The Dutch bureau NL Architects has designed the Power Flowers tree-shaped wind turbines (a paraphrase of the hippie slogan Flower power; literal translation - "electric flowers"), according to Co. Design. Such a solution will eliminate the problem of the "unattractiveness" of these structures: they are often protesting against their construction for aesthetic reasons. According to the architects' plan, the tree-like base will carry up to 12 Eddy-type turbines on "branches", which use the wind to rotate in any direction and do not require significant open space.
Luis Aldrete implemented the first pilgrimage shelter in the Mexican state of Jalisco (Architecture Lab). The brick building with a traditional oak leaf roof has a modular system that can be easily extended if required.
As we wrote earlier, there is a 100-kilometer pilgrim road in Jalisco, along which more than 2 million people pass annually during Holy Week. To provide this path with infrastructure, prominent architects were involved: in addition to Aldrete, Alejandro Aravena, Tatiana Bilbao, Ai Weiwei with their FAKE Design bureau and others are involved in the project.
The exhibition "Luis Kahn in Venice" is currently taking place at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles (The Architect's Newspaper). In addition to his sketches of Italian architectural monuments, the exhibition presents an unrealized project of the Palais des Congrès for the Giardini Garden. It was ordered to Kan in 1968 by the Venice Tourism Committee. It was supposed to be a suspended structure measuring 140 mx 30 m, supported on both sides by massive supports. This design would have made it possible to place it above the canal near Arsenal: this location was later replaced by Giardini. The Venetians supported the project, but did not receive the expected funding from Rome, so it remained on paper.
Domus has published an article about a new homeless shelter in New York, already awarded by the American Institute of Architects. Called aA SHELTER and designed by SYSTEMarchitects, it is a 185 m2 hall on the ground floor of a historic church building. This space received a suspended ceiling and a lighting system that replaces the "warmth" and variety of sunlight that does not get there, as well as a wooden floor and an end wall. The hall is used to organize free lunches for 80 people, the rest of the time tables and chairs are stored behind the new wall.
An extensive New York Times piece on Peter Zumthor confirms rumors that he will build a house for actor Tobey Maguire in Los Angeles. We also learn that although Zumthor considers his work the closest to Le Corbusier (on a national-cultural basis), he would like to design something "on the scale of Oscar Niemeyer", and many other amazing facts.
Zaha Hadid performs in her usual role and creates the installation Twirl for Interni magazine, more precisely, its program Mutant architecture & design, designboom reports. An object made of ultra-thin ceramic plates will be installed in the courtyard of the city university during Milan Design Week (11-17 April 2011).
Meanwhile, Prince Charles announced suspicious coincidences at a conference at St James's Palace (The Telegraph). As soon as he gets together with the help of his fund to save this or that historic building under threat of destruction, it burns down. Moreover, the fire occurs when an agreement has already been reached with the owners and the authorities, and the reconstruction of the building is about to begin - with the parallel assignment of the status of a protected monument to it. The Prince of Wales listed three such examples, including an 18th century textile mill in Scotland.
Nina Frolova
