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The Millennium Bridge was the first new bridge to be built over the Thames in London for more than 100 years. It was the result of a 1996 competition and it was won by the 'blade of light' design envisioned by Arup (engineers), Foster and Partners (architects) and Sir Anthony Caro (sculptor).
It was officially opened by the Queen on 10 June 2000. Around 80,000 people crossed the bridge on its opening day, with around 2,000 on the bridge at any one time. People felt the bridge begin to sway and twist in regular oscillations. Feeling unsteady, the pedestrians altered their gait to the same lateral rhythm as the bridge. The adjusted footsteps just magnified the motion: the more it happened, the more people responded to the movement; and the worse it got. Two days later the bridge was closed until the problem was fixed but it’s known as the Wobbly Bridge since.
It reopened for good on 27 February 2002 and the best time to catch it without people crossing it is at sunrise, albeit the occasional photographer will be desperately trying to find a new angle.
Vauxhall Bus Station
The bus station was designed by Arup Associates. It incorporates two cantilevered arms that contain 167 solar panels, which provide a third of the bus station's electricity.
The current St Michael's Cathedral, built next to the remains of the old, was designed by Basil Spence and Arup, built by John Laing and is a Grade I listed building.
The selection of Spence for the work was a result of a competition held in 1950 to find an architect for the new Coventry Cathedral; his design was chosen from over two hundred submitted.
Spence (later knighted for this work) insisted that instead of re-building the old cathedral it should be kept in ruins as a garden of remembrance and that the new cathedral should be built alongside, the two buildings together effectively forming one church. The use of Hollington sandstone for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings.
The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid by Elizabeth II on 23 March 1956. The unconventional spire (known as a flèche) is 80 feet tall and was lowered onto the flat roof by a helicopter, flown by Wing Commander John Dowling in April 1962.
The cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962, and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, composed for the occasion, was premiered in the new cathedral on 30 May to mark its consecration.
Coventry's modernist design caused much discussion, but on opening to the public it rapidly became a hugely popular symbol of reconciliation in post-war Britain.[citation needed] The interior is notable for its huge tapestry (once thought to be the world's largest) of Christ, designed by Graham Sutherland, the emotive sculpture of the Mater Dolorosa by John Bridgeman in the East end, and the Baptistry window designed by John Piper (made by Patrick Reyntiens), of abstract design that occupies the full height of the bowed baptistery, which comprises 195 panes, ranging from white to deep colours. The stained glass windows in the Nave, by Lawrence Lee, Keith New and Geoffrey Clarke, face away from the congregation. Spence's concept for these Nave windows was that the opposite pairs would represent a pattern of growth from birth to old age, culminating in heavenly glory nearest the altar — one side representing Human, the other side, the Divine. Also worthy of note is the Great West Window known as the Screen of Saints and Angels, engraved directly onto the screen in expressionist style by John Hutton. (Although referred to as the West Window, this is the 'liturgical west' opposite the altar which is traditionally at the east end. In this cathedral the altar is actually at the north end.) The foundation stone, the ten stone panels inset into the walls of the cathedral called the Tablets of the Word, and the baptismal font were designed and carved by the émigré German letter carver Ralph Beyer.
The spire of the original St Michael's Cathedral remains to this day.
The London Millennium Footbridge was the result of a competition where the winning design was a joint effort by Arup Group, Foster and Partners, and Sir Anthony.
Under the glass roof of the Sony Center, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin. Architect Helmut Jahn, Construction by Ove Arup, 2000.
In Tribute to Helmut Jahn, a famous German-American architect who died on 11 May 2021 aged 81.
When the CEO of Sony asked Helmut where the doors would go, Jahn said that there were no doors. The CEO said, but then it's open and everyone can come in, to which Jahn replied “You got it!”
King's Cross is a railway station in central London. Opened in 1852 and modernized in 2012, it now features a steel structure of the roof, designed by Arup, which has been described as being "like some kind of reverse waterfall, a white steel grid that swoops up from the ground and cascades over your head".
Sony Center, Postdamer Platz, Berlín (1998), de Helmut Jahn y Peter Walker. Cúpula de Waagner-Biro. Ingeniería estructural de Ove Arup & Partners
The Beijing National Stadium (北京国家体育场, guójiā tǐyùchǎng), also known as the Bird's Nest (鸟巢, niǎocháo) was designed for and used during the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
The design was awarded to the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, structural engineering by ARUP. The design implemented interlaced steel beams in order to hide the supports for the planned retractable roof, thus giving the stadium the appearance of a bird's nest.
The retractable roof was later removed from the design after leading to the stadium's most recognizable design aspect. Apart from cost savings, the removal of the retractable roof made the overall design lighter and also helped to design it to withstand seismic activities.
The "Bird's Nest" design features an apparently random placing of the beams, while in-fact each of the stadium's halves features an identical layout of the structural members.
The stadium is 333 metres long, 296 metres wide and has a maximum height of 69 metres. Regular seating capacity is 80,000, on peak events such as the Olympics this number can be increased to 91,000.
It does not belong to the list of "one time used and then abandoned" Olympic facilities, though it did initially face difficulties attracting new events. Most post-olympics profit comes from the 50 Yuan admission fee for visitors - at an annual average 25,000 visitors per day do visit the stadium.
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Structure detail...
The Beijing National Stadium (北京国家体育场, guójiā tǐyùchǎng), also known as the Bird's Nest (鸟巢, Niǎocháo) was designed for and used during the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.
The design was awarded to the Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, structural engineering by ARUP. The design implemented interlaced steel beams in order to hide the supports for the planned retractable roof, thus giving the stadium the appearance of a bird's nest.
The retractable roof was later removed from the design after leading to the stadium's most recognizable design aspect. Apart from cost savings, the removal of the retractable roof made the overall design lighter and also helped to design it to withstand seismic activities.
The "Bird's Nest" design features to an apparently random placing of the beams, while in-fact each of the stadium's halves features an identical layout of the structural members.
The stadium is 333 metres long, 296 metres wide and has a maximum height of 69 metres. Regular seating capacity is 80,000, on peak events such as the Olympics this number can be increased to 91,000.
It does not belong to the list of "one time used and then abandoned" Olympic facilities, though it did initially face difficulties attracting new events. Most post-olympics profit comes from the 50 Yuan admission fee for visitors - at an annual average 25,000 visitors per day do visit the stadium.
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Sony Center, Postdamer platz, Berlín (1998), de Helmut Jahn y Peter Walker. Cúpula de Waagner-Biro. Ingeniería estructural de Ove Arup & Partners
Germany, Berlin, Potsdamer Platz, Sony Centre, Dome, 6WS (slightly cut)
The Sony centre is a Berlin building with a strong symbolic significance. It was created during the massive urban redevelopment after the fall of the Wall and the reunification of Berlin..
More symbolic architecture, build after the creation of the Wall in the Hansa Vertel for the Interbau 57 exposition is here, here , here and here.
Shown here is the dome of the building. It was was designed by Helmut Jahn (engineering: Ove Arup & Partners).
More about the Sony Centre is here.
This is the start of a new Berlin architecture series which will include Le Corbusier's Unité de habitation, the 'twin' of the one in Marseille.
And it's number 78 of the Berlin album
Sony Center, Postdamer platz, Berlín (1998), de Helmut Jahn y Peter Walker. Cúpula de Waagner-Biro. Ingeniería estructural de Ove Arup & Partners
A cross section of Anish Kapoor's Orbit tower at the Olympic Park, in Stratford, London.
At 114 metres high, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is Britain's largest piece of public art. Kapoor designed it in conjunction with Arup's Cecil Balmond, and construction was completed in late 2011, in time for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. A slide was later added in 2016. Despite the design being unanimously chosen by a nine-person advisory panel, the tower has never been universally popular, even being nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in 2012.
Sepia, shot with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor AFS DX 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G lens, and processed in GIMP and Photoscape.
Anish Kapoor's Orbit tower at the Olympic Park, in Stratford, London.
At 114 metres high, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is Britain's largest piece of public art. Kapoor designed it in conjunction with Arup's Cecil Balmond, and construction was completed in late 2011, in time for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. A slide was later added in 2016. Despite the design being unanimously chosen by a nine-person advisory panel, the tower has never been universally popular, even being nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in 2012.
Two-shot HDR taken with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor AFS DX 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G lens, merged in Photomatix, then processed in GIMP and Photoscape.
Beijing Capital International Airport. Impressive space: at its opening, the new Terminal 3 was the largest man-made structure in the world in terms of area covered.
Design (2004): Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO), UK Architect Foster and Partners, and ARUP.
Looking up at Anish Kapoor's Orbit tower, at the Olympic Park, in Stratford, London.
At 114 metres high, the ArcelorMittal Orbit is Britain's largest piece of public art. Kapoor designed it in conjunction with Arup's Cecil Balmond, and construction was completed in late 2011, in time for the 2012 Cultural Olympiad. A slide was later added in 2016. Despite the design being unanimously chosen by a nine-person advisory panel, the tower has never been universally popular, even being nominated for the Carbuncle Cup in 2012.
Shot with a Nikon D7000 and a Nikkor AFS DX 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6G lens, merged in Photomatix, then processed in GIMP and Photoscape. Potentially a bit heavy handed with the tone-mapping...
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Here I've taken my previous upload and straightened it and converted to monochrome to take it one step towards abstraction.
Back in November I got to finally visit Coventry Cathedral. I say finally but I'd been when I was a teenager so that doesn't really count..... This Modernist concrete and glass masterpiece may not be to everyone's taste but I found it pretty awe-inspiring.
Click here to see more of my favourite shots of churches around the world : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157626470226263
From Wikipedia, "The current St Michael's Cathedral, built next to the remains of the old, was designed by Basil Spence and Arup, built by John Laing and is a Grade I listed building.
The selection of Spence for the work was a result of a competition held in 1950 to find an architect for the new Coventry Cathedral; his design was chosen from over two hundred submitted. Spence (later knighted for this work) insisted that instead of rebuilding the old cathedral, it should be kept in ruins as a garden of remembrance and that the new cathedral should be built alongside, the two buildings together effectively forming one church. The use of Great Gate sandstone for the new Coventry Cathedral provides an element of unity between the buildings.
The foundation stone of the new cathedral was laid by Elizabeth II on 23 March 1956. The unconventional spire or flèche is 80 feet (24m) tall and was lowered onto the flat roof by a helicopter, flown by Wing Commander John Dowling in April 1962.
The cathedral was consecrated on 25 May 1962, and Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, composed for the occasion, was premiered in the new cathedral on 30 May to mark its consecration."
© D.Godliman
The concourse roof at King’s Cross Station in north London – completed in 2012, costing in the region of £400 million – is a triumph of design, architecture and structural engineering.
The station, which serves rail routes to the North-east of England and Scotland, was opened in 1852 and was badly in need of a makeover. The answer was this spectacular semi-circular roof, which has a radius of 54 metres and comprises more than 2,000 triangular panels, half of which are glass. For those in the know, it’s a diagrid shell structure; all this architecturally uneducated observer knows is that it’s beautiful to behold.
The architects are John McAslan + Partners, and the engineers are Arup.
I've been tagged by Arup Da so here is 10 facts about me.
1.Once I lost… then I was only 4-5 years of age. While playing in the yard I thought that ‘I should explore the area beyond my territory” I walk & walk ...suddenly I realized that I was really far away from home, I become afraid & start crying …a rickshaw puller kind enough to bring back me home (I told him that our home is beside Bolaka cinema hall) my Mother give me a tight Hug & lots of kisses when she find me back.
2.I’m the middle one of our 3 Brother… I don’t know why it seems like my Mother loves my Elder & younger brothers more than mine (till now!)
3.In childhood I lost 2 more times. Those were actually not real lost… I just hide somewhere near home only to get that unbound love from my Mother. But 2nd time they understood it & remind me the story of “Tiger & shepherd”
4.I was caught by my mother while exploring a book of Gynecology belongs to my Father, while I was in class 3 (!) She straight complains to my Father… I was so afraid about the punishments but surprising me he didn’t tell me anything except “try to be a Doctor in future to learn those matters & apply in practical life”
5.In my student life I was really a very bad student. Especially I’m very weak in Mathematics. I got 33 (the marginal pass mark) in 3 of my math exam from class 1-10. I failed in Math in my HSC Exam. (fortunately that was my optional subject)
6.“I was a very good lover rather than a good Husband”- my wife’s statement. I completely agreed with her. In our 5 years affair I send more than 2000 love letters to her & made thousand promises but after marriage I can’t keep maximum promises.
7.I usually don’t watch Television program. For relax I prefer listening songs… or watching movies in DVD.
8.Before the birth of my Daughter I didn’t have any fascination about baby. But when I have her in my arms I realize that a baby could bring the touch of Heaven in your Home.
9.I’m not smart rather kind of introvert. And I’m very weak in English too.
10.I have no future plan...I’m quite happy with my present situation.
Arup est la société qui a été sélectionnée pour créer le design d’éclairage afin de donner un paysage avec différentes zones et un système de distribution d’air frais qui refroidit le bâtiment avec de l’air provenant de l’extérieur.
An architectural abstract of the ARUP Associates Ropemakers Place office building in central London.
Click here for more of my London Architecture shots : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157635041185106
From ARUP's website : "The façade design exemplifies the integration of architectural treatment with environmental performance: a bespoke system of unitised 1.5m wide modular cladding, designed as a series of storey-height insulated cassettes with projecting and tilting vision panels where required, the combination of which reduces the average annual energy consumption for cooling by up to 27% compared to a flat façade. The cladding system was installed from the individual floors using sophisticated mechanical manipulators, and without expensive and time-consuming tower cranes."
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© D.Godliman
30 St Mary Axe, formerly Swiss Re Building - Norman Foster, Arup Group, 2004
_DSC0121 Anx2 1400h Q90
I last photographed 30 St Mary Axe -- designed by Norman Foster and Arup Group, and better known as the Gherkin -- a little over two years ago. At the time it would never have occurred to me that the scene might be suitable for a monochrome finish, although I was immediately drawn to the contrasting curved and diagonal lines, the mixture of squares, circles and triangles, and the odd composition that initially made it difficult to gauge how the three elements in the frame fit together. After recently revisiting and reshooting the vantage point -- beneath a lamp along Bury Street, and looking up towards the Gherkin alongside its reflection against the office windows of 6 Bevis Marks -- I knew exactly how I wanted the final image to look.
The end result is a mixture of two-, three-, four-, six- and seven-minute exposures, each of which eventually contributed different elements. The first and shortest exposure was the darkest, and this was used to darken the filament inside the street lamp. As I extended the shutter speed and widened the aperture, the sun began to go down behind the Gherkin, which created a subtle gradation in the sky and a soft light between the buildings, as well as a lovely mixture of tones along the edges of the buildings. To incorporate and emphasise these details, I used the Pen Tool in Photoshop to isolate the Gherkin, the adjacent building's office windows and panels, and the pole supporting the street lamp. Once this was done, I blended in the exposures using a combination of blend modes (predominantly Soft Light, Screen and Multiply), and gradually adjusted the light across the scene using linear, radial and reflective gradient masks. After this, I converted the image to black and white, leaving just the faint warm glow of the lamp, and adjusting the luminance of the blue tones across the image to darken the sky and to brighten the glass in the buildings.
When editing the image in Nik Silver Efex Pro, I needed to make selective adjustments to each component within the image: the contrast, structure and highlights inside the Gherkin were increased, for example, and the reflection of the Gherkin inside the neighbouring office windows needed to be isolated and edited with identical adjustments, but the frame around the square windows and the panels along the edge of 6 Bevis Marks' offices needed different amounts of Soft Contrast and midtone exposure, so these needed to be edited separately. Finally, in Colour Efex Pro, I applied Pro Contrast to the overall image, as well as a sparing amount of the Glamour Glow filter, which helped to soften the light along the edge of the Gherkin and to play up the futuristic and slightly ethereal atmosphere I was aiming for.
I've always been an enormous admirer of fine-art photographers such as Julia Anna Gospodarou and Joel Tjintjelaar, and although I'd never consider my work to be fine art, there seemed to be similarities between how I approached the planning, shooting and editing of this image and the thought process and workflow for fine-art images. Besides the emphasis on geometric patterns and dramatic light at the post-processing stage, the fundamental goal I set myself with most of my projects seems to be shared by fine-art photographers, which is to focus on the drama, the emotion and the elegance behind the architecture they capture, and to try to make the scene their own.
You can also connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, 500px and Google+.
The Spire of Dublin, alternatively titled the Monument of Light (Irish: An Túr Solais), is a large, stainless steel, pin-like monument 121.2 metres (398 ft) in height, located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar on O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland. It is constructed from eight hollow tubes of stainless steel and features a tuned mass damper, designed by engineers Arup, to counteract sway. The steel underwent shot peening to alter the quality of light reflected from it. As you can see it works!
The Lotus Flower ArtScience Iconic Museum
The most Environmentally-Sensitive museum over-the-top Marina Bay Sands Resort,a Dynamic Interplay between Arts & Sciences.
It was designed by the renowned architect Moshe Safdie while its asymmetrical structure was conceived by ARUP,a constructive firm (SHAPING a Better World),founded 70 years ago,by Sir Ove Arup,an English engineer.
Its design does look like the aquatic Lotus flower and collects Rain and Light as if it were real and wanted to stay alive.
It is structured into two major parts.The base of the ArtScience Museum,embedded in the earth and surrounded by the Bay’s water and a giant lily pond,and a flower-like steel structure made of 10 petals,which floats above the landscaped pond base.The petals,or fingers as some refer to them,rise towards the sky and each one of them is crowned by a skylight which draws in daylight penetrating the base and illuminating the galleries within.
Its dish-like roof collects rainwater and drains it through an oculus,creating a waterfall through the centre of the museum and then flows into an interior reflective pond.It's really great inside and outside.Visitors enter the musem through a free-standing glass pavillion and large lifts and escalators convey them to the lower and upper galleries.The 6,000 square metres museum & cultural centre welcomed its first visitors in 2011.
Sheldon Adelson,chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which developed Marina Bay Sands,named it :
"The Welcoming Hand of Singapore"
Great architects,designers,planners,engineers & technical specialists inspired by nature & turning daring concepts into architectural wonders ...
The new building was designed by the British architect Norman, Lord Foster and civil & structural engineers Ove Arup & Partners with service design by J. Roger Preston & Partners, and was constructed by Wimpey International. From the concept to completion, it took seven years (1978–1985). The building is 180 metres high with 47 storeys and four basement levels. The building has a modular design consisting of five steel modules prefabricated in the UK by Scott Lithgow Shipbuilders near Glasgow, and shipped to Hong Kong. About 30,000 tons of steel and 4,500 tons of aluminium were used.
The original design was heavily inspired by the Douglas Gilling designed Qantas International Centre in Sydney (currently known as Suncorp Place).
The new Lobby and its 2-part Asian Story Wall were designed by Greg Pearce, of One Space Limited. Pearce was also the Principal Architect of the Hong Kong Airport Express (MTR) station. Conceived as a minimalist glass envelope, the new lobby is designed to be deferential to Foster's structure and appears almost to be part of the original.
The building is also one of the few to not have elevators as the primary carrier of building traffic. Instead, elevators only stop every few floors, and floors are interconnected by escalators.
The main characteristic of HSBC Hong Kong headquarters is its absence of internal supporting structure.
Another notable feature is that natural sunlight is the major source of lighting inside the building. There is a bank of giant mirrors at the top of the atrium, which can reflect natural sunlight into the atrium and hence down into the plaza. Through the use of natural sunlight, this design helps to conserve energy. Additionally, sun shades are provided on the external facades to block direct sunlight going into the building and to reduce heat gain. Instead of fresh water, sea water is used as coolant for the air-conditioning system.
All flooring is made from lightweight movable panels, under which lies a comprehensive network of power, telecommunication, and air-conditioning systems. This design was to allow equipment such as computer terminals to be installed quickly and easily.
Because of the urgency to finish the project, the construction of the building relied heavily on off-site prefabrication; components were manufactured all over the world. For example, the structural steel came from Britain; the glass, aluminium cladding and flooring came from the United States while the service modules came from Japan.
The inverted 'va' segments of the suspension trusses spanning the construction at double-height levels is the most obvious characteristic of the building. It consists of eight groups of four aluminium-clad steel columns which ascend from the foundations up through the core structure, and five levels of triangular suspension trusses which are locked into these masts.
Source: Wikipedia
In 'Explore', 2021.10.06
Ilford Sportsman AutoRF, Kodak Plus-X developed in Kodak Microdol-X 1+3, negative scanned and then digitally developed in Lightroom.
"Kingsgate Bridge is a striking, modern reinforced concrete construction footbridge across the River Wear, in Durham, England. It is a Grade I listed building. It was personally designed in 1963 by Ove Arup, the last structure he ever designed. Kingsgate Bridge connects Bow Lane on the historic peninsula in the centre of Durham to Dunelm House on New Elvet (to which building Arup's studio also contributed), and opened in 1966. [NO!!!] Kingsgate Bridge is thought to have been one of Arup's favourite designs of all, he having spent many hours working on every detail of the plans." (Wikipedia)
Now here, Wikipedia is simply wrong; I took this photo. in 1963, so clearly the bridge was open then. The Wiki date presumably refers to the finishing of Dunelm House, not to the bridge itself. So many websites simply quote Wikipedia, and so perpetuate the error; the Arup website brings clarity:
"The last structure that Ove Arup designed himself was the award-winning reinforced concrete Kingsgate footbridge in Durham, England.
Completed in 1963, Arup considered this bridge his finest work."
Reinforced Concrete is not celebrated everywhere, but as the advertising slogan has it, it rather depends on what you make of it. Kingsgate Bridge is a first-class example of the architecture of reinforced concrete.
www.arup.com/projects/kingsgate-footbridge
A beautiful space I had the opportunity to experience and photograph, yesterday...
New York’s newest transit hub opens to the public
On Monday 10th November 2014, the Fulton Center officially opened to the public with thousands of commuters passing through for the first time.
Appointed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority as lead architect in collaboration with prime design consultant Arup, Grimshaw has designed a dynamic transport environment that streamlines connectivity and enhances the user experience for 300,000 daily passengers.
The central architectural concept of redirecting natural light deep into the transit environment culminates in the design of the dome’s interior and a new integrated artwork, Sky Reflector-Net (2013), developed in collaboration with Arup, Grimshaw and James Carpenter Design Associates. The artwork inspired the attention of the public who stopped to take photos and look up at the sky, whilst 120 feet below ground.
[description from Grimshaw's website]
flickriver.com/photos/javier1949/popular-interesting/
MUDEC Museo delle Culture -Museo de las Culturas-
Via Tortona, 56, Milano, Milán
Arquitectos: David Chipperfield Architects: David Chipperfield, Giuseppe Zampieri, Cristiano Billia, Oliver Ulmer. Responsables de Proyecto: C. Billia, G. Sirica, O. Ulmer. Colaboradores: Piuarch (concurso), F & P Architetti, Alberto Izzo & Partners. Iluminación: Ove Arup & Partners, Mario Nanni Progettista. Estructura y fachada: Stahlbau Pichler
Concurso 1999-2000 Proyecto 2001-2007 Ejecución: 2008-2013 Inauguración 2015
Promotor: Ayuntamiento de Milán – Dirección de Museos
MUDEC nace en el marco de la operación de recuperación en uno de los barrios más activos de la ciudad de Milán, la zona de Tortona ubicada al sur-oeste de la ciudad ocupada por fábricas abandonadas, monumentos reales de la arquitectura industrial, que se están convirtiendo en talleres, estudios y nuevos espacios de creación. El proyecto del Museo de las Culturas tiene origen en los años 90 cuando el Ayuntamiento de Milán compra la antigua instalación industrial de Ansaldo para destinarla a actividades culturales. Las fábricas desmontadas, monumentos de arqueología industrial, fueron transformadas en laboratorios, estudios y nuevos espacios creativos, el Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Arte Visual (CASVA), el Centro de las Culturas No Europeas y el Nuevo Museo Arqueológico.
En este escenario el Ayuntamiento de Milán proyecta un polo multidisciplinar dedicado a los diferentes testimonios y culturas del mundo, sede expositiva de las colecciones etnográficas de la ciudad.
El visitante del Museo de las Culturas podrá ver grandes muestras internacionales adaptadas a través de los diferentes lenguajes artísticos, conocer el patrimonio etno-antropológico de las colecciones del Ayuntamiento de Milán formadas por más de 7000 obras de arte, objetos de uso, tejidos e instrumentos musicales provenientes de todos los continentes, y participar de la programación de eventos e iniciativas a cargo de las comunidades internacionales presentes en el territorio.
El proyecto arquitectónico se debe al diseño del estudio de arquitectura dirigido por el británico David Chipperfield que ganó un concurso internacional organizado por el Ayuntamiento de Milán. La arquitectura del edificio también refleja las innumerables almas que se alojan en él. Se desarrolla dentro de un gran patio, detrás de los volúmenes de los antiguos edificios industriales, y se caracteriza por sus volúmenes cúbicos, cajas revestidas en zinc-titanio cuya apariencia se asemeja a la de las antiguas plantas de fabricación, y por una estructura de cristal - iluminada las 24 horas– que emerge geométricamente en el área que lo alberga y se presenta muy diferente a los volúmenes adyacentes. Su elemento distintivo es su núcleo central de forma libre y orgánica, que genera una jardín interno, con forma de "flor", una plaza cubierta que es el lugar de encuentro de las culturas y las comunidades.
Dentro del edificio se extienden diferentes espacios que ofrecen múltiples propuestas culturales y de servicios, distribuidos en 17.000 m2. La planta baja se destina a la recepción, y en torno a un hall de entrada con una gran escalera principal, se desarrollan los distintos espacios destinados a tienda de diseño, cafetería, taquilla, guardarropa, sala de conferencias-espacio plurifuncional, “el Foro de las Culturas”, aula didáctica, laboratorio de restauración y depósitos, con acceso en grupos, y oficinas.
El área expositiva del Museo se sitúa en la primera planta alrededor de una gran plaza central cubierta, de forma orgánica, "núcleo" real y a su alrededor se establece el recorrido museístico con las salas destinadas a la colección permanente y las dedicadas a las muestras temporales organizadas en grupos rectangulares adyacentes entre sí en orden jerárquico, diseñados para dar la posibilidad de optar con diferentes ambientes y dar cabida a la rotación de las colecciones en el museo, manteniendo un idea de continuidad espacial. El auditorio para 300 plazas completa el espacio. La plaza es un elemento sorprendente, un recinto curvilíneo revestido en vidrio esmerilado con superficies parabólicas, que le da con una esplendida luminosidad natural, que actuará como una linterna para la ciudad en las horas de la noche Un espacio diseñado en contraposición a la geometría cartesiana de las "cajas" que lo circundan.
En la segunda planta se sitúa el restaurante, MUDEC Club, que ofrece vistas inéditas del edificio y del área que lo rodea y está destinado a albergar eventos vinculados al mundo del arte: actuaciones artísticas, presentaciones y talleres.
La estructura de acero de la gran "linterna" central y las fachadas fueron hechas por Stahlbau Pichler, siguiendo un diseño tan limpio como visualmente complejo. La linterna está formada por dos capas de materiales translúcidos. El muro cortina exterior está hecho de perfiles de acero y de aluminio pre-pintado. El acristalamiento se compone de dos capas de vidrio con una capa intermedia de PVB y un panel interior que absorbe calor. La rejilla de suelo tiene un blanco de malla 44 x 44 acero pintado previamente en color blanco; sus juntas horizontales están selladas con silicona. La estructura de acero se trasdosa mediante barras de acero pintado en blanco con el fin de rigidizarla.
En planta baja, el techo y las superficies son de hormigón armado recordando la atmósfera de Ansaldo. Los locales se pintan de blanco para dar mayor luminosidad. El suelo es de piedra de basalto gris oscuro del Etna. El color oscuro de la planta baja destaca la ligereza de nivel superior. Dos plantas subterráneas están dedicadas a aparcamiento. En la planta superior, el bar y el restaurante también son de cristal. Las galerías rectangulares están construidas con hormigón in situ, sobre una losa apoyada en columnas de 80 cm de diámetro.
La inauguración oficial del Museo de las Culturas tuvo lugar el 27 de octubre de 2015, tras una apertura preliminar en marzo de este año con motivo de la EXPO de Milán, a pesar de que David Chipperfield Architects no ha tenido intervención en la supervisión artística del diseño de la exposición permanente y a pesar del que el Ayuntamiento de Milán no ha corregido los defectos en la ejecución que la Dirección facultativa ha venido denunciando en los últimos dos años y que está en litigio en los Tribunales de Justicia milaneses, por ello David Chipperfield se ha negado a asistir a la inauguración. Estos supuestos defectos incluyen un suelo de piedra que Chipperfield calificó de "inaceptable" a principios de este año. La superficie resultó arañada, manchada y las piezas mal alineadas. Ofreciéndose a cubrir la mitad del costo para remplazar el solado.
www.plataformaarquitectura.cl/cl/765090/mudec-david-chipp...
www.bmiaa.com/mudec-museum-of-cultures-in-milan-by-david-...
www.inexhibit.com/case-studies/milan-mudec-museum-david-c...
www.dezeen.com/2015/10/28/david-chipperfield-boycotts-ope...
Superstructure is the largest timber project in UK - Foster + Partners and Arup, completed in 2015
canarywharf.com/open-spaces/crossrail-place-roof-garden/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossrail_Place
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Wharf
P4014329 Anx2 Q90 1400h f10 f25
Fruit Museum and Garden
Yamanashi-pref.,Japan
www.fuefukigawafp.or.jp/top/fp-top.html
Designed by Itsuko Hasegawa 1997
Engineering Ove Arup and Partners
Pentax 645
笛吹川フルーツ公園 山梨県
設計 長谷川逸子
（長谷川逸子・建築計画工房）
エンジニアリング オーヴ・アラップ
Fruit Museum and Garden
Yamanashi-pref.,Japan
www.fuefukigawafp.or.jp/top/fp-top.html
Designed by Itsuko Hasegawa 1997
Engineering Ove Arup and Partners
Nikon D40x
笛吹川フルーツ公園 山梨県
設計 長谷川逸子
（長谷川逸子・建築計画工房）
エンジニアリング オーヴ・アラップ