qR Architects - Bourne Avenue

I'm very pleased with the opportunity to photograph this beautiful house in Bourne Avenue, London. qR Architects (http://www.qrarchitects.co.uk/projects---11-bourne-avenue) designed this magnific three storey house following the demolition of the existing one. The results you can see through my photographs below. Absolutely stunning project.

Tate Modern Extension - The New Building

Two months ago the Tate Modern opened the new building, "a ten-storeys on top of The Tanks – the world’s first gallery spaces dedicated to live art, film and installations – its height responding to the chimney of the existing Tate Modern building which was originally designed as a power station by Giles Gilbert Scott in the 1950s. Its twisting, pyramid-like shape will be a memorable addition to London’s skyline and will offer 60% extra space for visitors to explore.

From The Tanks on Level 0 you can go all the way up to Level 10 and enjoy the spectacular new roof terrace with 360-degree views of the river Thames, St Paul’s Cathedral and the dramatic London skyline.

Like the original Tate Modern, the new building is designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron and will present a striking combination of raw industrial spaces and refined 21st century architecture.

The façade uses brick to match the surface of the existing museum, while creating something radically new – a perforated brick lattice through which the interior lights glow in the evening. The interior of the new building features raw concrete folded into dramatic angles and will be a stunning new building in which to experience art." (http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/new-tate-modern/building)

Yesterday I finally got access to a very unique point of view where I could capture images of this new building from a perspective never seem by most of the public, from high up. I woud like to share with you those images, which are just below. 

Riverlight by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Riverlight will transform a triangular, five-acre industrial estate – close to Battersea Power Station on the south bank of the River Thames – into a residential-led mixed use development, creating a transition between the large footprints of the power station and the smaller residential developments to the east.

The scheme includes 806 homes, underground parking, crèche, restaurants, bars, a food store and other retail spaces. It incorporates a river walk and landscaping to take full advantage of its location and create attractive public spaces for the local community. The development will be delivered via six buildings, arranged in a rising-form composition, ranging in height from 12 to 20 storeys and giving the development a varied skyline. Around 60 per cent of the scheme will be designated as public open space.

The architectural expression takes its cue from the former industrial warehouse buildings that lined the river. The language is of simple robust structures which emphasise their construction. Buildings are divided into three distinct zones: top, middle, and base. Top levels are lightweight, two-storey structures with gull-wing roofs; mid levels are represented as concrete floors expressed every two storeys, with intermediate floors expressed as lightweight steel balconies.

In landscape terms, each area of the development is conceived as having its own distinct character. The newly created river walk – slightly raised to allow views over the river wall to the Thames – brings a 17m-wide boulevard to a previously underused part of the waterfront. Commercial and community uses at street level – including restaurants, bars and cafés arranged around the dock inlet, as well as a food store, crèche and business suite – will help to attract visitors onto the site and animate the public areas of the scheme.

http://www.rsh-p.com/projects/riverlight/

Brent Civic Centre by Hopkins Architects

"Located on a prominent site next to two well-known civic icons, Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena, the new Civic Centre streamlines all aspects of the Council's activities and has become a new hub and heart for the community where residents can meet, shop and eat. It houses Brent's civic, public and administrative functions under one unified roof, providing office space for 2000 staff.

The building's spaces are arranged around a soaring, naturally-lit foyer and atrium which houses a large public amphitheatre and staircase that host a programme of high-quality arts and cultural experiences that further enhance the building. A circular Drum clad in timber fins features prominently in this space and houses a multi-purpose community hall, library, one-stop shop and civic chamber.

Behind this, glazed office wings are open-plan and flexible to provide a future-proofed solution to the diverse community's administrative needs. The building also includes space for retail outlets and a landscaped garden to help it to connect further with the surrounding Wembley Regeneration Area.

The project has been awarded the coveted BREEAM 'Outstanding' rating, the highest possible, and is the first project in its category to have achieved this. As such, it features a 33% reduction in carbon emissions thanks to a combination of solar shading, natural ventilation, high-performance façade, and combined cooling, heating and power which utilises waste fish oil. It is the most sustainable local authority building to be completed in the UK."

Font: http://www.hopkins.co.uk/projects/5/145/

The Shed at the National Theather by Haworth Tompkins

I was passing by, on my way to a job in South Bank when I spotted a nice angle of The Shed, recently build, a bright red auditorium amongst the brutalist concrete of London's National Theatre. Need to come back to get it from all angles that I already have on my mind. 

Foundation Louis Vuitton by Frank Owen Gehry

The Foundation Louis Vuitton is no doubt, one of the most espetacular buildings ever, a masterpiece designed by the architect Frank Owen Gehry, which for me, is one of the best and most important architects alive. During my last visit to Paris to photograph the La Defense district, I spared couple of hours to get closer to this place and grab some shots. Here they are...