The construction lies on top of a hill overlooking the ocean and the horizon. It is placed in the midst of an uncultivated landscape on a small island. The design of the house allows close interaction with the surrounding nature and the beautiful scenery. It engenders a feeling of being outdoors when inside. The use of glass facades and windows allow nature to enter the house from all angles and one can follow the sun as it rises and sets. The small scale of the building, together with the use of wooden materials that will gradually develop a grey patina, allows the project to interact and fit in with the existing shape and natural colors of the surrounding landscape.
BMW’s new home in Dominican Republic is all about showcasing masterpieces in the most perfect way. Designed according to the new BMW Group Identity Guidelines, it has been completely renovated to the new standards of what a BMW Showroom should be.
Tags: Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo Comments Off on Autogermánica AG – BMW Showroom in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by Arch. Eduardo De Castro Cáceres (designed using ArchiCAD and Atlantis)
We’ve seen many mentionable solutions for rehabilitation of unfunctional industrial buildings that have lost their original functions. Attaching new functional buildings to their close environment basically determine the new character of the place. Because their industrial origin these types of constructions and their environment – with different designation – have no connection, essentially no question about it. As the place is rehabilitated and gets back to life we can take the question about the method and the mode. The intervention depends on the actual context, that can be:
merge
insulate
and situations on a range between them.
In the current situation the block of abandoned gasworks stands as an ‘island’ in a mostly residential texture. The emblematic chimney, octagonal torso-like concrete columns of a cooling tower , the monumental spaces of halls, scattered lovely details – all with their externals, material use and scales call the feeling in us that we’ve arrived at a totally different world… at a ‘fable’.
In the centre of a town near Barcelona and in a location initially occupied by orchards, two sisters with their respective families have built two semidetached house. The project proposes a single body with slight volumetric differences between the two houses. These are articulated through a central courtyard inside that works as a skylight and ventilation chimney.
Image Courtesy Filippo Poli
Architects: CAVAA Arquitectes, Jordi Calbetó and Oriol Vañó , architects.
The three wings of the Balonne River house each comprise a separate function. The master wing, closest to the river, contains the main bedroom, en suite, robe and the study come nursery.
The living wing is a large open space divided by an elliptical ‘stone’ shaped kitchen which provides a visual barrier from the front door. The kitchen also acts as a screen to divide the living wing into a more formal space with a fireplace, whilst at the other end the family space breaks out onto the covered deck.
The bedroom wing contains three bedrooms and guests room with en suite. The bathroom and toilet are in separate spaces that are accessed via a powder room/vanity space.
Lightemotion Celebrates Ten Years Of International Success
One of North America’s pre-eminent lighting designers celebrates a decade of illuminating prestigious buildings, exhibits and events around the world.
2012 represents an important milestone for Lightemotion and its founder François Roupinian. It marks the first decade of the studio’s existence and signals ten years in which Roupinian’s brand of exciting lighting design has become known around the world. Lightemotion’s signature style has given it an international reputation through its work on major projects in Canada, Europe, the United States, Asia, and the Middle East.
Images Courtesy Lightemotion
Ten Years of Globe Trotting
Founded in 2002, Lightemotion’s origins are in the field of the performing arts and multimedia. The company has since expanded into other fields of expertise, such as architectural and museum lighting.
Roupinian has surrounded himself with a multidisciplinary and multicultural team that can manage projects in five languages. The scope of the company’s work is broad, including lighting plans for exhibitions (Museum of Strasbourg, National Museum of Singapore and the country’s national Library), as well as cabarets (at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas) and casinos such as the Revel Casino in Atlantic City (designer, Scéno Plus), which is due to be completed in 2012.
Images Courtesy Lightemotion
“We began with the event centres at the Revel Casino Resort but were soon commissioned to illuminate the casino itself and numerous other public spaces (designer, Scéno Plus), too,” says Roupinian. “This is currently one of the largest new build projects on the East Coast and we are being asked to design lighting for truly immersive environments throughout.”
Recently Lightemotion put its architectural lighting signature on the new Ajax Experience museum *, in recognition of AFC Ajax football club (architecture, Sid Lee, designer, gsmprjct) in Amsterdam; the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile of Torino and the Wine Museum of Barolo in Italy; plus, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, marking its 80th anniversary. The Montreal studio also created the dramatic lighting design for the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai and the Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archeology traveling exhibit.
Images Courtesy Lightemotion
From flair to facilitation
Roupinian began designing lighting in the performance arts around 25 years ago. His flair for illuminating performance environments soon evolved into other types of lighting designs, firstly within exhibits, then interiors and on to lighting entire buildings.
“At Lightemotion we have a passion for light and an artistic vision that speaks for itself in our designs,” says Roupinian. “We are a diverse group of professionals with multiple talents and when we illuminate a building our main objective is to transcend convention and bring it to life, articulating form and reinforcing the brand in a dynamic way.”
However, Roupinian believes that artistic flair is just one part of the success he has achieved to date. He cites the process and methodology used as big factors in completing projects to the client’s satisfaction. Clients want to be wowed but they also want to be sure that they are working with a professional team, believes Roupinian: Lightemotion has a 98% customer retention rate.
Images Courtesy Lightemotion
Returning to Canada
In Canada, recent projects at the Cinémathèque Québecoise, the Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal, the interior of the Place des Arts and the church of St-John the Evangelist brought recognition to Roupinian in his hometown of Montreal. And, with new commissions such as the Cosmodôme Space Science Center, The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton and Montreal’s Complexe Desjardins, which will be opening in 2012, Lightemotion will become even more widely known in Canada.
“I’m very proud that we are participating in rejuvenation the Complexe Desjardins,” says Roupinian. “It’s a city institution, a place that everyone knows, and, we are giving it a new lease of life by designing a custom light fixture that creates a new dynamically lit environment.” Using LEDs, Lightemotion drastically reduces the energy requirements of the centre, while also creating a color-change effect that brings to life the space and the experience of those within it.”
Images Courtesy Lightemotion
“With these projects, we are ecstatic to have the opportunity of showcasing our expertise here in Canada,” says Roupinian. “Place des Arts and Complexe Desjardins are at the centre of Montreal culture, while the Cosmodôme will be a national tourist attraction. We hope that these signature projects will be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.”
As Lightemotion moves into its second decade, Roupinian takes with him an evermore diverse portfolio. Canada’s one of the premier lighting designers anticipates new challenges and continuing to work both nationally and internationally on projects ranging from exterior and interior designs for museums, hotels, restaurants, religious buildings and public spaces to traveling exhibitions and theater performances.
“Every project presents its own set of challenges and we look forward to them all,” says Roupinian.
STUDIO DROR IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF CUT25 FLAGSHIP IN SOHO
THE STORE – DESIGNED BY DROR – UNVEILS YIGAL AZROUEL’S VISION FOR THE CUT25 CONCEPT AND STYLE.
Yigal Azrouël will officially open the first international Cut25 flagship in New York City the evening of February 2nd, February 2012. The freestanding building, located at 129 Grand Street in Manhattan’s Soho district, spans approximately 1,400 square feet. In addition to carrying the Cut25 signature collection, the flagship will feature other complimentary items and fresh collaborations such as Romeo Alaeff’s illustrated book “I’ll be Dead by the Time You Read This: The Existential Life of Animals”, Limited Edition Stila for Cut25 cosmetics, collaborative Worth and Worth by Orlando Palacios fedoras and caps, Holst & Lee jewelry as well as fashionable tech accessories. Moreover, the Cut25 label will expand into accessories, exclusively sold at this location. Yigal Azrouël, Zelda Williams, Valerie Boster, Hayley Bloomingdale, and Jaime Johnson will host the official opening that will deliver ten percent of sales to Project Paz, a nonprofit organization that promotes peace in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
Located in Raleigh’s revitalizing Historic Depot District, an unlikely butterfly has emerged from its decades-long cocoon. The historic 1910 two-story brick structure built for Allen Forge & Welding Company and enlarged around 1927 for the Brogden Produce Company — and more recently home to longtime occupant Cal-Tone Paints — has emerged from its asbestos clad sheathing into a new incarnation as the home of Raleigh’s Contemporary Art Museum (CAM).
Tags: North Carolina, Raleigh Comments Off on Contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, North Carolina by Brooks + Scarpa Architects (designed with Rhino and AutoCAD)
The CBD of Beijing was built according to the west standard set up around the industrial revolution of the early 20th century, when high-rise building was the symbol of the capitalism. But far from the ambition of more than one hundred year ago, when people tried to challenge themselves with modern technology and future dreams, the contemporary CBD buildings are the concrete machines, copy of the copy in mass production. They are meaningless, crowded and soulless.
The project plans the reconstruction of an existing building, respecting the same profile.
The old building was distributed on two levels with different function, stable at ground floor and barn at first floor. On the outside the existing building is characterized by two overlapping doors on east elevation, a great entrance on south elevation, a little independent volume still on south.
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