Archinect - News

MAD unveils plans for the new Aranya 'Cloud Center'

2021-07-06T17:43:00-04:00

A new multipurpose development is taking shape in Qinhuangdao, China, bringing a “floating cloud by the sea” thanks to a plan by MAD, unveiled this week, that will add 2,500 square meters of swirling new public space to the city’s coastal community of Aranya.

Having already broken ground in March, residents of the region will soon enjoy a new center for conferences, performances, and more housed in a flexible columnless interior space complete with a theater space wrapped in a unique white stained glass facade.

Image courtesy MAD Architects

Viewed from above, the project’s footprint takes on a futuristic shape thanks to a white boundary wall and undulated landscape with painted rocks meant to resemble interstellar constellations. From the ground, a more atmospheric feel finally takes full form, with an articulated cloud-like structure sitting atop a circular glazed core that adds a floating quality to visitors who enter the space’s foyer through a long re...

For the first time in 69 years, John Lautner's Sherman Oaks house is on the market

2019-07-16T13:44:00-04:00

One of Frank Lloyd Wright's most notable disciples, John Lautner made a distinct impact in California, specifically in Los Angeles. Known for his residential works, Lautner's exploration of space and material echoes Wright's organic architectural influence. The eye-catching curvilinear Louise Foster House, for example, considered to be one of Lautner's earliest commissioned works, resembles the David and Gladys Wright House, an elevated, circular home Wright completed for his son in 1952.

The 1,200-square-foot Foster House, complete with a redwood-clad exterior and a grand sunburst ceiling showcasing a tantalizing wood finish, is currently for sale.

Image © Junwan Li/Courtesy of Compass

A perfect getaway for someone looking to escape the busy city, the house sits on a 5,556-square-foot lot.

The two-story home has gone through some renovations over the years. According to usmodernist.org, Lautner decided to t...

Zaha Hadid Architects' conceptual rendering for Chicago Spire site

2018-01-02T13:43:00-05:00

While 2017 saw developer Related Midwest remain tight-lipped on its plans for the site of the defunct 2,000-foot-tall Chicago Spire project, a rendering showing a pair of very tall skyscrapers rising at 400 N. Lake Shore Drive recently reignited speculation regarding the site’s future redevelopment. The rather slender image surfaced online, credited to Britain’s Zaha Hadid Architects.

Another rendering for the vacant Chicago Spire site recently surfaced online. The image was confirmed as a proposal from Zaha Hadid Architects; however, the developer Related Midwest will not be pursuing the design.

While the project will not be built, the organic towers are certainly a stunning site to behold. Characteristic of ZHA's work, these sci-fi shaped towers appear to break the 984-foot tall supertall threshold. For now, future plans for what will be built at 400 N. Lakeshore Drive are still anyone's guess.

Image note: the previous image has been removed by request, as it was not intended for publication.

Javier Senosiain's low-income "bio-architecture" housing proposal

2016-10-18T14:26:00-04:00

Forming a closer, more harmonious bond between humanity and nature is the underlying goal of Javier Senosiain's organic or so-called "bio-architecture." His buildings often take the shape of organic forms--in one case, mythic serpent Quetzalcoatl--while simultaneously harvesting rainwater and providing natural shade and ventilation, among other attributes. The Mexican architect and professor at UNAM has a retrospective exhibition at The Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City displaying his buildings, including a proposed low-income housing complex which breaks away from the cram'em'in monolithic housing milleu and instead creates a walkable, livable village. Check out this CCTV-America video profiling Senosiain and his work:

A "Rock Legend" of organic modern

2015-06-28T21:09:00-04:00

The house Kellogg built for the Doolittles on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park, an hour from Palm Springs, is arguably his apotheosis: a nearly 5,000-square-foot marvel of engineering in which every inch, inside and out, including the furnishings, is hand-hewn from natural materials using soaring, twisting, curvilinear forms that are at once trippy and ambitious and — perhaps surprisingly — serene.

Nancy Hass profiles the work of American architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg.