Sky Trapezoid Drops Jaws in Munich

😮 Sky Trapezoid Drops Jaws in Munich

Ian Mutuli
Updated on
Ian Mutuli

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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Individuals who admire GM architecture,

And welcome back to the newsletter that hopes your summer has been full of relaxing time on the beach:

Seriously though. Relax. 🌊☀️

Anyway, here are the top stories in the world of Architecture & Design this week:

→ Sky Trapezoid Drops Jaws in Munich 😮

→ GOA’s Incredible Kindergarten in Hangzhou 🛝

→ San Siro Saved, Populous Foiled😤

→ Who Said What!? (Hot Takes From Around the World of A & D) 🗣️

→ Drop it Like it’s Hot: New Structure of the Week 🔥

Munich’s Trapezoid in the Sky 🌆

OMA’s design proposal for UniCredit’s new HQ in Munich, Germany is an impressive one.

The HQ would be surrounded by gardens, parks, and social amenities. The advantage of being raised on slick, slender columns is that public spaces open up on the ground while the structure strikes a stunning figure up in the air.

22 metres above the public hub would be the bank’s offices, located within giant trapezoids that vaguely recall Munich’s architectural past, while still projecting into the future.

GOA & Jiangnan’s Unique Schoolhouse 🏫

GOA (Group of Architects) and Jiangnan Management have collaborated with a winning design bid and the result is exactly as you’d expect cutting-edge firms in contemporary China to come together and create.

The kindergarten schoolhouse is stylish, creative, and completely unique in its mix of greenspace, playground, and functional building. The kindergarten also neighbors a senior’s center across the street, and the entire connected space between them will be pedestrian areas and public space.

Read the write-up for more specs. The amount of thought that has gone into every element of this design is pretty inspiring.

San Siro Saved ⚽️

In an age of destruction of old buildings, this inspirational rescue of a gem is a story worth paying attention to.

It looked like the generic king of the modern stadium, Populous, was about to swoop in to replace Milan’s San Siro, but it was saved due to cultural significance and heritage status.

Above is the Populous concept that would have replaced San Siro— is its cancellation a W or an L for stadium architecture?

Who Said What!? 🗣️

“Architects aren’t necessarily known for being good at business or even enjoying having conversations on business operations. We would rather spend our time talking about the projects, the impact of the design, the materials that went into them, and the changes made within the project delivery process to make it so successful.  But the phrase, “Architects are bad at business,” has become a crutch, if not an excuse, to continue to be bad at business and avoid the conversation altogether.  So why are we this way?”

Evelyn Lee takes on the common claim that architects are bad at business

“Jackson’s monograph feels like a rallying call to action. Whilst the Gala Fairydean Rovers Stand has recently been partially restored, and its future is at least somewhat secured, the Studio is now unsafe and in desperate need of rescuing before it becomes another tragic example of Scotland failing to look after its best modern buildings.”

James Grimsley reviews Peter Womersley, by Neil Jackson

“Through exploratory cross-disciplinary collaboration, we can make every project biodiverse and carbon positive by designing for all species. Solving the climate crisis and the accompanying biodiversity crisis can and should go hand in hand. A few basic steps applied to any scale project—from a traffic median, a backyard, or an urban lot to a region, nation, or a bioregion—can both enhance biodiversity and reduce carbon. When we understand that intact ecologies can host anywhere from 530 terrestrial to 9,000 aquatic organisms per cubic foot, according to Smithsonian Magazine, everything we do counts.”

Sierra Bainbridge explains “rewilding” and why it matters to architecture

Drop it Like it’s Hot: New Structure of the Week 🔥

Huma Betang Umai, the Vice Presidential Palace in Indonesia, is already making waves despite not officially opening until 2024.

Ian Mutuli

About the author

Ian Mutuli

Founder and Managing Editor of Archute. He is also a graduate architect from The University of Nairobi, Kenya.
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