If you ever happen to be in the town of Heerhugowaard in the north of Holland, you should go to the bathroom. Of course not just to any bathroom, but to the one in recreation park Strand van Luna. That’s where Danish art collective Superflex and Amsterdam-based Nezu Aymo Architects have built their „Power Toilets“: a replica of the rest rooms in the UN Security Council in New York, based on some photos taken secretly by an employee. Meaning that an inconspicuous box in a recreation area in a provincial Dutch town houses the exact same top-secret toilets which are frequented by Ban-Ki moon & Co. If that isn’t worth a detour.

Published by: architour, Amsterdam

While the financial crisis still effects Moscow’s architectural development, some other Russian regions are recovering earlier. Perm, for example, some 2000 km east of Moscow.

Dutch architect Kees Christiaanse has developed an ambitious master plan for its possible transformation. At the same time, a competition for the Tchaikovsky theatre for Opera and Ballet extension was held. Participants were David Chipperfield Architects (UK), Avery Associates Architects (UK), Henning Larsen Architects (Denmark), Neutelings Riedijk Architects (Holland), PLP Architecture (UK) and Sergey Skuratov Architects (Russia). David Chipperfield Architects won the competition.

Posted by: MPlus, Moscow

The guiding architects in Vienna, Ticket-W present their „Architekturplan Wien“ (architecture map of Vienna), which might be called the „missing link“ between city map and architectural guidebook. The publication is meant as a companion for walks through the city, inspiring systematic exploration as well as spontaneous visits.

On 20 map sheets and 10 detailed maps, more than 1.000 objects are localised. The combination of maps and registers allows to plan sightseeing tours, identify specific objects by their address or to find buildings according to individual interests. The selection covers the period from 1900 to the present day, emphasizing the last 20 years with more than two thirds of the objects. The lists include not only architecture but also landscape architecture, urban interventions and site-specific works of art.

In addition to the lists, 100 objects are presented with a photo and a short text: a pleasant mélange of classics and brand-new buildings, insider tips and talk-of-the-town architecture, which entices discoveries as well as second visits. Vienna’s vital architecture community is a true discovery – go for it!

ARCHITEKTURPLAN WIEN
Architektur und Landschaftsarchitektur von 1900 bis heute
Mit Register nach Epochen | Funktionen | PlanerInnen
Hg.: Ticket-W, Architekturführungen in Wien
Falter Verlag
€ 19,90

Information and orders: www.architekturplan-wien.at
Posted by: Ticket-W

Posted by: Guiding Architects

The winner of the second round of the international competition for the new National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo was announced on April 12th. Among the 6 finalists - chosen from 237 entries of the first, open round - the jury gave the first prize to Kleihues + Schuwerk Gesellschaft von Architekten mbH (Napoli, Berlin), and their project “Forum Artis”. This central location in Oslo was for several years meant for the new main library, with a competition winning project by architects Spacegroup / OMA. However, the city and state swapped building sites, landing the library near the new opera, and the National Museum in this location at the former West railway station. The small, listed station buildings (with the Nobel Peace Prize Museum), as well as the adjacent City Hall and harbourfront, present complex problems of scale and relationships between structures of great historical and architectural value.

The winning project features an iconic luminous top floor, as well as public roof terraces and sculpture gardens with harbour views. The jury gives top score for museum-technical solutions, and praises the project’s low-key monumentality and harmonious relationship with nearby cultural monuments.

The entries «Urban Transition» by JAJA Architects ApS of Copenhagen, and «Trylleesken» by Henning Larsen Architects A/S, also Copenhagen, won the second and third prizes. The new museum is planned to open in 2016/17.

Copyright: DiizGroup and Statsbygg

Posted by: Guide-A, Oslo

“We’re selling everything! We need money”, federation tower development company MIRAX wrote on its website earlier this month. Last Friday, MIRAX owner Sergei Polonsky organized a personal guided tour of his tower, serving champagne and snacks on the 62nd floor of the not yet completed 92-storey building in Moscow. The price of the tour was 100 US$ per person, and more than 50 people participated. The purpose of the tour was to sell apartments, not to collect money for completion, MIRAX representatives said. No wonder, as the entrance fees wouldn’t have got MIRAX very far: completion is calculated to cost an extra 240 million US$.

Posted by: MPlus

Ever since MVRDV, we know that the Dutch like to stack things – cities, landscapes, pigs, whatever. And ever since Superdutch, we know that they aren’t afraid of building the occasional oneliner, either. This, however, is hair-raising even for Dutch standards. In the town of Zaandam, just a few kilometres north of Amsterdam, WAM Architecten have built a new hotel which looks like a pile of little old Dutch wooden houses. The opening of Inntel Zaandam will take place on 18 March.

Photo: Roel Backaert © design: Molenaar & Van Winden architecten/ WAM architecten
Posted by: architour

What’s up with Scandinavians and animated infographics? First there was this, now there’s this:

During our 2010 network meeting in Barcelona we visited villa Ricarda, built by Antoni Bonet between 1959-1963.

Under a beautiful blue sky, we had a rare chance to walk around this very sexy 1950ies home, located between the beach and Barcelona airport. In essence, the villa consists of a composition of elegant white vaults, arranged under pine trees in a big garden. Custom-designed furniture and translucent walls made of stoneware bricks turn it into a real “Gesamtkunstwerk”. Unfortunately it’s not quite as easy on the ears as on the eyes. Thanks to several airport extensions, deafening airplane noise is the soundtrack of the villa. But hey, maybe that’s why it has never been modernized and can still be admired in its original state…

Last weekend the annual GA network meeting took place, this time in Barcelona. We had great weather, nice food, long nights, looked at some amazing architecture - and talked about the guiding business, of course.

The network is growing steadily, and at the meeting no less than 6 new members were accepted: GA is now represented in Bilbao, Budapest, Istanbul, New York, Shanghai and Valencia. We’re going global!