Architecture & Web Art

Archive for the ‘Commercial Buildings’ Category

Austrian architectural practice LOVE architecture & urbanism has completed the refurbishment project – the new Gerngross! located in Austria/Vienna Styria.

1. Restructuring the Existing Centre

The layout of the store was not intuitive. Walkways were complex and confusing, and it was difficult to navigate. To improve this, the layout of the indoor levels (G, 1st, 2nd, and 5th) has been entirely re-designed and smaller retail spaces have been added. The key to designing the individual levels was to think “empty” in order to enable the future implementation of an improved orientation system. The preconditions for this complex undertaking were:

- For each rental space, a newer space of equal size but higher quality had to be provided.
- Each tenant had to be relocated twice during the construction time.
- The ongoing daily shopping activity should be only minimally disturbed.

Barcelo Temporary Market

Called Barceló Temporary Market, the structures remain in place while a series of new buildings for the area are under construction, including a shopping centre, sports centre and library.

Barcelo Temporary Market

The temporary market is made up of six connected buildings with pentagonal footprints, each clad in translucent polycarbonate panels.

Barcelo Temporary Market

These structures will be reused elsewhere in the city once the permanent buildings are in place.

Barcelo Temporary Market

Images courtesy of Roland Halbe

From the Architects:

—————————————————————————————————————————-

BARCELÓ MARKET

The new Barceló market and its surroundings area project is in fact the result of various other projects: An urban combination of different scale and programme elements that have come together to significantly transform a dense central area of Madrid. The idea originates from the definition of new areas that connect and link the different structures and foreseen functions of the market, shopping centre, sports centre, public library, car parks, temporary market and outdoor areas. The built-up complex is made up of three independent structures joined to a new public square.

Landmark Towers

Project Facts and Credits:
Address: Biskop Gunnerus gate 14 b, 0185 Oslo, Norway
Client: KLP Eiendom AS
Year: 2009
Year of competition: 1st prize in architectural competition, 2009
Architect: Kristin Jarmund Architects in collaboration with C. F. Møller Architects
Landscape : Kristin Jarmund Architects in collaboration with C. F. Møller Architects
Competition collaborators: ATKINS, Erichsen & Horgen AS, MIR (illustrations), Oslo Modellverksted (model)
Area: 92,000 m² (75,000 m² above ground)

Landmark Towers perspective

The project, which has been dubbed “Crystal Clear”, consists of three towers, which grow organically from the ground to form a sculptural cluster, and are composed of stacked, prismatic volumes. Kristin Jarmund Architects in collaboration with C. F. Møller Architects, has recently won a major competition to design a spectacular new landmark project in the city of Oslo, for the client KLP Eiendom AS, one of Norway’s largest property investors.

Biooctanic

Biofuel is a sexy topic right now, and we’ve seen everything from crop waste to algae to even tuberculosis as possible energy sources. But how about whole buildings that can generate biofuel? While the idea is still largely hypothetical, architects like UPI 2M in Croatia are jumping on the bandwagon and coming up with fascinating designs for biofuel production stations. Their project, dubbed ‘Biooctanic‘, is a series of cactus-shaped biofuel crop production towers located in an urban setting at the site of petrol (gas) stations. The idea is that by placing these sci-fi-esque fuel producing centers at the refill locations, the towers can act as filters to help improve urban air quality as well as lower transportation costs.

Biooctanic close

Architect: monovolume architecture + design
Location: Bolzano, Italy
Project team: Christian Gold, Barbara Waldboth, Thomas Garasi
Structural Engineering: Baucon Bozen (Ing. Neulichedl Simon)
Program: Commercial building
Building area: 1,250 sqm
Budget: 2,5 Mil. Euro
Project year: 2007
Photographs: Oskar Da Riz

The company Blaas in Bolzano is specialized in electro-mechanics. In the new head office the company presents its new product range and offers repair service.

On the ground floor of the building there is the sales division, on the first floor the exposition area and the repair shop. All administration offices are located on the second floor. The overall impression of the structure is a homogenous and closed building. Nevertheless, there exists a separation between the public and the private sector. The client can perceive this clear and formal internal division already from the outside.