The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa In South Africa
Thomas Heatherwick’s studio in London, England has created a museum for Contemporary African Art in Cape Town, South Africa. The architects have taken a grain silo and hollowing out sections which have created 42 vertical concrete tubes. The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa will house more than 80 galleries and be a part of the V&A Waterfront complex.
Apple Campus 2 – Cupertino, California
After 6 years in the working, Norman Foster’s firm revealed this amazing design for Apple’s new Cupertino campus. The architecture is design in an enormous hoop-shape and opened its doors to employees in April 2017 while still under construction. This beautiful structure is home to research and development facilities, offices, a fitness center, a cafe, and a 1,000-seat capacity auditorium. The facility was developed to increase creativity and collaboration among the staff. In 2011, it was estimated to cost $3 billion but ended out costing $5 billion.
The Lego House In Billund, Denmark
Located in the company’s hometown of Billund, the BIG’s new visitor centre for Lego is designed to resemble a stack of their famous plastic bricks. Bjarke Ingels, the studio founder, took the idea for his design from the basic two-by-four Lego bricks for its creation. The building contains areas for exhibitions, a cafe, shop, and a number of beautiful public roof gardens!
Chaoyang Park Plaza, China
Over the past few years, Ma Yansong, founder of MAD, has been offering is ideas for a “Shan-Shui city”. This is an urban development spawned by forms that show the traditional Chinese landscape paintings. As of 2017, he unveiled his first example in Beijing. Chaoyang Park Plaza is a wonderful complex consisting of skyscrapers, offices, and public areas. The entire design looks like mountains, hills, and lakes!
The Alserkal Avenue, Cultural Centre in the United Arab Emirates
Rem Koolhaas’s architectural firm has unveiled their first project in Dubai. This is an amazing cultural centre that will host huge public events, art exhibits, performances, and conferences.
The project transformed 4 warehouses with spray-on concrete exterior walls. Inside, there are 4 eight metre high movable walls that will rotate and slide to provide different levels of space configurations to fit the needs of the event.
King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture In Saudi Arabia
Snøhetta is an international architectural and interior designing firm based in Oslo, Norway and New York City. They have studios in San Francisco, Stockholm, Innsbruck, Austria, and Singapore. Craig Edward Dykers and Kjetil Traedal Thorsen, founding partners, have approximately 150 designs in the works worldwide.
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture is the largest project undertaken by Snøhetta. The center offers 100,000 square metres of cultural areas including an auditorium, library, exhibition hall, cinema, museum, and archive. The exterior consists of huge cylindrical metal-pipe forms and opened to the public in the second-half of 2017.
The Museum Of The Human Body in Montpellier, France
This 7,800 square metre structure offers 8 curbed interlocking areas with sloping roofs from the ground going in alternate directions. Some of these roofs are covered in turf while others are paved. The overall look is amazing! This is another creation of BIG, along with their Lego House.
The Guardian Art Center in Beijing, China
Originally, this complex was estimated to open in 2016 but carried into 2017. Located between Beijing’s Forbidden City and the shopping district, it is the headquarters for China’s oldest art auction house with several galleries, areas for events, and a fabulous 120 room hotel.
The lower level comprises of small blocks which resemble the old hutong neighbourhoods. The large hollow structure known as the “floating ring” has been raised to the top. This entire complex is an amazing piece of art.
Seoul Skygarden, South Korea
Inspired by New York’s High Line Elevated Park, many proposals have been put forward around the world. The first to be completed was an elevated road in Seoul and turned into a public park. This is the creation of MVRDV architects working with the Dutch design studio Studio Makkink & Bey, along with landscape designer Ben Kuipers. The overhauled, 938 metre long Seoul Station Overpass, created a pedestrian walkway with 254 species of trees, flowers, and shrubs.
Design Society, China
The V&A has a second project in the wings, the museum in Shenzhen which has been created in partnership with the China Merchants group. Designed by Fumihiko Makie, Japanese architect & Pritzker Prize winner. The Design Society is the first major design institution beating out Herzog & de Meuron Designs.
The Cotton Gin In Hutto, Texas
In order to revitalize the site at the Co-Op District in Hutto, Texas, the reuse of 2 existing cotton gin structures was purchased by the City of Hutto. The structures were taken down and rebuilt as a single open-air, 6,500 square foot public events environment. The building was wrapped in perforated stainless steel that is striking against the hot Texas sun. Amazingly, during the night hours, it offers an interesting transparency that should be seen.
The designers created a flexible space for both public and private events. This structure complements everything from the local library, farmer’s market, artisan fairs, and wedding receptions. It reflects the local environment and culture.
Victoria Gate Arcades in Leeds, UK
This expansive, shopping centre has been inspired and designed from nearby 19th-century arcades that complement each other. It is adorned with a woven, geometric patterned facade, reflecting the city’s bygone wool trade.
The Wolfson Tree Management Centre, UK
Constructed by local trainee carpenters, the two timber buildings were erected and adorned with local timber. The center is located at the National Arboretum in Gloucestershire and a wonderful testament to originality in carpentry!
Dyson Campus Expansion in the UK
Located at the Wiltshire HQ, these 3 new buildings offer a cafe, multi-purpose sports centre, and R&D facilities. They are so beautifully constructed that the external reflective glass seems to just disappear into the landscape, becoming a natural part of the surrounding, lush landscaping.
The Tate Modern Blavatnik Building in the UK
Often referred to as the Switch House, this is an impressive extension to the Tate Modern on London’s Bankside. The structure offers a spacious gallery that leads to a free rooftop gallery, providing an amazing panoramic view of the city. The perforated chain mail facade has set a new precedence for the use of bricks.
Dujardin Mews in the UK
This is the first phase of Ponders End in north London that was led by the council along with social housing delivered by the local borough in over 40 years. These wonderful new homes are built in the local style of London brick and are the first step in a massive rejuvenation of Enfield.
Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech
In 1966, world-famous French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent spent a great deal of time in Marrakech. During this time, he created an amazing couture collection. Now, there is a museum completely devoted to his work. Designed and created by Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier’s studio – Ko. With their years of experience designing beautifully crafted minimalist Moroccan homes, they have finally opened in the city.
Their building, set in a terracotta brick facade, represents fabric while the exquisite creamy walls of the entrance looks like fine silk. Visitors feel like they have just draped themselves in a Yves Saint Laurent designer outfit. The museum offers a complexity of venues from galleries, an auditorium, cafe, library, and bookshop.
The use of laurel, stained glass, glazed bricks, oak, marble, pearlescent tiles, and lacquered surfaces gives homage to the great designer himself.
Hastings Pier, East Sussex in the UK
This renovated seaside pier was initially completed in 2016 when Hastings-born lead singer of Madness, Suggs, placed down the last piece of the decking. This festive structure won the 2017 RIBA Stirling Prize which is the architect’s equivalent to the Turn Prize. Alex de Rijkke and Sadie Morgan’s firm, dRMM, not only provided their expertise as designers but also worked with the local initiative which was led by the Hasting Piers Society. They all agreed to bring a wonderful new look to the battered and burned Victorian structure, which was often the fate of many seaside piers. This structure now dons a brand new look with modern pavilions and is embraced by all. 516
Juergen Teller Studio in London
Set in a London suburban street, this unpretentious studio is home to German-born artist and photographer, Juergen Tell. He showed everyone how to turn ugly and narrow city areas into something special! His grey concrete facade hides a structure designed from three individual blocks, offices, and an archive. Above, a studio, dining room, and private quarters surrounded by garden courtyards. The textured concrete is offset by the streaming of sunlight that adds intriguing shadows and lush greenery.
The gardens were designed by Dan Pearson, reflecting the natural growth of greenery from London’s bombsites that started taking place after WWII. The surrounding buildings were taken over by plant life similar to the ruins of Pompeii. There are a series of courtyards that are hidden by the glare of neighbours. Teller’s studio has created a modern yet reminiscent feel of the ancient Roman homes that were wedged into thickly occupied, restrictive areas of the city.
Louvre Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates
Reflecting the original Louvre in Paris, this is an amazing art gallery. Set on the Saadiyat Island, that is located off the coast of Abu Dhabi, will be completed around 2020. Nouvel’s new Louvre is designed like a modern Medina which is based on the traditional Arab city centres. Surrounded by walls and alleys that are formed like mazes, this is an exceptional concept. The museum consists of 23 galleries that are designed like separate city buildings, protected from the sun with its enormous, intricate dome that almost seems to float above everyone. There are 7,850 perforated, interlaced steel and aluminum panels and the dome brings in a play of light that fills the museum’s alleys.
Napoli-Afragola Railway Station in Naples, Italy
This glorious new station is one of 13 for the expanded high-speed rail system with over 80 tracks that connect the overlooked outer areas of Naples. This is a spectacular bridge formation that emphasizes the 300 kph railways and their pristine trains. The main stations offer ticket offices, cafes, offices, and amazing views of Mount Vesuvius that are mysterious but also haunting. This was a challenge for the Italian State Railways engineers because this region has such a history of earthquakes and volcanoes. The engineers did come up with a design and structure that is not only dynamic but a great feat of excellence.
Tianjin Binhai Library in Tianjin, China
This Chinese library looks like a giant eye looking out at everyone and all who stop by must take photos to bring home. This is an impressive piece of architecture with the pupil of the eye serving as the circular auditorium which is located in the centre of this five-story, and eye socket-like appearance for the hall. The hall’s white walls are loaded with books that, in some cases, are literally stacked from end to end. That said, some of these books are not really books, they are a part of the plan. Quite cleverly, the upper, unreachable shelves have aluminum panels that are in a print that look likes books!
In Conclusion
There are so many wonderful ideas and creative innovations taking place around the world with architectural designing. New and upcoming designers with new visions are creating unbelievable, original concepts. Who knows what tomorrow will bring and what exceptional works will be on the top of the list for 2018. Only time will tell but there will always be new ideas and new visions of creativity, as long as there are people who think outside the box.