May 28, 2013
Cairns Botanic Gardens Visitors Centre by Charles Wright Architects.
Sometimes architecture seems like one magic trick after another, but we assure you, these aren’t illusions; these are real structures cladded in mirrors! We found buildings that disappear among nature: from secret getaways and discreet built environments, to picturesque, classic homes bedazzled with a modern flare. You can stand under a pavilion that seemingly hangs your evil twin upside down and above, or check yourself out in the facades made of larger-than-life looking glass, feeding your inner Narcissus. (Haven’t you heard? Architects apparently have big egos.) Whatever your motives, you can reflect on this roundup of intriguing architecture with mirrored facades!
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April 17, 2013
Photo: Dmitry Beliakov via the New York Times
Watching a remarkable historic building gradually weaken is slow torture for preservationists and architecture aficionados. In Moscow, Konstantin Melnikov’s famed cylindrical home is in danger of collapsing, say preservationists. The house, completed in 1929, served as both a home and studio for the Russian avant-garde architect. As a monument of design—and a piece of private property built in Soviet Russia—the house survived the tumult of the 20th century. But now it could fall because of disturbances brought on by 21st-century development. Read more.
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April 3, 2013
Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas along with Speech have won the prestigious international competition for the design of the Moscow Polytechnic Museum and Educational Centre in Moscow. The new complex—slated for completion by 2017—will occupy a 31,403 square-meter plot of land in Sparrow Hills, about 10 km from the Red Square, which includes several monumental buildings built in the socialist classical style, such as Moscow State University.
The project comprises four elements that make up a sculpture of irregular geometry that is entirely covered by pre-oxidized copper in bold shades of green and blue. The first level includes several conference and auditorium rooms, as well as the Science and Technology Center with support services. The second level has exhibition halls, a science and art gallery, an exhibition area of the museum’s collection, and a cinema and auditorium. The top floor houses several laboratories, a library, a workshop, and the exhibition area of the Science and Technology Museum Center. According to FUKSAS, the project idea came from the desire to communicate with the architecture of the past and at the same time come into conflict with it. Keep an eye out for this exciting project!
Images courtesy of FUKSAS
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March 1, 2013
It’s the post (gram?) seen around the world. (I guess you could say the same about every blog post, but you know what we mean.) Photographer/professional journeyer Murad Osman probably has A LOT more Instagram followers than he did at the beginning of the week. If you missed them, Osman’s travel photos feature his girlfriend, Nataly Zakharova, leading him by the hand from Venice to Singapore, Berlin to Moscow, and everywhere in between. The pictures, which combine wanderlust, buildings, exotic locales, and Zakharova’s sartorial flair, soon went viral and, needless to say, have already generated a load of parodies on Reddit.
The couple are seen advancing toward the Brandenburg Gate, gondoling through Venice, and navigating Red Square, among encountering many more sights and vistas. The architecture, just like IRL, recedes into the background, an avatar that suggests “place” and substantiates the cultural and geographical transition from city to city (or gram to gram). Click through to see more!
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December 13, 2012
Have they no fear? There is a new trend among the young and brave in Russia called “Skywalking,” where groups of teens are climbing to the top of towering structures and buildings to capture heart-racing images from above. Two such daredevils are Vitaly Raskalov and Alexander Remnov, who have created a portfolio of photographs from their vertical ventures. These two men have scaled some of Moscow’s greatest heights, from bridges and water towers to skyscrapers, posing in nail-biting, dangerous positions. Oh, did we mention they do it all without any safety equipment? Gulp! Read more.
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November 13, 2012
It’s midterm season at American universities, which means looming deadlines, epic cramming sessions, and lots of time cooped up in the library for college students hoping to ace their classes. But you know what would help these poor souls with their academic angst? Floor-to-ceiling windows, green plazas, and some cool design (duh!). So, we’ve rounded up 10 of our favorite university buildings, places where we wouldn’t mind holing up for several hours as we scramble to finish that impossible project or memorize arcane facts. Click through to see all our picks, and be sure to share your favorites in the comment section below!
Think you have a better university building, or any project for that matter? Submit it for an Architizer A+ Award here!
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November 2, 2012
Photo via Dezeen
Moscow has reclaimed the distinction of having Europe’s tallest building as the new tower, Mercury City, tops out at 338 meters. The honor comes just months after losing the title to Renzo Piano’s 310-meter Shard in London. Mercury City is an eye-catching mixed-use tower that will house both offices and personal residences. Read more.
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October 26, 2012
Last fall we wrote about the Capital Hill Residence, the extravagant spaceship-like house designed by Zaha Hadid and located in the hills of Barvikha, just west of Moscow. New details have emerged concerning the concrete villa, namely the subject of the home’s intended future resident, none other than international supermodel (and reportedly colossal diva) Naomi Campbell. Read more.
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October 25, 2012
We’ve featured our fair share of small, but absurdly tedious projects (remember the LEGO Batcave anyone?) but this latest venture into the world of paper folding might just be the cream of the crop, or should we cream of the Kremlin? Teacher and origami enthusiast Sergei Tarasov has in fact recently completed a detailed model of Saint Basil’s cathedral in Moscow entirely out of pieces of paper. Read more.
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October 22, 2012
Russia’s Garage Center for Contemporary Culture has just launched its latest pop-up exhibition in Moscow’s Gorky Park. The center, known for creating temporary spaces and educational experiences, commissioned Japanese architect Shigeru Ban to build a 25-foot-tall pavilion out of locally sourced paper tubes. (Now that’s an A+ Award-worthy use of materials.) The oval structure, an artwork in itself, will house a number of exhibitions for the rest of the year, starting with “Temporary Structures in Gorky Park: From Menikov to Ban,” a celebration of the park’s many public art projects. Read more!
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