ROME CITYVISION PRIZE

ROME CITYIVISION competition: Nature and purpose of the competition
If the future is gone, what past is expecting us?
Try to imagine New York in its future if the manipulation of the urban context and its architectural objects, joined with its inhabitants, will be influenced by SPACE and TIME.

FIRST PRIZE - M. Marian / A. cassi – 00583

A cloud of aerostatic balloons is hanging over the city, airships borrowed from a time when dreaming and running after the future were compulsory. Almost a Fellinian dream, a sonnet by a famous composer played on a loose chord. Each balloon has taken off from a dock corresponding to a specific suburb, defining an imaginary circle that takes up the diameter of the Raccordo Anulare, the ring road of Rome, and embraces the city.

The concept consists in creating a sort of fluctuating ring road. A new level that is added to the existing layers of the city. An immaterial level, defined only by the straight and circular trajectories of the balloons that move from one dock to the next, connecting the various Roman outskirts with each other. A system that is placed on the margins of the city that allows to seize the urban environment through new means. Knowledge, combined with the volatileness of a dreamt world, like a circus tent, like the famous travelers’ note books, these are the foundations of our views.

It’s the ideal place to see if the world will end or not.

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SECOND PRIZE - J. Cheon / N. Soe / M. Conway / F. Colin – 00167

‘Rome City Vision’ offers the opportunity to re-conceptualize the relationship between landscape, urban design, and architecture in the context of a historically complex and dynamic city environment. Our proposal creates an integrated urban vision whereby programs, spaces, and typologies are interwoven as a way of producing provocative urban vision.

Unlike works of architecture, the city serves as an icon through patterns from the urban fabric’s form and its public features. Though a city’s plan is seldom visible to the eye from the street, it is still the means an individual’s uses to understand the city as place (through its maps, subway and bus route plans, as well as green space). Thus the plan serves as an important icon for inhabitants of the environment. Creating an urban fabric that is able to conform to deformations of the land, topography, and spatial restrictions. The pattern is stretched and squeezed parametrically, to produce urban spaces, plazas, lawns, urban corridors and streets from the same logical system.

The green space extends nature from the lower hills into the center of the city, becoming part of a green network; serving as an important symbolic central space for Rome (reminiscent of New York City’s ‘Central park’). The landscape serves to create a connection between the place and its geography.  

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NEW YORK CITYIVISION PRIZE

NEW YORK CITYIVISION competition: Nature and purpose of the competition
If the future is gone, what past is expecting us?
Try to imagine New York in its future if the manipulation of the urban context and its architectural objects, joined with its inhabitants, will be influenced by SPACE and TIME.

FIRST PRIZE - E. Giannakopoulou – S. Carera – H. Isola – M. Norzi

We have interpreted the competition as an homage to Romanian-born American artist, architect, cartoonist and illustrator, Saul Steinberg (1914–1999). Among many masterpieces, he is the author of famous The New Yorker magazine cover (March 29, 1976) “View of the World from 9th Avenue”. Such drawing has come to represent Manhattan’s telescoped interpretation of the country beyond the Hudson River. Showing the supposedly limited mental geography of Manhattanites, it has become iconic as a representation of one of the most influential and perhaps the last ideal city ever existed.

The steps that lead to this new condition are:

• Manhattan becomes overwhelming and the population moves out, densifying the other Borroughs.

• NYC takes responsibility to become energetically independent exploiting the waste as an energetic resource through the most advance recycling technologies of the future.

• The idea of a massive center of exploitation of the waste gets adopted. A radical topographic transformation of the island lays the foundation for a new landscape of smooth hills that embody the buildings as well as the disposal and transformation process of the waste: the most precious resource of year 2076.

• The skyscrapers, vertical development symbols of the previous century, get abandoned, then readapted to host vertical distribution, stockpiling and conduits of the recycled materials.

• Only the main architectonical feature of the buildings, the top, emerges from the new ground level becoming a monument, as evidence of the previous state of the civilization. Bridges and tunnels of access to the island host the pipelines and the transportation of the materials.

• Central Park is preserved unchanged as a relic, ideal symbol of the principle that inspired such transformation.

• In year 2076 NYC Beautiful Dump is working at full capacity and becomes the largest work of land art ever existed as well as the first city energetically self sufficient and with no impact on the outer environment.

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SECOND PRIZE - E. Pieraccioli e C. Granato

If it’s true that the destructive effects never cease to act, and that they are repeated in the history of every cycle, it is true that what is civilization at a given time, will be the primitive state in the next moment. Creation and Destruction, the scene endlessly. The feverish speculative activity in human years, within the “grid”, has led to a heaviness of the Earth. The temperature increases slowly. Regardless of the most mortifying surprises, the earth continues its transformation toward equilibrium.

THE GARDEN OF COSMIC SPECULATION BY CHARLES JENCKS

Located in the grounds of Portrack House, near Dumfries in South West Scotland, it is a private garden created by renowned landscape architect Charles Jencks – he who designed the distinctive Landform at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

The Scots-American has taken his concepts still further in his own private garden, which is open to the public for only one day of the year.

Inspired by the universe, science and mathematic formulae with themes such as black holes, comets and DNA, the Garden's vast sculpted earth works, lakes and engineered structures are an impressive tribute to the mysterious universe which inspired them.

Jencks recalls: "When we began the garden, I was not concerned with the larger issues of the cosmos. But over the years, they came more and more to the fore and I have used them as a spur to think about nature and to contemplate and speculate on the origins of the universe. And in that respect, this garden is part of a long historical tradition. Japanese Zen gardens, Persian paradise gardens, the English and French Renaissance gardens played out the story of the cosmos as it was understood then. So the idea of the garden as a microcosm of the universe is quite a familiar one. In fact, I feel it is the most compelling motive to create a garden. What is a garden if not a celebration of our place in the universe?"

Forty major areas, gardens, bridges, landforms, sculptures, terraces, fences and architectural works.  Covering thirty acres in the Borders area of Scotland, the garden uses nature to celebrate nature, both intellectually and through the senses, including the sense of humor. 

A water cascade of steps recounts the story of the universe, a terrace shows the distortion of space and time caused by a black hole, a "Quark Walk" takes the visitor on a journey to the smallest building blocks of matter, and a series of landforms and lakes recall fractal geometry.

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is not a conceptual or even a symbolic garden — it is a demonstration garden, in which features are created in order to replicate physical expressions of cosmological theory in a highly literal manner, in the way of those little red molecule balls connected by sticks, so beloved of chemistry teachers.

In this sense the garden has more in common with a taxonomically arranged Renaissance botanical garden (Pisa or Padua) than an artistically nuanced place such as Little Sparta.

It has to be said that as time has gone on, the slightly hectoring tone of the garden has only increased. It verges on absurdity in the new cascade, for example, which purports to tell the story of the entire universe in its terraces, much as an evangelical 18th-century garden owner once tried to tell the story of Pilgrim’s Progress in his domain.

The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is no longer a dialogue with the universe, it is a monologue about the universe. It is becoming The Garden of Comic Extrapolation, and someone needs to say it.

JUVET LANDSCAPE HOTEL BY JENSEN & SKODVIN

Minimalist architecture and enchanting landscape, of the neighborhoods near the magnificent fjords, waiting for you at “Juvet Landscape Hotel”, designed by the architectural firm of Jensen and Skodvin Arkitektkontor (JSA).

The architects Jensen and Skodvin aimed to create a landscape hotel that blended in with the terrain. The result is seven small "cubes" on stilts, with great panoramic windows.

You can almost feel the trees brushing against you, and the snow-white drops of spray from the river Valldøla on your face.

The landscape is so varied that none of the rooms are alike, and each room has its own individual view. Outside the landscape is constantly changing – according to the weather, the time of day and season.

Architects: Jensen & Skodvin Arkitektkontor
Location: Gudbrandsjuvet, Norway
Design Period: 2004-2007
Construction period: 2007-2008
Client: Knut Slinning
Project Architects: Jan Olav Jensen (pl), Børre Skodvin, Torunn Golberg Helge Lunder, Torstein Koch; Thomas Knigge
Budget: 1.000.000 EURO (US $1.28 millions)
Constructed Area: 800 sqm

HOUS.E + BY POLIFACTORY

 

Shanghai architects Polifactory have developed a concept for a rammed earth house that generates energy from a lake on its roof.

Designed for a competition in Vancouver, called “100 Mile House”, Hous.E+ is designed to combine new and old techniques in order to create a not only a resourceful building regarding energy efficiency and sustainability but also well equipped to actively respond to future smart grid systems where energy surplus is shared and agriculture within the city is produced.

Water is not only storaged and re-used but also is part of a energy cycle that generates power throughout a series of wall embedded micro hydro-turbines.
 

Avoid unnecessary transportation of materials is a main factor to the carbon foot print equation. Hous.E+ is build upon a rammed earth wall technique that is unaffected by rain, fire or pests, plus it doesn’t require any further finishing. 

The walls act like breathing structures, allowing air exchange without significant heat loss, working naturally as a thermal mass, storing heat in winter and rejecting in the summer, eliminating the need for air conditioning. Hous.E+ is set to produce more energy than it consumes.

MONA PAVILLION BY FENDER KATSALIDIS

Once considered to be on the outskirts of civilization, Tasmania is still an island at the bottom of the world. But that hasn’t prevented Australia’s smallest and most remote state from taking center stage by being at the cutting edge of luxury hotels.

Separated by a vast body of water from the south-east coast of mainland Australia, Hobart has been the long-time butt of jokes in its splashier Big Sister cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Yet when The Henry Jones Art Hotel burst onto the scene in Tasmania's capital city in 2004 the global luxe set had to take notice. Set on the waterfront, this 56 rooms hotel merged cool, contemporary design into the original wooden beam and stone walls of this 1820s jam factory and showed just how high-end historic could go here with Australia's first dedicated art hotel. 

The original four pavilions: Arthur (Boyd), Brett (Whiteley), Charles (Blackman) and Sidney (Nolan), have been completely refurbished to reflect the open plan design, opulence,and simple understatement. The four new pavilions (opened in November 2009) have been named for architects who have influenced Australia's architectural landscape: Roy (Grounds), Robin (Boyd), Esmond (Dorney) and Walter (Burley Griffin).

The MONA pavilions perched high overlooking the Derwent River offer the epitome of up-market, first class, boutique, luxury and stylish self contained accommodation in Tasmania built with privacy, indulgence, relaxation and comfort in mind. Admire the sunrise from your private balcony, relax in air conditioned comfort and enjoy breakfast from the gourmet provisions in a 'state of the art' kitchen or in the restaurant. Each pavilion has a private wine cellar featuring wines from Moorilla and Moo Brew Beers.

MONA Pavilions are bold and elegant in design, generous in space and feature modern furniture by young Tasmanian designers, along with a who's who in international pieces all complemented by feature artwork of the highest standard from the MONA collection. All MONA pavilions at Moorilla have access to the heated infinity lap pool, sauna and well equipped gymnasium.

The interiors respond to the external forms, with a luxurious dark mood to the warped aluminium clad pavilion, playing off the angled walls defining the internal spaces. The glazed volumes of the diamond framed apartments elicit a lighter response, reflected in the materials and finishes selected. Each apartment has an individual character, expressed through the forms and finishes, the inclusion of art works from the much anticipated MONA collection and the eclectic selection of furniture. 

PHILIP JOHNSON: LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC STADIUM, A SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

Philip Johnson, Populous Architects responsible for the design of the main London 2012 Olympic Stadium, believes it will lead a global movement towards sustainable architecture.

Mostly lightweight steel was used in the construction, the roof is made of PVC and the stadium boasts a fabric curtain, designed to minimize crosswinds. Moreover, the water collected from the roof is used to flush the toilets, while the earth embankments that surround the stadium protect the biodiversity of the site by encouraging plants to grow.

"We want to use as little material as possible," said Johnson, of the architectural consultancy, Populous, which is headquartered in the US city of Kansas, but has offices around the world, including one in the British capital. 

Reduce, reuse, recycle

Based on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, the stadium has a temporary upper tier of 55,000 seats. The tier will be dismantled after the Games, transforming the stadium into a 25,000-seat venue for other sporting events.

Philip is currently leading the design of the transformation of the Olympic Stadium to suit its post 2012 use, creating a sustainable legacy integrated into the new urban park.

One idea Johnson was forced to abandon was that of a "moving roof", which would partially cover the seating areas during the Games, but could be folded forward like the petals of a flower to cover the entire stadium once the temporary tier of seats had been removed.

"It probably would have been the most expensive stadium, but could have been pretty fun. If we'd had the ultimate budget, we would have done something like that. But, of course, it's sensible to have a more modest roof," he said.

Johnson was full of praise for Beijing's Olympic stadium, having visited the structure in May 2008 with a team of international engineers to help with technical assessments.