Archive for Architecture
Unlike most professional athletes homes that are adorned with gody interiors and tacky trophy displays, this athlete’s home is built with some serious class. An article in the July issue of Architectural Digest has an article on Lance Armstrong’s Austin home. Built with timeless architecture, modern updates, and contemporary furniture, this home is beautiful.
Things I love: the landscaping is amazing.
I love this shot. Since the weather in Austin is nice most of the year, making use of the outdoor space is great. This doesn’t even feel like a patio, I love the thought of drapery and chandeliers for outdoor spaces.
Although the kitchen is pretty masculine, I like the industrial touch with the light pendants. I also like the way the family photos are displayed above the mil work.
I like the way he displays his Tour de France jerseys. Seven years in a row. Wow.
I’m a big fan of soft contemporary design: design with clean lines and simplicity that still is warm. This room epitomizes soft contemporary.
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I can’t wait to visit Dubai someday.
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Clingstone, an unusual mansion on an island in Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay, has survived stormy weathers and high seas for 103 years. It looks kinda creepy and seems like the perfect set for a scary movie or horror film. But I find it fascinating that it hasn’t been destroyed and that it’s still being lived in. It’s a beautiful home by day, but i’m not gonna lie…i’d be freaked out to stay there at night. Here’s the New York Times article and also their Slideshow.
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Student dorms at Utrecht University in Utrecht, Netherlands. By Architectenbureau Marles Rohmer
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I’m excited for a new church outfit I got today from anthropologie.
And I’m debating if I should get this necklace
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An innovative idea proposes to capture the energy expended at the gym and use it to transport people around the rivers of New York City. The River Gym concept is a human-powered floating gym that will provide the user with the one experience that no other gym can provide: floating your workout around Manhattan. Designed by architect Mitchell Joachim and personal trainer Douglas Joachim, this project could bring inspiration to both the morning commute and workout.
The design won the third place in New York Magazine’s 2005 Create a Gym competition, and it is certainly easy to see the appeal of one of these. Obviously, while the design proposal was specific for New York, pretty much any city with access to a river could be filled with these gyms.
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Check out this elegant-looking hotel by Argentinian designer Alexander Lotersztain. It’s called the Limes Hotel and it opened up just a few weeks ago in Brisbane, Australia.
A cool roof-top hang-out spot and cinema.
“I decided to view the hotel in its absolute entirety – considering the intended look and feel, and paying heavy attention to the interiors, furniture, surfaces and finishes, as well as extending my design influence to Limes’ music and drinks list. I went on to give the Limes a “face” by tangibly branding the hotel through its facade – an extension of the Limes logo on a gross scale. By leaving no facet of the hotel to chance, one feels what I can only describe as the “spirit” of Limes when in its presence. A strong feeling within the doors of Limes and a residual impact realised on returning home.”
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Just short of a Drive-in. Beats the heck out of the dungeon basement media room.
The owner of the home is architect Hagy Belzberg, a Harvard graduate (1991) who interned in Frank Gehry’s office. This home was designed by the entire team of his Santa Monica-based, 13-member Belzberg Architects that the now 43-year-old Hagy Belzberg founded in 1997.
Check out a few more pics of this 5,800-square-foot Skyline residence that overlooks Hollywood and downtown LA.
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I was searching through architect websites and came across this amazing firm. Some their work is absolutely gorgeous. Never mind the fact that they have beautiful locations and backdrops… you can’t go wrong with Maui. Here’s one of Kollin/alotmare homes.
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MSN did an article on the World’ Wildest Architecture. Some of these architects think of the craziest things…
Torre Galatea
Figueras, Spain
Salvador Dali Theater Museum in Figueras, Spain
Do I really need to label this?
Sydney Opera House
Sydney, Australia
Designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon with a roof in the shape of a ship at full sail.
Longaberger Co.
Newark, Ohio
This giant basket is home to employees of Longaberger Co., a maker of handcrafted baskets, pottery and ceramics.
Guggenheim Museum
Bilbao, Spain
Architect Frank Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum, located in the port city of Bilbao, to resemble a ship. The project was competed in 1997 for $100 million and features Gehry’s signature curvy, free-form sculptural style. Movie lovers might recognize the building from its cameo appearance in the opening sequence of the 1999 James Bond film, “The World Is Not Enough.”
Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum Minneapolis, Minnesota
I blogged about this earlier. Architect is Frank Gehry.
Casa Batllo
Barcelona, Spain
Architect Antoni Gaudi to remodel this 1877 home in Barcelona, Spain. Completed in 1904, the house has a façade covered in colorful mosaics, with balconies that resemble skulls and first-floor columns that look like human bones.
Residential Car-House
Salzburg, Austria
German architect Markus Voglreiter spent about 1 million euros to build it in 2004. It is a whopping 300 square meters. Constructed of wood and inspired by the VW Beetle, the “Residential Car-House” is thermal-insulated, has an open floor plan and comes equipped with technology to make it energy-efficient.
Ideal Palace of Ferdinand Cheval Hauterives, France
Design by French mail carrier, Ferdinand Cheval, in 1879. He was inspired by the shape of a stone he tripped over one day. It took him 33 years to complete...what a project!
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Nashville, Tenn.
Built at a cost of $37 million, the museum opened in 2001.
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Check out these suped-up house boats. From Wired Magazine:
In the Netherlands, where a quarter of the land is below sea level, the Dutch know that keeping your carpets above high tide requires three basic things: a buoyant foundation, flexible utility pipes, and a leash to tether the house to its property line.
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One of the most iconic mid century (1946) residential works of architecture has been sold. Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House was sold for $16.84 million. Yes, you JCREW lovers, the Kaufmann house was in the backdrop for their Spring 2008 catalog.
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What is a local Utah design blog without highlighting some of the most exciting design/architecture news? I’ve surprised myself by not blogging about this earlier. Frank Gehry–a legendary international architecture–will be designing Lehi’s new sports, entertaining, commercial, and residential development. This is quite exciting. Gehry (an experienced 78-year old) is definitely at the point in his career where he can pick and choose what commissions he wants. My first reaction to this news was, “Utah? Lehi, Ut? What’s so inviting in Lehi, Ut that would entice a world renowned contemporary architecture?” My second reaction was, “How is Lehi, Ut going to accept this? WILL they accept this?”
And then I thought to myself: “You know what, I’ve been to almost every corner of the the United States. I’ve been to Europe several times. I’ve been to Asia several times. I’ve seen a lot. But I have never seen mountains as beautiful as Utah mountains.” That’s what’s enticing Gehry {I like to think for him:)}. In fact, the tall skyscrapers are “inspired by Utah’s natural slot canyons.”
The developer, Brandt Andersen, explains what is to be included in the $2 billion project:
“Current plans call for a mixed-use development on an 85-acre site that includes an amphitheater, a 450- foot high hotel, a shopping center, restaurants, and residences located around a man-made lake that will support wake-surfing and other water sports. There will also be a new, 10,000 seat arena for the Flash.”
I wish I had some renderings or better pictures for the plans so ya’ll could get a better idea, unfortunately all I could find are these block models. Here are some other notable works of Gehry. You tell me, is Lehi ready for this?
Dancing Building
Stata Building
Star Wood Hotel
Weisman Museum
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Wow. That’s all I’ve got to say. India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, is building the world’s first billion (well, 2 billion to be exact) dollar home. They consulted with architecture firms Perkins + Will and Hirsch Bedner Associates and planned the world’s largest and expensive home in downtown Mumbai. The home is a 27-story skyscraper and will be more expensive than any hotel or skyscraper because of the custom features. Unlike a hotel or condominium that replicate fixtures and finishes throughout the floors (same window treatments, door handles…), the Ambani’s propose a difficult task for the designers. They require that no two floors be alike in layout or materials. If crystal or metal is being used on the fifth floor, then it cannot be used on any other floor. The idea is to still use a different materials and architectural elements by adding interest, but also make it flow and be consistent throughout. You can read more about it at Forbes. Here are some pictures:
Exterior
The first six floors are dedicated as garages and parking for the Ambani family, guests, and employess.
Nine elevators dot the lobby floor: Two are designated for parking areas, three for guest quarters, two for the Ambani family residences and two for service. The lobby opens to numerous lounges, reception areas and powder rooms.
This furniture, floors, lines and dark woods of this lounge have a more minimalistic approach than the home’s other lounges.
Ambani’s home features countless lounges, offering Reliance Industries guests a quiet escape. Chandeliers and mirrors are a common feature of these rooms, as are finely woven Indian area rugs.
One of Antilla’s key design themes is the mix of lavish features seen in worldwide homes and elements that are distinctly Indian. The Gingko-leaf sink designs are a good example. Native to India, the leaves in the sinks are shaped in such a way that their stems guide water into the bowl created by the basket of the leaf.
The most striking features of the Antilla ballroom are the crystal chandeliers that will take up approximately 80% of the ceiling. The silver stairways lead to a central landing, behind which two retractable doors can open to display works of art. There is also a stage for entertainment or speeches, with a projection screen behind it. A kitchen, about the same size as the ballroom itself, can service hundreds of guests.
Other perks of the residents include:
-An ice room in the center space, where the Ambanis could sit on a hot Mumbai day to cool off in a man-made snow flurry.
-Yoga and dance studios, changing rooms for men and women, gyms and a solarium with a juice bar fill out the interior space.
-A full-fledged theater, indistinguishable from a cinema. A wine room, snack bar and entertaining space, including couches and tables, fill out the room.
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I’m starting to like this A-Cero (Joaquin Torres Architects) firm in Madrid, Spain. Check this new project out in the Dominican Republic - a luxury residential estate on the Cumayasa river mouth. Amazing curvy shapes.
The main idea is to create a settlement of high environmental quality and low density, which incorporates native vegetation. The landscape design follows a contemporary style that embraces the houses, scattered on a stair pattern, softening the impact of their presence and creating a dynamic appearance to the whole.
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