Morphosis Architects’s Kolon One & Only propels a knotted cloud-like facade

Architects Morphosis Facade Contractors/Suppliers POSCO (Steel Curtain Wall), ALU EnC (Aluminum Curtain Wall), Korea Carbon (GFRP), Korea Tech-Wall (GFRC), Han Glass (Glass), Steel Life (Interior Liner) Facade Consultants Arup, FACO LocationSeoul, South Korea Date of Completion2018 SystemBrise-soleil system on the main, west-facing facade ProductsFiber reinforced polymer (FRP) using one of Kolon’s own high-tech fabrics, Aramid

Facades+ Chicago will explore structural and facade systems at dizzying heights

On September 21, Facades+ is coming to Chicago for the first time since 2015. At the conference, speakers from leading architecture, engineering, and facade consultant firms will discuss their bodies of work and lead in-depth workshops. Workshops will cover modular facade design, the challenges and triumphs of large-scale work in Chicago, and how to control the quality, quantity, and

Pelli Clarke Pelli designs a snaking business complex for Tulane University

Facade ManufacturerViracon, YKK AP America. Inc, DeGeorge Glass Company, Performance Architectural Inc. Architects Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects Facade Installer Broadmoor LC Facade ConsultantsPelli Clarke Pelli Architects LocationNew Orleans, Louisiana Date of Completion2018 SystemGlass curtain wall with thermal sunshades and light shelves ProductsYKK thermal sunshades, Viracon glass hybrid Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (PCPA) connected two preexisting buildings

How Amazon achieved crystal clarity in its glass domes

NBBJ designed a trio of connected glass orbs with living walls at the new Seattle headquarters for online retail giant Amazon. According to an announcement on Amazon’s blog, the spherical design—a project seven years in the making—was “chosen due to its natural occurrence in nature and as a nod to historic conservatories, like Kew Gardens.” This atypical meeting place away

This experimental concrete roof is half the weight of its peers

A research team led by Jamin Dillenburger, an assistant professor at ETH Zurich, has recently produced and installed a concrete ceiling shaped by 3D-printed sand formwork. Dubbed the “Smart Slab,” the 1000 square-foot ceiling is significantly lighter and thinner than comparable concrete ceilings. The concrete slab is a component of ETH Zurich’s ongoing DFAB House project. The DFAB House is

Permasteelisa and Frank Gehry partner up for Battersea Development

On August 1st, Italian-Manufacturer Permasteelisa announced an approximately $80 million contract to design, supply and install nearly 300,000 square feet of Frank Gehry’s Battersea Phase 3A located in London. Since 2013, the Battersea Power Station Development Company has been leading an expansive redevelopment of the 42-acre stretch of relatively fallow land surrounding the eponymous power

Dichroic glass turns a curtainwall into a shimmering veil

Portland-based studio OFFICE 52 Architecture designed the new 109,000-square-foot interdisciplinary Nano-Bio-Energy Technologies Building at Carnegie Mellon University with a glass facade that plays with form, texture, and color. The skin that lines the north wing of the Sherman and Joyce Bowie Scott Hall features a range of vibrant materials: dichroic glass, clear and frosted glass layers, and

Brooklyn’s Zimmerman Workshop raises a church from the ashes

Facade Manufacturer Timber Systems Limited Architects Zimmerman Workshop Facade Installer Timber Systems Limited, Facade ConsultantsZimmerman Workshop, Timber Systems Limited Location Brampton, Canada Date of Completion2017 System 2016 Products Fine Metal Roof Tech Copper Shingles In 2014, a two-alarm fire devastated Ontario’s St. Elias Ukrainian Church. The heavy timber church was designed by architect Robert Greenberg

Behnisch Architekten’s Dorotheen Quartier is a playful contemporary take on German vernacular form

In 2017, Behnisch Architekten completed its approximately 410,000 square-foot development of the Dorotheen Quartier in the Karlstrasse area. Located in Stuttgart, capital of the German state Baden-Wurttemberg, the Karlstrasse area was a long dormant neighborhood located on the eastern border of the city center. Facade Manufacturer Roschmann GmbH / Lauster Steinbau GmbH Architects Behnisch Architekten

BIG’s Shenzhen International Energy Mansion looks better than the renderings

Long after the golden era of corporate modernist skyscrapers (think Mies van der Rohe’s Seagram Building, SOM’s Lever House, and so on), many contemporary office skyscrapers are still designed with traditional glass curtain walls that have low insulation and cause overheating from unnecessary direct sunlight. Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) conjured an otherworldly alternative for Shenzhen International Energy Mansion: a

Pittsburgh’s Frick Environmental Center is awarded Living Building certification

In May 2018, Pittsburgh’s Frick Environmental Center was Living Building certified. The Living Building certification is the world’s most rigorous environmental performance standard, meaning the building is energy self-sufficient, treats its own wastewater, and filters surrounding pollution. Facade Manufacturer Black Locust Siding (sourced through Mid-West Black Locust) Architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Facade Installer PJ Dick

Page \ Park Architects blends contemporary and traditional design in Edinburgh’s Old Town

In 2017, the British firm Page \ Park Architects unveiled its restoration of Edinburgh’s St. Cecilia’s Hall. The approximately 15,000 square-foot project consisted of the restoration of the neglected concert hall, bringing the complex up to contemporary-building standards, and designing substantial modern additions to Scotland’s oldest purpose-built concert hall such as a four-story entrance building.

Call for Sponsors: Facades+ 2019

Since launching in New York City in 2012, AN Media Group’s Facades+ conferences have expanded rapidly. Hosted in nine cities, Facades+ attracted 2300 attendees in 2017 alone. This year, Facades+ is adding Denver, Minneapolis, Charlotte and Toronto to its location roster. Facades+ AM morning forums, 1 day and 2 day conferences  provides leading voices in

Miami’s Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science celebrates one year anniversary

In June, Miami’s Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science celebrated its one year anniversary. The four-building complex was designed by London-based firm Grimshaw Architects, and led by Global Managing Partner Vincent Chang. Facade Manufacturer Gate Precast, Trenwyth (Astra-Glaze), Victor Insulators, Radius Track, Viracon, Harmon Architects Grimshaw Architects Facade Installer Gate Precast, Formrite, Kenpat w/

S9 Architecture’s 606 Broadway approaches completion

Located on the northern border of Manhattan’s SoHo, New York-based firm S9 Architecture‘s 606 Broadway is a highly visible development under construction along East Houston Street. The six-story, 34,000 square-foot building will host commercial and office space. Facade Manufacturer Aluprof USA Architects S9 Architecture Facade Installer Lexington Maintenance (formerly HDK) Facade Consultants Gilsanz Murray Steficek

Sections of the Glasgow School of Art to be “dismantled” this week

According to recent reports, sections of the Glasgow School of Art will be disassembled over the coming days. Officials studying the June 15th blaze have observed a larger degree of settling and movement among the remaining sections of the building than originally anticipated, enough to prompt the investigative team to begin dismantling the south facade of

Glass, curtain walls, and glazing offer increased visibility

Glass facades remain the cladding of choice for residential and commercial projects—both in densely populated metropolises as well as suburbs. High visibility and improved technology in weather barriers make this exterior sheathing option increasingly the material of choice—above wood, brick, and even concrete. SUNGATE 400 Vitro Architectural Systems Glazed in a passive solar control coating, thermal performance

New eco-friendly weather and air barriers help to lower energy costs

Even the highest performing facades can be undone by gaps or by under-utilizing insulation. Weather and air barriers have expanded to fill a variety of niches, from eco-friendly insulation to ready-to-install sealant. Rizza Partition Closure System Balco This compression seal is perfect for vertical junctures and joints between the ends of partitions, curtain walls, and

The latest panels, cladding, & screening help facades to shine

AN found the latest additions that offer aesthetic sensibility, new advancements in materials and technology, and solutions for both passive and active design strategies. TEXTURED CLADDING Paperstone Made from recycled paper and a non-petroleum resin, the cladding is environmentally conscious and incredibly hardwearing. It is resistant to rain and UV rays, making it suitable for rainscreen

Here’s what to expect at Facades+AM in San Francisco this week

On June 7th, 2018, The Architect’s Newspaper will once again bring the Facades+AM conference to San Francisco. AN has put together a stellar lineup of speakers and presenters for the day-long event that promises to give a granular view of some of the most exciting developing technologies in the realm of high-performance facade design that have emerged in recent years, as building

Ian Ritchie advocates for subtlety and organic geometries in glass architecture

On April 19, for the afternoon keynote of The Architect’s Newspaper’s Facades+conference in New York, architect Ian Ritchie discussed his decades-long involvement in forward-looking glass architecture. Beginning with the tongue-in-cheek statement, “Glass is the answer; what was the question?” the British architect detailed the technological specifications and design considerations behind his projects. Ranging in size from personal residences to convention centers, the projects convey

Miami’s latest garage project is inspired by surrealist games

Miami is perhaps the epicenter of architectural parking garage design, hosting work from Herzog & de Meuron, Frank Gehry, Enrique Norten, OMA, Arquitectonica, IwamotoScott, Leong Leong, John Baldessari, a scrapped Zaha Hadid proposal, and more. Adding to the mix is a seven-story mixed-use structure integrating retail with an 800-car capacity garage. Facade Manufacturer Zahner (fabrication);

A skin for the spectacular? It has to be ETFE.

From biodomes to Disney resorts, “Sheds” and stadiums, ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, better known as ETFE, has become the material of choice for architects designing a venue for the spectacular. Appealing to designers as an affordable, translucent building skin, the material is now the go-to polymer for flamboyant facades. The Architect’s Newspaper (AN) spoke to three firms leading the

Parking garage receives razzle-dazzle camouflage-inspired cladding

Inspired by a military camouflage technique dating back nearly 100 years, DAZZLE is a permanent public artwork commissioned by San Diego County Regional Airport Authority for San Diego International Airport’s Rental Car Center. The project, delivered by art team Ueberall International (Nikolaus Hafermaas, David Delgado, Dan Goods, and Jeano Erforth), was made possible through a