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
Cultural Facilities | Jun 10, 2015
Artists turn oil tankers into architecture
Four Dutch artists propose transforming tankers into monuments with mixed-use space.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 5, 2015
Chicago’s 606 elevated park opens
The 2.7-mile stretch repurposes an abandoned elevated train track that snakes through Humboldt Park and Bucktown.
Cultural Facilities | Jun 2, 2015
Snøhetta and Dialog to revitalize Willamette Falls area in Oregon
As part of the plan, an abandoned paper mill will be repurposed, while landscaping and running trails will be added.
BIM and Information Technology | May 27, 2015
4 projects honored with AIA TAP Innovation Awards for excellence in BIM and project delivery
Morphosis Architects' Emerson College building in Los Angeles and the University of Delaware’s ISE Lab are among the projects honored by AIA for their use of BIM/VDC tools.
Cultural Facilities | May 15, 2015
Design for beekeeping facility in Tanzania by Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects unveiled
The developers say the center will be an important educational and vocational tool.
Cultural Facilities | May 14, 2015
Szczecin Philharmonic Hall wins Mies van der Rohe Award 2015
The hall is composed following a Fibonacci sequence whose fragmentation increases with the distance from the scene.
Cultural Facilities | May 13, 2015
MVRDV selected to design High Line-inspired park in Seoul
The garden will be organized as a library of plants, which will make the park easier to navigate.
Museums | May 13, 2015
The museum of tomorrow: 8 things to know about cultural institutions in today’s society
Entertainment-based experiences, personal journeys, and community engagement are among the key themes that cultural institutions must embrace to stay relevant, write Gensler's Diana Lee and Richard Jacob.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 22, 2015
Condo developers covet churches for conversions
Former churches, many of which are sitting on prime urban real estate, are being converted into libraries, restaurants, and with greater frequency condominiums.
