When people talk about iconic buildings, everyone has a different opinion about which are their favourites €“ traditional buildings such as the Taj Mahal, St Pauls Cathedral, historical wonders such as the Pyramids of Giza or modern creations such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpar. But what are the buildings under construction this year that might enter this list?
Living in a tree house
One building that certainly seems to enter the list as the most unusual is the Dr Chau Chak Wing Business School for the University of Technology Sydney. Designed by 85-year-old Frank Gehry, the building was inspired by the idea of a tree house with branches forming informal meeting areas and seminar spaces while the main rooms are in the trunk of the building. It is given a tree bark effect with the use of sandstone coloured materials. It is a break from Gehry's normal style, as he is known for his shiny metal constructions but felt that the more natural look was in keeping with the area.
Using the sunlight
The new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture sits in the shadow of the Washington Monument and is half above the ground and half below. The tiered building is covered with ornamental bronze lattice that is modulated with the aim of controlling the sunlight and transparency of the interior of the building, according to the architects. Entry through the deep porch sees visitors bathed in reflections and shadows before being guided to the darker side where the sadness moments are captured before lifting up the light filled upper galleries.
Traditional ideas
A sweet shop may not be everyone's idea of an iconic building but when it uses an ancient construction technique and looks so unusual, it may make a few lists. The SunnyHills shop in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo uses a technique called Jigioku-Gumi, a style of wooden architecture where vertical and cross pieces of wood are entwined with each other to make up a grid shape. The result may look a bit like a series of trellis fences all piled together but works well in the climate of Japan €“ with all those gaps it probably won't take off here in the UK!
Market hall with a difference
The Markthal in Rotterdam is a market hall with a difference €“ actually, a number of them. Not only is it a venue selling fresh produce but the shaped walls of the building hide 230 apartments. It's the inside of the building that is eye catching €“ it's like a giant psychedelic tunnel where instead of flowers and hippy signs are four storey high raspberries and giant prawns jumping into piles of mange tout. The windows of the apartments are spread amid this produce chaos so you can often spot someone doing their decorating in the middle of a giant lemon. But it can never be described as dull or bland!
Green developments
Preschool children will doubtless love their new kindergarten in Dongnai, Vietnam, because it looks nothing like a school. The building is described as a Farming Kindergarten and has space for 500 children while being a prototype sustainable education building. It has a continuous green roof that provides food to the people of the town while allowing the children to learn about farming but also gives them a brilliant green playground to spend their break times.
Conclusion
We all see beauty in different things and with buildings, they can be beautiful for what they do or don't do as much as how they look. The new buildings being constructed this year look set to combine traditional with ultra-modern and functional with environmental in new and interesting ways.
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