ARCHITECT@WORK is the premier event in China for architects, designers, end users and real estate professionals, offering a chance to see innovations, hear famous speakers and network in a setting unlike any other. Follow us on:
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On the 17th of March, in the beautiful Shanghai Design Centre, A@W successfully hosted a party, for the launch of its 2015 edition.
The A@W 2015 Launch Party has been a great success and about 200 architects, designers, exhibitors and media representatives, joined the event.
The attendees could enjoy the stylish and creative environment, the delicious refreshments, the multiple networking opportunities and the final Lucky Draw with generous prizes offered by Novah, Hansgrohe and Simon.
Mr. Thomas Baert, President of Architect@Work, welcomed the audience and introduced the new features of this upcoming edition: the new central location - Shanghai Exhibition Center – and the new show called Workplace China which will be hold concurrently with A@W and will be entirely dedicated to office spaces.
During the night, the audience had also the chance of discussing about some interesting topics, thank to the participation of 2 outstanding speakers:
Ms. Margaux Lhermitte, Executive Director and Partner of Naco Architecture, delivered a speech about ‘’How Workplaces will look like in 2020’’.
Mr. James Westwood, General Manager of PureLiving China covered a very sensible topic here in China: air pollution. In particular, he talked about ‘’Creating Buildings with Great Indoor Air Quality’’.
The A@W 2015 Launch party closed with the invitation to visit the exhibition on 2-3 of July at the Shanghai Exhibition Center to discover the latest products and innovations on the market.
TO SEE ALL THE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT, Click here
November Rewind: Dr. Andy Wen from AEDAS Wows the Audience at Monthly A@W Club Members Only Networking Event, Company Spotlight: ATEX, and 2015 Exhibition News
Another successful A@W Event with an overwhelming response from our Club Members:
"To interact with such a senior member of AEDAS was incredible... Dr. Wen even personalized an autographed book for me!"
From the Scholar's Stone in Suzhou...
...to Xijao Liverpool University
Dear Friends of Architect@Work,
Dr. Andy Wen from AEDAS gave an incredible, inspirational presentation last Thursday night at the A@W Member's Club networking event at Café Sambal. He also brought a dozen free copies of his new book, Parables: Architecture with Hidden Secrets, with him, and several attendees were lucky enough to receive autographed copies! It was an amazing night – the exact blend of one-of-a-kind content and company the monthly A@W club events have come to embody.
When we started these events, we knew there would be interest within the Shanghai A@W community, but we had no idea just how overwhelming the response would be. These events are consistently packed, and the feedback is consistently positive. New relationships – personal and professional – are flourishing, and it is an honor to facilitate this exchange, as well as the atmosphere conducive to it.
To everyone who came on Thursday, thank you so much for making the event a success! We look forward to seeing you at our December networking event.
"Facing the wave of fast Chinese urbanization, architectural practice is frequently challenged by chaotic and featureless site conditions. Behind seemingly empty context, there rests rich historical, social and cultural thread. Architects should explore the culture-driven design strategy, which could guide them in the market-oriented urban developments."
Dr. Andy Wen, AEDAS - "Start from Scratch"
Company Spotlight: ATEX
Atex® membranes are produced by Valmiera Glass UK Ltd., a leading manufacturer of silicone coated glass fiber textiles. A
tex® architecture applications include tensile membrane structures, shading canopies, façade cladding, pneumatic structures, interior solar protection, ceiling panels and acoustic solutions. Atex® membranes are suitable for use in airports, entertainment venues, sports facilities, awnings, parking facilities and various building typologies.
Exhibition News: July 3-4, 2015, Our Annual Event Moves Downtown!
The new venue is the Shanghai Exhibition Center between West Nanjing Road and Middle Yan'An Road.
This landmark venue is easy to access, and it's located in a great area for exhibitors to invite customers out: Jing’An District, a favorite location for Architecture and Design firms and Asia-Pacific headquarters.
We will be open on Friday until 8pm, on Saturday until 4pm, July 3-4 2015, providing attendees and exhibitors a flexible schedule, so visitors can drop by after work (6-8pm) or on Saturday and have more time to network.
October Rewind: Standing Room Only at Monthly A@W Club Members Only Networking Event, Company Spotlight: Lola Lago, and 2015 Exhibition News
Our A@W Rewind newsletter for October recaps another successful A@W Club Members Only networking event, where it was standing room only at Kartel! The month's Company Spotlight focuses on Lola Lago, and we provide updates on our 2015 Exhibition, as well as special sponsorship opportunities for the Exhibition lounge spaces.
Great turnout and presentation for October's A@W Member's Club networking event
We are ecstatic that there has been such enthusiastic buy-in from our members who come back every month to our Club Event. As we mentioned in last month's newsletter, our club events will continue to be a regular occurrence, as they are a great way for A@W members to strengthen and interact with the community, without having to wait for our annual exhibition. In addition to the formal agenda, typically to include a presentation on current industry trends, the informal agenda (professional networking, building personal relationships, etc.) has proved to be a valuable component of the Member's Club events.
To everyone who came on Wednesday, thank you so much for making the event a success! We look forward to seeing you at our November networking event!
What attendees had to say:
“Very nice and friendly atmosphere. I liked the presentation, followed by the opportunity to meet new people.”
“It was a great event. Didn't expect to see so many people attending... I'm looking forward to next month event.”
From the presentation:
"When we considered the top trends for the mixed-use sector, we looked for examples where the design had elevated mixed-used schemes beyond their typical commercial components."
"Benoy’s work definitely lends itself to realising the full potential of all available space within a scheme and creating a strong personality and connection to the location. Understanding and pre-empting the shift in consumer preferences is also extremely important in creating successful and dynamic destinations."
Richard TANG, Benoy – "Trends in Mixed-Use Development"
Company Spotlight: LOLA LAGO
According to Lola Lago, "looking for a personalized interior space is a natural thing because the will to be different is something innate".
"Opened doors" is the name Lola Lago gave to her VIP Lounge design at A@W, a space conceived for exhibitors to make closer relationships with clients, suppliers, partners, etc. What lola wanted to transmit with her design concept is that (whilst entering the Lounge) one must feel relationships between individuals must drive towards opening doors or, in other words, bringing people closer.
This VIP Lounge has shown up the unique style of Lola Lago in which she always promotes the following key points (amongst others):
Functionality, all things must have a meaning and a useful objective.
Empty Space in the Lounge is luxury to be enjoyed.
Emotion, design wants to impact users and create emotions.
Passion, this space design reflects the passion under every design concept
Special Announcement to A@W Exhibitors:
We will have 5 lounges available for sponsorship and decoration at our next exhibition on July 3rd & 4th. Sponsorship opportunities include furniture, flooring, and lighting to make our 2015 lounges look as spectacular and unique as LOLA's VIP lounge at our last show.
A reminder about the 2015 Exhibition:
The new venue is the Shanghai Exhibition Center between West Nanjing Road and Middle Yan'An Road.
This landmark venue is easy to access, and it's located in a great area for exhibitors to invite customers out: Jing’An District, a favorite location for Architecture and Design firms and Asia-Pacific headquarters.
We will be open on Friday until 8pm, on Saturday until 4pm, July 3-4 2015, providing attendees and exhibitors a flexible schedule, so visitors can drop by after work (6-8pm) or on Saturday and have more time to network.
September Rewind: A@W Club Members Only Networking Event Recap, 2015 Exhibition News, and Company Spotlight: GERFLOR
This month's A@W Rewind newsletter recaps the inaugural A@W Club Members Only networking event at Chalet Plus, introduces exciting changes to our annual exhibition, and spotlights the innovative work of GERFLOR.
Our A@W Club Members Only Event was a SMASHING Success!
On Friday, September 19th we organized our first A@W club event, and it was very successful! Over 80 people attended, near capacity for the intimate setting of Chalet Plus. We hope to build on this success next month on October 23rd, so mark your calendars!
We will be holding these end-of-week events monthly, as they are a great opportunity for members to meet people in their industry and network. Designers and architects can talk about projects, discover what others are working on, and get to know each other better on a personal level.
We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome of this first event, because it was exactly what we were hoping to achieve. Attendees witnessed an excellent presentation and mingled, and we received excellent feedback (as seen below). Again, these will be monthly events, so set aside time for Thursday evening, October 23rd, and keep your eyes peeled for the event invite and venue announcement.
Attendees had some very positive feedback after the event:
"I was very happy with the people I met at the event; a great variety of professional network people."
"It was a great idea to combine a presentation topic with the event. That was the main reason we came!"
And the presentation was indeed fantastic! Marta Pozo, from MVRDV, gave an excellent talk and slideshow on the theme, "Exploring New Possibilities."
"In a context dominated by fast growing economic demands, quality is becoming hard to achieve. Compromises in architecture and urban planning are leading to a built environment based on conformism and repetition. This reality is not expressing the exciting world ahead to work together for.
How to maneuver through this reality? How to produce differences and quality? How to create new knowledge, new products, freshness, evolution and development? It is through newness and critical intelligence that we can obviously understand, face up and respond successfully to current challenging building environment."
Exhibition News: We Are Bringing Our Successful A@W Event To Downtown Shanghai on July 3-4, 2015
The new venue is the Shanghai Exhibition Center between West Nanjing Road and Middle Yan'An Road.
This landmark venue is easy to access, and it's located in a great area for exhibitors to invite customers out: Jing’An District, a favorite location for Architecture and Design firms and Asia-Pacific headquarters.
We will be open on Friday until 8 PM, on Saturday until 4 PM, July 3-4 2015, providing attendees and exhibitors a flexible schedule, so visitors can drop by after work (6-8 PM) or on Saturday and have more time to network.
Company Spotlight: GERFLOR
Gerflor is recognized as a specialist and a world leader in resilient flooring solutions. The group creates, manufactures and markets innovative, design-led and eco-responsible solutions for flooring and complementary interior finishes.
Worldwide presence and proximity to our customers through 23 subsidiaries and a broad network of partner distributors 12 manufacturing plants and logistic hubs, already well-established in more than 100 countries, Gerflor is continuously developing its activities in new markets. Our ranges have become the most famous brands in the PVC flooring industry.
As the first foreign manufacturer who has invested in producing homogeneous resilient floorings in rolls in China, Gerflor China is a branch of Gerflor group in the world, and the plant in Changshu has been certificated by ISO9001 and ISO 14001, with the most advanced PVC manufacturing processes and technologies. Gerflor gathered the most comprehensive range of interior finishes including wall covering, accessories, tools as integrated solution.
"Our brand is our promise and it grows through the positive experiences provided to stakeholders, particularly our customers and our employees around the world. We reaffirm that promise on a daily basis to anticipate and meet the specific needs of users, specifiers, installers and distributors wherever they may be."
Next Architect@Work Club Event: Thursday, October 23rd (venue to be announced)
Architect@Work China Third Show in Shanghai Gained Great Success
Fresh off their first ever Beijing event in December, Architect@Work China recently hosted A@W Shanghai 2014, the third edition of China’s premier architecture, design and materials exhibition. Featuring exhibitors and design innovations from China, Europe & beyond all making use of A@W’s unique Corner Concept display format, the Shanghai 2014 show saw over 3800 visitors attend during June 12th & 13th at the Shanghai Expo Centre.
And in a first for A@W, leading architecture and design firms including Atkins, Aedas, Gold Mantis, and Kokaistudios featured their work in special exhibition spaces as part of the new YourFirm@Work program. The special platform allows architecture and design firms to engage directly with the public in attendance at A@W shows, and to reveal the process and thinking behind a number of notable projects in China & beyond.
A@W China also made history by presenting a check for 10,000RMB to Mock-Up, a significant urban renewal project taking place in Zhangwu Township in rural Zhejiang province. Architect@Work is the first ever privately-owned overseas entity to offer support to a local Chinese government for their innovative approach to urban renewal, with the exception of NGO’s.
A@W Shanghai 2014 Educational Program schedule is here!
A@W China is excited to announce the schedule for our entire A@W Shanghai 2014 Educational Program!
An all-star cast of architects, designers and materials professionals will be on hand to present ideas on innovation and best practices unlikely to be heard in any other forum in China, all under a single roof.
So without further ado, here's our Educational Program schedule for A@W Shanghai 2014.
Conference Speakers
This year's theme of Emergent Urbanism will be dissected through a series of dialogues and roundtable discussions, featuring a diverse cast of professionals.
Thursday, June 12
11:00-12:00
Michael Wolf (Artist & Photographer)
12:30-14:00
Laurence Liauw (SPADA [HK]) + Li Xiangning (Tongji University) + Non Arkaraprasertkul (Harvard University)
14:30-16:00
Fu Shikyo (Vanke) + Albert Chan (Shui On Land) + Shen Bing (China Fortune) + Doni Zhao (Kinderly Real Estate Group)
Neville Mars (MARS Architects) + Harry den Hartog (Urban Language)
14:30-16:00
Liu Yuyang (Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects) + Bu Bing (One Design Inc.) + Zhang Jiajing (Atelier GOM Architecture) + Feng Lu (OWA) + Zhu Jie (Atelier Archmixing) + Yu Ting
Design Salons
The Design Salons will once again be our informal lecture series that takes place in the middle of our event, with representatives from media, design firms and materials companies all making an appearance.
Thursday, June 12
10:30 – 11:30 Opening Ceremony
11:45 – 12:45 Vantage Shanghai
13:00 – 13:30 Arda
13.35 - 13.55 Interface
14:00 - 15:00 Abitare Magazine
15:30 – 17:00 Made By Design
Friday, June 13
10:30 – 11:30 Luce e Design
]12:00 – 13:00 International Facility Management Association
13:30 – 14:30 Yaoshun Architectual
14:50 – 15:20 UNIT ARCHITECTS
15:40 – 16:10 ATR Atelier
Seminars
Our Seminar series is a forum for leading companies to present their latest innovations at A@W Shanghai 2014. Representatives from the respective companies will be making an appearance to give lectures on chosen topics.
Thursday, 12th June
10.20 - 11.20 VELUX
12:15 - 13:45 Duravit
14:00 - 15.00 Steelcase
15.15 - 16.15 Halumm
Friday, 13th June
10.20 - 11.20 Zumtobel
11.40 - 12.40 Yaoshun Architectual
13.00 - 14.00 Novalis
14.15 - 15.45 Spanish Design
To witness all the events in our exciting Educational Program this year, click here to register now!
Ice Cubes by Preciosa Lighting to be featured at A@W Shanghai
At Architect@Work Shanghai 2014, Preciosa Lighting will present the Ice Cubes series of exclusive Bohemian Crystal lighting fixtures. This unique design concept, developed together with Areen Design of London, is manufactured at the Preciosa factory in Kamenicky Senov, Czech Republic.
Directly behind entrance, visitors will witness world premiere of Ice Cube pendant, composed of nearly 300 handmade crystal glass cubes. In Preciosa Lighting booth B3, the guests can enjoy Ice Cubes lighting column plus video about creation of this fixture by our master glassblowers, designers and engineers.
The cube has been revered through centuries as symbol of solid perfection, simplicity and balance, and glass was referred to as “eternal ice” in old Greece. The Ice Cube concept was conceived by Areen’s designer Eugene Sellors and developed to the production stage by Vaclav Bajer. The designers chose as their material handmade Preciosa Crystal Glass for its outstanding optical and aesthetic qualities.
Preciosa Lighting with its 290-years heritage of perfecting glassmaking technology proved to be right manufacturing partner for Areen:
"Collaborating with Preciosa enabled our design team to quickly see concepts realized. It also offered the benefit of generating additional exposure, which we hope will inspire other design companies to follow suit. We are looking forward to working with Preciosa also next year at the 2015 Milan Furniture show.”
Click here to register for A@W Shanghai to see the Ice Cubes Collection from Preciosa Lighting, as well as a host of other innovations!
About PRECIOSA LIGHTING
PRECIOSA LIGHTING, a member of Czeh republic based Preciosa Group, is a manufacturer of custom-made lighting designs and luxurious residential fixtures.
Preciosa is global leader in innovative decorative lighting solutions. Our collections include masterworks of the past as well as spatially and technologically innovative pieces, light sculptures, art glass and accessories. We offer full-service solutions that include design, manufacturing, installation and maintenance.
Arda strives to design outstanding appliances for kitchens, where families gather to gather and connect.
As home cooking becomes less frequent in contemporary society and eating out is becoming the new normal, Arda's mission is to inspire modern families to re-discover the joy of homemade cooking, with a mission of promoting Homemade Happiness.
The Culture of Home Cooking
Homemade Happiness is a call to modern families to turn on the oven and rediscover the joy of homemade cooking, with beautiful appliances that emphasize design and functionality.
It’s about how the simple act of preparing food at home can be a great source of pride and gratitude for the one who cooks. And a powerful uniting experience for families that spreads happiness as well as creates long lasting memories.
It’s a reminder that meals prepared at home will always be healthier and superior to outside food regardless of taste and price, and a wake-up call to those who have lost homemade dishes as a family tradition.
Over 10 million families in 57 countries around the world have prepared breakfast this morning using a kitchen appliance produced by Arda. A humbling number like that motivates Arda to continue the work of promoting the culture of home-cooking, rather than simply creating generic appliances.
Arda by Giugiaro Limited Edition collection stovetop
Arda's History
Originally established in 1982 as an OEM (third party manufacturer) producer for some of the world’s most renowned kitchen appliance brands, Arda has in recent years increasingly switched its focus to ODM, thus not only manufacturing kitchen appliances, but also designing them.
After gaining strong technological and product design expertise through more than 30 years of kitchen appliance manufacturing, in 2011 Arda launched its own brand in the Chinese market, with a clear premium positioning. Arda now counts the presence of 24 Arda distributors throughout China, each with an Arda flagship store.
Arda by Giugiaro Limited Edition collection range hood
Innovation Profile
Innovation is part of Arda’s DNA and the constant pursuit of innovation extends across product design and development, marketing efforts, product technologies and production processes.
Arda believes that real design innovation can be best achieved through cross-field design cooperation with creative talents and designers who do not necessarily belong to the kitchen appliance industry. Often designers who belong to the kitchen appliance industry tend to follow so-called “industry rules & common practices”, so it's difficult to achieve truly innovative design ideas.
It is precisely for this reason that Arda constantly researches and sources product design from creative talents and designers from Italy, Switzerland, France etc. For example, currently Arda is working – among other international designers - with Giugiaro, the Italian team who has developed the design of many of the world’s most celebrated premium sports cars, to design the new Arda premium product line.
Arda constantly researches and sources the most innovative and advanced technologies from anywhere in the world where it is possible to find the best available, without any geographical limitation or boundary. For example Arda sources technical features and product functionality from Germany, Italy, South Korea etc.
Arda by Giugiaro Limited Edition collection oven
“Arda by Giugiaro” Limited Edition
The concept design of the new Arda by Giugiaro limited edition appliance range (cooktop, hood, oven, wine cooler and dishwasher) draws inspiration by a unique and truly innovative combination of automotive elements, specifically from premium sports cars, capable to deliver a very sleek, light and elegant feeling.
Even if a hood or a cook top seem so far away from a sport car they share many common aspects.
One of the main is the travel, the journey that takes the experience and the emotion of a sport car into “riding the kitchen” to a new destination.
During the development of the new “Arda by Giugiaro” collection the design team has taken into great consideration not only the appearance of the products but also crucial ergonomic and functional aspects with the aim to guarantee the best possible user experience.
As you will see we pushed forward the concept “When a sports car drives into a kitchen” developing the new Arda products, not only through a trivial “copy and paste” of sport cars shape and surfaces, but translating the automotive advanced concepts into hypermodern and innovative “kitchen vehicle”.
Look for Arda's innovative products at A@W Shanghai 2014!
A@W Shanghai 2014 Design Salon Series Headlined by MBD
We're proud to announce the final schedule for our latest Design Salon Series!
At A@W Shanghai 2014, we'll be bringing together the latest and greatest creative minds in design innovation, and each speaker will be given the chance to hold court in the very middle of our show floor.
Wang Kaifang, who will be speaking at the MBD Design Lounge Event
Our latest Design Salon series is headlined Wang Kaifang, a Chinese multi-disciplinary designer presenting work from Made By Design. Mr. Wang has an extensive career in fields including architecture, urban planning, visual art, and also graphic and fashion design.
He is among the first designers certified by the International Construction & Decoration Professional Union, and is a member on the experts’ panel of the China Public Art Committee.
MBD is a consortium group of four high-end design brands from Germany: Hansgrohe, Gaggenau, GEZE and Villeroy & Boch, and their Design Salon is organized by LUXE China Magazine.
The collaboration between Mr. Wang and MBD is an expression of the synergy of German design and the esteemed designer's own aesthetic, and A@W Shanghai is delighted to see exploration of European and Chinese design concepts at our Design Lounge Series.
Other events in our Design Salon series are presented by Vantage Shanghai, UNIT Architects and ATR Atelier.
Pre-register now to see the Design Salon Series and other exciting events at A@W Shanghai 2014!
On May 4th 2014, the opening ceremony of the 3rd Tongji Hub Youth Talent Design Exhibition took place at the Shanghai Design Centre's Flexible Design Exhibition Hall.
Sponsored by LEXON, the theme of this year's exhibition is Designers’ Proposal for Their Own Lives, which aims to allow designers to showcase their own household designs.
Judged by a panel that included Architect@Work China's Steering Committee head Miguel Garat, this year's group of diverse winners includes an even split of 5 international designers and 5 domestic Chinese designers.
In no particular order, the winning designers and their submissions are:
Gabriel Gomera Valencia/Home Sweet Hom
Teo Hidalgo Nacher/Ripolles-Manrique House
Daniela Y Monica/Librero Book Rack
Ying Zhaojun/Architect's Living Space Concept
Li Yu/Personal Living
The b4architects (stefania)/Suspended Bookshelf
Vasiliki Geropanta + Themis Vasarmidis/Tin Boxes
Tea Serving Work Space/Old Pharmacy Converted Home
Wang Bin/A Newly Old Room
Guo Jingyu/Personal Living Concept
Mrs Dai Chun, the invited curator of event and the Operations Director of Time Architecture, stated that the influential event was committed to providing an international platform for young domestic designers, and at the same time introducing international designers to a Chinese audience.
The exhibition includes 10 works from entry winners and 9 from established invited designers, including Archmixing Work Studio, Benedetta Gargiulo Morelli, Wang Hao, Massimo Catalani, Wang Yang, Zhang Ming, Li Hui, Ke Haining, and Yu Ting. Products from event sponsors LEXON and TRYBA are also included in the exhibition.
The exhibition is open to the public until June 5th at the Shanghai Design Centre. Winners' entries will also be displayed at Architect@Work Shanghai from June 12-13th.
Leading Global Firm Atkins To Host Creative Space at A@W Shanghai 2014
Lingang Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shanghai, China
At the upcoming Architect@Work Shanghai, A@W China is excited to announce that Atkins, one of the world’s leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, will be on hand to present the Atkins@Work Creative Space.
With 75 years of history, approximately 18,000 employees and over 300 offices worldwide, Atkins is one of the world’s largest global design firms.
Seaton Plaza, Chengdu, China
Ranging from small heritage buildings to massive complex mixed-use projects and large scale master plans, Atkins' portfolio comprises a broad range of project types, including hospitality, office, commercial, transport, civic, residential, retail and regeneration.
Their Creative Space at A@W Shanghai will feature selected projects from specialized disciplines, including Architecture Design, Landscape Design, Urban Planning and Engineering.
Shimao Songjiang InterContinental Hotel in Songjiang, Shanghai
Located in Shanghai, the Shimao Songjiang InterContinental Hotel is one of the remarkable hotel projects being planning and designed by Atkins. The project will see the construction of a five-star, 300-bedroom hotel built into the side of a disused, 90m deep water-filled quarry.
The design of this project has attracted tremendous interest across the world and media, and proudly received the top recognition as The World’s Best International Hotel Architecture Award 2013-2014. This project will be showcased at the A@W event along with other exciting current projects by Atkins China.
We look forward to seeing all of you at the Atkins@Work Creative Space!
Architecture in Film: Absolute World Towers in 'Enemy'
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Enemy is a stylish and hypnotic thriller that happens to be the first feature film to feature MAD Architects' Absolute World Towers in Mississauga, Ontario.
A modern take on the age-old doppelgänger concept, Enemy examines the consequences and traumas that occur when a history professor realizes a complete stranger is his exact double.
So how do the Absolute World Towers relate to a high-concept film like Enemy?
Are they mere background decoration for the film's Toronto setting, or did Canadian director Denis Villeneuve actually choose the noted residential buildings to reflect the film's overriding themes?
WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW!
Concept rendering of Absolute World Towers in Mississauga, Ontario
Duality
The Absolute World Towers are notable for being MAD Architects' first ever project outside of China.
The original development and design competition called for a single tower, but the design conceived by Ma Yansong's team at MAD Architects proved to be successful enough that a second tower was commissioned.
However, rather than create a second identical tower, MAD Architects chose to create a thematically similar structure that would complement, but not duplicate the first tower.
The identities of the Absolute World Towers thus relates to the theme of duality in Enemy, which features Jake Gyllenhaal playing two characters who are so physically similar that they even share the same scars, and yet have completely different personalities.
As with the history professor and third-rate actor characters that Gyllenhaal plays, the Absolute World Towers share traits that make them completely alike, and yet distinctive at the same time. The fact that the double of the film's protagonist is living near buildings loaded with such thematic resonance is no mere random accident.
Adam (Jake Gyllenhaal) arriving outside his double's apartment, with Absolute World Towers seen in background
Surreality
Certain shots in the film (and in the film poster image above) reveal giant spider-like creatures stalking over the urban Toronto landscape. They are neither explained nor commented on directly, and the effect of the unconventional narrative choice is unsettling as it is surreal.
The Absolute World Towers quietly add to the surreal proceedings with their repeated appearances in the film. In the landscape of the film (as well as the general landscape of Mississauga), the Towers appear as a total architectural anomaly.
The history professor teaches in a gray concrete college campus, and his apartment is furnished in off-whites and browns. The highway motel where the doubles meet for the first time looks exactly like a highway motel.
Thus the appearance of the Absolute World Towers throughout the film's narrative, with its undulating 21st century aesthetic situated next to drab housing blocks and square parking lots, is similar to the surreal dichotomy of the giant spiders walking over Toronto.
The sublime of the Absolute World Towers is situated next to the gray reality of suburban sprawl, and such a mashup subtly enhances the dreamlike atmosphere of Enemy.
We applaud the fact that the buildings are far from mere ornamentation in Enemy. Now that the striking Absolute World Towers have entered the annals of cinema, their status as architectural icons has surely just begun.
Luce e Design to present Light + Space Dialogue at A@W Shanghai
Merate Town Hall in Lecco, Italy - Designed by Archea Associati
Organized by A@W media partner Luce e Design magazine, “Light + Space” is an exciting dialogue that will anchor our upcoming Lounge Salon series at A@W Shanghai.
The dialogue will feature insights from Italian architect Marco Casamonti, who is a founding partner of Archea Associati in Florence.
Casamonti will examine how lighting opens possibilities in architecture, by presenting case studies on the interplay between lighting and building design. Projects to be discussed include the Nembro Library and the Merate Town Hall, which are both significant public building projects in Italy.
Beijing Fushin Logistics Center - Designed by Archea Associati
Specializing in a variety of disciplines, Archea Associati’s China projects include the renovation for the Fushin Logistics Center in Beijing, designing the Tasly Hotel & Offices in Tianjin, and creating the Guizhou Zhen Winery Complex.
Published by Tecniche Nuove, Luce e Design is the leading independent bilingual voice in the Chinese architecture and lighting design communities. Since 2006, the magazine has been regularly serving more than 30000 architects, interior designers and lighting design professionals.
Luce e Design presents Light + Space Dialogue w/ Marco Casamonti
Time + Date - 10:15-11:30 on Friday, June 13th
Location – Lounge A at A@W Shanghai 2014, in Shanghai Expo Centre, Pudong.
Stellar Chinese projects to be recognized at Architizer's 2014 A+ Awards
The Architizer A+ Award Trophy
On May 15th, Architizer will host their 2014 A+ Awards event at Highline Stages in New York, during NYCxDESIGN. Now in its second year, the A+ Awards will commend 129 winning firms for representing the best in the current global architecture scene.
With a jury consisting of over 300 experts and popular votes coming from over 100 countries and territories, the 2014 A+ Awards will recognize a number of different China projects, including the Bao'An International Airport in Shenzhen, and the Pop-Up Habitat concept designed by Beijing's People's Architecture Office.
We've assembled a gallery of Chinese winners from both the A+ Typology categories, which recognizes excellence amongst specific building types, and the A+ Plus categories, which awards achievement in different architectural concepts.
Check out all the distinctive Chinese projects below (including our personal favorite, the Tricycle House), or click here for a full list of global winners from Architizer.
TYPOLOGY CATEGORY WINNERS
Jury Winner & Popular Winner/Airports + Popular Winner/Engineering
Bao'An International Airport in Shenzhen
Designed by Studio Fuksas & Knippers Helbig
"The building envelope is dominated by a honeycomb-like facade which through its double skin largely permits indirect light to enter the interior through 25,000 openings. Depending on the sun's position, rays of sunlight also enter the building directly, offering unusual continuously changing lighting effects throughout the day."
Jury Winner/Office Low Rise
Huaxin Business Center in Shanghai
Designed by Scenic Architecture
"We elevated the main body of the building up to the second floor in order to maximize the open green space on the ground, and established an intimate and interactive relationship with 6 trees while protecting them."
Jury Winner/Office Interiors
LYCS Architecture Office in Hangzhou
Designed by LYCS Architecture
"The idea of this design is to create the juxtaposition of this abandoned storage space and the new office...The design attempts to create the dialectical effect of architecture professionalism as the program is, and the non-professionalism in architecture."
Jury Winner/Pop-Ups & Temporary
Pop-Up Habitat in Beijing
Designed by People's Architecture Office
"The Pop-Up Habitat is a modular and lightweight multi-purpose structural system. Constructed of repurposed reflective panels commonly used in photography, the Pop-Up Habitat makes use of and exaggerates the inherent qualities of these panels: rigidity, flexibility and collapsibility."
Jury Winner/Parking Structures
Wulian Parking Structure in Taipei, Taiwan
Designed by Q-Lab
"The design aims to create a visual experience involving the driver's perspective in direct relationship to the parking structure perceived...The folded line of this particular sweep was inspired by the natural surroundings of the site specifically the mountains."
PLUS CATEGORY WINNERS
Jury Winner/Mobility
Tricycle House
Designed by People's Architecture Office
"In China private ownership of land does not exist, therefore the Tricycle House suggests a future embrace of the temporary relationship between people and the land they occupy. In a crowded Chinese city, the Tricycle House makes single family housing affordable and sustainable, parking lots are used at night for living, and traffic jams can be acceptable as living can happen while moving."
Jury Winner/Photography & Video
Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu
Video produced by Spirit of Space (Click here for video)
"With music inspired by a Blade Runner aesthetic, the first film takes viewers on a poetic stroll from the larger Chengdu context and into the humanistic experience of the public plazas. In addition, the luminosity of Lebbeus Woods’s Light Pavilion adds a meaningful cinematic tribute to one of Architecture’s most ambitious thinkers."
Popular Winner/Branding
Great Food Hall in Hong Kong
Designed by HEAD Architecture and Design Ltd.
"Long considered Hong Kong's best food experience, Great Food Hall in Pacific Place had become tired and dilapidated. During our 2013 renovation of the store, we proposed a bold new branding concept. Amid the bustle and chaos of Hong Kong retail, this project sought clarity and simplicity."
Finalists for A+ Typology Awards:
Vanke Sales House in Xiamen (Office 1-4 floors)
Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou (Office 16+ floors)
Zhujiajiao Museum of Humanities & Arts in Shanghai (Cultural)
Finalists for A+ Plus Category Awards:
Greenland Group Suzhou Center (Sustainability)
Chengdu Greenland Tower (Technology)
Tianjin Global Financial Center (Engineering)
Hualien Residences in Hualien County, Taiwan (Aging)
Galaxy Soho in Beijing (Photography & Video)
Anisotropia in Beijing (Sound)
Rising Moon in Hong Kong (Light)
AMO ENO in Hong Kong (Branding)
Architect@Work Shanghai will be happening on June 12-13 at the Shanghai Expo Centre, and we'll once again be featuring the latest in innovations in architecture, design and building.
If you're an industry professional in architecture or design, click here to register now for free entry!
A@W Shanghai 2014 Press Party Shines Light on New Programs!
On April 8, 2014, ARCHITECT@WORK held the press party for its third Shanghai edition at the Shanghai Design Center. Almost 200 people came, including architects, designers and media partners. To add a little fun to the occasion, there was a photo prop wall and numerous Lucky Draws, placed alongside the usual food, drink and networking opportunities.
ARCHITECT@WORK President Thomas Baert kicked things off by introducing the new CEO, Catherine Ferguson, as well as his hopes for the upcoming exhibition, to be heldf or a third time on June 12 & 13 at Shanghai Expo Center. This year, ARCHITECT@WORK will be doing even more to ensure that all exhibitors and visitors at the show are of high-quality and enjoy themselves greatly.
CEO Catherine Ferguson then highlighted some of the new programs coming to ARCHITECT@WORK Shanghai. For instance, a contest with ARDA for interior designers with a grand prize of a trip to Paris! Another new aspect is ARCHITECT@WORK’s cooperation with design firms such as Aedas and Kokai Studios to showcase innovation in design using materials.
The Conference Speaker Program will also be undergoing a slight twist. Curated by Professor Paul Tang, it will be centered around the topic “Emergent Urbanism” and be run as a series of professional dialogues.
Finally, Ms. Zhang Jiting of Shanghai Design Center described their cooperation with ARCHITECT@WORK over the Tongji Young Talent Exhibition and enthused her excitement at working with a quality event like ARCHITECT@WORK into the future.
KokaiStudios@Work to feature elite Shanghai-based firm at A@W Shanghai
K11 Art Mall in Shanghai, by Kokaistudios
Proudly Made In China and based in Shanghai, Kokaistudios is a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary design firm involved in architecture and interior design projects throughout the mainland & beyond.
At the upcoming Architect@Work Shanghai event, the award-winning firm will be on hand to present KokaiStudios@Work. The separate exhibition space will display the company's process of architectural creation using a series of models, sketches, and renderings for their vast body of work.
Founded in 2000 by Filippo Gabbiani and Andrea Destefanis, Kokaistudios' portfolio includes the K11 Art Mall, Jiaotong University Law School Building, Peking University Law School Building, and the UNESCO awarded Bund 18.
K11 Art Mall in Shanghai, by Kokaistudios (interior during construction in 2013)
With over 140 completed projects, Kokaistudios adheres to a design philosophy that welcomes challenges:
Throughout our 12 years in China we learned that great design on paper does not always translate into great projects and that the process of development is complex and filled with both dangers and opportunities to create exceptional projects.
We have embraced those challenges to create projects that benefit the people who live, work and play in them and add positively to the urban fabric of the cities in which they are located.
Kokaistudios joins fellow architecture firm Aedas at Architect@Work, with more firms to be announced soon.
For more information, please visit www.kokaistudios.com or write to [email protected]
If you are an architecture, design or building professional that fits our visitor profile, apply for pre-registration by clicking here.
Only pre-approved professionals are allowed entry into ARCHITECT@WORK SHANGHAI
Photography by Michael Wolf to be featured at A@W Shanghai
As part of our ongoing efforts to bring inspiration to architects and designers at ARCHITECT@WORK, we are thrilled to announce our cooperation with Michael Wolf at the next show on June 12 & 13.
German-American photographer Michael Wolf’s focus is life in mega cities, with many of his projects documenting the architecture and “vernacular culture” of metropolises.
His work has been exhibited in numerous locations, including the Venice Bienniale for Architecture, the Museum for Work in Hamburg, the Shenzhen Biennial and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago. He has won first prize in the World Press Photo Award competition on two occasions and was shortlisted in 2010 for the Prix Pictet Photography Prize.
He will be curating a selection of works from two programs that complement our Conference Speaker Series theme of “Emergent Urbanism” perfectly: “The Architecture of Density” and “The Transparent City.”
“The Architecture of Density” series depicts the dense urban structure of Hong Kong, which juxtaposed the massive uniformity and dizzying patterns of Hong Kong’s high-rise culture with the humanization of those structures realized through tiny, nearly imperceptible details – washing, color, open windows and lone flower pots.
"The Transparent City," meanwhile, takes that visual abstraction and mixes in a sense of voyeurism into the portraits of downtown Chicago. By waiting for the perfect time of day, Michael Wolf is able to render all glass facades perfectly transparent, giving us glimpses into the lives busily occupying these mega-structures.
Designed by Shanghai-based M97 gallery, the Michael Wolf photography exhibition space will thrill and awe visitors to ARCHITECT@WORK Shanghai.
Michael Wolf will also help us kick off the "Emergent Urbanism" Conference Speaker Series with his keynote speech on Thursday, June 12, at 11:00am.
Learn more about ARCHITECT@WORK at: www.architectatwork.cn
SPONSORED BY
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ERCO: Michael Wolf, with his sharp-eyed vision and unique visual angle, interprets his awareness of the world, and ERCO Lighting helps him fulfill the expression. The art being illuminated and the illumination to art, will meet together in this exhibition.
