When the Angers Collectors Museum was in need of renovation and a newly designed space, they looked no further than American architect Steven Holl. The museum located in Angers, France is 51,000 square feet and was originally built in the early 13th century by King Louis IX. The museum is meant to form a new cultural gateway for the city and effectively bridged the different styles of architecture that were native to the city of Angers: medieval and contemporary architecture.
iCarbonX HQ is a current architectural project being undertaken by American architect Steven Holl. The innovative Chinese company will be based in Shenzen, China. iCarbonX’s goal as a company is to incorporate the internet “i” and artificial intelligence “X” to improve life with carbon as the main utility. Four green bridges connect two buildings at this headquarters. These four bridges are meant to represent carbon bonds, as carbon is at the center of the company’s goals. Construction started in fall 2019 and was slated for a 2021 opening though Covid-19 could potentially delay this.
Steven Holl, a New York based architect, designed this art center for Virginia Commonwealth University. The building is comprised of irregularly shaped blocks that are put together. Translucent glass gives the impression that these blocks are glowing. The unique and creative design is perfect for a college arts center. A design such as this only creates a more artistically optimal environment. It reminds me of a newer style of architecture where steel shipping crates are placed together to create a living space or shopping area.
Yankee Stadium is one of the many baseball stadiums that seems to capture the style and the energy of a city and harness it in a way that compares to the Roman Coliseum. Busch Stadium, Wrigley, Fenway, and Dodger Stadium are a few notable ballparks that also seem to accomplish this. But there is something about Yankee Stadium. The Mecca of baseball greatness that was once across the street in the Bronx was rebuilt and redesigned beginning with the 2009 season. Seeing the famous white facade lining the top of the building and Monument Park in center field is incomparable. The exterior is influenced by postmodern architecture and incorporates everything that made the old stadium great, but with a new, sleek design for the 21st century.
The Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa may be one of the most stunning buildings both inside and out. The building itself, the “Villa Philbrook” is the former home of oil pioneer Waite Phillips. After he died the home was transitioned to an art museum. The gardens outside of the building are absolutely breathtaking. The amount of space that this property has to offer is unbelievable. I first visited this property a few years ago and have been back many times since. The combination of a beautiful home with beautiful art inside, mixed with a stunning garden makes visiting this museum a must.
The Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is one of my favorite buildings that I have ever encountered. The beautiful view of the city that is offered along with the Greek-style architecture of the observatory makes it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city. I remember visiting this building around the age of 13 and looking out onto the city of Los Angeles and thinking how small and insignificant Oklahoma was in comparison to this massive city.
This building, currently under construction and slated for an early 2021 opening, is the first 5 star hotel for the downtown area of Oklahoma City. For me, this building symbolizes the hopeful future of the city. When this building opens, visiting teams playing the OKC Thunder will stay at the urban and elegant Omni hotel and will only have to venture across the street to the arena. The hotel’s pool/lounge area overlooks the scenic and beautiful Scissortail Park. A brand new city convention center is also being built directly next to the Omni, so this area is constantly growing and is a strong ray of hope for Oklahoma City.
This cube tower in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico was designed by Carme Pinos in 2004 with her studio Estudio Carme Pinos. It is very similar to her other two commercial projects, with many right angles and lifted, overhanging elements. The middle of this triangular building comes together leaving an open skylight all the way through the top of the building, allowing for more light in the centrally located parts of the building. It looks similar to the popular trend of stacking shipping containers nowadays, for a very unique minimalist, industrial style flair. Her is just obviously on a much grander scale.
Wendell Burnette Architecture
This pedestrian bridge was built by Carme Pinos in Alicante, Spain in 1991. This again feel much more like a piece of art or a sculpture than a practical piece of architecture. The curve of the side of the bridge is much softer than the other buildings I have looked at designed by Carme Pinos, and it makes the bridge very inviting and organic feelings. I also really like her use of mixed materials, which the wood floor and dark metal frame.
