Articles published by: Nickname

Text and illustrations: Steven Holl ArchitectsFilmic urban space; around, over and through multifaceted spatial layers, is one of the central aims of this Hybrid Building complex with over 700 apartments sited adjacent to the old city wall of Beijing. The aspiration of the developer Modern Group is for an ultra-modern expression of 21st Century ecological urban living, in this 220,000 sq. m. project. Current development in Beijing is almost entirely “object buildings” and free standing towers. This “city within a city” envisions urban space as the central aim—as well as all the activities and programs that can support the daily life of over 2500 inhabitants: cafe’s, delis, laundry, dry cleaners, florists etc, line the main public passages. The eight towers are linked at the twentieth floor by a ring of cafes and services.
 

In 2002, the 2nd district local government of Budapest announced a limited design competition for the reconstruction of a building that was deemed obsolete as regards spatial distribution, functionality, and structures. In our winning design, we went beyond reconstruction and opted for new construction, believing that new is an organic continuation of old. In order to ensure the link between old and new, we kept the street-front wing of the building as being the most important section from both architectural and emotional points of view.

I am lazy in the sun of Bulgarian Sozopol holding an enormous book in my hands. A big book one can display on any beach or which could serve to support an umbrella just as well. In this book, “Cities, Architecture and Society”, Dejan Sudjic speaks about the accents of a town, as if we talking about the accents in a language. Accent is an essential part of someone’s identity, something deeply anchored in awell localized collective mind and hints to a personal history of the individual.

The actual Piazza del Sole (Sun Square) was established in the XVIIIth century. Previously, this area (which used to be called the German Gate or the Ticinese Gate) was generally scattered by moors and was constantly subject to overflows of the Ticino River and the Daro torrent, which was feeding the digging next to the protection ring of Borgo di Bellinzona.

Photo: Andrei Margulescu, Mihai Dutescu

The title already says quite a lot about this house. Without considering any pictures or plans, let’s try to make an imagination exercise: how would any of us design, if we were to do it, a house next to the Metropolitan Palace (the siege of the Romanian Patriarchy)? It would be an architecture discreet enough not to aggress such a vicinity, humble, we would refrain from free gestures, maybe someone up in the skies would draw our attention, or – on the contrary – we would actually search for a contemporary expression, up to something deliberately contrasting and contradictory. Or maybe it would be a little bit of all, for the wisest ones.

MULTIPLE CHOICE
Although the intact building seemed almost ready to use, at second glance the programme revealed a large number of competing requirements. The existing building was an introverted space for meditation and service to society, housed in a pure neo-gothic architecture with a strong religious character.
How to transform this building into a visible, open and modern university office that is present in the city? How to change a very specific function into a flexible one?

When talking about Romania, Black Sea, and villages, everyone recalls 2 Mai and Vama Veche: alternative tourism under communism, chaotic development and the self-destructive force during transition. You think about the semi-legal tents and backyard tourism beforeand stadium-like densities, ugly blocks and swelling land rovers.

Photo: Dragos Lumpan

I am an addict of the city and contemporary architecture, yet I never say no to quality traditional architecture. I have no doubt that the originality of vernacular architecture and the ethics of architecture could defy academic dryness if we didn’t chance to meet them on the hilltop. And since profound theoretical subjects are rare in today’s villages, I do not want to miss the opportunity of telling you something about a house from Balaban village, near Bran, a boarding house, in fact.
What is ethical in architecture? The answer is as simple as that: to build a handsome house. Moreover, authenticity is part of the ethical contract, when you realize that a house means the foundation of a world. If you follow the spirit of the place, then you take into account the trees and stones, the grass, sun and sky, and the beings that will dwell it. As Heidegger might say, you pay attention to gods and earth.

Photo: Damir Fabijanic

Bale (Valle in Italian) is a small place in Istria peninsula, Croatia with mostly agricultural population of 1000 people. The project for the new sports hall has been faced with the rich historical, cultural and social Mediterranean context. Therefore any new architectural interpolation had to have a respectful approach to the environment.

There is a Vasarely museum in Budapest. Not really known, rather modest in terms of display, not easily accessible in terms of location. (I was there one month ago and would have appreciated if someone could have explained that: you first need to go by Hev underground from Margareta bridge to the third stop, at Arpad bridge. The building is at no. 6, Szentelek street.) However, it has some of the most valuable works produced by Victor Vasarely, and a full op-art experience that should not be missed when visiting Budapest.