Next to Hongkong and Macau, Hengqing is one of the fastest growing cities in China, and the new Hengqin Culture & Art Complex - SZAD/Atelier Aperion/Yunchao Xu mixed-use Civic Center is going to be built in the next four years. The site is limited between a crowded housing area and an open park. Instead of putting nine programs into a solid building, a strategy to create a “void” for the high-density urban context was adopted. The design integrates a variety of programs into one complex and helps interweave energetic lives together.
Performing to full houses in the existing building that dates from 1936, Yekaterinburg’s acclaimed Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Concert Hall - Zaha Hadid Architects will provide an inspirational venue to meet the increasing popularity of the orchestra’s programme of concerts. Echoing the physical aspects of sound waves, the design of the new Philharmonic Concert Hall is based on the properties of musical sound resonance creating wave vibrations in a continuous smooth surface. The new building seamlessly merges with the natural landscape; opening its transparent glass facade to offer views of the renovated gardens that includes an amphitheatre for outdoor performances throughout the summer.
Community Islamic Center in Berlin - Community Center for the Muslims in Berlin is the place where Muslim community gathers and interacts together, as well as with other local society members. The center supports its local community by offering an arena of dialogue to build bridges and to strengthen social bonds among the different components of German local society. The Concept is based on the courtyard as main function space/element in the Islamic Architecture. The courtyard is the “spine” space for all the entities/departments within the designed community center, and each department has its own courtyard.
Gosford has a rich and varied history, narratives of the past include the shoreline, Indigenous Darkinjung culture, the Leagues Clubs, and the evolution of the city. The Gosford Leagues Club Field - Turf Design Studio is an iconic gateway to the city and connection the waterfront; embracing the past patterns and use of space, and serving as a reminder of the significance these stories have had in shaping the present. Designed in collaboration with Darkinjung people, the tidal terrace tells stories of local aquatic life, pre-European history, and early contact.
The design for the Astana Art Center - Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture was created for EXPO-2017, Kazakhstan’s International Exposition. The design was intended to be a venue for international art events, as well as space to promote young local artists who currently lack gallery representation. Inspired by the gently rolling hills of Kazakhstan, the goal was to design a form that complements various sizes and scales of art, while also incorporating a double-wall system that insulates the building during the region’s humid summers and harsh winters, making it one of the most efficient buildings in the region.
Archives are regarded as an important cultural carrier of collecting and preserving history. Ningbo Urban Development Archives - DC ALLIANCE is mainly used to collect developing history of the city. The start of design in this project focuses on how to represent the concepts about the old history. As can be seen from the thousand years of building history, even the biggest cities are built from building blocks. Therefore,“Building from Building-Blocks”; the most basic human construction method, is undoubtedly the most appropriate expression of the concept.
The multiple award-winning new Museum of Ethnography Budapest - Napur Architect Ltd building has dynamic yet simple lines simultaneously harmonised with the park environment and communicating with the surrounding urban area. The Museum of Ethnography will be finally given a new home in a truly modern building of an all-round world-class standard that will satisfy professional requirements, while catering to the needs of the collection and visitors alike.
On account of the mapping philosophy of the modern city’ s textural projection and inspiration taken from the classic MOBA map in e-gaming industry, the design of Electronic Sports Mini City – Ertong Factory Renovation designs this industry legacy that holds the memory of the era in a way that it takes the form of a mini city. The format can be flexibly replaced by market demand, enhancing the flexibility and sustainability of the mini city. The combination of composite business can simulate colorful event scenes and creates rich spatial experience.
Swedish city Varberg is getting a new landmark; the Våga - White arkitekter. White Arkitekter has created a competition winning proposal that is unique in a water tower context – instead of a traditional tower, the facility has been sculpted in the shape of an elongated stylised wave. The tower’s placement achieves a dramatic and sculptural silhouette; viewed from the side, the tower is long and wide, while appearing very narrow when viewed from the front, which adds depth to the city.
The Sutherland Entertainment Centre - CHROFI holds an important place in the collective memory of the Sutherland community. Designed and built in the 1970s primarily as a musical venue. Fast forward to the present day as a modern day public venue, it must cater to a diversity of cultural and technical needs. The design seeks to offer a new and more engaging address for the Entertainment Centre by virtue of a more friendly and integrated relationship with Peace Park.
To see more amazing entries from this year’s WAN Awards please click here.