Warrnambool Campus - Lyons

This project is the third stage in the redevelopment of South West TAFE’s Warrnambool Campus, and meditates between the civic space of the town, and the private interior space of the campus.

The primary circulation of the building is located on Timor Street, as an extension of the civic space – like the footpath repeated across three levels. This is combined with the concept of a self shading wall, which allows the street façade to be both shaded and transparent, making the circulation visible onto the street.

At an urban design scale, the rhythm of the façade geometry links up the street and the adjacent heritage buildings. Within the building, the internal circulation stairs are co-ordinated to the geometry of the façade, further amplifying the sensation of connecting the circulation with the street.

The building is entered via a glazed wall formed underneath the major circulation stair, and leads to the student service centre, and to the rear campus courtyard space.

From the foyer, the stairs rise up through the street wall to a series of spaces where students self organize into informally learning activities.

Architects: Lyons
Location: Victoria, Australia
Structural & Civil Consultant: Barry Gale Engineers
Services Consultant: Umow Lai
Landscape Architects: Rush Wright Associates
Surveyor: PLP Building Surveyors & Consultants
Project Area: 2,870 sqm
Project Year: 2009
Photographs: Dianna Snape Photography

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ANARA TOWER: Dubai’s Titanic Turbine-Shaped Superstructure

Following a global design competition between three Atkins offices – Dubai, Hong Kong and London – Dubai based property developer Tameer holding has announced Dubai as the winner, unveiling  its design for a 600metre-plus skyscraper to be located on the famous Sheik Zayed Road.

Based on current world rankings the ‘Anara’ Tower will be amongst the world's tallest structures.
Spanning almost five million square feet, the 100 storey-plus mixed use project, which is heavily infused with arts and culture in both form and function, will feature an extravagant mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom luxury apartments and palatial penthouses with at least one penthouse planned to include a private elevator and a private pool – set to be the most valuable in the Middle East.

‘Anara’ Tower will also comprise a world class art gallery, a 250 room boutique hotel, restaurants, retail amenities and 325,000 square feet of commercial space.
“Inspired by the vertical shape of the Minaret the central aim was to produce a form that would be instantly recognisable on the local, regional and international architectural stage.“ says Shaun Killa, design director for Atkins in Dubai.
“The design combined with its orientation, allows 60 percent of the site space to have views out to the sea. Four connecting bridges at the rear of the building provide the flexibility for future expansion.  Such ‘future proofing’ for further expansion is important in this key site and Atkins provided several options as part of our added value service.”
The podium features food and retail outlets, a 30m swimming pool plus family and kids pool, along with two multi purpose sports courts. Four sky gardens feature every 27 floors allowing outside living spaces. These will be landscaped in keeping with environmental objectives, but also meeting the needs of the residents in providing rarely considered green outside space.
The design of ‘Anara’ Tower will answer the environmental challenges posed to modern day skyscrapers by maximizing water and energy efficiency; and potentially including renewable sources of energy, in addition to conforming to the internationally recognized LEED certification requirements.
CEO of TAMEER, Ghassan Sakhnini, said the design of 'Anara' Tower represents the convergence of arts and culture in Dubai.
"Like Dubai itself, great art comes from great vision. 'Anara' is not only a masterpiece in its own right, it is designed to enhance the well being of all residents and it is destined to become the most coveted address in Dubai. 'Anara' represents the future of what is already the most future-forward metropolis in the world."


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Henderson Waves by RSP Architects

Henderson waves, jointly designed by RSP architects planners & engineers and IJP corporation, is singapore's highest pedestrian bridge and was awarded this year's design of the year for the president's design award at the singapore design week 09. Standing at 36 meters above the ground, in an iconic, sculptural leap spanning across singapore's henderson road.

Based on the principle of parametric design, this new visual symbol has attracted the community to its walkways and shelters. Its three-dimensional surface integrates structure and form in a unique wave that undulates dramatically over and under the bridge deck and creating sheltered seating areas inside every upward curve. 

With the sensitive use of natural organic shapes and materials such as wood and steel, this structure helps unite the city's southern ridges, which are comprised of a nine-kilometer chain of green open spaces spanning the rolling hills of mount faber park, telok blangah hill park and kent ridge park before ending at west coast park.

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Glamour Exotic Seating Furniture

Sicis Next Art make a modern furniture design with glamour and exotic style presented at this creative seating furniture set pictures gallery shown below. This chair home furnishing collection absolutely can be very impressed in your house interior. You can take a look about these glamour bathtubs which is aesthetic design furniture masterpieces which not only serve their function but also create some bathroom interior decorating seem unusually gorgeous. Their exotic seating furniture set solutions is a new best model of really astounding products for house.

They Sicis Next Art seating are very unusual and even surreal. They regularly are decorated with special elements of nature but in very colorful colors.
This contemporary Italian furniture designed by Carla Tomeo and consists of different chairs, unique benches and luxury sofas. Every piece is an example of top Italian craftsmanship with a lot of attention to details.

Sicis Next Art

Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre

Zaha Hadid Architects have unveiled their design for the largest cultural building in China, to be located in Chengdu in Sichuan Province.

The Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre will comprise three auditoria, an art museum, exhibition space and conference centre, plus restaurants, bars and shops.

The facade will be covered in criss-crossing louvres to provide shade from the sun.

The following information is from Zaha Hadid Architects:

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CHENGDU CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE [CHENGDU, CHINA]

The result of an international design competition in 2007, Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre will be a new cultural destination for Sichuan Province and will provide Chengdu with an unprecedented collection of world-class arts, performance, leisure, and congress venues.

CCAC will be a regional art and music centre of international standing. CCAC accommodates three auditoria, an art museum, an exhibition centre, a conference centre, a learning centre, bars, restaurants and shops. The largest of the three halls, a multifunctional theatre, seats up to 2,000 people.

The second hall caters for lyrical theatre and music events, with a seating arrangement of up to 870 people. The third auditorium will be used as a music hall. Designed for natural acoustic, this hall will provide space for an audience of up to 1,000.

The conference centre comprises 8,000m2, which can be separated into 16 equal and independent accessible conference rooms. A flexible 10,000m2 exhibition centre is located at the main entrance level.

The undulating building geometry suggests a rolling landscape, inspired by the topography of Sichuan Province. CCAC’s elongated design will contrast the vertical tower structures surrounding the site. Its soaring aerodynamic shape and Yin Yang like shape evokes traditional Chinese symbols.

The new building is characterised by its aerodynamic geometry and flexible performance spaces. Adjacent to CCAC, extensive new landscaping is designed to strengthen the links with the urban fabric. The design of the space adjacent to the building is an integral part of the architectural design.

Our proposal for the 140,000m2 landscape area complements the exhibition building and creates a welcoming public realm within a diffuse and peripheral surrounding. Our proposal for the new Chengdu Contemporary Art Centre is a unique structure with a strong sense of identity and character. From afar, it is highly identifiable and offers a strong image and orientation.

Metaphorically speaking, the building’s elongated, curvilinear shape appears like a rolling landscape, inspired by the topography of Sichuan Province. The undulating shell has been designed in response to articulate the programme. Geometrically speaking, the shape has been derived by twisting a rectangular tube, creating three distinct programmatic areas. The lowest part, the centre of the building, accommodates the main atrium. The head to the north accommodates all performance and art related areas. The tail to the south accommodates the conference centre and the exhibition centre.

Zaha Hadid Via

Salvador Dali Museum - Now Open

Salvador Dalí's surrealist artwork now has a new home in a spectacular and fantastical museum in St. Petersburg, FL. The HOK-designed museum, appropriately opened on 1-11-11 at 11:11 am, features a geodesic inspired glass atrium and walls so thick they can withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Sustainable design features abound in the new museum, which provides a "Dalí-esque" experience without being trite or cliched.

The Salvador Dali Museum houses the world's largest collection of the master's artwork with over 2,000 pieces of art and highlights 100 of Dalí's most important oil paintings.


Via The Dali Museum