With this extension of the JST Malaysia factory, Japanese architect Ryuichi Ashizawa has worked with nature, capturing sunlight, wind, rainwater and geothermal energy to build a living green factory that sits lightly on the earth. With elegant Islamic architectural elements and forward thinking engineering, the complex completely transcends the usual factory typology. The central tower contains an office space that encourages a zen-like atmosphere amongst co-workers and it’s east-west orientation minimizes the effect of solar radiation to keep office workers cool inside. When workers pop out for a break, they’re able to take a walk around the green roof via a path that links the tower and the roof to the surrounding landscape. Vines are trained to grow up wires, forming a green facade, shading the glass from the sun and letting beautiful dappled light through. The vines also hang over the helter-skelter like curving path that invites employees to take a stroll out into the surrounding forest or around the surrounding structures. (source).
Beijing architecture studio MAD has designed an artificial island with an art museum set in caves in its three dune-like forms. Set in a reservoir on Pingtan island in China’s Fujian province, the Pingtan Art Museum will be the largest private museum in Asia, displaying a collection of over a thousand Chinese artworks and objects. The museum itself acts as a smaller scale island off the Pingtan Island itself, connected to land only by a slightly undulating pier, which, in turn, bridges artificial and natural, city and culture, as well as history and future. The museum represents a long-lasting earthscape in water and is a symbol of the island in ancient times. The sea, the beach, the oasis and the slope all interconnect with each other, forming a harmonious capacious space with the mountains in the distance. The building is constructed with concrete that is blended with local sand shells. The indoor space, formed by the rise and fall of the formal movements, looks similar to ancient caves. (source).
UK architecture firm Chetwoods’ latest design juts from the ground like two giant stalagmites. Standing a full kilometer (3,281 ft) tall, the structure might be the key to solving China’s catastrophic pollution problem on every level. By using a complex mechanical system to simultaneously filter Wuhan’s air and water, collect solar, wind, and hydrogen power, provide produce from a massive vertical garden, harvest rainwater, house restaurants and businesses, boil biomass, and generally aim to solve every major ecological crisis faced by central China’s “Fourth Pole,” the Phoenix Towers just might live up to their name. The Phoenix Towers are designed to resonate with local religion and philosophy. The towers link Western technology and architecture to the Chinese myths of the phoenix; two towers represent the dual gender the legendary bird has in Chinese iconography, and the spirit of rebirth is spread throughout all eight hectares of the the half-mile high towers. (source).
World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid has unveiled designs for the new Sleuk Rith Institute, a leading center for genocide studies in Asia to be located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Hadid, typically known for her flowing concrete buildings, envisions a unique aesthetic for the institute in the form of five wooden structures that interweave and link together as they rise upwards. The five buildings will house spaces for different functions, which will be connected at various levels throughout the structure, allowing for interaction and collaboration underneath a complex, interlocked structure inspired by the architecture of Angkor Wat and other ancient sites. (source).
The future of skyscrapers could move away from concrete and steel, to an unexpected alternative: wood. Architect Michael Green predicts wooden skyscrapers as an option for some of the most sustainable super-structures in the world. With designing a concept for a 30-story tower in Vancouver, he’s also produced an instruction manual on wooden skyscrapers for other architects and builders. (source).
With this extension of the JST Malaysia factory, Japanese architect Ryuichi Ashizawa has worked with nature, capturing sunlight, wind, rainwater and geothermal energy to build a living green factory that sits lightly on the earth. With elegant Islamic architectural elements and forward thinking engineering, the complex completely transcends the usual factory typology. The central tower contains an office space that encourages a zen-like atmosphere amongst co-workers and it’s east-west orientation minimizes the effect of solar radiation to keep office workers cool inside. When workers pop out for a break, they’re able to take a walk around the green roof via a path that links the tower and the roof to the surrounding landscape. Vines are trained to grow up wires, forming a green facade, shading the glass from the sun and letting beautiful dappled light through. The vines also hang over the helter-skelter like curving path that invites employees to take a stroll out into the surrounding forest or around the surrounding structures. (source).
Beijing architecture studio MAD has designed an artificial island with an art museum set in caves in its three dune-like forms. Set in a reservoir on Pingtan island in China’s Fujian province, the Pingtan Art Museum will be the largest private museum in Asia, displaying a collection of over a thousand Chinese artworks and objects. The museum itself acts as a smaller scale island off the Pingtan Island itself, connected to land only by a slightly undulating pier, which, in turn, bridges artificial and natural, city and culture, as well as history and future. The museum represents a long-lasting earthscape in water and is a symbol of the island in ancient times. The sea, the beach, the oasis and the slope all interconnect with each other, forming a harmonious capacious space with the mountains in the distance. The building is constructed with concrete that is blended with local sand shells. The indoor space, formed by the rise and fall of the formal movements, looks similar to ancient caves. (source).
UK architecture firm Chetwoods’ latest design juts from the ground like two giant stalagmites. Standing a full kilometer (3,281 ft) tall, the structure might be the key to solving China’s catastrophic pollution problem on every level. By using a complex mechanical system to simultaneously filter Wuhan’s air and water, collect solar, wind, and hydrogen power, provide produce from a massive vertical garden, harvest rainwater, house restaurants and businesses, boil biomass, and generally aim to solve every major ecological crisis faced by central China’s “Fourth Pole,” the Phoenix Towers just might live up to their name. The Phoenix Towers are designed to resonate with local religion and philosophy. The towers link Western technology and architecture to the Chinese myths of the phoenix; two towers represent the dual gender the legendary bird has in Chinese iconography, and the spirit of rebirth is spread throughout all eight hectares of the the half-mile high towers. (source).
World-renowned architect Zaha Hadid has unveiled designs for the new Sleuk Rith Institute, a leading center for genocide studies in Asia to be located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Hadid, typically known for her flowing concrete buildings, envisions a unique aesthetic for the institute in the form of five wooden structures that interweave and link together as they rise upwards. The five buildings will house spaces for different functions, which will be connected at various levels throughout the structure, allowing for interaction and collaboration underneath a complex, interlocked structure inspired by the architecture of Angkor Wat and other ancient sites. (source).
The future of skyscrapers could move away from concrete and steel, to an unexpected alternative: wood. Architect Michael Green predicts wooden skyscrapers as an option for some of the most sustainable super-structures in the world. With designing a concept for a 30-story tower in Vancouver, he’s also produced an instruction manual on wooden skyscrapers for other architects and builders. (source).