Whilst creating a building in a star shape might seem capricious, it is a theme that has occurred many times historically. Military architecture such as castles were often star shaped, at least during a certain period. And just yesterday I came across a long forgotten text by Modernist Swiss architect Le Corbusier, discussing star-shaped plans… rather unfavourably.
So having established historical precedents for the form let us explore further the intentions behind this winery, designed by Sako Architects. Read more
Photos: Montse Zamorano.
Delicate yet bold, these twin bridges sit beautifully in their Chinese landscape.
Imagined as ghost mountains for a region of China where there are no mountains, the bridges connect into a shared notion of the classical Chinese landscape that has been idealised over centuries through the tradition of landscape painting. Read more
Images: Vincent Callebaut Architects.
A French firm, Vincent Callebaut Architects, has put forward a masterplan for Shenzen, China for six “farmscrapers”. To the uninitiated these are multi-storey allotment gardens with living accommodation. The form of each tower looks like a pile of …stacked pebbles but the form is dictated by three interlaced spirals giving a rationality to the apparent free -forms. The inspiration comes from “cairns”, ancient piles of stones left as markers by our forefathers.
Read more
Images: Preteck.
Gateways have significance as thresholds from one physical place to another. But the physical gateway can also mark the transition between states of mind.
The Chinese tradition of calligraphy is about harmony between man and nature, or expressed differently, balance between man and nature. It therefore seems appropriate that this gateway proposed by Viennese practice Studio Preteck takes calligraphic letters and flowers as the inspiration for the design of the gateway to China’s largest botanical garden in Xiangyiang. Read more
Photos: Zaha Hadid Architects
The Galaxy SOHO in Beijing is scheduled to open on the 27th October with a string of events themed around creativity. Read more
