Are bug-like designs becoming the latest trend?
German architect Achim Menges’ futuristic installation called the Elytra Filament Pavilion (“elytra” being the wing casings of a beetle), with its 2,000-ft span, can be seen in the courtyard of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
And recently the Architectural Competition Concours d’Architecture (AC-CA) awarded first prize to Iranian architect Maryam Fazel and German architect Belinda Ercan, who work out of HLM Architects’ office in Sheffield, England, for their insect-inspired design of the new Moscow Circus School, located in that city’s Twerskoy District, which boasts an up-and-coming artistic scene.
The aim of the single-stage competition, according to AC-CA’s website, was to design a new Circus School to serve as an academy for young aspiring circus performers. The competition was announced on October 27, 2015, and closed for submissions on February 20. First prize was US$3,000, and the first-, second-, and third-prize winning designs would be published in magazines in several countries. The winners were selected in March.
Arch Daily reports that the design proposal—coincidentally called Elytra—opens upward to create a protective shell, as a bug’s might. Roof access would be available to the public (which the school is not, currently), with the goal of creating a cultural hub with waiting and exhibition areas.
HLM Architects' winning design proposal makes the school's activities more visible to the public. Image: Arch Daily.
“Central to this design is its transparency of activities,” stated HLM. The heart of the school will be an open-air amphitheater with wide programming opportunities. The elytra part of the building tower will include training and academic zones, as well as offices and service areas.
“Using the competition as a mechanism within the HLM Academy to further explore different design processes and form making led to a series of extremely interesting and thought-provoking submissions, which challenged our regional teams to deliver ideas within an extremely short space of time,” says Jeremy Picard, HLM’s design director. “We are extremely pleased with the result.”
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
AASHE releases annual review of sustainability in higher education
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has announced the release of AASHE Digest 2008, which documents the continued rapid growth of campus sustainability in the U.S. and Canada. The 356-page report, available as a free download on the AASHE website, includes over 1,350 stories that appeared in the weekly AASHE Bulletin last year.
| Aug 11, 2010
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Program Place Project
Houston, Texas
The Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Program Place is the headquarters for the largest Girl Scout Council in the U.S., with 63,000 scouts. The building houses the council’s administrative offices, a Girl Scout museum, and activity space. When an adjacent two-story office building became available, the council jumped at the chance to expand its museum and program space.
| Aug 11, 2010
Burt Hill, HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 100 largest university design firms
A ranking of the Top 100 University Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
PBK, DLR Group among nation's largest K-12 school design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 K-12 School Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Turner Building Cost Index dips nearly 4% in second quarter 2009
Turner Construction Company announced that the second quarter 2009 Turner Building Cost Index, which measures nonresidential building construction costs in the U.S., has decreased 3.35% from the first quarter 2009 and is 8.92% lower than its peak in the second quarter of 2008. The Turner Building Cost Index number for second quarter 2009 is 837.
| Aug 11, 2010
AGC unveils comprehensive plan to revive the construction industry
The Associated General Contractors of America unveiled a new plan today designed to revive the nation’s construction industry. The plan, “Build Now for the Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth,” is designed to reverse predictions that construction activity will continue to shrink through 2010, crippling broader economic growth.
| Aug 11, 2010
Section Eight Design wins 2009 Open Architecture Challenge for classroom design
Victor, Idaho-based Section Eight Design beat out seven other finalists to win the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom, spearheaded by the Open Architecture Network. Section Eight partnered with Teton Valley Community School (TVCS) in Victor to design the classroom of the future. Currently based out of a remodeled house, students at Teton Valley Community School are now one step closer to getting a real classroom.
