A living spine of revealed processes and experiences, in strict to the wine making process, debuts from within the existing, resorted, 140 year old house, to flow within the layered functional spaces of the wine factory as a exhibited living wine making body.

courtesy Raed Abillama Architects

Integrated within the green thick skin of the Basbina outskirts, in a site that overlooks the northern costal lines from its north-western edges, and the cedar lines from its south eastern stretch, the winery synthesises an old exciting resorted feudal house with the factory's modern built structure. The initial approach focussed on the complete symbiosis of the built with the natural.

Visitors slowly discover the setting as a minimal intervention on the landscape. In return the sitting of the old house stretches above the winery roof to unify the architectural unravelling.

courtesy Raed Abillama Architects

The whole program, the cellar, the vats, the storage stacks, operation and management spaces… are the final of the house, as a main reception, insertion vantage, cascading itself underground, through a "welled" staircase.

courtesy Raed Abillama Architects

The discovered underground space, adapts itself to a multivariate program of vineyard culture and education. Once the sloped spaces flow into the factory sandwiched levels, the discovery of the wine making process exhibited, and experience through a sloped ramp, leads and defines the architectural experiences. The manufacture process is the built design.

courtesy Raed Abillama Architects

The structure is a purely functional expression of an "assemblage" of load bearing precast elements and cast in situ ones.

The choice of the prefab design, guided the speed of obstruction with arched shells for the cellar spaces and beams and slabs for the vat and operation spaces. The cellar spaces are completely buried within the ground as a thermal sponge, creating the needed equilibrium of temperature and humidity.

courtesy Raed Abillama Architects

The Vat spaces open up to the North West to take in natural ventilation, critical to the verification process ( CO2 emissions ). The mechanical and management spaces top the factory spaces and control all exchange flows within the living machine.

+ Project facts

Architect: Raed Abillama Architects www.raarchitects.com
Location: Basbina, Jbeil, Lebanon
Winner of Green Good Design Award 2011: POP WINNER OF ARCHITIZER A+ AWARDS 2013

Footprint: 1848 m²
Built-up area: 5270 m²
Land area 25000 m²
Year: 2012
Photographs by:
© Géraldine Bruneel
© Joe Kesrouani

+ All images and drawings courtesy Raed Abillama Architects

Cube island is a suburb in Leidsche Rijn (the centre of the Netherlands) where all the houses are designed as cubes.

The idea behind the 10x10x10 House is to create maximum spacious experience within a simple cube shape.

The floorplan of three stories is divided in a narrow long zone of 2,5 x 9,5 meters and a wide zone of 6,5 x 9,5 meters. This results in outspoken places: intimate spaces for bathing and lofty spaces for living and sleeping.

The void between the wide and narrow spaces is topped with a roof light. Sunlight can penetrate deep into the house. It also allows 10 meter views towards the sky when entering the living room.

Design: 123DV architecture
Photography: Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

courtesy 123DV architecture, photo by Christiaan de Bruijne

+ All images courtesy 123DV architecture

The proposed house is situated in the outer suburbs of Nicosia surrounded by the endless tranquility of the majestic agricultural terrains.

Inspired by the existing topography of the area, form and landscape interweave into one hybrid structure, allowing for multi-layered programme, views and landscape to co-exist harmoniously.

courtesy Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio

The proposal was perceived, taking into consideration the traditional local architecture of having an internal courtyard (iliakos) as the main core of the building, so as to allow the surrounding programme to interact fluently within its boundaries.

Using openings (iliakous) as a tool for unifying spatial and programmatic qualities within the building's essence, the proposal allows natural sunlight to gently penetrate and gradually evolve as a controlled environment, a "secret garden", within and below the dynamically suspended envelope, floating above ground level.

courtesy Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio

The dynamic form of the house projecting from the ground towards the sky achieves additional spatial and programmatic organization, revealing its programmatic qualities into the surrounding topography and beyond. The tectonic plate of the volume above provides "shelter" to the courtyard below.

courtesy Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio

The courtyard becomes a transitional zone between living and resting areas. The living areas allow the external garden to interact, "dissolving" the internal and external, public and private boundaries. The bedroom area suspended from above allowing constant natural air flow and multiple views towards the pool area and beyond.

courtesy Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio

Small openings, like progressive "urban noise" throughout the external envelope of the proposal, become "devices" for filtering light within the sheltered spaces at different timeframes. Carefully placed, each opening allows both users and externals to frame views of the scenery, and vice-versa, like a "collective camera".

courtesy Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio

Throughout its dynamic presence the formal and programmatic morphology of the proposal inspires a subtle "contrast" to the poetic wilderness of the endless urban terrain and its golden fields.

+ Project facts

Location: Geri, Nicosia / Cyprus
Type: Residential
Plot Area: 4085m2
Built Area: 805m2
Architects: Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio
Head Architect: Constantinos Kalisperas
Visualization: Constantinos Kalisperas, Costas Loucaides

+ All images courtesy Constantinos Kalisperas Architectural Studio

The final phase of a five-year 'airside' repositioning of Lisbon International Airport has officially been completed and opened to passengers, with the retail planning and interior design led by global architecture, urbanism and design practice Broadway Malyan.

courtesy Broadway Malyan

The multi-phase project, for client ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the Portuguese National Airports Authority, features an extension to the existing terminal building, as well as a significant upgrade of the retail offer and public concourses, with the phased approach enabling the Airport to continue to operate.

The project has resulted in over 22,000sqm of retail and passenger space being remodelled. This includes the redesign of the terminal foodcourt and public areas and also the design of the retail and public spaces of the new expanded airport areas, the north pier and the central waiting lounge and associated shop units.

courtesy Broadway Malyan

The project, led by the practice's Lisbon-based team, will ensure that the airport meets the changing needs of airport traffic, while also creating a more open and welcoming environment for passengers.

The new retail opportunities have attracted a number of international high-end fashion retailers including Burberry, Mont Blanc and Ralph Lauren. French retailer FNAC is also set to open a new store.

courtesy Broadway Malyan

Stuart Rough, Chairman of Broadway Malyan and who led the design project, said: "Airports are more than gateways which passengers pass through and they should project the excitement of travel, while offering comfort and a wide-range of high-quality retail experiences and waiting facilities.

Our design meets these aspirations, delivers retail and interior spaces which will transform travellers' experiences, creating a gateway to Portugal's capital city. It is a testament to our world-class team of retail and interior design experts working in close partnership with our long-standing client to realise its vision.

courtesy Broadway Malyan

Broadway Malyan's project enhances the quality of the existing and new spaces. It creates different places and different ambiences along the route taken by passengers, while employing a coherent architectural language for the intervention as a whole.

The redesigned interiors reveal the conceptual purpose of adding a 'sense of place', by creating a particular atmosphere for this specific airport. This is apparent from the use of traditional Portuguese architectural elements, shapes and colours, reinterpreted to an unexpected and contemporary use.

courtesy Broadway Malyan

The owner of the arsenal wanted to convert this former Swiss army building, constructed during the Second World War, into a habitable space.

courtesy Ralph Germann architectes

Architect Ralph Germann's transformation involved inserting a glass cube into the old structure, an option which meant he didn't have to touch the patina of the walls, and was able to preserve the roof and some historic details such as the "charge maximum 1500 kg au m2"[maximum load 1500 kg/m2] sign on the wall.

courtesy Ralph Germann architectes

Whilst wishing to preserve this testimony to the past, the architect retained only simple materials – noble and solid – including larch, slate, glass and metal. And by interpreting them using clean, pure lines, he has given the chalet a timeless feel. To avoid sliding into an atmosphere of austerity, Ralph Germann has added an unexpected touch of colour behind the cloakroom door: a bold shade of fuchsia.

courtesy Ralph Germann architectes

This design, functional above all else, places the emphasis on light and space. To achieve the second, the architect has designed another cube – but in wood this time. Set within the heart of the glass structure, it houses the WCs, cupboards, and even the bed, which folds up when not in use. This optimises space in this area, which measures only 49 m2.

courtesy Ralph Germann architectes

A large picture window – that can be concealed or revealed thanks to double wooden doors – and a long, horizontal window ensure excellent lighting.

+ Project credits

Architect: Ralph Germann architectes (www.ralphgermann.ch)
Furniture & Interior Designer: Ralph Germann architectes
Photographer: Lionel Henriod / mc2, Photo stylist: Patricia Schmid

+ About Ralph Germann architectes

Founded in 2002 by Ralph Germann, the firm is a multidisciplinary practice based in Vevey, Switzerland, with a team of seven collaborators. Ralph Germann is active in various fields from architecture to furniture design.

Its architecture can be defined in two words : aesthetics and functionality. From uncluttered or monastic interior to vernacular architecture, its projects create clever interiors where minimalism means comfort.

The designed buildings are also dotted with unique furniture, customized for each space, underlying the views and perspectives as the main assets of these projects.

+ All images courtesy Ralph Germann architectes

The Collins Bar inspired by the classic outline of a tailored suit Woods Bagot's design for The Collins Bar in Adelaide is both modern and classic.

Woods Bagot has blurred the line between expectation and tradition with new signature cocktail bar The Collins. The bar re-establishes an important venue on the ground floor of the Hilton Hotel, reinvigorating a prominent corner of Victoria Square in the heart of Adelaide.

courtesy Woods Bagot

Opening up the corner of the building was a key site challenge. Lift-up glazed doors were installed to open up the bar to the street and welcome passing patrons. The space is divided into two distinct areas: a bright active daytime venue or front bar that provides a sense of theatre, and a secluded cocktail lounge room that can be locked down for private functions.

courtesy Woods Bagot

Inspired by the classic form of a tailored suit, the interiors present a fresh, modern and urban chic approach to a hotel bar. A blend of precious materials such as brass and marble contrast with wire brushed, stained timber and saddle leather that will age and wear beautifully over time. A spectacular pattern of metallic blades on the ceiling provide a focal point as a combined bespoke art piece and lighting element.

courtesy Woods Bagot

Our approach to re-energising the existing bar was to recapture the imagination of locals. The Collins Bar takes Adelaide's hospitality offering to a global level without losing the local context,? explains Woods Bagot Principal Rosina Di Maria.

The Collins was created as a strong independent brand that will stand side by side with the internationally renowned Hilton.

courtesy Woods Bagot

As a direct response to the developing raw, urban bar scene in Adelaide the design was aimed at a high quality cocktail bar experience that referenced the establishments of old with a modern sophisticated twist.

courtesy Woods Bagot

The Collins is the first stage of works completed according to Woods Bagot's Hilton Adelaide Ground Floor Masterplan project for owner Sitehost.

The Collins has now begun to hit its stride in terms of financial performance, recently reaching and passing the budgeted levels that Hilton had ambitiously set for themselves; again a credit to the fantastic design and to its lasting impression in the Adelaide marketplace,? says Stephen Kelly, Sitehost Owners Representative.

The original 1980s building will undergo a series of refurbishments to update Hilton Adelaide within the worldwide portfolio.

+ Project summary

Name: The Collins, Adelaide
Area: 300m2
Design: Woods Bagot
Client: Sitehost (Hilton Adelaide Owner)

+ All images courtesy Woods Bagot

Squire and Partners have completed a private house in Mayfair, London, featuring a striking bespoke leaf facade which mirrors an established Virginia Creeper on a facing building on Curzon Street.

The project involved the retention of an existing 18th century façade facing Waverton Street, and the design of a new building comprising three linked volumes to create a unique home in central Mayfair. Accommodation provides fi ve bedrooms, a swimming pool, gymnasium, cinema, rooftop pavilion and two separate roof terraces.

The contemporary interpretation of leaves are crafted as a metallic shingle, which cover a three storey elevation and rooftop pavilion. The PPC coated folded aluminium leaves – 4,080 in total – subtly vary in tones of bronze to mimic organic growth patterns. The concept was designed over a three year period of research and development working closely with Swiss manufacturer Tuchschmid.

Westminster planning committee described the proposal as 'striking' and 'raising the bar for design within the borough'.

courtesy Squire and Partners

courtesy Squire and Partners

courtesy Squire and Partners

courtesy Squire and Partners

courtesy Squire and Partners

courtesy Squire and Partners

+ All images courtesy Squire and Partners