building with water

‘seoul commune 2026’ by MASS studies

author: zoë ryan with dieter grau, zeljka carol kekez and chris zevenbergen publisher: birkhäuser year: 2010 size: 160 pages, 30.5 x 23.4 cm isbn: 978-3-0346-0156-6

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water has been an important topic in architecture and urban planning for years. more recently, the revitalization of the waterfront has become a prevalent trend in cities around the world.

content the waterfront has become a significant location for new building and redevelopment projects, helping cities move beyond their industrial heritage and remaking their image as contemporary places to live and work. ‘building on water’ establishes a typology of architecture on / by water – whether it is for residential, transportation, industrial, cultural or recreational purposes – illustrating the relationship water has with the increasingly dominating schemes of new urban developments.

the book reviews historical examples of architecture on water and cities based around this valuable resource while showcasing in comparison, contemporary examples of structures organized by location: on the lake, river and seaside by such architects and designers as OMA, mass studies, the bouroullec brothers…

the projects presented embrace the criteria of their locations, and discuss the relationship between the built structure and our waterways in terms of issues of sustainability, harnessing potential of renewable energy sources and responses to natural disasters such as flooding…

is it for me? good for those interested in the evolution of our urban environment, particularly its relationship to water. an interesting overview of projects which very in material, aesthetic construction and purpose.

‘seoul commune 2026’ by MASS studies

located in apgujongdong, seoul, south korea’s seoul commune 2026 designed by MASS studies is a series of residential towers which provide both communal spaces and private residences which are covered in a latticework of foliage (fed by greywater from the towers) that help counter the environmental impact of the building.

science centre by OMA

OMA‘s science centre located in hamburg, germany is a new flagship for the city’s harbour which has abandoned its industiral heritage and is being renewed as a recreational and cultural centre. the premises for the hamburg science centre acts as an entrance way to the city from the water, located at the end point of an urban axis from the inner alster to the river elbe. it is constructed from a series of boxes stacked upon one another in the formation of a circle. the result is a pixelated structure.

the result is a pixilated structure

the overall structure is comprised of stacked boxes arranged in the formation of a circle

section view

‘aluminum forest’ by abbink x de haas archtectures

‘aluminum forest’ by dutch firm abbink x de hass architectures is a headquarters and display space for an aluminum company. its first building is constructed entirely of an aluminum load bearing structure. 368 tubular columns ranging from 90 to 120 millimetres in diameter support a rectangular volume housing 880 square metres of floor area that is partially built on land and partially built on water. the design was influenced by the typical dutch polder landscape where groups of trees are planted in a square arrangement.

night view of ‘aluminum forest’ on its ‘stilts’

the aluminum columns provide structural support and act as drain pipes and service conduits to the building above

the raised structure provides views of the surrounding landscape

‘island in the mur’ by studio acconci

brooklyn-based studio acconci‘s ‘island in the mur’ floats upon the river mur in the heart of austria’s graz city. it is constructed from a latticework of 320 tonnes of steel and glass, the bulbous form of the island resembling a seashell. it acts as a performance venue / open-air amphitheatre, as well as a bridge across the river.

night view of the ‘island in the mur’ performance space

aerial view of the island in the mur, connected to the bridges leading to either side of the bridge

front cover

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