The demands that we are making from buildings nowadays are more than just providing shelter. We need them to be aesthetically pleasing while helping the environment and look inspiring. What follows is a list of 10 buildings that depict the future of architecture. Check out the list below and let us know what you think of it.
10. Favela Painting Project in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The public artwork project kicked off in 2010 as collaborative project between Dutch artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn of Haas&Hahn along with a local team in Rio de Janeiro’s Santa Marta favela (Brazilian slum). The movement has spread across the world ever since carrying out the transformation of a dilapidated area in North Philadelphia. The idea to transform the depressed public spaces in ways that allow for economic impulses and positive attention.
9. Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre at Mapungubwe National Park in Limpopo, South Africa.
The plan for this amazing vision center that has been designed by Peter Rich Architects started off with a motif etched on stones that was uncovered at the previous location of a South African trading civilization. The free-form vaults of this structure were built using a construction technique that is 600 years old and also environmentally and economically efficient. Local laborers were utilized for making the 200,000 pressed soil tiles and this was executed as part of a poverty relief program.
8. Fuel station and McDonald’s in Batumi, Georgia.
Essentially a gas station that provides much more than just fuel to its customers. It has a restaurant, a reflecting pool and a public park.
7. Wendy pavilion in Queens, New York, United States.
We all know that air quality is dropping in urban areas and Wendy by Hollwich Kushner aims at tackling this. Wendy maximizes her surface area for the sole purpose of exposing as much of titanium-nanoparticle-coated skin to the environment as is possible. This surface sucks carbon dioxide out of air and for comparison’s sake; one square foot of it is equivalent to taking 250 cars off of the road.
6. China Central Television headquarters in Beijing, China.
China Central Television (CCTV) has headquarters created by OMA and houses the complete process of TV-making; administration, broadcasting and production into a single loop of connected activities. The building offers an alternative to the conventional skyscraper while encouraging collaboration during activities inside.
5. Ark Nova in Matsushima, Japan.
This one has been designed by Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki. The inflatable and mobile concert hall has been created using a plastic membrane that is stretchy and brings both hope and art to earthquake-devastated Japan. The venue can house 500 persons and can be inflated in under two hours and can be moved to a new location on truck after deflation.
4. Drift pavilion for Design Miami/ 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida, United States.
Snarkitecture imparted quite a makeover to a standard white party tent by making use of suspended landscape of white vinyl tubes.
3. Alcabideche Social Complex in Alcabideche, Portugal.
Portugal has quite a cultural emphasis on the quality of life and this reflects in this housing complex for the elderly. The design comes from Guedes Cruz Architects and is based on a Mediterranean town where plaza, streets and gardens are an extension of every residence. The translucent roofs light up as evening approaches and thus ensure that the elderly are able to move around freely at night as well. The lighting scheme can be used for emergency purposes as well; an alarm when triggered inside the house will change the roof’s light from white to red thus signaling for help.
2. Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain.
Imagine the surprise that Seville officials must have received when they decided to replace the parking lot and bus station in the city center and they found Roman ruins under the surface. The next question that arose was of what to do and the winning answer came in the form of a structure by J. Mayer H. Architects. The design safeguard the ruins while still providing space for cafes and shopping areas thus creating quite a grand and vibrant square for the city. It has been created mostly using wood and is the largest glued structure on Earth.
1. Tverrfjellhytta reindeer pavilion in Hjerkinn, Norway.
A hiking trail takes you to a mesmerizing site that looks over the Docrefjell mountain range located in central Norway and is home to the last remaining wild reindeer herds in Europe. Snøhetta-designed sinewy pavilion invites the visitors to warm themselves while they observe the animals. The building has a hard outer shell made of raw steel and glass. It contains a soft wooden core that has been shaped by the rocks located nearby.
