'After Image' Floor Lamp, image courtesy Monocomplex design studio

Seoul-based Monocomplex design studio recently has created the ‘After Image’ Floor Lamp.

‘After Image’ was inspired from the scene of mouse fire play (‘Jui-bool-no-ri’ in Korean languege which is one of Korea’s traditional customs.

'After Image' Floor Lamp, image courtesy Monocomplex design studio

It expressed the fast afterimage of the fire as the natural curve by using wires, and steel pipes which were combined irregularly are formatively connected along the natural flow of the fire.

These elements show the light’s continuity and durability.

+ Project facts

Studio : monocomplex design studio (located in Seoul, South Korea) | www.monocomplex.com
Project : After Image / floor lamp (March 2012)
Material : Steel, Wire
Size : Table : 1500(H) x 600(W) x 400(D)

'After Image' Floor Lamp, image courtesy Monocomplex design studio

'After Image' Floor Lamp, image courtesy Monocomplex design studio

'After Image' Floor Lamp, image courtesy Monocomplex design studio

The Arch in Mandal, image courtesy 3XN Architects | Photo by Adam M¢rk

Elegance and conviviality merge under The Arch in Mandal, Norway

Historic white wooden houses, charming narrow streets, a river running though the center and beach and forest nearby. The town of Mandal is the essence of southern Norwegian idyll. Danish practice, 3XN, has designed the town’s new cultural center, a project which required great sensitivity to the town’s special environment.

The Arch in Mandal, image courtesy 3XN Architects | Photo by Adam M¢rk

A House of the People

The cultural center, called "The Arch", is about creating a common base for the cultural institutions of Mandal. Thus, The Arch contains theater, cinema, concert hall, library, gallery and café, offering activities for all ages of the town’s 15,000 inhabitants.

The Arch is a house of the people, so we designed a building that in an elegant and soft motion gathers the town’s cultural life, while the modern expression bears witness to a town in development.

Jan Ammundsen, Partner and Head of Design at 3XN

The Arch in Mandal, image courtesy 3XN Architects | Photo by Adam M¢rk

The modern expression is created with a deep respect for the history of the town and the surrounding landscape. The arched shape refers partly to the soft hills, located around Mandal, and partly to the industrial center, which previously was located on the site. It is planned that the building will have a green roof, which will contribute to giving the building an organic expression, and will increase integration with the surrounding nature, when looking at the Arch from one of Mandal's popular vantage points. The white color corresponds with the old white wooden houses, which Mandal is known for and which gives the town its character.

The Arch in Mandal, image courtesy 3XN Architects | Photo by Adam M¢rk

“A Dream”

The wish for optimal use of daylight, and a building that seems open and attractive to visitors, resulted in a facade characterized by panoramic windows facing the river and city. “It is important that the building's activities are visible, and that the building connects to all the residents. Therefore, we have also emphasized designing the south-facing outdoor areas, so they are attractive sunny, recreational spaces with views to the river. In this way the building brings value to everyone in Mandal,” says Jan Ammundsen.

The Arch in Mandal, image courtesy 3XN Architects | Photo by Adam M¢rk

According to the manager of the cultural center, Alfred Solgaard, The Arch has had no difficulties in attracting visitors:

In just the first two and a half months after we took the building into use 25,000 people visited, and that was even before the official opening, the Arch is a dream come true for our entire community.

Alfred Solgaard

Besides the design of the architecture for the cultural center 3XN have delivered the graphic design for the Arch, the area’s master plan and a bridge that will go from the cultural center and over the river. The bridge, which is under construction will, in line with the cultural center, has curved organic shapes and pitches from which the view of Norway’s southernmost town can be enjoyed in full.

+ Project facts

Team:

Architect: 3XN Architects, Denmark
Client: Halse Property, Norway
Engineer: Rambøll, Norway
Landscape: Asplan Viak, Norway Theatre
Technique: AIX architects, Sweden
Art Decorations: Marianne Bratteli “Chaos and Gaia”, Norway

Building Data:

Address: Havnegt. 2, 4515 Mandal, Norway
Price: approx. 33 million euros
Size: approx. 4,500 m2
Floors: 2
Construction: Concrete
Façade: Aluminum and glass

Timeline:

Construction Start: December 2009
Completion: December 2011
Official opening: April 2012

Render courtesy BIG

BIG's residential towers in the Yongsan International Business District revitalize the Han riverfront into a new commercial and residential center for the citizens of Seoul.

Conceptual diagram, drawing courtesy BIG

Situated at the south-east edge of the Yongsan master plan designed by Studio Liebeskind for the Korean development group Dreamhub, BIG's Cross # Towers will contribute to the developing skyline of Seoul and become a recognizable marker of the new cultural and commercial center of the city. BIG was selected to submit a design proposal for Yongsan International Business District among 19 international offices, including SOM, Dominique Perrault, REX and MVRDV.

Render courtesy BIG

The 21 000 m2 site is positioned next to the existing urban fabric in the future development zones of the Yongsan master plan. BIG's design includes two elegant towers with a height of 214 and 204m. To meet the height requirements of the site, the exceeding building mass is transformed into an upper and lower horizontal bar, which bridge the two towers at 140m and 70 m height. The two towers are additionally connected through the arrival bar at the ground level – and a courtyard below ground.

Render courtesy BIG

"The Cross # Towers constitute a three-dimensional urban community of interlocking horizontal and vertical towers. Three public bridges connect two slender towers at different levels – underground, at the street and in the sky. Catering to the demands and desires of different residents, age groups and cultures the bridges are landscaped and equipped for a variety of activities traditionally restricted to the ground. The resultant volume forms a distinct figure on the new skyline of Seoul – a "#" that serves as a gateway to the new Yongsan Business District signaling a radical departure from the crude repetition of disconnected towers towards a new urban community that populates the three-dimensional space of the city." Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner, BIG.

Image courtesy BIG

Image courtesy BIG

Both the upper and lower bridge introduce rooftop sky gardens accessible to residents, allowing for outdoor activities, while a courtyard at the heart of the development is an integral part of the overall architectural design. Dramatic views towards the neighboring towers and visual connections across the courtyard from the retail zone create an exciting space for the residents and visitors. The outdoor landscape is envisioned to draw from the charm of traditional courtyards combined with the modernity of the project. Pedestrians at the arrival deck which connects the towers at ground level can enjoy impressive views to the bridges above and to the submerged courtyard below.

Render courtesy BIG

The typical tower inherently removes life from the city it occupies. Circulation is linear and social interactions occur only in lobbies or awkward elevator rides. We propose a building that triples the amount of ground floor – triples the amount of social interaction and reintroduces the idea of neighborhood within the tower complex.

Thomas Christoffersen, Partner in Charge, BIG

The development will offer over 600 high-end residences and amenities, including a library, gallery space and a kindergarten. BIG's design ensures that the tower apartments have optimal conditions towards sun and views. The bar units are given value through their spectacular views and direct access to the roofscapes, activating the outdoor realm. The exterior facades are developed to correspond to the different orientations and solar conditions, creating a diverse façade which varies from the viewer's vantage point and the position of the sun.

+ About BIG

BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group is a leading international partnership of architects, designers, builders and thinkers operating within the fields of architecture, urbanism, research and development. The office is currently involved in a large number of projects throughout Europe, North America and Asia. 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 ex¬change, global economic flows and communication technologies that together require new ways of architectural and urban organiza¬tion. BIG is led by partners – Bjarke Ingels, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Finn Nørkjær, David Zahle, Jakob Lange, Thomas Christoffersen and Managing Partners, Sheela Maini Søgaard and Kai-Uwe Bergmann – with offices in Copenhagen and New York. In all our actions we try to move the focus from the little details to the BIG picture.

+ Project facts

Client: Dreamhub
Architect: BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group
Collaborators: Arup Dublin (SMEP, Façade) & Amsterdam (Lighting), Martha Schwarz Partners (MSP), SIAPLAN (Local Architect)
Area: 96.534 m2
Tower 1: 214m / 52 Floors ; Tower 2: 204m / 48 Floors ; Site: 21.000 m2 ; Units: 627

+ YON credit list

Architect: BIG
Partner in Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Christoffersen, Finn Nørkjær
Project Director: André Schmidt
Project Leader: Kamilla Heskje, Cat Huang

Project Team: Buster Christensen, Jeppe Ecklon, Tobias Hjortdal, Jakob Sand, Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard, Camila Luise de Andrade Stadler, Lorenzo Boddi, Karol Borkowski, Igor Brozyna, Eduard Champelle, Erik de Haan, Shun Ping Liu, Enea Michelesio, Daram Park, Lucian Racovitan, Teresa Fernandez Rojo, Tiago Sá, Julian Salazar, Laura Youf, Seung Hyun Yuh, Paolo Venturella

Engineers: Arup Dublin (SMEP, Façade) & Amsterdam (Lighting)
Project Director: Rory McGowan
Project Manager: Aidan Madden
Structural Team: Peter Flynn, Aidan Madden, Salam Al-Sabah, Conor Hayes, Barry Cullen, Michael Day, Cathal Quinn Nevin Keane
MEP Team: Susan Cormican, Luke Stewart, Alborada Delgado, Tadhg O Broin, Paul Collins, Daniel Roe, Chris Behan, Gerry Banks, Stephen Kendal, Carol O'Riordan
Facades: Pat Duffy, Javier Iribarren
Lighting: Simone Collon, Mieke Van Der Velden, Ewelina Schraven, Siegrid Siderius

Landscape Architect: Martha Schwarz Partners (MSP)
Principal: Martha Schwartz
Design Director: Markus Jatsch
Project Manager: Nigel Koch
Lead Landscape Architect: Aigars Lauzis
Project Team: Ceylan Belek, Salvatore Tabone, Nicola Albertin

Local Architect: SIAPLAN
Project Manager: Yun Sang Bang
Project Architect: Sang Min Lee
Project Team: Jimin Lee, Kyungmo Yang, Kyungmin Yue, Sangsuck Park

+ All images and drawings courtesy BIG