Posts filed under “Architecture”
Finnish Architecture 0809
Finnish Architecture stages a Biennial Exhibition of the best in Finnish Architecture and this year 0809 starts its tour in Helsinki before going around the globe. It’s a good chance to look at some great projects, photos and models, step back and survey the progress made and the potential going forward. The exhibition catalogue this [...]
Chinese Mortar
How do you make Mortar the traditional way in China? Just add Rice Soup. “Analytical study shows that the ancient masonry mortar is a kind of special organic-inorganic composite material,” Zhang said. “The inorganic component is calcium carbonate, and the organic component is amylopectin, which comes from the sticky rice soup added to the mortar.”
Herzog & DeMeuron Hotel Cancelled
Herzog and DeMeurons’ hotel design for the centre of Helsinki has been rejected. Earlier this month on 3rd April the city council voted against the scheme and it looks like a study of the whole area will take place before another competition is announced. I’m not sure but I’m guessing that that this will probably [...]
Against the Eiffel Tower
Note: The following post is by my Father Graham Martin. He sent this to me after a conversation we had over the phone. I don’t remember exactly what we started talking about but we ended up with Dad telling me about this passage by a famous French author about the Eiffel Tower which had been [...]
First LEED Building in Scandinavia
The first LEED certified building in Scandinavia is the office Moveres Business Garden in Pitäjänmäki in Helsinki, Finland. By SARC Architects and with the artist Outi Martikainen who designed the custom painted glass facades.
The Art of Simon Page
The Art of Simon Page, just fantastic. Check out his international year of astronomy set also.
The Nykänen Orchid
In counting down to the 2010 winter olympics the guardian posted an article about Matti Nykänen, one of Finlands’ greatest athletes. His record in ski jumping is awesome, but he is just as famous in Finland for his private life which is so colourful and disastrous that it almost eclipses his sporting achievements. Brits could [...]
Helsinki World Design Capitol 2012
So Helsinki won the World Design Capitol 21012 competition today. There is already a website, twitter feed and facebook group to follow such being the norm nowadays. I’m happy but not that surprised that we won as the city is home to a vibrant if small design community and the changes in the city coming [...]
Best place to live in Finland
A housing Website staged a survey to find the best place to live in Finland. Karjasilta in Oulu won, it’s a relatively suburban area of detached houses from the 40′s and 50′s the runners up are below, I’m not sure but I think they are mostly of the same suburban character with the only exception [...]
New Pasila
Cino Zucchi Architects have updated their masterplan for Pasila redevelopment. It would add up to forty story 160m high skyscrapers to the Helsinki skyline, at the moment the highest buildings are about 100m high. Pasila was planned and built as an expansion of the centre of Helsinki, infact as early as Eliel Saarinens’ masterplan which [...]
Innovations – Architect and Engineer
The Alvar Aalto academy has organised a two day seminar at the Helsinki University of Technology called Innovations Architect and Engineer on 26th and 27th of November. Go here for the programme, and it’s free. (via)
Barents Skyscraper
Oslo based architect firm Reiulf Ramstad Architects (nice website – no flash!) is working on a plan to build the world’s highest building ever constructed fully in wood in Kirkenes, Norway. 16 to17 floors in height, all built in natural materials with the aim of being CO2-neutral. Looking through the proposal quickly it looks like [...]
Low2No Finalist Videos
A quick update on the low2no competition in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. The finalists’ presentations have been posted on the low2no website. I won’t critisise here except to say they all meet the challenge of the brief in a provoking way, and are all worth watching in their differing styles. c_life : City as a Living Factory [...]
Jätkäsaari Low2No Competition Winner
The Team of ARUP , Sauerbruch Hutton , Experientia, Galley Eco Capital with their entry ‘c_life – City as living factory of ecology’ have won the Low2No Competition for a block development in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki. It will be Finland’s first Carbon neutral district and the competition was run by Sitra an innovation fund and though [...]
Pagoda Engineering
Of the hundreds of pagoda’s in Japan only two in the last 1400 years are known to have fallen down in one of the most earthquake prone areas of the world. The Toji pagoda in Kyoto is 55m tall and it was only in 1968 that one office block was erected in Japan that was [...]
Finnish Stonehenge
New research has thrown light on a group of megalithic structures in the North of Finland suggesting they may be laid out according to astrological ideas.