National Bank of Slovakia

Here is a photo I took last summer of the NBS Office Tower in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The new NBS Headquarters tower was opened in 2002. The building has a height of 111.6 meters and is one of the tallest structures in Bratislava.

Eero Saarinen

St. Louis Gateway Arch

Saarinen's TWA Terminal at Idlewild Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport), New York City, 1961.

credit : www.timelife.com

Plans for "Grand Paris"

The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy requested for a team of 10 world renowned architects to dream up a vision for the future of Paris, "Grand Paris." Here are some of their ideas:

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2009/03/12/03004-20090312DIMWWW00505-grand-paris.php

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/2080999/Nicolas-Sarkozy-plans-for-Grand-Paris.html

Zaha Hadid - Neil Barrett Store in Tokyo

Neil Barrett's flagship store in Tokyo designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

credit: http://atcasa.corriere.it/

Famous Italian Cities

Prague & Istanbul

This is a photo I took in Prague of the beautiful "Dancing House" (completed in 1996. Commissioned by ING) by world renowned Canadian architect, Frank Gehry and Yugoslavian-born Czech architect Vlado Milunić. The site of the current building was originally occupied by a Neo-renaissance building from the end of the 19th century. That building was unfortunately destroyed during the 1945 bombings and its remains were removed in 1960.

The building is meant to reflect a woman and a man dancing together hence the name "Dancing House." It is located at the corner of the embankment Rasinovo Nabrezi and Resslova street.

The roof of the building houses a French restaurant "La Perle de Prague" with spectacular views. Other tenants include various multinational companies.

This is a photo I took at the Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. This is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that are to be found beneath the historical city.

The Basilica Cistern provided water to the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings located on the First Hill. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453 it continued to provide water to the Topkapi Palace, the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans.

Classic Architecture Part 2

Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D Major:

Recycling Oil Rigs into Luxurious Hotels

Morris Architects took the first prize at the second annual Radical Innovation in Hospitality Awards.

The Gulf of Mexico has around 4,000 oil rigs in various sizes that will be decommissioned at some point during the next century.

Morris Architect's plan is to convert these oil rigs into luxurious eco-friendly hotels and spas.

It is extremely expensive to work on oil rigs. The architects proposal is to ship the pre-fabricated rooms to the oil rig as standard shipping containers.

View of the interior of the rooms

* 300+ guest and luxury suites
* Conference facility and ballroom for events
* Fitness center and spa
* High end dining, shopping, and entertainment
* Rooftop infinity pool
* Pro shop and launch for water-based activities
* Gaming casino and stargazer lounge
* Dive bell and scuba training
* Boat launch and boat slips for visitors


credit: Jetson Green, BLDGBLOG, TreeHugger and Curbed

Classic architecture

Helsinki

Vienna

Prague

Vienna

Europe is known for its breathtaking architecture. I thought I'd share with you a few beautiful photos that I took last summer in various European cities.

To create the suitable atmosphere here is the "Radetzky March" by Johann Strauss:

Oslo Opera House

The new Oslo Opera House was created by Norwegian architecture firm, Snøhetta. It is Norway’s largest project of this kind since the 1300s.

The opening was held on the 12th of April 2008. The Opera House won the culture award at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona.

Luigi Bocconi University by Grafton Architects

Irish practice Grafton Architects are behind the new Bocconi University extension. I feel it's a great example of modern contemporary architecture. The structure is a finalist in the 2009 E.U. Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

Milan's Bocconi, is an internationally respected private university operating within the fields of business, economics and law. Bocconi was the first in Italy to award degrees in economics and business administration. The university was established in 1902 by Ferdinando Bocconi in memory of his son Luigi, who had fallen in the battle of Adwa, Ethiopia in 1896. The university was born of private initiative, in "an act of love resulting from sorrow."

credit: http://ireland.archiseek.com