Archinect - News

Maya Lin to design Glenbow Museum's new rooftop garden in Calgary

2023-10-30T16:57:00-04:00

Maya Lin Studio has been attached to a new rooftop garden terrace project at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta.

The 13,000-square-foot design will complement the new $120 million renovation and expansion scheme from DIALOG that was announced in September of 2021. It will include an all-season pavilion structure, event spaces, and sculpture gardens surrounding a central oculus skylight that doubles as a lightwell for the new JR Shaw Centre for Art & Culture. Lin says the space will “afford a welcoming place that will invite visitors to connect to art, landscape, and the city of Calgary.” The project will be her first-ever work in Canada.

Rendering courtesy of Maya Lin Studio

“This idea that we are recycling a building in the center of downtown Calgary and making something new out of it while utilizing as much of the old building was a huge draw for me. If we can use an existing building in a better way, it is a lot more energy-efficient, it is a lot more material-efficient, and ...

FIAT unveils new La Pista 500 project, now Europe's largest public rooftop garden

2022-06-21T20:13:00-04:00

The mantle of international rooftop garden design might have a new crown jewel following Camerana&Partners’ completion of the La Pista 500 project for legendary Italian automaker FIAT in the country’s motorsports capital of Turin.

Promoted by the Pinacoteca Agnelli as a “manifesto of sustainability and inclusivity as well as a suspended public art project”, the project also serves to showcase FIAT’s new 500 model EV design while playing host to a series of art installations filled with approximately 40,000 plants. It is located atop the company’s historic 1923 Lingotto factory building (later converted into a mixed-use space by Renzo Piano) and retains, as a symbolic feature, the site’s original 1.1 km (.683 mile) long test track that starred in the 1969 crime caper The Italian Job.

Image: Marco Schiavone courtesy of Benedetto Camerana

That track is now the exclusive domain of electric cars (and other non-combustion engine vehicles...

Local LA hero Lauren Halsey’s Met rooftop installation will focus on utopian architecture, Afrofuturism, and community

2022-03-15T20:36:00-04:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced the commission of artist Lauren Halsey for the tenth edition of its popular annual Roof Garden Commission series with a new work titled the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I).

The 34-year-old artist’s temporary installation will feature an inhabitable structure that at once weaves the museum’s ample holdings of Egyptian art with elements of her own personal history and visual inventory in order to create a “monument to living architecture” overlooking Central Park and Fifth Avenue.

Halsey is known for inspiring work that examines the shifting dynamic between architecture and community-building as influenced by her upbringing in and around South Central Los Angeles. Her installation is thus taken from the desire to produce, as Met director Max Hollein put it, “a powerful form of documentation” that engages with the history, iconography, and local material culture of the neighborhood remixed with ele...

10 green rooftop spaces we liked this week

2021-05-14T14:24:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Rooftop Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ 500 West 21st Street in New York, NY by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)

↑ Vertical Loft in New York, NY by SKOLNICK Architecture + Design Partnership; Photo: Thomas Loof

↑ Jackson Tech House in Jackson, WY by Cushing Terrell in collaboration with Hoyt Architects; Photo: Gibeon Photography

↑ Tsuga Townhomes in Seattle, WA by Wittman Estes (the firm was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Photo: Miranda Estes

↑ ARTSPACE in Vienna, Austria by BEHF Architects; Photo: Hertha Hurnaus

↑ Mariposa1038 in Los Angeles, CA by Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (learn what it takes to work at this firm in Archi...

A terracotta block wall created by Mexican artist Héctor Zamora graces Met Museum roof

2020-08-31T16:30:00-04:00

A curving masonry block wall created by Mexican artist Héctor Zamora currently graces the rooftop terrace of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which recently re-opened to the public after several months of COVID-19-related closures.

The installation is built from hundreds of extruded terracotta blocks "made of Mexican earth" that are stacked 11 feet high. The curving barrier is composed of blocks that have been turned on their side, exposing the complex patterning of the extrusion process used to create the units. This change in orientation allows for what would normally be seen as a solid mass to offer fragmented views through the barrier onto the surrounding landscape, be it the leafy trees in Central Park or the concrete, glass, and stone-wrapped towers that surround the museum.

A press release highlighting the installation tells us that the installation works to "create a response in viewers that communicates the impact of barriers: thwarting access to open, exp...

Rooftop trees planted at MVRDV's Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen

2020-04-13T13:44:00-04:00

Tree planting has commenced at MVRDV's Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the anticipated art depot that will feature exhibition falls, a sculpture roof garden and restaurant, and expansive public grounds.

Photo by Fred Ernst. Courtesy of MVRDV.

As part of the tree installation, 75 large birches will be lifted 35 meters to the roof of the depot. The rooftop forest was designed in collaboration with MTD landschapsarchitecten from Den Bosch. The tree species are Betula pubescens, a soft birch that grows to ten meters and is said to be resistant to varying weather conditions.

Photo by Arjen Ketting. Courtesy of MVRDV.

Expected to remain standing for several decades, the trees will be maintained via a special watering system to ensure the soil will never dry out.

10 breezy rooftop spaces for your Friday inspiration

2019-07-12T07:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Rooftop Spaces.

↑ Diane Von Furstenberg HQ in New York, NY by WORKac; Landscape: Town and Gardens; Photo: Elizabeth Felicella

↑ Park Avenue Rooftop in New York, NY by Murdock Solon Architects

↑ QUAD HOUSE in Beijing, China by ARCHISTRY design&research office

↑ Tarbut V'Torah Community Day School in Irvine, CA by LPA Inc.

↑ Harmony Apartment Renovation in Glyfáda, Greece by schema architecture & engineering; Photo: Nikos Alexopoulos

↑ M·Cube in Beijing, China by MVRDV; Photo: Seth Powers Photography

↑ The Ritz Carlton Moskau / O2 Lounge Terrace in Moscow, Russia by destilat Design Studio GmbH; Photo: Monika Nguyen

↑ SL11024 in Los A...

Amsterdam's Rooftop Festival shows off the boundless potential of the roofscape

2018-06-22T18:24:00-04:00

This evening, 20 rooftops across the city of Amsterdam have opened up their typically unused space in sky for a series of unique programming. Part of the city's Rooftop festival, these spaces will be hosting three-course dinners, live music, rollerskating, guided tours, and even a Symposium teaching participants how to maximize their rooftops, by making them greener and more accessible.

The event is being put on by ROEF Collective, an organization keen on celebrating the green possibilities of the urban rooftop landscape. Currently, only 2% of Amsterdam rooftops are in use. The five entrepreneurs behind the group are hoping to grow this number, with plans for 10% of rooftops in the city to be in use by 2025!

10 airy rooftop spaces for your Friday inspiration

2018-05-11T09:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Rooftop Spaces.

↑ The Standard at South Market in New Orleans, LA by Morris Adjmi Architects

↑ Vancouver Convention Centre West in Vancouver, Canada by LMN Architects; Landscape architect: PWL Partnership Landscape Architects Inc.

↑ Birdhouse in Buffalo, NY by asap/ adam sokol architecture practice

↑ Peter's House in San Francisco, CA by Craig Steely Architecture

↑ Fifth Avenue Penthouse in New York, NY by Shenton Architects in collaboration with Sharmila McConnell and Christoper Stevens; Photo: Peter Murdock

↑ Row House 1 in Brooklyn, NY by Office of Architecture; Photo: Rafael Gamo

↑ Gates Family Foundation Offices + Roof Deck in...

MVRDV's porous shopping mall in France breaks ground

2018-03-13T14:20:00-04:00

Construction has just begun on MVRDV's Lyon Part-Dieu, a shopping mall located in Lyon, France. The new design features a porous facade breaking up the exterior pattern and allowing for greater fluidity with its surrounding environment.

Lyon Part-Dieu Shopping Center by MVRDV, located in Lyon, FR. Image: Kréaction.

Dissolving the facade allows for a subtle shift from concrete to glass while also enhancing the pedestrian flow. The renovated facade features a depolluting coating on the concrete panels to improve air quality of the area.

Lyon Part-Dieu Shopping Center by MVRDV, located in Lyon, FR. Image: Kréaction.

MVRDV's competition-winning design aims to transform one of the largest downtown shopping center's in Europe.

Lyon Part-Dieu Shopping Center by MVRDV, located in Lyon, FR. Image: Kréaction.

Founded in 1975, Lyon Part-Dieu Shopping Center was an introverted complex built for the car century. The new design opens up the entire space through revitalizing and re-organizing the m...

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Rooftop Spaces" Pinterest Board

2017-08-25T20:32:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Rooftop Spaces.

↑ Mayfair House in London, UK by Squire and Partners; Photo: Gareth Gardner

↑ J+K Residence in New York, NY by STUDIO V Architecture; Photo: David Rahr

↑ Ocean Deck House in Bridgehampton, NY by Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects; Photo: Matthew Carbone

↑ PH Fuentes in Monterrey, Mexico by P+0 Arquitectura

↑ Wooster Street Loft in New York, NY by Space4Architecture

↑ deckweiß in Berlin, Germany by brandt+simon architekten

↑ Tsinghua Ocean Center in Shenzhen, China by OPEN Architecture; Photo: Zhang Chao

↑ David Zwirner, 20th Street in New York, NY by Selldorf Architects; Photo: Todd Eberle

↑ Celtic Museum in Glauburg,...

Ten Top Images on Archinect's NEW "Rooftop Spaces" Pinterest Board

2016-04-01T18:26:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the brand new board Rooftop Spaces.

↑ A Hard Working House in London, UK by Urban Projects Bureau; Photo: Richard Leeney

↑ Hotel Básico in Playa del Carmen, Mexico by Central de Arquitectura

↑ Harrison Street in San Francisco, CA by Dawson and Clinton

↑ Sculptural rooftop & garden in Chicago, IL by dSpace Studio

↑ 930 Poydras Residential Tower in New Orleans, LA by Eskew+Dumez+Ripple

↑ Chelsea Roof Terrace in New York, NY by James Cleary Architecture, Landscape Design: Rumsey Farber Landscape Architecture; Photo: Jason Valdina

↑ DNA Model Management in New York, NY by Calvert Wright Architecture | Spatial Discipline; Photo: Bjorg Magnea

↑ Xafix House ...

A look at Sou Fujimoto's proposed sustainable, timber-frame tower

2016-03-30T13:56:00-04:00

In collaboration with Laisné Roussel and developer Pitch Promotion, Sou Fujimoto's proposed 50-meter tall mixed-use timber-frame structure Canopia would be the tallest of its kind if built. Riffing a bit off the swirling form of Fujimoto's Abre Blanc apartment building, the proposed structure includes 199 residential units, over 3,700 square meters of commercial offices, a panoramic bar and roof gardens, and 500 square meters of retail space.

In addition to being a part of the phase two development of the Amargnac sector of the Bordeaux Saint-Jean Belcier ZAC (urban development zone), Canopia is designed to be environmentally sustainable. Aside from attempting to achieve "Biosource" certification by using cross-laminated spruce or silver fur timber for the flooring and beams, sustainability is partly achieved by the rooftop gardens, which are connected by raised walkways and allow residents to wander among fruit trees, water reservoirs, and vegetable gardens before hitting the bar/re...

Urban homesteading done right: Look at this hidden rooftop cottage in Manhattan

2015-06-18T13:45:00-04:00

Flying above New York City in a helicopter can be a beautiful thing, until you look down and see that someone has stolen and is living your dream life in a bucolic cabin on a rooftop in the West Village. Is there anything more enviable in the real estate racket of NYC than a house on a regular old apartment building's roof? [...] the porch is basically a glorified bulkhead over a hole punched in the ceiling of the family’s loft to make way for a nautical stairway that rises to a landing [...].

Require a little more luxury for your Manhattan rooftop abode? A mere $250 million could buy you this.

Old MacDonald had a farm (on a Toronto rooftop)

2015-06-10T14:53:00-04:00

Green roofs are nice, but rooftop farms are better. They’re the future of living architecture, say international green roof advocates who gathered in Toronto last week. [...] “We have a handful of agricultural green roofs and all of them are community projects,” like Eastdale Collegiate, Ryerson’s Engineering building and the Carrot Common, said Peck. “But we don’t have any commercial-scale agriculture on roofs — that’s the next thing.”

Rooftop farms combine the rural and urban in future cities

2014-05-20T13:43:00-04:00

As fossil fuels become more expensive and the number of urban dwellers continues to rise, urban farming will help feed the population without increasing the cost and pollution of food transport. [...] The rise in rooftop farming isn't limited to commercial operations. "Rooftop farming and gardening has become extremely diverse, and in that sense a more 'normal' presence in cities"

Japanese Commuters Grow Veggies On Train Station Rooftops

2014-03-24T20:10:00-04:00

Rooftop farms have been established all over the world to enable growing food in dense urban areas. In Japan, a whole new kind of an urban rooftop farm was opened recently. Soradofarm is an urban agriculture project that uses the rooftops of train stations to accommodate urban gardens for waiting train passengers that want to use their transfer time to relax and train their gardening skills.

Do we want more green roofs?

2013-09-30T15:15:00-04:00

If green roofs can be seen, they are a constraint for architectural design. Either you acknowledge them or they become an afterthought.

I attempt to disassemble issues in advocating green roofs.

Rooftop Farms to Deal with Growing Food Crisis

2013-05-01T10:34:00-04:00

Some of the most densely populated cities across the globe are tackling population growth and food shortages by establishing more rooftop farms. Vertical farms are popping up on unused rooftops in cities across the globe and the outcome is extremely positive.

High-tech greenhouse planned for downtown Vancouver parkade rooftop

2011-12-14T20:25:34-05:00

The inside of the greenhouse will be anything but ordinary. Four-metre-high stacks of growing trays on motorized conveyors will ferry plants up, down and around for watering, to capture the sun’s rays and then move them into position for an easy harvest. The array will produce about the same amount of produce as 6.4 hectares (16 acres) of California fields, according to Christopher Ng, chief operating officer of Valcent.