Intelligent design

Christensen & Co and and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects Collaborative group win competition for lab and teaching buildings at Uni of Copenhagen A team consisting of Ramboll Denmark, Christensen & Co Architects (CCO), Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects, GHB Landscape Architects, Ramboll UK, Ramboll SE and Collin Gordon Associates have won the competition to build a new science lab and educational building for Copenhagen University. Dean of Copenhagen University, Ralf Hemmingsen, said: “Bohr would have been proud if he could see this project. In addition to bringing the laboratory standard completely up to date, the winning project fulfills the demands of future education and research. The project brings together the various educational strands in an open and internationally oriented manner.” The building will house math, computer science, chemical and physical disciplines, including the Niels Bohr Institute, and will be located in the University Park as a part of North Campus, Copenhagen. The bulk of the Faculty of Science activities are gathered here. The project is to be built in two stages, connected via a skywalk, on either side of a busy road cutting through the northern part of Copenhagen; Jagtvej, Stage 1 is established east of Jagtvej and will be approx. 30,000 sq m in the University Park and Stage 2 to the west of Jagtvej, approx. 15,000 sq m located in a business area. The competition jury commented: “The winning proposal convincingly brings together the two buildings across Jagtvej, bringing an interesting solution to the problem of crossing the road. The building is a rational and flexible structure with beautiful long balcony pathways and green courtyards.” Stage 1 is expected to be ready in 2014 and Stage 2 in 2015.

DRDS wins competition in Korea

DRDS, in collaboration with Kunwon, win competition for  Pangyo Global R+D Center The project is positioned at the gateway to the Pangyo Techno-Valley Campus. The goal is to create a landmark building and invigorate research facilities through design to attract global companies specialising in high tech industries such as Biotechnology (BT), Information Technology (IT) and Green Technology (GT). The primary programmatic component is 19,800 sq m of R+D labs that serve as company rental and research lab facilities. These manifest in the design of three separate structures that vary in height depending on need. The east tower contains wet lab facilities that require specific lab planning modules, floor-plate configuration and heavy mechanical support, including rooftop exhaust. As a multi-tenant research facility, the building is designed to optimise plan flexibility with smart office space and a raised-floor. The buildings are connected by multiple atria and connecting walkways, creating chance opportunities for communication between researchers. The idea is to promote synergy through cross pollination of various tenants. The hope is that spontaneous brainstorming can occur, increasing opportunities for ideation and discovery. This is a proactive solution that supports wide range goals of achieving greater education/R+D outcomes with domestic related companies and other research institutes throughout the region. A core element of the project is the main atrium known as the Community Forum. It is an arrival space for the project, linking the entire complex and creating a zone of influence. It is here that researchers and business development come together in a public space where individual ideas contribute to a collective global reality. The idea is to promote connections between researchers who can sometimes become isolated in their work. There are additional public workplace amenities that increase social connection between researchers for knowledge sharing. These are seen as micro- forums for breakout gatherings between intimate groups. They are connected to smaller 'breathing atria' that unite the inner architecture and spatial flows with the outside world. The connective tissue of these zones, highlighted by their transparency, also provide for increased security within the complex.

Elemental design

 

DeStefano Partners to build multipurpose development in China based on values of serenity, connectivity, vitality and humanity

Plans for a 94,000 sq m multipurpose development in Suzhou, China, have won DeStefano Partners an international competition for the project held by Suzhou Wuzhong Guoyu Asset Management Co. Suzhou Wuzhong North Road Development is set to include a variety of high-rise office buildings, residential, hotel and retail facilities

DeStefano’s design is based on four elemental factors – ‘Serenity, Connectivity, Vitality and Humanity’. As the site is bordered with canals to the east and north and major traffic roads to the west and south, the design firm felt it was necessary to create a space that was tranquil and ‘shielded from the commotion of the city’. They responded to the site’s island-like condition by forming the elemental structures in a ‘ring’ around a central public courtyard to create a sense of serenity. A network of streets between the pavilions has been incorporated into the design to create a pedestrian-friendly environment, whilst a raised circulator network is also in consideration to connect the development with adjacent districts. This circulator would run through the middle of the proposed development, connecting the site with new developments to the north and south, all the way to the Grand Suzhou Canal.

A sense of vitality is also intrinsic to the project, as DeStefano propose ‘diverse programmes, combined vertically and horizontally, [to create] an economically sustainable and flexible environment’. Whilst the achieved level of vitality can only truly be measured on completion, the inclusion of 10 cinema halls, 200,00 sq m of retail space, 115,000 sq m of office facilities and 1000 hotel rooms imply that these demands are to be met once the development is up and running. Last but by no means least is the element of humanity. The design is intended to provide a ‘cultural and intellectual experience’ for all users, via a range of facilities and architectural forms. Serenity, connectivity, vitality and humanity are all well and good, but when it comes to architectural design, material matters. The podium portion of the development is set to incorporate concrete and wooden screen elements over a glass enclosure, the ring is to be encased in a white, glazed terracotta facade system and concrete panelling has been proposed for the low rise-hotel. The high-rise towers are to sport vertical and horizontal louvers alternating around the facade to ensure maximum energy efficiency. DeStefano Partners are currently going through contract negotiations and are planning to finish design development for phase one (of two) by the end of 2010, with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2011.

Reflecting the past, projecting the future

Drawn from nature and inspired by tradition, HKS designs new tower for ITC The proposed ITC Corporate Tower will be a visual testament to the national, sustainable and innovative focus of ITC. Standing 26 storeys tall, the one-million-sq-ft tower will translate the language of the region’s historic structures and that of contemporary technology into a LEED Platinum, forward-thinking design responsive to its environment. Acknowledging the value of ITC’s national focus, the tower’s powerful presence, iconic form and the building’s overall proportional systems design draws inspiration from the permanence of the stone, detail of the carvings and striking form of Bangalore’s historic Dravidian Temples. While drawing from the city’s culture, the design of the ITC Corporate Tower also responds to its natural environment, the tower is designed to be a living, breathing organism, enhancing the natural state of the site and the work environment of its occupants. A prominent green 'lung' of vegetation, a continuation of the site’s natural vegetation, will grow upwards through double and triple-height spaces at intervals along the interior façade. These figurative circuits of vegetation will not only increase the quality of office space but will create energising spaces for individual or group work sessions. The tower’s organic sense and respect for its natural site is supported by other prominent and sustainable architectural features. A double-skin system will insulate the building from the heat of the sun and still allow the benefit of extensive natural light. The pyramid-inspired slope of the building will act as a chimney, drawing breezes through the building, while operable windows allow the cross-ventilation of work spaces and give the building’s occupants control of natural air circulation. Designed to work in harmony with the building’s natural surroundings, the tower’s green systems will allow the structure an enduring relevance and value. The layers of contextualism, sustainability and innovation provide a rich and sophisticated design for the new ITC Corporate Tower. Drawing from both the region’s architectural history and the future of technology, the tower’s LEED Platinum design will provide a superior work environment for employees and advance ITC’s mission of bringing enduring value to the corporation’s shareholders, nation and the global community.

Bringing power to the people

KEPCO Headquarters' green energy park educates the public about the green energy life cycle In 2009, the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) held a competition for its new headquarters to be built in a city near Naju, South Korea. The project includes nearly 120,000 sq m of office and public exhibition space, for which the company mandated an ambitious program of sustainability objectives. The company emphasised creating an innovative and creative workplace, as part of a vision to create a new landmark for an energy company in the 21st century. The site strategies in the project challenge the clearly segregated tower / podium / landscape hierarchy which dominates the current office complex typology. The design inverts the normative scheme to create a polycentric, campus-like organisation with dispersed volumes and lively public promenades. The plan opens up in the center of the site, creating a vibrant and open civic space from which one can access all of the public facilities. These strategies help to ensure that the typical boundaries between the public and institutional realms are dissolved, to create an atmosphere of synergy and exchange. In addition to more common sustainable strategies which are incorporated in the overall campus design - including PV panels, wind turbines, geothermal heat exchangers, and water retention & purification facilities - the central tower also features an innovative circulating atrium. The atrium serves a programmatic function - connecting workers between floors with express connections, while also serving as a 'breathing spine' for the building, supplying fresh air via stack ventilation, in addition to natural daylight. These strategies directly contribute to a socially vibrant and physically comfortable, refreshing workspace. By demonstrating sustainable strategies in an open and architecturally responsive manner, the project serves a new public role as a Green Energy Theme Park, in order to serve as a catalyst in provoking a new public awareness about green energy and sustainable practices.

Green light for Metropoliya

Planning to proceed for major $3bn mixed use project in Moscow by Nikken Sekkei Metropoliya, a 1.6 million sq m sustainable development valued at over $3 billion, in the Russian capital of Moscow, has obtained approval to proceed with project planning by city officials managing the 2025 vision for the General Plan of Development of Moscow. Based on cutting edge Japanese sustainable technology the huge ‘city-within-a-city' Metropoliya project features a colossal mixed use development several kilometres from the Kremlin. Metropoliya will utilise the latest ‘green' technology available by architecture practice Nikken Sekkei of Japan. Mitsuo Nakamura, President and CEO of Nikken Sekkei, said: "Our sustainable design technology can reduce energy consumption by up to 60%. This is critical considering Moscow's extreme range of temperatures throughout the year, from minus 9 degrees centigrade to over 23 degrees centigrade." The focus of the Metropoliya project - grouped around 12 buildings connected by green public spaces - will be sustainability and energy efficiency with a low carbon footprint. "Although the news has only just been made official, the preliminary notification coincided with our participation alongside Nikken Sekkei at Cityscape Global Exhibition in Dubai. We were delighted with the response we received from regional investors," said Oleg Korol, CEO of the Metropol Development, developer of the Project. Moreover GCC investors will have been warmed by a recent report by real estate analyst CBRE, which estimated that the Russian property market would witness robust and consistent growth from 2012, which should coincide with the start of construction on the site.

All angles covered

A spectacular piece of sculpture in the heart of the old town Located on a prime waterfront site along the Doha Corniche, this contemporary project is one of the latest landmarks in this city's rapidly emerging skyline. The development consists of a 7-storey high linearly arranged office block anchored by a 15-storey residential tower. The massing of the project is a direct response to the development's proximity to the water. Abstract building forms, clad in polished and honed black granite, cantilever dramatically over a reflective pool. A sky-lit atrium featuring internal landscaped gardens traverses horizontally between the office blocks and folds up into the residential tower. Internally, public and private spaces are designed to allow natural light and provide views out to the bay.

architecture hotel-spa

Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe — Paris, France

Style: Classic Luxury. Built: 1900. Remodeled: 2000. Rooms: 135. Suites: 7.
Ideally located on one of the quiet streets in Paris’ Golden Triangle, Sofitel Paris Arc de Triomphe is poised in Haussmann-style stateliness. Just a few minutes away, the most beautiful luxury and fashion boutiques await you, in the midst of the capital’s business and leisure district.

Trump International Beach Resort

Style: Classic Luxury. Remodeled: 2008. Rooms: 257.
Andaz, a new venture from the Hyatt brand, stands for more than just the name of our West Hollywood hotel. Meaning “personal style” in Hindi, we’re committed to bringing you the latest in style, service and high-touch innovation.

Trump International Beach Resort

18001 Collins Avenue
Sunny Isles Beach, FL US 33160

Located just north of Miami Beach, this international resort community is a world away from the everyday. Convenient to all of the South Florida pleasures you would expect, including major attractions, superb dining, South Beach, and world class shopping at nearby Bal Harbor and Aventura. Miami and Fort Lauderdale International Airports are within 30 minutes and are easily accessible., Hotel is a 100pct Smoke Free Hotel.

 

Mercure Francis Hotel Bath

Mercure Francis Hotel Bath
Queen Square
Bath, BA1 2HH
United Kingdom

Situated in the heart of the World Heritage City of Bath, The Francis has an unsurpassable location. An elegant Georgian building with 95 en suite bedrooms, Square Restaurant, Wood Bar and Lounge with limited, chargeable parking at the rear. Bristol Airport is just 15 miles from the Hotel. Two conference and banqueting suites can host up to 90 people with instant WiFi in selected rooms and public areas. The Royal Crescent, Circus, Roman Baths, Abbey and Thermae Spa are all within walking distance.

Check-in/Check-out Policies Check-in: 1400 Check-out: 1200 General Information Number of Floors: 3 Number of Rooms: 95 Amenities – Conveniences Wheelchair Accessible Restaurant Meeting Rooms Non-Smoking Rooms Dry Cleaning/Laundry First Class Hotel