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The Steel Age Is Over — Here's What The Next Age Will Look Like

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Andrew Carnegie once said, "Aim for the highest." He followed his own advice. The powerful 19th century steel magnate had the foresight to build a bridge spanning the Mississippi river, a total of 6442 feet.

eads bridgeIn 1874, the primary structural material was iron — steel was the new kid on the block. People were wary of steel, scared of it, even. It was an unproven alloy.

Nevertheless, after the completion of Eads Bridge in St. Louis, Andrew Carnegie generated a publicity stunt to prove steel was in fact a viable building material. A popular superstition of the day stated that an elephant would not cross an unstable bridge. On opening day, a confident Carnegie, the people of St. Louis and a four-ton elephant proceeded to cross the bridge. 

The elephant was met on the other side with pompous fanfare. What ensued was the greatest vertical building boom in American history, with Chicago and New York pioneering the cause. That's right people; you can thank an adrenaline-junkie elephant for changing American opinion on the safety of steel construction.

So if steel replaced iron  as iron replaced bronze and bronze, copper  what will replace steel? Carbon Fiber.

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You’ve probably heard of it. Carbon Fiber is that super high-tech woven nano-fiberused in professional bicycles and racecar bodies. It’s the ultimate material  five times stronger than steel, twice as stiff, weighingsignificantly less  this is the featherweight champion of .

TESTAWEISER_CARBON_TOWER_APPROACHUnfortunately, carbon fiber is still seen as novelty, and while it has been applied in small-scale building projects such as pavilions, the carbon fiber skyscraper idea hasn't yet hatched. Why not? People  including designers  are wary of carbon fiber, scared of it even. Engineers in the automotive and aerospace industries may utilize and push the material to extreme limits, but R&D in architecture is moving at a snail’s pace.

But why? Architects should be drooling over this stuff. The material properties of carbon fiber allow for architectural  never previously imaginable. When CADD software was originally released, it allowed architects to push steel to its threshold. This is the reverse. Carbon fiber drives the computer to its threshold.

Imagine SHoP Architects' recently completed Barclay's Center without the tons of resource and labor intensive rebar.
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And with the first carbon fiber 3d printer hitting the market this summer, it is not impossible to imagine a world where we print buildings stronger than steel.

Of course there are drawbacks to carbon fiber. In turn, the naysayers emerge. Yes, it is a brittle material, less likely to bend than its steel counterpart. Perhaps more significant, it's a material in infancy. The youth of carbon fiber makes it expensive. Whereas steel is less than a buck a pound, carbon fiber is ten dollars a pound to produce. This youth also means carbon fiber production is annoyingly slow.

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However, carbon fiber's journey is mirroring the growing pains of steel. In fact, the lethargic, cost-intensive process of producing steel led Eads Bridge construction to come to a screeching halt. Causing one of the richest men in history to nearly go bankrupt.

But Carnegie didn't go bankrupt. He adapted a process designed by inventor/engineer Henry Bessemer to mass-produce steel. Bessemer's processes meant a steel beam that once took five hours, now took ten minutes  hello industrial revolution. With a revolutionary material and all of his eggs in one giant basket, Carnegie became, for a time, the richest man in the world.

At this very moment, carbon fiber needs the investors like Andrew Carnegie that steel had. Carbon fiber needs the inventors like Henry Bessemer that steel had. Sure, there are still a few kinks to work out, but when those discoveries are made, an architectural and industrial revolution will occur.

Carbon fiber has the ability to be mass-produced in a cheap and sustainable way; we just need to figure it out. Once we do, we can work on getting that elephant across the bridge.

SEE ALSO: Beautiful California House Rethinks Indoor To Outdoor Space

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Philip Johnson's Iconic Glass House Looks Awesome When Filled With Fog

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Celebrating the 65th anniversary of Philip Johnson‘s iconic Glass House, artist Fujiko Nakaya has created the building’s first ever site-specific art .

The , titled “Veil”, will shroud  in fog for 10 minutes every hour, creating a dialogue with Johnson’s design intentions by breaking the visual connection between inside and out, and covering the building’s sharp, clean lines with misty indeterminacy. At the same time it will make literal Johnson’s ideal of an architecture that vanishes.

Nakaya has created similar fog installations in locations around the world, including at theGuggenheim Museum in Bilbao, and was also a consultant for Diller + Scofidio’s 2002 Blur Building. She said “fog responds constantly to its own surroundings, revealing and concealing the features of the environment. Fog makes visible things become invisible and invisible things — like wind — become visible.”

The installation is part of a larger scheme to make the Glass House into a center for contemporary art and ideas, especially those which interact with the history and meaning of the site. “Veil” will be at the Glass House until November 30th.

Check it out:
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SEE ALSO: The Steel Age Is Over — Here's What The Next Age Will Look Like

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Construction Begins On Complex That Redefines Beijing's 'City Landscape'

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Beijing landscapeNatural lighting, intelligent building, and an innovative air purification system is expected to help MAD achieve LEED Gold certification upon completion in 2016.

Construction has commenced on MAD’s Chaoyang Park Plaza within one of ’s largest public parks and central business district. A continuation of Ma Yansong’s “Shan-Shui City” concept, which aims reintroduce nature into the urban realm, the mixed-use complex reinterprets natural formations illustrated in traditional Chinese paintings as contemporary “city landscapes.”

“Like the tall mountain cliffs and river landscapes of , a pair of asymmetrical towers creates a dramatic skyline in front of the park,” described MAD. “Ridges and valleys define the shape of the exterior glass facade, as if the natural forces of erosion wore down the tower into a few thin lines.”

Beijing landscape“Flowing down the facade, the lines emphasize the smoothness of the towers and its verticality. The internal ventilation and filtration system of the ridges draw a natural breeze indoors, which not only improves the interior space but also creates an energy efficient system.”

Beijing landscapeYansong attempt’s to integrate nature thoughout the design; Interiors are “injected” with landscape elements, such as towering courtyards and multi-level garden terraces, while “mid-air courtyards” connect the site’s two residential buildings and provide residents the “freedom to wander” through an elevated “mountain forest.” Even the shape of the complex’s four office towers were designed to resemble eroded “river stones.”

Beijing landscape“This project transforms the traditional model of buildings in a modern city’s central business district,” explains MAD. “By exploring the symbiotic relationship between modern urban architecture and natural environment, it revives the harmonious co-existence between urban life and nature. It creates a Shanshui city where people can share their individual emotions and a sense of belonging.”

SEE ALSO: The Steel Age Is Over — Here's What The Next Age Will Look Like

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Cartoons Take Over Paris In These Amazing Drawings

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536833d4c07a806b9b000033_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_b89a4b3ad760ec21fa8416a5741fa674 jpg_srz_p_940_705_75_22When you're surrounded by buildings on all sides, what do you see? In his SkyArt series, French artist Lamadieu Thomas gives us his answer.

He takes claustrophobia-inducing photographs of urban landscapes through a fish-eye lens, framing the sky with rooftops and filling the negative space with playful 
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Thomas describes his whimsical approach to art as an attempt to show "what we can construct with a boundless imagination" and "a different perception of urban architecture and the everyday environment around us."

See some of the collection:

536833e9c07a806b9b000035_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_795070aab39f7ae203c4bbe1a14009fd jpg_srz_p_945_715_75_22536833d5c07a80b5c5000036_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_ecb0a72caa8a1e4d7d7ccc643e7754d1 jpg_srz_p_940_700_75_22536833a6c07a80b5c5000031_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_8bf5e724be7348b195706416b94d1fc2 jpg_srz_p_625_826_75_22536833c0c07a80b5c5000034_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_19d2e0879d1606780ed6d44fd098c35f jpg_srz_p_515_775_75_22536833bac07a806b9b000030_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_9f963b06da868f0be01d8ceed4b09b8e jpg_srz_p_515_775_75_22536833b5c07a806b9b00002f_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_42c1364c5898c9fca6f92667524663e0 jpg_srz_p_1040_700_75_2536833b0c07a80b5c5000033_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_45a22ab7970f304aaca7c458cefb386b jpg_srz_p_630_945_75_22536833cac07a80b5c5000035_artist fills paris negative space with whimsical illustrations_a7bb96_e4217eac5c30e2f5207041be574d2478 jpg_srz_p_935_625_75_22

See more SkyArt here.

SEE ALSO: Beautiful California House Rethinks Indoor To Outdoor Space

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Two Leading Japanese Architects Protest Zaha Hadid's Tokyo Olympic Stadium

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Though it seemed a compromise was met last October, when Japan’s minister of education, Hakubun Shimomura announced plans to reduce the cost and scale of the Zaha Hadid-designed Tokyo Olympic Stadium, the debate rages on.  

Pritzker laureates  and Fumihiko Maki have launched an online petition to “defend the ginko tree-lined landscape of blue sky and Jingu Outer Gardens” from the construction of Hadid’s “oversized” stadium. 

The petition (now with more than 13,000 signatures) urges the  Sports Council, who hand selected Hadid’s winning design alongside Tadao Ando, to reconsider upgrading the existing Meiji Jingo Gaien Stadium and the gardens surrounding it. This solution, they believe, is a more affordable and sustainable alternative that would prevent the relocation of nearby residents. 

The 80,000-seat stadium, which was selected over 10 other finalists in November 2012 to serve as the new Japan National Stadium, is scheduled for completion just before the 2019 Rugby World Cup. 

SEE ALSO: The Steel Age Is Over — Here's What The Next Age Will Look Like

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Fix For The London 'Death Ray' Building Will Start This Month

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Work to alter Rafael Viñoly Architects20 Fenchurch Street– dubbed the Walkie Talkie due to its unusual shape and then the "Walkie Scorchie" after it created a heat-focusing ray strong enough to melt cars last summer – is due to start later this month, after planning permission for the additions was granted in April.

The alterations, also designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, will see horizontal aluminium louvres added to the glass facade between the 3rd and the 34th floor to ensure that the reflective "death ray" effect is not repeated.

News of the effect proved instantly popular when it broke in September 2013, with people flocking to experience the hot-spot for themselves. Some even fried eggs in the glare, and one reading by the BBC measured surface temperatures of over 90°C (194°F).

The developer Land Securities says that the alterations required have not added to the building's cost, and despite the widespread ridicule, the building remains remains one of their most financially successful ventures.

A statement from the company's 2014 annual results said that "a solar glare issue drew attention to the building for the wrong reasons but did nothing to deter lettings with 200,000 sq ft taken up in the months after the problem materialised." The building is said to be "all but completed" and has already let 87% of its office space.

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SEE ALSO: Top Architect Explains How Chinese Cities Need To Evolve

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7 Unusual Bus Shelters By World Class Architects

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A year in the making, Krumbach in Austria has unveiled seven eye-catching bus shelters which have turned the world's gaze on the tiny village.

Designed by internationally renowned architects such as Wang ShuSou Fujimoto and Smiljan Radic, who worked in collaboration with local architects and craftsmen, the whimsical structures will put the village of 1000 residents on the map.

Curator Dietmar Steiner praised the commitment of those involved, saying "the entire project succeeded because it was supported in the most generous fashion by more than 200 people." This included the architects, who took up their projects for little more than a free holiday in the area and the chance to engage in an unusual challenge.

However, BUS:STOP was not merely a vanity project: Verena Konrad, Director of vai Vorarlberger Architektur Institut, noted that the project was important for "the successful connection ofinfrastructure and mobility for the rural area."

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Sweden Is Relocating An Entire City

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Officials announced this week that, starting in June, the city of KirunaSweden will begin to migrate. Founded in 1900, the town is the product of ’s largest state-owned mining company, LKAB. The company extracts iron from the nearby Kirunavaara mountainside, and now the expansion of the mines threatens to destabilize the ground beneath 3,000 homes as well as many of the town’s municipal buildings.

The 100-year master plan put forth by White Arkitekter, in collaboration with Ghilardi + Hellsten Arkitetker, calls for the city to expand two miles eastward along a linear axis. This new plan will rebuild the town on solid ground, retain its historical and cultural presence, and slowly wean it off its dependency on the mining industry by opening the community up to new businesses.

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Kiruna’s move is to be funded by LKAB and, as of this week, the company has pledged €415.5 million for the completion of the first phase of construction. This phase involves the construction of a new town center, which will be home to the city’s historic clock tower, a new travel center, and Henning Larsen Architects’ competition-winning city hall.

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Mikael Stenqvist, lead architect for the project, said “We are delighted to be making the first steps in our Kiruna plan. Kiruna will be like a walking millipede, crawling, moving slowly with a thousand feet a few kilometers east.”

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Later stages in the migration will include the installation of an efficient public transportation system, and the development of “finger” neighborhoods which develop organically north and south from the urban backbone of the relocated city. When Kiruna has been completely relocated, the old city site is planned to become a park which facilitates reindeer migration. The mines, when they become exhausted, are expected to generate revenue through tourism. 

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SEE ALSO: Top Architect Explains How Chinese Cities Need To Evolve

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David Beckham's Miami Stadium Plans Are Causing Controversy

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David Beckham

Plans to build a new soccer stadium in Miami have generated an argument this week between David Beckham, current city officials, and past city officials.

The stadium, which will be home to a new Miami MLS team owned by ex-superstar Beckham, was originally proposed to occupy a site at PortMiami, with a design drawn up by Arquitectonica and 360 Architects.

However, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez had concerns over the location, and earlier this month convinced Beckham and his group to consider an alternative location, a disused boat slip between the American Airlines Arena and Museum Park.

Now a group including former mayor Manny Diaz and Alexander Cooper, the masterplan designer for Museum Park have issued a statement condemning the new plans and saying they are “not in harmony with the vision of Miami as a world class city with parks and open areas available for all.”

The new proposals would involve filling in the boat slip and building the stadium on the land created. Almost half of the stadium would encroach on land that is currently part of the Museum Park, however roughly half of the filled in slip would also be left open. This space would create a park spanning from the existing Museum Park through to the unused space behind American Airlines Arena, known as “Parcel B”.

Under former mayor Diaz, a similar proposal for the Miami Marlins Baseball team’s new stadium was rejected in 2000 thanks to a lengthy public consultation, and the Museum Park – home to the Frost museum of Science by Grimshaw Architects and the Perez Art Museum by Herzog & de Meuron - was designed to incorporate the boat slip as part of the waterfront.

The statement from Diaz and his supporters says “Allowing a private venture to take over the last remaining waterfront site in Downtown Miami for use as a stadium reduces quality open space, obstructs public views of the waterfront and disrupts waterfront recreational uses. It also radically changes the vision of a 21st Century premier public park that the citizens of Miami deserve.”

In response to this objection, ’s real-estate adviser John Alschuler responded with a scathing statement, saying: “It’s ironic that former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, whose Marlins Ballpark cost taxpayers more than $350 million without a single vote being cast, is now opposing a plan that expands Museum Park through private funding and a public vote.

“It’s disappointing that former Mayor Diaz and his supporters are choosing a disconnected waterfront over a continuous bay walk; a polluted, man-made mega yacht marina over more green space for the public; and a lifeless waterfront over an iconic soccer venue that draws residents and visitors to a downtown that they have worked so long to improve.”

However, regardless of the argument, current city officials have made clear that approval for the new plan is subject to voter approval.

Check out the original plans for the stadium:

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SEE ALSO: ARCHITECTURAL PLAGIARISM? Here’s How A Judge Ruled On Two Uncannily Similar Skyscrapers

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Here's A Stunning Proposal To Extend New York's High Line Vertically

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In response to New York City’s rapidly expanding population, NBRS + Partners has proposed a 40 story tall skyscraper that could help the city embrace its rapidly shifting demographics and size. Entitled “VIVO on ,” the adaptable steel-frame tower is essentially the vertical extension of the city’s beloved  park. 

“The podium screen engulfs the High Line folding it in and extending the lifeblood into the building base, like capillary action drawing it vertically,” described the team.

The project was joint first place winner in Metropolis’ Living Cities Residential Towers Competition, sharing the award with AMLGM’s entry “Urban Alloy.” Like Alloy, VIVO’s “hybrid structural system” frees up the interior from structural clutter and allows it to easily adapt to the needs of a number of family demographics. In addition, the design plans will provide more accessible routes to various amenities throughout the city.

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“VIVO is demographically mixed, attracting individuals, couples and families; permitting invention and reinvention; a place that is inclusive and participatory. The steel design permits flexible apartment designs, responsive to the changing needs of the NYC family,” stated NBRS. “A place for mobile workers.  A place for key workers. A place located at the heart of activity and accessibility. A place where families can live and enjoy the efficiencies and amenities of a global cultural focus. VIVO is an activity based solution permitting vertical flexibility of use.”

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The team believes VIVO could be the “lifeblood” of the city, just as the High Line once was. 

Competition: Living Cities
Award: First Place
Project Name: Vivo on the Highline
Architects: NBRS + Partners
Location: The High Line, New York, NY 10011, USA
Architect In Charge: Andrew Duffin
Structural Design : ARUP Sydney
Photographs: NBRS + Partners

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SEE ALSO: I Finally Checked Out That 'High Line' Thing That New Yorkers Are Going Bonkers About...

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These Beautiful Photos Will Give You A New Appreciation For Architecture

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It's clear that architecture inspires and impassions Timothy Soar - not only has the UK photographer spent most of his life visiting and capturing great architectural works, but – unlike most photographers, or architects for that matter - he also speaks eloquently about the architecture that inspires him. Describing his favorite building, AHMM's Yellow Building, he tells us it "delivers exquisite simplicity out of a complex lattice. The building has a lyrical poetry in the way it wraps and folds itself around the occupants – deft, confident and generous. It is one of London’s great spaces."

Moreover, Soar believes deeply that his  does more than merely idealize built forms; not only do his images enable the architects he works with to "refine and amplify" the ideas within their built works, and thus aid them in defining their next work, but it also seeks to advocate architecture for all: "My work as a photographer is predicated on a desire to [...] to be an advocate for design that elevates, to help construct an argument where good design isn’t an occasional, rare and special thing but an everyday, routine and expected event."5398c48dc07a80569e0006c8_architectural photographers timothy soar_ahmm_barbican

When and how did you start photographing architecture?

I have always photographed architecture. For me, it all seemed perfectly natural: I was already steeped in the vocabulary. My father, a lawyer, was an enthusiastic amateur photographer (he exhibited with Edwin Smith, one of the great English architectural photographers). Dad and I used to travel to see the latest new buildings – Centre Georges Pompidou, Willis Faber, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, and he loved London’s South Bank complex. Holidays were spent visiting Port Sunlight, New Lanark, The Derbyshire mills of Arkwright and Strutt. He had a real passion for and conviction of the transforming power of architecture and its role in enabling social progress. He, of course, was thrilled when I started working with Foster, Rogers, Lasdun, Grimshaw, Farrell and Hopkins.

Are you an architect?

I originally trained in engineering, and I’ve always enjoyed the process of analysing problems and designing solutions. Buckminster Fuller, Joseph Paxton and Isambard Kingdom Brunel were an inspiration. However, early experience with a engineering consulting company (based in a beautiful Rogers designed building in Royston) convinced me that I needed the stimulus of a less office-based life. I switched to a photography degree and then got a job as an assistant to one of Britain’s best architectural photographers, Richard Bryant. Richard had originally trained as an architect and was the photographer of choice for some wonderful buildings by Rogers, Stirling, Farrell, Henning Larsen, Aldington Craig. I learnt a lot, and laughed a lot. It was a happy time and a great experience.5398c932c07a805cea000685_architectural photographers timothy soar_ph___orsman_road

Why do you like to photograph architecture?

Architecture represents a great deal more than a need for shelter. At its best architecture engages with profound human issues. Even mundane and seemingly unimportant structures can be lifted by sensitive and intelligent design. My work as a photographer is predicated on a desire to broaden the conversation about our built environment, to be an advocate for design that elevates, to help construct an argument where good design isn’t an occasional, rare and special thing but an everyday, routine and expected event. Some of the most rewarding moments in my life have been spent in the company of the occupants of a new building, sharing in the pleasure and optimism that is to be found when a special place has been delivered.

Favorite architect?

I have been extremely fortunate to have worked with some of the finest minds in architecture. My longest collaboration has been with Allford, Hall, Monaghan, Morris. We have enjoyed an intense and deep relationship. I’ve been working with AHMM since they started. A great deal of time, energy and thought has been put into the way the work of the practice is photographed.

One of the great challenges of working with a growing company is finding ways to communicate their strengths as they grow, to help them stand apart and to be noticed. AHMM have a gift for making ordinary buildings extraordinary and achieving high design standards on low budgets. They have a real drive and commitment to refine the process of architecture so that delight is the outcome. Despite the many constraints and challenges involved in the projects they have delivered, there is an elegance in the way they have resolved so many of the complexities of construction. The photography of their work has become a rich and expressive process, finding the ideas and aspirations we talked about 20 years ago realised in thrilling Stirling Prize nominated buildings is a great joy, and the images we make together illustrate the continuity and integrity of their architecture and vision.

Favorite building?

My favourite building? There have been many. One of the most satisfying projects to work on has been AHMM’s Yellow Building for Monsoon. The powerful, heroic form of the concrete grid, designed to do away with supporting cores, delivers exquisite simplicity out of a complex lattice. The building has a lyrical poetry in the way it wraps and folds itself around the occupants – deft, confident and generous. It is one of London’s great spaces. The client’s desire to integrate office, art gallery and social spaces has produced a place that is about architectural theatre, responding to the grit and mess of life  and the freedom of an organised but unstructured space for creative spontaneity. That such a building could be conceived, welcomed and delivered is a testament to communicating the strengths of imagination and pragmatism that the architects have in abundance.

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How do you work?

I enjoy building a rapport with my architects, learning about their desires and ambitions, and thereby creating a dialogue that supports both the emotion and financial investment in each project. I like to think that we work together to photograph a building, that what we photograph is not just the idealised photographic form of a particular project but also hopefully acts as a predictor of the next project. By refining and amplifying the ideas manifest in the built work, we can make the case for the nascent ideas and techniques that will define the yet unbuilt work. There are many tortuous steps to take in winning commissions and achieving built architecture, a strong portfolio of images helps reassure clients and can help build the confidence that’s needed to push on into uncharted territory.

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What kind of equipment and software do you use?

I work with a technical monorail camera. Essentially, it is the same kind of camera I used when working on film in 8 x 10” and 4 x 5” formats, except that it is now equipped with digital capture. My Linhof camera allows control of perspective to help manifest the illusion of deep space. The minute camera movements I am able to employ subtly manipulate the composition to help reveal the underlying order and structure. It enables carefully constructed images of space that can explore the continuity of interconnected zones, the movement of light, the geometric ordering of planes, views and patterns. It makes for a deliberate and considered style of working, which, I believe, is pertinent to architecture.

Along with the camera I use a Phase One 80mp digital back. The enormous power of the system allows for the exact placing of tones in close proximity, a capacity to reveal perfect textures with a meticulous attention to light and shade. It is this ability to consider and carefully place the relative values of tonality, from the deepest shadow to the brightest highlight, that are essential components of my photographic vocabulary.

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>I use Capture One software together with Photoshop. However, I am always very careful not to over process the images. I think the human brain has a fine and delicate relationship with the world. We have a deeply ingrained suspicion of the fake, the compromised, style without substance, a lack of integrity, too much Photoshop produces a clinical, computer-generated image that I think people mistrust. I want the viewers of my work to admire the building in the image, not be misguided by the slick processing of the software.

Check out more of Soar's beautiful photos:

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5398c5dbc07a803df400064f_architectural photographers timothy soar_david_lea__cat_wise

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Gehry's Berlin Skyscraper May Be Too Heavy

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Gehry's Berlin skyscraperAfter winning the design competition for Germany's tallest apartment tower in January, Frank Gehry's project for the building on Alexanderplatz has already run into problems over fears that the 150-metre building could be too heavy for its site. 

The German edition of the Local is reporting that Berlin's Senate has placed the plans on hold because of the building’s proximity to the U5 branch of the U-Bahn tunnel, which it fears could be crushed under the weight.

’s transport authority BVG is also worried about the construction of the building, asking for clarification on whether they could run trains through the tunnel during construction.

Developer Hines Property Group has responded by commissioning a survey of the area to establish what effect the building will have on its site in Alexanderplatz, and on the U5 Tunnel.

However, despite this unexpected setback, Hines remains confident that the scheme will go ahead as planned, saying that they are “heading in the right direction and are confident that a decision will be made soon.”

Gehry's Berlin skyscraper

Gehry's Berlin skyscraper

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10 Buildings Pushing The Boundaries Of Wood

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Wood is the ultimate material - it’s renewable, sequesters carbon and more importantly, it’s buildable. Nevertheless wood is rarely used in tall, vertical construction. Now reThink wood has come out with their Tall Wood Survey (available in full on their website), which surveyed over 50 wood experts to explore three main areas in which wood is usually questioned: financing, insurance and performance.

But beyond discussing the pros and cons of wood, the survey also highlights 10 projects that show how wood products are being used in ways you never thought existed. See all ten innovative projects, after the break. 

#1 – UBC Earth Sciences Building - Perkins + WillUBC Earth Sciences Building - Perkins + Will

#2 – 3XGRÜN - Atelier PK, Roedig Schop Architekten and Rozynski Sturm3XGRÜN - Atelier PK, Roedig Schop Architekten and Rozynski Sturm

#3 – Bridport House - Karakusevic Carson ArchitectsBridport House - Karakusevic Carson Architects

#4 – Cenni Di Cambiamento – ROSSIPRODI ASSOCIATI srl.Bridport House - Karakusevic Carson Architects

#5 – LifeCycle Tower ONE (LCT ONE) – Hermann Kaufmaa ZT GmbH  LifeCycle Tower ONE (LCT ONE) – Hermann Kaufmaa ZT GmbH

#6 – Forté – Lend LeaseForté – Lend Lease

#7 – E3 – Kaden Klingbeil E3 – Kaden Klingbeil

#8 – Holz8 (H8) – Shankula ArchitektenHolz8 (H8) – Shankula Architekten

#9 – Tamedia - Shigeru Ban ArchitectsTamedia - Shigeru Ban Architects

#10 – Limnologen – Arikitektbolaget KronobergLimnologen – Arikitektbolaget Kronoberg

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The Most Outstanding Architecture Projects In The Americas

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Wiel Arets, Dean of the College of Architecture at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and Dirk Denison, Director of the  (MCHAP), have announced the inaugural MCHAP shortlist – 36 “Outstanding Projects” selected from the 225 MCHAP nominees.

“The rich diversity of these built works is a testament to the creative energy at work in the Americas today,” said Arets. “When viewed alongside the innovative work by the MCHAP.emerge finalists and winner, Poli House by Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen which we honored in May, we see the evolution of a distinctly American conversation about creating livable space.” 

From MCHAP. In April, 226 works from throughout the Americas were chosen as nominees by 70 professionally diverse, international ambassadors­. The 36 MCHAP Outstanding Projects were chosen from among the nominees by the inaugural MCHAP Jury.

The winner of MCHAP, chosen from the list of 36 shortlisted projects, will be announced on July 9th at a live-streamed public event in Santiago, Chile. The authors of the MCHAP recipient and shortlist will then be celebrated at a conference held at Crown Hall on October 22, 2014 where the jury will engage in a direct dialogue about the works as part of a continuing exploration of how architecture can improve the lives of the people who inhabit these innovative built works.

Here's the shortlist:

1111 Lincoln Road in Miami, Florida, by Herzog & de Meuron

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​Altamira Residential Building in Rosaria, Argentina, by Rafael Iglesia

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ASU Health Service in Tempe, Arizona, by Lake Flato Architects

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Bolivar Civic Center in Pueblo Bolivar, Uruguay, by Arq. Marcelo Gualano / Arq. Martín Gualano

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Burle Marx Education Center in Brumadinho, Brazil, by Paula Zasnicoff – Alexandre Brasil / Arquitetos Associados

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Capilla del Retiro in Auco, Los Andes, Chile, by Undurraga Deves Arquitectos (Cristián Undurraga)

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Cooper Union Center for Advancement of Science and Art in New York, New York, by Morphosis

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​CUBE Tower in Guadalajara, Mexico, by Estudio Carme Pinos

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Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California by Gehry Partners

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Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences/CDRD in Vancouver, Canada, by Saucier + Perrotte Architectes

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Fernando Botero Library Park in San Cristobal, Columbia, by G Ateliers Architecture (Orlando Garcia)

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Glass Pavilion, Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA

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P​Grande Bibliotheque du Quebec in Montreal, Canada, by Patkau / Croft Pelletier / Menkes Shooner Dagenais Letourneux Architectes Associes

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​Iberê Camargo Foundation in Porto Alegre, Brazil, by Álvaro Siza Vieira

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Innovation Center UC – Anacleto Angelini in Santiago, Chile, by Elemental S.A.

 build15

Kindergarten Ciudad de la Alegria, Timayui in Santa Marta, Columbia, by Giancarlo Mazzanti

 build16

Mestizo Restaurant in Santiago, Chile, by Smiljan Radic

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Millennium Park in Chicago, Illinois, by Edward K. Uhlir, FAIA

 build18

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Bloch Building in Kansas City, Missouri by 

 build19

New Carver Apartments in Los Angeles, California, by Michael Maltzan, FAIA

 build20

New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, New York, by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA

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Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle Art Museum in Seattle, Washington, by Weiss / Manfredi

 build22

Optima Camelview Village in Scottsdale, Arizona, by David C. Hovey, FAIA

 build23

Parque Novo Santo Amaro V Social Housing in São Paulo, Brazil, by Vigliecca & Associados: Héctor Vigliecca (Chief Designer)

 build24

Praça das Artes – Performing Arts Centre in São Paulo, Brazil, by Brasil Arquitetura (Francisco Fanucci, Marcelo Ferraz) and Marcos Cartum

build25 

Pratt Institute Higgins Hall Insertion in Brooklyn, New York, by Steven Holl Architects

build26 

Punta Pite in Papudo, Chile, by Teresa Moller

build27 

Saint Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church in Springdale, Arkansas, by Marlon Blackwell Architect

build28 

Seattle Central Library, in Seattle, Washington, by OMA / LMN – Rem Koolhaas and Joshua Prince-Ramus (Partner in Charge)

 build29

Studio R in São Paulo, Brazil, by Studio MK27 (Marcio Kogan & Gabriel Kogan)

 build30

Telcel Theater in Ciudad de México, Mexico, by Antón Garcia-Abril & Ensamble Studio

 build31

Teleton Child Rehabilitation Centre in Asuncion, Paraguay, by Solano Benítez Gabinete de Arquitectura

 build32

The High Line in New York, New York, by James Corner Field Operations

 build33

​The Integral House in Toronto, Canada, by Shim-Sutcliffe Architects

 build34

Vasconcelos Library and Botanical Gardens in Mexico City, Mexico, by Alberto Kalach

 build35

Vertical House in Lima, Peru, by Alexia León Angell

 build36

For more information about MCHAP and MCHAP.emerge, their purpose, process and timeline, visit http://arch.iit.edu/prize/mchap.

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Architecture Lovers Pick The Very Best Buildings In America

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ArchDaily editors selected their favorite projects located in the , from architecture classics to extraordinary newcomers. Enjoy them all!

Selected by José Tomás Franco, Editor, Plataforma Arquitectura

The Tower House / Gluck+ 

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Barcode House / David Jameson Architect 

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Tower House / Andersson Wise Architects 

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Selected by Diego Hernandez, Architecture Editor, ArchDaily

Haffenden House / PARA 

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 Selected by Becky Quintal, Executive Editor, ArchDaily

WMS Boathouse at Clark Park / Studio Gang Architects

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Selected by Andrew Galloway, Intern, ArchDaily

Outpost / Olson Kundig Architects

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Selected by David Basulto, Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, ArchDaily 

The Pierre / Olson Kundig Architects

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Selected by Nico Saieh, Head Architecture Editor, ArchDaily

Rolling Huts / Olson Kundig Architects

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Click here to see more of the picks >

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FORGET THE CONTROVERSY: Qatar Plows Ahead With Stunning New World Cup Designs

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Qatar World CupQatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy have released images of the latest stadium designed for the 2022 World Cup. Located in Al Khor City, the Al Bayt Stadium will also be surrounded by the new Al Bayt district, which will host retail space and restaurants, as well as landscaped paths for residents to use as horseriding, cycling and jogging tracks. 

Qatar World CupThe design – billed as “an entirely Qatari concept, reflecting ’s proud history and culture” – is based on the Bayt Al Sha’ar, a black and white tent used traditionally by nomadic people in , which would have been a welcome symbol of hospitality for desert travelers.

Qatar World CupThe stadium was designed by an unnamed group of Qatari architects, although Dar Al Handasa are credited as design consultants. As one of the World Cup’s semi-final venues, the stadium will hold 60,000 seats, but after the tournament the design allows the upper tier of seating to be removed, reducing the stadium to 32,000 seats. The removed seats are planned to be donated to other countries “to leave a legacy for international football development.”

Qatar World CupThe Al Bayt Stadium & Precinct will also incorporate best practice in energy-efficiency measures in an attempt to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) standards. The stadium will also be constructed in accordance with the new Workers’ Welfare Standards, a policy brought in as a response to continued concerns over the safety and welfare of construction workers on Qatar’s world cup projects.

Qatar World CupThe Al Bayt Stadium is the second design unveiled for the 2022 World Cup, joining Zaha Hadid Architects‘ Al Wakrah Stadium.

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Architects Are Trying To Revive A Venezuelan Project That Was Abandoned In The 1960s

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Project Helix

Although construction was never completed, “The Helix” in Caracas is one of the most important relics of the Modern movement in . The 73,000 square meter project – designed in 1955 by Jorge Romero Gutiérrez, Peter Neuberger and Dirk Bornhorst – takes the form of a double spiral topped by a large geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller. It was characterized by a series of ascending and descending ramps meant to carry visitors to its variety of programmatic spaces  including 320 shops, a 5 star hotel, offices, a playground, a television studio and a space for events and conventions.

Funding for the project slowed down dramatically in the 1960s. Today, Project Helix seeks to rescue the urban history and memory of the building through a series of exhibitions, publications and educational activities.

Project HelixBuilt at an unprecedented scale for Caracas at the time, the reinforced concrete complex was destined for success: it was exhibited as a triumph of modernist design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Salvador Dalí offered to decorate the inside, and Nobel-Prize winning Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda even declared it “one of the most exquisite creations to emerge from the mind of an architect.”

Project HelixNevertheless, financial difficulties prevented the project’s completion. For decades it was inhabited by squatters; today, it serves as the headquarters of Venezuela’s National Intelligence Agency (SEBIN), a fact which has cast a controversial shadow over the building, negatively influencing the public’s perception of it.

This is precisely what Project: Helix hopes to change. Created and directed by cultural historian Celeste Olalquiaga (together with a group of historians, architects, artists and museum), the organization seeks to document and present the building’s history via a series of exhibitions, lectures, guided tours and even a book of critical essays.

Project HelixA few weeks ago, they launched a crowd-funding campaign that unfortunately failed to raise the expected resources. However, you can learn more about the project and can contribute to their cause at Project Helix’s website and Facebook page.

*This text was written by Jose Tomas Franco for Plataforma Arquitectura. It was translated to English by Vanessa Quirk. 

SEE ALSO: The 6 Most Overrated Travel Destinations In The World

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Buildings That Look Like Giant Numbers Are Being Added To The Skyline In Guangzhou, China

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Guanzhou building

Design and engineering firm Atkins has been commissioned by the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to design a series of new office buildings in Guanzhou. Their proposed design takes the form of three independent buildings, two of which form large, window-like structures. With a working title “Window of Guangzhou,” these buildings will commemorate the city’s history as the first Chinese port city opened to international trade along China’s legendary Silk Road.

Guanzhou buildingThe very shape of the building complex represents Guangzhou’s significance. The three towers, situated along the Zhujiang River, appear to read as “001,” indicating the city’s trade history. The CCCC’s project manager, Shu Gang, stated “Atkins’ design concept demonstrates the importance of Guangzhou as a gateway to  for the world. The window-shaped buildings promote the city’s image as an important location for ’s import and export business.”

Guanzhou buildingThe window shapes of the project are also functional, in that they do not block views of the river for buildings situated behind them. All three of the structures are designed to maximize ventilation and shading to offset the humidity of southern China.

Guanzhou buildingThe Window of Guangzhou is expected to be completed in 2018. 

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The Unspoken Rules Of Building A House In A Slum

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favela

"Building a house takes time and money," said Marcio, a local resident of Complexo do Alemão, one of ’s numerous , as he showed me around his house. This is why a house is often built over several generations: a floor may be laid, columns erected (rebar protruding), and a thin tin roof placed, but this is just to mark where the next builder should finish the job. “Constructing a roof with tiles is not a sign of wealth here — rather, it means that there’s not enough money to continue constructing the house,” explains Manoe Ruhe, a Dutch urban planner who has lived in the favela for the last six months.

An architect who has always been fascinated by the way people live, I had come to do a residency at Barraco # 55, a cultural center in Complexo do Alemão, in order to learn how its citizens went about building their communities. I had many questions: are there rules of construction? What are the common characteristics of each house? Do they follow the same typology? How are the interiors of the homes? What construction techniques and what materials are used?

favela

Marcio grew up in a single story, gabled-roof house that his father built. Twenty-five years ago, he built a first floor above the house; today he has resumed work and is gradually building a second floor.

Eduardo is in a similar situation – he’s trying to build his own house above his mother’s: “I made two separate areas, one where I live and a smaller one that I can rent or use as a music studio.” This is common in the favela, where a family will rent out different floors of their house to either other families or extended relatives. Houses located on the main street tend to use the ground floor for commercial purposes.

favela

The building materials used for the homes must meet three major criteria: be low cost, light enough to be carried on men’s backs, and small enough to pass through the narrow streets of the favela. As a result, all the houses are built with bricks; concrete pillars are used for the structure; floors are made from floor beams and slabs; and the roof is almost always corrugated iron.

favela

Some people make use of craftsmen, especially for the more technical tasks – like casting slabs or placing a sheet metal roof. But many build their own homes with the help of friends who lend a hand on the weekends. Sometimes they also barter — Eduardo purchased the tiles for the facade of a friend’s house in exchange for windows, which his friend will install.

And while there are no official rules of construction, there is a law of mutual respect.  Eduardo told me he decided not to install a window in his bedroom as it would have opened directly on to his neighbor’s house. After all, the favela is a small world, where everyone knows and talks to everyone else, and so they must come to peaceful agreements among themselves. This said, an extra floor will almost always obstruct a neighbor’s views —  in this case, it’s common to leave a space of at least one meter between each house.

favela

While the exteriors of houses of a more commercial typology may be painted or tiled, in general, home exteriors are rather austere: almost all leave the brick exposed to the street; air conditioners and antennas protrude from the walls; one or two big water tanks are placed on the roof to provide running water; and windows are protected with steel security bars, which often take star-like forms.

favela

Interiors, on the other hand, are a different story. In general, interior spaces are well cared for and clean, painted and decorated, and almost all have big televisions as their centerpieces. Tiles are used frequently – on façades, walls, staircases, floors. It’s currently trendy to tile the floor of the last floor – a terrace used for washing and drying clothes, and also for social gatherings – in the iconic “Copacabana pattern.” The interior walls of the terrace floor are also painted in particularly brilliant colors: blues, greens, purples, and yellows. favela

Interior spaces can be quite dark: the typical window models, made from polycarbonate with aluminium frames, are small. This is due to cost, but also to protect the interiors from the harsh sun/rain of Rio de Janeiro’s tropical climate.

favela

At first glance, the favelas — to me — were an impressive, chaotic mass: waves of houses that invaded every free space. However, I was looking with eyes accustomed to seeing delineated streets, open spaces, formal organizations. I had to adapt to a new world, one of narrow streets and steep stairs, of small windows overlooking dark alleys where electrical cables tangle. Once I did, I was able to see how the favela follows its own rules, its own logic, and its own codes.

Check out more photos below:

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This article was written by Solène Veysseyre, a French architect who has worked in Brussels, Belgium and Santiago de Chile. It was edited and translated by Vanessa Quirk, former manager of editorial content at ArchDaily. 

SEE ALSO: 12 Striking Pictures From The Tallest Slum In The World

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Maryland Is Getting A Whole Foods In A Building Designed By Starchitect Frank Gehry

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Whole Foods Outside

One of Frank Gehry‘s earliest works, the former Rouse Company Headquarters, is currently undergoing a $25 million renovation that will see it converted into a Whole Foods market and community wellness center.

The building, which Gehry dubbed an “elegant warehouse,” was designed in 1974 for developer James Rouse, who founded Columbia, Maryland in the 1960s. The developer behind the current renovation is The Howard Hughes Corp, a Dallas-based company that now serves as the master developer of Columbia.Whole Foods InsideThough Howard Hughes initially attempted to let the building out to another company for use as a headquarters building, the lack of takers necessitated this adaptive reuse strategy.

The architects Cho Benn Holback + Associates have proposed a strategy which retains the building’s external appearance as much as possible, but internally they have made a number of changes to the building’s structure, including removal of much of the third floor to give a double-height space to the Whole Foods Store. DSC_0244They have also added new entrances, one on the second level next to the parking lot to give access to the store and a subsidiary entrance giving access to the offices on the uppermost floor.

The wellness center will occupy the ground level, utilizing the building’s existing main entrance. The building will re-open in stages beginning later this summer.The Rouse Company HeadquartersThe Howard Hughes Corp is also in the process of renovating another Gehry building in Columbia, the Columbia Merriweather Post Pavilion. Designed when Gehry was a part of Gehry, Walsh, and O’Malley and opened in 1967, the $19 million renovation is intended to keep the building competitive as a performance space.

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