Just like there was a time all I could see were great projects by A-Cero, it seems now SAOTA are just breeding beautiful residences in Cape Town, South Africa. Their designs have become very popular because of their use of several complementing finishes, such as stone, concrete, wood, and massive glass areas which allow plenty of light inside. This is their Glen 2961 Project, completed in 2012.
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Capital Hill residence, is a one of its kind project designed by Zaha Hadid Architects for Russian finance magnate Vladislav Doronin. The residence is located in Moscow and the interesting part is that it will be a wedding gift to his diva future bride Naomi Campbell!
Photographs: Adam Letch & Elsa Young
Stefan Antoni Olmesdahl True Architects (SAOTA) known as one of the leading architectural firms in the world, has just completed a wonderful villa in Johannesburg, South Africa. Just when you thought they can’t do a better job, the outdid themselves with this breathtaking property known as the 6th 1448 Houghton ZM project.
Architecturally, residences in South Africa have similar layouts in terms of a U-Shape architecture surrounding a central courtyard comprising the swimming pool and access to various parts of the house. This project was no different. What differentiates this particular residence is the fact that the interior design firm Antoni Associates and SAOTA both collaborated perfectly where you feel none overpowered the other. In many projects we see the focus may be on the architecture but the interior is usually dealt with minimally. Here there are details, various use of materials and interior finishes which I thought is what made the project feel more complete.
A number of bespoke furniture pieces were designed by OKHA Interiors, a company they usually work with, while other pieces were from well known brands such as Minotti.
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The former trade fair area of Milan (Fiera di Milano) comprising 255,000 square meters was the subject of an architectural competition in 2004 for a residential and commercial project. City Life won the competition with designs by Arata Isozaki, Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid and Pier Paolo Maggiora.
The complexity and the scale of the work involved in the re-qualification of the former Milan trade fair area led the partners of CityLife to commission the design of the project to a group of architects rather than a single designer. The choice fell Zaha Hadid, Arata Isozaki and Daniel Libeskind, architects of different origin, culture and background, but who share the distinction of having gained extensive experience by working on some of the most advanced expressions of international architectural culture of recent years.
CityLife is the result of the combined efforts of this group of architects, along with contributions from an array of other professionals and consultants who have ensured the project’s structural, plant design, environmental, urban planning and economic sustainability.
Controversy has been surrounding the designs for the 1 World Trade Center. Over 20 changes have been applied to the initial drawings, however the main conflict was concerning the importance of having the pole (antenna) on top of the skyscraper. It has always been part of the towers' characteristics. Should that change now?
“The problem is that the council does not recognize antennae, flagpoles, signage or other superfluous structures as contributing to the height of the building. That is why the Willis Tower, 1,451 feet, ranks eighth tallest in the world, even though two broadcasting arrays bring its total height to 1,729 feet, the second tallest in the world behind the Burj Khalifa.”- The Observer
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Designed by Laidlaw Schultz Architects, this architecture wonder is the result of the beautiful combination of concrete, wood, painted bricks, glass, and beautiful white striated marble. It is lovely how the exterior is reflected into the interior of the house. The same materials and colors used on the facade continue to the interior but with more emphasis on the warm finishes such as walnut wood, fire, and a large orange carpet.
On the exterior however, the emphasis is more on the glass, concrete, and the beautiful pool. This continuity in use of the materials is what gives this residence its balanced feel.
Beautifully complementing the surrounding landscape, this lovely house located in Maryland right outside Washington, DC. is designed by Robert Gurney Architects. The landscape alone is just breathtaking with mature trees and a river view.
The house is of two volumes connected using glass bridges. Other overlapping secondary volumes make the entire structure more dynamic. The large spans of glass give a lovely coherence with the wooded landscape.
The use of stone, wood, and glass is a perfect combination for any exterior to feel balanced and blend in such a beautiful surrounding.
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Architectural Digest, one of the world’s top architecture magazines, visited designer May Daouk in Beirut to feature her home. She was kind enough to take the editor on a lovely tour of Beirut and introduce him to some of Lebanon’s skilled crafts people and designers. With pride, I read the article and went through the beautiful slideshow with photos taken by Simon Watson. In the article, he lists the places he visited and includes contact details for the beautiful shops and galleries. I love how Beirut is portrayed this time as a source for art and creativity.To read the article and have access to the full slideshow visit Architectural Digest.
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