ASPECT Studios, the highlly awarded Australian landscape architecture company, has completed a multi-use trail at Narrabeen Lagoon on Sydney's northern beaches. The lagoon is one of Sydney's natural assets and is a major drawcard and focal point of the area. Diverse experiences are on offer at different locations around the lagoon. The eastern side comes to life especially at the weekends as people take to the water in kayaks and swimming, or strolling and pausing at cafes, restaurants and the bustling Sunday market. The western side of the circuit, which ASPECT Studios have designed, offers a tranquil bush experience. The new trail provides a multi-layered recreational facility and safe shared trail for pedestrians and cyclists to enhance the existing trail and facilitate the area.

Narrabeen Multi-Use Trail, image courtesy ASPECT Studios | Photo by Simon Wood

ASPECT Studios was commissioned by Warringah Council to design and document a new multi-use trail for Narrabeen Lagoon. The walk spans from Deep Creek to Middle Creek. Stage one is now complete and opens to the public on 13 October. The client, Warringah Council in collaboration with Pittwater Council has been striving for many years to bring this project to fruition in order to complete a circuit around Narrabeen Lagoon. This will greatly enhance the community's recreation experience. The area of the project scope was in parts accessible and consisted of a variety of conditions mostly in a state of disrepair.

Narrabeen Multi-Use Trail, image courtesy ASPECT Studios | Photo by Simon Wood

A new timber and fi breglass panelled boardwalk has been designed, with seating and a series of lookout points which take you from the bush to the lagoon edge. A new pedestrian/cycle bridge at Deep Creek has recently been installed. The trail provides access for everyone including wheelchair users, recreational cyclists, pedestrians and dog walkers.

Narrabeen Multi-Use Trail, image courtesy ASPECT Studios | Photo by Simon Wood

When completed, the trail will allow for diverse groups of users to enjoy the lagoon and surrounding bushland for a range of experiences. These range from fi tness to relaxation through walking, cycling or jogging, family picnics, for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. This recreation circuit will become regionally signifi cant, similar in visitation and importance to the people of the northern beaches as the Bondi to Coogee walk is to the eastern suburbs.

Narrabeen Multi-Use Trail, image courtesy ASPECT Studios | Photo by Simon Wood

Design and Materials

The fi rst portion of trail provides a benchmark for the materials, construction methods and fi ne detailing which can be adopted  in the subsequent stages of trail construction. Material selection is sustainable, low maintenance, durable and appropriate for its bushland setting. The design intent is to create a consistent and robust boardwalk with simple design and construction method with more design emphasis given to the lagoon lookouts which are sequentially spread along the walk.

The  lagoon look outs are unique sculptural elements that provide opportunities to rest and view out to the lagoon. This gives a new spatial experience to being at the water's edge.

Ecological preservation

The lookouts were sensitively designed and limited to minimise impact on threatened vegetation fringing the lagoon foreshore. The walkway cranks and switches around existing areas of signifi cant vegetation.

ASPECT Studios is currently designing several other projects which will transform Sydney's public domain. These include the transformation of Darling Harbour with a world class play space and public domain upgrades to Sydney's Chinatown, Angel Place and Ash Street laneways in the City of Sydney – projects which promote activation and public life in the city.

+ All images courtesy ASPECT Studios | Photo by Simon Wood

lO Designing a 93 ha Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan, a New Cross-Strait District for China and It's Trading Partner, Taiwan.

Following a design competition IO has recently been awarded both the master plan of a 93 hectare waterfront CBD development and a new Cross Straits Forum in the island of Pingtan in China.

Gordon Affleck, Design Partner.

Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan, render courtesy 10 Design

Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan, render courtesy 10 Design

Pingtan is planned as a new commercial hub to drive communication and commercial trade between China and Taiwan. Part of the competition included the design of a new Cross Straits Forum including theatre, convention, exhibition and auxiliary commercial and cultural facilities.

Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan, render courtesy 10 Design

Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan, render courtesy 10 Design

At the centre of the CBD and Forum district has a newly created fresh water lake that conserves fresh water from run off through the urban grain.

The masterplan cater for some 3.3 million sqm of urban development, while the Cross Straits Forum would be in the first phase of development.

Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan, render courtesy 10 Design

To reflect the aspiration of transparency and dialogue the buildings are formed by converging elements that combine with the landscape and waterfront to create a fluid and open series of public spaces that meld into the buildings themselves.

Service traffic, roads and trams are integrated into a series of terraced landscape levels to minimize impact of car traffic on pedestrian circulation routes and to create free access from the central axial park canal through the lake towards the waterfront through a series of leisure and retail lined canals.

Masterplan for a CBD in Pingtan - Section, drawing courtesy 10 Design

+ Project credits / data

Architect: 10 Design | http://www.10design.co

Design Partner: Gordon Affleck

Architecture Team:
Brian Fok, Francisco Fajardo, Frisly Colop Morales, Laura Rusconi Clerici, Lukasz Wawrzenczyk, Maciej Setniewski, Mike Kwok, Ryan Leong, Shane Dale

Landscape Team:
Ewa Koter, Fabio Pang

Site Area: 93 hectare
GFA: 2,315,000 sqm

Function:
China-Taiwan Cross Strait Forum Venue, Theatre, Convention Centre, Exhibition Centre, Auxiliary Commercial & Cultural Facilities, and 5-star Hotel

+ All images and drawings courtesy 10 Design

Architects of mode:lina were invited by CK Zamek and Inner Art association to create an intervention in one of the backyards located by Saint Martin’s street in Poznan annual celebration of street’s patron saint.

Architects responded with an intriguing pavilion called "Gate Five D":

We chose the nicest and the cleanest backyard, which despite of all its charm doesn’t work that well as a public space.

We decided to show how little you need to change the atmosphere of the backyard.

Check out what one could see after entering the pavilion and putting his head inside.

Gate Five D, image courtesy mode:lina architekci

Gate Five D, image courtesy mode:lina architekci

Gate Five D, image courtesy mode:lina architekci

Gate Five D, image courtesy mode:lina architekci

Gate Five D, image courtesy mode:lina architekci

+ Project credits / data

PROJECT: Gate Five D
TEAM: mode:lina architekci (Pawel Garus & Jerzy Wozniak)
REALIZATION: 11 November 2011 (St Martin’s Day)
AREA: 3.125 m2
PHOTOS: mode:lina architekci (Pawez Garus & Jerzy Wozniak)

Drawing courtesy Tokujin Yoshioka

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum has published their very first Symbol Mark and Logo designed by Tokujin Yoshioka on November 15th.

The cubic architecture of the current museum building, designed by Kunio Maekawa in 1975.

Tokujin has designed the symbol mark based on the concept of cube, which connotes “the origin of creation.”

The color is born from the harmonious combination of the reddish-brown color of the museum exterior, and red, which is a hint of Japanese inspiration.

Drawing courtesy Tokujin Yoshioka

The Symbol mark is consisted of two kinds; the cubic solid version, and the liner design with the feel of transparency.

This design is simple, yet has a strong, clear identity which everyone, from children to grown-ups, all over the wold will feel the familiarity. It is the image of the unification of the history and the future of the museum.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum is now under its renovative construction, remaining its existing building frame, and will be opening next April.

Drawing courtesy Tokujin Yoshioka

Drawing courtesy Tokujin Yoshioka