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*️⃣Atomium Architect #Polak #AndrePolak #JeanPolak City #Brussels Country #Belgium #EU 🔤The Atomium is a modernist building originally constructed as the centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58). Designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn and the architects André and Jean Polak as a tribute to scientific progress, as well as to symbolise Belgian engineering skills at the time. #retro In the 1950s, faith in scientific progress was strong, and the subject was chosen to embody the enthusiasm of the Atomic Age. Designed to highlight humanity's advances—particularly in nuclear physics. With the Atomium, the country thus sought to promote the post-war ideal of peacefully applying atomic research and technology to improve lives and benefit mankind. Its nine stainless #steel clad spheres are connected in the shape of a unit cell that represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Steel tubes connecting the spheres enclose stairs, escalators and a lift (in the central, vertical tube) to allow access to the six visitable spheres, which contain exhibit halls and other public spaces. The top sphere includes a restaurant with a panoramic view of Brussels. 🔤 Colour #metallic Function #public #museum #observation Feature #retro #nightlight #adminvisited Address: Pl. de l'Atomium 1, 1020 Bruxelles, Belgium ©️ pics by Trish Hamilton, Omar Rizk and Aurélie Ayer text by Wikipedia Follow @simoderna for free without any subscriptions

*️⃣Library of Law, University of Zurich Architect #Calatrava #SantiagoCalatrava City #Zurich Country #Switzerland #EU 🔤The rings have a surface of narrow, L-shaped pieces of maple fit closely together, giving a hint of luxury to an otherwise utilitarian building. In addition, recesses between the #wood pieces absorb sound and keeps the library quiet. Calatrava devised an hydraulically movable pleated curtain of collapsible blades to provide the reading rooms with controlled natural light from the ceiling, which also function as acoustic tiles. #kinetic 🔤 Function #public #library Feature #interior Address: Rämistrasse 74, 8001 Zürich Google street Google street 2 ©️ pics by #Foddanu text by architects

*️⃣Heydar Aliyev Centre Architect #Hadid #ZahaHadid #ZHA City #Baku Country #Azerbaijan #EU 🔤The Center, designed to become the primary building for the nation’s cultural programs, breaks from the rigid and often monumental Soviet architecture that is so prevalent in Baku, aspiring instead to express the sensibilities of Azeri culture and the optimism of a nation that looks to the future. Responding to the topographic sheer drop that formerly split the site in two, the project introduces a precisely terraced landscape that establishes alternative connections and routes between public plaza, building, and underground parking. This solution avoids additional excavation and landfill, and successfully converts an initial disadvantage of the site into a key design feature. Fluidity in architecture is not new to this region. In historical Islamic architecture, rows, grids, or sequences of columns flow to infinity like trees in a forest, establishing non-hierarchical space. Continuous calligraphic and ornamental patterns flow from carpets to walls, walls to ceilings, ceilings to domes, establishing seamless relationships and blurring distinctions between architectural elements and the ground they inhabit. 🔤 Colour #white #monochrome Material #gfrc #wood Function #entertainment #theatre Feature #interior Address: 9VW9+94 Baku, Azerbaijan Google street Interior google street ©️ pics by #IwanBaan, #HeleneBinet and #HuftonCrow text by architects

*️⃣Cathedral of Brasilia Architect #OscarNiemeyer #Niemeyer City #Brasilia Country #Brazil #SA 🔤The cornerstone was laid in early September of 1958, when designs were beginning to be proposed and thoroughly planned out by Oscar Niemeyer. With a diameter of 70m, the only visible structure of the cathedral being sixteen concrete columns with a very peculiar shape. Reaching up towards the sky to represent two hands, the columns have parabolic sections. After the addition of the external transparent windows, the Cathedral was dedicated on May 31st of 1970. Figuratively guarding the exterior of the church stand four bronze sculptures, each 3m high. Because it is located at the Esplanada dos Ministerios, there is not a fixed community that attends services. A majority of those that come to the Mass are tourists or workers at the Esplanada dos Ministerios. The Cathedral is open daily for public visitation. 🔤 Colour #white #blue Material #stainedglass #concrete Function #religious Feature #retro #interior Address: Esplanada dos Ministérios lote 12 - Brasília, DF, 70050-000, Brazil Google street Interior google street #BestGS Night google street Google earth ©️ pics by #Prokos and #Viramonte

*️⃣Church Nianing Architect #INSITU City #Nianing close to #Dakar Country #Senegal #AF 🔤In order to echo the regional particularity of the "seashell coast" bordering Nianing, the architect was inspired by a cymbium, a spiral-shaped shell that is very common on the Senegalese coast: "this shape was then designed according to the constructive constraints of the programme and the optimal bioclimatic orientation. But this choice is the basis for the aesthetics" This shell-shaped biomimetic building is inspired by termite mounds to preserve the faithful from the heat. No air-conditioning system has been installed and the church relies entirely on passive ventilation. The secret of this ventilation lies mainly in the high central chimneys: due to its density, the hot air is drawn upwards from the termite mound and is evacuated through these chimneys. This phenomenon leads to a draught in the lower parts of the nest: the air is sucked in through these lower parts thanks to small holes located all around. This is the basis on which the very particular shape of the bell tower was defined by the architect. 🔤 Material #ceramic #rawconcrete Colour #orange Function #religious Address: 83XC+4FW, Nianing, Senegal Google street ©️ pics by Regis L'Hostis text by construction21.org channel navigation

*️⃣Little Island Park Architect #ThomasHeatherwick #Heatherwick City #NewYork Country #USA #NA 🔤The idea for the pier came from the existing wooden piles and wondering how a structure could form organically from these rather than being a surface on top. Inspiration for the form of the pots came from looking at the ice patterns that forms around the piles when the water freezes. The brief asked for a public park and outdoor performance space. Pier 54 had recently been damaged by Hurricane Sandy and the design was inspired by the structural remnants of previous piers and hundreds of old wooden piles poking out of the Hudson River. Construction was sequenced over three years to minimise disturbance to marine life, and more than four hundred different species of indigenous trees and plants suited to the harsh climate of New York have been planted within the new landscape. More detailed history of the project on Wikipedia Project was selected by #Dezeen as the best landscape project in the year of 2022. #award 🔤 Material #rawconcrete Function #public #park #community Feature #onwater Address: Pier 55 in Hudson River Park at, W 13th St, New York, NY 10014, United States Google street #BestGS Autumn google street Night google street Entrance google street Google earth ©️ pics by Timothy Schenck, Angela Weiss, Alexi Rosenfeld and Getty Images text by architects and mnlandscape

*️⃣Ciudad de las artes y las ciencias Architect #SantiagoCalatrava #Calatrava City #Valencia Country #Spain #EU 🔤To maintain its city’s cultural standing, the government of Valencia resolved to establish a museum of national importance. In 1991, Calatrava won the competition for the original project: a telecommunications tower, to be built on the west end of the site. Later that same year, Calatrava received the commission to develop the whole complex, which was also to include a science museum and a planetarium. After a change of government in 1996, the planned telecommunications tower was replaced by an Opera House. In recognition of the civic importance of the Opera House, Calatrava gave the building the iconographic character of a monumental sculpture. In form, the building is a series of apparently random volumes, which become unified through their enclosure within two symmetrical, cut-away concrete shells. The Planetarium theater resembles a human eye, set within a pool. The ‘pupil’ is the hemispherical dome of the theater, which is transformed into a globe through its reflection in the pool #water. The concrete socket of the eye incorporates an ‘eyelid’ of vertical, articulated metal slats, which can be raised to permit views across the pool. #kinetic 🔤 Colour #white Function #entertainment #opera #theatre #public #museum #park #mixeduse Feature #district #retro #adminvisited Address: Quatre Carreres, 46013 Valencia, Spain Google street #BestGS Water google street Park google street Google earth ©️ pics by Pinterest text by architects

*️⃣Ewha Womans University Architect #Perrault #DominiquePerrault #DPA City #Seoul Country #SouthKorea #AP 🔤It is a building like no other, a building that goes down instead of up. As Perrault puts it “sometimes building, sometimes landscape, sometimes sculpture.” Like a horizontal billboard, the sports strip presents the life of the university to the inhabitants of Shinchon, and vice-versa. Once through the sports strip, pedestrian movement and flow through the site is celebrated. A seam slices through the topography revealing the interior of the EWHA campus center. A void is formed, a hybrid place, in which a variety of activities can unfold. It is an avenue, gently descending, controlling the flow of traffic, leading to a monumental stair carrying visitors upwards, recalling les Champs Elysees or the Campidiglio in Rome. 🔤 Colour #grey Material #steel Function #education #public #park Feature #context #nightlight Address: 52 Ewhayeodae-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea ©️ pics by #Morin text by Archdaily and theforeignarchitect.com hashtag of the day #education@simoderna

*️⃣SunnyHills at Minami-Aoyama Architect #Kuma #KengoKuma #KKAA City #Tokyo Country #Japan #AP 🔤"We used a traditional joint system in wood structure construction in Japan called “Jigoku Gumi” to create soft warm human space that feels like a forest or cloud. The adoption of a 3D structure system enabled the cross section of one member to be reduced to as thin as 60mm x 60mm. As the building is located in middle of the residential area in Aoyama, we wanted to give some soft and subtle atmosphere to it, which is completely different from a concrete box." #context The architect himself compares the resulting structure to a woven bamboo basket, though if one wishes, they can also see a resemblance to an unpeeled pineapple—which aligns even better with the store’s theme. Additionally, according to Kengo Kuma’s vision, such cladding is meant to evoke wild forest thickets, serving as an antithesis to Tokyo’s “concrete jungle.”. This same type of wood members that are as thin as branches which were used to build this space are used to taste the pineapple cake made from carefully selected ingredients. 🔤 Material #wood Function #hospitality #cafe Feature #interior #adminvisited Address: 3 Chome-10-20 Minamiaoyama, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0062, Japan ©️ pics by #DaiciAno text by architects, Archdaily and Archi.ru Find every mentioned building easily with the*simoderna google map

*️⃣Arts et Métiers station (11-line) Designer #Schuiten #FrancoisSchuiten City #Paris Country #France #EU 🔤The station its name from the nearby Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, including the Musée des Arts et Métiers, both of which it serves. #context The station on line 11 has been completely covered since October 1994 with #copper plates riveted to each other. This dressing was put in place during the bicentennial ceremonies of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers. It is the work of Benoît Peeters, French screenwriter, and François Schuiten, Belgian designer. #retro The traveller is plunged inside a vast machine, a sort of underground Nautilus evoking the atmosphere of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, in steampunk style. On the station's ceiling, a series of large cogs evokes the Musée des Arts et Métiers. Copper, the only material used, evokes the technical and industrial world. On the platforms, a series of portholes open onto small scenographies, centred on the museum's collections. All the station's furniture suits the decoration style and constitutes a unique case on the network. 🔤 Colour #bronzen Function #transportation #metro Feature #interior Address: V984+56 Paris, France ©️ pics by Pinterest and Wikimedia text by Wikipedia Follow @simoderna for free without any subscriptions

*️⃣Salk Institute for Biological Studies Architect #Kahn #LouisKahn City #SanDiego Country #USA #NA 🔤Jonas Salk had sought a beautiful campus in order to draw the best researchers in the world. The buildings themselves have been designed to promote collaboration, and thus there are no walls separating laboratories on any of the floors. At first Kahn wanted to put a garden in the middle of the two buildings. When he saw an exhibit of Luis Barragan's work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Kahn invited Baragan to collaborate on the court that separated the two buildings. Barragan told Kahn that he should "not add one leaf, nor plant, not one flower, nor dirt, instead, make it a plaza with a single #water feature". The resulting space is considered the most impressive element of the entire design. In the beginning the buildings were made up of different types of concrete mixes of different color. In the basement of the complex, there are different colored water walls because Kahn was experimenting with the mixtures. Read more on Wikipedia. 🔤 Material #rawconcrete Function #education Feature #retro Address: 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, United States ©️ pics by #IwanBaan text by Wikipedia See statics of notable architecture at #analytics@simoderna

*️⃣Jested Tower Architect #Hubacek #KarelHubacek City #Liberec Country #Czechia #EU 🔤Designed by Karel Hubáček and completed in 1973, the structure functions as a television transmitter, restaurant and hotel. #retro The tower’s unique design also serves a practical purpose. Its hyperboloid shape allows it to withstand strong winds and ensures stable signal transmission for the television and radio broadcasting that takes place within. Its iconic hyperboloid form seamlessly extends the silhouette of the mountain, becoming a natural extension of the peak itself. #context Clad in #aluminium and glass, the tower’s futuristic design reflects the optimism of its era while remaining timeless. 🔤 Colour #metallic Function #hospitality #hotel #restaurant #industrial Feature #interior Address: Horní Hanychov 153, 460 08 Liberec, Czechia ©️ pics by #Timpau and Zdeněk Fiedler text by photographer and travelandexplore.guide Currently there are more than 50 projects mentioned in the channel made before 2000s. To see them click #retro@simoderna

*️⃣Slovak Radio Architect #StefanSvetko #StefanDurkovic and #BarnabasKissling City #Bratislava Country #Slovakia #EU 🔤The building, an inverted pyramid of steel frame construction, was designed by Štefan Svetko, Štefan Ďurkovič, and Barnabáš Kissling during the height of socialist realism. It is in fact not one pyramid, but two: the inner pyramid houses all the broadcasting facilities and equipment while the larger structure comprises space for music performance and public gathering. Excellent acoustics and insulation from the noisy urban environment are achieved by separating the entire internal structure from the outer reinforced concrete sarcophagus. (picture 5) This innovative suspended #steel structure, expressive shaping, and progressive technology all reflected the liberal atmosphere of the 1960s. The building stands as a testament to an era that was favorably disposed to ambitious and generous architectural solutions. #cantilever 🔤 Colour #coral Function #office #entertainment #concerthall Feature #retro Address: Mýtna 2826, 811 07 Bratislava, Slovakia ©️ pics by #Timpau text by Archdaily and archinfo.sk *simoderna google map

*️⃣Panorama Resort Architect #Rihak #ZdenekRihak City #VysokeTatry Country #Slovakia #EU 🔤This gravity-defying construction was inaugurated on the occasion of the World Ski Championships in 1970. The original raw concrete version of Hotel Panorama was part of the new village of Štrbské Pleso, a project to construct a ski resort in the heart of the Slovak Tatra Mountains. #retro The hotel displays Řihák's background is sculpture, with a massing composed of stacked rectangular prisms supported by unevenly spaced steel supports located on top of the hotel's core amenities. #cantilever The hotel's original brutalist exterior and interior finish has not been retained due to modernisation, however its unique shape has. 🔤 Colour #white Material #stucco #wood Function #hospitality #hotel Address: Štrbské Pleso 4020, 059 85 Vysoké Tatry, Slovakia Google street #BestGS ©️ pics by Pinterest and hotelce.com text by Archdaily and Wikipedia

*️⃣CapitaSpring Architect #BIG #BjarkeIngels #Ingels Country #Singapore #AP 🔤At the core of the building between the hardscapes of the offices and residences are four connected levels of organic softscape dubbed the “Green Oasis” – a 35m open-air garden. The Green Oasis seamlessly weaves nature vertically into the architecture and satisfies the spatial limitations of the locale while granting tenants and residents abundant access to green spaces – animating the elegant smoothness of modern architecture with the ubiquitous tropical nature of the region. The overall vertical softscape of the Green Oasis mimics the plant hierarchy of tropical rainforests; the hierarchical leaf growth of the plants is in direct proportional relationship to light availability within the vegetation layers. Shade-tolerant plants with large leaves are found on the “rainforest floor,” requiring the least amount of direct light. Moving towards the canopy layer – the “roof” of the rainforest – trees are defined by their smaller leaf structure. The tower reinforces Singapore’s reputation as a garden city, housing over 80,000 plants, with a Green Plot translating to a total landscaped area of more than 8,300 square meters, equivalent to 140% of its site area. #greenery Project was selected by #Archdaily as the best building in offices category in 2023. #award 🔤 Function #residential #office #public #park #mixeduse Feature #skyscraper #interior Address: 88 Market St, Singapore 048948 Google street Garden google street Roof google street Night facade google street ©️ pics by #Fallon text by architects, Archdaily and Architizer

*️⃣Chongqing Grand Theater Architect #gmp Architekten City #Chongqing Country #China #AP 🔤A stone platform base supports the #mattglass sculpture; the ground plan and elevation are subject to strict functional requirements despite their expressiveness. Thanks to the light that emerges from the inside, and the reflections of light and water on the complexly angled and refractive glass surfaces, the building appears to glow in new moods created by the light. #nightlight 🔤 Colour #teal Function #entertainment #theatre Address: China, Chongqing, Jiangbei, 江北正街城文华街 邮政编码: 400025 Nightlight google street ©️pics and text by architects channel map

*️⃣Milwaukee Art Museum Architect #Calatrava #SantiagoCalatrava City # Country #USA #NA 🔤Milwaukee's 19th-century German immigrants established a dense network of foundries and machine shops. The city's economy and culture became rooted in this precision metalworking tradition. In 1994, architect, artist, and engineer Santiago Calatrava was commissioned to design an addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum combining cutting-edge technology with Milwaukee's strong tradition of craftsmanship. #context Calatrava proposed a pavilion-like construction on axis with Wisconsin Avenue, the main street of central Milwaukee. The pavilion features a spectacular kinetic structure: a bris-soleil with louvers that open and close like the wings of a great bird. When open, the shape also becomes a sign, set against the backdrop of the lake, to herald the inauguration of new exhibitions. #kinetic The pivot line for the bris-soleil’s slats is based as a parallel to the adjacent bridge mast. 🔤 Colour #white Material #steel Function #public #museum Address: 700 N Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202, United States ©️ pics by architects, #Karchmer and #Bitter text by wikiarquitectura hashtag of the day #kinetic@simoderna

*️⃣Shadow church Architect #Dachuan #ShanghaiDachuan #SDA City #Meishan close to #Chengdu Country #China #AP 🔤As part of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, a Sino-French agricultural science and technology park was built in Chengdu. The image of the church is drawn from the traditional Western church. When the sun comes down, the church was run through a beam of light, and turned into a beam of light. Light is always an indispensable element of the church. This most natural and pure material has become the soul of our church. In the case of limited #budget and construction period, the designer paid great attention to ecological quality from the very beginning. The church is made entirely of square #aluminium, without any welds. The easy construction process and the use of simple materials not only save time and money, but also provide the highest quality and the best sense of appreciation. Even at night, the space doesn't get too dark, creating a sophisticated feeling of inner light. #nightlight 🔤 Colour #white Function #religious Address: 7XX2+VHW, Pengshan District, Meishan, Sichuan, China, 610220 ©️ pics by #ArchExist text by Archdaily hashtag of the day #budget@simoderna

*️⃣Allt-Erlaa Architect #Gluck #HarryGluck City #Vienna Country #Austria #EU 🔤The Alterlaa complex was designed by Austrian architect Harry Glück as income-restricted housing. Planning for the complex began in 1972, as part of a pilot scheme to expand Vienna with satellite towns. As an integrated complex the Wohnpark was built according to a holistic vision. Specifically, it was an adaptation of a well-known utilitarian happiness principle aimed at achieving the maximum good i.e. to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. The principle was implemented with great success, with numerous studies proving high levels of resident satisfaction. Alterlaa was reported in 2008 as having the highest tenant satisfaction rating in Vienna. 🔤 Colour #white Material #concrete Function #residential Feature #greenery #retro Address: Anton-Baumgartner-Straße 44/Block B/7, 1230 Wien, Austria ©️ pics by hiddenarchitecture.net and Pinterest text by wikipedia and hiddenarchitecture.net order an itinerary for your trip

*️⃣Class of 1945 Library Architect #Kahn #LouisKahn City #Exeter close to #Boston Country #USA #NA 🔤Louis I. Kahn was commissioned by the Phillips Exeter Academy to design a library for the school. The Academy had been planning the new library for fifteen years but were consistently disappointed with the designs that the hired architects and committee were proposing. The Academy wanted a brick exterior to match the Georgian buildings of the school and an interior with the ideal environment for study. #context The beauty in the architecture of the first floor, however, is what gave the Exeter Library its fame. This main floor reaches 20 metres in height and soaks in natural light from a clerestory at the top of this space. From this 15 metres square space visitors can spot metal bookstacks and readers above through large holes. 🔤 Material #rawconcrete #wood Function #public #library Feature #interior #retro Address: 21 Rear Elm St, Exeter, NH 03833, United States ©️ pics by wikimedia and #Jaureguiberry text by Archdaily hashtag of the day #retro@simoderna