Archinect - News

BIG's spiraling Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet opens in Switzerland

2020-07-02T15:22:00-04:00

When Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet selected the low-slung, swirling expansion proposal designed by a Bjarke Ingels-led team of collaborators in June 2014, the dreamy renderings looked promising. Now, six years later, the building finally opened at the company's Le Brassus headquarters in the watchmaking Vallée de Joux of Switzerland, and—judging by new Iwan Baan photos—the completed Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet certainly delivered on its promises.

Photo: Iwan Baan.

"Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet is conceived as an oxymoron," declares the architects' project description, describing it as a "landmark that is seamlessly integrated in the local landscape. A contemporary yet timeless architecture that blends with the historical buildings to create an intuitive sequence of spaces—old and new."

Photo: Iwan Baan.

Image courtesy of Audemars Piguet.

The interiors of the coil's outer rings impress with generous amounts of natural light pouring in while opening up an unimpeded view towa...

Studio Gang reveals new twisting tower design for San Francisco

2018-08-25T11:03:00-04:00

Studio Gang reveals a new, 400-foot tall residential tower called "MIRA" for San Francisco's Transbay neighborhood. The building features classic bay windows staggered in a twisting design around the structure.

"MIRA" high rise rendering by Studio Gang, located in San Francisco. Image: Studio Gang.

The design provides each unit with ample lighting and views of the bay, while also creating a high-performance facade reducing energy consumption.

"MIRA" high rise rendering by Studio Gang, located in San Francisco. Image: Binyan.

40% of the building's units have been designated to be priced below market rate.

"MIRA" high rise rendering by Studio Gang, located in San Francisco. Image: Studio Gang.

The high rise also includes sustainable features such as a VRF cooling system, a graywater harvesting system, green roofs, and high-efficiency fixtures and is targeted for LEED Gold certification.

Requiem - Lahdelma & Mahlmäki’s Museum for the Defense and Siege of Leningrad

2018-01-16T23:44:00-05:00

Lahdelma & Mahalmäki Architects have unveiled Requiem, their competition proposal for the Museum for the Defense and Siege of Leningrad, St. Petersburg. The project was undertaken in partnership with Ralph Appelbaum Associates who, together, formed the only international team amongst the four final designs. The design sees an elegant spiral, buried in the landscape, reaching up from the exhibitions which are buried in a vast cavern underground. The route corkscrews out the top of the riverside, reaching outwards to give views over the new St. Petersburg.

Images credit to: Brick Visuals

The Museum for the Defense and Siege of Leningrad and its several components form a powerful spatial composition, connecting to the character and history of the city. The Thread of Life, the Memorial of Heroes of Leningrad and the Square of Testimony all sit against the backdrop of a newly created tranquil river side park.

Images credit to: Brick Visuals

The ‘Thread of Life’ refers to the museum and ex...

BIG-designed "The Spiral" Hudson Yards tower is inching closer to becoming reality

2016-09-30T13:47:00-04:00

Everything is spiraling into place for Tishman Speyer. The developer officially filed plans Thursday for the Spiral, an office skyscraper that is slated to cost $3.2 billion. [...] It is being designed by Bjarke Ingels , the Danish architect behind the 2 World Trade Center redesign and VIA57.

The (hotly debated) project previously in the Archinect news: BIG's concept for a spiraling-landscape tower in NYC's Hudson Yards

What's the Big Deal‽ – Assemble, Serpentine and YAP winners, and BIG controversy on Archinect Sessions #52, with special guest co-host Will Galloway

2016-02-11T18:25:00-05:00

Long-time Archinector and reliably sane commentator Will Galloway joins us from his base in Tokyo to discuss the weekly news, including his interview with Assemble, crucially taking place mere weeks before they won the Turner Prize. While news from Bjarke Ingels Group commanded the feistiest comment threads this week – with renderings of BIG's spiraling Hudson Yards tower provoking debate over craft in skyscrapers, and the firm being selected to design the Serpentine Pavilion for 2016 in their last last eligible year – recent news included big wins for firms both star-studded and unknown. MoMA PS1 named Escobedo Solíz Studio as the 2016 winner of its Young Architects Program, for their "Weaving the Courtyard" submission, while Dame Zaha Hadid received her RIBA Gold Medal (the first woman to win solo). Lastly, for you planning wonks, we throw in a brief discussion of a controversial proposed ballot measure to halt big developments in Los Angeles.