Hadid will continue construction despite a court ruling

Zaha Hadid will continue construction of the controversial Seville library despite public opposition and a court ruling against the firm.

The 5.6 million dollar library at the city’s university, described by Hadid as ‘a sculpted bar of stone with a great contrast between solidity and transparency’, has fallen foul of local residents, who claim the library will occupy 8% of the Prado de San Sebastian, a green area that provides welcome sanctuary in the summer months for residents.

However, following the court ruling in the residents favour, AJ has been informed by Hadid the practice will continue construction during the appeal process - in direct contravention of the resident association’s demands.

The statement said: ‘The Government of Andalucía, the Seville City Council and the University of Seville will be appealing the ruling. All construction works continue as normal throughout the appeal process.’

The three-storey building will cover 8,000 m2 and house reading rooms, cafes, auditoriums, computer rooms and parking.

In a statement to the court, the residents said: ‘The specifications regarding the new library clearly violate the protection measures derived from the fact that the Prado de San Sebastian is part of Seville’s historic city centre.’

London Olympic Stadium faces drastic redesign

Despite being nearly a third built, Populous’ ‘temporary’ stadium for the London 2012 Olympics may be redesigned as a permanent, 80,000-capacity venue in latest legacy u-turn

Legacy chief Baroness Ford said she was looking to retain the Olympic stadium as a permanent large-scale venue and a possible host ground for a 2018 World Cup.

The move signals a drastic u-turn on the original legacy plan for the Olympics, which envisaged the stadium as a semi-temporary venue which would be converted into a smaller, 25,000-capacity sports school and athletic ground in ‘legacy mode’.

According to the Evening Standard, Ford said she was convinced the ‘beautiful’ stadium could pay its way as an all-year ‘visitor attraction’ and become part of London’s ‘iconic offer’.

As a result, stadium designers Populous - formerly HOK Sport - could be asked to rework the scheme which is already well under construction.

A spokesman for the London Development Agency, which is currently handling the legacy plans until a special post-Games vehicle is officially set up, said: ‘These issues have to be looked at. [A redesign is a] possibility at this stage.’

Another source close to the project said: ‘The implications of keeping the stadium would be considerable, but…not impossible. There was already an idea being floated to keep the roof structure.. to provide a big visitor focus.’

It is understood the main area requiring a rethink would be the stadium’s outer skin which would have to be made to last much longer - a move which would undoubtedly mean further costs.

The £525 million stadium, which features a demountable upper tier, was hailed as a ‘cheap’ alternative to the grandiose stadiums built for other Games such as Herzog & de Meuron’s Bird's Nest in Beijing, China.

House G

Today's post features House G by Saunders Architecture!

House G located in Hjellestad, Norway, blends into its surrounding with its soft edges and all white Color as if the edges were suppose to resemble or blend into the surrounding snow.

Black House isnt so...black!

Black House by FORM / Koichi Kimura Architects

Black House was designed with a completely black exterior with a white courtyard.
Despite the name, Black House is full of light with its white courtyard and entry.



ok... maybe it is a little too black

Featured movie is Eco-Friendly Drywall

Alright, so one of my favorite channels on Youtube is TED. TED ranges from architecture, science, even what it feels like to have a stroke (which was very beautifully spoken and is actually a personal favorite!) One goal i would like to accomplish with this blog is to bring more attention to "Green" building/design. Im happy to see more and more Architects, designers, engineers moving more towards "green" products.

So, today's short video features eco-friendly drywall by EcoRock!

Enjoy!

Tama Art University Library by Toyo Ito

Tama Art University Library
Hachioji City, Japan


Ito sure made an impression by designing a Romanesque building in Japan. The library seems minimal with its use of concrete as to not make too much of an impression on studying students occupying the library. I couldn't help but think that Ito took the Palace of Italian Civilization by Padula and put his own modern twist for the exterior.


With the hard surfaces, i've always wondered how noticeable faint sounds could be heard throughout the library. Ito seems to take his inspiration from Bibliotheque Nationale by Labrouste for the interior. The light sources within the bays even hint the resemblance of the oculi that are present in the Bibliotheque Nationale.


Nonetheless, this is a case where less is more. i find the library to be a beautiful and elegant structure. There are hints of drama where need be and yet the interior architecture takes its role blending into the background as not to be a major focus to students.


Photos taken by Iwan Baan.

3.1 Phillip Lim Flagship Boutique

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! We'll start off the week with the new 3.1 Philip Lam Flagship Boutique in LA!


The new 3.1 Phillip Lim Flagship Boutique, designed by Giancarlo Valle and PARA Project, is located near the Melrose shopping neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The 3.1 Phillip Lim transforms the former 450 square meter auto shop into a flowing interior.

The boutique incorporates the thick, heavy-appearing walls into the existing building as the large space opens itself into four small niches. Above is a single, continuous light-diffusing membrane appearing to float above making for a soft, intimate feeling with its use of light.





The pyramidal texture on the curving wall has the appearance of being a hard rigid surface but is actually soft to the touch, creating a sensation of being both hard and soft. The smaller niches are each lined with different materials which include; wallpaper, Spanish cork, leather herringbone and bamboo. These materials create a variety of tactile elements for the clothing to be displayed.

Photos by Iwan Baan.

The Arch Movement launches with The Aqua Tower

The Aqua Tower by Studio Gang Architects.
Chicago, Illinois.

Architect: STUDIO GANG ARCHITECTS
Architect of Record: Loewenberg & Associates
Owner: Magellan Development
Program: Hotel and Residential High-rise with retail and commercial spaces
Size: 1.9 m SF including parking, 823 feet high
Completion: Summer 2009, currently under construction
*information provided by Studio Gang Architects.