This is a winning proposal for Antwerp cathedral's second tower - TOWER 2.0 designed by PLANCONTROL.

Tower 2.0 is therefore very much present on its user's minds, yet it remaining absent for those who chose not to look at it.

Daniel Tellman, PLANCONTROL

TOWER 2.0, image courtesy PLANCONTROL

+ Project description by PLANCONTROL

Launched at the beginning of February 2010, the idea contest for imagining the second tower of the Antwerp Cathedral was surprisingly fresh and rich in potential. The conditions were very simple: no participation fee, no restrictions, no sophisticated requirements only a single image provided, and some basic rules.

The task on the other hand, rather challenging: to complete the south tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady – a national monument and part of the list of World Heritage Sites – by taking into account what the organizers emphasized :

… absence creates a blank canvas for today. By generating ideas for a new tower, we can put a focus on the cathedral itself. The given fact of an absent element within an existing structure functions as a great generator for ideas.

TOWER 2.0, image courtesy PLANCONTROL

By generating ideas in this context the contest has similar aims as the work of Cristo & Jean – Claude, Zevs or Alexandre Orion. Having in mind the nature of the building and that of the contest, we considered a different approach is needed in order to obtain a plausible and "buildable" solution.

In medieval times the cathedral was the highest and the most representative building of the city. Its tower was a landmark that offered guidance in the city’s winding streets and beyond. As a “Fortress of Knowledge" the cathedral served the community and the clergy as principal holder of written information, offering a space for social interaction and refuge in troubled times.

In a brief overview of the elements that define the cathedral, we can identify five main components:  physical, sacred, social, educational and informational. Using augmented reality, our proposal enables us to emulate most of the components of the actual cathedral, integrating in the existing environment. By doing so, in TOWER 2.0 one can find typical functions of a cathedral (social, educational and informational), but the virtual level and on a planetary scale!

TOWER 2.0, image courtesy PLANCONTROL

We imagined the new tower as a smartphone app, which functions as a gateway between users and a server that hosts information about the cathedral. The tower itself would be three-dimensional representation of this information, shape changing depending on the download or upload stats, the type and quantity of information hosted and also of user interaction. Structured on three levels dedicated to tourists, specialists and the local community, the virtual tower is pinpointed to its location by GPS coordinates. Different than the existing one, the augmented tower has only one "clock" facing the Cathedral's Parvise. Due to this fact a distant user must follow the app's internal compass and "search" for the tower, offering him the satisfaction of realizing his spatial positioning relative to Antwerp and the Cathedral. Only when the user, phone and tower are aligned will the data structures be accessible, of course after some zooming and rotating, depending on the user's position.

TOWER 2.0, image courtesy PLANCONTROL

The local community can expand due to the envisioned app to a global user community, who themselves can relate and identify with the cathedral not only in its immediate surroundings but also from anywhere around the globe. A Cathedral will always be a landmark which offers guidance in its city, harbors knowledge and connects people.

TOWER 2.0, image courtesy PLANCONTROL

TOWER 2.0, image courtesy PLANCONTROL

+ Project credits / data

Project: TOWER 2.0
Contest name: Designing Absence
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
Architect: Daniel Tellman
Company: PLANCONTROL
Photographs: Pieterjan Grandry, Frank Wouters, Cobalt123, McKay Savage, Kevin Adams and Bill Tyne

French-Norwegian team AWP + Atelier Oslo has won the SANDNES / LANTERN international competition. It was opened on the occasion of Stavanger (NO) being european capital of culture, and further nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe prize.

The Lantern proposal displays an open roof of such dimension that it becomes the symbol of this binary city. This roof is the motive of a house shell: a symbol of the old city upscaled to the new city's dimensions, dealing with the Norwegian wood ancient architecture motives to design a contemporary object.

AWP + Atelier Oslo

SANDNES / LANTERN, image courtesy AWP + Atelier Oslo

+ Project description by AWP + AtelierOslo

1. PREVIOUS STATE

The second fastest developing city in Norway, Sandnes, lacked a defined identity an appropriate, recognizable image of its urbanity. The city is strongly affected by its railroad tracks splitting it in two poles, both in terms of architectural dimensions and typologies and in terms of social uses.

The historical part up hill is denser and conveys the values of domestic life: small wooden houses and small shops. The modern extension of the city towards the harbour has a wider scale and is more open though less welcoming. The issue of scale is the heart of our proposal for the historical part on the « amphi » location in Langgata, the main pedestrian road. The square's relatively narrow dimensions were not up to the symbolic needs of this unique space, and the wish to reinforce its importance for the city's attractivity. The starting point would be a redefinition of what public space is about: the collective spirit. We believed the people of Sandnes deserved a strong, clear but also delicate image of their urban reality: homely but looking at the future.

SANDNES / LANTERN - Diagram, drawing courtesy AWP + Atelier Oslo

2. AIM OF THE INTERVENTION

When Sandnes and Stavanger were chosen as cultural capitals of Europe 2008, the Norwegian Wood competitions were launched to promote innovative, sustainable timber architecture contributing to make the region an international display window for innovative and environmentally friendly architecture.

Sandnes asked for the design a new square and a sculptural object in wood in pedestrian Langgata aiming at revitalizing the area, and creating a place where many different activities could take place: a meeting point, markets, informal music concerts and other happenings. A place able to shelter, invite and invent more social events.

Since the site is visible from afar, it was essential to create an object that could be experienced from distance and reveal the square.

This public Lantern aimed at providing a space where to enjoy light and weather changes if nothing else takes place. And if there is always something happening, on account of the Lantern, more will happen: creativity calls for creativity.

The international competition was won by the French-Norwegian team AWP + Atelier Oslo.

The proposal used the iconographic shape of and old wooden house. By the redefinition of its traditional construction and by making it glow in the dark, a new landmark for the city was created. A new ground has been opened. The Lantern proposal displays an open roof of such dimension that it becomes the symbol of this binary city. This roof is the motive of a house shell: a symbol of the old city upscaled to the new city's dimensions, dealing with the Norwegian wood ancient architecture motives to design a contemporary object.

SANDNES / LANTERN - Sections, drawing courtesy AWP + Atelier Oslo

The Lantern is:
// a manifest for public space design : not just a decoration, but an urban strategy;
// a tree-like shaped structure creating a micro-climate, a welcoming urban micro-forest ;
// an inspiring atmosphere to sustain the existing practices and encourage new experiences.

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION

SANDNES / LANTERN, image courtesy AWP + Atelier Oslo

Glass
The glass panels are mounted in an overlapping pattern, as in a traditional slate roof.
The overlap incorporates eventual movement between the panels. This allows the glass to be mounted directly onto the wooden structure, avoiding the typical steel profiles and substructure. A translucent pattern is printed on the panels, to both capture the light, and let it through to play in the wooden structure beneath. A light, abstract feeling is achieved, adding to the depth and reflection qualities of the whole.

SANDNES / LANTERN, image courtesy AWP + Atelier Oslo

Roof
As well as having an iconographical and recognizable shape, the roof provides an ever-changing experience for the daily passers by. The roof stretches out to capture the sun; light is filtered through the depth and translucency of the structure. In rainy weather rolling clouds are reflected in the glass. At night, the whole pavilion glows like a lantern.

An abstract and lightweight sensation is achieved through the uniform structure, where there is no division between primary and secondary elements.

It is a double grid made solely of 90x90mm wood members. Where needed, additional elements are added within the system. The material of the roof construction is laminated pine with steel reinforcement in the joints.

SANDNES / LANTERN, image courtesy AWP + Atelier Oslo

Columns
The roof is held up by four groups of columns, creating a flexible space, open for different interpretations and activities.

The columns are individual and sculptural, and in contrast to the simple shape of the roof, create different informal spaces. In some places the columns turn into benches when meeting the ground. The columns are withdrawn from the edge of the roof, both to be protected from the rain, but also to blur the sensation of when the users are covered or not.

With inspiration from gothic principles, the continuity of the structure is shown from the ground to the roof. The material is massive oak with steel reinforcement in the joints.

Ground
The ground has been designed as a carpet offering the base for the most varied uses. This carpet is made of different
samples of resistant concretes, based on different ways of building in this climate.

+ Project credits / data

Project: NORWEGIAN WOOD / THE LANTERN PAVILION
Address: Langgata, Sandnes, Norway
Area: 140m2 lantern / 2500 m2 public realm
Number of floors: 1
Volume: 900m3
Type of project: Public space. Pavillion in Langgata, main street of Sandnes
Planned: 2006-2008
Built: Finished in November 2008, Ground: 2010
Client: Sandnes Municipality
Architect: AWP(leading consultant) /Atelier Oslo
Structural engineer: Kristoffer Apeland AS
Credit Photo: Thomas Liu, AWP/ATELIEROSLO

Nominated for the Mies Van der Rohe Prize , Barcelona
Currently exhibited in New York / «Nordic Models + Common Ground»
Sandinavia House, 58 Park Avenue, NY 10016

+ About AtelierOslo

Image courtesy Atelier Oslo

Partners: Nils Ole Bae Brandtzæg, Thomas Liu, Marius Mowe, Jonas Norsted

CV Nils Ole Bae Brandtzæg:
Born in Oslo, 1975
Graduated from the Oslo School of Architecture (AHO) in 2003
Established Atelier Oslo in 2006

CV Thomas Liu:
Born in Taiwan, 1978
Graduated from the Oslo School of Architecture (AHO) in 2003
Established Atelier Oslo in 2006

CV Marius Mowe:
Born in Oslo, 1973
Graduated from the Oslo School of Architecture (AHO) in 2000
Established Atelier Oslo in 2006

CV Jonas Norsted:
Born in Oslo, 1973
Graduated from the Oslo School of Architecture (AHO) in 2000
Established Atelier Oslo in 2006

CV Office:
The portfolio includes projects ranging from large public projects to single family houses. The Lantern in Sandnes is the office's first realized project. Awards and prizes: Nominated for Norsk Forms Prize for Young Designers (2008) Nominated for the European Mies van der Rohe Award (2009), with AWP. Finalist for the CCCB European prize for Urban Public Space (2010), with AWP.

+ About AWP

Image courtesy AWP

Partners: Alessandra Cianchetta, Marc Armengaud, Matthias Armengaud

Overview:
AWP is an award winning interdisciplinary office for territorial reconfiguration and design. It is based in Paris and Basel (AWP-HHF) and develops projects internationally working on a wide variety of programmes : architecture, landscape design, strategic planning, urbanism.

These projects only differ in terms of context and scale but share the same values and visions:
hospitality, beauty, an innovative confrontation between symbol and uses and a renewed relationship between architecture and landscape. Our portfolio of clients includes several european cities, metropolitan and regeneration authorities, cultural institutions and developers.

Among relevant works: the French Pavilion for the Architecture Biennale in Sao Paulo (Brazil), the Lantern pavillon in Sandnes (Norway) the sculpture park for the LAM, Museum of Modern, Contemporary and Outsider Art, Fr (France), the enlargement of a water purification plant (Evry, France 2003-12), a 230ha strategic planning project for the Praille Acacias Vernets sector (Geneva, Switzerland, 2009-ongoing, with HHF), the public realm redesign of Capodichino airport, (Naples, Italy, with RSH-P).

AWP also curates and designs exhibitions for major cultural institutions (such as the GAMC, City of Architecture and Heritage and Pavillon de l'Arsenal, Paris – Fondazione Adriano Olivetti, Rome) and write regularly books and essays.

The three partners have exhibited their work and lectured at many architectural venues in Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Beijing, Toronto, Belgrade, Toronto, Tianjin, Winnipeg, Geneva, Copenhagen, Oslo, Trondheim, Tirana, Lausanne, Montréal, New York and many others places.

Awards:
PSA Foundation international award for urban mobilities (2000);
Prix du Ministère de la Culture Français (French Ministry of Culture Award young best architect
NAJA (2006); Nominated for the European Mies van der Rohe Award (2009), PJU 2010 for innovative
masterplanning (French Ministry of Ecology, Energy and Sustainability).

+ All images and drawings courtesy AWP/ATELIER OSLO | Photo by Thomas Liu

Durst Fetner Residential selects BIG to design 600-unit residential building on W57th Steet in Manhattan, New York.

The building is conceived as a cross breed between the Copenhagen courtyard and the New York skyscraper. The communal intimacy of the central urban oasis meets the efficiency, density and panoramic views of the tall tower in a new hybrid typology. The courtyard is to architecture what Central Park is to urbanism: a giant green garden surrounded by a dense wall of spaces for living.

Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG

West 57th Street Residential Building - Conceptual diagram, drawing courtesy BIG

+ Press release by BIG

West 57th, designed by BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, introduces an entirely new residential typology to New York City that will add an inviting twist to the Manhattan Skyline.

Durst Fetner Residential (DFR) today announced the design of West 57, a 600-unit 80/20 residential building on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. The building is designed by renowned Danish Architect firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and is their inaugural North American project. The building's program consists of over 600 residential units of different scales situated on a podium with a cultural and commercial program. The building will strive for LEED Gold Certification.

West 57th Street Residential Building, render courtesy BIG

West 57th Street Residential Building, render courtesy BIG

It's extraordinarily exciting to build a building whose architecture will attract visitors from around the globe. BIG's design is innovative, evocative and unique and the building's beauty is matched only by its efficient and functional design that preserves existing view corridors while maximizing the new building's access to natural light and views of the Hudson River. West 57th will establish a new standard for architectural excellence and its creative design, sustainable-construction and operations, breathtaking views and distinctive amenities will make it New York's most sought after residential address.

Hal Fetner, CEO of Durst Fetner Residential

The building is a hybrid between the European perimeter block and a traditional Manhattan high-rise. West 57th has a unique shape which combines the advantages of both: the compactness and efficiency of a courtyard building providing density, a sense of intimacy and security, with the airiness and the expansive views of a skyscraper. By keeping three corners of the block low and lifting the north-east corner up towards its 467 ft peak, the courtyard opens views towards the Hudson River, bringing low western sun deep into the block and graciously preserving the adjacent Helena Tower's views of the river.

West 57th Street Residential Building, render courtesy BIG

New York is rapidly becoming an increasingly green and livable city. The transformation of the Hudson River waterfront and the Highline into green parks, the ongoing effort to plant a million trees, the pedestrianization of Broadway and the creation of more miles of bicycle lanes than the entire city of my native Copenhagen are all evidence of urban oases appearing all over the city. With West 57th we attempt to continue this transformation into the heart of the city fabric – into the center of a city block.

Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG

West 57th Street Residential Building - Conceptual diagram, drawing courtesy BIG

The form of the building shifts depending on the viewer's vantage point. While appearing like a warped pyramid from the West-Side-Highway, it turns into a slender spire from West 58th Street. The courtyard which is inspired by the classic Copenhagen urban oasis can be seen from the street and serves to extend the adjacent greenery of the Hudson River Park into the West 57th development.

The building is conceived as a cross breed between the Copenhagen courtyard and the New York skyscraper. The communal intimacy of the central urban oasis meets the efficiency, density and panoramic views of the tall tower in a new hybrid typology. The courtyard is to architecture what Central Park is to urbanism: a giant green garden surrounded by a dense wall of spaces for living.

Bjarke Ingels, Founder, BIG

West 57th Street Residential Building, render courtesy BIG

The slope of the building allows for a transition in scale between the low-rise structures to the south and the high-rise residential towers to the north and west of the site. The highly visible sloping roof consists of a simple ruled surface perforated by terraces—each one unique and south-facing. The fishbone pattern of the walls are also reflected in its elevations. Every apartment gets a bay window or a balcony to amplify the benefits of the generous view and balconies which encourage interaction between residents and passers-by. DFR commissioned Copenhagen based BIG in the spring of 2010 to introduce a new residential typology to Manhattan. As of 2011 BIG has opened a new office in New York in order to oversee the development and upcoming construction of West 57th.

+ Project credits / data

Project: West 57th Street
Size: 870,000 ft² (80,000 m²)
Location: Manhattan, New York, USA
Status: Direct Commission

Client: Durst Fetner Residential
Architect: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group
Collaborators: SLCE Architects (Architect of Record) , Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects, Thornton Tomasetti (Sturctural), Dagher Engineering(MEP), Langan Engineering (Civil), Hunter Roberts (Construction Manager), Philip Habib & Assoc. (Transportation), Israel Berger & Assoc. (Building Envelope), Nancy Packes (Marketing), Van Deusen & Assoc. (Vertical Transportation), Cerami & Assoc. (Acoustical), CPP (Wind), AKRF (Environmental), German Glessner (Renderings & Animation)
Partner in Charge: Bjarke Ingels
Project Leader: Beat Schenk
Project Architect: Sören Grünert
Team: Thomas Christoffersen, Celine Jeanne, Daniel Sundlin, Alessandro Ronfini, Aleksander Tokarz, Alessio Valmori, Alvaro Garcia Mendive, Felicia Guldberg, Gabrielle Nadeau, Ho Kyung Lee, Julian Liang, Julianne Gola, Lucian Racovitan, Marcela Martinez, Maria Nikolova, Minjae Kim, Mitesh Dixit, Nicklas Rasch, Riccardo Mariano, Stanley Lung, Steffan Heath, Thilani Rajarathna, Xu Li

+ All images and drawings courtesy BIG

+ About Durst Fetner Residential

Durst Fetner Residential is a unique collaboration between two of the most respected commercial and residential development companies in New York City—The Durst Organization and Sidney Fetner Associates. The Organization develops, builds, owns and manages premiere properties throughout the New York metropolitan area that set new standards in environmental responsibility and user efficiency.

+ About BIG

BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, founded in 2005 by Bjarke Ingels, is an architectural office currently involved in a large number of projects throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark and with a newly opened office in New York, USA the office is led by six Design Partners, including Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Finn Norkjaer, Thomas Christoffersen, Jakob Lange, David Zahle and two Management Associate Partners, Sheela Maini Sogaard and Kai-Uwe Bergmann. BIG's architecture emerges out of a careful analysis of how contemporary life constantly evolves and changes, not least due to the influence of multicultural exchange, global economic flows and communication technologies that together require new ways of architectural and urban organization. In all our actions we try to move the focus from the little details to the BIG picture.