Luxury House Design – Water Tower
Zecc architects has developed a fully functional residence from an old abandoned water tower. The water tower dates back to 1930s and is located in Soest, it was originally designed by H.F. Mertens in 1931. Zecc were tasked with converting the 24meter structure into a luxury dwelling while still preserving the characteristics from the past.
According to the architects, the transformation processes was a challenging one.
“Many problems had to be overcome; letting more daylight in and strengthening the relationship with the back courtyard by inserting a three-level high window frame; maintaining the interior’s industrial characteristics by working with materials like steel, concrete and glass; and in the tower, ensuring an effective, efficient layout for several small round rooms that lay one on top of the other, while preserving the tower’s spaciousness, to name a few.”
[ Via Environment Team]
Nestlé Lab – Mexico
This Nestlé flavour lab was designed by Rojkind Arquitectos, located in Querétaro Mexico the lab is where Nestlé concocts its various products and flavours. This is the second building which Rojkind Arquitectos has created for Nestlé, the first being the Nestlé chocolate museum in 2007.
This project faced some unique challenges, chief among which was the fact that Querétaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and so as a result of this fact there were many restrictions placed on the type of buildings that can go up and the way in which they can do so. The building is bright and bold, yet elegant and unassuming in silhouette. We especially love the playful notes that can be seen throughout the design, almost giving it a mad scientist feel befitting of any laboratory!
[Pictures Via]
Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion – Paris
In 2007 Karl Lagerfeld commissioned what Chanel called the “Mobile Art Pavilion”. The art pavilion toured the globe showcasing a series of fashion and art exhibitions. It was designed by the Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, winning the 2004 Pritzker Prize laureate’s futurist design award. The Mobile Art Pavilion has now found a permanent home at Paris’ Institut du Monde Arabe. The all white ultra sleek structure has a very modern feel to it, it will no-doubt become a must see Parisian landmark.
Airless Wheel Concept
The Energy Return Wheel concept was designed by Brian Russell, his goal was simple – reduce fuel consumption and increase car safety. Easier said than done, but Russell has come up with this ingenious airless wheel solution made from a mixture of carbon fibre and Kevlar. Using such materials allows the Energy Return Wheel to be lighter than most normal wheels while at the same time maintaining structural integrity.
The concept is essentially a mixture of wheel and tire, using an exterior frame that’s fixed to a rim. This removes the need for the inflation of a tire, hence comes the airlessness. Though the design has many benefits, it is clear that without the use of air the wheel will have difficulties at high speeds or on roads that aren’t smooth enough. This is because it is the addition of air that allows the conventional tire to conform to the road so well.
Japan Office Space
This Japan office space is one to remember! The bank was created by the architectural firm emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design, developing the office space in the Japanese city of Shimura. This Sugamo Shinkin bank’s Japan office space was designed to look like a layer of rainbows. The rainbows are formed by stacking various coloured slabs together, contrasted against a bright white background the colours seem to pop out of the building creating a wonderful explosion of colour. The building really comes into its own at night, when the layers are gently illuminated.
Here at eOffice we have partner locations all over the world, including Japan. If you are looking for stylish and affordable office spaces in Japan you can find out more here. We have locations is several cities across the country.
[Via Design Boom]
Indian Architecture – Spiretech Campus
A new IT campus in the Noida region of India has recently been designed by STL, a building which has the potential to be a true bastion of modern Indian architecture. STL is a Chicago based architectural firm and design studio and they called the new campus Spiretech.The inner space of the project serves not only as the civic heart of the complex, allowing for congregation and public functions, but also the green hub too. This is because the interior is lined with a lush garden that rises 20 stories up. The wall incorporates a variety of plants and flowers and looks absolutely stunning.
We think this is Indian architecture at it’s best and we can’t wait to see more such projects crop up over time!
Japanese Architecture – A Fabricated Dream
With all the misfortune surrounding Japan in recent times, I thought it nice to focus on the vibrancy of Japanese architecture so that we may once again see what this amazing country is capable of. This wonderful space was created by the Japanese designer Yukio Kimura and is a mixture of art gallery, used bookshop and even includes a café bar – the perfect trifecta some would say!
This great piece of Japanese architecture is located in the suburbs of Osaka. It was designed by Kimura to stand out, purposely making the building conspicuous as the client wanted the store to reflect the meaning behind the store’s name. The name, Sorayumebako, roughly translates to Dreambox.
Yukio is quoted as saying: “Sorayume” is a Japanese word meaning “a fabricated dream”, that is, a dream for telling people as if you actually dreamed it. Having this concept in mind, I designed space where visitors can feel as if they stepped into another world, like a dream”.
[Pictures via WeHeart]
Moving Picture – L.A. Office
Patrick Tighe, of Tighe Architecture, designed this space-age LA office space for Moving Picture Company (MPC). The LA office space features central areas which have a pod-like space look and curved ledges. MPC is a UK based computer animation company so in many ways the look is fitting. They have worked on many well known commercials and movies, including the past six Bond movies and Slumdog Millionaire.
We especially like the large elongated curved white walls as they strike a nice balance between a high-tech space look while at the same time maintaining a certain minimalist elegance. Despite the use of large spaces of white the office isn’t too overbearing or clinical; something achieved by the warm accents seen throughout that help tone the overall look.
Road Yacht
Michael van Vuuren has recently designed a vehicle which he calls the “Road Yacht”. The road yacht is a mixture of old vintage car and a yacht. He specifically states that the design was created with the “filthy rich Russian population” in mind.
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As clearly visible the whole look of the car is yacht like, a fitting look perhaps considering that Yachts have always been the indisputable emblem of wealth. This concept vehicle is no doubt within that vein – it’s big, bold and definitely luxurious. That said, luxury and class don’t always go hand and hand, and I wonder on what side of the line such a vehicle would land!
Milan Office – Fornari Fashion
The Fornari Group has had their Milan office redesigned by Giorgio Borruso Design, a Californian architectural firm. The Milan office is located in the Navigli section of the city and measures at around 35,000 square foot. The building previously housed a historical porcelain workshop. The Fornari Group is a family business turn Italian fashion power house, they started out in the 40s manufacturing footwear. In the late 90s they then went on to become a fully fledged fashion, design and lifestyle brand.
The office is open plan, maintaining an airy and welcoming feel. This is partly achieved by the embellished rounded corners and curved edges, yet the soft wavy structures are tempered by the hard concrete floors and partly exposed steel. The designers also had the intention of making the walls, floor and ceiling inter-mesh to such a degree that they weren’t clearly distinguishable, so that where one ends the other begins. According to Giorgio Borruso such a design gives the “illusion that there is no gravitational force; that you can walk on any surface; you can rotate the system ninety degrees, and it still works.”
