Architecture firm ROK – Rippmann Oesterle Knauss* has completed the first five solar-powered bus stops for the town Meilen close to Zurich, Switzerland. The design incorporates site-specific information, based on the rich cultural and historic background of Meilen through perforated panels.
Visionary architect, 89, dies in his native Germany on March 9, 2015
Otto was an architect, visionary, utopian, ecologist, pioneer of lightweight materials, protector of natural resources and a generous collaborator with architects, engineers, and biologists, among others.
Frei Otto has received the 2015 Pritzker Architecture Prize, Tom Pritzker announced today. Mr. Pritzker is Chairman and President of The Hyatt Foundation, which sponsors the prize. Mr. Pritzker said: “Our jury was clear that, in their view, Frei Otto’s career is a model for generations of architects and his influence will continue to be felt. The news of his passing is very sad, unprecedented in the history of the prize. We are grateful that the jury awarded him the prize while he was alive. Fortunately, after the jury decision, representatives of the prize traveled to Mr. Otto’s home and were able to meet with Mr. Otto to share the news with him. At this year’s Pritzker Prize award ceremony in Miami on May 15 we will celebrate his life and timeless work.”
Mr. Otto becomes the 40th laureate of the Pritzker Prize and the second laureate from Germany.
There are ideas that arise from the need of a particular moment. Such a need – another hot day of summer spent in the office and a thought “if only I could go for a walk” – became inspiration for a project of a path suspended in the air, a balcony Walk-on. It is also one of the ideas to change a sad courtyard, that we overlook every day out of the office windows on the 3rd floor, to give the courtyard a bit of magic. A normal path is tortuous, winds, does not lead directly to the goal, surprises, relaxes, gives contact with nature. Therefore our path should also flow freely in space – giving you a moment of relaxation, rest, allowing you to change the perspective. This influenced its shape – it winds freely and intertwines with itself – it allows for a relaxing walk “from office to office.” Longing for a bit of greenery made us treat the path as a large pot. We filled it with grass that can grow as it wants – after all it’s just a path.
The design for a solar powered, perpetual motion, hydrofoil Trimaran yacht, commisioned by HoldenManz wine estate, Cape Town.
The Fresnel Trimaran has a folding wingsail for a better lift to drag ratio, the sail’s frame is a built up mechanical structure similar to an airplane wing constructed from carbon fibre with a retractable Kevlar sail covered in aero-nautical film. The sail rotates around the mast and has a series of motorised creases which catch the wind, the wingsail is actuated by motors that control these movements using solar cells and wind energy.
“We do not know” was the common answer to the passersby, given by Shjworks while they were installing the project and were asked what it was. And it was true; Shjworks could not exactly tell what it was. They knew the project consisted of five white shining objects placed along a stretch of 400 m in the suburb of Husum just outside Copenhagen. They knew the objects would be illuminated from dusk till dawn, and they knew the height of the objects would vary from 4,2 m to 0,6 m. They also knew the project was the winning entry for a competition about urban spaces, arranged by the Copenhagen municipality. Together with the objects they included 7 benches, 3 planters and 95 step stones.
Project team: Simon Hjermind Jensen- Head of Design, Christian BøckerSørensen- Landscape Architect, Jakob Ingemansson- Architect, Hollie Gibbons- Architect
A highly visible white oval roof covers the control area of the main gate of the Frankfurt trade fair, creating a new landmark at the city entrance. The oval form stands out against the orthogonal buildings of the fairground and the diversity of directions focussing at the main gate, enabling easy orientation. The construction consists of an irregular grid of steel lamella, which are oriented according to the loads and forces in the structure.
AAIMM has been awarded first prize in the category of unbuilt projects in the area of Urban Planning and Landscape IX 2014 AJAC Awards (Agrupació Joves Arquitectes de Catalunya), sponsored by the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC) for its RENATUR project.
Malawi is one of Africa’s least-developed countries. Especially in the rural areas the facilities are very limited. Which does not mean that there are no possibilities.
In co-operation with Sakaramenta, a social business based in the south of Malawi, Designers Pim van Baarsen and Luc van Hoeckel designed a complete playground from scratch. Located at an old parking lot of the side of the BEIT Cure hospital who specialize in orthopedic treatments for children.
email
Facebook
Twitter
RSS Feed
