Ports 1961 Facade in Shanghai

Located at a major high-end commercial district at the intersection of Changde Road and Nanjing West Road in Shanghai, a new façade is created for the fashion house Ports 1961’s flagship store. The facade is representative of the future vision of Ports 1961 that brings together its origin and evolution.

The design evokes the idea of a landform that resembles an iceberg floating freely in the ocean; the building having a sense of being undulated, expanding and contracting, as if shaped by its environment. The facade demonstrates the possibilities of design experimentation, showing the transformation of form, material and technology, while still bringing aspect of both traditional and contemporary interpretations. The structural grandeur of the building attracts attention while its ambivalent nature is uniquely changing with its surroundings. 

Source: Archdaily

Hello Kitty Theme Park Opens In China

China's first Hello Kitty theme park was officially opened in Anji County of Zhejiang province on July 1, giving the most popular cat its first home on the mainland.

Hello Kitty Park is home to 11 unique Hello Kitty attractions, including a luxury resort fitted out with plush pink furniture, chandeliers and bows. The park is located about 30 minutes drive from the provincial capital of Hangzhou.

The 95,000 meter square amusement park hosts Hello Kitty-themed performances, parades and features a decorated Ferris wheel, along with movies, shops and catering services.

The theme park, apparently the first large-scale theme park of its kind to open in China (at least until the Shanghai Disneyland opens next year), is expected to handle around 1 million visitors each year. It is the third Hello Kitty theme park to have opened outside of Japan.

Tickets will cost 230 yuan for adults and 180 yuan for children. Visitors on the weekend, or those foolish enough to go during a Chinese public holiday, will be gouged out of an additional 50 yuan.

Source: Shanghaiist

Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum

In China, the country’s largest public contemporary art space has opened inside a renovated electronics factory dating from the 1980s. designed by Studio Pei Zhu, the Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum exists in contrast to standardized ‘white cube’ galleries, configured as a diverse series of exhibition spaces. In reusing an existing building, the design team sought to incorporate the rough industrial characteristics of the former factory with exposed textures and surfaces.

Internally, gallery typologies include spaces of different sizes and dimensions, classified as: big box, middle box, small box, classic space, courtyard exhibition space, and black box (multi-function performance, convention, exhibition spaces). Each area is organized as an organic extension of a welcoming double-height reception foyer, which includes staircase seating.

Staircases have double functions - circulation @ seating areas.

The reflective metal cladding give the Minsheng Contemporary Art Museum its futuristic look.

 

Various spatial volumes create interesting gallery spaces.

Source: designboom

World's First 3D Printed Building To Be In Dubai

The United Arab Emirates National Innovation Committee has unveiled plans to build the world's first 3D printed structure with a massive, 20-foot-tall 3D printer. Though many structures have utilized 3D printing, none have been entirely built by using the technology. Everything - the building's structure, interior finishes, and furniture - will be 3D printed in sections and then assembled on site, according to a report by 3DPrint. The 2,000-square-foot building will then be used to house the Museum of the Future headquarters in Dubai.

“This project reflects the vision of our leadership here in Dubai,” Al Gergawi, the Chairman of the UAE National Innovation Committee explained. “The idea of 3D printing buildings was once a dream, but today it has become a reality,” he added. “This building will be a testimony to the efficiency and creativity of 3D printing technology, which we believe will play a major role in reshaping construction and design sectors. We aim to take advantage of this growth by becoming a global hub for innovation and 3D printing. This is the first step of many more to come.”

Construction is expected to last just a few weeks. Labor costs will be reduced by 50 to 80 percent and construction waste will be eliminated by up to 60 percent. 

WinSun Global will lead the project with Gensler, Thornton Thomasetti, and Syska Hennessy.

Source: Archdaily

Kakko House - Osaka

From the architect. This narrow house for a couple and their little child is located in a densely built-up area of Osaka, Japan. The size of the site is only width 3.4m wide by 13m deep.

To make full use of it, the house is framed in exposed structural steel, covered with thin fire - resistant adiabatic panels, and contains six floors with split levels.

Level1 (basement level) is a bedroom, Level 2(ground level) is a garage, Level 3 is for the little princess, Level 4 is a living space, Level 5 is a bathroom, and Level 6 is a roof terrace.

The expanded metal stair connects each floors and spreads the sun light inside. The residents are living like birds swinging from branch to branch in this house.

Source: Archdaily 

Vivarium Bangkok

From the architect. Vivarium is a new restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, constructed within a decommissioned warehouse owned by the Krungthai Tractor Company operated by Chef’s Ministry, serving a fusion of Thai and Japanese cuisine.

HYPOTHESIS was invited at an early stage to formulate the concept, branding, and design of a new type of restaurant. We were inspired by the existing industrial characteristics of the warehouse and wanted to preserve this history in the structure and cladding, while breathing new life and energy into the interior.

 
We employed found objects from around the site –iron doors, steel pipes, and tree roots, and painted the new stuctures with red primer, (the same colour of the red masala spice).

HYPOTHESIS also used the red primer color for the branding of the restaurant. We combined these components with actual living landscape designed by ban kam pu, ceramic follies designed by yarnnakarn and façade design by Stu/D/O transforming the interior of the space into a terrarium. 

 
The brand and name of the space – Vivarium – is a portmanteau of viva (life) and terrarium, in Thai translates to: “will you marry me?” 

Source: Archdaily