Citizen M, a Dutch-based hospitality management corporation, recently introduced a new concept in hotel experience. Partnered with Philips, architects from Concrete, and furnishing label Vitra, Citizen M’s hotels will permit guest to enjoy luxury amenities at very affordable prices. It will also translate into savings on operating costs for hotel owner.

» Citizen M Hotel Group
» Philips
» Concrete Architects
» Vitra

Chosen by the European Union as one of the cultural capitals of Europe in 2001, the Portugal city of Porto embarked on constructing a new concert hall for the city. An architectural competition between 5 of the world’s top practices, of which the plan by Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) won the competition.

Members of OMA considered several important factors during the preliminary phase, including the location of the new structure at the heart of the historical Rotunda da Boavista neighborhood. Acoustics also played a part, with OMA assessing the optimum structural forms to enhance sound quality. With considerations on both exterior and interior, OMA created an unique multi-faceted polygon structure. Completed in 2005, the new concert hall, Casa da Musica, housed 2 main auditoriums, as well as numerous rehearsal spaces, dressing rooms, and etc…

In order to create a new identity for such a profound structure, the institution that manage Casa de Musica asked New York-based graphic artist Stefan Sagmeister to come up with a new logo system. Utilizing the 17 facets on the building, Sagmeister and team formulated a method with infinite amount of outcomes. A special software was fashioned to render 17 fixed points on an image and transfer them onto corresponding “sides” on miniature Casa de Musica silhouette. Next, the silhouette is put through 6 variations, basically the view of the concert hall from north, south, east, west, top and bottom. Though somewhat complex, Sagmeister’s new creation allows endless possibilities in logo design.

» Stefan Sagmeister
» OMA
» Casa de Música

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles will curate a retrospective exhibition on famed Japanese artist, Takashi Murakami. The retrospective, which includes works from early 90s to present, will feature 90+ works. The selection, ranging from paintings, sculptures, and film, will take up more 20,000 square feet of exhibition space.

To commemorate this special exhibit , MOCA, French designer Jean Marc Gady, and luxury brand giant Louis Vuitton, will create a mini boutique within the exhibition, a first by many standards. Gady, who has done numerous works with LVMH, will “white-out” all visible visages of Louis Vuitton. In its place will be an unique retail space with a very contemporary feel. A black & white checker patterned floor will be added, to give the space a feel of depth. The boutique will offer products created by the collaboration between Takashi Murakami and Louis Vuitton over the years. And because it is an integral portion of the retrospective, the mini retail space will close its door once the exhibition ends in February 2008.

» MOCA Los Angeles

» Takashi Murakami

» Louis Vuitton

» Jean Marc Gardy

Though cheap and efficient, prefabricated structures have endure the stigma as dull, characterless, cookie-cutter architectures. However, recent advent in technology and material science, along with the need for affordable housing are changing that reputation.

Case in point, check out the website created by Sekisui Heim, a division of Sekisui Chemical Company of Japan, where prefabricated housing been quite popular for sometime. The fully interactive website, which promotes Sekisui Heim’s DESIO series, is quite similar to the video game The Sims. However, its purpose to let potential home buyers envision how their future home would look like.

Simply chose one of the floors, drag of the character into one of the room, and click. An interior photo of an actual, finished home will appear. The well thought out website also include alternative views, short films on features, and list of options. Sekisui Heim offers a range of selection of prefabricated homes. Each version is tested against the elements, including typhoons and earthquakes. The company can attach additional units, even incorporate garages or store fronts into the structure at the buyer’s request. Best of all, Sekisui Heim estimate the time between start to hand-over is only 40 days.

» Sekisui Heim - DESIO Series

Photos: Andy Ryan

Steven Holl can be said as one of the premiere architects in America. His buildings and projects are some of the most unique structures in the world. One of his most notable works is the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art in Finland, where the interior is dominated by a curve ramp, set to follow the arc of the sun during long winter month to permit maximum usage of natural light.

Light and seasonal changes also play an integral part of Holl’s latest project - complete interior renovation of 3-5 Washington Place for New York University Department of Philosophy. There are several key challenges on this project. The 1890 structure falls within the NoHo Historic District and the under the supervision of New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. This means any alterations to the structure must be under advisement of the Commission. Another is fit the amalgamate of classrooms, departments, and offices of the NYU Department of Philosophy, which currently are spread among few buildings on campus.

The new building will be 6 levels and house a very unique stair shaft as its centerpiece. The staircase changes direction on each floor, creating a public space for social interaction. The large skylight that encapsulate it, the series of windows along it allow a playful light and shadow effect that alters with the seasons or the time of the day. Special attentions were paid on the upper portions of the building, which house offices and seminar rooms. Holl designed the space with the incorporation of black and white silhouettes, utilized Remark on Color, a book authored by Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein.

The new Department of Philosophy will be open to NYU students and faculty this Fall semester.

Steven Holl可堪稱為美國建築界的先驅代表之一。他所設計的大樓和工程在世界上也被認為是屬於特別結構的最佳代表。其中最值得注意的作品是在芬蘭當代藝術的Kiasma博物館案中，博物館室內由一個隻曲線斜坡的樓梯來支配內部的空間，這目的則是為了讓自然的太陽光源能在漫長的冬季裡進入室內。

Steven Holl的最新作品，也就是剛完成內部修整，相當於3-5個白宮大小的紐約大學哲學系大樓，光和季節性的變化也在他這次的設計中扮演相當重要的角色。在這項工程中有幾項關鍵的挑戰，包括舊大樓的1890年NoHo Historic District結構，在扮演具有歷史意義角色和委員會保護及紐約市政府的監督下。 這項工程對架構的任何改變將必須通過委員會的嚴格把關。 另外的挑戰就是，紐約大學系所和辦公室結合的困難度，這幾項重大的挑戰已經在NYU校園中傳開。

新大樓將有六層樓以及非常特別的樓梯設計， 樓梯在每層樓上都會改變方向，以創造群眾之間相互作用的空間。 密封的大天窗， 沿著連續的窗子而上，讓隨著季節或時間改變而產生一盞一盞頑皮的燈和光影作用。 值得注意的是在大樓頂端房間和辦公室的設計。Steven Holl運用澳洲哲學家Ludwig Wittgenstein所出版的書，將黑色和白色的半面畫像結合空間的設計。

新的紐約大學哲學系將在今年秋天正式開放。

» Steven Holl Architects

» New York University - Dept. of Philosophy

Pritzker Prize Laureate, Lord Norman Foster, just won the international competition to renovate home of Spain’s FC Barcelona, Camp Nou Stadium. Built some 50 years ago, the stadium is currently the largest sport complex of its kind in Europe. On any given game day, the stadium can accommodate 98,772 spectators.

For the renovation, Foster + Partners will increase the capacity further to over 106,000. Additional public facilities and amenities will be added as well. Spectators will be shelter from the elements by a new roof and the entire exterior portion will be enclosed by a dramatic curtain wall composed of mulit-color polycarbonate panel, giving the new building a mosaic-like appearance. When integrate with the highly sophisticated lighting system. The façade of the stadium can be transform into a mammoth screen, projecting images and graphics.

Projected to cost around €250 million, the renovation will break ground next year. To minimize disruption, construction will take place throughout the FC Barcelona season. New engineering methods will be use to lessen the need of crane and scaffoldings, which otherwise might obscure spectators’ view.

» Foster + Partners

» FC Barcelona

Photos: L/B

Created by Swiss-based artist duo L/B (Sabina Lang and Daniel Baumann), Hotel Everland is a movable hotel that debuted in 2002. Composed of mostly wood, its layout is like a trailer, consist of a luxurious bathroom and king size bed. The living room is dominated by a giant floor to celling window, offering ample sunlight and some of the most fantastic views. It also let the outside world peek in, where occupants are now part of the artwork itself - a theme L/B always affix on their work as an interaction with the public. During the daytime, Hotel Everland is actually open for visitation while during evening hours, it is reserved for the guests only. Since its launch, Hotel Everland has moved onto the beautiful Yverdon Lake shore are the rooftop of L/B’s own studio. It is currently on the rooftop of Museum of Contemporary Art Leipzig in Germany until the end of September. Next, by October, the hotel will relocate to the top of Palais de Tokyo in Paris for an year, where visitor can get a splendid view of the Eiffel Tower. Visitors can book for a tour or reserve for a stay at the Hotel Everland’s website.

» Hotel Everland

» L/B

» Palais de Tokyo