Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
A Beauty in Bolzano
16 June 2008
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Bolzano Italy has recently opened their new building by Krüger Schuberth Vandreike... I imagine the simple form allows the artwork to take center stage, even though I don't see any artwork in these photos!.
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Angela Fritsch
05 May 2008
Angela Fritsch Architekten has got some really fabulous designs. Something about the colors and lines of the forms is subtly feminine without being overtly female. I've always like projects with a sharp edge quality... of which I think all three of these apply. While there are many projects with more organic qualities that I like and appreciate, I just really love embracing the man-made qualities of architecture, and I think Angela Fritsch does a great job with that..
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A Collection
03 March 2008
I noticed this Lisbon subway by Broadway Malyan on Dezeen, and it made me think about a few other great subway stations...
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Wilhelminaplein station by Zwarts and Jansma, Rotterdam
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Prague Metro Station
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Bilbao Metro Station by Foster and Partners
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Gare do Oreinte Station by Santiago Calatrava, Lisbon
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Lohring Metro Station by Rabsamen + Partner, Bochum
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If Seattle had a metro, then I might be able to talk about the stations... but perhaps (hopefully, but not likely) I'll be writing about the light rail stations in the near future.
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A Bit Useful, A Bit Sculptural
11 February 2008
I tend to prefer wall mounted coat racks, but I quite like this porter designed by Martin Holzapfel. I don't really like a lot of clutter, so its nice to get a sculptural quality from the everyday things you need and use..
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I need a new dentist
30 November 2007
One of the things that I often find distinguishes European and Asian design from design in the United States, is the respect for the mundane. Almost, if not just as much attention is paid to the design of a refrigerator, phone booth, or in this case a dentist's office, as more glamorous projects. Although, the credit can not be given to the designers alone, as clearly the cultures devote more time and energy to design as an ideal and necessity. Without willing clients, well designed (and often expensive) projects would never be completed.This project (a dentist' office - KU64) by graft lab really amazes me. I can't imagine this kind of progressive design being implemented at my local (or any other US) dentist. While I realize that I'm generalizing... and that not all Berlin dentist offices look like this one, and there very well could be a well designed American dentistry... I'm just always surprised and impressed by other cultures' willingness to create something lovely out of the mundane.
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I'm not saying that this is a perfect project... I don't really find the color very soothing, and let's face it, who needs anxiety at the dentist. Also, I think that the amorphous forms are a bit overdone... But overall, I think its an interesting design for a seemingly uninteresting program. I'm particularly drawn to the entry hall, and the seating around the fireplace, which provides a very warm environment for a office that would typically be cold and sterile. The graphics also add an interesting touch... I wonder if you can look up at them from your chair?
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If I lived in Berlin, I'm pretty sure I'd be changing my dentist. Who cares if they might charge a bit more for a cleaning?! They've managed to create a space that I wouldn't dread visiting, which is quite a feat for a dentist (and their architect!).
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Via Pimp Your Life
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Not Afraid of a Little Color
08 October 2007
I love it when architects aren't afraid to use color in their designs. And obviously, Ippolito Fleitz / Zipher Space Works didn't have any problems using color when they designed a new Stuttgart headquarters for the Panama Advertising Agency. The clean lines and simple transparencies assure that the colors aren't overwhelming. The use of these bright colors and bright whites helps to delineate the space in this remodel. And even with the bright colors, the interiors spaces seem like a serene place to work. Personally, I'd be pretty stoked if that's where I worked!
Kunsthalle Bremen
30 September 2007
This competition entry for an addition to the Kunsthalle Bremen in Bremen, Germany was designed by Italian firm IaN+. The intent is to celebrate the existing structure by creating an addition that contrasts the current museum and yet still allows the public to enjoy the older structure. The addition envelopes one of the facades, allowing visitor to experience the original museum while occupying the new addition. The glass skin acts as a beacon during the day, and brightly illuminates the existing museum at darkness.Pott Architects
26 September 2007
Wannseeterraces, Berlin - A proposal for the reinvention of a lakeside retreat outside of Berlin.
Santaverde Academy, Spain - An academy for a sustainable way of life that would integrate the local vernacular and open aloe vera fields.
IDL Uplights, Berlin - A wave of uplights.
House L - A sustainable home for a family of form, intended to be ecologically responsible, harmonize with the natural world, and provide a reclusive spot to escape from city life.Pott Architects has a fabulous range of work, most of which has horizontal lines as the common denominator. Some of these projects (particularly the first image) remind me of Zaha Hadid's work... although I think they've managed to get more built!
I can't remember the site that led me to PA, so let me know if its yours...
Love These Bookshelves
02 September 2007
Nils Holger Moorman has got a wide variety of lovely bookshelves, both modular and not. I'm also really digging his component coat rack system above!Via Gris
Peter Does it Again
12 June 2007
I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an architect who doesn't hold Peter Zumthor with a bit of reverence. He a master of simple forms and complex spaces, a constant innovator in the construction process. In this project, the Bruder Klaus Field Chapel, he has designed a chapel which was built by the local farmers. The interior formwork was built with timber logs, which were later removed by burning the logs, thus creating an intriguing and varied interior finish. In my opinion, of the most impressive attributes of PZ as an architect, is not only his masterful designs, clean lines, and innovative use of materials... but also his ability to work within constraints such as budget and time. These are two things that most architects deal with on a daily basis, but that Starchitects generally have the luxury to ignore. Peter Zumthor is not only willing to take on smaller projects, but he manages to make these small projects some of the most interesting examples of modern architecture today.Via MNP
Eye Candy via J Mayer H
14 April 2007
In case you haven't noticed... I'm a little obsessed with multi-disciplinary design firms. I found the German firm J. Mayer H. through another blog (I can't remember which one right now, but as soon as I do remember, I will post a link!) and have really enjoyed checking out their site.
Mensa Karlsruhe
Style Park Lounge 
Twins - To be completed 2008Kolumba Diocesan Museum
11 March 2007
Who doesn't love Peter Zumthor?
I found this photo through Gravestmor... A little more digging, and I discovered that this new Kolumba Diocesan Museum is located in Cologne, Germany and is an art museum housing the collection of the archbishop of Cologne containing two millennia worth of western art. See Kolumba for more information.