This week, we're sharing projects from Chrudim, Czech Republic, to Toulouse, France, and from Taihu, China, to Clear Lake, Texas, with several stops in between. In addition to the projects that we give more detailed coverage, we like to highlight some of the work that architecture firms share with us every day through the Project Gallery—the user-generated portion of our site. So far, we have more than 15,000 projects, most of which were directly uploaded by firms to share with us and our readers.
In this weekly roundup, we showcase some of the coolest new projects to be added to the gallery—thanks to architects like you.
Tower Bára II
Chrudim, Czech Republic
Huť Architektury Martin Rajniš
"An out-look tower in the shape of truncated triangular pyramid, made out of larch planks with minimum number of fixed joints, secured by metal tow bars. Access to the view platform is provided by circular oak stair, which is fixed on the steel pole rod in the middle of the tower. Upon the view platform is placed a mast made of steel tubes with flashlight on the top."
City Lights Exhibition Hall
Taihu, China
GBBN Architects
"Married to the water-effect of the canopy’s rippled surface, a script was used to punch a computer-generated pattern of holes through this material, enriching its texture during the day and making it a surface of shimmering light at night. While unifying the look of the building, the canopy also inspired a dynamically-graded landscape design, which carved out sharply-angled planes and a stepped water feature to echo the building’s movement."
CIRCA Jamison Services Figueroa South
Los Angeles
Harley Ellis Devereaux (HED)
"South Park’s ‘Sports and Entertainment District’ is L.A.’s first iconic curvilinear twin 35-story residential towers, with unprecedented sight-lines overlooking Staples Center and L.A. Live with City views to the mountains and ocean. Featuring corner panoramic views are 648 high-end residential apartments and 40,000 square feet of ground level retail space. The units range in size from 750 square feet to 4,000 square feet, and have been designed in a variety of configurations. For the residents, a 1.5-acre amenity deck will host a variety of uses including a a circular pool, lap pool, spa, landscaping and sports field, as well as an enclosed private fitness club, business center and lounge. "
University of Houston - Clear Lake Recreation and Wellness Center
Clear Lake, Texas
SmithGroup
"The facility’s split program is distinctly separated by a voluminous pass-through lobby joining the recreation and academic wings. More than just an entry point, the space is a campus lounge and student mixing and gathering area, seamlessly connecting the access-controlled recreation areas with 24/7 academic and research spaces. The fusion of these two program elements provides a unique opportunity for joint use; imagine an exercise science class learning to perform fitness evaluations in the lab—then deftly moving to the recreation center to practice those skills with the equipment there."
Damavand Villa
Damavand, Iran
ARC- Ashkan Rafiey CoOp
"This project poses the question of how a recognized space can perform as the structure of the villa. Rather than designing a plan inside a structural envelope, with recognizing private and public spaces of a villa, and extracting them from one another, The villa is defined by two elements, enabling the spaces to express their plans as they are."
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
Medora, N.D.
Snøhetta
"The design functions in harmony with the unique ecology of the region and expresses the conservation ethos for which Roosevelt is remembered. Its construction will use locally sourced and renewable materials, while its sophisticated energy systems will set a new standard for sustainable design in the region. The design also mitigates the impact of wind and other climatic factors so that the Library will be accessible in all seasons."
MEETT Toulouse Exhibition and Convention Centre
Toulouse, France
Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)
"MEETT is conceived as an active strip—‘une bande active’—a horizontal and compact project, divided in three parallel bands: a row of modular exhibition halls to the north; a convention center and multi-function event hall to the south;and a reception area to the center, featuring a silo car park for 3,000 cars. Instead of banishing parking underground or pushing it to the periphery of the site, where it has no relationship with the surrounding landscape, we placed the parking at the center of the project, covering a spine where amenities and access to the hall are concentrated."
Glass Mural in Detroit’s Eastern Market
Detroit
MVRDV
"Designed by MVRDV, with its colorfully printed glass façades that both celebrate existing murals and add new artistic works to the area, Glass Mural takes a new approach to preserving art and memory through architecture and technology in one of the United States’ most architecturally distinctive cities. In 2015, Detroit was the country’s first designated ‘UNESCO City of Design’. Glass Mural is an exemplary example of how the city is charting a new path forward in 21st century architecture and design."
Home Street Residences, by Body Lawson Associates Architects & Planners
New York
Body Lawson Associates Architects & Planners
New York–based Body Lawson Associates Architects & Planners transformed a disused geometric site into a 75,000-square-foot, eight-story building filled with 62 affordable senior apartments—19 of which are reserved for seniors who have been experiencing homelessness. Led by principal Victor Body-Lawson, AIA, the firm selected high-quality materials such as stone counter tops and stainless steel appliances—even individual HVAC units each apartment, giving residents agency over their environment. “If you give residents the best, they will identify with the space and not want to abuse it,” Body-Lawson explained to ARCHITECT. Read more of ARCHITECT's feature on Home Street Residences, found in the magazine's September 2020 issue, here.
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