SHIFTboston Ideas Competition 2009

SHIFTboston Ideas Competition 2009

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ROCKET-SHAPED MINARET SPARKS ROW

13 December, 2009 | Ted Jeory

A DECISION to build a huge rocket-shaped minaret and two giant arches in the style of Muslim headscarves on one of Britain’s most historic streets is sparking outrage and risks escalating racial tension, according to community leaders.

Council chiefs in the east London borough of Tower Hamlets are using millions of pounds of public money to push through the bizarre scheme in Brick Lane, a symbolic melting pot of immigrant communities for more than 400 years.

The odd looking minaret has just been put up outside London’s most famous mosque, a building whose appearance until now has remained unchanged during previous spells as a Huguenot church, a Methodist chapel and as a Jewish synagogue.

The structure will be joined soon at either end of the street by two arches that have been designed to look like Muslim hijabs.

All three symbols are costing some £2.5million of public money.

They are part of a town hall drive to transform the street, already famous as London’s “curry capital”, into a “Banglatown” cultural trail, a Bangladeshi version of the successful Chinatown in the capital’s West End.

It is intended as a celebration of how successive generations of immigrants have settled in the area, including the Huguenot weavers of the Eighteenth century, and the German Jews and Irish navvies of Victorian and later times.

However, many fear it will be biased overwhelmingly in favour of the street’s latest custodians, the Bangladeshi Muslims who arrived during the last century.

Their concerns centre on the moderate Brick Lane Jamme Masjid mosque, a religious Grade II listed building that more than any other symbolises the changing character of the area.

Built as a Huguenot church in 1743, it was later a Methodist chapel, a synagogue and converted into a mosque in 1976.

Throughout that time its external appearance never changed.

However, last week that tradition was destroyed when workers started to put up a 90ft illuminated, stainless steel minaret on the building’s doorstep.

Its aesthetics have divided opinion in an area that is also home to trendy bars, boutique shops and artists Tracey Emin and Gilbert and George.

Some consider it “cool”, while others have likened to a tower of washing machine drums.

However, it is the symbolism of the minaret and the arches that has upset others.

They believe it is disrespectful to Brick Lane’s history, with Clive Bettington, who runs the Jewish East End Celebration Society, going further.

“It shows absolute contempt for other religions,” he said.

“The trail was meant to be a wonderful thing that reflects the ethnic groups who have come to the area. People who come on my tours to respect what used to be a synagogue will be outraged.

“The arches are clearly meant to be Muslim in character and we are now objecting in the strongest possible terms.”

A senior opposition councillor in the area said they were “utterly appalled” by the decisions, adding: “Things like this damage community cohesion.”

While Mr Bettington and several other groups, including Save Britain’s heritage and the Spitalfields Society, are lodging formal protests against the proposed arches, there is also a question mark over the legitimacy of the minaret.

While Tower Hamlets Council granted planning permission for the minaret in September 2004, that authority was given to the mosque itself.

Years later the mosque realised it did not have enough money and persuaded the council to underwrite the £510,000 project with the huge £8m “planning gain” windfall it received from the nearby Spitalfields Market development.

However, the council was unable to say last Friday whether such money, known as “section 106” cash, was permitted to be spent on religious buildings.

All the people who could answer that question were celebrating their office Christmas lunches, a spokeswoman said last Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile architect David Gallagher who was responsible for designing the minaret and arches defended the project.

He said: “We were briefed to design something that celebrates the demographic changes of the area.

“The arches were not designed to look like hijabs. Huguenot and Jewish women wore headscarves. The arches are just modern curves and they will have symbols on them reflecting the different immigrant communities. Having the Star of David on them is one option we have considered, but no decision has been made yet.”

A Tower Hamlets Council spokeswoman said the minaret was part of the cultural trail and added: “The minaret is very much a cultural symbol providing a strong cultural clue to the area and endorsing our belief that the local Muslim community is now an integral part, not just of Tower Hamlets, but London and further afield.

“The cultural trail has gone through all of the Council's relevant planning and financial due diligence.”

UK architects criticise Swiss minaret ban

13 December, 2009 | Rufus Jay

British architects have slammed a vote in Switzerland blocking the construction of minarets

In a referendum organised by the nationalist Swiss People’s Party (SVP), 57.5 per cent of voters approved a constitutional ban on the construction of minarets.

The SVP labelled minarets as symbols of a rising political power that could transform Switzerland into an Islamic state. Voters in just four of the country’s 26 cantons, or states, rejected the initiative.

Mangera Yvars Architects’ Ali Mangera, who masterminded the original London super-mosque proposals, said: ‘Decisions like this should be placed on architectural factors, not a pretext against Islam. This is more to do with the emasculation of a group of people – the right wing is behind this.

He added: ‘[Minarets] are not ideal for every part of London and they are not just about the call to prayer. But they are interesting features and also function as natural air conditioning mechanisms. ’

Adrian Stewart, director of Do Architecture, which designed the minaret-less Al-Furqan Mosque in Glasgow for the UK Islamic Mission, said: ‘This is being used to isolate a community. A minaret is not a critical component of a mosque and does not always have to be involved. The debate has been blown out of proportion. We know from experience there is a desire to generate a regionalism, which makes a mosque very much more about its location.’

Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, commented that mosques and minarets in Europe remained ‘manifestations of the proudly indigenous nature of Islam in Europe’.

He added: ‘It is tragic that the far right is stripping away at our heritage of coexistence between faiths and cultures in Europe.’

Far right parties in Austria, Belgium and France have used the Swiss vote to call for a similar ban in their own countries.

Olympic Games of 2016

Nov. 15, 2009

Rio de Janeiro beat Madrid, defeat for the third time in heads-up play between the four cities bidding to host the Olympic Games of 2016. The other two cities eliminated from the beginning of the ending, was Chicago, whose candidacy was supported by Barack Obama in person, and Tokyo.

Brazil, already engaged in the work for the World Cup of 2014 where it had stated its interest in organizing the event along with Argentina and Chile (joint bid), Australia, Colombia and the United States will now have to employ all the energies for the great Olympic event.

More than half of what will be the venues for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2016 are already built and it's true masterpieces made during the Pan American Games in Rio 2007: the magnificent Estadio Joao Havelange (proposed to host the athletics competitions in the 2016), the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center, the Arena Olímpica de Rio (which will host gymnastics and basketball tests in a wheelchair), the Olympic Velodrome in Rio, the National Equestrian Center and the National Center for Tire.

Structures for the Olympics in 2016 were grouped into four major distinct areas of the city (see map), the clusters Bar, Copacabana, Maracanã and deodorizes. These zones are connected by an efficient transport system and trains high performance. This strategy is intended to distribute the direct and indirect benefits of bringing games to all the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, through the construction of new facilities and improvements to the existing network infrastructure.

Study Brazilian BCMF (Bruno Campos, Marcelo Fontes) is responsible for most of the architectural contract for Rio 2016. Bruno Campos, Marcelo Fontes and Fibromatosis for the architectural, with Carlos Teixeira for landscape, led a team of about 20 professionals, in constant interface with the Rio 2016 and their team of international consultants, with whom it has been reported on Dorrier application submitted. Throughout we have produced more than 700 files for delivery of the project, more than 40 prospects and 70 elaborate presentation for the opening of files and the videos.

"The works have always been done by monitoring and advising the COB - Comité Olímpico Brasileiro (Rio 2016), in constant collaboration and exchange of information with a specialized team responsible for operational projects. In general, has been given importance and prominence to the lush landscapes of Rio de Janeiro, whose beauty can be surprising, even in remote regions as Deodoro. Thus, in contrast, over-exuberant and "iconic" in Beijing and London, we focused on the integration of structures with the city and buildings.
The Tradition of Modern Architecture in Rio de Janeiro (a period of 50 years), surrounded by nature and lush landscapes, has been a constant reference for us Burle Marx, Olavo Redig de Campos, Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Lucio Costa, Oscar Niemeyer, Sergio Bernardes, Roberto Irmãos, etc. ".

Approach and design strategy

Rio Olympic Park (PLO): Masterplan and locations
A batch of approximately triangular 700.000mq in a privileged position in Barra da Tijuca, on the shores of Lake Marapica, with its base on Av Abelardo Bueno. Currently, the area is home to the Speedway and the Olympic Jacarepaguá (ROA) of the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center (AQC) and the Olympic Velodrome in Rio (ROV), all facilities built for the Pan American Games in 2007. The Olympic Park River became a center for training and high-level research, to meet athletes from all over Latin America. The idea of the Masterplan has been to treat the complex as if it were a "Campus" or "park" in which the various systems are connected and integrated planning through a wide area. Conceptually, the strategy was focused on addressing three key issues such as partitioning and separation of flows, the linkage of the various plants and the relationship between the new park and the context of natural and urban landscapes of Rio de Janeiro.
The basic idea is a "Campus" which is on two main levels. The first level will be reserved for the implementation of the FOP (field test), while the second (6 meters above) consist of a circulation system to two large perpendicular axes (two long runways 30 m wide in NS direction and EW), which are turned into ramps and platforms (suspended squares) attached to each facility for the public and the media (for access from the Media Village and the International Broadcast Center / Main Press Center). At this level you will have an overview of the FOP at ground level and a better perception of the lagoon and surrounding mountains.

This strategy, apparently radical, is somehow an ideal solution for sports facilities of major international events, where the separation of flow of the paying public (FOH), flow and general flow of qualified (BOH) is essential. This mesh, or grid of movement, would be a great space reserved for the public pedestrian spaces, a real urban landscape to complement suspended all services, without interference with flows and operating vehicles. Under this grid, the area is divided into two levels (each 3 meters in height), with a total separation between the service areas (BOH) and the areas for the public (FOH), through a sectoralisation vertical and horizontal ( flat) in each structure, always connected to the road. Beyond this functional aspect, this large grid is connected direct physical continuity among all the sports equipment rather than be ten architectural structures isolated, will be a true Olympic Park as a unique design, with all related parties in a single "system", with the possibility of being used separately or together, and public spaces combined with extraordinary landscapes.

Public access is established along the main axes. That east-west parallel to the Avenue begins at the terminal BRT River Center overlooking the boulevard (even connecting to a walkway that connects directly to the Village of Media) and passes along the Olympic Park between IBC / MPC el'Olympic Ice Center ( HTC) to reach (1 km after the terminal) to the monumental main square (400 x 250 meters) in the heart of the complex. This large public terrace is the focal point from which you can have an overview of all the facilities of the Olympic Park in Rio. The north-south axis, from a ramp perpendicular to Av Abelardo Bueno, touches the large terrace which extends to the edge of the lagoon where the lowest level is the village of sponsors (SPV). Inside the Olympic Park, the architecture of each plant was treated differently, but following the same principles of simple geometry and "pure" and the same structural modulation (5x5m), which ensured a certain harmony of rhythms and proportions in plants with different characteristics, as if they were all "members" of the same "family" of objects.

The Olympic Aquatic Stadium (OSA) is essentially a glass box lined with solar shading. Long gutters and cuts in the plans from north to south light damage to the facade north-south, while the west facade has a glass roof suspended (the level of public access). This surface serves as a giant "display" on which to display video, photos, graphics and evocative images projected onto a sheet of water flowing continuously throughout the length of the large gable glass. Its metal frame and its protections (brise soleil and sheds) are welded internally to maintain the purity of the geometry of the glass box, sometimes translucent and sometimes transparent.

The National Olympic Training Center (ITC) is the most "iconic" of the Park. The challenge was to give shape and personality to a gigantic frame (450 x 150 m), which should be in a large "cobblestone" flexible vacuum that can be divided into 4 rooms. The end result is surprising, but is part of a solution fairly simple repeats that generate a transverse structural arches geometry "organic" slightly hilly. This configuration, dynamic and variable, resulting from the reduction in size of some structural arches, is covered by a surface that can have different levels of transparency depending on the needs and circumstances.

The Olympic Hockey Center (HTC) is composed entirely of temporary structures and their stands are similar to those dell'Equestrian Complex in Deodoro.

The Olympic Tennis Center (TTC) is a mix of permanent and temporary structures and forum, the result of internal rotation of the arches to support the galleries above, has substantially the shape of a donut.

The Village Sponsors / "Live Site" (SPV), will rise on the shore of the lake and will be completely dismantled after the Games.

The Rio Olympic Velodrome (ROV) is an existing structure that will be the subject of expansion and restructuring. It is basically a shell covered with a shed (which adjusts the light), incorporated in the metal structure of the track great.

The International Broadcast Center / Main Press Center (IBC / MPC), finally, is a separate install. Expected to receive numerous media, is composed of a series of "bars" of corporate and service spaces apart and connected by a cross, and a hotel upstairs. The spaces between the "bars" are spaces for public use (gardens, restaurants, terraces, etc.). Strategically located, the IBC / MPC is open to the Rio Olympic Park to the south and the Media Village to the north, directly connected to the platform placed on top of the road system.

The building of the Olympic Village (OLV) was designed by architect Sérgio Dias. The work of BCMF Arquitetos it is to integrate the landscape planning in the north, a living area for athletes with shops, restaurants, gyms, parks, etc., placed in special temporary structures along the "boulevard" that emulates the sidewalk Copacabana and Ipanema. The Olympic Village after the Games will be transformed into a series of residential buildings.

The area of Deodoro, a district in the lower Rio, takes advantage of the facilities which were made by BCMF for the Pan American Games of 2007, supplemented by Radical Sports Park (X-Park) and the modern pentathlon. The X-Park (XPR) is a new attraction for the Deodoro Sports Complex (EDC), coupled with a new sports club which meets the demand of the local community. The X-Park was designed based on the existing topography and consists of a series of hills and valleys connected by landscaped paths nearby. The circuit of Mountain Bike (MBK) has been designed on the basis of contour lines and the route has been completed with local plant species. The Olympic Whitewater Stadium (CAN), is spread among a series of hills and its path leads to an artificial lake.

For the National Equestrian Center (NEC) and the National Shooting Center (NSC), already meet international standards, is planned in anticipation of the Olympic Games, a simple expansion.

As for attention to the environment was presented by the Brazilian Committee a dossier which outlines all the practices we put in place for environmental protection: the use of bioethanol as fuel to reduce significantly emissions of greenhouse gases, applications of principles of green architecture and energy savings in new buildings, the selection of sponsors on the basis of eco-sustainability, comprehensive plan for mobility during the Games.

The design of structures designed by BCMF Arquitetos for the Pan American Games of 2007 (Deodoro Sports Complex: Shooting, Equestrian, Grass Hockey and Pentathlon centers) will be on display from today until 15 November to Deajeon Biennale (South Korea).

The appointment, therefore, is in Rio de Janeiro from Friday, August 5, 2016 (opening ceremony) on Sunday, August 21, 2016 (Closing Ceremony).

Ferrari World takes Abu Dhabi development to the extreme

Nov. 10, 2009 | Niki May Young

Ever since Enzo Ferrari made his competitive debut as a racing driver in 1919 his name has roused awe amongst generations of auto-enthusiasts. More than seventy years after the first cars by the entrepreneurial Italian were conceived in 1937 Ferrari has developed into much more than a car manufacturer…Ferrari is the essence of speed, a multi-billion dollar brand, and a must-have for rising playground for the rich - Abu Dhabi.

Currently under construction in the UAE capital’s Yas Island entertainment district, also home to the new Formula 1 race track and Yas Hotel, is Ferrari World – the world’s largest indoor theme park with an enclosed footprint of 100,000 sq m. Seven football pitches long from tip to tip, the tri-form is an extreme building for extreme entertainment encompassing two roller coasters which will push the limits at 200kph and a 60metre high G-Force Tower which is designed to create one of the ‘most intense freefall experiences in the world’.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is the bearer of many spectacular statistics. The 201,000 sq m roof, which will show Ferrari World as the centrepiece of Yas Island to those passing in aeroplanes above, contains enough aluminium to cover 16,750 Ferrari’s or, alternatively, the Vatican City in Rome. And if the building was put on end, it would be the world’s tallest building with 300 stories.

But Ferrari World’s design is not simply about scale. Ferrari’s President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has developed a focus on architecture across the brand, commissioning showroom designs from the likes of Piano, Visconti, Fuksas and Nouvel. Ferrari and Aldar Properties employed the well-established design talents of international firm Benoy to design the ground-breaking Ferrari World development which has now reached an advanced stage of construction in line with its expected opening next year.

Releasing these extraordinary images, which show the true scale of the project as the exterior body is complete, Benoy talked of a clear inspiration for the project: “Externally the Ferrari World Abu Dhabi building expresses the language and values of the Ferrari brand itself. Benoy’s vision - to create a building that reflects Ferrari’s sinuous form, is directly inspired by the classic double curve side profile of the Ferrari GT chassis. The double curve was proportionately applied in elevation to set the structure’s length and height. This proportion gave rise to the dynamic scale of the building at 700 metres from tip to tip of the tri-forms.”

As expected, the spectacle is not limited to the project’s exterior and the ‘Grand Funnel’ which acts as the adjunction point for the three spokes, also functions as the main point of architectural interest. The fully glazed funnel is latticed with a spider system that floats over the Mero space frame within, creating a floor to ceiling light well of over 100 m in diameter. The building has capacity for 15,000 people to experience the Ferrari-themed rides which surround the centerpiece.

When Ferrari World completes next year, it will mark a four year transformation of Yas Island from an untouched ‘featureless wilderness’ into a landmark entertainment district to rival the extreme development of Dubai.

Abu Dhabi Ferrari Grand Prix

5 November, 2009 | By Astragal

Anyone watching the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the BBC on Sunday may have noticed a rather large, red carapace in the background of certain shots

It’s the Benoy-designed Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, set to open in 2010 as the ‘largest indoor theme park in the world’. On Sunday, it was just one of a number of built objects appearing on screen that looked more like visualisations than reality.

More importantly, though, Astragal wants to know how, in designing a building that ‘reflects Ferrari’s sinuous form’, Benoy came up with something that looks like a cross between a cartoon starfish and a stag beetle and not like, well, the 612 Scaglietti.

New Tower Takes Shape on Columbia Campus

October 13, 2009 | ROBIN POGREBIN

Few sites have proved as challenging for the architect José Rafael Moneo as his latest, a $200 million interdisciplinary science building at Broadway and West 120th Street.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/13/arts/design/13moneo.html

RMJM: win islamic architecture award for zliten campus, libya

Oct 10, 2009 | designBoom

RMJM architects have received the islamic architecture award for their work on
the zliten campus at asmariya university for islamic sciences in Libya at the cityscape
awards in dubai, 2009.

the zliten campus is a new branch of al asmariya university, located 75 miles southeast
of tripoli. RMJM’s architects designed a campus master plan for the development of
the 202-acre site. core academic functions are organized in four quadrants within
a perimeter habitable wall that houses faculty offices and academic support functions.

with a total build-out of more than 1 million square feet, the new campus provides
academic and support buildings, a conference and student center as well as
administration, library, recreation and residential spaces for a population of 4,600 students.