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Art

In States of Ruin, Architectural Sculptures by Peter Callesen Spring from a Single Sheet of Paper

Detail of “Human Ruin.” All images © Peter Callesen, shared with permission

Towering over cut-out voids are artist Peter Callesen’s sculptures of existing architectural ruins and stately edifices. Constructed with a single sheet of white paper, the miniature buildings appear to surface from their original flat piece into three-dimensional forms complete with crumbling facades and tipped columns. Each work juxtaposes the soft, fragile material with the sturdy subject matter and “is a reminder of what once was present and that even material like stone can change and break,” the artist says, explaining further:

Almost as creation in reverse, the ruin as a motif for my works deals with the themes of rise and fall, through typical gothic architecture inspired by romantic painters. The ruins are rising from their intact and undamaged silhouettes. The work ‘17.8 Tall Tower of Babel’ is also linked to brokenness and failure, because of the Tower of Babel myth.

Callesen, who is based in Mors, Denmark, is showing some of these smaller sculptures at Vestjyllands Udstillingen through January,  and you can explore more of his intricate miniatures and sprawling installations on Instagram.

“Human Ruin”

“17.8 Tall Tower of Babel'”

“On The Other Side”

“Little Erected Ruin”

“Little Ice Castle”

“Erected Ruin”

Design

Comprised of Undulating Bricks, A Facade Allows Light to Stream in Without Sacrificing Privacy

All images courtesy of A.P.P. Architects & Associates

The innovative project of Farhad Mirzaie and the firm A.P.P. Architects & Associates, “Revolving Bricks Serai” is a dynamic office building in Arak, a city largely known as the industrial capital of Iran. Nestled within a residential area, the structure is designed with privacy in mind and features a rippling, wave-like facade made of brick that allows natural light to stream through while obstructing outside viewers from peering into the space.

The individual blocks, which have ends painted in turquoise and azure, are arranged according to parametric design. A booming trend in architecture, the style generally focuses on sweeping, curved lines, forms simulating structures occurring in nature, and a consideration of how elements interact individually and as a whole. An algorithm determines many of today’s designs based on these geometric principles, although Antoni Gaudí is widely credited for pioneering analog methods with his upside-down modeling.

Find more of Mirzaie and his firm’s recent projects on Instagram. (via Jeroen Apers)

Design

Recycled Building Materials Construct a Multi-Purpose Zero Waste Center in Japan

All images courtesy of Hiroshi Nakamura

Back in 2003, Kamikatsu, a town in Tokushima Prefecture, became Japan’s first municipality to go zero waste, establishing a whopping 45 categories for recycling. Today, the village reuses about 80 percent of the garbage it generates, and the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center is at the forefront of the community’s charge to become entirely trash-free in the coming years.

Designed by the architect Hiroshi Nakamura (previously), the recycling facility is comprised mostly of upcycled materials, including a mishmash of 700 donated windows cloaking its facade. Unprocessed timber and trimmings—cedar logging once was one of Kamikatsu’s main industries—structures the building and forms tresses designed to be disassembled and reused. A terrazzo flooring made of glass and ceramic shards runs through the center, and a bookshelf made of bright blue storage containers from a nearby shitake farm covers an entire wall.

The curved facility features a central drive-through area for dropping off unwanted materials and houses offices, a community hall, and a shop where residents can bring items they no longer use and others can take them home for free. On the other end of the building is a four-room hotel that’s decorated with wallpaper made of old newsprint, and Nakamura stamped “Why?” on the pages to prompt questions about consumerism. He elaborates:

Not bringing things in from outside the region is the first step in reducing wasteful packaging, transportation costs and fuel. When designing, I often go to not only the old garbage station but also the abandoned house in the town, the old government building before dismantling, the abandoned junior high school, etc… Materials used for the building are those that consider garbage as a resource and utilize it.

For more architectural projects from Nakamura and his Tokyo-based studio, check out his site. (via Dezeen)

Design

A Sleek Pool Reflects an Illuminated 'Moon' and the Rugged Landscape of China's Mount Tai

All images courtesy of Syn Architects

A lucent half-circle, “Hometown Moon” is nestled within the rugged topography of China’s Mount Tai. The glowing orb, which was designed by Syn Architects, radiates on a surrounding water feature, creating a dramatic, mirrored reflection that appears to make the cleaved design whole. With illuminated pillars to support the concrete chapel below, the construction mimics “a moon that never sets,” designers told Dezeen. “We returned to the birthplace of Confucianism, rebuilding the relationship between dualities such as city and the countryside.”

Inside the venue, a mountain-like sculpture covered in moss sprawls throughout and ends at the bottom half of the massive design. Similar to its above-ground counterpart, “Hometown Moon” is reflected in a mirrored ceiling to intensify the natural light. It’s the second organically-shaped structure built in the area, with the nearby Gad Line+ Studio terrace evocative of clouds. “The buildings complement each other as symbolic counterparts…after crossing a mountain, a river and exploring a few curved pathways, visitors finally arrive at the building,” Syn Architects said.

For more of the Chinese firm’s projects, visit its site.

Design

Spiraling Nautili Rooftops Cover a Multi-Story School Made Entirely of Bamboo in Bali

All images courtesy of IBUKU

A series of monumental spiraling structures with vaulted roofs and balconies overlooking a 45,000-square-meter site in Sibang Kaja, Bali, is an innovative foray into sustainable architecture. Designed by IBUKU back in 2008, “Heart of School” is made of local bamboo and grasses that once deteriorated, can be easily removed, composted, and replaced with similar materials. The multi-story structure features thatched roofs evocative of coiled nautilus shells that sit atop three, open-air towers. It houses a high school and its administration and was a catalyst for Bamboo U, which offers courses in architecture and design using the woody material.

“Heart of School” is also included in Build Better Now, a virtual exhibition highlighting 17 inventive projects working to combat the climate crisis. “Globally, CO2 emissions from the building sector are the highest ever recorded, with buildings and construction responsible for 38% of total global energy-related CO2 emissions,” a statement says. The exhibition promotes alternative, sustainable methods, and other projects include a low-carbon home made with 3D-printed clay, an “urban ecovillage” in São Paulo’s Jardim Nakamura favela, and bridges constructed with laminated timber in Amsterdam.

Design

Circular Vaults Embedded within a Prague Embankment Contain Shops, Cafes, and Public Spaces

All images © BoysPlayNice, courtesy of Brainworks

New cafes, galleries, and studios are popping up along the Vltava River in Prague, although they’re not immediately visible from atop the embankment. Tucked inside former storage units embedded within the structure itself are several tunnel-like spaces redesigned for public use. Appearing like glass-doored portals lining the waterfront, the multi-purpose project is part of the Czech city’s efforts to revitalize a four-kilometer swath of the riverbank, which previously served as a parking lot, and are the undertaking of architect Petr Janda who helms the Prague-based studio Brainwork.

Each vaulted venue contains concrete walls and flooring and gleaming stainless steel that reflects its surroundings. Six circular tunnels are designated for shops and galleries feature large, elliptical doors in glass, while the other 14 spaces are marked with a sculptural entrance, hiding the remaining area occupied by private tenants or used for public bathrooms from view. “The interventions symbiotically merge with the original architecture of the riverside wall, into which they naturally fuse,” Janda told designboom. “By using the acupuncture strategy, they re-create a monumental whole.”

Head to Instagram to find preliminary sketches for the redesign and to follow Brainwork’s future projects.