Today, objects created according to the principles of sustainable design enjoy a well-deserved popularity in the world architectural practice. By helping to solve the environmental, cultural, social, infrastructural problems of society, sustainable projects allow the construction of objects of any scale, organically fitting into the natural and urban landscape without negative impact on the environment. LafargeHolcim, an international manufacturer of building materials and integrated solutions for this area, takes an active part in the implementation of such projects. Consider the most striking of them.
"Supertrees"
An unusual garden-park has been built in Marina Bay in Singapore to the delight of locals and tourists. LafargeHolcim in Singapore supplied sustainable, fast-setting concrete for the park's “supertrees” - tree-like structures that host numerous flowering vines, orchids and ferns.
The 54-hectare Bay South was designed by British architectural firm Grant Associates. Its construction was completed at the end of 2011.
Bay South is a prime example of how landscape blends with architectural features, thus integrating tropical variability and sustainability into a masterpiece of architectural and landscape engineering. The fundamental principles of the concept are environmental sustainability, which starts with economical consumption of water and energy and ends with a whole sustainable system that unites all the diversity of flora and fauna.
Tunnel through the Alps
The idea of building a tunnel in Ceneri, which would be able to provide efficient traffic in the Alps, arose in 1947. The Swiss concern Holcim decided to help implement this project.
The Gotthard AlpTransit project consists of two separate railway tunnels running under the Gotthard and Ceneri mountains, which will connect Zurich to Milan. All road inclines and bends have been kept to a minimum, allowing these tracks to reach speeds of up to 250 km / h and reduce travel times between the two cities by 60 minutes.
The laying of the tunnel began in 2000, and construction work at Ceneri continued until 2007. Completion of the project is scheduled for 2019, with a total cost of 2.4 million Swiss francs.
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the longest tunnel in the world, with a length of 57 km. This route will be available for both passenger and freight traffic and will significantly reduce traffic congestion in the region.
Hamburg Elbe Philharmonic
11 January in Hamburg opened
The Elbe Philharmonic is a grandiose architectural project that has become part of a plan to transform urban space and a new symbol of Hamburg.
The Philharmonic Hall was built over a former cocoa warehouse at Cape Kaiserkai. Visually, it looks like a huge crystal on a pedestal 110 meters high, with an area of about 120,000 square meters. m. The upper floors of glass and concrete are supported by a 1966 warehouse building.
The Elbe Philharmonic has become one of the largest cultural sites in Europe and, according to forecasts, will become one of the world's leading concert venues with excellent acoustics. It is expected to be attended by over 1.5 million viewers per year, the number of events to exceed 1,900 annually.
LafargeHolcim Awards 2017
Since 2005, the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction has been running an award that aims to identify the most promising projects that improve people's lives and solve modern problems through building and architectural solutions. This year, the competition, recognized as the most significant competition in the field of sustainable construction, will be held for the fifth.
Applications for the fifth cycle of the award will close on March 21, 2017. Then the registered participants have one more week to download the project. More information about the award and the rules of participation:
