Author: Asli Say

Pierres Vives, Living Stones in English Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects in Montpellier, France Text description provided by the architects. The pierresvives building for the department de l’Herault is the unification of three institutions – the archive, the library and the sports department – within a single envelope. These various parts combine to create a building with a strong single identity when viewed at a distance, but as one moves closer, the division into three parts becomes apparent. The building has been developed using functional and economic logic: the resultant design reminiscent of a large tree-trunk that has been laid horizontally.…

Melike Alt?n???k and Gül Ertekin have shared with us their proposal for the Istanbul Gulsuyu Cemevi and Cultural Center Competition. Hosted by Maltepe Municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, the competition asked participants to design a religious and cultural complex for the Alevi population (a religious minority group practicing Islam) that can serve modern society’s needs and honor past culture.

Text description provided by the architects. Iranian architecture studio Hajizadeh & Associates have proposed a cultural complex for the Chabahar, area of Iran, which is designed to become part of the surrounding landscape. The Chabahar Free Zone Complex is located in the southern Iranian state called Sistan va Baluchestan, home to the country’s only port to the Indian ocean, with ambitions to be a commercial and touristic hub. The structure is inspired by the dry desert and its plateaus, and mimics a traditional shed or ‘kapar’ that is common to the southern Iranian region – and which responds to its climate…

“Bilbao Effect,” arose from the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, which was built by Frank O. Gehry and finished in 1998. The idea was to build a sculptural building in a previously unknown city in order to attract tourists, and it was ultimately successful.