Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, also known as the Music Building on the IJ, is one of the primary concert halls used for contemporary classical music performances in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This building was designed by the Danish architects, 3XN, and opened in 2005. This building has one main concert space as well as smaller performing art centers that are used for conferences and other small gatherings.

The building is primarily composed of concrete, with glass surrounding its perimeters. Furthermore, a bridge is the primary point of access, allowing individuals to walk from the Amsterdam pier to the concert hall. The main concert hall consists of white concrete panels and could seat up to 800 people. This piece of Amsterdam showcases the beauty and simplicity of the city.

Giannotti, Andrea. “Muziekgebouw / 3XN.” ArchDaily, ArchDaily, 29 Oct. 2009, www.archdaily.com/38816/muziekgebouw-3xn.

“{{UiState.page.title()}}.” 3xn.Com, 3xn.com/project/muziekgebouw.

The science museum is located at a waterfront near downtown Miami, Florida. The complex consists of four buildings connected with open-air corridors and pathways. The project was completed in 2017.

The building is designed to adapt to the local climate. The shape and composition of the buildings allow for the circulation of air, lowering energy consumption, as well as allowing the visitors to experience breeze and sunlight in the area. 

The main feature of the complex is the large aquarium suspended at the center of the building. The display of marine environment connections between the visitors and nature in Miami. 

The spherical structure of the planetarium is visible from the highway. The irregular arrangement of windows on the side walls also adds a recognizable character to the building. 

  Reference: https://grimshaw.global/projects/phillip-and-patricia-frost-museum-of-science/

The Marie Short House was also one of the popular houses built by Glenn Murcutt. It is two pavilion style buildings together which are three feet off the ground by stilts. The usage for the two pavilions is that one is for sleeping and the other is for doing other things. In most of Glenn Murcutt’s buildings have some sort of louvres, which is included in this house as well, to help with the breeze flow in and out of the building. The Marie Short House is made out of timbers that can “expand and contract in the heat and cold of the different seasons” and the roof is made out of steel metal. It is nice to see that all of Glenn Murcutt’s architecture that he built and/or designed are unique in there own way.

Craven, J. (2019, July 3). Marie Short Builds a Farmhouse in Australia. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/marie-short-house-178003

The Donaldson House is located on Palm Beach Peninsula in Australia. Glenn Murcutt was asked to help design and build this as a holiday house for a family that lives in London. The Donaldson House was built at an “angled to preserve as many of these trees as possible” and is “surrounded by shrubbery and a forest of gum, oak and blueberry ash trees.” The outside of this house has zinc covered panels in order to keep this house safe from wildfires because the area it’s in, has a high expectancy of wildfires. The windows are “made from toughened mesh-covered glass, and set in steel and anodized aluminum frames to protect against embers.” This is an interesting house and it is not like other houses we’ve seen before. The hot water the house gets is solar generated and to get air conditioning the house uses louvres to help manage the cooling of the house. Although it took about 10 years to complete, it was very interesting to read and see the details Glenn Murcutt did in order for the house to adapt to the “forestry” environment it was in.

Salon en el aire (translates to Lounge in the air) designed by Ecuadorian architect, Felipe Escudero, is a leisure area for workers at factory in Pifo, Ecuador. It is small, portable, and (in my opinion) quite stylish. The simple, orderly pattern of the outside and the warm interior, makes it feel welcoming. The plants on the outside and natural light on the inside makes it even more attractive.

One of the more interesting aspects of this small building are the interesting materials that were chosen. In fact, the materials were very carefully chosen on account of the Ecuadorian climate. Reflective glass sliding panels were used for the anterior and posterior sides, this reflects the suns intensity, which is extreme in Ecuador. The exterior walls are made of pine wood that was put through a soft burning process to produce the darkly colored exterior, which reduces maintenance.

The interior of the lounge is simple. An important feature is the lack of columns, which is made possible by the use of four iron rings that support the structure. By avoiding columns, there is more continuously use-able area. The inside is also made of the same pine used on the outside, but without the burning process.

The Lounge in the air is also portable. It can be divided into three sections and packed into trucks, so that it can be transported to other locations. Adding to its functionality and showing its simplicity.

The Lounge in the air undoubtedly fulfills its purpose as a leisure area in a novel and stylish way.

Source: http://felipeescudero.com/salonenelaire/luc82v17mvr0kzxsni3z37klw3vd9x

Southern Cross Station is located in Melbourne, Australia. This project was designed by Grimshaw Architects in collaboration with Jackson Architecture. It was completed in 2007 and won the RIBA Lubetkin Prize in the same year.

Southern Cross Station serves not only as a hub for public transportation but also as a retail plaza adjacent to the central business district. The mixed-use development is covered by repeating wavy roof structures. They offer protection from the harsh sun and heat, ensuring a safe and healthy environment for both visitors and workers. The roof structure is also designed to enable natural ventilation, reducing energy use and preventing negative impacts on the environment.

There are freestanding pods underneath the roof that are used for accommodation service. These structures also help to define space for retail services. The efficiency of circulation for passengers is achieved by a careful arrangement of seating, lighting and information displays.

Reference: https://grimshaw.global/projects/southern-cross-station/

Pulkovo Airport is located in St. Petersburg, Russia. The building was designed by Grimshaw Architects, and the construction was completed in 2014. 

The architects recognized the importance of an airport as a gateway to the city and sought to reflect the cultural identity of St. Peterburg. The building was also designed to adapt to the extreme climate in Russia. The flat roof structure helps to distribute the weight of the snow in winter.  The faceted geometric shape of the ceiling was inspired by the patterns of snowflakes. The shape also helps to drain runoff from melting snow. The ceiling also has skylights to let in natural light to the terminal buildings. The gold color of the ceiling is a reference to the gold dome of St. Issac’s Cathedral, and the reflection of the architects’ attempt to make this modern building a part of St. Petersburg. 

Reference: https://grimshaw.global/projects/pulkovo-airport/

The Water Temple Hyogo was built in 1991 in Awaji, Hyogo, Japan built by Tadao Ando. The Temple is home of the Ninnaji Shingon which is the oldest sect of Buddhism in Japan. When building the Temple, Ando not only followed his own simplistic style, but incorporated a sensory experience to honor the Buddhism beliefs.

Concrete is the main material used in this structure, having walls 3 meters tall bordered by a white gravel path tat leads to a pond with lotus flowers. When arriving at the heart of the Temple, two symmetric bodies of water are at the top split by a stairway. The stairs face the west to be filled with the western lights, where Buddha originates. This building shows Ando’s dedication to not only nature and architecture, but also the different religions in various regions.

The Benesse House consists of four parts: the Museum, the Oval (pictured above), the Beach, and the Park. The entire piece is meant to capture the coexistence of nature, art, and arichtecture. The museum turned hotel opened in 1992 in Naoshima, Japan and overlooks the Seto Inland Sea.

Not only is the building itself considered art, but contemporary art is displayed through each section of the Benesse House and surrounding areas. These pieces include paintings, sculptures, photography, and installations. However, certain pieces are restricted for only guests of the hotel to see, such as the Oval. The Oval measures 40 metters long and 20 meters deep in the ground with a liquid sculpture at the bottom to reflect the nature above.

The Church of the Light is the main chapel for the United Church of Christ located in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture. It was built in 1989 by Tadao Ando, with extensions added in 1999. Although the building is a church, it is only the size of a small house. The size of the structure was due to problems in the funds of the project, however Ando was still able to create one of his most famous designs.

This building highlights Ando’s style of simplicity by being constructed of three concrete walls with a cross outlined in the center piece allowing natural light. The simple wooden benches and floor boards are made of repurposed materials used during the construction. Between the organic wood and nature light, this building perfectly captures the balance of nature and every day living that Ando tries to capture.