Architect Day: Morphosis Architects. With nearly 40 year career the american firm Morphosis with studios in Los Angeles and New York, presents an architecture of imapact to cities with large customers in the U.S., they also work strong abroad. morphosis.com Morphosis was founded in 1972 by Thom Mayne, Livio Santini, James Stafford and Michael Brickle, and in 1975 Michael Rotondi joined the membership. Today, Mayne worked as design director for the office, which has more than 50 professionals. With residential projects, institutional and civic buildings, to urban planning projects. In 30 years of career, Morphosis has received 25 awards for architecture and more than 100 awards from American Institute of Architects (AIA), along with numerous honors. Blades Residence, California, USA. photo @ 2011 Morphosis Architects, Inc.
Sun Tower, Seoul, Korea photo @ 2011 Morphosis Architects, Inc. Salick Health Care Office Building , California, USA Hypo Alpe-Adria Center, Carinthia, Austria Caltrans District 7 Headquarters, California, USA. A former Cement Factory is now the workspace and residence of Ricardo Bofill | Yatzer™ Image Courtesy of Ricardo Bofill Architect: Ricardo BofillProgram: Architectural offices /archives /model laboratory /exhibition space /Bofill's-apartment /guest rooms /gardensLocation: Barcelona, SpainTotal floor area: 3,100 square meters and gardensHouse area: 500 square metersDate Completed: 1975 There is nothing as good as an aged bottle of wine; and in this case the aged bottle of wine is a project which was completed in 1975, but is still worth mentioning!
First and foremost we would like to thank our friend and founder of Room Service design store in Greece, Katerina Xynogala for providing us with the necessary information regarding The Cement Factory, which is featured in the latest Room Service catalogue. The Cement Factory was discovered in 1973, it was an abandoned cement factory and partially in ruins, comprised of over 30 silos, underground galleries and huge engine rooms; Ricardo Bofill bought it and began renovation works. Sources: Room Service , Ricardo Bofill. Medge Consulting Offices - Stockholm. Medge Consulting’s new offices in Stockholm, designed by DAPstockholm, are a tightly edited combination of serious and fun, traditional and modern.
The offices are located on Stockholm’s luxury power-shopping boulevard, Birger Jarlsgatan, in the two loft floors of building number 9 where the street-level occupants include Agent Provocateur. Medge is a consultancy in sports rights management, TV distribution and media operations, so it is appropriate that their 180 square-meter (1937.5 sq.ft.) digs are testosterone-induced. Dark half-paneling with its English Gentlemen’s Club vibe gives a nod to the company’s other office in London and draws the line between traditional (below) and modern (above). A hideously ugly reddish upholstered couch/sofa in a corner seating area, and the heavy iron bars and wood beams in the ceiling give off a sense of a confidence and strength. ANZ Centre - Melbourne. We are cautiously nursing a glimmer of hope that even the most corporate of the corporate world could start taking design seriously.
And that they could really start understanding and taking advantage of the effects that great head-office design has on staff creativity, productivity and comfort; which, in turn, leads to either staff loyalty or revolving doors. And, most important, that all of this inevitably filters down to how the customers experience the company. Some banks in Australia are giving us reason for this hope. We observed Macquarie investment bank’s new harbourside office building in Sydney some time ago. We are now looking at the ANZ Centre in Melbourne’s Docklands and our hopes rise up further. The design centers around a common hub that on the ground level includes cafes, a visitor centre and public art. The floor plan maximizes flexibility and daylight penetration, and fosters collaboration and varying work styles.
Skype's On Cloud Nine In A Historical Brewery, Stockholm, Sweden. As recently as in October 2010, the Luxembourg-based Skype’s Stockholm office in Slussen housed only 35 employees. But the video- and audio-focused team’s digs were bursting at the seams and new offices were needed. Skype found its next Stockholm home in a completely restored massive historical building, Münchenbryggeriet, a landmark of Stockholm’s skyline. Built in 1846 as a clothing factory, the building became Sweden’s largest brewery in 1857 and operated as a brewery until 1971. Skype’s new offices in the München Brewery now have room for 100 employees. Head architect Mette Larsson-Wedborn of PS Arkitektur with team members Peter Sahlin, Thérèse Svalling, Beata Denton and Erika Janunger, was charged with expressing the Skype brand’s playful spirit and its mission to connect the world in the working environment. To do this, the designers used round shapes, fun light fixtures and bright-color furnishings in an otherwise almost completely white space.
Photography: Jason Strong. Azure Office. This streamlined and crisp office environment in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, is the work of Sergey Makhno’s design and architecture firm. The play between soft and hard, round and angular, plain and colorful creates a sense of whimsy and energy, but does not overpower the space. The Kiev-based Makhno and his partner Vasily Butenko have used their own distinctive furniture throughout the interior. The wine-colored, square-form Origami chairs in the small meeting room contrast beautifully with the azure walls and simple, white table.
Black, padded Blobby office chairs give a soft touch to the sparse individual office areas, while the shiny blue rounded sofas add a playful touch to a flexible, multi-use area. Corian walls “buckle” on top of wood paneling, exposing the wood and creating nooks for storage and soft, undulating features for the eye to follow. Makhno’s work has been featured in local and regional publications, but we expect to see more of it around the world. - Tuija Seipell. Saatchi & Saatchi's Rebirth in Bangkok, Thailand.
We return to the creative work of Supermachine Studio, the multidisciplinary design firm that architect Pitupong (Jack) Chaowakul established in 2009 in Bangkok. Last year, we covered Supermachine's design of Bangkok University Creative Center. This time, our attention was piqued immediately by the first images we saw of Supermachine's ideas for the rebirth of Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand's office. Supermachine was the team of choice for Saatchi & Saatchi's regional creative director, Joel Clement, because he was looking for playful and unexpected design solutions. Clement wanted a space "that inspires, is genuinely fun to come to everyday, and that didn't take itself too seriously.
" The agency's move to the Sindhorn Tower, on Wireless Road in Bangkok, was part of parent firm Publicis's goal to gather its affiliated companies in one building for shared resources. We love Supermachine's happy nods to motion and mobility. Macquarie Group Offices - London. Last year, we covered Macquarie Group's massive Sydney headquarters designed by West Hollywood-based Clive Wilkinson Architects. Earlier this year, the same two players completed another spectacular office project, this time in London. Macquarie, a global provider of banking and investment services, gathered up its various divisions from several buildings under one roof in the brand-new Ropemaker Place. Macquarie occupies 217,500 square feet (20,207 square meters) on six floors in the 20-storey, LEED Platinum building designed by Arup Associates. Wilkinson's team took its cues from the new trend of transparency in financial services and balanced that with the more traditional and practical needs of prestige and privacy.
The beautiful, open space is a triumph of simplicity. A skillful and meaningful use of bright colour, combined with the all-white inner structure gives the open plan a sense of delight and order. Metropol Parasol // The World’s Largest Wooden Structure | Yatzer™ Project: Metropol ParasolRedevelopment of Plaza de la Encarnacion, Seville, SpainFunction: archeological site, farmers market, elevated plaza, multiple bars and restaurantsSite area: 18,000 square metersBuilding area: 5,000 square metersTotal floor Area: 12,670 square metersNumber of floors: 4Height of the building: 28.50 metersStructure: concrete, timber and steelPrincipal Exterior: timber and granitePrincipal interior material: concrete, granite and steelDesigning period: 2004-2005Construction period: 2005-2011Building/Cost: 90 Million Euro What is there not to like about Metropol Parasol?
The waffle-like crown structure in Seville, Spain has been finally completed in April 2011 after a competition held by the city of Seville in 2004. Located at Plaza de la Encarnacion, the stunning sequence of undulating parasols comprises the world's largest wooden structure. The Metropol Parasol project was part of the redevelopment of the Plaza de la Encarnacíon, designed by J. MAYER H.