Showing posts with label Norman Foster. Show all posts

Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi

the design of the museum aims to combine a highly efficient, contemporary form with elements of traditional arabic design and hospitality to create a museum that is sustainable, welcoming and culturally of its place. featuring a landscaped garden around its base, the museum's display spaces are housed within a man-made mound. the interior conditions are regulated passively through five solar thermal towers, which host the galleries. the towers heat up and act as thermal chimneys, drawing cool air currents throughout the museum. fresh air is captures at the low level and drawn through buried ground-cooling pipes and then released into the museum's lobby. air vents open at the top of the wing-shaped towers taking advantage of the negative

pressure on the lee of the wing profile to draw the hot air out.

foster + partners' designs for the 'zayed national museum' in abu dhabi was revealed by his highness sheikh mohammed bin rashid al maktoum, vice-president and prime minister of the UAE and ruler of dubai and her majesty queen elizabeth II of the united kingdom. conceived as a monumnet and memorial to the late sheikh zayed bin sultan al nahyan, the founding president of the UAE, the museum will be the centrepiece of the saadiyat island cultural district and will showcase the history, culture and more recently the social and economic transformation of the emirates

balancing the lightweight steel structures with a more monumental interior experience, the galleries are anchored by a dramatic top-lit central lobby, which is dug into the earth to exploit its thermal properties and brings together shops, cafes, and auditorium and informal venues for performances. throughout, the treatment of light and shade draws on a tradition of discreet, carefully positioned openings, which capture and direct the region's intense sunlight to illuminate and animate these interior spaces

architect :foster + partners team: norman foster, david nelson, gerard evenden,

toby blunt, marin castle, ross palmer, dara towhidi, karsten vollmer,
barrie cheng, ho ling cheung, sidonie immler, joern hermann, nadrew king,
gemma owen, jillian salter, marilu sicoli, daniel weiss, bram van der wal, simon wing

source: designboom

Masdar City Green,UAE

Announced in April 2006 and launched in February 2008, the construction of a city some 100% ecological kilomètresd'Abou Dhabi begins to take shape.

Called "Masdar, which means" source "in Arabic, the city will cover 6 square kilometers and is expected to accommodate 50,000 inhabitants and 1,500 businesses.

The key measures that will help make this city really green.The cost of this 100% eco-city will be reduced from 10 to 15% compared to original estimates of 18.7 to 19.8 billion instead of $ 22 billion.

Energy, Water & Recycling

A photovoltaic power and solar panels on the present buildings will produce the main source of electricity. The expected production is 100 MW and is expected eventually to reach 500 MW. Part of renewable energy will still be produced outside of the city.

Desalination plants that run on solar energy will fuel the city's drinking water. The entire wastewater used to irrigate crops for biofuels or for food, or to water parks.

Architecture

To avoid the use of air conditioners, electricity guzzling, the city will be surrounded by walls to block the hot winds and sand. The streets were laid narrow to emphasize the shadows, and oriented to maximize air circulation.

The walls of the institute of science and technology are isolated by large rubber pads that return the sunlight and to mitigate the effect. The library has windows that prevent sunlight from entering the building. Its roof is in turn covered with solar panels. Electric vehicles are being tested.

Transportation

Car traffic will be prohibited within the city. For short trips, pedestrians and cyclists will be encouraged. For longer trips, various means of transport will be deployed. The PRT (Personal Rapid Transit, understand "personal rapid transit"), rapid transit and light that looks like a mini electric streetcar, moves to the request within the city. Its cabins, accommodating 1-10 people can be called at the touch of a button at each station (spaced a maximum of 200m). The shortest route will be chosen depending on traffic.

Where is the project?

The project was originally scheduled to be completed by 2016. But his promoter announced Sunday that it would not happen before 2020 or even 2025. To date, only the construction of the institute of science and technology is complete. Just over 170 students are present, including one hundred who lives on campus.

architect: Foster + Partners

Building Houses New Apple headquarters from Norman Foster

Building Houses

Unusual architectural project

Apple Corp. is one of the most known, popular and expensive companies in the world. The same it's possible to tell and about architect Norman Foster — the real superstar among architects. And consequently it's not surprising, what Norman Foster has developed the project of new headquarters of Apple Corp.

New Apple Trends

The great architect take order only on the most unusual architectural projects, thus the project of new headquarters of Apple will take place in Santa Clara area (California), in immediate proximity from present campus. And if the Pentagon it's a five-pointed star, the new Apple trend it's the circle.

In a new ultra-modern complex on four floors there will be 260,000 sq.m. of office premises, almost 28,000 sq.m. of research laboratories, and also a conference hall for more than one thousand person! Besides, "the green power station" (solar panels, wind turbines) should provide electricity for all floors of a building.

Santa Clara California

Modern complex

Unusual architectural complex

The parking for employees of this headquarters, and also for visitors of Apple Corp. will take place under ground.

architect schools online

Building Houses Watergates of Hong Kong from «Foster + Partners»

Building Houses

Architectural project

Hong Kong is one of the financial centers of the World. In the city is a lot of money, and this money is often spent for modernization of this small state. For example, for constructing new marina which after opening becomes the main "watergates" of Hong Kong. Will construct this smart station the most famous modern architect — Norman Foster.

Hong Kong International Seaport

More than ten years has passed since moment as has been closed a Hong Kong International Airport. Long time on a territory was empty. But the mother nature abhors a vacuum. Especially, in Hong Kong where the habitation territories is the most populated in the World.

Recently, on a place of the former airport has begun building project of a new marina, the author of the architectural project is architectural company «Foster + Partners».

Seaport
Hong Kong, seaport
Sea terminal

This marina will be intended first of all for service of tourist passenger liners. After the building will be finished, into the seaport can arrive at once two huge ocean liners. Thus, the sea terminal can serve simultaneously for ten thousand persons. Here will work about eight hundred persons.

The new architectural project will be as much as possible harmless. The basic part of day illumination will be natural, instead of artificial. And on a terminal roof the park will settle down, where passengers can perfectly spend time in expectation of the sea cruises, instead of pining in the usual closed waiting room as in other sea ports. Besides, will be used a eco systems of gathering and clearing of rain water for needs of a complex, and also reception of the electric power from renewed sources (solar batteries).

Cost of building of this marina will cost for the budget of Hong Kong — 460 million dollars. The solemn opening are planned to 2013.

architect schools online

Interior Decoration Opera theatre in Dallas

Interior Decoration

Opera House in Dallas

The author of the project — neither is a lot of, nor it is not enough, Norman Foster, — considers, that Winspear Opera House in Dallas redefines understanding of an image, creating new, corresponding to our epoch, breaks barriers and the stereotypes surrounding an opera for general public, and gives to a structure availability to the public.

Considering climatic conditions of a city, over a building the canopy with solar panels, and through a glass facade is placed, the kind on a spacious lobby with height of a ceiling of 18 meters opens. Transparent borders between external and internal become the fine environment for constant relations between a building and adjoining territory. Under a canopy the big foot area is created.

Opera in Dallas

Winspear Opera House by Foster + Partners & OMA

Winspear Opera House it is joint project Foster + Partners and OMA. The opera building became central Performing Arts District.

The opera building is a whole series of the organized spaces which surround the red central block, a hall on 2,200 spectator places.

Winspear Opera

The building welcomes as fans of an opera, and is simple admirers of dialogue — here there is a restaurant, cafe which can be visited at any time, in independence of visiting of representations.

Process of an input in a hall is accompanied by visual effects which become a representation part, a show part. The huge steps surrounding the central hall, create fine possibilities for secular evening; here it is possible to stop for conversation, observing for an event around.

Winspear House

Dallas opera house

Dallas opera

Compactness of an audience provides even more outstanding acoustic qualities. Details and materials improve a resonance of a human voice, giving to vocal sounding an acoustic tonality.

Huge theatrical chandelier

The drama effect is supplemented with the huge theatrical chandelier consisting of 320 elements. Before the beginning of representation the chandelier rises under a ceiling. Even the curtain is a subject of design art; the author — Argentina artist Guillermo Quintero.

Opera House

interior decoration

Interior Decoration UAE pavillion at shanghai expo 2010, Foster + Partner

Interior Decoration

“The cities of the UAE rise from the desert and the pavilion will similarly emerge to form a natural counterpoint to Shanghai’s urban landscape. Like a sand dune, it is oriented to the direction of the wind and is a powerful example of an organic and highly effective passive environmental design.”

Gerard Evenden
Foster + Partner Senior Partner
UAE pavillion at shanghai expo 2010interior decoration