Architecture

THE PINK ZEBRA

Design Ideology/Abstract
Merging Funk into Details - A Concoction of Design Theories. 
The Pink Zebra aka Feast India Co. (FIC) is a take on the bygone British Culture in the city of Cawnpore. With the extravagance of the European Grandeur, not many know how important the city of Cawnpore (now Kanpur) was to the British Corporation of India. The design story initiates the change over time by re-writing an architectural essay through this space amalgamation of old with the quirkiness of Art Nouveau glitz (which can be seen throughout the city). 

The purpose of making 'The Pink Zebra' was to speak of a complex and contradictory architecture based on the richness and ambiguity of old and modern experience including that very experience which is inherent in art. The core idea was to create a hybrid rather than pure, compromising rather than clean and leave the visitor hanging in the middle of an artistic sea. 

Ideating initiated from the clients love for Wes Anderson's set ideology and his love for fearful quirkiness along with constructed frames throughout this space.The love for extreme symmetry and restricted color palettes can often give the expression of a surreal, self contained world but adding that certain bizarre element to break that monotony of Wes's spatial ideology came through the black and white zebra lines dipping themselves in the pink monotone set in the British Raj's colonial order. 
The simple idea was to create a distinct aesthetic architectural style that connects to the city people and poses its stand by the use of a striking color palette. The Pink Zebra with its unique facade design creates an everlasting effect on the passersby and invites them into a magical , expertly crafted world whose spaces are framed to treat the eyes. How about we dip a zebra into a deep pink sea? 

Read more HERE
Image Courtesy of RenesA Studio

Growing Home:
Archive of Master Architects’ Own Houses (1930s-1960s)

The early modern architecture is diverse, some of which are still maintaining their vitality until now. This exhibition focus on architects’ own houses, most of which are works during the modern movement. In this case, the architect is both the designer and the client, and the house is where they work and live. Daily life within the house is a manifesto of both the architecture and a distinct way of living.  The house is both a warm harbor meanwhile a business card for the architect. Undoubtedly, the houses present the architects’ respective visions, which grow with times and allow us to examine the richness of modern architecture.

Heritage and Public Recognition

13 houses and a housing cluster are selected as research subjects.  In order to study and reveal the relationship between different architectural elements, materials such as surveys, archives, 3d models, axonometric drawings map were included. The scope of the study span across five continents, searching for houses that had become heritage or Iconic Houses. Most of the houses by European or American architects are hosted by foundations or museums and only 11 houses are regularly or permanently open to the public, which have become great examples of preservation internationally. Among the 14 houses, house by Lin Keming’s and the clusters in the former French Concession in China are not open to the public. The exhibition re-examines the subtle relationship between the houses and the architects’ career path which is also the fading memory of the metropolis.

Asian Architects in a Global Perspective

Many Asian architects received their architectural training in Europe or the United States. The culture and historical background of these countries in which they studied have deep influences in their future practices.  Some of these architects were fighting for national independence. Creation and struggle are the norms in life.  The houses of great Asian architects are the witnesses of the unique history of Asian countries. The exhibition attempts to show the practices of Asian architects during the modern architectural movement.

Opening Reception: 3pm, Saturday, May 25, 2019
Date: May 25 – July 14, 2019
Venue: Ground Floor Gallery, Shanghai Study Center, The University of Hong Kong, No.298 North Suzhou Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai
Website: http://ash.arch.hku.hk/

Space Encounters Builds Temporary Museum for Milan Design Week

Design studio Space Encounters has partnered with Creative Holland to build a temporary museum for Milan Design Week. The installation is made to combine room for art and design, with atmospheres that promote relaxation, contemplation and focus amidst the pace of the Salone di Mobile. The Museum was designed as a journey through different spaces in which visitors constantly interact with Dutch creativity.

Read this article HERE
Image Courtesy of Space Encounters

Jean nouvel's national museum of qatar

The national museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has opened to the public, introducing an unparalleled immersive experience housed within a new architectural masterpiece by Jean Nouvel. the winding gallery offers a journey through a series of unique, encompassing environments including architectural space, music, poetry, archaeological objects, commissioned artworks, monumentally-scaled art films, and more. together, the eleven galleries take visitors from the formation of the Qatar peninsula millions of years ago to the nation’s present. giving voice to the nation’s rich heritage and culture and expressing the aspirations of its people, NMoQ will provide diverse educational opportunities for Qatar and advance the nation’s cultural vision on the global stage.

Project title: National museum of Qatar

Architecture: atelier Jean Nouvel

Location: doha, Qatar

Patron: his highness sheikh tamim bin hamad bin khalifa al thani

Museum director: sheikha amna bint abdulaziz bin jassim al thani

Completion: march, 2019

Total built area: 560,000 square feet

Read this article HERE
Photography: Iwan Baan