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Invited as one of five pre-selected architect-led teams that included Lord Norman Foster and Zaha Hadid, Copenhagen-based BIG was awarded first prize in an international design competition for the new National Library in Astana, Kazakhstan. The 33,000-square-meter facility will be organized as a “circular loop of knowledge” that allows for clear, intuitive orientation of the vast collection that will populate the shelves of the library. The building form is composed of two interlocking structures—a circle and a spiral—that will be wrapped in a continuous skin, creating a Möbius strip volume where the facades move from inside to outside and back again. At the heart of the building will be a domed courtyard.
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An official bargain, White House loses $79 million in property value
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| Jan 4, 2011
Luxury hotel planned for Palace of Versailles
Want to spend the night at the Palace of Versailles? The Hotel du Grand Controle, a 1680s mansion built on palace grounds for the king's treasurer and vacant since the French Revolution, will soon be turned into a luxury hotel. Versailles is partnering with Belgian hotel company Ivy International to restore the dilapidated estate into a 23-room luxury hotel. Guests can live like a king or queen for a while—and keep their heads.
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Sam Houston State arts programs expand into new performance center
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Subway entrance designed to exude Hollywood charm
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| Dec 17, 2010
Toronto church converted for condos and shopping
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| Nov 23, 2010
The George W. Bush Presidential Center, which will house the former president’s library
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| Nov 16, 2010
Brazil Olympics spurring green construction
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$700 million plan to restore the National Mall
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Designing a library? Don’t focus on books
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