Graz art/architecture – Mur Island
A twist in the river, a node in the river, a circulation-route in the river. The node is an island; it’s a dome that twists into a bowl that twists into a dome. The bowl functions as a theater. Bleachers wave in and out; when the bowl isn’t used as a t …
Beijing iconic/aniconic
With the recent Olympic games a series of striking buildings have been built: the new stadium, the new airport, the new public television headquarters (CCTV). The introverted Beijing, secluded in courts protected by walls, obstinately horizontal, poor …
Beijing iconic/aniconic – National Stadium
The National Stadium is situated on a gentle rise in the centre of the Olympic complex to the north of Beijing. Its location is predefined by the master plan. All other urban and architectural decisions were initiated by our competition project and sub …
Beijing iconic/aniconic – 798 art zone
In 1952, following the directives for cooperation between the Soviet Union and the new People’s Republic of China, the farming village of Dashanzi on the northeastern outskirts of Beijing was chosen as site for a new industrial district for the develop …
Tokyo sell/inhabit
In the Japanese capital density is obviously an urban constant, but the exaltation of consumer goods, commerce and individuality has given rise, in the most popular downtown streets, to the development of a new kind of shop building: the superstores or …
Tokio sell/inhabit – Maison Hermès
French Group Hermès chose the Ginza district, in the heart of Tokyo, for its Japanese headquarters, a 6000 square metres buildings of shopping space, workshops, offices, exhibition and multimedia areas, topped by a French-style hanging garden. This pro …
Tokyo sell/inhabit – Moriyama House
The Moriyama House consists of seven dwellings; one for the client and six freestanding apartment units. The plot is located in an attractive part of Tokyo where the traditional Japanese urban atmosphere still remains. The urban pattern of this area co …
Dilemmi sull‘evoluzione della città
Dilemmas in the evolution of the city Without wanting to give a presentation that is in any way didactic or triumphalist, I would like to share with you a dilemma around the evolution of the city, in which we, as architects, as well as you, are caught, …
War as acceleration of architecture and technical knowledge
A investigation on the acceleration of culture, technical knowledge and productive organization that the presence of War always requires.