Arkistory

Hello! I'm an architecture student and since I'm reading architecture content most of the time, I decided that I'll share architecture projects, designs, concepts, materials, and the likes that I find interesting here on my blog.

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Bat Trang Pottery Museum | Bat Trang, Vietnam (2021)

Architects: 1+1>2 Architects Lead Architect: Hoang Thuc Hao 📷: Trieu Chien

Site Area: 3,380 sqm Gross Floor Area: 6,300 sqm

The Bat Trang Pottery Museum is a 5-storey multi-functional complex, conceived to showcase the artisan's work, retell the history of the village, and invite people to learn about the different materials and techniques used in pottery-making. It features a tiered, canyon-like architecture that was inspired by the shape of the potter’s wheel, mirroring the essence of traditional kilns crafted from brick. 

Key Features: ▶ Inspiration & Form

The design has a potter’s wheel motif, which originates from seven colliding, inverted domes, symbolizing a potter smoothing clay, creating a dynamic, curved exterior

▶ Materials & Construction

Combines modern fiber-reinforced concrete with traditional earthen bricks, mosaic ceramic, and pottery tiles.

Emphasizes Bat Trang’s heritage through materials and construction methods, connecting the building to its ceramic village roots.

▶ Light & Atmosphere

Patterned skylights at the top illuminate the walls and interior spaces, reducing reliance on artificial light.

Sculptural open spaces at the ground level facilitate public events and enhance airflow

▶ Functionality & Community

Houses shops, a restaurant, an auditorium for performing arts, and potentially homestays, supporting the local economy. Serves as a collaborative workshop and public space, offering views and hands-on experiences.

Art Nouveau (1890 - 1920)

Singer House or House of the Book | Saint Petersburg, Russia Architect: Pavel Suzor

Art Nouveau is a decorative style of architecture that emerged in the late 19th century and is characterized by curved, organic lines inspired by nature, intricate detailing. This movement is a response to the uniformity of the industrial revolution.

Key Characteristics: ▶ Organic and Flowing forms

Buildings feature curves and asymmetrical designs, relying on the organic, flowing shapes which are inspired by the natural world, drawing from the forms of plants, flowers and animals.

▶ Ornamental Detailing

Elaborate ornamentation is one distinctive aspect of Art Nouveau wherein elements like stained glass, wrought iron, and mosaics were used to enhance the structure’s visual appeal and draw attention. Typical ornamental features include:

Floral and plant motifs: Seen in facades, interiors, and furniture, bringing the beauty of nature

Wrought-iron balustrades and railings: Often intricately detailed organic patterns

Stained glass windows: Add a dramatic yet delicate touch to the interiors with its vibrant colors and natural designs

▶ Use of New Materials and Techniques

The architects embraced modern materials and techniques such as Iron, glass and ceramics in order to bring their designs to life. Compared to traditional construction materials during the time, Iron allows architectural flexibility and enhanced aesthetic possibilities

Notable Art Nouveau Architects

Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926)

Casa Mila also known as La Pedrera or “the stone quarry” (1906-1912)

Victor Horta (1861-1947)

Hotel Tassel (1894)

Hector Guimard (1867 - 1942)

Paris Metro Entrances (1900 to 1912)

Joseph Maria Olbrich (1867 - 1908)

Vienna Seccession headquarters (1897)

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868 - 1928)

Glasgow School of Art (1897 to 1909)

Guiseppe Brega (1877 - 1960)

Villa Ruggeri, Pesaro (1902)

No. 1986 Coffee & Restaurant | Hai Phong City, Vietnam (2017)

Architects: Le House 📷: Hiruyoki Oki

Area: 1000 sqm

Located in the harbor city of Hai phong, the design of the No. 1986 Coffee and Restaurant draws inspiration from its rich historical past. The architects of Le House took inspiration from “Khan mo qua” — a traditional Vietnamese headscarf reminiscent of the shape of a crow’s mouth, popular among the Northern Vietnamese girls which celebrates the beauty of women. The building consists of three floors wherein the floors are connected by long staircases creating a large space.

Key Features: ▶ Design and Aesthetics

It merges the ancient traditions with a modern aesthetic, a concept referred to as “modern breath language”

The building has an unusual brick facade that plays tricks with the viewer’s perception and has a distinct pattern because of the individual missing bricks.

Ceiling windows visually enlarge the interior, creating a lively atmosphere as well as allow plenty of light to enter the spaces.

▶ Spatial Layout

The two long stair blocks divides the space into various interconnected spaces while creating a sense of flow 

The integration of greenery serves as a unifying and harmonizing element to the seemingly unconnected parts of the facade and the interior.

The building features old brick walls, scattered greenery and numerous seating areas and quiet corners which creates a cozy, tranquil, and peaceful ambience that invites its visitors to linger

Rainbow Tree Tower | Cebu City, Philippines (2019)

Firm: Vincent Callebaut Architectures Lead Architect: Vincent Callebaut

Plot area: 2,245 sqm Construction Floor Area: 38,613.4 sqm Sustainable Certification: LEED Gold Plus - BERDE 4 Stars

The Rainbow Tree Tower is a 32-story, 115 meter high mixed used residential condominium with retail and serviced apartment tower that has a design which integrates the principles of passive bioclimaticism and advanced renewable energy. This structure is a modular mass timber tower, featuring 1200 module staggered geometric stack with sides of 4 meters and a height up to 4.8 meters.

Design Concept: ▶ Biomimicry

The structure is inspired by the Eucalyptus Deglupta also known as  Rainbow Eucalyptus, mimicking its multicolored trunk, slender structure and symbolism of growth and renewal The mass timber modules that were prefabricated and standardized in a factory are directly inspired by the Bahay Kubo

Material

The main construction materials of the Rainbow Tree Tower are CLTs or Cross Laminated Timber.  CLT is a type of engineered wood and compared to steel and concrete the manufacturing process required is half that of concrete and less than 1% of that for steel, moreover, it doesn’t generate greenhouse gasses.

Key Features: ▶ Carbon Sequestration

The structure incorporates over 30,000 plants, shrubs and trees, creating a spiral of colors reminiscent of the rainbow eucalyptus and are estimated to capture 150 tons of CO2 per year and convert it to oxygen

▶ Urban Agriculture

Sky Farms and aquaponic systems are integrated into the design specifically in floors 9-31, providing residents with fresh produce, contributing to the tower’s self-sufficiency

▶ Bioclimatism

The design incorporates passive bioclimatism principles such as natural ventilation and shading to minimize energy consumption

▶ Renewable Energy:

The tower incorporated photovoltaic and thermal solar panels on the roof, wind turbines and natural ventilation systems to generate clean energy and in order to reduce its carbon footprint

Chhavi House | Jodhpur, India

Architects: Abraham John Architects 📷: Alan Abraham

Completed: 2018 Gross Built area: 710 sqm Plot area: 280 sqm

The Chhavi House has a design that conforms to the ancient Indian ‘Vaatsu’ design principles regarding space, sunlight, flow and function, while adapting to the challenges of the hot, arid climate of the site. The design also emphasizes privacy, efficient space utilization, and a connection to nature by incorporating courtyards and screens. 

Key Features: ▶ Local Jodhpur Stone

The use of the Jodhpur stone, a locally sourced material provides the design a cultural relevance and connection to the site

▶ Privacy and Light

The design incorporates filigree screens, which are traditional jaali-inspired screens, concealed doors, and deliberately placed windows and skylights that balances privacy and natural light

▶ Courtyards and Water bodies

The house features strategically placed courtyards which are a traditional element in Indian architecture and water bodies that provides natural light and ventilation 

▶ Indoor-Outdoor Connection

The design highlights the strong connection with nature and blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces through the large sliding doors, decks, and terraces

▶ Vaastu Compliance

The Chhavi house has a design that adheres to the Vaastu design principles, showcasing a harmonious relationship between the structure and its natural surroundings

Tianfu Agricultural Exposition| Chengdu, China

Architects: CuiKai, CADG Engineer: Structure Craft 📷: Kang Kai of CADG

Building area: 800,000 sq ft

The main exhibition hall of the Tianfu Agricultural Exposition is an important part of Chengdu’s “metropolitan area” development plan. The project features five main buildings and with a total footprint of more than 75,000 m2, it serves as the space for the museums and where agricultural products from the region will be displayed.

Key Features: ▶ Landscape integration

The design intentionally blurs the lines between the indoors and outdoors space, with the landscape extending in the buildings or vaults and vice versa and expanding the exhibition space beyond the hall itself.

▶ Unique Arch Design 

The arch geometry of the vaults tapers, deeper sections are at the base and shallower sections are at the apex, creating a visually dynamic structure.

▶ Hybrid Truss System

The vaults span up to 110 meters with a height of 44 meters, with each roof vault constructed using a hybrid truss system, combining glulam timber chords and Vierendeel-inspired web of steel frames.

▶ ETFE Cladding

Translucent but colorful, pretensioned ETFE membranes serve as the cladding of these vaults which allows natural light to filter through while providing weather protection.

▶ Sustainable Approach

Follows the design concept of ‘soft integration’ and ‘localization’ which emphasizes the integration and seamless blending of the exhibition space with the surrounding farmland and Linpan (rural settlements) Integrating innovative timber construction with traditional agricultural practices and landscape design

Argul Weave | Bursa, Turkey

Architects: BINAA, Smart-Architecture 📷: Thomas Mayer, Burak Pekoglu

The Argul Weave is a 4,500 sqm mixed-use commercial building, designed to reflect the historic and celebrated textile industry of Bursa. It symbolizes the rebirth of the industry, establishing itself as a key player both regionally and globally. The structure has a total of three stories; retail on ground floor, offices on the second and third floors, and a rooftop restaurant that allows access to the views of the Uludağ mountain.

Architectural Character:

The rich tradition of Turkish textiles and how they're made was reflected through the weaving of the individual threads on giant looms.

Materials:

The sinuous banding of the facade was made from Patara Marble quarried from Burdur, Turkey Dark red marble from the Turkish Aegean region forms the buildings plinth West Africa's reddish brown Iroko wood clads the inner areas of the weave

Source: archdaily