Architectural Design Competition | Big O | Yeosu | Korea | H-Architecture

The “Big-O” Design Competition called for ideas to create a new coastal destination which will accompany the 2012 Yeosu Expo in Korea, and will further remain as a permanent local amenity beyond the Expo. In keeping with “The Living Ocean and Coast” on the southern coastal line of Korea, the main theme of the Yeosu Expo, H proposed a multi-faceted cultural arena which will engage and entertain patrons from around the world, and a facility that can be artistically and commercially renewed after the Expo. H’s design concept emphasizes the bubble in the newly created atmosphere of an inflatable canopy. This creates an Air Balloon Festival, a special program of the Big-O, based on a system of expressing the relationship between the sky and the water, summarized as “Oxygen x Ocean = O2.”

The inflatable bubble canopy system, a floating deck system on the surface of the ocean and a fish farm within the water create a symbiotic relationship of nature and spectacle. The system is a simultaneous experience of air, surface, and underwater. ..............more
The project was designed in collaboration with Haeahn Architecture.

Monterey Park Performing Arts Center | Monterey Park | California | Heerim Architects

Monterey Park Performing Arts Center, MPPAC, is a mixed-use arts complex in Monterey Park, California with programs including a 3,000-seat performance hall, 5-star hotel, live/work condos, offices, a revolving restaurant and 400+ underground parking spaces. H’s design redefines the relationship among the performance hall, supporting programs and outdoor landscaped plaza, while articulating the beauty, harmony, and poetic movements from the artistry of diverse performing arts.

An elevated landscaped plaza, free from vehicular disturbance, allows easy pedestrian circulation among the various buildings, which mark the periphery of the site with double-skin mesh membrane exteriors. The continuous curvilinearity in the building placement not only creates a monolithic presence of the complex, but also provides visitors and residents optimum views toward downtown Los Angeles and the surrounding regions.

Also connecting the program is a continuous sloped roof, representing the trajectory gestures of a music conductor, which culminates over the performance hall. An infinity wall between the performing stage and the landscaped plaza transforms the hall into an indoor and outdoor theater offering an innovative audience experience.

Located 8 miles from downtown Los Angeles, MPPAC aims to become a complex which will serve the local Asian community and the southern California area as the epicenter for international pop culture and arts.

New Dance and Music Centre | The Hague | Zaha Hadid

In sharp contrast to the basic rectangular geometry of its surroundings, our design proposes a structure punctuated by fluid horizontal louvres, which seem to move when graced by light and shade issuing a playful invitation to enter - moving upwards to culminate in a gracious curving roofline.

Design for the New Dance and Music Centre in The Hague developed instinctively from the urban dynamics of its city centre location, producing a structure defined by subtle volumetric gestures that invites visitors to enter via a ground-level plaza.Within, the seamless continuation of public domains reinforces the cohesion of a structure which houses four major institutions - Royal Conservatory, Netherlands Dance Theatre, Residential Orchestra and Guest Programming -the whole culminating in a gently curving roofline.
In sharp contrast with conventional rectangular geometry, our design proposes a fluid force field of horizontal louvres, which seem to move when graced by light or shade - a unique characteristic affording a playfulness to the façade - articulating public circulation through foyers and sculpted inner atrium, providing tantalizing glimpses onto inner spaces..........more

Changsha Culture Park | Changsha City | China | MAD

Changsha Culture Park is located at the tip of the waterfront of Changsha City. The challenge of this project was to create a new cultural centre for the city that could still secure the connection between the waterfront and the urban context at rear.
Changsha Culture Park is conceived as a man-made, floating platform connecting the three cultural facilities of the site – music hall, museum and library – into one fluid, integrated landscape. The park will be more than just a cultural landmark: it is designed as an open public space, which can be freely accessed by the local citizens.
The landscape is designed as an urban topography. On the ground, beneath the platform, is a semi-outdoor space illuminated by skylights above. The second level, the platform, is a city scale roofscape where the public can roam freely. These two levels permit people to enjoy a full range of cultural activities, both formal and informal, at all times and under any weather conditions: exhibition events, central open plan gatherings, mass concerts, and games are all possible......more

Celebration Hall for the Diplomatic Quarter | Riyadh | Saudi-Arabia | Albert Speer and Partner

Given the increased demand for prestigious, spacious premises for wedding celebrations and other ceremonies hosted by the royal family, the Arriyadh Development Authority (ADA) staged an international competition for the design and construction of a palace in which the weddings of the male members of the royal family can be celebrated. Boasting outstanding, feudal architecture, Celebration Hall is intended to become the landmark of the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ) in Riyadh. The AS&P design for Celebration Hall takes the form of a polished diamond resting on a velvet cushion. The roof and the facade comprise facetted surfaces and in terms of construction and aesthetics create a union with the column-free interior. The design of the façade is a reinterpretation of classical Arab ornamentation, giving it a contemporary touch........more

Sunnfjord Museum | Førde | Sogn og Fjordane | Norway | Reiulf Ramstad Arkitekter

The facility is located in close relation to the specific elements of the site, in the tension between cultural and natural landscape, with a spesific contact towards the lake, Movatnet, and the buildings of the open-air museum. The project was resolved in harmony and scale with thebuildings of the museum’s dimensions. The new building and outdoor elements of the project will highlight the museums identity and regional character.........more

Performance Center Alexanderhoehe | Iserlohn | Germany | B + U

The design situates the building adjacent to the existing Parktheater. The expressive form of the building creates a landmark for the city and the region.
When situating the building on the site it was important to us to redefine the urban relationship of Alexanderheights with the city. The building was placed in the north of the Parktheater and oriented towards the inner city to emphasize this. On the otherhand we wanted to create a synergy between the existing Parktheater and the new Multifunctional hall and create a single access point for vistors to both theaters as a shared service access for more efficient access.........more

Cultural Centre | Terra Karavana | Tbilisi | Georgia | J Mayer H

Terra Karavana is a contemporary new urban landscape located on the riverfront in the very heart of Tbilisi. Referring to the old caravanserai on site, the cultural center creates a new dynamic identity for the Rhike Park. Access from all sides make this public outdoor space a lively urban center that combines green space and public buildings including a multipurpose event hall, a movie center, a museum, a panorama restaurant and shops. Water fountains, grass fields, sculptures and light installations activate the overall park and invite the people of Tbilisi and visitors day and night to enjoy the panoramic view over the city and its surrounding mountains..........more

Porsgrunn Maritime Museum | Porsgrunn | Southern Norway | COBE

The city of Porsgrunn has a long maritime history of shipping, and the unique development of the region is clearly visible in the existing remarkable building structure of the area. The concept of the museum shows a high level of sensitivity towards the existing small buildings yet simultaneously stands out as a contemporary public building - housing a science center that takes its starting point in the narrative about Porsgrunn and Norway’s transformation from being a nation of seafaring to a modern society based on knowledge industry. Taking into account the surrounding building structure, the new building is composed of several smaller volumes with tilted and pitched roofs that are assembled into a larger building unit........more

International Architectural Design Competition | San Jose State Museum of Art and Design | San Jose | California | MinDay

This Museum is a beacon, a glowing lighthouse of creative exploration open to all forms of expression, production and inhabitation. The building is 'constructed' by the actions of those who occupy is transparent and interstitial spaces. Conceived as a visually and spatially transparent volume in the midst of a dense urban campus, the structure is composed of a double membrane: a translucent skin of glass channels and a wall of pre-cast concrete. The inner wall penetrates the enclosed plenum and glass skin at various locations to provide openings into the museum and views out from the building itself.......more

Honorable Mention, International Design Competition

Serlauchius Gosta Museum extension | Mänttä | Finland | Pinkcloud

Can the experience of art be enhanced through architecture?

White walls + Isolated Rooms = Good museum? In collaboration with Eero Lunden Architects, our design of the Serlauchius Museum extension seeks to deviate from that mantra by developing an architecture that directly facilitates human interaction with art. It is our firm belief that the experience of art can be enhanced through innovative architecture and new spatial experiences.The design of the Serlachius Museum seeks to achieve two main goals: to create an inspiring piece of architecture that will enhance the image of Serlachius Art Musuem globally and to provide a truly unique museum experience by connecting visitors with the art like never before........more

Invited International Competition First Prize | Batumi Aquarium | Batumi | Republic Of Georgia | Henning Larsen Architects

Batumi Aquarium is inspired by the characteristic pebbles of the Batumi beach – the residue of dynamic seas continually shaping the shorefront throughout millennia. The building will be situated in the port of Batumi and will stand out as an iconic rock formation – visible from both land and sea.

The formation constitutes four self-supporting exhibition areas where each of the four stones represents a unique marine biotype – the Mediterranean, the Black Sea/Red Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Indian Ocean. The four dispersed aquarium exhibitions are connected by a central, multipurpose space including café, auditorium and retail functions with views of the black sea and Batumi beach as scenic backdrop. Visitors gather in the central space to convene, play, eat, shop and relax before continuing their adventures through the exhibitions. .......more

Architectural Competition | Castro Alves Theatre | Salvador da Bahia | Brazil | Apiacas Arquitectos

The advantage of the project seeks not only to preserve the architectural heritage, but also preserve the Intangible Heritage created around the ACT, that the site is already consolidated as an area of ​​great cultural importance for the city of Salvador. The Readjustment of the existing building is intended to arrange the spaces through a new distribution to optimize the constructed area, organizing the programs and the circulations, to ensure hierarchy and dimensions consistent with the public nature or technical programs. So the project enhances the clearance under the audience, expanding its space and creating a spatial continuity into the valley, giving meaning to their geometry of the pit building..........more

Architectural Competition | Sundsvall Arts Centre | Sweden | Jorge Hernandez De La Garza

The exterior semi reflective glass panels will give all kinds of reflections of the city life with different light and color during day and night, simulating two horizontal lighthouses for the navigators. The theaters and the rest of the program are located in different levels inside the steel blended structure which functions as a sustainable environment. Natural light and solar panels located in the roof will give comfort during winter for people inside.......more

Contemporary Music Hall | Evreux | France | Hérault Arnod Architectes

The SMAC - Contemporary Music Hall - is a complex of a new musical genre, it has two rooms to the very different diffusion connected by a public space that runs through the building from side to side: the deck. It is designed with the idea that anyone can make his own party by moving from one place to another instead of being just a consumer show, which requires a unique spatial arrangement......more

International Architectural Design Competition | Cultural Center and Concert Hall | Torun | Poland | Aedas

Aedas was invited to participate in design competition for Cultural Centre in Torun, Poland.
The investment consists of:
Urban concept which shows connections of the area inside Jordanki with public roads outside the district Multifunctional Concert Hall for 1000 viewers with a technical / service area and underground car park for 200 cars.
Masterplan for the area around Concert Hall including the organised green area.
Rebuilding of the infrastructure which is in conflict with the designed Concert Hall Communication service inside the district with a parking system.......more

Invited Architectural Competition | First Prize | House of Culture and Movement | Adept Architects

The main building, the House of Culture and Movement, or Ku-Be (Kultur- og Bevægelseshus) is a rectangular glass volume containing six stacked ideal programmatic elements. The space in-between can be programmed flexibly as a 'play zone' with various activities and main circulation. The stacked elements hold more specific uses: a theatre, a health zone, food zone, a zen area, a study centre and exhibition hall, fitness and activity centre, a wellness centre and an area for the administration. The theatre is flexible and can be used in different stage and audience settings; in addition its large window allows it to be used as an open air theatre where the public stays in the garden. The building is a truly multifunctional public centre which engages its users............more

Amphitheater Square | Tropea | Italy | Schiavello Architects Office

The aim of our project is to build a new downtown amphitheater and space for shopping that will become the symbol for large and small cultural events and concerts in the town of Tropea. The place will be a new center where the 2 axes that are very important in the lower part of the country converge: the axis of the promenade where people can safely walk to reach the axis road where the visitor can reach easily by car and stay through the establishment of a new parking lot near the center...........more

Peacock Visual Arts Centre | Aberdeen | Scotland | Brisac Gonzalez

The strategy to seamlessly integrate the new building for Peacock Visual Arts building and Union Terrace Gardens is crucial. The building is situated on three stepped terraces within the Gardens. This setting and an imposed constraint to maintain views of His Majesty’s Theatre from Union Street, poses a unique condition where the building is entered from the top down via the roof plane, which is level with the street. The roof doubles as an expansive public terrace, where a host of different outdoor activities will take place. In addition to printmaking workshops, exhibition space, television studio, offices, and restaurant, the new premises will also house Aberdeen City council’s arts development and education, and Citymoves Dance Space. The site strategy permits an abundance of natural light to these diverse activities.............more

Arts Center | Crystal Center | AS+GG

If a tectonic shift in an undersea geological formation sent giant crystals thrusting up through the water's surface, it might look something like this dramatic arts center prototype positioned in a lake or harbor.

Eleven jutting, crystalline structures of varying size–with cantilevers of up to 230 feet over the water–are joined at a base largely concealed beneath the surface, creating the illusion of the structures as independent.

If the building is located in a tidal basin, some of the shards or crystals will be accessible to each other via foot traffic across the base at low tide........more