This might be your favourite book: Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture

Released in November 2008, The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary WOrld Architecture is a comprehensive discovery of contemporary works around the globe, that provide us with collection of building database. It is devided into six world regions, and provide a great overview of global and local trend in architecture. It displays the world in six regions, with unique urban and architectural issues for each region, completed with statistical data that has been analyzed by the London School of economics.

 

Example building in the book. CCTV Beijing.

There are 1000 more buildings data completed since the year 2000, from a rigorous selection process from a panel of advisors in each region. This book is completed with series of illustration drawings and photography.

Sagrada Familia by Gaudi; visual tour. Google streetview architecture collection

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Sagrada Familia (1883 - ) is one of the biggest and most glorious Gothic church at its time. Modern architecture is modernized by Gaudi in more complicated, bigger, with more than 12 towers. The average height is 100m, the central part is bigger and taller. The work is still in progress, even until now. Sagrada Familia was first designed by Franciso Paula del Villar in 1882 in a cross formed plan. The next year Gaudi took over the work and change it into his design.


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Because of this very ambitious project, Gaudi died in the year 1926 from being hit by a tram car in front of the church. Sagrada Familia has 4 towers already with work still in progress. Gaudi's design is full of ornaments, making some debate whether he was a sculpturer or decorator, rather than an architect. There are many natural forms like the forms of trees, stones, caves, stalactide, and other natural forms.

New emerging architecture design of Student Housing Complex by Ofis in Paris

The objective of this building is the green aspect of 'energy efficient building', which will be built at the end of 2010. This Student Housing Complex is somehow a de ja vu with metabolism architecture from Japanese modern architects with its tilted box units. Ofis Architekti, a Slovenia based architect win Student Housing Competition in Paris.

The complex will be build before the tram line pass the nearby neighbourhood in 2012. One thing obvious in this design is that it uses horizontal lines as shading device. It also uses simple, well insulation and ventilation plan, but it is still questioned whether the insulation will be in contrary with ventilation.

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Watercube in Beijing, China wins Australia's most prestigious architecture award

One of the building used for recent olympic games in China, won the most prestigious architecture award from Australian Institute of Architecture. This incredible architecture facility won the Jorn Utzon Award for International Architecture. It is said by the jury that this building is an 'engaging and ethereal Chinese and Western architecture'.

The building has attracted the eyes of the world to see the new structure and innovative architecture stand for the most prestigious sport events in the world. Becoming an energy efficient and eco-friendly building, this inspired-by-nature building also becomes an inspiration for us architects.

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Moving view of Frank Gehry's building design in Paris. Google streetview architecture collection

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This view is Frank Gehry's design of American Center in Paris, with building that contains curves and tilted angles like Guggenheim Bilbao. From this Google streetview the facade shown here is the 'almost normal' view from Rue de Bercy, the street of the view. While the curves and tilted angles are on the opposite side of this view.

Gehry state that the curves and tilting volumes are to express 'a dancer lifting her tutu'. When it was still American Center, is said to have financial problems and being closed. Then the French Government acquired the building and relocate the Cinematheque from Palais de Chaillot to the site. The building was then renovated with respect to Gehry's design on the exterior.


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Modern house in Somosaguas, Spain, by A-cero Architects.

This modern house is very well designed with (i believe) strong image of sketches and imagination. The house stands with a beautiful pool beside it with beautiful lines of concrete facade.

designed by A-cero Architect, Spain

I have tried to seek for this house in Google streetview, but have not find it yet. So if anyone of you have found it, I will aprreciate if you'd like to share.

This house has a very breathtaking view with woods and water features around it.

 

  

 

Santiago Calatrava's Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, built in 1996, but still one of the most photogenic building in the world

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If there are few buildings in this world that will look good in Google streetview, this is one of them, and luckily google car was able to be close enough thanks to the Poente de Monteolivete, a street that is in the middle of the two very interesting building complex. A very monumental building by Santiago Calatrava; Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. This is a museum of arts in Valencia, Spain. Despite its structural genius, Calatrava design a building that is photogenic from every side of the building complex.



The "city" is made up of the following, usually known by their Valencian names:
El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía — Opera house and performing arts centre
L'Hemisfèric — Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium
L'Umbracle — Walkway / Garden
El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — Science museum
L'Oceanogràfic — Open-air oceanographic park
Surrounded by attractive streams and pools of water, it and the surrounding areas of the "city" are typically used as a relaxing place to walk day or night, with an open air bar outside El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe during the evening (especially during events).

Newest building by Frank Gehry, Brighton waterfront development

Frank Gehry's newest building proposal of Brighton waterfront development, is waiting for decision to be build after fierce debate in Brittain about whether this building is good enough to be there. It is said from the contras that the building is 'out of context', while the pros said that this is the great dream of a genius.

This building is a $650-million residential and recreation complex, with the form inspired by 'flowing dresses' of victorian women 'promenading along the seafront', and is inteded to strengthen Brighton's heritage.

"I've got this picture of the maidens in their floating dresses in Brighton on the wall of my office," he said in a 2005 interview. "It's a kind of inspiration and the towers now do look as if they relate to that." Said Gehry.

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San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; street view google map architecture collection

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This San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was designed by Mario Botta, where he uses simmetry as method of organization, for the plan and for the exterior building. The main facade is symmetrical and presents a volumetric hierarchy. There is an atrium inside this building for natural light.

When seeing the streetview image above, it seems like the facade can not be enjoyed from near the building, but we have to go to certain distance to see the whole image of the building. There is a gap between two buildings in front of it used as public space where we can see this museum in best view. But not from this streetview by Google  ;)

Zaha Hadid's Contemporary arts museum, Ohio; street view google map architecture collection

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Start today, I will make collections of now-architecture buildings and famous architects made with Google streetview. This is the first, Zaha Hadid's Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This work made her the first woman receive Pritzker Price

Zaha Hadid at the time she was choosen for pritzker Prize in 2004, caught the attention of the jury's, with her great acclaim, ideas and energy that showed greater promise for the future.

There are various of exhibitions held in the art center, including photography, video, film and live performances, and also many performers and artists from all continents.

"The public lobby, where everyone enters, is downtown and central to the city so people who are just walking around can go in and have a coffee downstairs or hang around the lobby or go upstairs to quickly see a show. It is a very accessible building.
It's not a compact building and there is a degree of transparency on the ground and above. So it's not only how we use it, but also how we pass through it.
Every time you confront the space you have a different experience".
Zaha Hadid

Small things to do for green living at home

What if our everyday life can be more 'green' with simple ways like turning off the faucet while brushing teeth in the morning and night that it will save 8 gallons of water a day? Also there are other tips from the Living Green tour  At Grand Central Station in New York City.

There is also towels that tells us more about living green and the difference between organic cotton or bamboo fiber compared to towels made of cotton with synthetic pesticides. That seems to be great ideas to think again the way we live in our everyday life, to be more green.

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Dynamic Tower in Dubai, ever changing form- architecture

UK based architect, David Fisher with his firm Dynamic Architecture, has been honored as the worldwide Architect of the year 2008 by The Developer & Builders Alliance (DBA). Other finalists were Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, Foster & partners, Santiago Calatrava, and Pelli Clarke.







David Fisher design this tower in a very dinamic shape, with changes in every floor according to the need of every floor, meteorogical factors, that makes it has rotating and ever changing form in every direction. The construction is started with the top floor (80th), which is prefabricated units assembled around the core. It is a 'moving' building that has prefab floor each made in Italy to rotate freely creating a always changing, dynamic shape tower.

Fisher was graduated from the University of Florence, Italy, and he developed methods of 'dynamic architecture' that he believes will be a new concept and dimension of architecture and way of living. Even though there are many skepticism about this tower, because he has never build a skyscraper before. But he said he was working with experienced and reputable firm in UK and India.

Stated as the first 'Dynamic Tower' as Building in Motion, this building is believed to be a new symbol and era for architecture and Dubai.

Created by revolutionary architect Dr. David Fisher, the mixed use Dynamic Tower offers infinite design possibilities, as each floor rotates independently at different speeds, resulting in a unique and ever evolving structure that introduces a fourth dimension to architecture, Time.

The Dynamic Tower in Dubai will have 80 floors, and will be 420 meters (1,380 feet) tall, Apartments will range in size from 124 square meters (1,330 square feet), to Villas of 1,200 square meters (12,900 square feet) complete with a parking space inside the apartment. the first 20 floors will be an offices, floors 21 to 35 will be a luxury hotel, floor 36 through 70 will be residential apartments, and the top 10 floors will be luxury villas located in a prime location in Dubai, it is destined to become the most prestigious building in the city.

The Dynamic Tower in Dubai will be the first skyscraper to be entirely constructed in a factory from prefabricated parts, it will require only 600 people in the assembly facility and 80 technicians on the construction site instead of 2,000 workers on a similar size traditional construction site, Construction is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, is considered by many to be a true visionary of the future, Dr. Fisher's dreams for the Dynamic Tower in Dubai were inspired by His Highness who said “Do not wait for the future to come to you…face the future.” (in dynamicarchitecture.net) 

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Hanging bubble chair by Eero Aarnio

Regency shop , after reading our post about bubble chair , told us they have collection of hanging bubble chair by Eero Aarnio. This bubble chair was inspired by dome shaped skilights and the designer ask the manufacturer whether they could blow a bigger bubble. And here we go, a hanging bubble chair to laze the day away in swinging, swirling comfort.

This chair is strengthened with metal ring and installed with comfortable set of cushion, and new manufacturers make these chair with its original architectural specifications.

If you own websites that sell this chair you can also give comments here.