Architecture is no longer just a beauty contest; some of our best international designs are making headway due to their intelligent and daring design and personality.

Who can discuss contemporary architecture without mentioning the Centre Pompidou, France’s infamous modern art museum? The Centre Pompidou was built in 1977 by Sir Richard Rogers and has remained notorious to date for its inside-out design, featuring air ducts, pipes and lifts exposed on the exterior of the building. The centre features bright colours and a use of glass and metal which puts it in stark contrast to the romantically classical buildings which surround it.

By developing new contemporary structures that deviate from the ordinary, we are able to create designs that have improved functionality and which make the most of sustainability, space, and both the natural and urban environment. In the case of the Pompidou Centre, by putting everything on the outside, not only did this provoke response, reaction and reflection, but practically speaking, it also created a large, adaptable space in the interior to house the exhibits.

Another practical, yet daring design to pop up is the Wozoco home for the elderly in the Netherlands. As the Netherlands is experiencing a large and growing population and has mandatory national daylighting codes, this building has been created with 13 extra units, cantilevered off the side, suspended scarily midair, but adjoining the building. The Endesa Pavillion in Barcelona is another example of innovative design, which features a mound of jutting modules designed to capture maximum sun absorption for effective utilisation of solar power. Even something as simple as a taxi stand, developed by Designnobis, is winning awards for daring design features. The beams that support the taxi structure spell out the word TAXI, and can flash on command to attract the attention of taxi drivers. How fantastic is that?

While centuries ago, architecture developed from one aesthetic to the next, it’s nice to see our priorities are back on the straight and narrow, even if our designs our not.

 

About ODS Contributor
View all posts by this author »