Zaha Hadid Architects

The Stone Towers by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid Architects have unveiled plans for an office and retail development called The Stone Towers in Cairo, Egypt. Ancient Egyptian stonework incorporates a vast array of patterns and textures that, when illuminated by the intense sunlight of the region, creates animated displays of light and shadow. The effect is powerful, direct and inspiring. The facades on the North and South elevations of each building within Stone Towers adopts a rich vocabulary of alternating protrusions, recesses and voids to enhance the deep reveal shadow lines that accentuate the curvatures of each building within the development and animate the project throughout the day.

National Tecnical Library in Prague – Projektil Architekti

There are more sources of the architectural concept of the building. Firstly there is a spatial context influence which involves the historical urbanistic plans for the whole area as well as its present significance. Secondly the concept is our answer to the idea of the institution and especially to the role of the library in today’s society. The chosen shape and material should resolve one of crucial question of how to be modern and monumental at the same time. And, what is important, the building from the very beginning was formed to be energy saving one and the shape show it clearly.

Art Museum Strongoli by Coop Himmelb(l)au

Austrian architects Coop Himmelb(l)au have been commissioned to design the new Art Museum Strongoli in Calabria, Italy. The museum is to be built on top of the Motta Grande overlooking the city. The new Art Museum Strongoli in Calabria is the third COOP HIMMELB(L)AU project in Italy. The museum is not only a cultural center but also understood as a generator for a future development of Calabria, a place for cultural entertainment and recreation. The new museum houses not only flexible exhibition spaces, but also a small “multi-hall” and a panorama restaurant.

SUBU by Johannes Torpe Studios

Danish designer Johannes Torpe has completed work on SUBU, a restaurant in Beijing, China for South Beauty Group. The studio designed all aspects of the restaurant including the furniture, tableware and the dining pods. The concept is brand new and will bring SBG into a new era of restaurant design. The first restaurant is located in one of the finest malls in the new financial district of Beijing, and will share location with the finest brands from around the world. They wanted to create an experience where details are everything, from the food to the tableware, from the lighting to the ambiance, from the music to the uniforms, from the chairs to the toilets.