2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog

The Award-Winning La Condesa Restaurant

Winner of the People's Choice Award for best restaurant at the AIA Los Angeles Restaurant Design Awards. 

Interior Designer Joel Mozersky

Architect Michael Hsu

La Condesa Restaurant

Polish Pavilion for Shanghai Expo 2010 by WWA Architects

WWA Architects (Marcin Mostafa and Natalia Paszkowska), with the collaboration of  Wojciech Kakowski, Maciej Siczek, Maciej Walczyna, Mikołaj Molenda, have the exceptional luck to see their design for the Polish Pavilion in EXPO 2010 in Shanghai on the way to be realised. The competition had aroused great interest in Poland, where 20 projects were presented for the first stage of the competition from which 12 qualified to the second stage. The final decision was made in December of 2007.

The intriguing design is based on traditional Polish crafts. Given the nature of the Expo, the exhibition facility has to denote, by its aesthetic distinctiveness, the country of origin; it has to constitute, by the strength of its stylistic connotations, an evocative, recognizable and memorable cultural ideogram. In this design, the cultural idiom is primarily conveyed through the theme, the motif of folk-art paper cut-out. Or, more precisely, through a rendering of the motif, a transcription of an elementary aesthetic code into the contemporary language of architectural décor. The intention was for the structure décor to draw on and make reference to tradition, but ultimately to be that tradition’s contemporary reinterpretation, a creative extension into the present day by way of inspiration rather than replication.The structure becomes in its own right, in a purely architectural dimension, a significant landmark, a showcase of Polish design achievements.

The building will be an attractive, eye-catching exterior both in daylight, against the panorama of other Expo facilities, as well as a mesmerizing experience at night with the edifice drawn by the multi-coloured light seeping through the cut-out patterns. The outer skin pattern is shaped in such a way that the sun rays shining through will chisel, by light and shade, the space under the vault. The structure’s overall shape, with many slanting planes, on the one hand complements and rounds out, by the suggestion of a folded sheet of paper, the ‘cut-out’ narrative, on the other creates inside a geometrically intriguing and flexible space that can be creatively apportioned, by inner divisions, to different exhibition, performance and utility functions and uses. The outside structure of the pavilion and its reflection in the proposed arrangement of its inside functions impose on the visitors taking and following a route which is consistent with the logic of the building.

The entrance area – an interlude between an inside and outside body of the construction, is accessible from the square marked out between the pavilions. The partial roof created by the fold in the building, allows for arranging an open-air restaurant as well as for providing the queues of visitors a shelter from the elements. The entrance opens onto the hall containing the information centre, a restaurant and a shop. Next the visitors proceed to the main, full-height exhibition area of the pavilion. It is the space painted with the light filtering through the cut-out patterns of the elevation creating a ‘chiaroscuro’ effect. Consequently, the interior of the building will create a background for scheduled performances and presentations, directly connected with depicting the life of a typical Polish city. Auxiliary functions have been designed in the lowest part of the building, under the ramp leading onto the rooftop.

Continuing their route, the visitors enter the area of the exhibition proper, devoted to the future of the cities. The wooden, ground-level floor is gradually rising, acquiring the form of terraced stairs and becoming an auditorium for performances taking place below. The stairs take the visitors onto the mezzanine, where the exhibitions of Polish regions are to be located. Visitors on their way to the exit are passing by the restaurant and shop. The outer layer of the elevation, with its characteristic design inspired by a traditional folk-art paper cut-out, is made of impregnated CNC plotter-cut plywood mounted on steel construction modules with steel substructure. Panel wall elements PC are mounted on the outer side of the modules. Both the exterior, entranceway surface and the interior of the pavilion will be covered with impregnated wooden flooring. The choice of materials and the character of construction were to a large extent dictated by the idea of possible future reclaiming and recycling of the pavilion structure or its parts, e.g. by reconstructing it in one of the Polish cities after the closing of EXPO.

The colour effects were determined by the choice of plywood panels in natural wood colour. When the dusk falls the elevation will acquire different colours according to the changes of light penetrating the cut-out patterns. The entrance yard constitutes the integral part of the ground floor of the pavilion. The pattern of the exterior flooring divisions as well as the material used are continued inside the building.The form of outdoor and indoor furniture has been inspired by the elevation patterns.There is the intention of using the elements cut out from the elevation plywood for producing the furniture, in the form and material which will directly refer to the pavilion architecture.

PROJEKT PAWILONU POLSKIEGO SEKCJI POLSKIEJ PODCZAS EXPO 2010
WWA Architects Marcin Mostafa + Natalia Paszkowska
Project POLISH EXPO 2010 EXPOSITION PAVILION
Client Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency
Collaboration Wojciech Kakowski, Maciej Siczek, Maciej Walczyna, Mikołaj Molenda
Area 2400 sqm
Year design 2007, construction 2010

american hotel stories.

If you enjoy consuming Hollywood history, secrets, and insider details, then you'll love American Hotel Stories published by Assouline. The book trails some very famous and often elusive legends (Marilyn Monroe, Al Capone, Jack Kerouac) across the country during their stays in various American hotels -- that are legendary in their own right -- along the way disclosing some very titillating tales. Additionally, author Francisca Matteoli compiled an appendix of the country's most novel hotels so that you can live adventurously, too.

Rick Black Architect

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Black Architect. Mixing modern and vintage, live spaces and work spaces.

Magic Box Prefabs

  This modern prefab designed by Jun Ueno looks as good as it is functional. It features electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and window shading options as well. Visit Magic Box Architecture for more info.

Frank Lloyd Wright and the LEGO brick

You've seen those amazing LEGO sculptures here and there crafted by talented LEGO artist but now you too can sculpt works of art..or at least architecture just like Frank Lloyd Wright! The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation announced today that The LEGO Group is now the exclusive licensed manufacturer of Frank Lloyd Wright Collection® LEGO Architecture sets.

The LEGO Group and Adam Reed Tucker of Brickstructures, Inc. officially introduced the LEGO Architecture line in 2008. The line currently consists of six buildings – now including two of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous and recognizable buildings, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and “Fallingwater.”

With models developed in collaboration with architects, LEGO Architecture works to inspire future architects, engineers and designers as well as architecture fans around the world with the LEGO brick as a medium. Builders of all ages can now collect and construct their favorite worldwide architectural sites through these artistic replicas.

Both exclusive Frank Lloyd Wright LEGO Architecture sets contain booklets that feature traditional building instructions along with exclusive archival historical material and photographs of each iconic building.

The LEGO Group will release the first of the LEGO Architecture Frank Lloyd Wright Collection® sets at the opening of the Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibit: From Within Outward at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on May 15, 2009.
via- Cre8tivegirl

Urban Lifestyle Photography: Beauty in Decay

Beauty in Decay. There is something beautiful + organic in the crumbling of brick buildings and the abandonment of space. In living the life of the urban dweller, you get the best of urban street fashion, cart vending foods, culture + art, and of course the night life, but you also get to see the darker side of city life. Thankfully we have the cultural creatives in the world to capture the mood + moments  of urban decay.   Hope you enjoy, the "Gothic Grunge Abandonment" photos of empty lofts, empty streets, and graffiti-lined walls which captures the true mystical life of any city and evokes the emotion of "what once was." {urban lifestyle photo above by Gary Heller Photography}.
 

{3 *photos above: the beauty of abadonment by armando bertolini photography}

Gothic Grunge Decay. Gary Heller captures the beauty of urban decay and gives us a perfect eye's view into the lives of urban dwellers. {*2 photos above by Gary Heller Photography}.

{ beauty in abandonment: the deserted city streets by oliver fluck photography }

Mercedes Benz Museum by UNStudio, Stuttgart, Germany

I was lucky enough to visit the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart a week ago. The building, designed by UNStudio from Amsterdam, replaced the old museum which was at the area (and I had also seen back in 1999). The Museum’s sophisticated geometry synthesizes structural and programmatic organizations resulting in a new landmark building celebrating a legendary car.

Sublime architecture for unique auto mobiles: the basic design evolved around a simple geometric figure of three loops that turn endlessly around each other, much like the three leaf clover of the nearby road intersection. However, instead of radiating outwards, the museum routes unwind slowly down a time line that guides the visitor through nine levels, from the invention of the auto mobile, to present day reality in the entrance hall at ground level. The building's height and "double helix" interior were designed to maximise space, providing 16,500 square metres of exhibition space on a footprint of just 4,800 square metres. The museum contains more than 160 vehicles, some dating back to the very earliest days of the motor engine.

An outer skin of aluminium and glass lends the building an air of transparency and weightlessness despite its 110,000 tons. The polished aluminium panels intertwine like strips of ribbon, while the darker glazed areas, consisting of 1,800 individual panoramic glass panes mysteriously draw the mind's eye into the interior.

 

Nothing about the architecture of the museum is what one expects it to be. For a start, we were transported by one of the three silver bullet-like central lifts in the entrance hall's atrium (their interior panelled with leather and wood like a proper Mercedes) to the top level of the 47,5 meter high building. It felt like being in a Star Wars film! From this starting point, we set out on a voyage of discovery along a spiralling route down to ground level that traces the history of the auto mobile from its beginnings to the present day.

 

Actually there are two routes to take: one being the car and truck collection and the other consisting of historical displays called the Legend rooms, spiral downwards on the perimeter of the display platforms, intersecting with each other at several points allowing the visitor to change routes. The experience is overwhelming, with the building being as much on display as the cars - the various materials used in each level are astonishingly combined to give a different look and feel for each era, while at the same time keeping the museum as a whole very much in the future.

The museum has no right angles: All walls and ceilings. some rising as high as 33 meters, are either concave or convex and flow from one to the other in gentle, undulating forms. The intelligently designed lighting concept - incorporating 12,000 lights - ensures all 1,500 exhibits are displayed to maximum effect. The lighting concept makes a clear distinction between the naturally lit Collection rooms and the artificial light of the Legend rooms.

The amazing set up of the exhibition was done by architects HG Merz: they succeeded in presenting the exhibits as stars of the show and a fascinating focus of interest for the visitor. “The museum should evolve from what is inside, what it contains,” says HG Merz. “Contents and outer casing should have the same value, complement each other and present a unified whole.” The museum was completed and opened in 2006. If you happen to visit Stuttgart, do not miss it, even if you do not like the cars.

Photos. © 2009 Stratos Bacalis

Laban

I`m lucky enough to live just a few steps from one of the most beatiful buldings in London. Laban is a very well known school dance which focus on contemporary dance education. The good thing is (at least, for me) that they also offer a few classical ballet lessons, so I can get to go there once a week.

Laban is the largest purpose-built contemporary dance centre in the world. The building was designed by Herzog and de Meuron, the Pritzker Prize winning (2001) Swiss architects who also designed the Tate Modern and the National Stadium in Beijing (2008 Olympic Games).

Herzog and de Meuron collaborated with visual artist Michael Craig-Martin to create this iconic and bold building.

The building has been designed to ensure full access for people with a wide range of disabilities from wheelchair users to those with sensory and learning difficulties.

By day the building's semi-translucent cladding allows traces of dance and movement to be visible through the walls. By night, the building becomes a coloured beacon with light and movement spilling out illuminating the surrounding area.

 

 

Greek Architecture Awards

The Hellenic Institute of Architecture, in co-operation with the Benaki Museum presents in an exhibition that opened on the 15th of April, the Architecture Awards for 2008. On the eve of the opening, the awards ceremony took place at the museum. The awards gathered a lot of press in Greece, which recently was become a bit more sensitive to architectural issues, prompted in a major part by the discussions about the New Acropolis Museum by Bernard Tschumi.

The purpose of the awards, according to the Institute, is to highlight and promote the contemporary architectural projects whose construction, typology and morphology as well as their environmental conformity compose an architectural proposal with renewal elements in the frame of the existing urban environment. The awards are about realised projects in Greece, they are three and are awarded every four years for three different categories. One is about housing, one is about state or municipal projects and one about projects that do not fit either of the previous categories.

For the third presentation of the awards, the international committee (consisting of professors of Architecture Andreas Giakoumakos and Panos Dragonas together with the award winners of the 2004 nominations C. Deligiani, D. Diamantopoulou and D. Tsagaraki, plus at the final stage the president of the GIA Professor N. Kalogeras and Foulvio Irase, director of Trienalle in Milan) gave the following awards:

For the housing category, "House in Psychico" by Pantelis Nikolakopoulos, below and first photo of this post.

For the Public sector category, "Remodelling ofThessaloniki beach front" by Prodromos Nikiforidis, Bernard Cuomo, Atelier R.Castro, S. Denissof, below and second photo of this post.

For the category of projects not fitting in the above two categories, "The Breeder Gallery" by Office 405 - Aris Zambikos with Pulcheria Giova as collaborator, below and last photo of this post.

The exhibition will showcase all participations, so that one can view the trends developing in Greek Architecture in the last five years. The Hellenic Intitute of Architecture believes that the basic purpose of an award is the recognition of the quality of the achievement, which means rewarding not only the result but also the effort of all the contributors to it. The show is curated by Nikos Kalogeras and Marianna Milioni.

Photos of the House at Psychico courtesy of the architect.
Photos of the New Thessaloniki Beech courtesy of Lucretius.
Photos of Breeder Gallery courtesy of Vivianna Athanassopoulou