Premier Tower Inspired by Beyonce

Sydney has a building described as a “squashed paper bag” and soon Melbourne will have a tower inspired by Beyonce. The Texas-born superstar apparently inspired the design of the 226m-high Premier Tower, which will replace the iconic but long-­shuttered Savoy Tavern on Spencer Street, according to architects Elenberg Fraser. 

 

“Art and science? You betcha. For those more on the art than science side, we will reveal that the form does pay homage to something more aesthetic — we’re going to trust you’ve seen the music video for Beyonce’s Ghost,” the architects said.

The undulating glass shape of the apartment and hotel project, which was designed on behalf of Singaporean developer Fragrance Group, pays homage to the fabric-wrapped dancers who appear in the music video, directed by Belgian director Pierre Debusschere and released in 2013.

Fragrance purchased the site, opposite South Cross Station, in June last year for $44.5 million, just a week after buying another development site, at 555 Collins Street, from Harry Stamoulis for $78m.

The 1800sq.m. Savoy Tavern, at 134-160 Spencer Street in West Melbourne, was previously owned by businessman Mark Rowsthorn after he purchased it from the Republic of Nauru in 2005 for $9.9m.

The project has development approval for a 68-floor tower with 660 apartments and a 160-room hotel, but the Elenberg Fraser-designed building rises to 78 floors in anticipation of aviation authority approval for additional storeys.

But even if Fragrance, headed by billionaire developer Koh Wee Meng, is granted approval for the additional height, the tower will still be somewhat shorter than a nearby project being developed by his brother, Koh Wee Seng.

Aspial has commenced the construction of the 317m, 108-floor Australia tower, designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, at 70 Southbank Boulevarde, which will be one of Melbourne’s tallest once complete.

Fragrance had originally intended to build a 90-storey tower on the Savoy site, with an end value of $700m, before reducing the size of the project to its present level.

 

Source: The Australian

Elenberg Fraser’s admission that their curvaceous new building design Premier Tower was inspired by the video for popstar Beyoncé’s song Ghost has elicited strong reactions across the globe.

The building, developed by Fragrance Group, boasts an undulating form made up of a series of cantlivers. News of its link to the prominent popstar was reported on Dezeen, The Guardian, The Chicago Sun-Times and The Huffington Post.

The Huffington Post described the building’s resemblance to the singer as “uncanny”.

“The grandness of the building is striking enough, but there’s something else — this building’s got curves,” the article reads. ”But these aren’t just any curves, of course. They are Beyoncé curves.”

The response from The Guardian‘s Oliver Wainwright, though, was much harsher, noting that that the Fragrance Group is, “by no means the first developer to deploy the crass metaphor of a writhing female form to sell a pile of expensive flats.”

He compared the project to the Chinese practice MAD’s Marilyn Monroe-inspired project and Frank Gehry’s 1992 Fred and Ginger building in Prague, which was modelled on Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing.

“Still, for creatively challenged architects and their attendant marketing consultants, the world of celebrity-shaped buildings offers endless possibilities,” he wrote.

Source: ArchitectureAU
 

Shibuya Skyscraper

Tokyu Corporation has unveiled a new skyscraper planned will rise adjacent to Tokyo's Shibuya Station. A collaborative design by Japanese firms Kengo Kuma, SANAA and Nikken, the 230-meter mixed use tower will feature an unprecedented, 3,000-square-meter public sky deck that promises "views of Mt. Fuji" (on a clear day).  

The Shibuya tower is planned to open in 2019, a year before the Tokyo Olympics.

Source: Archdaily

Southbay City

MAH Sing Group’s iconic development, Southbay City in Batu Maung, Penang, combines the best of living, working, entertainment and leisure in one vibrant township of the future.

The RM2.09bil mega project sits on a prime location easily accessible via the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge, Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Penang Bridge.

The integrated undertaking, which is currently being completed in phases, was earlier voted winner at the Cityscape Asia Real Estate Awards 2010 under the Best Waterfront Development (Future) category.

Among the components in its overall masterplan is Southbay City itself, which will have retail outlets, shorefront restaurants, luxurious residential suites, offices, hotel and resort, along with other tourist and recreational attractions.

Within it is Southbay Plaza, a mixed development of 206 residential suites housed in a pair of majestic 31 and 32-storey towers, and 47 retail outlets.

The commercial floors will have an ideal mixture of brands in one to three-storey units. Limited units are still available in a variety of layouts with key features like column-free interiors, 26ft (7.9m)-wide frontages and 12ft (3.6m) walkways.

Meanwhile, the waterfront residences boast high ceilings and have layouts ranging from two to 3+1 bedrooms.

To maximise privacy, each floor will have only five or six units.

Resort-inspired facilities and green features include an infinity pool, viewing deck, gymnasium, library and lush gardens.

Legenda@Southbay offers luxurious three and four-storey resort bungalows in a nearby gated and guarded precinct close to the sea and cushioned by greens.

There are 76 residences with built-ups between 6,460sq ft and 7,300sq ft, built on land sized from 7,500sq ft.

They are arranged in two distinct rows ending in cul-de-sacs.

Each home comes with six en suite bedrooms, private lift, home automation system, solar hot water, water filtration and rainwater harvesting systems, personal pool with spacious deck, multiple-decked balconies and outdoor terrace.

A Residents Clubhouse with infinity and wading pools, gymnasium, community hall and relaxation lounge will be a popular gathering spot.

Legenda was awarded the coveted Asia Pacific Residential Property Awards (in association with Bloomberg TV) for ‘Malaysia’s Best Architecture’.

Phase 2 has been completed with limited units available.

The Loft@Southbay is touted as a private gateway to an enchanting sea. There will be 156 luxurious serviced suites split evenly between two 30-storey tower blocks, or three units per floor. Only limited numbers are still available.

There are three options with built-ups ranging from 1,378sq ft to 1,680sq ft, with open plan layouts and high ceilings for an airy interior. Large windows will open to panoramic views of the waterfront.

Approximately 2.5 acres (1.01ha) is dedicated to leisure and recreational decks, with unique features being the multi-layered swimming pool of The Cascade, and a sky bridge connecting a lounge and gym on Level 15.

Another top-notch development by Mah Sing Group is the ultra luxurious resort-themed Ferringhi Residence, spanning 61.03 acres (24ha) in Batu Ferringhi.

Phase 1, consisting of 20 blocks of five-storey Condo Villas with 200 units, has been completed with OC expected soon, while Phase 2 (Ferringhi Residence 2) offers 632 freehold resort condo units.

Of the total, 602 units are in two blocks 10 and 32 storeys high and have built-ups of 1,197sq ft to 1,534sq ft, with 2+1 or 3+1 bedrooms (two en suite bathrooms).

The remaining 30 are in a four-storey block, and have living spaces of 1,438sq ft to 2,875sq ft.

Source: The Star

Angkasa Raya by Ole Scheeren

Ole Scheeren designed a skyscraper Angkasa Raya for Kuala Lumpur. The special feature: A four-story high tropical garden in the middle of the tower.

The Dutch Architect Ole Scheeren, formerly a partner at OMA, designed as a 268 m high skyscraper called Angkasa Raya for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that will be situated next to the Petronas Twin Towers – the tallest buildings in the world between 1998 and 2004.

The Angkasa Raya is made up of three cubic volumes that are meant to appear floating above open, horizontal layers. The office of Ole Scheeren planned the ground levels to form an “interconnected spiral of both pedestrian and vehicular circulation and draw the diversity of the streetscape into the building.”

The program of the tower includes shops, cafes, car parks and prayer rooms all to be placed in the lower levels of the building will house. A restaurant, bar and an infinity swimming pool will be located amongst the garden floors. 280 apartments will occupied the stories above the garden floors, while a luxury hotel will be located inside a smaller adjoining block.

 

As the Buro Ole Scheeren explains, the quality of the Angkasa Raya lies in the garden floors and the environmentally responsible design: “Lush green gardens and terraces offer intimacies within the extreme urban density of the surrounding metropolis, while carefully shaded facades and a naturally ventilated atrium underline the environmental responsibility of the design.”

Source: Detail

Sunrise Tower In Kuala Lumpur

Zaha Hadid’s design for Sunrise Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, engages with the city in multiple ways. By exploring potential synergies at different levels and anchoring itself to the existing urban fabric, it creates a platform of services that engage with neighbouring developments, sustaining critical mass and a sense of community. The scheme merges all programmes into one building, distancing itself from the traditional tower and podium typology. Through a detailed landscape strategy the design interweaves tower and ground, extending and connecting the different parts of the site, integrating the new pedestrian routes and internal road system, structuring the fabric of the new development.

The building is designed through a series of independent flows that map the tower and organize different routes for different programmes. Along these routes the lobby and shared facilities floors work as communication hubs, like intersections that enable flexible itineraries and changes between uses. Similarly to the skin, the circulation materializes as a multi dimensional spatial grid, inclusive of the program, treating interior and exterior in a seamless way, thus maximizing the clarity of the scheme and the perception of the different levels. The design of a clear navigation system for lobbies, atria and common areas, enables visual communication as well as access through the cores, ensuring fully accessible environment for all users. The building’s complex programme is distributed through 66 floors in total, 4 bellow ground and 62 above ground, with an absolute height of 280m. The ground lobby is the primary hub of the tower, defining 4 different dedicated lobbies for residential, hotel, offices and general public.

 

 

Source: evolo

Ping-Pong Paddle Hotel Planned In China

China is set to build a hotel shaped like an upside-down ping-pong paddle as part of a new $45.8 million sports complex.
The China Daily newspaper reports rounded guestroom windows will resemble the surface texture of a table tennis racket, while the "handle" of the 500-foot hotel will be an observation deck, allowing tourists to take in a view of the city of Huainan, where the hotel will be built.
"An erected ping-pong racket has a perfect architectural shape for a hotel," Jin Chang, director with Huainan Municipal Bureau of Sports, tells the news outlet.
But the ping-pong racket hotel isn't the only oddly shaped building in the works for the 165-acre sporting complex: there will also be a main stadium shaped like an American football, plus smaller stadiums and gym facilities shaped like a volleyball, soccer ball, and basketball.
The sports bureau has signed an agreement with China Sports Industry Group that guarantees various sports games will be held in the stadiums over the next 20 years.
This is not the first time hotel designers have turned to sports for inspiration. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai is designed as a wave to compliment the sail-shaped Burj al Arab, one of Dubai's most iconic images.
In France, the Rugby World Cup was celebrated with the construction of a giant rugby ball hotel in 2007. During the event, rooms cost nearly $10,000 per night.

Source: Aol Travel

Super-futuristic Hong Kong Skyscraper

Towering edifices that incorporate agriculture — farmscrapers, if you will — make for solid gold in the eye-popping conceptual design imagery department. Wild and wonderful in concept, these plant-studded structures present a somewhat sobering glimpse into a land-starved future where there’s nowhere for commercial food production to go but up. 

When it comes to multitasking, an aggressively idiosyncratic conceptual skyscraper from Mexico City-based Studio Cachoua Torres Camilletti (CTC) blows other visionary vertical farming proposals out of the water and then some. The World Architecture Festival-shortlisted proposal, simply titled “Hong Kong Skyscraper,” incorporates housing, commerce, cultural programming, public transit, rainwater harvesting, renewable energy production, and fish farming into a giant, plant-clad package that looms precariously above the Hong Kong skyline. 

Front and center, however, is Hong Kong Skyscraper’s futuristic presentation of the terraced paddy field, a staple of rice cultivation that's been a familiar sight in mountainous areas of China and Southeast Asia for thousands of years. 

Rice terraces have an important semiotic and symbolic significance in the culture of countries such as China and the Philippines, and they are cultivated by the need to sow seeds vertically. Throughout history, they have been carved by hand into mountains high above the sea as emphasized contours with built-in irrigation systems. In addition to the formal beauty of these spaces, they are a living example of the respectful change of nature by humans, who do not pose any environmental aggression, and are ultimately both respectful of nature and of man. Studio CTC finds such richness of the meanings and interactions that it was decided that rice should be the crop of choice for the skyscraper.

A grain-centric “urban agriculture system” modeled after the traditional rice paddy can be found atop the larger of the bisected building’s dual rooftops (the other is home to a helipad). As you can see, the volume — designed as an attempt to “envision what a tower should be in the future era” while “letting go of many ingrained preconceptions about the way buildings should be designed” — is not-so-neatly split down the middle; the two halves are connected/supported by a network of angled struts along with several transparent bridges that will accommodate rail and bus traffic.

 

Writing for CityLab, John Metcalfe notes that it would appear the two halves of the "extremely mixed-use" skyscraper, each dripping with vegetation, are posed to “attack each other” in the renderings. It’s a fantastic observation — the larger tower with the rice paddy up top truly appears to be hunched over and ready to lunge at its less top-heavy counterpart — and if this was Tokyo, not Hong Kong, one could easily surmise that Studio CTC has birthed sustainable architecture’s very own dueling daikaiju.  Just don't forget to eat up before running for your life .... 

 

Source: mnn

No More Weird Buildings In China Please

The President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, has reportedly called for an end to the "weird buildings" being built in China, and particularly in the nation's capital, Beijing. In a two hour speech at a literary symposium in Beijing last week, Mr Xi expressed his views that art should serve the people and be morally inspiring, identifying architectural projects such as OMA's CCTV Headquarters as the kind of building that should no longer be constructed in Beijing.

With China's construction boom being one of the most talked about features of today's architecture scene - and many a Western practice relying on their extravagant projects to prop up their studios - the Chinese leader's comments have the potential to affect the landscape of architectural practice worldwide. But what is behind these sentiments?

The impressive CCTV building by OMA has been nicknamed 'Big Pants' by Beijing's residents. This shows exactly how the Chinese do not appreciate the innovative design of this building which is conceptualized to revolutionize the typology of skyscraper worldwide.

Perhaps the most simple reading of Mr Xi's pronouncement on architecture is that it is an extension of his mission to crack down on corruption and extravagance within the Chinese Government, having removed 51 officials from government as of August. Though high-profile and popular with the international press, CCTV Headquarters has been criticized for being a number of years late to complete (it was originally intended to be open for the 2008 Olympics), and has been nicknamed "Big Pants," by locals thanks to its unusual shape. 

In particular his statement that art should "inspire minds, warm hearts, cultivate taste and clean up undesirable work styles" seems to link art with moral purity, and it is this kind of attention-grabbing extravagance that Mr Xi perhaps wants to avoid, particularly in state-owned buildings such as CCTV.

Zaha Hadid's Galaxy Soho also come under fire for its impact on Beijing.

Another interpretation, offered by Wolfgang Georg Arlt in Forbes Magazine, links Xi Jinping's comments to architectural tourism, saying: "Chinese outbound tourists used to be impressed by futuristic buildings they encountered in places like Dubai and recently also London, but with more and more of such projects realised in Beijing... the pull factor of contemporary architecture for them is diminishing."

Arlt also notes that the number of foreign tourists visiting Beijing has steadily declined in recent years, but while he concludes that "maybe this argument will help to sustain future projects by world-class architects," it could also have the opposite effect: perhaps Mr Xi realizes that the draw of "weird architecture" is not strong enough to sustain China's tourism industry, and therefore not worth the financial and reputation risks it poses.

However, maybe the strongest interpretation is that Mr Xi's comments on art reflect his tendency towards Chinese nationalism (part of what some people last year rather hastily referred to as Xi Jinping's 'Maoist turn'). The New York Times quotes one section of his speech where he says that Chinese art should "disseminate contemporary Chinese values, embody traditional Chinese culture and reflect Chinese people's aesthetic pursuit." It is not such a stretch to equate his criticisms of "weird buildings" with either Western architects or even simply a Western style of design, and his speech has reportedly been met by support on Chinese social media with people saying that "China is not foreigners' test field."

Wang Shu's architecture has been praised for his intelligent combination of Chinese and Modernist elements in his buildings.

Previously it had been thought that Chinese culture was simply not strong enough to support its building boom without the help of foreign architects: in early 2012, Mr Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao wrote that "the international culture of the West is strong while we are weak." However, mere months later, the Pritzker Prize was awarded to Wang Shu, the first time it had been awarded to an architect both born and working in China. Furthermore, Wang Shu has been noted for his Critical-Regionalist approach, combining Western modernism with traditional Chinese influences.

Wang Shu is currently being joined by a new generation of Chinese architects such as Ma Yansong of MAD Architects, whose Shanshui City concept is explicitly inspired by traditional Chinese painting. With this renewed interest in traditional inspirations for Chinese architecture, perhaps Mr Xi sees now as the time to take action on Hu Jintao's call to "take forceful measures to be on guard and respond" to the "ideological struggle" between Chinese and Western culture.

MAD Architects' Shanshui City inspired by Chinese landscape paintings.

Source: Archdaily