Bryghusgrunden Project | OMA

So I decide not to write anything about Dubai, Zaha, Gehry (!?), Nouvel or the Milano Design Week and all of a sudden – there’s absolutely nothing to post. Any of you fucking pricks write more news about Milano Design Week and I’ll execute every motherfucking last one of you. (Was that.. too harsh? Pulp Ficiton style?  *pretty smile*  I like ponies.) I mean it’s mad. It’s been all mad – the pre-pre 2007 Milano, the pre Milano, the right before omg omfg Milano, the right freaking now Milano and I’m sure the after Milano madness will clog the internets as well. So out I dug one bit of news that might interest you…

Right… So this is the newest addition to the Copenhagen waterfront. OMA designed (and I’ll stop using that verb in sentences containing ‘OMA’ pretty soon, I think) a new building that will house ”new facilities for the Danish Architecture Center (DAC), the headquarters of the Realdania Foundation, along with a distinctive mix of residential units, public program and playground facilities.” I’m not sure what to make of this one. Do I like it, will it work? I like blocks stacked together, I do. But I’m a little disappointed in the Office for Metropolitan Architecture lately, it seems to me like they could do so much better. At least it’s not that violent.

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(via: Noticias Arquitectura)

Okhta Tower, St. Petersburg | RMJM

The Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom Neft chose this high rise building, designed by the UK based RMJM Architects, that is to be built in St. Petersburg and will serve as the new Gazprom headquarters. At 396m tall, it will be the tallest building in Europe and the greenest skyscraper in the world. RMJM are working together with consulting engineers Battle McCarthy to make the building as energy efficient as it can possibly get in an environment where the temperatures fluctuate throughout the year and fall as deep as 30°C below zero. The building is wrapped into two layers of glazed glass and consists of an inner core and an outer atrium that will serve as a buffer zone, providing the building with enough natural ventilation, thermal insulation and light. The project will also have specialized water, heating and ventilation solutions and an intelligent facade. As you can probably imagine, this proposal was and remains very controversial. Tall buildings and slums seem to be inevitable in modern urbanism. But as the undertaking of this project will surely start soon, I can only say it’s better than building the monster pillow theater building ‘designed’ by Eric Owen Moss – are you joking, this isn’t Disney World. Those who have been at the ORIS conference in Zagreb should know what I’m talking about. Never in my life have I felt so utterly bored in a lecture. I thought the chair was going to get the munchies, close in on itself and start digesting me. And I wouldn’t even resist.

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(via: Inhabitat)