Architecture in Focus
20 total works
Industrial manufacturing facilities have always been an own category in architecture. Ever since the development of factories in the 17th century this type of build-ings have first of all served to improve the production process while reflecting at the same time the workflow. Furthermore plants have also the task of represent- ing the values of the company to the outside world. The volume is dedicated to the inner organization of contemporary factory design as well as to its outer appearance featuring around 60 projects from all continents.
Movie theater architecture is an architecture of night. Evening screenings take place in buildings that seek out the attention of passersby using their form and light. The interiors of this less-than-a-century-old building type are also very manifold. The range of design is especially evident in the execution of foyers, which span everything from the strict, modern and refined to the opulent, volu-minous and luxurious. Next to classical, individual cinemas, large multiplex centers have appeared in recent years, becoming an integral component of large amusement parks. The current book explores these developments with the help of 60 contemporary buildings.
Although convention and conference centers are in high demand, the competition is tough, so new concepts are constantly being developed. They come in a range of forms, shapes, sizes and contexts. They can form part of a hotel, an airport, a skyscraper, a mountain-chalet or stand completely on their own. This wide range allows for an exciting variety of stunning architectural and design possibilities that in combination with state-of-the-art technology make a convention center a successful enterprise. The criterion for the project selection for this volume is to cover the entire spectrum and provide a well-founded overview of the current trends. The buildings selected are by acknowledged specialists for convention centers as well as architects, who approach the attractive planning task from different perspectives.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the department store developed from markets and urban arcades, from which the shopping mall evolved in the post-war period. The operators of department stores and shopping centers are coming under increasing pressure from the competi - tion of the continuously growing internet trade. By the same token, however, there is also an increasing tendency for the internet trade to become involved with real shops. The challenge is to optimize the quality of the customer's stay. This is accomplished by the interspersing of the offer by cultural institutions, a variety of dining opportunities and exciting leisure activities. The time spent in a depart - ment store or a shopping center must be conceived as an experience, separate from the consumption of goods, which engages all the senses. Which is where architectural quality as well as a targeted design can play an increas - ingly important role
Architecture for rescue services has come a long way in the past decade. Buildings for the police, fire brigades and ambulance stations have lost their often purely functional and shed-like appearance and have begun to strive for recognition as an equitable architectural typology since Zaha Hadid's trailblazing Vitra fire station in Weil am Rhein. This building type certainly is a challenge as there are numerous conditions to be taken into account in terms of functionality and especially security. The examples chosen for this title show an amazing diversity of emergency architecture. The buildings presented frequently house more than one institution, using the latest technology and communication techniques to successfully combine different functions under one roof. The projects included range from the rural two-bay ambulance depot to police headquarters and airport fire departments.
Airports today are much more than gateways to cities, countries or continents. They have developed into city-like complexes and multifunctional systems, which while being set up to serve the needs of smoothly running air traffic, at the same time have taken on all the functions of a normal community: sleeping, shopping, work and leisure time and all that increasingly with 24-7 access. After an era of purely functional architecture, the nodal points of air traffic have become one of the most prominent architectural tasks of the present. Drawing on 60 examples, this volume shows the exciting multiplicity of contemporary airport construction and design. The projects presented include the newest large scale airports, as well as long term building projects, smaller airports at more remote locations as well as expansions and individual new functional areas like air traffic control centers, hangars or lounges. Air
Light is the prerequisite for spatial perception - which is why it is an integral component of architecture. Light design in architecture has become more lively and also more colorful in the last few years. The projects selected for this publication show how good design can be considerably improved with the right light. For interior design, the purpose of the introduction of natural light and the use of artificial light is to create a spatial experience: certain areas are accentuated, spatial units are defined and differing atmospheres are established. Illumination also plays a role with exteriors, not just at night. In addition to the form emphasizing role of light, a striking illumination can lend the building an emblematic uniqueness.
In 2009, plans by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg to transform part of Broadway including Times Square into a pedestrian area caused a sensation, not just in the city but internationally. Urban areas where pedestrians have right of way over vehicles are becoming increasingly important in the modern city and have enjoyed growing popular - ity since the 1950s. Not only do they increase the quality of life of the residents, they also become an increasingly important locational factor. In general there are two types of pedestrian zones: the first serves primarily as an alternative transit route with - out cars, while the second is dedicated to shopping and entertainment in the form of traffic-free shopping streets and open pedestrian areas within shopping malls. Based on a careful selection of projects this volume presents the functional and design variety of these popular urban spaces.
Serving as gateways to the cities, train stations were the most important urban building developments at the turn of the 20th century. One century later this building mission is experiencing a fascinating renaissance. On a world-wide basis new facilities are emerging that need to fulfill various functions - very often they have to serve as shopping malls. However, even small stations for regional trains, subways and trams belong to the past, if they are purpose-built only. They also have an important influence on the urban identity. Just like the larger facilities, they have to be able to develop in a confined space and in a historically often densely built-up environment. 70 international projects were chosen to present current station architecture both in terms of long distance traffic as well as local transportation structures, including underground systems.
Street furniture is the secret star of urban outdoor design. Though rarely noticed at first glance, it significantly contributes towards the urban experience. Benches, fountains, street lamps, rubbish bins, post boxes, tourist information signs, bus stops as well as public toilets are items that reoccur in various urban spaces. Just like outstanding monuments and landmarks, they determine the identity of a square, street or town. This volume introduces 100 exceptional examples of contemporary street furniture, presenting both items that are one-of-a-kind as well as objects that are part of a product series.
Pharmacies constitute a special form of commercial architecture. The market for medicines, which is heavily regulated in most countries, has led to a veritable competition of the "atmosphere of space": since where product and price can no longer provide a competitive advantage, customer loyalty must be created with other means. In addition to professional competence and familiarity with the customers, that becomes above all the ambiance. That in turn translates to the modern and hygienic pharmacy, together with a friendly and assuring spatial experience. The selected examples show the design sophistication with which pharmacies today, from a functional as well as atmospheric standpoint, set themselves apart from the historical chemists' shelves - and the competitors.
Green areas of all kinds have gained significance for contemporary urban planning. In addition to the importance for the structure and appearance of urban spaces, these areas have a wide range social, ecological and economic functions. For instance, they can serve as relaxation and communication rooms, or as habitats for flora and fauna they can have an extremely positive influence on the micro-climate, not to mention the increasing attention they receive from the real estate business as a factor in site evaluation. This volume presents a broad spectrum of green areas in cities like urban parks, public roof gardens greened facades, and city squares. The interplay of international trends, regional characteristics and local traditions is especially interesting. The selection of projects shows the various tendencies of this discipline at the junction of landscape architecture and urban planning.
From the 1930s, Olivetti, the manufacturer of business products, was widely regarded as the pioneer of corporate architecture. During the 1990s, the concept became firmly established as a basic component of a corporate identity. Architecture and design are used to control the interior and exterior image of company headquarters and office buildings, production sites and store interiors. Corporate Architecture includes both individual projects ranging from high rises to trade fair booths, as well as companywide design schemes such as that of the Apple stores around the world. The vitalizing and expressive power of architecture as a 'business card made of stone' intends to reflect the self-image of a company and a brand's identity with the aim of expressing the corporate philosophy through architectural symbolism and constructional cultural qualities. Repre-senting very different approaches, the examples from around the world gathered in this book present the whole scope of this extensive topic.
Protection has always been the most genuine function of architecture. In the context of global warming one of the most needed type of protection is from and against the sun. This necessity has led to an impressive creative outburst of amazing technological developments for all kinds of roofs without walls. These come in all forms and sizes, in a wide variety of materials - concrete, fabrics, fiberglass, wood or plants, to name a few. This volume features serial productions as well as individ - ual designs. These shadow-providing devices range from elegant sun blinds and canopies, to fancy pergolas and luxury tents as well as small pavilions in public parks, wide covered piazzas, and even entire buildings shielded by independent overlapping roofs. With texts, facts, drawings and photos the presentation of the projects focusses on the design as well as on the constructive aspects and technical features.
Citizens in retirement age are becoming an ever greater but also more active part of society. Along with this socio-cultural shift a new emphasis on living quality and atmosphere is the home emerges - instead of simply functionality and cleanliness. In contrast to the general idea of "retirement home" the residences of today are superbly designed and furnished service domiciles. Care and medical support are of course part of the extensive offer. Common areas and services can, but must not be used. A winning design is a powerful argument in the competition among the providers. The buildings selected for this book are tailored to the special, very individual needs of today's senior citizens.
The automobile has shaped the appearance of our streets for 100 years now. At the same building types have been created to serve it. Parking garages and gas stations as new species of architecture and showrooms whose exhibition spaces and display windows are markedly different from the usual businesses have decisively changed the cities. This book is dedicated to this type of architecture, showing esthetic and technical solutions of the past few years. Not a few architects have been unmistakable "car freaks" (Frank Lloyd Wright), or been occupied with the automobile (Le Corbusier: Maison Citrohan), or have actually designed cars (Walter Gropius for Adler). This fascination of the profession can also be seen in the architecture built for the automobile today.
The apartment house is the most typical form of urban living space. Creating layered living spaces is therefore one of the most important and multifaceted tasks for contemporary architects worldwide. This concerns not only the provision of housing facilities for the urban and suburban population but equally important also the shaping of streets and cityscapes. The selection includes buildings characterized by contemporary adaptions of traditional floor plans as well as individual floor plans on every floor, space-efficient and functional single-bedroom units as well luxurious accommodations with six and more rooms plus several bathrooms. Furthermore, exterior building design is also covered: from different types of repetitive facades, to building-shells that reflect the specific urban context and exteriors with a design that work as an eye-catcher in the urban fabric.
Public urban spaces vary widely in type, form and size, encompassing plazas, squares and streetscapes. They serve pedestrians and flaneurs, accommodate street life in all its vibrant variations and represent the cities and towns themselves. On the one hand they are transit spaces or crossroads, while on the other hand they provide opportunities to linger or stage events. This volume features recent projects from all continents, showing the different approaches and solutions to this sophisticated design task at the intersection of architecture, landscape design and urban planning. Hardly any other area of spatial design offers such functional and formal diversity as does the design of urban spaces.