Zaha Hadid Architects has designed a swirling complex of apartments, offices and leisure facilities on the abandoned site of an old textile factory in Belgrade, Serbia (+ slideshow).

Covering an area of around 94,000 square metres, the Beko complex will give the historic Dorcol quarter a new destination on a site that is just 500 metres from the city centre but is currently unused and inaccessible.

The proposed cluster of building will also accommodate a five-star hotel, a congress centre, galleries and shops, as well as underground parking facilities for visitors and residents.

Zaha Hadid Architects took influence from the twentieth century Modernist architecture that is typical in the capital and combined it with the studio's signature parametric style to design a cluster of buildings that will appear to flow into one another.

"The masterplan follows the region's strong Modernist traditions and has applied new concepts and methods that examine and organize the programs of the site; defining a composition of buildings with the elegance of coherence that addresses the complexity of twenty-first century living patterns," said Zaha Hadid.

The curved walls of the buildings will fold around a series of new squares and gardens. "The design for Beko is embedded within the surrounding landscape of Belgrade’s cultural axis and incorporates essential public spaces," said Hadid.

"It is absolutely critical to invest in these public spaces that engage with the city. They are a vital component of a rich urban life and cityscape, uniting the city and tying the urban fabric together," she added.

Above: the existing site 

The complex will be delivered as part of a £168 million regeneration project that includes a new waterfront public space by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, as well as a new bridge across the Sava river.

Above: the existing site 

The architects will present the detailed proposals at the 2013 Belgrade Design Week, which takes place in June.

Above: the existing site 

Zaha Hadid Architects has also just been selected to design a new national stadium for Japan and completed an art gallery at Michigan State University.

See all our stories about Zaha Hadid Architects »

Here's some more information from the Belgrade Design Week Organisers:

Zaha Hadid regenerates Belgrade’s key historic site

The new contemporary development at the location of the former Beko textile factory, designed by Zaha Hadid, will mark the continuance of Belgrade’s signature "Modernist" movement, which was abruptly discontinued in the 1980s. The new multifunctional complex near Kalemegdan will awaken Belgrade’s spirit of modernism – the iconic style of the Serbian capital in the thirties, fifties and seventies.

Each of these decades was marked by key buildings which are, to this day, the landmarks of Belgrade and the region: The iconic Albania Palace and Radio Belgrade in the Thirties, the entire New Belgrade development with its crown jewel - the Palace of Serbia in the Fifties, Sava Center and the “25th of May” Sports Center in the Seventies… However, the development of such an progressive spirit was brutally cut short with the crisis after the death of Tito in the Eighties and the disintegration of Yugoslavia and the ensuing economic sanctions in the Nineties.

Belgrade went through a difficult struggle in the first decade of the XXI century trying to find its lost path, and now, with joint efforts of private and public investors, in the ‘10’s of the new millennium, the city finally caught an exiting momentum with first designs which are worthy successors of the famous modernist past, such as the “Ada” Bridge, the Port of Sava “Cloud”, the new “BEKO”, the “Center for the Promotion of Science”, Zira, Falkensteiner and Square Nine Hotels, the “Museum of Science and Technology” and the new urban plan for the Port of Belgrade, the “West 57” development... With the new world quality contests, designs and built environment, Belgrade saw also the return of leading global architects such Daniel Libeskind, Boris Podrecca, Wolfgang Tschapeller, Isay Weinfeld, Sou Fujimoto and last but not least Zaha Hadid. The engagement of Santiago Calatrava for a new Belgrade Philharmonic is also announced.

Regardless of opinions about the commission of “starchitects”, Belgrade will become the first city in the South East European region to have a building designed by the arguably world’s most successful architecture studio at the moment: Zaha Hadid Architects from London, UK. A unique multifunctional complex at the location of the former Beko factory at the Danube riverside, jointly with the proposed “Cloud” by the Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto on the adjoining Sava waterfront, will mark the revitalization of an entire area key to Belgrade’s development and history – the Confluence waterfront crescent from Small Kalemegdan to Beton Hala.

Poised to become the city’s new and happening center, the BEKO complex will cover the area of 94,000 square meters and include cutting edge residential spaces, galleries, offices, a five-star hotel, a (much needed for Belgrade) state-of-art congress center, retail spaces and a department store… The residential part will consist of top-quality finishes and building systems and the complex will also include a huge underground parking lot, maintenance service and security. The project is designed as a complex which offers a complete variety of services to the users who live or work there, to hotel guests and visitors. The immediate vicinity to the confluence riverside, with the pedestrian connection to the "Cloud", will contribute to never before seen residential conditions in Belgrade, almost comparable to seaside marinas. In fact, this currently abandoned part of the city, will infuse a completely new life to the historical quarter of Dorcol - daily visitors, residents and tenants will be able to walk from the modern complex by a new planned bridge to Novak Djokovic’s adjacent tennis club and all the other recreational contents of the 25th May Sports Centre and then continue the pedestrians and bicycle paths to the restaurants and bars in the Beton Hala and Savamala area.

The Greek company Lamda Development bought the BEKO factory building and the plot in 2007, for EUR 55.8 million at a public auction.

Having in mind the complexity of the project, the new innovative materials and cutting edge systems which will be used during the construction, the total investment is expected to exceed EUR 200 million. From the beginning of the project planning to the realization of the project more than 2000 people will be involved, while the complex will permanently create about 1000 new jobs from all sorts of professions.

This complex will certainly set new standards in the Serbian and SEE market primarily living standards, but also in the field of architecture and construction. Considering several solutions by invited leading global architectural bureau, Lamda development finally chose the proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects. Thanks to the experience in constructing modern buildings in the vicinity of historic buildings and pushing the boundaries of architecture and urban planning, Zaha Hadid’s projects have become recognized all over the world. The main idea of the Zaha Hadid’s signature style, Parametricism, is introducing fluid forms into architecture, the forms and shapes existing in nature, in the flora and fauna. The buildings designed by Zaha Hadid transcend construction stereotypes: there are no rigid forms, no straight lines, no symmetry, no repetition, no standard function-based divisions of space. The buildings look different from every angle, the forms are round and fluid and the space is not segmented, it flows seamlessly from one room to another.

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News: a team made up of architecture firms OMA, Hassell and Populous has been selected to redevelop Sydney's convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour (+ slideshow).

Above: International Convention Centre

The Destination Sydney team, lead by developers Lend Lease, were today announced as the winning bidders with their plans to create a 40,000-square-metre exhibition centre, a red-carpet entertainment venue, a 900-room hotel and a new residential neighbourhood.

Dutch architects OMA will work alongside Hassell of Sydney, international firm Populous and Australian architects Denton Corker Marshall to deliver the 20-hectare masterplan, adding the new leisure complex to the north of Pier Street and new residential neighbourhood The Haymarket on the site of the existing Sydney Entertainment Centre and car park.

Above: the theatre

"This project will redefine Sydney as a global city and create one of the world’s great meeting and entertainment destinations," commented Destination Sydney's chief executive Malcolm Macintyre. "Not only will it become a beacon for international visitors for conventions and events but will also build on the appeal of the Darling Harbour area for Sydney-siders creating an entertainment hub that promises to reconnect and re-energise the city."

A phased redevelopment will see the existing Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre close in December 2013, while the current Sydney Entertainment Centre will remain open until December 2015. Construction is set to complete in late 2016.

Above: The Haymarket neighbourhood by Denton Corker Marshall

Darling Harbour sit adjacent to Sydney's city centre and has established itself as a centre for entertainment on the western edge of the central business district. Other recent developments in the area include an office complex that was awarded at the World Architecture Festival.

OMA have completed a number of projects over the last year, including the China Central Television Headquarters in Beijing and the headquarters of the Rothschild Bank in London.

See all our stories about OMA »

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News: the Kenyan government has commenced work on Konza Technology City, a £9.1 billion IT and business hub dubbed "Africa's Silicon Savannah".

Above and top: Konza Techno City Exhibition Platform by SHoP Architects

Located almost 40 miles south-east of the capital Nairobi, Konza Technology City is expected to create more than 20,000 IT jobs by 2015, and around 200,000 jobs by the time it's completed in 2030.

The 2011-hectare site will have a residential area comprising around 37,000 homes to accommodate 185,000 people.

Above: Konza Techno City Exhibition Platform by SHoP Architects

Over 600 hectares of Konza will be marked off as green corridors, and Kenya Wildlife Conservancy has pledged to safeguard the ecology of the surrounding savannah.

"It is expected to spur massive trade and investment as well as create thousands of employment opportunities for young Kenyans," said Kenya's president Mwai Kibaki at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Above: earlier visual concept for Konza by Pell Frischmann

The project, which is part of the government's Vision 2030 initiative to improve the Kenya's infrastructure, is also set to include a university campus, hotels, schools, hospitals and research facilities.

See more images and find out more about the masterplan by Manhattan-based firm SHoP Architects in our updated story on Konza Techno City.

Above: earlier plan for Konza Technology City by Pell Frischmann

We recently reported on a high-density, car-free city for 80,000 people being built from scratch in rural China, while a South Korean firm has developed a system of concrete modules for building the country's answer to California's Silicon Valley.

Above: the site for Konza

Other major masterplans around the world we've featured include a new district to double the size of Moscow and the redesign of the huge Futian District of Shenzhen, China.

See all news about masterplans »
See all projects from Africa »

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Manhattan-based firm SHoP Architects has sent us a movie and more images illustrating its masterplan for Konza Techno City, a new "silicon" city 40 miles from Kenya's capital Nairobi (+ movie).

Above: entry plaza

Work is already underway on the pavilion that forms part of the first phase of SHoP Architects' masterplan for Konza Techno City, a business and technology hub that's been dubbed Kenya's "silicon savannah", as we reported last week.

Above: university campus

The $14.5 billion project will transform an area of grassland into a city of 250,000 residents. The city is expected to generate up to 200,000 jobs by the time its final phase is completed in 2030.

Above: business district

The first phase, to be built over five years, will house 30,000 residents and be shaped like a row of "stitches" in the overall masterplan, the architects told Dezeen.

Above: technology and life sciences district

The east-west axis of the first phase includes a boulevard of green spaces with bridges over the wide motorway leading to Nairobi.

Above: Konza Techno City pavilion

The four initial north-south axes will comprise, from west to east, a university, a residential area, a technology and life sciences district and a business district.

Above: Konza Techno City pavilion entrance

The stitch pattern is designed as a framework for the later growth of the city, which will be made up of criss-crossing horizontal and vertical bands.

Above: Konza Techno City pavilion entrance

The areas between bands are less specifically planned and are designed to allow for market-driven growth.

Above: masterplan structure

SHoP Architects took over the masterplan after the Kenyan government rejected an earlier proposal by UK-based firm Pell Frischmann, some images from which we included in the launch of Konza Techno City last week.

Above: phase one

SHoP Architects is the firm behind the Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn, New York, which includes a 32-storey residential tower set to be the world's tallest modular building and the Barclays Center, a 19,000-seat indoor sports arena that opened last year.

Above: green spaces in phase one – click above for larger image

Other masterplans we've reported on recently include the redevelopment of Darling Harbour in Sydney by architecture firms OMA, Hassell and Populous and a plan to redesign Futian District in Shenzhen, China, as a "garden city".

Above: phase one programme – click above for larger image

See all masterplans »
See all architecture by SHoP Architects »

Above: Konza Techno City pavilion model

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by SHoP Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled designs for a complex of towers in Bratislava's city centre (+ slideshow).

The architects won a competition in 2010 to design the mixed-use masterplan, which proposes seven curving tower blocks surrounding a public plaza in the east of the Slovakian capital.

A decommissioned coal-fire power station sits at the centre of the site and will be converted into an art gallery as part of the project, while a series of additional pavilions will be constructed alongside.

The plans are laid out as a network of circular and elliptical patterns, with pathways weaving between residential and commercial buildings, plus landscaped seating areas stepping up over the rooftops of shop units.

An underground parking area will be included on a basement floor and will be accessed by raised entrances around the site perimeter.

Also this month, Zaha Hadid has been appointed by the Mayor of London to develop plans for a major new airport and launched a range of twisting auditorium seats. See more design by Zaha Hadid.

Here's a project description from Zaha Hadid Architects:

Bratislava Culenova New City Centre

The design is based on a dynamic field strategy which organises the new city centre's program along a gradient of circular and elliptical patterns. A fluid field emerges from the underlying matrix in a series of larger tower extrusions towards the site's perimeter and intermediate scale pavilion-like structures surrounding the cultural plaza adjacent to an existing decommissioned power station.

Above: building design diagram

To activate the ground throughout the whole site and provide public spaces of the highest quality, the underground car parking is covered by a one storey high modulated platform, which is perforated at strategic points for day-lit spaces that accommodate retailing, landscaped parks and various points of interest such as the cultural centre, museum shop, conference space and event halls.

Above: landscape design diagram

Towards the site's perimeter the platform is slightly raised at specific points to define the site's edge and accommodate programmatic points of interest, access points to the parking levels below and access to office and residential towers above. At other strategic zones, the platform lowers to merge with the surrounding city level to link the new urban parks and plazas with the surrounding city fabric.

Above: concept masterplan - click for larger image

The scheme creates density via efficient high-rise structures while providing a generous and highly activated ground level with public spaces that are gradually differentiated within a 3-dimensional field condition.

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by Zaha Hadid Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Manhattan studio SHoP Architects has designed a masterplan of hollow skyscrapers surrounded by gardens for the site of the former Domino Sugar refinery in Brooklyn.

Working alongside landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, SHoP Architects has planned a mixed-use complex that includes the renovation of the nineteenth century factory, five new buildings, plus a series of public parks, gardens and sports fields.

The plans replace earlier proposals by Rafael Viñoly for the historic site, which started production as a sugar factory in 1856 but has been out of use since 2004. Viñoly's proposals proved unpopular with local residents, so developer Two Trees commissioned an alternative that would offer taller buildings but more public spaces.

"If you're standing next to a 400-foot tall building or a 600-foot tall building, you have no idea," SHoP principal Vishaan Chakrabarti told New York magazine Curbed. "But if a 600-foot building means that you get a park where your kid can graduate, that means something to you."

The tallest building in the scheme is a 180-metre tower, which will be positioned beside the Williamsburg Bridge to the south. Other structures will be shorter in height, relating to the scale of buildings to the north and east, and will include a tower with a rectangular void through its middle and a school at its base, plus a 600-unit apartment building. The old factory will be transformed into offices for technology companies and the creative industries.

The developer plans to push ahead with the project this year and is organising community meetings in the upcoming weeks.

SHoP Architects has worked on a number of high-profile projects recently. The team completed the Barclays sports arena in Brooklyn in September and is also developing a masterplan for a new "silicon" city in Kenya.

New York-based James Corner Field Operations is best known for its role on the High Line, an elevated park on an abandoned railway.

Here's some more explanation from SHoP Architects:

With Two Trees Management Company, SHoP and Field Operation's masterplan for the Domino Sugar site replaces a city-approved 2010 plan with a new proposal that adds 60% more publicly-accessible open space on a new, highly accessible street grid; provides for a new 24/7 mix of office, residential, neighborhood retail, community facilities while retaining original commitments for affordable housing; and a new form of open architecture that connects the existing neighborhood to the new quarter-mile waterfront.

Most strikingly, the plan envisions a new skyline for Brooklyn—one that relates to the height of the Williamsburg bridge to the south and scales down to meet the lower buildings across Kent Avenue to the east. Central to the scheme is the renovated Domino Sugar refinery building, which will become the nerve center of the project as a new office building across from a new public space, Domino Square.

The new surrounding buildings are porous, featuring large openings that allow light and air to penetrate through the site and into the neighborhood beyond. While exuberant on the skyline similar to new architecture being built around the world, the buildings responsibly meet the ground and the Williamsburg Street grid.

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News: Rem Koolhaas' studio OMA has been selected to masterplan a business and residential development linking the city of Doha in Qatar with the new Hamad International Airport.

Called Airport City, OMA's 10-square-kilometre masterplan comprises four districts along a "green spine" running parallel with the airport's runways.

The spine of public spaces, gardens and plazas will connect the business and logistics districts with an aviation district and a residential area adjacent to the new Doha Bay Marina.

The first phase of the 30-year masterplan is expected to be complete by 2022, when Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup.

OMA co-founder Rem Koolhaas said: "[The project] is perhaps the first serious effort anywhere in the world to interface between an international airport and the city it serves."

The competition team was led by OMA partners Iyad Alsaka, Reinier de Graaf, Rem Koolhaas and OMA associate Katrin Betschinger in collaboration with engineering consultants WSP.

OMA recently revealed designs for a department store in Kuwait City inspired by the galleries of a traditional Arab market – see all architecture by OMA.

Dezeen filmed a series of interviews with Koolhaas during the OMA/Progress show at London's Barbican centre in 2011 and an introduction to the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture he's working on in Moscow.

Other masterplans we've reported on lately include SHoP Architects' cluster of hollow skyscrapers for New York City and a complex of residential towers in Bratislava by Zaha Hadid – see all masterplans.

Here's more information from OMA:

OMA masterplans Airport City for HIA Airport in Doha, Qatar

After winning an international competition, OMA has been announced as masterplanners for Airport City, a new 10 sq km development where 200,000 people will live and work, linking the new Hamad International Airport with the city of Doha, Qatar. OMA's masterplan is a series of four circular districts along a spine parallel to the HIA runways, intended to create a strong visual identity and districts with unique identities. Phase One of the 30-year masterplan, which links airside and landside developments for business, logistics, retail, hotels, and residences, will be mostly complete in time for the 2022 World Cup, hosted by Qatar.

Rem Koolhaas commented: "We are delighted and honored to participate in the exciting growth of Doha, in a project that is perhaps the first serious effort anywhere in the world to interface between an international airport and the city it serves."

Partner-in-charge Iyad Alsaka commented: "Doha's Airport City is an important addition to the realisation of OMA's work in urbanism and will incorporate unprecedented transport planning opportunities; we look forward to collaborating with the HIA to meet the objectives of this ambitious project."

Each district of Airport City will be unique within the masterplan's overall identity. The Business District will centre on a major new transport hub linking with greater Doha; the Aviation Campus will accommodate office headquarters and educational facilities for aviation authorities; the Logistics District will provide cargo and warehousing facilities; and the Residential District, adjacent to the new Doha Bay Marina, will accommodate future employees. A Green Spine connects the districts, echoing their individual identities as it runs north-south. The landscaping scheme, developed by Michel Desvigne, is a new public space for Doha that will be used by residents and tourists. A network of public spaces, gardens and plazas will stretch across the site, surrounded by a "Desert Park".

The competition team was led by OMA partners Iyad Alsaka, Reinier de Graaf, Rem Koolhaas and OMA Associate Katrin Betschinger in collaboration with engineering consultants, WSP. The Airport City masterplan and development of its individual elements is being led by Partner-in-charge Iyad Alsaka, Project Director Slavis Poczebutas and Associate Katrin Betschinger. Before the 2022 World Cup, Airport City infrastructure and utilities will be completed along with the Western Taxiway and Aircraft Parking System adjacent to the HIA 2nd runway, the HIA Visa Building, and the visual concept planning of the future transport hub.

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Construction is now underway on a Zaha Hadid-designed cultural complex on the edge of a lake in Changsha, China (+ movie).

The project, which broke ground in October, features an 1800-seat theatre, a contemporary art museum and a smaller multi-purpose venue. Each building is planned as a grouping of petal-shaped volumes that curve around one another to create a central plaza and a series of connecting lawns, terraces and pathways.

Zaha Hadid Architects won a competition in 2011 to masterplan the site, which sits opposite Festival Island on the edge of Meixi Lake. As part of the project, the architects will add two pedestrian bridges leading over to the island.

The Grand Theatre will be the largest of the three buildings and will positioned at the entrance to the site, while the smaller 500-seat venue is to be positioned opposite and will open out to a sunken courtyard lined with shops and restaurants.

The museum is planned for the edge of Meixihu Road and will feature a central atrium that separates to form three wings. On one side, the gallery will lead out to an external plaza for use as a sculpture exhibition area or as a temporary event space.

Zaha Hadid Architects has been working on a number of other projects in China. The firm completed the mixed-use Galaxy Soho complex at the end of 2012 and is also racing to complete the Wangjing Soho complex before a rival developer that has pirated the design.

Other recent masterplans by Zaha Hadid Architects include a cluster of towers in Bratislava's city centre and the redevelopment of an old textile factory in Belgrade. See more architecture and design by Zaha Hadid.

Other radical proposals for Changsha include a shape-shifting "transformer building" and plans to construct the world's tallest building. See more architecture in China.

Here's some extra information from Zaha Hadid Architects:

Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Art Centre

The International Culture & Arts Centre embodies a unique variety of civic nodes and spaces: A Grand Theatre, a Contemporary Art Museum, a Multipurpose Hall and supporting facilities. The central plaza is generated by the relative position of these separate buildings and offers a strong urban experience whereby the flow of pedestrian visitors that come from all sides of the site intersect and meet. In parallel it also stretches outwards to the neighbouring streets with unfettered and phenomenal views across Meixi lake with access towards Festival Island.

The Grand Theatre is the focal point of the Changsha International Culture & Arts Centre. It is the largest performance venue in the city with a total capacity of 1800 seats. Designed to host world-standard performances the building contains will contain all the necessary front of house functions, such as lobbies, cloakrooms, bars, restaurants, and VIP hospitality, as well as the required ancillary functions, such as administration, rehearsal rooms, backstage logistics, dressing and make-up rooms, and wardrobe.

The Museum's composition of three fluid petals around its internal central atrium, juxtaposes of the various patchworks of gallery spaces in a truly seamless fashion. With outward views and balconies to its exteriors, it aims to engage the site's unique location and surrounding views into some of its gallery spaces. An external plaza which faces Meixi Lake Road allows for outdoor sculptures, exhibitions and events to be extended to an expansive outdoor space.

The Small Theatre (Multipurpose Hall) is characterised by its flexibility. With a maximum capacity of 500 seats, it can be adapted and transformed to different configurations. It can therefore accommodate a broad range of functions and shows that span from banquets and commercial events to small plays, fashion shows and music. A commercial attraction, this venue shares seamless public access to retail areas and restaurant facilities, which are seated in an open and gently sunken courtyard linking visitors to and from the basement level.

Although these civic institutions are uniquely defined and separate, they supply each other in all respects within its setting with plazas offering visitors a tapestry-like sequence of urban ambiances that relate to the different institutions, inject the site with urban vitality. The working hours of the different venues also overlap to ensure continuity during the full 24 hour cycle; Operated during the evening, the Grand Theatre becomes active as the Museum begins to conclude its day-time operations whilst the Small theatre and retail/restaurants would be commercially available day and night. In this regard, they benefit from each other’s vicinity, ensuring that the site is lively 24 hours a day. This dynamic composition further establishes a powerful relationship with its surroundings, which confers monumentality to the ensemble.

Embodying values of functionality, elegance and innovation, the Changsha Meixi Lake International Culture & Arts Centre aims to become the new cultural and civic node for the city of Changsha, and well as global cultural destination.

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and Art Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

Dutch office MVRDV and French architects de Alzua+ have won a competition to re-masterplan the French town of Villeneuve d'Ascq and are proposing a building that cantilevers over a motorway.

As the first phase in a wider redevelopment programme, the mixed-use complex is intended to signify the presence of the town to passing drivers. At present a number of oversized shopping malls are the only thing visible from the motorway, so the architects wanted to create a visual reference for the town centre.

Buildings are to be arranged around a series of grassy courtyards and will contain shops, offices and a new hotel. Surface parking areas that currently occupy the site will be relocated underground, freeing up space for pedestrian pathways.

MVRDV and de Alzua+ are progressing the plans alongside development corporation ADIM Nord. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2015.

MVRDV has completed a number of projects in recent months, including a shop and office complex disguised as an old farmhouse and a public library inside a glass pyramid. See more architecture by MVRDV.

Here's a project description from MVRDV:

MVRDV win Competition with 'The Beam', Marking the Urban Renewal of Villeneuve d'Ascq, France

Development corporation ADIM Nord with MVRDV and de Alzua+ have been announced the winners of an urban renewal competition in the French town of Villeneuve d'Ascq, beating four other entries. The masterplan for a crucial site in the town centre adjacent to an inner city motorway, is the starting point of a wider regeneration of the area's public space. An iconic building, The Beam, will hover over the motorway signalling urban renewal and acting as visual reference point for the town's centre. A hotel, offices and retail space, totalling 15.000 m2, will be built on the site of a former petrol station, with construction expected to start in 2015.

Villeneuve d'Ascq is a new town located near Lille in the very north of France. The Beam will be icon of a larger urban generation effort in the town centre which is currently characterised by parking lots, large volumes and undefined green spaces. On an urban level the masterplan aims at a more sustainable form of development by densifying the town centre and adding identity and diversity to the site. The creation of pedestrian zones, and the demarcation and connection of the existing green spaces together also form part of the plan.

The parking spaces on the main square will be relocated into a 274 space underground car park on the new site. The adjacent buildings, which face away from the site will be extended to form urban blocks; each with a green patio at its centre. At the corner of the inner city motorway and the service road leading towards the main square of Villeneuve d'Ascq, The Beam will create an address for the town centre on the motorway.

The site, one of the few places visible from this sunken dual-carriageway, allows the town centre to be visible to drivers passing by. The project is currently under development and will contain offices, a hotel and some retail space with a total area of around 15,000 m2, and the underground car park offering 274 parking spaces. The team ADIM with MVRDV and co-architect Jérôme de Alzua beat four competitors in a competition organised by Commune de Villeneuve d'Ascq.

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and de Alzua+ appeared first on Dezeen.

News: Dutch firm OMA is to masterplan a new urban development south of Bordeaux based around the extension of the local tram system.

OMA's design will regenerate the neighbourhoods of Bègles and Villenave d'Orno as the new line introduces a connection to Bordeaux's central station.

"We took the tramway extension as an opportunity to rebuild this part of the city," said OMA associate and project leader Clement Blanchet, who has proposed moving the line back from the main thoroughfare.

"By shifting the tramline from its previously planned location, we create potential for new types of housing and commercial development," he said.

The firm will work on the public space alongside the line over the next five years in collaboration with landscape architect Coloco.

OMA has also been working on a masterplan for 50,000 new housing units in Bordeaux, while other projects by the firm currently underway in France include the École Centrale school of engineering in Saclay, near Paris – see all architecture by OMA.

Last year we filmed a series of movies with OMA's Reinier de Graaf looking at "masterpieces by bureaucrats", while a previous trio of Dezeen movies features the firm's head Rem Koolhaas discussing the OMA exhibition at the Barbican in 2011.

Elsewhere in Bordeaux, work started this week on a football stadium by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, while French designer Philippe Starck recently unveiled a prototype bicycle designed for a free cycle scheme in the city – see all projects in Bordeaux.

Images are by OMA.

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News: Danish firm BIG has been selected to design an 80-hectare shopping and leisure complex with a park on its roof to serve a business district between two Paris airports.

EuropaCity will be located in the Triangle de Gonesse – an area southwest of Charles de Gaulle International Airport and north of the smaller Le Bourget Airport – and themed around the diverse cultures of the European continent.

"We propose to integrate the new facility in the surrounding business district as an urban form that combines dense city with open landscape," said BIG, referring to the grassy parkland that will cover the structure.

A mix of retail and entertainment offerings will be arranged along a circular, looping avenue, with bicycle lanes and electric public transport – seen in the image below as small white pods – enabling visitors to get around.

BIG also proposes to make EuropaCity a showcase for sustainable technology by using waste heat from cooling plants to heat swimming pools, recycling waste water to irrigate the parks and installing solar, wind and geothermal energy.

The masterplan was chosen from a shortlist of four, including Valode & Pistre, Manuelle Gautrand and Snøhetta, by the property subsidiary of French retail chain Auchan.

BIG was one of 12 international firms recently shortlisted to design a new headquarters and visitor centre for the Nobel Prize in Stockholm, Sweden, while earlier in the year the studio was appointed to lead the redesign of the Smithsonian Institution campus in Washington DC – see all architecture by BIG.

Other projects recently announced in France include a masterplan for the south of Bordeaux by Dutch firm OMA and an apartment tower in Montpellier with rippling floor plates – see all architecture in France.

Images are by BIG.

Here's some more information from BIG:

EuropaCity will offer on an unprecedented scale a mix of retail, culture and leisure around a defining theme: Europe, its diversity, its urban experiences and its cultures. The site is exceptionally well connected: Locally as a main node on the Grand Paris Express Metro, regionally as entrance gate to the metropolitan area of Ile de France and internationally with its direct connection to the second largest airport in Europe. We propose to integrate the new facility in the surrounding business district as an urban form that combines dense city with open landscape, exploring the urban and green potentials of the site at once.

The programmes of EuropaCity are organised along an internal circular avenue with a mix of retail, entertainment and cultural programmes on both sides. The avenue forms a loop travelling through five different areas themed as the various regions of Europe, becoming the Rambla, the Regent Street and the Champs Elysees of EuropaCity. Along the avenue bicycles and electric public transport bring visitors around and a line of trees transform gradually from Birches in the North, Pines in the east, palm trees in the south and Platans in the west. The circular avenue creates a variety of spatial experiences and a clear overview - it allows you to get lost, and still find your way.

We propose to arrange the programmes according to energy and resource use, in order to maximise utilisation of waste products within a closed urban ecosystem. Waste heat is channelled from cooling plants into recreation facilities as swimming pools and spas. Waste water is re-used as irrigation for the parks, and urban scale recycling facilities minimise overall waste production. The five regions of Europe have a different ways of harvesting renewable energy, from solar power to wind and geothermal energy. EuropaCity becomes a laboratory for sustainable technologies, and a showcase for viable green tech implementations that does not only save energy, but also improves the quality of the urban environment.

Partner in charge: Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen
Project leader: Joao Albuquerque, Gabrielle Nadeau
Team: Maren Allen, David Tao, Salvador Palanca, Marcos Bano, Lucian Racovitan, Ryohei Koike, Camille Crépin, Elisa Wienecke, Léna Rigal, Paolo Venturella, Tiina Liis Juuti, Jeff Mikolajewski.

Name: EuropaCity
Type: Invited Competition
Size: 80 Hectare
Client: Groupe Auchan
Collaborators: Tess, TransSolar, Base, Transitec, Michel Forgue

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on Paris outskirts appeared first on Dezeen.

Dutch firm MVRDV has won a design competition for a new business district in Shanghai, which is already under construction near the city's Hongqiao Airport.

MVRDV's masterplan covers a 4.5 hectare site at the intersection of Shenhai Express Way and Shenbin Road. Straddling two sides of the junction, the new Central Business District will comprise a large southern plot and a smaller northern plot, which together will accommodate ten office towers and an underground shopping centre designed by architecture firm Aedas.

Sunken plazas are proposed for both sites, creating pedestrian zones that are sheltered from the busy roads. Wide stairs will be added to create informal seating areas, plus the larger of the two plazas will be surrounded by the windows of the new shopping centre.

Entrances to the shopping centre will also be added at ground level in the form of two giant glass cubes.

Nine of the office buildings will be located on the southern plot. Each will be between five and nine storeys in height and will feature rounded edges to create streamlined shapes.

The tenth office block is planned for the northern plot and is conceived as a cluster of four connected towers that the architects describe as "flower shaped". A series of cultural facilities will be housed in the lowest floors of this building.

MVRDV will use indigenous plants to give every building a green roof, while the flower building will feature a rooftop jogging track.

The Central Business District is set to complete in 2015.

Other recent masterplans by MVRDV include a square-shaped peninsula in the Dutch city of Almere and a district beside a motorway in the French town of Villeneuve d'Ascq. See more architecture by MVRDV.

Here are more details from the architects:

MVRDV start construction of business district at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport after winning competition

Sincere Property, MVRDV and Aedas have started construction on a Central Business District at Shanghai's mostly domestic airport Hongqiao. The 4.5ha site is located near Hongqiao Airport train station at the corner of Shenhai Express Way and Shenbin Road. The plan comprises ten office towers, an underground shopping centre, cultural program, parking and a sunken plaza which will bring a more intimate form of urban life into an area currently dominated by large boulevards and urban expressways. The project's completion is planned for 2015.

Just weeks after winning the competition, construction has already started on this urban masterplan for an office and retail centre near the fourth busiest airport in mainland China. The 4.5ha site is divided into a small northern plot of 8,409 m2 and a larger southern plot. The team won the competition with highly energy-efficient architecture combined with an intimate urban plan which allows for pedestrian-friendly spaces.

The 110,000m2 offices are divided into ten towers in total: nine office towers on the southern plot ranging from five to nine floors, facilitating rental to different sized companies. The towers are flexibly designed to contain one or more companies. On the northern plot, the tops of four towers will merge into one building, forming a flower shaped landmark of four floors, cantilevered high above the ground.

The 47,000m2 retail space will be located partly on the ground floor and partly along a sunken plaza sheltered from vehicle traffic. Two glass cubes mark the entrances to the shopping centre and are part of the neighbourhood's pedestrian route, which meanders through the site. The shopping centre is designed by Aedas. On both plots a spacious sunken plaza features wide stairs that can be used as seating, allowing cultural events to be hosted on the site.

Facade area has been minimized by introducing round cornered towers which, together with the continuous 50,5% transparency stone façade, leads to an efficient energy consumption. The façade presents a subtle shifted grid with a delicate bamboo forest reference. The self shading shape of the flower building has lead to a façade with smaller openings on the upper floors for efficient energy consumption. Hidden hatches next to the windows allow for natural ventilation.

The ground floor of the flower building is reserved for 1.790 m2 of cultural program. A 55.000m2 parking garage is located underneath the shopping centre.

The Hongqiao CBD will reach three stars, the highest ranking of the Chinese 'Green Building Label'. Sustainable building features that will be used include high performance insulation, optimised building forms, shaded spaces, natural ventilation, rainwater collection, permeable road surfaces, links to public transport and a reduction in the urban heat island effect. Nine office towers will feature green roofs growing local plant species and the flower building will offer a sky garden with a continuous jogging path.

MVRDV was selected from a competition with 3 competitors to design the business park. The shopping centre is designed by Aedas. Completion is planned for 2015.

In 2003 MVRDV realised the successful Unterföhring. Park Village office campus near Munich in which urban intimacy was introduced into a large, business park environment.

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Hongqiao Airport by MVRDV with Aedas appeared first on Dezeen.

News: architects Broadway Malyan have been chosen to masterplan a new 196-hectare residential and commercial district south of Kuala Lumpur.

Bandar Malaysia will be built on the site of a former international airport approximately five kilometres south of Kuala Lumpur city centre.

Broadway Malyan's masterplan, which was selected from a shortlist of six, will include a commercial district, cultural buildings and residential areas, including sustainable and affordable housing.

The firm was appointed to the project by 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a development company owned by the Malaysian government.

1MDB chief executive officer Dato' Azmar Talib said the project was part of a national vision to make Kuala Lumpur one of the world's most habitable cities.

"Bandar Malaysia will be an inclusive, public transit-oriented city that is designed as a walkable community through a series of safe, secure and pleasant pedestrian and cycling networks, set against a backdrop of well-articulated open spaces and greenery," he said.

"[The] concept masterplan provides a strong foundation for the next stage, which is to further develop Bandar Malaysia to become the benchmark for sustainability and livability in the region, in line with the national vision of making Kuala Lumpur one of the world’s top 20 most livable cities by 2020."

The project will be supported by engineers from Arup and Sinclair Knight Merz and local planners Arah Rancang Malaysia.

Last summer Broadway Malyan unveiled plans to build Convida Suape, a new city for 100,000 inhabitants in the north east of Brazil. We also previously reported on the firm's renovation of Rossio railway station in Lisbon, Portugal.

Other masterplans in south east Asia we've reported on lately include an under-construction business district in Shanghai designed by MVRDV and SWA Group's pedestrian-friendly vision for an area larger than Manhattan in Shenzhen, China – see more masterplans.

Image is from Broadway Malyan.

Here's more information from Broadway Malyan:

Broadway Malyan's winning masterplan set to transform Kuala Lumpur

1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) has appointed a global team to partner with local planners to create a game-changing masterplan for Bandar Malaysia, Malaysia.

The team is led by global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan, supported by world-class design and engineering teams from Arup and Sinclair Knight Merz, in collaboration with local planner Arah Rancang Malaysia.

The winning team was selected from a total of six finalists based on concept proposals which perfectly captures the essence of 1MDB's vision and commitment for a mixed-use development that will help transform Kuala Lumpur into one of the world’s best global cities.

The appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive multi-stage international masterplan competition organised by the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP). The winning team was chosen by a panel of local and international experts in real estate and urban planning. The idea and design competition attracted participation from well-known local and international planning teams who competed in three rounds of eliminations.

1MDB Real Estate Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Dato' Azmar Talib said: "The winning design best represents 1MDB's vision and fundamentals for the development of Bandar Malaysia. Broadway Malyan and Arah Rancang Malaysia's concept masterplan provides a strong foundation for the next stage, which is to further develop Bandar Malaysia to become the benchmark for sustainability and liveability in the region, in line with the national vision of making Kuala Lumpur the world’s top 20 most liveable cities by 2020."

MIP's past president and Bandar Malaysia International Masterplan Competition Head Khairiah Talha said: "The submissions were mostly of very high calibre, but Broadway Malyan and Arah Rancang Malaysia's entry stood out for its inclusion of an innovative approach that is the masterplan's 'software', where the communities themselves will help shape a cohesive and dynamic environment in Bandar Malaysia.

"MIP is very proud to collaborate with 1MDB on this project to fulfil a national aspiration. We are very pleased with the panel's choice and are confident that Broadway Malyan and Arah Rancang Malaysia will be able to deliver a visionary masterplan fitting a global city which Bandar Malaysia aims to be."

The 196-hectare Bandar Malaysia is envisioned to be one of the most desirable environments to live, learn, work and play in the Asian region. The strategic real estate development project aims to combine a vibrant mixed-use community with a commercial district to foster creativity and innovation. It will be an international destination for culture and the arts showcasing Malaysia’s diverse culture.

Dato' Azmar said: "Bandar Malaysia will be an inclusive, public transit-oriented city that is designed as a walkable community through a series of safe, secure and pleasant pedestrian and cycling networks, set against a backdrop of well-articulated open spaces and greenery. As part of 1MDB's commitment towards providing affordable housing, Bandar Malaysia aims to be the yardstick for sustainable and affordable urban housing within Malaysia."

Recent masterplans delivered by Broadway Malyan include visions for new cities in Abu Dhabi (a 680-hectare waterfront community of up to 55,000 inhabitants on Yas Island), Brazil (Convida Suape – a new city involving the transformation of a 470-hectare area for 100,000 inhabitants) and Iraq (the '10×10' project involving a 17 sq km extension of Sadr City, Baghdad, and the creation of New Sadr City).

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district for Kuala Lumpur appeared first on Dezeen.

The homes of 27,000 Palestinian refugees will be replaced as part of this reconstruction project underway at Nahr el-Bared, 16 kilometres outside of Tripoli, Lebanon (+ slideshow).

First established in the 1940s to accommodate refugees from the Lake Huleh area of northern Palestine, the 19-hectare Nahr el-Bared refugee camp was almost entirely destroyed during the 2007 conflict between the Lebanese Armed Forces and the extremist group Fatah Al-Islam. Thousands of families were forced to abandon their homes and seek temporary refuge at another nearby camp.

In 2008 the United Nations Relief & Works Agency embarked on an ambitious project to replace the buildings that had been destroyed. Working alongside the community-based Nahr el-Bared Reconstruction Commission, the team developed an eight-phase masterplan for 5000 houses, 1500 shops and six school complexes.

The reconstruction includes the replacement of all infrastructure for the camp, including water and sewage networks as well as electricity.

The agency has also been able to increase the amount of public space around the buildings from 11 to 35 per cent by introducing a system of independent structures that can be extended up to four storeys.

The first families began returning to their homes in 2011 and the first three completed schools opened to students later the same year.

The Nahr el-Bared reconstruction is one of 20 projects on the shortlist for the Aga Khan Award 2013. Five or six finalists will be revealed later this year and will compete to win the $1 million prize. Other projects on the shortlist include an Islamic cemetery in Austria and a museum of paper in China.

Here's a short project description from the Aga Khan Award organisers:

Reconstructing a camp of 27,000 refugees which was 95% destroyed during the 2007 war involved a planning effort with the entire community, followed by a series of eight construction phases. Limited land and the exigency of recreating physical and social fabrics were primary considerations. Established in 1948, the camp followed the extended-family pattern and building typology of the refugees' villages. In a layout where roads provided light and ventilation, the goal was to increase non-built areas from 11% to 35%. It was achieved by giving each building an independent structural system allowing for vertical expansion up to four floors on a reduced footprint.

Location: Tripoli, Lebanon (West Asia)
Architect: United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA), Nahr el-Bared Reconstruction Commission for Civil Action and Studies (NBRC)
Client: United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA), Beirut, Lebanon
Completed: 2011
Design: 2008
Site size: 190,000 sqm

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Refugee Camp appeared first on Dezeen.

News: British architect Terry Farrell's firm is onboard to masterplan a £1 billion business hub in London's docklands for Chinese and Asian businesses.

The Mayor of London's office has announced its plan to transform a 14 hectare site at the Royal Albert Dock, a stretch of land near London City airport, into a gateway for Far Eastern businesses looking to establish their headquarters in Europe.

Farrells, which has offices in London, Hong Kong and Shanghai, is creating the masterplan for the £1 billion development, which will comprise around 230,000 square metres of office space as well as shops, apartments and leisure facilities.

The first phase of 55,000 square metres is due to open in 2017, subject to planning permission, with work on the site intended to be completed by 2022.

The Royal Albert Dock is one of a number of developments currently planned on the banks of the Thames, including three residential towers by Foster + Partners and plans to slot a glazed extension over the brutalist concrete architecture of the Southbank Centre – see all London architecture.

Earlier this year the firm's head Terry Farrell was selected to lead an independent review of the UK's architecture policy, working with an 11-strong advisory panel of architects and designers.

Other Farrells projects we've featured include the 442-metre Kingkey 100 skyscraper in Shenzhen and a proposal to convert London's Battersea Power Station into a park – see all architecture by Farrells.

Here's the press release from the Mayor of London's office:

Mayor announces £1bn to transform Royal Albert Dock into capital's next business district

» ABP to create state of the art business port aimed initially at Chinese and Asian business
» Estimated 20,000 jobs to be created
» Development to be worth £6bn to the UK economy when complete

The Mayor, Boris Johnson, has announced details of a £1bn deal to transform London’s historic docklands into the capital’s next business district, forging new trade links with China and other economies in the Asia-Pacific region and securing billions of pounds of inward investment in the UK economy.

Owned by the Greater London Authority and situated in the heart of Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, the 35-acre site at Royal Albert Dock is set to be transformed by ABP China (Holding), a successful commercial developer, into a gateway for Asian and Chinese business seeking to establish headquarters in Europe as well as other businesses wanting to set up in the capital.

Historically the trading heartland of the capital, the deal will re-instate the Royal Docks as a commercial and trading centre for the 21st century, delivering around 20,000 full-time jobs and boosting local employment in Newham by 30 per cent. When complete the site will become London’s third business district and, according to initial projections, be worth £6bn to the UK economy, generating £23m in business rates annually and acting as a catalyst for further development in the area.

The largest development of its kind in the UK, the state-of-the-art business district will act as a platform for financial, high-tech and knowledge driven industries looking establish and drive forward their business in UK and European markets. The deal represents one of the first direct investment by a Chinese developer in London’s property market and will eventually be home to over 3.2 million square feet of high quality work, retail and leisure space, including 2.5 million square feet of prime office space, creating a new, vibrant 24/7 district on London’s waterways.

An experienced developer in China, this is ABP’s first development project in Europe. With a track record of investing in and transforming large areas in need of regeneration, the company specialises in delivering projects of significant scale. ABP have recently completed a large development of around 15 million square feet in Beijing, while their Shenyang project in north-eastern China is even larger, with plans for 75 million square feet when complete.

Working with UK developer Stanhope and architects and masterplanners Farrells, ABP have a commitment to developing a minimum of 600,000 square feet in the first phase, with strong interest for office space already being shown by Chinese companies, including some of the country’s top banks. The first occupiers are due to move in in 2017.

The deal is a key part of the Mayor’s on-going commitment to regenerate London’s docklands, bringing jobs and homes back to the capital’s waterways and builds on the momentum of the development of the Olympic Park and Stratford City. It is the latest in a string of investments in the area including the Siemens Crystal Centre, the Emirates cable car, and new homes at Great Eastern Quay, as well as upcoming developments at Silvertown Quays and the plans to create the UK’s largest floating village at Royal Victoria Dock.

Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “For centuries the waterways of east London were the throbbing arteries of UK trade and commerce. This deal symbolises the revival of that great era, continuing the re-invention of this once maligned part of the capital into a 21st century centre of trade and investment. Creating a third financial district in the capital, this development will act as a beacon for eastern investors looking west, bringing with it tens of thousands of jobs and billions of pounds of investment for the UK economy.”

Chairman of ABP, Mr Xu, said: “I am very pleased and very proud that my company ABP has reached this agreement for the Royal Albert Dock with the Greater London Authority. This project will be hugely significant for both the Chinese and UK economies. My vision is to develop a world class international business district which will initially target Asian businesses to help them secure a destination in London, which in China is seen as the gateway to both the United Kingdom and the wider European economy. Our plans aim to strengthen trade between east and west, provide new local jobs and deliver benefits for the wider London and UK economy.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Enterprise Zones are creating new local jobs and stimulating business ventures through significant tax incentives, simplified planning and super fast broadband that will support our economy.

“This is a significant investment deal for London and will boost employment and growth in the capital. I am delighted that the benefits of Enterprise Zone status are attracting foreign investment to the country and strengthening our trade relations with major international players like China."

Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham said: “The Royal Docks Enterprise Zone offers an unrivalled investment opportunity and this deal further strengthens Newham’s growing reputation as an ideal destination for international business.

“We welcome ABP’s ambitious vision for the Docks which are already home to London City Airport, the University of East London, the Siemens Crystal and the Excel. ABP’s proposals will bring further investment from abroad and unlock future development. It will also create benefits for local people by providing thousands of new jobs and further enhancing the waterfront for people to enjoy.

“Newham will work closely with ABP and their UK development partner, Stanhope, to ensure that as many of these jobs as possible are accessible to local residents. Our successful Workplace jobs brokerage scheme is ideally placed to ensure this happens.”

Situated in the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone, the Albert Dock site, when complete, will have some of the best transport links in the capital, with direct access to central and western London via the new Crossrail station coming in 2018. It also benefits from close proximity to the University of East London and City Airport, providing direct links to Europe’s key business destinations.

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Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled new images and a movie showing the studio's proposals to convert an old textile factory in Belgrade, Serbia, into a free-flowing complex of apartments, offices and leisure facilities.

Presented during Belgrade Design Week 2013, Zaha Hadid's designs show how the curving buildings will integrate with the riverside neighbourhood of the city's historic Dorcol quarter.

The 94,000 square-metre complex will replace an unused and inaccessible site with a five-star hotel, art galleries, a conference centre, a department store and shops, as well as residential accommodation and offices, just 500 metres from the city centre.

Speaking at the presentation, Zaha Hadid Architects' Christos Passas said: "All of our projects are unique and every time a project is proposed to us we know we have to create something new, to design something that is distinctive and adapted to the task, to the client, to local context."

He continued: "This one should not only fit in, but also have a positive impact on the environment in which it is located, and of course, the integration between nature and architecture is also very important. New architecture, in terms of vision, should not be constrained by old forms. Architecture operates on many levels, it should include a particular location and context, and the building can also absorb the context in various ways, which makes the entire complex functional."

"This project is very sensitive of the environment, but at the same time it can be a symbol of a new era for Serbia," he concluded.

Construction of the Beko Masterplan will commence next year as part of a €200 million regeneration project that also includes a waterfront public space by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto and a new bridge across the Sava River.

Designs for the site were first revealed in 2012. See more images of the project in our earlier story.

Zaha Hadid Architects is also currently working on designs for a 215-metre Miami skyscraper, a mountain museum in the Dolomites and an apartment block beside New York's High Line.

The studio also has several projects nearing completion, including a Hong Kong university building, an undulating cultural centre in Azerbaijan and an extension to the Serpentine Gallery in London.

See more architecture and design by Zaha Hadid »
See more architecture in Serbia »

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by Zaha Hadid Architects appeared first on Dezeen.

News: Danish architecture studio ADEPT has won a competition to masterplan a 17 square-kilometre district in the Chinese city of Hengyang with designs that involve a sequence of looping zones.

The Green Loops City encompasses a site straddling the Xiangjiang river in the Laiyan New Town and Binjian districts of the city, which is part of Hunan Province. ADEPT plans to divide the site into a number of blob-like zones with themes such as sport or culture, intended to match up with the features of each area.

Historical buildings such as pagodas and a library will be retained and celebrated, while existing farmlands, rivers and wetlands are to be integrated into the urban fabric rather than eradicated.

"Much of Hengyang's cultural and natural resources are still very much intact when compared to other Chinese cities facing rapid urban development," said ADEPT partner Aidi Su. "This is an incredible opportunity for us to make a difference in Chinese cities."

The architects developed a series of principles to ensure a coherent design strategy. These include designing sustainable transportation; creating a denser urban network; maintaining cultural heritage; developing new and existing communities; implementing a denser urban life; preserving and enhancing the natural landscape; creating new ecological system using existing water networks; and connecting to surrounding neighbourhoods.

Combined, the loops will offer a logical network of spaces that are straightforward to navigate by car, bicycle or on foot.

"When walking around and experiencing this area you meet the fantastic inherent values and qualities that already exist here," said architect Martin Lauresen. "I believe that we - by our approach preserving both cultural and historical structures and already built residential communities - can create a new part of Hengyang that bases the future on the history, integrating modern lifestyle with cultural traditions."

ADEPT is a Copenhagen-based studio. Other projects they've worked on include a library in Sweden and a leisure complex in Denmark.

Other city masterplans proposed for China include a car-free "satellite city" to be built from scratch near Chengdu and a business centre in the Longgang district of Shenzhen. See more architecture in China »

Here's more text from ADEPT:

ADEPT wins 17km2 planning competition in China with the proposal 'Green Loops City'

The municipality of Hengyang, Hunan Province, China, chose ADEPT as winners of the planning competition of the 17km2 site of Laiyan New Town and Binjian District in Hengyang. The proposal 'Green Loops City' links the new urban areas through attractive and diverse landscape loops. The competition was invited and included large planning offices: Hassel Architects (Australia), Aube Architects (France), Guangzhou Urban Planning Design Institute (China), and Guangzhou South Kecheng (China).

The translated quote from the Hengyang municipality: "The concept 'Green Loops City' is developed by the Danish architectural firm ADEPT and provided the best and most suitable planning proposal for Hengyang by capturing its unique cultural heritage using a sustainable planning method. Jury experts from the most prestigious universities and organisations in China voted in favour of the ADEPT proposal. The mayor of the city stressed the importance of the future for this area, and emphasised the need to create a new city able to offer commercial, culture, tourism and leisure."

Hengyang is a city of many cultural artifacts with pagodas, a library, and an academy making up an impressive list of historical buildings in the Laiyan New Town and Binjian District of Hengyang. Set within the background of these buildings is the beautiful nature of Hengyang with farmlands, mountains, wetlands, and rivers that have been all preserved until now. As Hengyang goes through rapid urban development and requires the need for new sub-cities to expand beyond the old town area, can we consider a sustainable urban development for the city that can preserve its natural and cultural qualities? Is it possible to preserve nature while at the same time expand the city?

Using a sustainable approach to planning cities, we have set up 8 principles to guide the design of the city. Designing sustainable transportation, creating a denser urban network, maintaining cultural heritage, developing new and existing communities, implementing a denser urban life, preserving and enhancing the natural landscape, creating new ecological system using existing water networks, and connecting to surrounding neighbourhoods. The urban principles are about creating a living strategy for development that could create a better future for Hengyang and the inhabitants of the city.

Combining the strategies of the 8 principles into a bigger concept, 'Green Loops City' attempts to link Hengyang's unique characteristics, the landscape, the water, history, and culture, by creating important public spaces that are linked together. The green loops allow visitors to tour the special places in Hengyang while creating a more diverse city for locals to live.

Each individual loop focus on a particular theme relating to the advantages of each area, for example a Culture, a Sports and a Sub-Cbd loop. The Culture loop attempts to connect the most important cultural buildings, pagoda, library, along with new bar street, restaurant street, to make a better connection, and bring more activity to the area. The Sports loop takes advantage of the natural river conditions in the area to create more enjoyable natural area to do sports, while also forming an important axis with the pagoda building. The Sub-Cbd loop creates a new way of working in the city, combining water canals, restaurants, shopping all in a convenient location with the new BRT route.

While each of the loops work individually, together the loops can form a larger green network – 'Green Loops City' - that can connect all the different parts of the city allowing visitors and locals to use. Connected together, pedestrians, and bicyclist can easily traverse through the city to visit each area.

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for Chinese city district appeared first on Dezeen.

News: architecture firm OMA has won an international competition to masterplan a 275-hectare mixed-use development in the Colombian capital, Bogotá (+ slideshow).

Working in partnership with Colombian studio Gómez + Castro, OMA's New York office was chosen to develop its proposal for the regeneration of the city centre, which will house the Colombian government's headquarters, as well as residential, retail, cultural and educational facilities.

Proposed for the midpoint of an arterial road that bisects the city, the masterplan features an arcing public space that connects the road to an adjacent park and university.

"Our proposal enables CAN (Centro Administrativo Nacional) to be a lively node, providing a continuous public domain that curves through the site to connect the park, the university and Calle 26," explained director of OMA New York, Shohei Shigematsu. "With a single gesture, the arc achieves a clear urban identity while accommodating programmatic diversity."

The development will cover an area equivalent in size to the National Mall in Washington DC and will become the largest institutional masterplan completed in Latin America since Oscar Niemeyer's Brasilia was built in the 1960s.

OMA and Danish firm BIG were recently announced as two of ten design teams chosen to revitalise parts of the USA affected by Hurricane Sandy, while OMA has also won a competition to renovate the convention centre that hosts the Art Basel/Miami and Design Miami trade fairs.

See more OMA »
See more masterplans »

Here's some more information from the architects:

Bogotá Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN)

The Bogotá Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN) is positioned as a new civic centre, located at the midpoint of Calle 26 avenue, the city's main axis that has symbolically charted its growth from the historic downtown to the airport and the international gateway of Colombia. With a footprint as large as the National Mall in Washington DC, this new city centre will serve as the city's government headquarters, with additional mixed use program of residential, educational, retail and cultural developments.

The proposed masterplan utilises a curved, public space axis to connect the adjacent natural parks to Calle 26 and link the existing districts. With a single gesture, the arc achieves a unified system of green, infrastructural, and programmatic networks. The new axis divides the site into three districts: (1) an office zone that connects to the existing financial district, (2) an institutional/ governmental zone that is linked to the existing cultural spaces and recreational parks and (3) an educational campus connected to the existing university. These districts are unified by a green path that extends the meandering paths of the Simon Boliver Park to the National University plaza at other end of the site. This park axis will be programmed with cultural attractions and a bike path that will extend to Bogota's highly successful pedestrian CicloVia network.

OMA's proposal shifts the city's historic downtown center, for which Le Corbusier had been commissioned to master- plan from 1949-1953, demonstrating the city's longstanding commitment to urban planning. The CAN masterplan will be the largest built institutional master plan in Latin America after Oscar Neimeyer's Brasilia, built in the sixties.

Status: Competition 2013
Client: Empresa Virgilio Barco
Location: Bogotá, Colombia
Site: 870,000 m2
Program: 680 acres (2,750,000 m2) of total buildable area / 72 acres (29,000 m2) of Public Open Space

» 982,000 m2 Government Offices
» 683,000 m2 Residential
» 650,000 m2 Offices
» 160,000 m2 University Campus
» 85,000 m2 Cultural (including Museum of Memory)
» 75,000 m2 Retail
» 60,000 m2 Hotel
» 55,000 m2 Hospital

Lead Designer/ Masterplanner: OMA
Partner-in-Charge: Shohei Shigematsu
OMA team: Sandy Yum, Daniel Quesada Lombo, Yolanda do Campo, Denis Bondar, Ahmadreza Schricker, Cass Nakashi- ma, Jake Forster; with Isaiah Miller, Maria Saavedra, Andrew Mack, Sean Billy Kizy, Caroline Corbett, Christopher Kovel, Simona Solorzano

Local Architect: Gomez + Castro
Gomez + Castro team: Lorenzo Castro, Julio Gómez, Andrés Castro, Gerardo Olave, Luisa Brando, Ernesto Lafaurie, Pablo Lorenzana as the basic team; with Felipe Delgado, Cristina Hermida, Laura Delgado, Camilo Betancur, Ana María Monsalve, Daniela Ferrero, Yessid Ropero, Jan Henao

Mobility Consultant: Carlos Moncada
Financial Consultant: Oscar Borrero
Sustainability Consultant: Esteban Martinez

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The setting for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will be a lagoon-side peninsula with 15 sports venues dotted along a network of snaking pathways, as detailed in this new set of visuals by masterplanners AECOM (+ slideshow).

Located on a flat triangular site in the city's Barra da Tijuca district, the main Olympic park will centre itself around a trio of existing stadiums leftover from the 2007 Pan-American Games, which were constructed over a Formula One racetrack from the 1970s.

AECOM plans to transform the peninsula into a tropical landscape that reflects the mountains and valleys of the Brazilian coastline, including gently sloping hills and curving pathways. Venues will be lined up on either side of a black-and-white striped central axis, winding like a river from the site entrance to the waterfront.

Seven new stadiums will be constructed on the site. London studio AndArchitects is collaborating with Rio office Lopes, Santos & Ferreira Gomes on the handball arena, which will be dismantled after the games and used to build four new schools.

UK firm 3DReid is teaming up with Rio studio BLAC Architects to renovate the existing Velodrome, while the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre will be reused for swimming and diving events, and the HSBC Stadium will host gymnastics.

A waterfront lawn will allow up to 12,000 spectators to watch the action on big screens and an AECOM-designed broadcast centre will accommodate around 20,000 international journalists.

AECOM won the bid to masterplan the site in 2011 as part of a team that includes London-based Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Rio studio DG Architecture.

"This is such a high profile and complex project for AECOM, which brings many exciting opportunities and challenges," commented the firm's Jason Prior. "We are drawing on our experience from being masterplanners of the London Olympics to take the design of the Rio venues and park even further, which will hopefully be reflected in the end result in 2016."

Alongside Barra da Tijuca, events for the games will also take place at Copacabana, Maracanã and Deodoro, where the National Shooting Centre is already in place.

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Here's some more information from AECOM:

A carnival of sport

In 2011, AECOM won Brazil'fs first international architecture competition to design the masterplan for Rio's 2016 Olympic Park, making it the first company to design the parks for two consecutive Olympic and Paralympic Games Parks – London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

In Rio, AECOM has taken on an even larger role than it had on the 2012 Games, with responsibility for the preliminary design of the seven sporting venues as well as the detailed design of the International Broadcast Centre. This is in addition to the architectural, masterplanning, landscaping, engineering, cost consultancy, project management, sustainability and transportation strategy design services that it also provided in London.

Set in one of the most beautiful areas on Earth, AECOM's masterplan takes its inspiration from the dramatic natural setting of Rio. Located on a former Formula 1 race track in Barra da Tijuca, the main Olympic park sits on a triangular space with water on either side. During Games time, at the southern peninsula of the site there will be an entertainment area for around 12,000 people to watch the events on big screens.

The park's design draws from the Atlantica Forrest that surrounds Rio de Janeiro. This context provides the conceptual inspiration and influences the architecture and landscape design as will the Brazilian culture and strong design heritage. The masterplan sets out to respect and reinforce the balance between native ecology, the city and its people while delivering the platform for sporting excellence.

Every Olympics needs to reflect the character and ambitions of the host city and this is where the differences between the two parks are most pronounced. While London was about demonstrating how a short global event can lead to the long term regeneration of one of the most neglected and deprived areas of the city, Rio is about celebrating Brazil's emergence as a world power as well as making sure there is a strong legacy plan in place.

Throughout the development of the Rio masterplan, you can see how AECOM has been applying the lessons learnt from working on London 2012. This includes working with the wide range of stakeholders and local communities, and the utilisation of its knowledge of the requirements for running such a huge event, from crowd management and traffic strategies, to meeting the needs of athletes, visitors and the extended Olympic management and support system.

The vision for the future is not just to create a global stage for the Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2016, but also, in the longer term, to create a new legacy district with new homes, jobs and places for leisure activities with a new central park and a thriving beautiful waterfront. It is also set to become a global centre of sporting excellence, with a Legacy Olympic Training Centre utilising the Games' permanent sporting venues.

After the Games, the site will evolve into a compact urban environment built around a network of streets and open spaces, which encourages a diverse mix of living, working and recreational uses. AECOM has taken reference from the grid, linearity, axis and contrasting organic forms which permeates Rio's unique urban environment to propose a responsive flexible framework that resonates with and echoes the specific local characteristics of Barra and Rio. The masterplan provides an opportunity to enhance environmental quality and bring Costa's original concept into the 21st century as an example of new urbanism for a new era.

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News: Dubai has won the bid to host the World Expo 2020 with a masterplan by architects HOK, beating Zaha Hadid's rival proposal for a lagoon-side park in the Turkish city of Izmir (+ slideshow).

Dubai also saw off competition from Brazilian city São Paulo and Yekaterinburg in Russia, and will become the first Middle Eastern city to host the international exhibition in its 150-year history.

"This win is a testament to the commitment of the UAE citizens to create a prosperous future for their country and region," said HOK Dubai's Daniel Hajjar. "We are proud to have led the design of the Expo site and to be associated with producing a winning entry for Dubai so that this great country can continue to boost its reputation on a global stage."

With the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", HOK's winning masterplan encompasses a 438-hectare site in south-west Dubai, close to the new Al Maktoum International Airport and Jebel Ali Port.

The design features three major pavilions connected by an "iconic photovoltaic fabric structure" that will provide a gigantic canopy of solar panels across the main connecting walkways.

"Dubai’s win elevates its status as a global city with world-class infrastructure and highlights its commitment to sustainable energy," said HOK president Bill Hellmuth.

The exhibition will be organised into three zones that will branch out from a central plaza modelled on the traditional Arabic marketplace, known as a souk. Larger pavilions will be positioned at the outer perimeter and smaller exhibition stands will be located nearer the centre to encourage visitors to explore the entire site.

Architecture firm Populous acted as venue planning and participant design consultants, while engineering firm Arup advised on the infrastructure and transportation systems included.

The next upcoming edition of the world fair will take place in Milan in 2015, followed by the Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill-designed expo in Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2017. The most recent Expos held were the Yeosu Expo 2012 in South Korea and the Shanghai Expo 2010, which featured Thomas Heatherwick's Seed Cathedral.

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