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 VitraHaus: Welcome Home |
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March 5, 2010
 Until recently, the first thing visitors noticed upon arriving at the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein was the Vitra Design Museum, a building designed by Frank Gehry. Now a new building, which has been erected next to the museum, is destined to attract just as much attention: the VitraHaus by Herzog & de Meuron. In close proximity to the Swiss border and the furniture manufacture's Basel headquarters, Vitra has created a new domicile for its Home Collection in Weil am Rhein, Germany.
In 1981, a major fire destroyed most of the production facilities on the Vitra premises in Weil am Rhein, which dated back to the 1950s. Since that event, a heterogeneous ensemble of contemporary architecture has been constructed on the site. Zaha Hadid realised her very first built structure here. The Vitra Design Museum is the first architectural work by Frank Gehry outside of North America. Tadao Ando constructed his first building outside of Japan. Nicholas Grimshaw, Alvaro Siza and SANAA have each designed a manufacturing facility, and buildings by Richard Buckminster Fuller, Jean Prouvé and Jasper Morrison are also found on the Vitra Campus.
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| Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer in Ravello, Italy |
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January 29, 2010
 Today the inauguration of Ravello's Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer will take place. The setting is the charming Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast) where you will find this work by one of the biggest names of architecture in the last century: Oscar Niemeyer. The brazilian architect, best known for his buildings in Brasilia, is still in great shape at the age of 103.
The project began in 2000 and despite all the hardships and oppositions that in Italy where created, it has finally been brought to completion.
The event will start with three inaugural days containing classical and pop music, dance and cinema, and ample space dedicated to cultural exchanges, reflections as well as an expected homage to Oscar Niemeyer, all without forgetting the refined pleasures of gastronomy. Everything that a modern and elegant auditorium as the Ravello's Auditorium Niemeyer has to offer will be exhibited to the public during these three days.
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| Earthquake in Haiti |
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January 15, 2010
SOLIDARITY FUND DONATION
Those who wish to make a contribution through donation may do so also across this channels:
» Save the Children
» Medecins sans Frontieres
» World Food Programme
» Clinton Foundation
» Architecture for Humanity
» Architectes de l'urgence |
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| Coop Himmelb(l)au: EnergyRoof in Perugia |
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January 18, 2010
 Wolf D. Prix, Design Principal and CEO of Coop Himmelb(l)au presented the design for the Energy Roof in Perugia, Italy. Energy Roof is part of the research project "Walking through the History" of the University of Perugia. Beside the archaeological study this research comprised also the creation of an architectural icon.
Energy Roof serves as canopy along Via Mazzini in the center of Perugia and at the same time creates the entry point to the archaeological underground passage leading through the history of Perugia. The passage connects the city center with the mini metro station Pincetto. Historical documents show the existence of the old Etruscan city wall in the area below Piazza Giacomo Matteotti which Coop Himmelb(l)au proposes to excavate as part of an underground public gallery space exhibiting the history of Perugia. Openings in the ground of the Piazza Giacomo Matteotti visually connect the underground passage with the Energy Roof.
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| Circle Bath, opening of the first hospital designed by Foster + Partners |
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January 17, 2010
 CircleBath is Foster + Partners’ first hospital and the first in a programme of new independent hospitals which offer a radical departure from orthodox approaches to hospital planning. After a period of commissioning, CircleBath is expected to open to patients in February.
The compact design encourages a sense of community and well-being with facilities more comparable to a luxury hotel rather than a traditional hospital. The three-storey hospital is set into the hills on the edge of protected green belt nine kilometres south east of Bath. It is planned around a central light filled atrium, promoting a sense of orientation and intimacy that is commonly lacking in larger hospitals.
Spencer de Grey, Head of Design at Foster + Partners, commented: “There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that a well-designed hospital environment can reduce recovery times and contribute to better outcomes for patients, while providing a more attractive workplace for medical staff. This is Foster + Partners’ first hospital building and its design is democratic, putting the patient at the heart of the system in a space that does not feel institutionalised and instead takes advantage of the rural setting, the light and the views.”
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| Construction of the new European Central Bank in Frankfurt, to start in spring 2010 |
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January 15, 2010
 The Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) informed during a press conference about the positive outcome of the Europe-wide public tendering procedure and announced that therefore construction of the main construction works for its new premises will start in spring 2010.
Following the announcement, Wolf D. Prix, Design Principal and CEO of Coop Himmelb(l)au, said:
“It is always an exciting moment when an idea becomes reality. We are very pleased about the decision of the Governing Council of the ECB that the new bank headquarters will now be built. I believe that it is not only an important building for us, but also for the European Union, because the building will be one of the important three- dimensional signs of the European Community. I am also proud that we will realize the project without any curtailments or compromises within the given budget.”
» Read more |
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