one has, and I think it’s worthy of that excitement,” Ald. Druh Farrell said. “It breaks the barrier for development east of Centre Street.“The Bow will revitalize development in the east core.”The arc-shaped building — called The Bow — features an atrium running up its south face and will sit on the north-east corner of 6th Avenue and Centre Street. The bottom two floors will be used for retail, while three of the office floors will host gardens, visible from the outside.On the south side of 6th Avenue, a seven-storey retail and cultural complex will incorporate the historic York Hotel.“Without question it’s going to be a significant building form and an unmistakable part of Calgary’s skyline,” Mayor Dave Bronconnier said.The building, designed by world-reknowned Foster + Partners, will be the tallest in Western Canada, eight storeys higher than the neighbouring Petro-Canada Centre.John Brannan, EnCana’s managing director of frontier and international new ventures, said the final cost of the 1.7-million square-foot project hasn’t been determined, but it will be in the $850 million to $1-billion range.Construction is expected to start by early summer, with EnCana’s 3,200 employees moving in by 2010-2011. The company applied for a development permit Thursday, but have gone through months of pre-application discussions with city staff.

Hyundai Motor eyes building 110-story tower

Hyundai Automotive Group said yesterday it plans to build a 110-story "automobile theme tower" on Ttukseom in Seoul.
The carmaker is considering investing 1 trillion won ($1 billion) in the high-rise edifice on a plot of land owned by its affiliate Hyundai Steel Co. "We are discussing with the Seongdong Ward Office on setting up a building on idle land on Ttukseom," Hyundai Motor said in a statement.
"The district of Seongdong is in charge of the detailed plans and we still need to study the feasibility (of the project)."
The building, tentatively called the "Seoul Forest Waterfront Tower," is expected to house an automobile museum, a future car display hall, a convention center, a research and development center, a hotel and offices.
But Seoul City, which has the final say on all urban planning projects, appeared negative on the skyscraper project as the site is currently designated as a residential area. "We have not been asked to discuss the matter yet," said an official of the municipal government.
"However, it could be difficult because the location is in the middle of a public park and changing the plot's use for commercial purposes could generate controversy."

Plans Moving Ahead for Sciences Neighbourhood at Princeton University

As Princeton University continues to debate in what style to build- Collegiate Gothic or Modern- a new sciences district replete with modern buildings is fast emerging on its campus. Buildings will be designed by Frank Gehry, Michael Hopkins, Raphael Moneo and a pedestrian bridge designed by Christian Menn. Gehry’s titanium-clad Lewis Library will be the first structure to be completed. The 88,000 square foot building will house collections for the various science disciplines in addition to conference rooms, classrooms, a video studio and a café. To be completed in 2007, the project is expected to cost more than 50 million. Following the library, will be a new chemistry building designed by Michael Hopkins. The four-storey structure clad in glass and stone panels will include approximately 250,000 square feet. The current design calls for laboratory and teaching spaces on the east side of the building and offices on the west side. The two sides will be connected by a sky lit atrium with pedestrian connectors at three levels and a 250-seat auditorium on the ground floor. When completed in 2010, it will be Princeton’s most sustainable building built to date. Moneo has just been tapped to design the new neuroscience and psychology buildings. While the design of these buildings has yet to begin, the two buildings should contain about 200,000 gross square feet and consist of multiple stories. They will incorporate classrooms, labs, office, meeting rooms and some specialty spaces. Lastly, the Science Neighborhood, which spans two sides of a major street, will be connected by a new pedestrian bridge designed by Christian Menn. Hopkins will be responsible for the overall design of the Neighbourhood.