New architecture: 4 outstanding projects
1 Thomas Heatherwick Studio: Eden
The project, named Eden, was conceived by Thomas Heatherwick of Heatherwick Studio as an alternative to standard glass and steel towers. Singapore is known as a ‘garden city’ — a beautiful tropical metropolis. The Heatherwick Studio team sought to capitalise on this quality and establish a connection between the artificial and natural environments. Instead of a sealed box, the designers created an open house. Straight lines are combined with organic ones, and lush vegetation fills the balconies. The city's residents have already dubbed the new building a ‘vertical palace of nature.’
The 20-storey building has 20 apartments. Each occupies an entire floor, has an area of about 300 square metres and has four bedrooms. The lowest apartment is 23 metres above the ground: at the base of the tower is an 18-metre-high lobby and a swimming pool. At the centre of the apartments is a spacious living room that opens onto a large balcony planted with greenery. On either side of the living room are two smaller balconies, and there are also balconies off the master bedrooms.
2 Studio Gang: Mira Tower
The Mira Tower, designed by Studio Gang, is a spectacular building with a dynamic twisted façade that has enriched the San Francisco skyline and become a new milestone in the development of energy-efficient architecture. The model apartments were designed by Jeff Schlarb Design in collaboration with Gang Studio.
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The 40-storey building, 122 metres high and with an area of 41,000 square metres, contains 392 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as townhouses. Residents have access to a rooftop terrace, fitness centre, children's playroom, conference room, dog washing station, 340-space car park with electric vehicle charging stations, and parking for 150 bicycles. The first floor has almost 1,000 square metres of retail space. According to the designers, the building meets the needs of dense development in San Francisco while rethinking the city's architectural traditions. In particular, it develops the classic bay window, a characteristic detail of early San Francisco homes, adapting it to a high-rise context.
Mira Tower offers a new model of cutting-edge contemporary architecture. A complex system of modular curtain walls and technologies borrowed from the aerospace industry have reduced the need for tower cranes, thereby reducing energy consumption and environmental impact during construction. An innovative VRF cooling system allows the building to exceed the strictest California Title 24 energy standards. And along with a modern wastewater collection and reuse system, a green roof and highly efficient lighting, it gives the project a chance to qualify for LEED Gold certification.
3 Diller Scofidio + Renfro: US Olympic and Paralympic Museum
The US Olympic and Paralympic Museum has opened in Colorado Springs, redesigned by the architectural studio Diller Scofidio + Renfro, which wrapped the building in a ‘diamond’ shell. The key idea behind the project is accessibility for all. Tickets to the museum are sold according to a schedule, as required for safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
The main reason why the museum, which opened in 2015, was renovated was because it was not sufficiently accessible for people with disabilities. Architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro organised the galleries around a spiral ramp, making the museum one of the most accessible in the world: now all visitors are on a completely equal footing. Before starting work, the authors consulted with Paralympic athletes.
4 OMA: Galleria department store building in Gwanggyo
OMA, founded by Rem Koolhaas, designed the new Galleria department store building in Gwanggyo, a suburb of Suwon, south of Seoul. The project was led by architect Chris van Deyne. Galleria is South Korea's first and largest luxury department store franchise, founded in the 1970s. The new shopping centre in Gwanggyo is the company's sixth. Located in the centre of a new district surrounded by high-rise residential towers, it is set to become a natural focal point for public life.
