Archinect - News

The many faces of MVRDV's shape-shifting Baltyk Tower

2017-06-22T15:27:00-04:00

Turning iconicity on its head, MVRDV have designed a striking building that purposefully refuses easy categorization. Depending on the angle from which it is viewed, the Baltyk Tower seems to assume different forms, a look that is achieved by a series of scenic terraces and a rippling glass-fronted concrete facade.

Image: MVRDV

From one angle, the tower appears to be svelte, a compact wedge on Poznan, Poland's streets. However, from another perspective the tower broadens and becomes a kind of gigantic civic staircase. Regardless of where one views the building, the inventive facade gives the structure a dynamic, shifting quality.

Image: MVRDV

As MVRDV co-founder Nathalie de Vries explains, “When we came to Poznań for the first time, the goal was clear: we were to realize an office building with public functions on the first two layers and at the top. But also that offered a range of amenities for the community and general public. We realised if we could control...

Ceiling tile that wirelessly charges devices unveiled at CES 2017

2017-01-05T17:24:00-05:00

The days of having to purchase astonishingly expensive replacement charging plugs accidentally left behind on trips, or for that matter of lugging around charging plugs in general, may be over. At this year's CES in Las Vegas, licensing company Ossia is unveiling a drop ceiling tile that purports to wirelessly charge a variety of devices, depending of course on how close the device is to the tile. The more tiles, the chargier: up to four Cota Tiles can be combined to provide the maximum radius and charge to those battery-draining devices. As the press release explains:

Each Cota Tile contains Ossia's wireless power smart antenna technology that automatically powers Cota-enabled devices — from tablets to smoke alarms. Cota Tile has proven safe for operation around people, pets and plants. It is environmentally friendly and does not interfere with Wi-Fi or other wireless technologies while continuously streaming power to multiple Cota-enabled devices, even as they move around a room. C...