|
March 2009 |
division of Archi-Europe Group |
 Editorial
_______________________________________________________________________ |
Urban mix
The days of single function activity sectors in large cities are numbered. One of the most symbolic of these, Brussels’ European Quarter, will completely change its appearance in the next 15 years. This extraordinary urban project combining an economic axis with residential, cultural and leisure projects is now in the hands of Christian de Portzamparc. As the competition winner, the French architect will have to pull the stops out to humanise what some have dubbed a human ghetto and keep within a spirit of sustainable development. This is against a background of unprecedented financial turmoil. “The best known urban regeneration projects – the World Financial Centre in New York, Canary Wharf and Paddington Central in London, or La Défense in Paris – have all seen the light of day after collective decisions made when economic cycles were at their lowest and low prices favoured long term projects,” commented the Mipim in 2009. The scale and extent of the current world crisis should generate a veritable breeding ground of new ideas. Architecture plays a primordial role in designing the city of tomorrow, innovation and creativity are becoming the order of the day for projects combining aesthetics, functionality, low energy consumption and urban integration. Large cities are showing a desire to redevelop poorer neighbourhoods. For some, the port areas have suffered most after deindustrialisation. The German city of Duisburg’s gamble to redevelop them came off. British architect Lord Norman Foster’s Eurogate is the jewel in the crown of this redevelopment. The fourteen storey multi-use building retraces the curve of the old port. As well as its unusual form, the building includes innovative techniques for energy saving and sustainable development. Today’s ecological property developments are not limited to a specific architectural genre. Will the mixed environmental friendly spaces become the standard for the future?
The Archi-Europe team
|
Portrait of the month
______________________ |
|
Project of the month
______________________ |
|
Product of the month
______________________ |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Elm Park, Dublin
A new urban mix area extending over 100,000 m2 near Dublin is intended to be a low energy high use density design.
>> read more
|
|
Viessmann - VITOCAL 160-A
Vitocal 160 – A can save energy and money by providing hot water. It uses the hot air available inside the building as a heat source. It can work independently of the other heat generators.
>> read more
|
Santiago Calatrava
Named one of the “100 most influential people” by Time Magazine in 2005, the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava never tires of livening up modern architecture.
>> read more |
Competition in the spotlight
_______________________________________________________________________ |
SAIE Selection '09
|
|
BolognaFiere and Archi-Europe jointly organize a special contest "SAIE Selection 09" in order to select 24 projects and concepts (12 for young architects and 12 for students) presenting Low cost and Low energy sustainable housing.
These 24 projects (concepts) will be presented in a special dedicated exhibition 'Cuore Mostra Saie 2009' in the framework of the SAIE International Building Exhibition taking place in Bologna (Italy) from October 28 to October 31, 2009.
The contest is open to Young architects (under 45) and to Students in architecture.
Deadline for receipt of entries is 31 July 2009.
http://www.archi-europe.com/archi-saie-awards/
|
|
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|
|
Copyright 2009 Archi-Europe Group nv/sa
Responsible Editor: Jacques Allard | Chief Editor: Marie-Claire Regniers
Not yet a member of Archi-Europe? Subscribe here! For unsubcription of Archi-News, click here. |
|
The Monthly European Architectural Newsletter
