Archinect - News

A solar-powered media façade that ‘consumes only as much energy as it produces’

2023-07-06T11:32:00-04:00

A team comprising iart, AMDL CIRCLE, and Michele De Lucchi has created a ‘zero-energy media façade’ for the Novartis Pavilion in Basel, Switzerland. Combining PV panels and LEDs, the façade is described by the team as “illustrating the potential of organic photovoltaics in architecture.”

Photo credit: iart – studio for media architectures

Photo credit: Laurids Jensen

The façade features 10,000 diamond-shaped solar modules with LED lights embedded within that shine outwards as well as inwards onto the pavilion’s metal shell. The reflection of the metal shell creates a shimmer through the semi-transparent solar modules, resulting in a multi-layered membrane for displaying content.

Photo credit: iart – studio for media architectures

The display only consumes as much electrical energy as it is capable of producing through carbon-based organic solar modules that were custom-made for the project. The modules were ideal for the pavilion’s dom...

Herzog & de Meuron's shopping center development in Basel will be topped with a middle school

2020-10-08T15:38:00-04:00

After winning the competition for a massive urban redevelopment project in their hometown of Basel in 2017, Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron now released updated material that shows a more refined and detailed concept.

The Dreispitz Nord scheme seeks to transform a former customs depot into a mixed-use urban district, expanding the reach of downtown Basel.

Image courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron.

"The urban proposal for Dreispitz Nord is based on what would seem to be the paradoxical aim of developing and increasing density, while simultaneously creating large, public green spaces," explains a statement put out by the architects.

"Density is achieved by three high-rise towers and an open perimeter block of individual, tightly spaced mid-rise buildings. This block frames a publicly accessible park in contrast to the perimeter blocks in Gundeldingen with their primarily private inner courtyards."

Image courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron.

One of the key features to achieve useful densifica...

Herzog & de Meuron turns 40

2018-11-05T14:41:00-05:00

Today their studio is a scant five-minute walk from the old neighborhood, and they spend much of their time at the office tinkering with models and dreaming up gee-whiz notions. But the pair now have a firm of 390 employees playing alongside them, with another 62 scattered across five satellite branches around the world. And they’re no longer dealing in idle fancies but creating some of the most challenging and startling architecture to be found anywhere.

As Herzog & De Meuron is celebrating its 40th company anniversary, WSJ.Magazine takes a look back at the beginnings of the six-decade-long friendship that unites the founding partners Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, both 68; from their childhood in 1950s Basel to winning the 2001 Pritzker Prize to designing landmark buildings around the world.

"As difficult as it is to fix an aesthetic label to the firm," Ian Volner writes in his article, "its conceptual MO is even harder to describe, and talking to the founders doesn’t necessarily clarify anything."

This Swiss firm is experimenting with prefab movable housing

2018-03-20T15:29:00-04:00

Swiss architectural practice Rahbaran Hürzeler Architekten is developing an experimental residence to be realized anywhere. Called movable house, every aspect of this project is determined by motion from floor plans to structural elements to energy storage.

Movable house rendering © Rahbaran Hürzeler Architekten

The movable house is not designed with a specific site in mind, but rather can be constructed almost anywhere. The main goals of movable house are that it can be put up quickly with easy and efficient transportation of all structural elements.

Movable house rendering © Rahbaran Hürzeler Architekten

This prefab architecture can stand alone or be attached to an existing building. The four main areas of the structure are arranged around a central library which doubles as a transitional space to connect it all together. This creates a flexible and transparent living space for a family of four on the smallest possible footprint.

Movable house rendering © Rahbaran Hürzeler Archite...

Peter Zumthor unveils scheme for Fondation Beyeler extension in Riehen

2017-05-04T18:25:00-04:00

After being unanimously chosen out of 11 renowned architecture firms, Peter Zumthor presented his vision for the expansion project of the reputable Fondation Beyeler Museum in Riehen, Basel. Joining the original Renzo Piano-designed museum building, the new expansion will provide more room for the Museum's cultural events as well as more gallery space for their growing permanent collection of modern and contemporary art.

Zumthor's scheme reflects the Museum's focus on “the visitor's personal and sensory experiences in encountering art and nature”. The expansion will be constructed on private land of the Iselin-Weber Park, which will become accessible to the public.

The scheme distributes the Museum's various functions among three buildings, like a village-like community,: an administrative building, a transparent events pavilion, and the “House for Art”.

Images Courtesy Atelier Peter Zumthor & Partner.

Visitors will be able to easily access recreation areas in the Iselin-Weber Park a...

Herzog & de Meuron's Kabinett shares their entire estate since 1978

2015-06-18T19:14:00-04:00

Herzog and de Meuron no doubt has a wealth of archival material attached to each of their projects - all valuable pieces of information that are often rarely seen outside the architects' main HQ...The Kabinett is a charitable foundation set up in Basel to make the celebrated architects' estate accessible to the public. Establishing this initiative in their home town...has been a 'lifelong aspiration' for the duo.

Herzog and de Meuron recently issued a press statement through the Kunstmuseum Basel announcing their Kabinett project, which features categorized cabinets consisting 'all the items and materials that were produced, collected, and archived' by the firm since its founding in 1978. The estate will be available for loans to local museums and institutions, and the Kunstmuseum Basel will have exclusive access. Experts and researchers can visit the archives upon request.

Read the full statement here.

A tale of two extensions

2014-06-23T14:45:00-04:00

Switzerland’s two largest art museums are building extensions, although Basel is moving faster than its neighbour and sometimes rival, Zürich. In Basel, construction is proceeding apace on the Kunstmuseum’s project, across the street from the original museum. [...] Meanwhile Zürich’s Kunsthaus has become embroiled in a dispute which has halted work this month. The Swiss environmental group Archicultura is objecting, and permission to build is being withheld by a canton court.

Basel Aquarium Entry by HHF and BURCKHARDT+PARTNER

2012-12-24T14:01:00-05:00

Only a few days ago, we published the winning entries of the Basel Ozeanium Aquarium competition with Boltshauser Architekten taking the First Place. Here is now also the winner of the Second Place, the entry "Watergate" by collaborating Swiss firms HHF and BURCKHARDT+PARTNER.

Boltshauser Architekten Wins Basel Aquarium Competition, Zaha Hadid only 3rd

2012-12-13T14:26:00-05:00

In the international architectural competition for the new 'Ozeanium' Aquarium in Basel, Switzerland, the proposal 'Seacliff' by Boltshauser Architekten has been selected as the winning entry. The Zurich-based firm beat out tough competition from big architectural names, like Zaha Hadid Architects, who came in third, or David Chipperfield Architects, MVRDV, and Behnisch Architekten who only made the shortlist.