FACADE / SKIN

Rafael de La-Hoz Arquitectos propose to transform the citizen into a client, for a new type of hospital which, in addition to assisting the proven effectiveness of the healthcare system, he can feel at all times to be the centre of all care and all attention. The concept is based on demographic, socio-economic structures and formulas for effective care, management and organisation…

Austrian architecture practice Coop Himmelb(l)au has completed the Dalian International Conference Center in China. Located by the harbour in the city of Dalian (located in the southernmost part of the Liaodong Peninsula in the Liaoning Province), the building features a sweeping, faceted facade and, on the inside, a 1600-seat theatre and concert hall, a primary conference room for up to 2500 delegates (that can be turned into a banqueting hall, an exhibition gallery or extra seating for the concert hall), and six additional conference spaces whose capacity varies between 300 and 600 seats…

The “il Cielo” iGuzzini lighting headquarters in Spain is the last of a series of constructions that have adopted sustainable energy and natural and artificial light management as the cornerstones of their design. The building, located in the Parque de Actividades Empresariales Can Sant Joan in Sant Cugat del Vallès, is the result of optimised energy efficiency, not just in terms of consumption but also in the way that energy is generated…

LEAD created Golden Moon for Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival – The event, which attracted over 400,000 visitors last year, features a Giant Lantern, “Golden Moon”, with colourful LED lights and sound effects. The lantern’s design and construction is the result of a design competition organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board in conjunction with Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, Hong Kong Designers Association and the Hong Kong Institute of Architects…

The Hive, Britain’s first joint university and public library, offers a rich variety of resources for students and researchers. This library in Worcester, England, by architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, The scheme accommodates the county archives and records office, history centre, archaeology service and multi-agency customer service centre, in addition to commercial and retail space. The Hive is additionally set to become one of the world’s most sustainable buildings with a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, and a BREEAM “Excellent” rating…

The Horizontal Skyscraper, designed by Steven Holl Architects and completed in 2009, is a mixed-use building that includes offices for the Vanke Co., a conference center, restaurant, an auditorium, a hotel, apartments and a large public park. By raising the 1,296,459 sf building on eight cores — as far as 50 meters apart and positioning the building right under the 35-meter high limit of the area…

Designed by Ville Hara and its situated on a cliff-top site eighteen metres above sea level, with spectacular views of the sea and the city of Helsinki, the ten-metre tower is a delicately transparent landmark for Korkeasaari Island. The free form is inspired by its natural setting: it follows the existing low stone wall and skirts around a small birch grove…