Category: Architecture

Malta / Maltese Architecture

My travels this time have taken me to Malta for Graphisofts International Partner Conference.

After last year only just arriving at the conference a couple of hours before it started, this year I decided to arrive a couple of days early to avoid the stress.

Yesterday two of my Swedish friends and I set off on a mountain bike around the island. We didn’t actually do a complete circuit but certainly saw an enormous part of the island.

Fortunately for me, having not been on a bike for a couple of years, the Maltese drive on the left so all I had to worry about the pot holes. However as an British ex-pat said

The British drive on the left, the Europeans drive on the right and the Maltese drive in the shade.

So there were a few hairy moments!

Anyway check out the photos below:

Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future

As a first year architecture student 15 years ago one our History of Architecture papers was to profile an international Architect.

All 90 of us in the class had to profile a different architect, so the day the list went up for us to select our architect was quite chaotic!

Many people in the class, including myself, were keen to profile the Finnish-born Eero Saarinen.

Today I received an email from AutoDesSys the makers of FormZ announcing a new 3D modelling program called Bonszai3d that has just been launched as a BETA. The email then had a feature on Saarinen’s TWA Terminal at New York’s JFK that has been modelled for an exhibition on Saarinen.

Checkout the Model of this amazing building designed 50 years ago.

Checkout the Eero Saarinen Exhibition.

When I look back on my studies and see where technology and software have come over the last 15 years, I can’t help but think but I could do if I was studying architecture today.

Incidentally, I wasn’t quick enough to signup to profile Saarinen, however, keeping with the Nordic theme I profiled Sigurd Lewerentz, one of the two architects of the Stockholm Woodland Cemetery:

BMW Welt

Yesterday I finally got to visit the BMW Welt – Situated next to the BMW Production Plant, Headquarters and Museum the Welt is the Showcase for all things BMW. (Welt is the German word for World.)

However the Welt is more than that, is is also the winner of the Production Category in the World Architecture Festival Awards 2008. (The same awards that Patterson Associates were in – just a different category.)

The story of the Welt Design Competition I think is fantastic:

275 architecture firms submitted tenders for the BMW Welt, and the jury’s decision was unanimous. The winning design was by Professor Wolf D. Prix and the Viennese architecture firm Coop Himmelb(l)au.

As a student, Professor Prix attended lectures by Professor Karl Schwanzer, the architect of the BMW headquarters – the so-called 4-Cylinder Building – and the BMW Museum. On one occasion, Professor Schwanzer’s lecture was interrupted as there was a call for him. When he came back he said to his students: “Today is like Christmas for me – I have won the BMW Tower!” Exactly 30 years later, Professor Prix was giving a lecture in Vienna himself. This lecture was also interrupted: “You have won the BMW Welt competition!”

The museum was absolutely incredible and well worth a visit – even if you are not into cars!

Check out the Satellite View in Google Maps to see what BMW paint on the roof of their circular museum – though I warn you it isn’t too surpising!

Note: I apologise for the photo quality as I only had my phone with me! For better images and also design sketches and plans check out the BMW Welt Website.

Munich Architecture

It is not surprising, given my background and eduction, that when I find myself with spare time during my travels that I enjoy walking around and checking out the local architecture.

Today I found myself with spare time in Munich and while I only had my phone (not sure how I managed to leave my camera at home) I was able to find immense variety in the local architecture.

From the historic National Theatre and the Theatine Church; to the 1972 Munich Olympic Park; through to the BMW Welt and the recently completed Museum Brandhorst the architecture was varied and amazing.

Student Award Season

It’s that time of year again when academia celebrates another year of study and dishes out a number of prizes to students.

This year Graphisoft New Zealand have become the Principle Sponsor of the NZIA Graphisoft Student Design Awards – for this year and the next 3 years.

This sponsorship represents a sizable investment for a company of Graphisoft New Zealand’s size but I am sure we have made more than a few students happy.

Two nights ago we had the major Prize Giving where 4 students from each of Auckland University, Unitec and Wellington University competed to win a $5,000 cash prize along with an overseas trip.

Last night we handed out $10,000 in prizes to 16 students from across the first four years of study at the Unitex ScALA.

Tonight we do the same at the Auckland University School of Architecture and Planning.

Of all the Sponsorship, Advertising and Marketing we undertake, this exercise will be the hardest to quantify from a success/return point of view, but I can easily see that the money is going in a deserving direction.

I was never a good enough Architecture Student to come close to winning prizes of this nature – probably why I moved more into the technology side of Architecture. However, that said I know the money will be well received – even if some or all of it is spent on alcohol – and I am pleased Graphisoft has been able to support the New Zealand Student Community in this way.

I’m moving to Australia…

Actually I’m not but when I first heard about the following topic I simply couldn’t believe the state of our nation.

As I am sure many of you do as well, I love a great shower! Or more accurately I detest a weak shower.

To hear about the proposed changes that will place limits on the flow rate of showers just seems that as a country we are continually focussing on small details and not big issues.

I can understand the need to conserve water and electricity etc but making allowable shower flow rates a law is one step too far!

You can read about the proposal in the NZ Herald.

The following comment in the article certainly sums up my thoughts:

“Does this Government have a mandate to mess around with our lives to this degree?” one blogger wrote. “We can’t smack our kids, now we can’t bathe them as we see fit either?”

I have heard some other intereasting thoughts/ideas regarding Sustainability based on experiences during my recent trip to ArchiCAD University in the UK. I will share those in another post soon.

Great Coffee and Old Friends in London

Like most Kiwi’s I appreciate a good coffee which leads to one of my pet hates regarding travelling! There are very few places that make a coffee as well as my local cafe Bar Italia, Takapuna.

Having been in London for the last few days I made it my mission to hunt out Flat White a kiwi-run coffee shop in Soho – winner Independent Coffee Bar of the Year in the UK 2007 – Project Cafe07.

So there I was standing in line waiting to order a long awaited Latte and low and behold, in Soho, London I am standing behind William Tozer, an old friend from my days studying Architecture at Auckland University.

What a coincidence! William was recently featured in Architecture NZ as after having completed his studies he has been practicing Architecture in London for the last 12 years. Having read the article, I had thought I should look him up if I got the chance!

During the short wait for my coffee William and I caught up on 12 years!

The coffee and the catch up were both superb and I strongly recommend all Kiwi Coffee Lovers in London to make a visit to Flat White – you never know who you may bump into!

NZ Architect on World Stage

Recently Auckland ArchiCAD User Patterson Associates won one of three New Zealand Institute of Architects Supreme Awards for The Hills Clubhouse in Arrowtown.

Photographer: Simon Devitt
Photographer: Simon Devitt

This building along with his Maimai house in Auckland’s Ponsonby are now finalists in World Architecture Festival awards.

Other finalists include Beijing Olympics’ Water Cube swimming stadium, and London’s new Wembley Stadium.

You can read more at Stuff.