foster + partners: zenith

the zenith concert venue in saint-etienne by london’s foster + partners has been granted a RIBA award. the project was completed late last year and is the region’s first purpose-built state-of-the-art performance venue. the zenith was co-designed by cabinet beger and features a distinctive cantilevered roof. the roof acts as a wind scoop to naturally ventilate the auditorium, reducing energy use. the front of the venue features a curved glass-enclosed lobby that leds into the expansive auditorium. inside the main space the venue can be configured in a number of arrangement for audiences ranging from 1,100 to 7,200.

photo credit nigel young (courtesy of foster + partners)
from Designboom - Weblog

Art Gallery of Ontario Re-Envisioned by Frank Gehry

The new AGO is Toronto-born Frank Gehry’s first building in Canada and marks the very place where he made the initial connection between art and architecture. Hallmarks of his AGO design connect the city and the Gallery in provocative new ways including dramatic sculptural staircases, the warmth of Douglas fir, andthe extensive use of glass which infuses the galleries with natural light. As you will discover, it is an extraordinary new home for extraordinary new art.

from CubeMe by Chantal

UCSD Price Center East / Yazdani Studio

The plan of the University of California at San Diego’s existing student center, the Price Center, was developed with an “introverted” configuration - a central courtyard bordered on three sides by all of the building’s program elements facing inward - that established a powerful sense of place and a hub for dining, socializing, and events. When the university’s growth necessitated an expansion of the Price Center, our solution was to create an “extroverted,” highly permeable addition offering many points of entry and features such as plazas and monumental staircases that engage the building’s surroundings and enrich the street experience.

Photographer: Timothy Hursley
from Arch Daily by Nico Saieh

Yellow Tree House, New Zealand by Pacific Environment Architects

The Yellow Tree House by Pacific Environment Architects is built around a redwood tree, which is over 40m high and has a 1.7m diameter at its base, located north of Auckland, New Zealand.

from CubeMe by Chantal

Western Red Cedar Architectural Design Award Winners

WRCLA WINNER - Sponsor Award Winner for the WRCLA:
Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY

Wooden House by Atelier Martel

Paris architects Atelier Martel have completed a house with four gabled facades in the Vosges mountains in France.

from Dezeen by Rose Etherington

Today's archidose #322

Here's a few views Aqua Tower in Chicago, Illinois by Studio Gang nearing completion.

Photographs are by karla kaulfuss.
from A Daily Dose of Architecture by John

zaha hadid architects: cairo expo city

zaha hadid architects has been awarded first prize in the cairo expo city competition
together with global engineering consultancy buro happold.

the winning design for cairo expo city is a 450,000 square metre, state of the art city for exhibitions and conferences, located between the centre of cairo and the city’s airport. the project comprises a major international exhibition and conference centre with business hotel. a further office tower and a shopping centre are also proposed.

from Designboom - Weblog