April 22, 2013
The megacity of Shanghai is known for its futuristic skyscrapers, booming population, and economic dominance—not for bucolic images of mountain ranges. Perhaps that is why we immediately thought of a twisting, looping roller coaster when we spotted this brand new bridge designed by Shanghai-based CA Group on psfk, which was meant to evoke the peaks of mountains not found in the region.
Making its way across a river, the bridge seems to echo the energy and motion of the world’s most populated city, rather than giving its residents a distant feeling of nature. The dynamic arches are visually striking, recalling that nervous, excited feeling of plunging down a colossal coaster. However, they also function to support the bridge’s infrastructure. See for yourself!
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April 12, 2013
Project: Bridge House
Architect: Max Pritchard Architects
Location: Ashbourne, Australia
An idyllic site near a creek and billabong—that’s Aussie for a pond left over after a river changes course—called for a home that would “touch the earth lightly.” To minimize the impact on this picturesque setting, Max Pritchard took a few clues from bridges and designed a home that spans the small creek’s path, barely occupying any land and providing the experience of living in the treetops. Keeping the intentions green, the home’s narrow plan allows for significant cross-ventilation in the summer, while a wood combustion heater supplements the natural passive heating. Solar hot-water heating and photovoltaic cells positioned on the garage roof further reduce the home’s carbon footprint. Now that’s what we call sustainable!
Read more about this project in the Architizer database.
Photos: Sam Noonan
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March 8, 2013
Project: Genius Loci
Architect: Bates Masi + Architects
Location: Montauk, New York
With snow blanketing much of the East Coast and more on the way, we thought we’d feature some amazing projects that scream “summer.” And what’s more summer than a deluxe villa in the Hamptons? Bates Masi brings us an incredible house on Long Island called Genius Loci, a cerebral architectural term meaning “spirit of the place.” As long as we’re borrowing high-brow terminology, we might appropriate the winemaking concept of terroir, which also means the indescribable result of a place’s particular climate, geography, and culture that contribute to the final consumable product (in our case, architecture). The Montauk house is strongly tied to the Hamptons in typology, scale, and materiality. Two separate shingled volumes are connected by a screened bridge without visible supports below. A large raised terrace boasts an infinity pool and unmatched ocean views. If this is the elusive “spirit of Montauk,” we’re packing our bags!
Read more about this project in the Architizer database!
Photos: Michael Moran Studio
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February 5, 2013
Project: Hovenring Bicycle Roundabout
Architect: IPV Delft
Location: Eindhoven, Netherlands
Like a flying saucer hovering over the city, the new Hovenring bike path is suspended above a major intersection at the entrance to Eindhoven. Comprising a 70-meter-high pylon, 24 steel cables, and a circular bridge deck of steel, this unique bridge acts as a new landmark to the city. Read more about this project in the Architizer database.
Photos: IPV Delft
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January 21, 2013
Project: Bridge House
Architect: 123DV Modern Villas
Location: Achterhoek, Netherlands
The Bridge House straddles two different, but not opposite aspects of architectural design: first, the making and framing of space, with special attention given over to the form of the enclosing volume, and two, the handling, even sculpting of land to accommodate architectonic concerns and aesthetics. Or, to be short about it, the house deals with both architecture and landscape architecture. There, that’s better. The surrounding site was tailored to set the thematic conditions for the architecture, with lanes of oak trees, and fields of wildflowers lining the main path that leads to the house. The top soil of the immediate grounds was removed and reused to constructed a pair of small hillocks, on which a low-slung, metallic wedge sits. The hills contain the cellar, and thus recreate a typical Dutch “terp” dwelling. The house itself is nearly all windows, with linear panoramas encompassing the central living spaces. Read more about this project in the Architizer database.
Think you’ve got a better project? Submit it for an Architizer A+ Award!
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October 25, 2012
Last week, we brought you news about a childhood-fantasy-come-true that was proposed for Paris: a giant moon bounce traversing the Seine River. Exhilarating, right?! The concept was submitted for ArchTriumph‘s bridge design competition that invited entrants to get wacky and playful. Now, some more news from that competition and the enchanting City of Light (or shall we call it the City of Delight?): French designers Bureau faceB have taken first place with their proposal “Water At-traction”—a pedestrian bridge that would be split in two. One part would intentionally wobble under walkers’ feet (yes, really!) while the other part would be static and offer seating. Read More.
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October 25, 2012
images © rdgusa
Exciting public art is not just for big cities and international hot spots. While they certainly get the lion’s share, you’d be surprised where some fun designs show up — like Boone, Iowa. Smack in the middle of the Hawkeye state, Boone is a small coal mining town on the banks of the Des Moines River Valley. Artist David B. Dahlquist recently revamped the city’s High Trestle Trail Bridge with a simple yet exciting new design. Making no changes or alterations to the bed of the bridge itself, Dahlquist mounted large steel picture frames to the sides of the road and set them askew from one another to creative a vortex effect. Seen along the horizon, the installation comes fast and unexpectedly, rolling atop the flat landscape. Read more.
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October 15, 2012
Thank AZC for bringing you childhood dreams to life–well, sort of. The architects have designed an inflatable bridge at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, combining the nostalgia and functional play of moon bounces with pragmatic urban concerns (and it might just be the perfect contender for the Architizer A+ Awards Urban Transformation category). Realized in response to ArchTriumph’s ‘Bridge in Paris’ competition, the project invites visitors to engage in a more playful navigation through the City of Romance. Read more.
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October 10, 2012
Barcelona has many sights to see, but some of the more natural ones, like the beautiful Collserola Mountain Range, are a little tough to get to. A national competition asked designers to create a doorway from the city to the adjacent mountains, currently separated by urban developments and highways. Taller Sau Arquitectura won first prize with its proposed “E(co)strategia” — a natural bridge that will not only serve as an inlet between the two sites, but will also include a new park, garden space, and a scenic pedestrian walkway. Read more!
This is exactly what an “Architecure + Urban Transformation” project looks like…
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August 24, 2012
Photo: Xinhua
An eight-lane suspension bridge in northeast China has collapsed only nine months after opening, killing three people and injuring five others. A 320-foot section of the airport expressway in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China has broken off after four large trucks drove onto the bridge “plunging them to the ground and crushing them” said a CCTV news reporter. Two people were killed instantly while the third later succumbed to injuries, with the remaining injured persons still seeking medical treatment at a local hospital. Read More.
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