Tag: architecture

maxxi = a 21st century arts space for rome!

original photo by evan chakroff

Zaha Hadid is no stranger to controversy. the iraqi born deconstructivist architect, has once again received both criticism and props for her yet-to-be-opened MAXXI museum in rome. set to open to the public on may 30th, 2010, the ultra-modern building houses works in the realms of architecture and contemporary art. located in the northern edge of the city, the structure has been lifted atop an old army barracks site, thus making its sharp & minimalist concrete layers a fitting method to keep its relation with the past.

original photography by iwan baan

MAXXI‘s opening will be accompanied by four different exhibitions as well as its permanent collection, which combines various pieces from different modalities of art with an archive of mainly italian architecture. the museum is open from tuesday to sunday with extended hours on thursday. the regular ticket price is a steep 11 EUR, but regardless we still look forward to visiting the new architectural gem(?) in the eternal city.

original photography by iwan baan

original photography by iwan baan

original photography by iwan baan

you can follow MAXXI on twitter: @MUSEO_MAXXI

or visit their website for further infos

mvrdv = fascinating urban innovation!

MVRDV is an architecture studio based out of rotterdam, netherlands. founded in 1993 by winy maas, jacob van rijs, and nathalie de vries, they’ve since taken on a wide array of designs and studies in the fields of architecture, urbanism and landscape design; but it was two of their early projects that gained them critical acclaim: the VPRO headquarters and the WoZoCo housing for elderly in amsterdam. today, their team includes over 60 architects, designers, and staff members who together are working in several projects across the netherlands, spain, china, france, austria, among others.

MVRDV‘s main ethos is to “pursue a fascination for radical methodical research on density and on public realms”, while “conceiving architecture, urbanism, and research as engines for future innovation”. on top of realizing wonderful urban projects, the studio is also entrenched in research projects, such as the in-depth study of density and global ecological issues. such research has been documented in their book KM3.


not only do we love MVRDV for its innovative and sustainable approach to architecture, but we also dig the way their buildings tend to maximize interactivity with their daily users. the best example being their recently started “market hall” project in rotterdam (picture below). slated for completion in 2014, the building is a modern-looking arch that houses 228 apartments, 100 market stalls, shops and restaurants, 1200 parking spaces and an underground super market. tucked in the inner city heart of the dutch metropolis, the structure perfectly combines food, leisure, living and parking.

if you want to learn more about one of the most innovative companies on earth (#44 according to fast company) check out their website or follow them on twitter: @mvrdv. you can also check the video showcase below…

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michael fragstein – architect of animated goods!

we are absolutely fascinated by the animated shorts directed by polish architect michael fragstein, co-founder of stuttgart based büro achter april. born 1972 in sosnowiec, poland, michael studied architecture and design in both stuttgart and lisbon. check out the music videos below for a clear example of how michael infuses a very minimal yet effective aesthetic to perfectly complement the sounds surrounding the images…

for more info on michael’s work visit his website.