MAR

Ground breaking: Zaha’s Changsha Mexihu breaks ground.

Zaha Hadid Architects has released images of the Changsha Mexihu International Cultural & Art Centre. We are told that it embodies a unique variety of Civic nodes and spaces. Changsha is the capital of Hunan province, and this is the latest in series of amazing buildings that will set that country apart as a cultural superpower.

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JAN

The Factory: A cultural centre, Nantes, France by Tetrarc.

Photos: Stéphane Chalmeau.

Andy Warhol famously called his New York City studio “The Factory”. Later the British pop music producers Stock Aitken and Waterman called their operation the “Hit Factory” as it churned-out hit after hit of 1980s pop music.

This “Factory” designed by Tetrarc seeks to combine workspace for both image and music making but takes its inspiration not from the repetitive nature of industrial production but from its architecture. Read more

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OCT

Hanging out: Church of San Francisco by David Closes.

The ruined church.

Photos: David Closes Architects.

It was a sad say in 1835 when the convent of San Francisco in Guardiola, Catalonia, was sacked. Its dilapidation from that moment resulted in the convent’s demolition in 2000. Only the church remained standing, but in a precarious condition. David Closes was invited to resurrect the church with a new auditorium and cultural facilities.

He approached the task from the position that the building’s decay was not to be reversed as such, but rather used to record the past, and provide a foundation to bring new meaning to the building and those that use it.

See how this remarkable transformation was made. Read more

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OCT

There is no denying it: the Cultural centre, “Plassen”, Molde, Norway by 3XN.

There is no denying it: the Cultural centre, “Plassen”, Molde, Norway by 3XN.

Images and photos: 3XN

I have a good collection of Norwegian Jazz thanks to my much-loved Norwegian friend who wanted me to know of the vibrant jazz scene in that country. Of course I expressed my doubts: improbable… where does the tradition come from… who are these musicians… etc. All a ploy of course, in the hope of getting another excellent recording for my next birthday present!

Such a ploy today would be hopeless. The “Plassen” (meaning square or place) designed by 3XN Architects has opened. For the first time it gives the world famous Molde’s International Jazz Festival an undeniable, and rather special architectural presence. Read more

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