Centro Abierto de Actividades Ciudadanas by ParedesPino Arquitectos, photo by Jorge López Conde and Paredes Pino

The Madrid based ParedesPino Arquitectos recently completed this urban installation of permanent parasols, the Centro Abierto de Actividades Ciudadanas (CAAC), in Cordoba in the south of Spain.

The central piazza is located close to the train station and is venue for a market twice a week. The prefabricated parasols shade this higly frequented open space, solve the artificial lighting and allow drainage of water inside.

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New Bike Share System in Copenhagen by RAFAA

The Zurich based architect and designer Rafael Schmidt submitted this new bike sharing system to a competition which was organised within last year’s International Climate Conference in Copenhagen. The system involves a comprehensive architectural intervention into the urban centre.

New Bike Share System in Copenhagen by RAFAA

“The Bike Share System must become more than just a transporting system. It deals not only with the problem of stocks and flows of people, but must add extra value to its user and to the city itself. We suggest that the Bike Share System becomes an integral part of the city. The bicycles should function as censors and inform the system about certain behaviours, so that the system can react according to the situation.To predict the performance of a system, the entities have to exchange information. An internet-based platform can analyse the different interests and could then manage possible conflicts. The bicycles are equipped with GPS und W-Lan, so they are connected to each order and can inform the system about their position and status. (Is a bike being used? Where is the bike and where is it moving to? Is there a reservation for the bike? etc.) Privacy protection is a matter that has to be taken into account in the process. To increase the number of commuters travelling by bicycle from 37% to 50% by 2015, approx. 25.000 bicycles have to be integrated into the urban fabric; these bikes will need at least 20.000 m2 of storage space. We see a high risk of overloading the squares, streets and stations of Copenhagen. Therefore, our focus is to reduce the „visual pollution“ wherever possible. At the same time, easy accessibility as well as the system’s visual presence has to be maintained (hide & show policy). The following proposal distinguishes between three different trajectory scales: S,M and L.”

New Bike Share System in Copenhagen by RAFAA

New Bike Share System in Copenhagen by RAFAA

New Bike Share System in Copenhagen by RAFAA

New Bike Share System in Copenhagen by RAFAA

more information about the project

Namba Parks in Osaka / Japan

Bringing green into the world’s metropolises – especially the fast grown megacities in Asia seem to meet this challenge. 

Namba Parks, located in Osaka, Japan, was named as one of four outstanding developments selected as a winner of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2009 Awards of Excellence: Asia Pacific competition.

Namba Parks in Osaka / Japan by The Jerde Partnership

Designed by The Jerde Partnership, Namba Parks sits adjacent to the Namba train station. It was conceived as a natural amenity in the city, literally an urban jungle, offering a sloping rooftop park that is bifurcated by a sinuous, open-air “canyon” path that reinforces the connection with nature while forming the primary circulation pattern.

Open-air “canyon” path: Namba Parks in Osaka / Japan

Namba forms a dramatic new identity for the city. Alongside a 30-storey office tower and 46-storey residential tower, the project features a new lifestyle commercial center with a rooftop park that crosses multiple blocks while gradually ascending eight levels from the streets of the city. The sloping nature of the park serves as a green and highly visible oasis in a city where nature is sparse. By connecting to the street, the sloping park plane will draw people up and into the project among groves of trees, green spaces, water features and outdoor terraces, where they can dine, read, socialize, or simply taking in views of the city.

Rooftop park on Namba Parks in Osaka / Japan

more information at World Architecture News

to The Jerde Partnership website

'Urban Camping' by import.export Architecture

The Belgian architects of import.export Architecture recently presented their concept of an urban camping tower.

Here the explanation of the architects:

‘Camping’ is defined as getting away from an urban area, and enjoying nature, spending one or more nights on a location. As such, the phrase ‘urban camping’ contradicts itself. 

A new interest in city travelling has sparked a rise in low-budget travelling accommodation requiring a rethinking of urban visitor sleeping solutions. Existing low budget hotels, but also contemporary youth hostels are a limited and often poor answer to this general demand for cheap lodging in the city-centres. On the other hand, campers trying to visit cultural city centres on their drifting routes, often encounter camping areas located in the city’s anonymous expanding outer limits.

'Urban Camping' by import.export Architecture

import.export Architects wants to setup an experimental process of research and design around this topic. A second generation and more refined model of the ‘Urban Camping’ is designed and ready to be realized. For the Kaailand Festival exposition on mobile Architecture, ‘Urban Camping II’ is built on the Antwerp quays near the river Schelde.

This type can be implanted in any city centre that likes to experiment with this new type of urban camping. That is open to create a place for local and international travellers that are welcomed to stay for an ‘escape’ into rather than away from the city life. To create a place where adventurous city wanderers can stay overnight, meet other campers, find a safe shelter with basic designed practical facilities focusing on extraordinary vistas of city exploration.  

to the import.export Architecture website 

Barriers and seating arrangements on Nørrebrogade

Anyone who has driven through Copenhagen by car, will know how heavy the traffic and how crowded the entrance streets are. The Danish company Møller & Grønborg (M&G) Architects, together with the engineering company COWI, are creating a new plan for Nørrebrogade in Copenhagen. Nørrebrogade is one of the main entrance streets towards the inner city of Copenhagen.

Rearranging the street dimensions by painting the paving surfaces

The purpose of the project is to strengthen the infrastructural conditions for busses and bicycles and to create a street environment which accommodates city life instead of just extensive car-use.

In search of the right permenant plan for the future development of Nørrebrogade – an experiment was initialised where the infrastructure was restructured. By painting the paving surfaces and thereby rearranging the street dimensions – different traffic models and hierarchies were tested for cars, busses, bicycles and pedestrians in search of a sustainable and realistic solution.

Temporary urban furniture

There have been produced barriers, seating arrangements and bus stops which work as the urban furniture to come. These installations are all temporary and enable a makeshift setup which can be rearranged not only in real-time but in real-life.

more information at World Architecture News