Australian firm Koichi Takada Architects uses biomimicry as the guiding principle in all its designs, including its new Solar Trees Marketplace in the Minhang district southwest of Shanghai, China. The complex takes one of Chinese culture’s most revered and ancient public spaces and modernizes it without compromising the characteristics that make it special. The firm wanted to retain the feeling of discovery and connection to the country’s historic open-air markets with a design that was friendly to both humans and the environment, taking cues from Mother Nature’s own creations.

The result is nothing short of stunning. Currently in the late stages of construction, the three-story mixed-use development features 32 architectural “trees” rising from the ground to form an artificial canopy above hundreds of modular market stalls. Visitors will wind through indoor and outdoor spaces, the timber “branches” above providing shade, shelter from the rain, and a surface for solar panels to power the facility.

50 living camphor trees planted outside signal the beginning of a green corridor that will run down the length of the new Shanghai Tian An Caobao Road Area Residential Masterplan. Ultimately, pedestrians will enjoy a boulevard lined with 3,000 trees and shrubs indigenous to Shanghai, with the color coding of different plantings identifying various neighborhoods and guiding residents home.

“The inclusion of modular market stalls will bring a sense of authenticity to the contemporary development, referencing their history as social and cultural gathering spaces and allowing a new generation to gather at its heart,” says the firm. “Reflecting the Chinese tradition of making guests feel at home — bīn zhì rú guī — the marketplace will generate a powerful sense of community and integrate the private and public domains.”

For the shape of the facility, the Koichi Takada team turned to Shanghai’s nearby forests. The marketplace is a symbolic visual bridge between nature and the city, softening the edges and contributing to a healthier, more livable urban environment in what has long been one of the world’s most polluted cities. It’s due to be completed by the end of 2021.

“We want to humanize buildings in the district, to be more engaging to the public and contribute to the regeneration of communities and their neighborhoods,” says principal architect Koichi Takada. “We want architecture to celebrate cultural identity, along with encouraging pedestrian activities and a more walkable and livable city.

Last year, Koichi Takada Architects showed off a similar approach with Sunflower House, a series of single-family dwellings designed specifically for Italy’s sunny Tuscan climate. Those homes utilize a rotating design and solar roof to maximize sun exposure for energy production and minimize heat gain inside.

The post Tree-Inspired Solar Powered Shopping Center Offers a Twist on Traditional Chinese Markets first appeared on Dornob.

What do you do with an abandoned supermarket that’s no longer needed for its original purpose but still has great bones? In this case, transform it into a celebrated, completely free homeless shelter for 42 full-time residents. “Shelter From the Storm” is more than just a place for unhoused people to lay their heads at night — it’s a thoughtfully designed community that could serve as a model for similar projects around the world.

Designed by Holland Harvey Architects, the London shelter now bears few signs of its former identity. Its spacious open interiors have been converted into cozier, more domestic-feeling spaces. Guests and residents can even enjoy a cheerful on-site café space full of plants.

The original building clearly had plenty of life left in it, and many of its elements are still present, including the brick walls, concrete columns, and visible ductwork. All this gives the space a somewhat industrial feel, albeit one softened by the addition of wood floors, residential-style lighting, and tiled surfaces in pink and white.

The architects explain: “Upon arrival, guests are greeted with an entrance space that is domestic in scale with a smaller private room directly adjacent if needing to compose themselves before entering the shelter. As you move through the shelter, the scale of each space slowly increases, aiding a smooth transition to the open kitchen and dining area.”

“Throughout the project, each detail was carefully considered, ensuring robustness, dignity, and a sense of ownership for the guests. Bedrooms and bathrooms are based upon typical domestic typologies. For example, sinks and mirrors are separate, providing guests with something of their own within a communal space.”

They add: “An essential part of our undertaking was to understand and respond to preconceived ideas around homelessness and the homeless. Our approach to this was to embed the idea of transparency into the scheme. This was achieved through the insertion of new windows and internal openings that allow views in, out, and through the space. Similarly, the dual use of the shelter as a community café aims to open up the shelter to the wider community. By inviting the general public into the shelter, they are simultaneously invited into the debate about how to demystify homelessness.”

Shelter From the Storm has a primary aim of reintegrating its residents back into society, and it shows that with the respectful way in which they’re all treated. The shelter aims to house and support people no matter who they are or where they come from, noting that they “do not shy away from difficult cases that require extra perseverance, understanding, and care.”

The organization works in collaboration with both large corporations and third party institutions to offer work opportunities to residents. Running on donations, they manage to provide all of this care at a cost of less than £20 per guest per night, which is much lower than the amount it typically costs city and state governments to have people living on the streets. If you’re interested in learning more about their compassionate model, check out STFS.org.uk.

The post Abandoned London Supermarket Transformed Into a Homeless Shelter first appeared on Dornob.

Prior to this adaptive reuse project, which was completed in 2016, the former freight depot was little more than a shell of its former self. Roofless, surrounded by weeds and shrubs, and overrun with high grass, the building was skeletal. As it withered away, newer buildings were bringing the neighborhood into the 21^st century. When Martin and Nina Totté Karyd eventually purchased it, they saw an opportunity to use the remaining components and transform the freight depot into what they called a “food lover’s paradise.”

Wingårdhs‘ solution was to mirror the gable form of the existing brick shell and create a replica clad in weathering steel on an adjacent space. A strip of glass wraps the junction between the old and new parts like a ribbon around a gift. One side of the extension draws people in by acting as a canopy. The result is an enclosed 16,145 square-foot food market that feels like it’s been around for decades — but it is still a contemporary food market nonetheless. A public square for farmers markets and events and a seating area make up other parts of the site.

The use of weathering steel acknowledges the industrial history of that part of Malmö. The façade of the extension consists solely of steel profiles standing side by side, and corrugated steel is applied within the flanges.

The interior boasts a simple layout of well-articulated stalls and cafés. The neutral colors (particularly the black ceiling) give businesses the opportunity to change their identities as often as they wish.

At Malmö Saluhall, romanticizing the old is a delicious experience of colors, smells, and tastes. There’s just something about fruits, vegetables, and bread in a rustic setting that makes sense — even when that setting is a little more urban than usual. Despite its familiar presentation of fresh produce, this is not a formulaic project. The initial brick shell of the freight depot was the inspiration for the newer steel extension. As one building, they express the character of a once-industrial neighbourhood. Formulaic would have been ignoring the ruin and putting the market in a glass box.

The post Malmö Saluhall: From Ruin to Food Market first appeared on Dornob.

Held over the course of three days in Berlin, the festival hosted a jury made up of James Timberlake of KieranTimberlake, OMA partner Ellen van Loon, WOHA founder Mun Summ Wong, Ian Ritchie of Ian Ritchie Architects, and Christoph Ingenhoven of Ingenhoven Architects. Together, they chose the Sydney Fish Markets scheme from a shortlist of 13 category winners, which were themselves chosen over the first two days of the festival. The winner was announced on the final day.

The winning project was designed by Australian firms Allen Jack+Cottier and NH Architecture (who are based in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively) and proposes replacing the existing “dangerous, odorous, and dilapidated” markets in Pyrmont with modern structures under a mirrored, undulating canopy, which itself would cover an entire boardwalk in the markets’ new location of Blackwattle Bay. The Pyrmont site would then be transformed into a mixed-use development — one that would be completely reinvigorated with a civic character and encourage frequent public usage.

“Our approach for the reference scheme recasts the whole idea as not a building in Blackwattle Bay, but rather a large publicly occupied wharf with a filigree canopy floating over it that happens to have a market in it,” said Michael Heenan of AJ+C. The architects were adamant that the resultant project should not be thought of as a building, but rather as a promenade and an extension of Wentworth Park.

According to the jury, the proposal by AJ+C and NH Architecture was the obvious choice because of the way it interpreted and challenged the original brief. They explain: “The jury took the view that in this category we must award the project that opens up the greatest transformation of the future in all its forms. It addresses matters of real life, visceral life, food, and transport. The architects executed their role in an exemplary and inspiring fashion.”

While the Australian firms won the award, they will unfortunately not be realizing its construction. Instead, that task will be overseen by the Danish firm 3XN Architects. 3XN will lead a design team that includes GXN heading up sustainability, BVN from Sydney as Executive Architect, landscape architects Aspect Studios, and public art specialists WallnerWeiss. The project is an intelligent solution to the question of dockland regeneration, which too often ends up competing with the existing industrial infrastructure by creating residential and commercial typologies that don’t fit in with the urban character of the surrounding area. Creating a free-flowing public space with commercial amenities allows this pier to be interpreted and used in a more flexible manner by the local population.

The post Future Project of the Year: Sydney Fish Markets Design Honored at World Architecture Festival first appeared on Dornob.

Inspired by the floating night markets of Asia, IKEA launched its new collection of home furnishings in the Regent Canal during London Design Week. For one night only, visitors boarded small boats at dusk to get an exclusive glimpse at a range of new furniture, organized by color on narrow floating platforms. This night market is unlike any you’ve ever seen before (unless you happen to be from Thailand or thereabouts).

Entering through a black-and-white tent made of IKEA textiles, visitors were first served cocktails and then ushered onto boats to view each individual display.

The Swedish retailer’s signature modern furniture was arranged on each miniature barge, heaped with textiles in shades of green, blue, purple, yellow and red.

IKEA brand ambassadors perched on each one supplied guests with information about the collection. Some even served food. More photos from the visitor’s point of view are available at NOTCOT.org and IKEA UK’s Facebook.

More from Light Public

“Retailers have been bound by the traditional brick and mortar facilities for so many years to advertise their products. IKEA’s recent  product  introduction has bi-passed the hard – sturdy traditional design with the moveable floating boat. In a small body of water in the middle of Regent’s Canal in Islington during  London’s pre-Design Week, IKEA placed a few open boats loaded with set designs and their new product collections, sold tickets for the venue and off they went.”

“Colorful displays, gondolas parading around with products, rides for visitors, all in London’s  Regent’s Canal. The gondolas were decorated in IKEA fabrics and pillows,  carrying  visitors along the canal to visit anchored boats housed in color-themed selections featuring new products from IKEA. Provoking feelings of the night lights of  foreign  markets these floating product collections enabled spectators to enjoy cocktails while awaiting rides and lounge in the home decor, just like at home (without the boat).”

The post IKEA Launches New Collection at Floating Night Market first appeared on Dornob.