Thursday, December 31, 2009

A New Olympic Stadium To Rise Soon

When the Olympics were held in Beijing tis past summer, one of the enduring architectural memories was the National Stadium, known colloquially as the Bird's Nest.

And while Vancouver's 2010 Olympic games will be held mostly in recycled sports facilities, the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia will have a brand new main facility.

Populous, the architecture firm formerly known as HOK Sport Venue Event, sent along this rendering of its planned winter Olympics stadium.    A press release follows.






POPULOUS SELECTED TO DESIGN SOCHI 2014 MAIN STADIUM
The global design practice Populous is delighted to announce today that it has been selected by the State Corporation ‘Olympstroy’ to design the main stadium for the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Populous has also designed the master plan and overlay plan for competition and non-competition venues and facilities, and now adds designing the main 40,000 seat stadium to their expanding role on the 2014 Games. Populous is joined in the design consortium by Russian contractor Engeocom and Botta Management.

"The main stadium design, in addition to the venue overlay plan we have prepared for the 2014 Games, delivers a wonderful vision for the winter Olympics and a lasting sustainable legacy for Sochi. Its sweeping form responds to both its coastal location and mountainous backdrop, whileits crystalline skin engages with its surroundings by day and provides an iconic representation of the color and spectacle of the games when illuminated at night.  We are proud to be involved on such a level with Olympstroy," said John Barrow, Populous senior principal.

This is the 25th year of Populous' involvement in Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the firm is now the first design practice to have been officially appointed for the design of two Olympic Stadiums at one time. With Populous being the architects responsible for the main stadium and venues overlay for the London 2012 Games, designing for Sochi 2014 ensures the continuation of the practice’s unrivalled experience in Olympic event planning and venue design. Each of these stadiums reflects new standards for Olympic sustainability initiatives.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Gambling-Free Vdara Hotel and Spa Opens in Las Vegas

You've probably heard a lot about CityCenter in Las Vegas opening recently.  One of the signature properties is the Vdara Hotel and Spa.  Interestingly, it follows something that appears to be a growing trend in Las Vegas -- hotels that are as oasis away from gambling.

Check out the press release after the photographs by Brad Feinknopf:




























RAFAEL VIÑOLY COMPLETES VDARA AT CITYCENTER

NEW YORK, NY – RV Architecture LLC, under the leadership of Rafael Viñoly FAIA, announces the completion and the December 1 opening of Vdara Hotel & Spa in CityCenter, an extraordinary urban resort destination that will refine and redefine Las Vegas.

The 1.6 million-square-foot, 57-story Vdara is distinguished by its slender profile and curvature, which respond to Harmon Circle and the interlocking arcs of ARIA Resort & Casino located across the shared circular drive.

Three parallel, offset arcs rising to varying heights comprise the crescent-shaped skyscraper.  The volumes are distinguished by the colors of their striped surfaces, and are further articulated by deep recesses between them.  The horizontally-striped curtain wall frames the vistas of Las Vegas and the expansive desert landscape beyond.  Alternating bands of reflective vision glass and light-diffusing, acid-etched spandrel glass in black and white are set off on different planes to achieve a unique shimmering texture on the façade.  Modern, light, and devoid of graphics or ornaments, Vdara presents a distinctive contrast to the themed buildings of the Las Vegas Strip.

A curved pool deck located over Harmon Circle shelters a generous porte-cochere and main lobby.  The lobby’s focal point is Bar Vdara, a lounge and bar with covered outdoor seating that segues into Silk Road restaurant.  Other amenities include the two-level Vdara Health & Beauty - a full-service wellness spa, salon and fitness center.  Sky Pool & Lounge, the south-facing pool deck which enjoys long hours of sunlight exposure, offers private spa cabanas and semi-secluded plunge pools.  The program also includes a conference center with meeting rooms, a sub-divisible 4,000 square-foot ballroom, a boardroom, and a pre-function/registration area – serviced by Vdara’s kitchen.

Vdara’s 1,495 suites are wide and shallow when compared to most hotel rooms and residential apartments, maximizing views and daylight penetration.  An additional benefit of the staggered three-arc floor plan is the creation of six corner rooms compared to four in a more conventional building.

In keeping with the sustainable focus of the overall CityCenter development, Vdara Hotel & Spa was designed to meet and has achieved LEED Gold certification.  Sustainable features include the use of ecologically friendly construction materials (local and low-VOC) and the use of light-colored surfaces on the pool deck and roof, which reduces the urban heat island effect.  Additionally, construction materials were carefully managed to minimize waste.  Because of the project’s Mojave Desert location, measures to reduce water consumption were used, which include low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-efficient, native landscaping.

About CITYCENTER

The 67-acre CityCenter is located on the Las Vegas Strip and Interstate 15, and is bordered by two other MGM properties: Bellagio to the north and Monte Carlo to the south.  Seeking to build a new resort and lifestyle destination, MGM MIRAGE, with a master plan created by Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, decided to forgo the typical theme-based resort, instead choosing contemporary architecture and high-density, mixed-use urbanism as the unifying characteristic of the development. Accordingly, it sought internationally renowned architects, each to design one of the six buildings that comprise the overall plan.  Rafael Viñoly was approached by MGM MIRAGE to design Vdara, and after an RFP submission, the commission was awarded to Viñoly and staff from Rafael Viñoly Architects PC, working under the name RV Architecture, LLC.

In addition to Vdara, the final scheme includes ARIA, the resort & casino by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects; Crystals, a retail, dining and entertainment district by Studio Daniel Libeskind;  Veer Towers twinned residential towers, by Helmut Jahn;  Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, a hotel and residences by Kohn Pedersen Fox;  and The Harmon Hotel, designed by Foster + Partners.

CityCenter is a joint venture between MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM) and Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World.

About Rafael Viñoly Architects

Founded in New York in 1983, Rafael Viñoly Architects has offices in London, Los Angeles and the United Arab Emirates. Internationally known for architectural projects around the globe, the firm has designed many landmark cultural and civic complexes as well as institutional buildings and master plans. Over the past quarter century, the practice has continually demonstrated its ability to reinvent institutional typologies and integrate the public realm into civic buildings.

The unusually diverse work the firm has completed includes award-winning courthouses, museums, performing arts centers, convention centers, athletic facilities, banks, hotels, laboratories, hospitals, recreational venues, residential commissions, and commercial, industrial and educational facilities. Projects range in scale from laboratory casework to urban design and master planning. The firm has also completed several projects involving the restoration and expansion of large-scale buildings of significant historical and architectural value.

The firm’s staff of over 150 design professionals, including architects, structural engineers, interior designers, computer visualization specialists, model makers, artists, and fabricators, has the capacity, structure, and experience to assume complex projects of any scale.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Latest Expansion on Michigan's "Medical Mile" Complete

A new medical research facility in Michigan has been finished.  It looks pretty good.

A press release follows the photos by Brad Feinknopf:


















Rafael Viñoly Architects Complete PHASE II Expansion of
Van Andel Institute Education and Medical Research Center

- Biomedical Research and Educational Facility Slated for High LEED Certification -

NEW YORK - Rafael Viñoly Architects announces the completion of Phase II of the Van Andel Institute Education and Medical Research Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A major fixture of Grand Rapid’s “Medical Mile”, the Institute was designed by Viñoly in 1997 as a phased-growth facility, expandable and adaptable to meet the changing needs of its team of elite researchers. Phase II adds 240,000 square feet of new laboratory space as well as innovative environmental and service features that bring the building to the forefront of the health sciences in the 21st century.

Built into a hillside overlooking downtown Grand Rapids, the Van Andel Institute’s dramatic stepped silhouette follows the sloping topography of its scenic site. Inside, terraced floors punctuated by double-height atria are glazed in segmented-arc skylights that allow natural light to flood into the laboratories below. At the heart of the building, the central research space is as functional as it is flexible, with equipment-intensive zones located beneath interstitial service levels for ease of maintenance on each floor, and  laboratory benches that have been transformed into mobile lab stations, complete with integrated task lighting, power/data management systems, and vacuum and specialty gas piping. Connecting the laboratories, brightly lit public corridors and stairwells encourage chance interactions among researchers, while on the lower floors, light- and vibration-sensitive spaces—including a 325-seat auditorium and imaging spaces—are tucked into the face of the hill, along with loading docks and parking for 35 cars. 

With Phase II, the building has doubled along the line of its vertical concrete service core, which now acts as a central spine embedded in the structure. To the east of the core, three sky-lit floors housing laboratories and administrative offices are cantilevered over the main entrance plaza and lobby; from there, visitors can directly access conference and event spaces, as well as the cafeteria and library. To the west, five more laboratory and administrative floors cascade down the hill, offering researchers and administrators breathtaking views over downtown Grand Rapids and the Grand River beyond.

Phase II is also expected to achieve LEED Gold in 2010. Sunlit labs mean less need for electric lighting, and 13,000 square feet of photovoltaic panels makes up much of the difference. Waterless urinals and a vegetated “green roof” reduce water consumption and runoff; the building itself was constructed in large part from materials extracted or manufactured locally and from recycled materials. Even the site—in a dense urban area, on a former brownfield site, with little disruption to the surrounding natural habitat—adds to VAI’s green credentials.

The Van Andel Institute Education and Medical Research Facility is one more addition to Rafael Viñoly’s already impressive portfolio of institutional projects for the healthcare industry including Stanford University Medical Center, University of Chicago Medical Center, University of California San Francisco, University of Pennsylvania Health System, the National Institutes of Health and Princeton University.

About Rafael Viñoly Architects
Founded in New York in 1983, Rafael Viñoly Architects now also has offices in London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the United Arab Emirates. Internationally known for architectural projects around the globe, the firm has designed many landmark cultural and civic complexes as well as institutional buildings and master plans. Over the past quarter century, the practice has continually demonstrated its ability to reinvent institutional typologies and integrate the public realm into civic buildings.
The unusually diverse work the firm has completed includes award-winning courthouses, museums, performing arts centers, convention centers, athletic facilities, banks, hotels, laboratories, recreational venues, residential commissions, and commercial, industrial and educational facilities. Projects range in scale from laboratory casework to urban design and master planning. The firm has also completed several projects involving the restoration and expansion of large-scale buildings of significant historical and architectural value.
The firm’s staff of over 150 design professionals, including architects, structural engineers, interior designers, computer visualization specialists, model makers, artists, and fabricators, has the capacity, structure, and experience to assume complex projects of any scale.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Fashion School Tries On A New Home In An Old Manhattan Building

A New York fashion college branded as LIM (and formerly known as the Laboratory Institute for Merchandising) has carved out a beautiful new home in one of the city's older buildings at 12 East 53rd Street.  

A full press release follows the photos.

 








BUTLER ROGERS BASKETT ARCHITECTS DESIGNS STATE OF THE ART FACILITY FOR
LIM, THE COLLEGE FOR THE BUSINESS OF FASHION


NEW YORK – Award winning architecture firm Butler Rogers Baskett (BRB) has created a new, state of the art facility for LIM, the College for the Business of Fashion, in the heart of midtown Manhattan, just steps away from Fifth Avenue. The gut renovation of this 1880, 6-story townhouse-school at 12 East 53rd Street creates an important presence for the College in the heart of some of the city’s most fashionable retailing.  Established in 1939, LIM grants bachelor of business degrees in fashion marketing, management and visual merchandising. 

Due to their unique status as the only institution in the United States committed to providing specialized education focused on the business side of the fashion industry, LIM wanted a strong connection between the students’ academic training and their future professions in the fashion industry.  “We wanted to make every square foot of the design part of the learning experience,” Barbara Zieve, BRB’s Design Director says, “and an expression of LIM’s mission. That meant that the design itself had to be both the creative expression and a component of the LIM educational experience.”

Program areas included fashion studios, classrooms, computer labs, student and faculty lounges, and offices for administration and for student and academic affairs. The challenge for BRB was to create a “hip”, creative environment on a modest budget that would remedy the architectural changes made throughout the school’s 30-year evolution in this location.

After many years of accommodating change in an ad hoc manner, the townhouse was in need of updating. What was originally built as a private residence with a gracious interior incorporating high-ceiling spaces was, over time, divided into smaller rooms devoted to classrooms and offices, all with suspended acoustical ceilings, poor lighting, and little natural daylight, giving it a claustrophobic, inward-focused feeling. BRB’s goal was to perceptually increase the sizes of spaces, investing meaning and levels of importance to key areas throughout the building.

On the ground floor, BRB created a multifunctional, public space that could be used for 75-person lectures, fashion shows, and fashion industry social events. A 20’-0” long, sliding, red lacquer millwork door with a clear glass, elliptically-shaped window is designed to separate the student entrance from the multipurpose room when needed and is one of the key “image-defining” objects in the new design. The development of this elliptical shape has evolved into the school’s newly branded logo and is a theme used throughout the building to identify and reinforce areas of importance. 

To meet the challenge of narrow, vertically stacked floors in this 6-story townhouse, “way finding” became an important central theme. What had been an 8’-0” ceiling height in the main corridors and classrooms is now transformed into a studio loft experience with the original exposed, 16’-0”high concrete beam ceilings and light fixtures such as the large, round, illuminated globe light fixtures in the corridors.  In addition, each floor’s identity is characterized by a different color theme with memorable moments of display are located at each corridor terminus and at each floor entry.

The main student circulation is the open central stair, which is much used and thus promotes communication and interaction. To encourage that flow, the two student lounges are located at opposite poles, on the ground and top floors.  A highlight of the renovated space is LIM’s “Vertical Timeline”. Archival photos that tell the story of where fashion – and LIM – were in each decade from the 1930’s onward have been placed on each floor of the townhouse’s sweeping center staircase accompanied by a quote that captures the spirit of the times.  These are classic reminders of the heights of fashion and business achievement, two themes central to LIM’s mission.

About Butler Rogers Baskett Architects
Butler Rogers Baskett (BRB) is a New York-based architectural firm specializing in the design of facilities for institutions of higher education and independent schools, professional and corporate office interiors, sports and club facilities, and specialty retail and historic preservation projects.

BRB’s educational practice is committed to a sustainable future. Because their clients are building for future generations, BRB promotes quality construction and energy efficient high-performing building systems, which, though they may cost more initially, prove to be the prudent choice for the long term. The firm understands that healthy buildings improve learning and promote a greater sense of well being. BRB is excited to see how their advocacy for the natural environment has proven to be contagious, as energy-efficient, and earth friendly building features have become teaching tools and sources of institutional pride. This is an indication that BRB is headed in the right direction, and it reaffirms their commitment to a practice that participates

Website: www.brb.com

About LIM, The College for the Business of Fashion
At LIM, The College for the Business of Fashion, students learn the business of fashion. Since 1939, LIM has been focused on educating tomorrow’s business leaders.  The College grants Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degrees in fashion merchandising, visual merchandising, marketing and management and offers a Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) in Fashion Merchandising. An LIM education combines in-class instruction by professors who are experts in their field with required internships where students gain real-world skills and experience. LIM is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Website: www.limcollege.edu

America's Highest Subway

Don't look down for America's newest Subway -- look up.

No, it's not an underground train -- it's a Subway restaurant, built into a shipping container and now perched atop the naked steel of what will one day be New York's Freedom Tower (also known as One World Trade Center).

The new boxed lunchstand will allow steelworkers to take a break and get some food without having to go all the way back down to the ground.

Check out the video from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey:


Monday, December 21, 2009

Lovers' hearts


Lovers' hearts
Originally uploaded by tai-tetsu
Tokyo Tower lit up in hearts for Christmas.

In recent years in the United States, public buildings like malls and towers and such have been shamed by political correctness into thinking that Christmas, a time of peace and joy, is something to be hidden. It is often masked behind the word "Holiday" before being extinguished altogether.

Fortunately, in countries like Japan and Singapore and Korea, Christmas is embraced and celebrated by all people, Christian and non-Christian.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Slice of Life: Three Starbucks on Four Corners




Take a close look at this photograph from Vancouver, British Columbia and you'll see something interesting.  This is one of the places where there is a Starbucks on the corner opposite another Starbucks.  People who live in the neighborhood say that one of the cafes is a "biker" cafe and the other is for everyone else.  I don't know if "biker" is Canadian for "cyclist" or if they mean rough-and-tumble motorcycle madmen enjoy their lattes at one of these.  The locals also tell me that a third Starbucks is planned for the same intersection and should be open in a few months.

For more on buildings in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the rest of the Pacific Northwest, visit our Pacific Northwest Architecture web site.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

TweetEcho: November 25-December 16, 2009


  1. Architectural follies at MOCA Pacific Design Center -- latimes.com http://ow.ly/Mbx6
  2. The Chicago Architecture Blog: Third Chicago Skyscraper Fire in Three Weeks http://ow.ly/M56b
  3. Romania: The 'Paris of the East': http://ow.ly/M3xo
  4. Video: South Plainfield steel plant readies materials to rebuild World Trade Center: http://ow.ly/M2eS
  5. http://blog.chicagoarchitecture.info/2009/12/aftermath-of-skyscraper-fire.html http://bit.ly/62VrV1
  6. I posted 93 photos on Facebook in the album "Vancouver, British Columbia 7" http://bit.ly/62RYK9
  7. 93 new #Vancouver photographs have been added to the Global Architecture photo pool: http://ow.ly/LX94
  8. New #Vancouver building added: Sunset Plaza : 1111 Beach Avenue http://ow.ly/Kh88
  9. I posted 94 photos on Facebook in the album "Vancouver, British Columbia 6" http://bit.ly/7RVJqe
  10. New #Vancouver building added: The Tallin : 1155 Beach Avenue http://ow.ly/Kh7e
  11. New #Vancouver building added: The Taylor : 550 Taylor Street http://ow.ly/Kh6E
  12. Glamour in Tulsa: The 1925 Mayo Hotel Is Back:http://ow.ly/L6th
  13. The leaning Ocean Tower on South Padre Island will be imploded on Sunday: http://ow.ly/L6jB
  14. Working on another batch of #Vancouver photographs. Over 900 done so far.
  15. Photo Friday: Big Bright Light Show in Rochester, MI - Midwest Guest http://ow.ly/L0Nj
  16. My three best Detroit-area travel secrets - Midwest Guesthttp://ow.ly/L0N6
  17. New #Vancouver building added: The TD Tower : 700 West Georgia Street http://ow.ly/Kh64
  18. New Hope For Tallest Tower in U.S. http://ow.ly/KWeo
  19. I posted 120 photos on Facebook in the album "Vancouver, British Columbia 5" http://bit.ly/83shOL
  20. Added 120 new pictures of the University of British Columbia in #Vancouver to the Global Architecture pool:http://ow.ly/KHvZ
  21. The Elysian Chicago is now officially open: http://ow.ly/KGwL
  22. New #Vancouver building added: The TELUS William Farrell Building : 555 Robson Street http://ow.ly/Kh5i
  23. Second Chicago skyscraper fire in a week. This one killed a woman: http://ow.ly/KBhs
  24. Second Chicago skyscraper fire in a week. This one killed a woman: http://ow.ly/KBg5
  25. Landmark At The Louvre: The Pyramid Turns 20 : NPRhttp://ow.ly/KkbP
  26. Singapore named the world's smartest city: http://ow.ly/KjH1
  27. Chicago architects build gingerbread houses:http://ow.ly/KjBD
  28. New #Vancouver building added: The Terminal City Club Tower : 837 West Hastings Street http://ow.ly/Kh4C
  29. Cityscapes: St. Louis holding competition for new parkland around Saarinen's Gateway Arch http://ow.ly/K1bN
  30. Interesting reading from a Westerner living in #Dubai these days: http://ow.ly/JxQf
  31. Opening of world's tallest tower marks end of #Dubai erahttp://ow.ly/JxyR
  32. Sky-kissing #skyscraper will be #Dubai's sore thumbhttp://ow.ly/Jxxb
  33. #Seattle city hall architect wins AIA gold medal:http://ow.ly/Jxs8
  34. #Vancouver look at #Seattlehttp://ow.ly/Jxql
  35. Now Celebrating | L.A. Modernism - The Moment Blog - NYTimes.com http://ow.ly/JxmJ
  36. We just added another 35 Vancouver, British Columbia pix to our royalty-free stock photo collection: http://ow.ly/Jgb1
  37. WSJ op ed asks if we can finally get over Mies van der Rohe and move on to something more interesting:http://ow.ly/Jv98
  38. I posted 35 photos on Facebook in the album "Vancouver, British Columbia 4" http://bit.ly/8RYGTC
  39. Added new photos of Vancouver, BC to the Global Architecture photo pool on Flickr: http://ow.ly/JgnD
  40. Garrett downsizes: Chicago Spire man rethinks housing planhttp://ow.ly/IHQV
  41. If you have an iPhone, please test our new web app at Towrs.com . Let me know how it works for you.
  42. NYT: Debt Crisis Tests Dubai's Ruler and an Arab Visionhttp://ow.ly/Iv2m
  43. NYT: Court Bars New York Land Takeover for Columbia Expansion http://ow.ly/IuSi
  44. NYT: Fortresses Inspired by West Crumble in a New Chinahttp://ow.ly/IuCr
  45. Photographer detained for taking pictures of the FBI's flashy new Houston building: http://ow.ly/IlFp
  46. I posted 177 photos on Facebook in the album "Vancouver, British Columbia 3" http://bit.ly/5atM01
  47. We've added 170 new royalty-free stock photos of Vancouver skyscrapers and other buildings: http://ow.ly/HYz0
  48. Thanks to Trevor Young for uploading his picture of the Willis Tower to Chicago Architecture Info: http://ow.ly/HUHD
  49. The New York Times is on the Block 37 story:http://ow.ly/HVcJ
  50. Thanks to Thomas Barrat for uploading a picture of the Northern Trust Company Building to the web site:http://ow.ly/HUFB
  51. Thanks to Ian Ferrier for adding his photo of Fuji TV in Tokyo to the web site: http://ow.ly/HUE8
  52. Great pictures of what may be Chicago's craziest profession:http://ow.ly/HQck
  53. Added new free computer wallpapers from British Columbia:http://ow.ly/Hhg5
  54. Added 177 new photos of Vancouver, BC to the Global Architecture photo pool on Flickr: http://ow.ly/HgQB
  55. Dubai Babylon: The glitz, the glamour – and now the gloomhttp://ow.ly/HeQk
  56. Architecture Gone Awry: Houston's 8 Ugliest Buildings -http://ow.ly/HeJj
  57. Gensler Architect boss: CityCenter 'changes the game'http://ow.ly/HeH9
  58. An update and lots of documents about the new residential skyscraper in Chicago's West Loop: http://ow.ly/HdrW
  59. There are 500 photos in the Twin Cities Architecture photo pool: http://ow.ly/CbRP
  60. Williams Tower now LEED Gold certified - HAIF: Houston's Leading Internet Community http://ow.ly/FBMX