Today's ArchiPic #117

Today's ArchiPic is the Chapel of St. Ignatius, designed by Steven Holl Architects. Steven Holl is a multi-award winning architect based out of New York, who has built structures across the globe. His design philosophy is based off of phenomenology, that the style and shape of the building should be determined by the site of construction rather than the building determining the style of the site.

Finished in 1997 and located at Seattle University in Washington state, the chapel is the hallmark structure for the university. The form started out as a simple box, but Holl added seven “bottles” of light onto the top, each in a different direction. Lighting is an important aspect of the chapel, with each separate "bottle" relating to the different areas and types of worship in the Jesuit congregation. The chapel won the National AIA Religious Architecture Award in 1997.

Since one of my assignments had me write a short biography on Holl, you'll be seeing this building, along with some of his other works, in an upcoming post.

Coincidentally, Today's ArchiPic #88 featured a building designed by Steven Holl as well.

References:
>> http://www.stevenholl.com/projects/st-ignatius-chapel

Today's ArchiPic #116: Fermilab's Wilson Hall

    Today's ArchiPic is Wilson Hall near Chicago, the main administrative building of Fermilab, a high-energy particle physics lab.  Basically, the whole site is a giant particle accelerator, similar to that of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland .

    Interestingly, the original director, Robert Wilson, wanted to make sure that Fermilab wasn't marred by giant, unappealing concrete blocks, so he had Wilson Hall built in 1974, and many of the structures surrounding the main building are designed after the Archimedean spiral.  It's a very unique twin-towered structure that houses over 400,000 square feet of space with beautiful views and a magnificent reflecting pond!

Read more about Fermilab's Wilson Hall.

Today's ArchiPic #115: Angkor Wat

Former capital of the Khmer Empire and the largest religious monument in the world, Angkor Wat is a massive temple complex located in what is now Cambodia.

    Construction was started in the 12th century A.D. during the Khmer Empire under King Suryavarman II.  The name "Angkor Wat" can be literally translated to "Temple City" or "City of Temples".  Its architecture is known as Khmer, a type of architecture that started to become more complex in the 12th century.  Most of the visible structure is made out of sandstone, a material that the Khmer architects started to use more often in their buildings as they became more skilled.  Although, the material used to bind the sandstone blocks together has yet to be discovered!

    Animals such as elephants were used to hoist blocks into place.  Pulleys and bamboo scaffolding were also used during construction.  The structure itself took more sandstone to complete than the Great Pyramid of Giza, and almost every surface, from roofs and ceilings to columns and lintels, are hand carved.

    The five spires symbolize the five peaks of Mount Meru, which is considered a home of the gods in Hinduism and Buddhism.  The whole complex itself is meticulously designed to reflect the religion of the time.

>> Read more about Angkor Wat on Wikipedia.

Today's ArchiPic #114: Château de Versailles

    

    Today's ArchiPic is the beautiful Palace of Versailles in France.  Designed in 1624 and only twenty kilometers from Paris, this palace was first used as a hunting lodge for the French monarch Louis XIII.  The next hundred and fifty years would turn the chateau into a major icon for 18th century French art. 

     Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles

    By the time of Louis XIV, Versailles had become the center of political power for France and a symbol for absolute monarchy under the divine right of kings, but after the French revolution in 1789, this powerhouse became unimportant in political affairs for that period.  It now serves as a museum for the history of France.

References:

>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles

Today's ArchiPic #113 :: Salisbury Cathedral

     Salisbury Cathedral | Pictures from Wikipedia

    Today's ArchiPic is the Salisbury Cathedral in Salisbury England.  It was built in 1258 and represents Early English architecture.  This church contains the world's oldest working clock, dating back to AD 1386 and is simply one of my favorite cathedrals.  It has a very ornate structure with many spires and designs that are evident with the Gothic architectural style and has been depicted in many works of art--most notably by John Constable.  (The first picture above is one of his most famous paintings.)

Sources:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Cathedral

*I'll be finishing up that YouTube video I talked about very soon, possibly by this weekend.  I'll post it on this blog once it has been uploaded.  I will also be posting more frequently for the time-being.

Today's ArchiPic #112 :: Heddal (Stave Church)

     Heddal stave church (Heddal stavkirke) in Norway | Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.org

    Today's ArchiPic is the Heddal (triple nave) Stave Church in the municipality of Notodden in Norway.  It is Norway's oldest stave church.  Look at the layers of roof! :D  This thing was built in the 13th century and has gone through a series of restorations that have changed it slightly from its original appearance.

Circa 1890-1900



             This church has a rich history, but it also has its own legend!  Yes a legend.  Want to see it?

Sources:
>>The Legend and History.
>>Don't know what a "stave church" is? Then check this out!

- More posts to come!  (not as frequent like they used to be in 2012 though, for the foreseeable future at least)

Today's ArchiPic #111

    The Claiborne Pell Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island | Picture courtesy wikipedia.org

    Today's ArchiPic is the Newport Bridge in Newport, Rhode Island.  The bridge is named after the U.S. senator, Claiborne Pell, and was built in 1969.  At around 55 million dollars, this beautiful bridge isn't cheap.  I've traveled across this bridge countless times while on my three vacations to the New England area.  Fort Adams is very close and (I believe) is on the right side of the picture.
 

Today's ArchiPic #110

Split Rock Lighthouse from Architectural Digest by July Flower/shutterstock.com

    Today's ArchiPic is the Split Rock Lighthouse in Two Harbors, Minnesota.  It sits on top of a 130-foot cliff that drops into Lake Superior.  Octagonal in its shape and an iconic figure, the lighthouse was designed by Ralph Russel Tinkham.  Completed way back in 1910, this historic landmark offers a great view outward into the lake.  Because of many shipwrecks around 1905, plans were made for a new lighthouse, and the Split Rock Lighthouse was the right one for the job.  Though later in 1969, the lighthouse was shut down, but that decision proved to be a mistake. 

"...it is relit each year on November 10 to commemorate the 29 crew members who lost their lives when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald freighter sank on [November 10] in 1975."  - Architectural Digest

Sources:
>> Architectural Digest

Today's ArchiPic #109

All pictures from Architectural Record by Ivan Toth Depeñas

    Today's ArchiPic is a interactive "installation" in Miami, Florida, that uses a type of technology that captures people's movements in real time and projects them onto a screen, making the buildings corners and columns light up like dynamic paintings.  "Working with New York City–based Focus Lighting, Depeña devised a series of 6-inch-deep light boxes mounted to five of the lobby’s 13-foot-high structural columns," mentions Linda C. Lentz from Architectural Record.  This is one crazy fete in architectural and light engineering: walls that capture motion and project them as a "dynamic painting."

>> Read the whole story here at Architectural Record. 

Today's ArchiPic #108

L'Opera Restaurant; all photos from Architectural Record by Roland Halbe

    Today's ArchiPic is the L'Opera Restaurant in Paris, France.  This building is not new by any means.  It was first built in 1875, but its old features didn't deter the architect from renovating the inside space and turning it into a beautiful, modern, and Opera-filled restaurant.  Renovated by Odile Decq Benoit Cornette Architects, the inside has, obviously, a defined contrast from the exterior.  "Because of the building's heritage, Decq could not touch its stone surfaces or block the view of the ornate pendant suspended from the domed ceiling. And to enable the space to revert to its original state, every new element had to be removable at the end of the restaurant's limited term," says Architectural Record.

>> Read the full story here.

Today's ArchiPic #107

The Atrium from ArchDaily by Sama J. Canzian

    Today's ArchiPic is the Atrium in Victoria, Canada.  Designed by D' Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism, it is a massive office/multi-purpose building that integrates the green environment with a robust architectural design.  On the ground level, the building hosts cafes and restaurants.  The outer edge on the ground level is "transparent", allowing people to easily look in and see what's going on.  Used as an office building on the higher floors, the Atrium's design has large, spacious areas to work with offices in the most interesting places.  There are also many mosaic and sculpture designs in the public area, providing an even better experience. 

>> Read the whole story here.

Today's ArchiPic #106

Bubble Hotel from inhabitat.com by Attrap'Reves

    Today's ArchiPic is the Bubble Hotel in near Marseille, France.  Built by Bubbletree's, these transparent spheres are made out of (what looks like) plastic.  Attrap'Reves Hotel is not a regular hotel.  It's a bubble hotel that immerses the guest outdoors without really putting them "outdoors".  Designed by Pierre Stephane, he wanted to create an "exciting camping adventure" that included the campers with nature and doesn't have a bad affect on the environment.  At 109 Euros per night, the rooms are not cheap.  But if you are a kind of person that loves the outdoors but cannot stand camping outside in the open, this is for you.  You are totally surrounded by nature without actually being there. 

>> Read more about the Bubble Hotel at inhabitat.com

Today's ArchiPic #105

Mirror House from Architectural Record by Laura Stamer

    Today's ArchiPic is the Mirror House in Copenhagen.  It sits in the city's central park and is obviously very reflective.  Architects Mads Lund and Robert Paulsen of MLRP designed the "house."  This, very reflective, structure used to be an old shed covered with graffiti.  It is now used as the park's restrooms and storage, which is a lot better than an old shed.

>> Read More about the Mirror House at Architectural Record 

Today's ArchiPic #104

Picture from inhabitat.com

    Today's ArchiPic is the French Embassy in Beijing, China.  It was recently completed last year and obviously, blends in with the color of the trees around it.  The embassy is gold in color due to a golden silk-screened facade on its outer skin.  It is "is designed to combine French elegance with the principles of feng shui and bioclimatic architecture," says inhabitat.com.  They also said how it "provides a peaceful connection" to the outdoor elements.

Sources:
>> http://inhabitat.com/new-french-embassy-in-china-has-a-golden-silk-screened-facade/

Today's ArchiPic #103

[Source: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/2012-05/easton-neston-house-england-article]

    Today's ArchiPic is the Easton Neston.  Designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor way back in 1702, the Easton Neston is one of England's historic treasures.  32,000 square feet with 36 rooms are included in the mansion.  Owned now by Leon Max, he decided to "revamp" the place and make it better than ever.  The team worked on restoring it and adding new things to the mansion, and the final product was glorious.

Sources:
>> http://www.architecturaldigest.com/decor/2012-05/easton-neston-house-england-article

Today's ArchiPic #102

Riva San Vitale House from archpick.com

    Today's ArchiPic is a house called the Riva San Vitale House.  I have found no mentioning of where it's located, but I'm guessing that it's somewhere in Mexico or the far west United States.  The house has a swimming pool and a deck in its backyard, and it is designed to "merge" with the landscape around it.

Today's ArchiPic #101

Clifftop House from Architectural Record

    Today's ArchiPic is the Clifftop House in Maui, Hawaii.  (It's actually on a cliff if you didn't figure that out already.)  The owner of the home is a sail designer that lived in Europe but moved to the great state of Hawaii with its tasty, tropical flavor.  Architects Aljosa Dekleva and Tina Gregoric designed the home for their client friend, and they decided to put together different combinations of home designs with one roof, making it very flexible with the landscape around it.  "Each separate “house” is a U-shaped volume with a bedroom and bath that each open to the ocean view," says Architectural Record.  In the end, the (out of country) sail designer was very happy with the job well done.  In other words, there's no April Fool's joke up his sleeve this year.  (Ha!)

>> Read More about the "Clifftop House" at Architectural Record

Today's ArchiPic #100

I have been doing this series called "Today's ArchiPic" for a long time now.  I started it a little longer than a year ago, and this installment is the 100th.  And I have some special architecture to show you guys.  

    "Driving this perpetual change in 2012 are the celebrated men and women of the new AD100, from an influential decorator working solo to visionary architects managing a spectrum of satellite offices. The following esteemed firms represent a fellowship of trailblazers and standard-bearers whose work is imaginative, intelligent, and inspiring."  - Architectural Digest

[All pictures' links were broken.  I will make sure this never again happens in the future.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  This has been fixed for most recent posts.  Older posts might still have this issue.]

    These 10 pictures are part of Architectural Digest's AD100, which includes the top architectural firms in the nation.

>> See all of the best firms only at Architectural Digest

>> All pictures also from Architectural Digest

Today's ArchiPic #99

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation HQ from Architectural Record

    Today's ArchiPic is the new headquarters of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington.  While the architects were still designing the complex, they decided to make the entire project have a campus style layout.  They split the headquarters into four separate complexes.  "A pair of curved office buildings, a reception pavilion, and a 1,000-car parking structure anchor three corners of the site and may be joined by a third office building in the future," mentions Architectural Record.

>> Read More at archrecord.construction.com

Today's ArchiPic #98

The Chrysler Building courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

    Today's ArchiPic is the glorious Chrysler Building in downtown New York City.  It is most famous for being a "leading example" of Art Deco architecture, which is a eclectic artistic design style that originated in Paris after World War I.  Its iconic terraced crown is another big reason why the Chrysler Building is famous.  

     "Art Deco in France found its American equivalent in the design of the New York skyscrapers of the 1920s. The Chrysler Building ... was one of the most accomplished essays in the style."  - John Julius Norwich