Archinect - News

Inside Snøhetta and WERK’s ‘lantern’ maritime center in Esbjerg, Denmark

2023-01-12T11:00:00-05:00

Snøhetta and WERK Arkitekter have completed a new maritime center in Esbjerg, Denmark. The circular timber center, dubbed “The Lantern,” houses multiple watersport clubs, boat storage, training facilities, a large workshop, and social functions, and is described by its designers as “a new landmark lighting up the Danish west coast.”

Image credit: wichmann+bendtsen photography

Having won a competition for the scheme’s design in 2019, Snøhetta and WERK used the building to pay homage to the maritime tradition and significance of Esbjerg’s port by translating the geometry and craftsmanship of local boats. The rhythm and repetition of the building’s facade are inspired by wooden boat construction, with a rippling motif inspired by the effect of throwing a stone into water. In addition to reflecting the water’s energy, the changes in the angle of facade panels create varying shadows inspired by the shapes of kayaks.

Image credit: wichmann+bendtsen photography

The wooden rhythm continues on...

Go with the flow: the case for amphibious architecture

2018-01-10T15:27:00-05:00

Unlike traditional buildings, amphibious structures are not static; they respond to floods like ships to a rising tide, floating on the water’s surface. [...] Amphibiation may be an unconventional strategy, but it reflects a growing consensus that, at a time of climatic volatility, people can’t simply fight against water; they have to learn to live with it.

The New Yorker features Elizabeth English, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Waterloo and founder of the Buoyant Foundation Project which seeks to promote the benefits of amphibious architecture for homes in flood-prone areas and communities that will experience the effects of rising sea levels resulting from climate change.
"The water gets to do what the water wants to do," English says. "It’s not a confrontation with Mother Nature—it’s an acceptance of Mother Nature."

With more severe weather events on the horizon, it's time to elevate our homes

2017-12-19T13:52:00-05:00

We can build homes to sit above flood waters so people can ride out the Harveys of the future, but it won’t be easy or cheap. [...] More than a million people live in the 100- and 500-year flood zones across the Houston area, and hundreds of thousands more do in other U.S. cities, including Miami and New York. Harris County’s move conforms with the advice of building engineers, climate experts, and the insurance industry.

Pop-Up garage designed by Third Nature guards against flooding

2017-12-12T09:28:00-05:00

During extreme storms, it's common for city infrastructure — from roads to subways to parking garages — to flood. Architects from Danish firm Third Nature want to build garages that can cope with future storms. They designed a garage that could automatically move up and down as its water reservoir fills with and empties floodwater.

Third Nature's conceptual garage structure, Pop-Up, consists of an underground water reservoir, five parking levels, and a pedestrian space on top. Most of this 30,460-square-foot structure could exist underground on dry days. On wet days, the structure would automatically pop up using hydraulics and reduce the risk of flooding; a handy design for flood prone cities and as climate-change storms increase.

How Holland can help fight floods around the world

2014-04-28T13:32:00-04:00

It’s initiatives such as this that have, in recent years, given the water engineers of Holland their almost mythical status amongst flood defenders the world over. After Hurricane Sandy hit New York, in 2012, the $20 billion protection plan that was subsequently instituted built upon principles that were pioneered by the Dutch. Officials from as far away as China, Vietnam, Thailand and Bangladesh are currently consulting Dutch experts.

Anti-Fragile: The Uncertain Future of Arverne East

2014-04-16T12:45:00-04:00

Superstorm Sandy brought the Rockaways into the forefront of New Yorkers’ consciousness for a period of time, [...] subsequently as a key reference point in debates about rebuilding versus retreating from the flood zone. [...] The last of these sites is Arverne East, 81 acres of City-owned land that have remained vacant since the neighborhood was razed in 1969. Below, Jonathan Tarleton and Gabriel Silberblatt consider Arverne East’s uncertain future.

Flood Proof Loos

2013-03-13T00:38:00-04:00

When Hurricane Sandy wiped out the lifeguard stations and public bathrooms on many of New York City’s beaches, the city found itself in a bind. How could it rebuild these necessary facilities in time for the summer of 2013?

Loos on stilts, modular shiny boxes, what more could beach goers in NYC ask for?