Archinect - News

Henning Larsen designs Europe's largest mass timber logistics center for Bestseller

2023-10-26T17:39:00-04:00

Henning Larsen has revealed designs for a new mass timber logistics center project in Lelystad on Flevopolder Island, the Netherlands.

The project includes a restaurant with roof garden and terrace for employees and boasts several sustainable credentials, including the retention of 40% of the 70-acre total site for landscaping and wildlife habitats. Another 10% increase in its overall biodiversity will also be achieved through its realization. The firm says its construction is driven by circular economy principles and the desire to create a fairer working environment tied to reduced emissions.

Image courtesy Henning Larsen

For the design of Logistic Center West (LCW), Henning Larsen proposes constructing a wetlands network that wraps the site, supported by a high-tech irrigation system that also aids in flood mitigation and rainwater harvesting while preventing off-site contamination from commercial activities. The large 1.66 million-square-foot logistics hub is topped by a 331,022-s...

NEOM announces plans for new man-made island development called Oxagon

2022-12-22T16:42:00-05:00

Plans for a new floating city design that’s part of the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia have been revealed recently, offering a glimpse at the Gulf state’s full vision for a megadevelopment program that includes Trojena ski resort, an artificial island called Sindalah, and centerpiece 110-mile-long smart city dubbed The Line.

The ‘Oxagon’ as it is so-named, is formed by a series of floating squares connected by a network of canals and will contain factories and logistics centers along with housing accommodations for up to 90,000 residents by the time it is completed in 2030. It is strategically located in proximity to the Suez Canal in order to give the country an enhanced position within the global supply chain

Image courtesy NEOM

According to a press release: “At Oxagon’s core will be the adoption of the most advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), human-machine fusion, artificial and predictive intelligence, and robotics, all of which are coupled to a network of f...

How vertical urban warehouses made a comeback in the age of high-speed logistics

2019-12-26T19:44:00-05:00

As the decade draws to a close, it might be worth considering one overlooked ten-year anniversary: In October 2009, the e-commerce giant Amazon introduced same-day delivery service. [...] Amidst these transformations, one long-standing building typology has found itself again at the cutting edge of commerce: the vertical urban warehouse.

Architectural critic, curator, and educator Nina Rappaport penned an insightful Urban Omnibus essay on the revived vertical urban warehouse typology — and the physical infrastructure that surrounds these facilities — in the age of online retail and instant gratification.

"New York City’s abundant warehouses are becoming key nodes in the granular networks of the on-demand economy," Rappaport writes. "Following decades of decline and retrofitting for other uses, they’re returning to prominence in the city’s logistical landscape. Beyond renovation, developers are building new warehouses along the city’s key transportation corridors."

Mayor-less Rome's logistical battle to invest in its past and present

2015-12-21T17:43:00-05:00

While some residents may be more concerned about their overflowing rubbish bins than maintaining ancient monuments, for many the survival of modern Rome will depend on the preservation of the past.

As Rome moves forward without a mayor, the city is taking on the restoration of both the Colosseum and the Porta Maggiore basilica while updating the modern city.

More about Rome on Archinect:

Was Rome really a "City of Marble"?

A breakneck tour of contemporary architecture in Rome

Contemporary Art in an 8th-Century Roman Church

Terminal ports: of gigantic machines and containerized automation

2012-10-05T11:33:00-04:00

Terminal workers speak a florid corporate language of “space optimization” and “key performance indicators.” Longshoremen click computer mice and complain about Microsoft Windows as everyone else in the white-collar world does.

Over the weekend Alan Feuer, took readers along on a tour of the six container terminals belonging to the The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The visit gave him an opportunity to report on how the; infrastructural-logistical pressures of a post-Panamax infrastructure, along with long terms trends towards containerization, have resulted in a loss from 35,000 longshoremen to today 3,500 working at the ports.