Architecture

A Western Australian architecture firm has won an international competition to design an architectural landmark for Silicon Valley in California.
Smar Architecture Studio’s design – selected from a pool of 963 submissions from 72 countries – will see 500 dynamic rods erected on the Arena Green at Guadalupe Park and Gardens in San José. Forming a tower that will soar to 200 feet (61 metres), the rods will sway in the wind, giving a dramatic visual effect while also generating enough power to light up the structure.
Dubbed “Breeze of Innovation,” the kinetic structure will incorporate multiple levels of walkways and a dramatic viewing platform at its top.
“Silicon Valley is not about replicating the past; it’s about shaping the future,” said Smar founding partner Fernando Jerez. “Our goal from the beginning was to capture the ever-changing magic of Silicon Valley while also creating a deep connection with the San José community.”
Jon Ball, board chair of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley, said the design was destined to have a profound impact on the local community. “We are extremely excited to announce ‘Breeze of Innovation’ as the winner of our design competition,” he said. “This entry stood out because of its elegant and sophisticated visual style, representing Silicon Valley through vibrant motion and singular grace on an imposing scale.

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Breeze of Innovation by Smar Architecture Studio. Image:

Smar Architecture Studio

The Urban Confluence Silicon Valley ideas competition is organized by the San Jose Light Tower Corporation and supported by philanthropy. Despite the organization’s name, the San Jose Light Tower Corporation is keen to stress that the structure it plans to build is not a light tower itself, but rather, a tribute to the San Jose Electric Light Tower, built in 1881, which was a pioneering experiment in electricity-powered municipal lighting.
“…we came up with the idea of designing a dynamic landmark, one that is alive, moving with the wind and light, a magical space that includes a tribute to the San José Electric Light Tower of 1881,” said Jerez. “We want visitors to enjoy a unique experience on their ascent, connecting with the memory of the Valley while dreaming about its future possibilities.”
The goal of the project is to create something that embodies the “spirit of innovation” of the Silicon Valley, attracting tourists and locals alike.
More than $2.5 million has been raised for the project so far. The designs are expected to be submitted to the San José City Council in May 2021 for planning approval. More

City of Sydney councillors have cleared the way for a $726 million project that will occupy nearly half a city block in Sydney’s mid-town precinct.
The development at 338 Pitt Street, designed by an FJMT-led team, will include two interconnected 80-storey towers by FJMT at its centre, along with six podium buildings accommodating retail and hotel uses designed by four different architecture practices.
Councillors voted unanimously on 25 March for the final decision on the project’s approval to be delegated to the council’s CEO, effectively giving it the green light.
In stated reasons for the decision, councillors noted that the project was consistent with the city’s strategic planning as a high-quality mixed-use development.
“The slim tower design, materiality and siting contribute to the skyline and relate positively to the surrounding context,” the agreed upon motion states. “Sufficient separation is provided to maintain a good standard of amenity for adjoining properties and the public domain. The fine grain, varied podium designs and through site links will improve the quality and amenity of the public domain.”

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The 338 Pitt Street development, with lead design by FJMT.

Surrounding the towers will be the podium building designed by a number of different firms. Trias will design the 249 Castlereagh Street building, Polly Harbison Design will design the 241 Castlereagh Street building, Aileen Sage Architects will do Pitt Street Hotel, and Jerde will do the retail spaces. US-based Martha Schwartz Partners and FJMT Landscape will be in charge of the public domain architecture.
Altogether the buildings would accommodate 592 apartments, 158 hotel rooms and associated facilities, retail tenancies and new through-site links and a plaza.
According to the council, the application is “generally consistent” with a concept approval granted by the Central Sydney Planning Committee in February 2018. The FJMT-led team had won a design competition for the project that year.
The City of Sydney publicly exhibited the application for 28 days in July and August 2020, receiving eight submissions from government and statutory agencies – none of which objected to the proposal. More

Architecture – Apollo Magazine

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Keep cool: the concrete castles of Louis Kahn
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Fri, 12 Mar 2021 18:53:37 +0000

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Louis Kahn (1901–74) was an architect who designed buildings that looked like castles; this was true whether they were small Philadelphia villas or vast institutions such as his parliamentary complex in Dhaka. His style – which he arrived at only in his fifties – is characterised by what look like thick fortified walls of massive masonry pierced by simple geometrical shapes and sometimes topped…
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An architectural frieze is the icing on the cake, for a building
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Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:14:12 +0000

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If you have ever approached Termini station in Rome, you may have noticed a frieze on the edge of the slender canopy. It is quiet and subtle, a discreet touch of abstract ornamentation on the leading edge of a slice of otherwise unadorned and exquisitely mid-century modernism. Think back to The Godfather Part II, and you may remember a silent, unsettling character who acts as bodyguard and hitman…
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The school that gave us starchitecture
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Thu, 18 Feb 2021 19:47:55 +0000

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From the January 2021 issue of Apollo. Preview and subscribe here. Given the ancient character of the craft, architecture school is a comparatively recent cultural phenomenon. Emerging from a soup of pupillage, guild-based apprenticeships and enthusiastic amateurship, the idea that you could train architects away from the building site only really took form in 17th-century France, when the…
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From the Apollo archives – Gavin Stamp on the sorry saga of Edinburgh’s Royal High School
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Thu, 11 Feb 2021 18:07:10 +0000

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Edinburgh City Council recently announced plans to reconsider the future use of Thomas Hamilton’s Royal High School on Calton Hill, ending a deal with developers who had pledged in 2009 to find a sustainable purpose for the building. The High School, a masterpiece of the Scottish Greek Revival, has long lain empty; in 2015 plans to transform it into a luxury hotel were widely condemned by heritage…
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Making an appearance – architectural copies and cover versions
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Tue, 01 Dec 2020 17:32:39 +0000

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What is a fake building? Unlike artworks, buildings aren’t faked for short-term or financial gain; they cost too much and take too much time to build for that. And for the most part they are highly visible, so their provenance is much harder to hide. To speak of fakes in relation to buildings is to talk about a lack of authenticity rather than deliberate deceit. Authenticity can imply a number of…
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From Buxton to the Barbican – the enduring appeal of the crescent
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Thu, 05 Nov 2020 10:41:21 +0000

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This article was published in the November 2020 issue of Apollo. The Pump Room and visitor experience at Buxton Crescent are currently closed due to Covid-19; visitors are advised to check the venue website for further updates. The 5th Duke of Devonshire was a man with little self-doubt. His vast wealth from the local copper mines bankrolled the transformation of a small town in the Derbyshire…
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Why are Berlin’s new buildings so intent on looking backwards?
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Tue, 20 Oct 2020 17:16:36 +0000

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There is a category of houses so famous that they can no longer be used as houses. Such buildings exist outside the practical needs they were built to address and are preserved much as works of art are. Victor Horta’s house in Brussels is one. The Maison & Atelier Horta were designed by Victor Horta in 1898 to be both a family home and an architecture studio. Today they are home to the Horta…
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Charles Eamer Kempe – the stained-glass designer who kitted out England’s churches
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Tue, 30 Apr 2019 09:00:13 +0000

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Anyone who enjoys visiting British churches and cathedrals will soon learn to identify stained glass by Charles Eamer Kempe (1837–1907). Helpfully, he often placed a wheatsheaf in one corner of his windows, a device taken from his family’s coat of arms, but in any case his fastidiously luxurious style is unmistakable. Swathed in robes of cloth of gold and damask, figures derived from late medieval…
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Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
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Theme “Design the world you want,” the program for Melbourne Design Week in 2021 is full of bold ideas from Australian design and architecture practices that could transform our lives. With more than 300 events, the program is the biggest to date and also includes an extensive virtual program. Here, we round of some of the program highlights to get your minds racing.
WaterfrontOrganized by Open House Melbourne, Waterfront is a 11-day program of events across Melbourne and East Gippsland that celebrates and reimagines out waterways. The events include boating, bathing, snorkelling and eating, as well as tours, talks and films.
Future Food System by Joost BakkerInstalled at Federation Square’s River Terrace, the latest Greenhouse by Joost Bakker is the ultimate in self-sufficient living, complete with a productive garden, aquaponics, solar power, microfarms and a charcoal tank. Chefs Matt Stone and Jo Barrett have taken up residence in the Greenhouse and along with Joost, they will be conducting tours, workshops and intimate dining experiences inside the house.
A New NormalThis bold and future focused exhibition proposes to make Melbourne a self-sufficient city by 2030. An initiative of Finding Infinity, the exhibition proposes 10 initiatives to transform Melbourne, including electrifying transport, solar and wind energy, energy storage, ending landfill, waste to energy and new, efficient architecture, all envisioned by some of Melbourne’s best architecture practices.
Fresh Eyes Robin BoydRobin Boyd’s famed Walsh Street House, now the headquarters of the Robin Boyd Foundation, is reframed through this photographic exhibition. Some of Australia’s best architectural photographers were asked to look that this house through fresh eyes. The prints are also available for purchase.
Designing a legacy liveComedian Tim Ross brings his popular show Designing a Legacy, which aired on the ABC, to a live audience for Melbourne Design Week. The show goes on an architectural adventure to some of Australia’s most significant modernist houses and merges insights, anecdotes and humour.
Broached RecallA collaboration of Broached Commissions and Elton Group, Broad Recall is an exhibition of 12 applied art objects made with new and heritage timber veneers. Each object represents a dialogue of the past and present.
Melbourne Design Week is presented by Creative Victoria in partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria. See the full program here. More

Penrith City Council has unveiled the winning design for the redevelopment of its former chambers, a project touted as a catalyst for the revitalization of Penrith CBD.
A scheme by Woods Bagot was judged the winner of a design excellence competition. The commercial office proposal was described as “a highly advanced workplace [that] will feature a sustainable design, and activated public and retail spaces for the community,” Penrith mayor Karen McKeown said.
Woods Bagot’s design is a tripartite arrangement of distinct element, which can be programmed separately or as whole to allow the building to adapt to future needs.
The podium base mimics the scale and materiality of existing site, with a brick facade reminiscent of the former council chambers building. Reclaimed bricks from the existing building will be used to create ground-level planter walls in the proposed scheme.

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The winning scheme for the redevelopment 131 Henry Street Penrith by Woods Bagot.

The upper tower will be a rectangular form that cantilevers over the podium base. Its glass and materiality will express the colours of the Blue Mountains, in reflection of Penrith’s role as a gateway to the natural attraction.
The third component of the design is a timber pavilion which will be raised to allow a future park to flow through the site.
The design also includes a new forecourt which will be located at a prominent corner of the site. The forecourt will include a tree in a circular planter, terraced brick steps, a water feature and public art.
“Reinforcing its place in civic life by providing a multitude of public uses, green space will flow through the site and connect it with the future City park, creating a heart to the civic and education precinct,” said Woods Bagot principal Jason Fraser said.

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The winning scheme for the redevelopment 131 Henry Street Penrith by Woods Bagot.

The proposed building will accommodate 8,000 square metres of commercial space, ground floor retail, on-site parking.
Fraser also said the design of the commercial building was informed by rapid changes in workplace design and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is also designed to be flexible and adaptable to changing needs of users.
“This building is fundamentally different from commercial buildings of the past. It will offer a diverse range of experiences where people can work one day in a garden in the sun, the next at a quiet indoor location and the following at a rooftop overlooking the park,” he said.“Commercial buildings of the future need to overcome the tendency to be uniform – uniform lighting, uniform air quality, uniform spatial experience. Woods Bagot’s proposal for Penrith’s new community workplace deliberately moves away from this model.“Deep analysis of both the progressive changes underway in workplace design and the impact of COVID-19 on how people work has generated Woods Bagot’s scheme for a diverse and adaptable, breathable workspace that promotes different ways of working for different people. The design also responds directly to post-COVID workplace conditions by providing a porous, activated ground plane with multiple entry points to prevent bottlenecks of people using the space. There are also diverse and adaptable spaces, natural ventilation and access to greenery.”
Competition judge Kim Crestiani,”The Woods Bagot scheme envisions the future of commercial workplace design, and also responds carefully to the surrounding context, in particular the climate and public domain outcomes. Beyond providing local employment opportunities during construction and on completion, the supporting retail offering and public spaces will help create a vibrant destination next to City Park which can be enjoyed by all. It is a pleasure to be involved in such a great project and I look forward to its realisation.”
The design will undergo further development and refinement. A development application is expected to be lodged by the end of 2021. More

A proposal to relocate and revamp houses earmarked for demolition has won Lake Macquarie City Council’s design ideas competition for innovative housing.
Designed by Curious Practice, the winning scheme, “House 186.3,” repurposes ageing housing stock while also maintaining traditional aesthetics of suburban homes.
“One of the big ideas for our project was about reusing existing houses and not necessarily building new houses as a sustainable model,” said Curious Practice director Warren Haasnoot.
He added that the design is also responsive to the natural environment with passive design, cross flow of ventilation, good solar protection and minimizing need for air conditioning. The design also includes flexible indoor spaces, “so [it’s] not necessarily being prescriptive with what the rooms are, but how they can be adapted and changed to suit different families’ needs,” he said.
The competition entrants were challenged to design two dwellings on a council-owned vacant block of land on Ocean Street in Dudley.
Curious Practice’s design also includes communal outdoor spaces and prospective neighbours to come together.

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Professional winning entry: House 186.3 by Curious Practice.

“The winning entry was really a stand out. It had comprehensively looked at issues of sustainability,” said University of Newcastle Head of Architecture Chris Tucker, who was a member of the judging panel.
“These houses are around 170 and 100 square metres so they are smaller than the average but they are more spacious. They have higher ceilings, they use outside spaces, and draw them inside the house to make that house feel larger.”
The judges also awarded a student prize to Natalie Keynton, Riley Sherman and Robert Snelling from the University of Melbourne. Their design “InBetween House” comprises two modular dwellings with separate levels, which can be adapted for use a home office, multi-generational housing or as dual occupancy housing.

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Student winning entry: InBetween House by Natalie Keynton, Riley Sherman and Robert Snelling.

“The dWELL contest aimed to shed light on innovative new housing design that put wellness and sustainability before simply maximizing a developer’s profit per square metre,” said David Antcliff, manager property and business development at Lake Macquarie City Council.“We wanted to draw on the creativity and passion of professional architects and tertiary students from across Australia to see what their vision was for the next generation of housing in Lake Macquarie and other urban areas.”“It has shown us what might be possible, and provides valuable insight as we work towards our housing strategy.”
The council said on its website, “The winning entries showcase what is possible, what is practical and what is affordable in providing next-generation housing for all Australians. We will work closely with the winning team to determine if we will refine and progress their designs to construction, and if so where.” More

One of Adelaide’s original hotels would be partially demolished under plans to build a $200 million, two-tower development across the road from the new Royal Adelaide Hospital. GHD Woodhead is the architect behind the scheme, which would deliver 401 apartments from levels three through 23. On the ground floor would be retail and hospitality tenancies, […] More

A whispering wall sculpture designed by Perth architects working overseas has received a $30,000 sculpture award. Designed from a distance by architects Georgia Taylor-Berry and Jesse Taylor, Interacting Fences was installed at Cottesloe Beach in Perth as part of the Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe exhibition. It received the inaugural Sculpture by the Sea Artists […] More