Article source: Philippe SAMYN and PARTNERS sprl, architects & engineers
Sponsor’s vision
Province Administration is bringing almost all its services together in one building to be constructed at its Salzinnes site. By establishing itself on the outskirts and at the edge of the Sambre River rather than in a high-profile city centre Namur Province has plumped for a high-impact yet sensitive position, to reflect how it regards its role.
This site should act as a city-level focal point with the outlying area serving to complement the centre. Consequently, the idea is to create a structure that has the ability to generate a deep affection for this new intellectual centre in Namur.
The image that springs to mind is of a village centre reflecting the province’s rurality and symbiotic relationship with nature. An invitation to our five senses to experience pleasure through the channel of art and culture.
The construction of the Namur Province Administrative Centre (MAP) will involve huge financial and environmental costs. The project seeks to obtain the maximum number of BREEAM credits, while highlighting the limits of this approach, as well as the questions raised. The project achieves a score of 93.53 %, or 8.53 margin points above “Outstanding” level.
Jinan is known as the “Spring City” for its many springs since ancient times, with a landscape of lakes and water being a nutrient of life for the city and also a source of cultural enrichment. The copywriting takes springs as a starting point to conceive the spatial pattern and hopes to interpret the fluent posture that the flowing water emerges from the stone crevices, sparkling. Meanwhile, with abundant urban landscape culture as the venation, the design of aqueous phase starts from the concept of museums, with the hope that the space created can not only display objects but also bring viewers a pure enjoyment of architectural strength and aesthetic feeling. The unusual special scale and viewing method make the intuitive experience mix with the exhibits to be interwoven into a unique cultural memory and offer more in-depth field implications.
Grammarly is a global company with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Kyiv. Grammarly is a digital writing assistant used by millions of people every day to make their communication clear and effective, wherever they type. Grammarly operates 24/7, with the extensive use of IT devices and a high volume of communication and data exchange, both within individual and group settings.
Norval Foundation is a modern pavilion for art set against a dramatic mountain and vineyard landscape, located on the slopes of the Constantiaberg Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. The Norval family who are the founders and initial funders of Norval Foundation envisioned a world-class art museum in an exceptional location that would be accessible to the general public. This provided a unique opportunity for architecture studio dhk; to strike a balance between two motivations: protect the artwork within and maximise views of the natural landscape outside.
The building’s architectural design is a pure expression of form; a bold rectangular mass, delineating its heavy-walled enclosure and light over-sailing roof. It is constrained by a linear site, between a busy road and an existing wetland; turning its back to a neighbouring embassy compound. The linear circulation spine is positioned along this edge, with the galleries and public spaces facing the natural landscape, capturing framed views of the wetland, vineyards and mountains beyond.
The hotel, which reopens under ME by Melia, will be replete in the style associated with the brand, and at the same time bring new life and splendour to this historic establishment.
The Barcelonese studio Lagranja Design has carried out the transformation of this historic building, which is situated on the Sitges esplanade. Artisan materials have inspired the interior and creative processes, in order to create one-off pieces of contemporary style that still maintain a traditional quality.
It is said that it was in Sitges that the Spanish term ‘chiringuito’ (open-air beach bar) first appeared, a concept imported by returning émigrés from Cuba during an epoch in which artists and the avant-garde where inspired by the town’s light and charm. The first Hotel Terramar (now the ME Sitges Terramar) opened its doors in the 1930s, when tourism here was dominated by the chattering classes. Back then, the establishment had extensive gardens and formal salons, of which very few architectural details remain. Mass tourism of the 1960s brought on another transformation, which converted the hotel into a beach holiday resort typical of the period. One of the challenges for Lagranja Design was to return the lost spirit of grandeur to the hotel, and at the same time respect the identity and signature touches of the ME by Melia brand, along with creating a contemporary new leisure experience by the Mediterranean.
Camping Mon Perin is located in the municipality of Bale, Istria Peninsula in Croatia and is spread over 9 km of coastline, halfway between towns Rovinj and Pula. The whole area is protected as valuable natural environment and also as an archaeological site. That resulted with very strict construction conditions that permitted reconstruction but within the existing spatial parameters. That condition has been an extremely aggravating circumstance knowing the standards that had to be met in terms of categorization. The project task was to raise Camp categorization from 2 ** to 4 **** between two summer seasons by reconstructing the main facilities: reception, restaurant and 8 toilets. It was also aimed to create a modern camp with facilities and architectural language that suggests a new direction of services development within the camp. Existing facilities were mostly “reconstructed reconstructions”, too small in size and inadequate aesthetics.
Children’s World or Detsky mir is the largest children’s goods retailer in Russia. First opened as a department store in 1947, Detsky mir soon expanded into a nationwide chain. Today there are over 700 stores throughout Russia and Kazakhstan.
With expansion came a desire to modernise the work environment, and the company relocated its headquarters to a former printing factory that would facilitate an open layout. The building was constructed in 1978, a rational structure of silicate brick that had an additional wing built on, creating an L-shaped floor plan.
Architects: FORM Bureau (Vera Odyn, Olga Treivas, Polina Dudkina, Julia Semkova, Alina Yaroshenko, Dilyara Mukhamedova, Victoria Kosichenko, Svetlana Dudina, Fedor Katcuba, Polina Kotelnikova)
This past September, the audiovisual production company Attraction moved into their new work space. For the 300 or so employees, the change was drastic. Previously divided by activity sectors on two different floors, each with their own corporate identity and culture, they left their closed offices behind to join together in a shared single floor space of 53,000 sq. ft.
The Frames is a bespoke development tailored to small and creative businesses in Shoreditch. The five-storey building creates 80,000 sq. ft. of flexible workspace for London’s new and growing companies, providing office and studio units to suit a variety of users, along with shared meeting rooms, break-out areas, tea points, cycle storage, shower facilities and a café.
Influenced by the characteristic warehouse vernacular of the surrounding South Shoreditch Conservation Area, the building envelope employs a palette of brick, metal and glass. Following the curved line of Phipp Street with a series of brick columns punctuated by corten-clad window reveals, the design emphasises the vertical proportions of the structure.