Year : 2014

Client: International RIBA competition

Location: Birmingham, UK

Birmingham, as the second most ethnically diverse population in Europe and with the implementation of the Big City Plan, shows that she wants an urban unicity to connect all the dimensions of the city.

The main idea is that the Centenary Square must be a day-to-day area and allow to receive special events.

Our design combines successively this two ideas: UNITY and DIVERSITY

We unify the square, with a unique pavement, and at the same time we create specific spaces to welcome diverse events.

The circles engraved in the pavement play alternatively, the role of meeting point and entry point. Connected each other, the users are invited to navigate from one point to another. They symbolize also a wave, like a stone thrown in the water, which diffuse the culture around us.

The metro station, with its architecture, make a link between the Library and the Arena Central building.

By night, the light combined with light-emitting technology shows the diverse paths.

To make the area less mineral, we add water features at the both side of the Centenary Square. The dry fountain can disappear the time of an event.

The topography of the area is preserved to limit the carbon footprint during earthwork.

Kaliningrad, formerly Königsberg and before that the Altstadt, is a city of more than 750 years of history. It was besieged numerous times, destroyed and then rebuilt. Former capital of Eastern Prussia, it now wants to play an increasingly important role in the new Russia.

Extraordinarily for a city of this size, the population, composed mainly of German before World War II, became Russian to 90% after it. Its inhabitants, whatever their origin, were and still are very proud of the history of their city and want to show the world the great epic of Kaliningrad.

This big history was punctuated by numerous world-renowned personalities for certain and whose ideas are known and recognized throughout their respective disciplines. These are Leonhard Euler for Mathematics andImmanuel Kant's Philosophy. Kant, who lived his entire life in Koenigsberg, enacted the foundations of the German idealism based on 3 reviews:
- The Critique of Pure Reason
- The Critique of Practical Reason
- The Critique of the power of judgment

As for Euler, he was confronted with a historical problem directly related to the planning of the city: 
The seven bridges of Königsberg

The question that he was asked is the following: 
Since the city is built on two islands connected by seven bridges, to find any possible way to enable, from a starting point to choose, to go once and only once through each bridge, and to return to its point of start (provided that you can only cross the water by passing through the bridges!).

Solving this problem was the principle of the graph theory which finds today many applications in areas related to the concept of networking (social network, computer network, telecommunications, GPS ...).

However, the solution to the problem of 7 bridges of Königsberg is that there is no solution. An EIGHTH BRIDGE must be built.

This EIGHTH BRIDGE can be a link between two banks, but also:

- A BRIDGE between people : between Russian and European
- A temporal BRIDGE : between Past and Future
- A spatial BRIDGE : upper town and lower town

Our project is based and takes its strength in these two important elements that are the Mathematics and the Philosophy, which form two universal tourist poles.

Go to the official website of the competition

CONCEPT
The current trend of a lounge bar is a sterile atmosphere often unrelated to its environment. Champagne is a local product that is developed in one part of the world. Our lounge is anchored in the heart of the vineyards to recall the pastoral atmosphere and the origin of Champagne in every element and detail of our design.
Champagne bubbles evoke a sweet feeling of drinkness, synonymous with celebration, joy and festivity. This idea is symbolized by people who join the party inside the bubbles.
Our building is like a tongue savoring the bubbles of the river Champagne: the Seine is connected to the Champagne-Ardennes region, with its main tributary, the Marne.

BUILDING
The entrance is located on the "Quai François Mitterrand" to have a direct link with the "Pont des Arts". The lounge is built on 3 levels to keep the best view of the river from all areas of the building. An elevator connects the floors to allow access for people with reduced mobility. The VIP area is located on the top floor to have a natural private space and a perspective on the scene.
The first floor, where is located the concert space, gives also access to the terrace and bubbles.
The terrace is designed to keep the flow of walkers along the river and provide a summer space where people can take part in the event "Paris plage".
The bubbles float on the Seine and the feeling is reinforced by the metal structure that recalls the design of the structure of the "Pont des Arts" and lightness it creates. During the day, they are totally invisible because they reflect the water, the sky and the surrounding area.
The ground floor houses the technical rooms and administration. The latter is directly connected to the kitchen on the first floor by stairs. There is no mixing between the flow of customers and the employees.

SUSTAINABILITY
The trees are retained and fully integrated into the structure. The quay wall is used as a strong element of interior design. The main materials are wood, steel, stone and glass.
This portion of the dock is completely reclaimed by the grass and vines.
The building does not obstruct the current promenade to preserve the usual practice of the bank.

The structure of the city consists of 5 parts representing the different energies used:

- Earth : Geothermal energy

- Air & Wind : Wind farm

- Sun : Solar energy

- Water: Hydrogen storage and hydropower.

It is based on these five themes to develop its urban, its parks and its management.

The shape of the buildings results from this concept

Combination of mixed-use buildings (shop, business and housing), organized along green spaces encourage the melting-pot of the inhabitants and of the activities around.

Bicentennial Celebrations are an opportunity for a nation to see the work done by its people and its great men. The Master Plan Eje Bulnes project is an important means of communication because it is, for us, to relate the most significant events from the political, cultural, scientific and social point of view of Chile since 200 years in a pleasant way and unusual.

The three poles of influence of the intervention area established by the Caja Civica, Palacio Cosino and Santa Isabel Cathedral form a triangle where the Paseo Bulnes is a mediator and Almagro Park, the base. Their intersection is an important point of articulation and of influence creating the barycentre of the work area. From this point, we can see to the north, the perpective of Paseo Bulnes up to the Caja Civica, to the east, the Palacio Cosino and to the west, the cathedral. The creation of a scenic viewpoint high enough allows a contextualization of the zone of influence in the city.

Paseo Bulnes

In its northern end, an art work depicting the signing of the "acta del Cabildo Abierto" of September 18, 1810 faces the Palais de la Moneda and begins the learning trail that each visitor can realize through the Paseo Bulnes. Indeed, the Paseo is a journey through time tracing the last 200 years of the history of Chile and a poetic space travel connecting the Palace of La Moneda to the Almagro Park.

The Paseo is divided into 200 units each representing a year. The particular years, at political level, cultural, scientific or social are marked with glass blocks. The glass blocks are printed and trace, with images and texts, the event occurring at the time of the year it represents. They also allow natural daylight of the underground area and contribute to mood lighting. Each period delimited by two blocks of glasses, is shown by a particular plant species which is repeated over time. The flooring expresses eras by gathering periods, buoyant, positive or negative of the history of Chile.

From 1818 onwards, the Declaration of Independence signed by Bernardo O'Higgins is inlaid in brass letter in the pavement until the Remate.

Paseo, with a total width of 37 meters, is composed, on both sides, of a rapid pathway with a width of 3m along the buildings, then a pathway bordered on each side by a alignment of tree and finally in its center, a discovery path surrounded by the time units that allows multidirectional walk while keeping a general perspective visually linking the palace to Remate. The perspective is emphasized by the double row of trees on each side and by the use of low vegetation inward.

40 benches of two different types are distributed over the entire length of the Paseo. These benches will contribute to the mood lighting.

Parque Almagro

The park is divided into three areas connected to each other by a virtual axis from Cosino palace towards the cathedral and by a physical element that appears in each area in different forms. Except in very exceptional cases, all the existing trees are preserved. Otherwise, they will be transplanted as far as possible.

The first area is home to sports and recreational activities through the creation of multi-sports instead of fallow land, and building redevelopment of the playground by creating separate spaces for each age group. In this area, plants is dominant. Moreover, in order to make this area more attractive and increase the perspective with the cathedral, a fountain takes place. This fountain glass reveals, the day, the perspective and becomes a light call, the evening. It is comprised of a series of parallelepipeds of 3m high, spaced of 2m that the user can wander in all directions and communicate with it by running his hands on the smooth glasses where comes down the water.

The central area is home to dining areas with cafes, bars and restaurants with terraces, that lead to a practice of the space day and night. It changes itself hour after hour from the breakfast, to the lunch of the local employees, from the family snack of children, through the relaxation of seniors under the sun of the afternoon, the drink with friends after work, to romantic dinner. This part of the park will be very crowded and its influence area covers the district. The water element appears by means of reversed linear basins strcuturing the visual axis that serves as the backbone for the entire park. The through lanes linking the various surrounding areas of the park, form highly vegetated areas colonized by herbaceous layer structuring the existing trees and offering a feel of a natural place.

The last part of the park is marked by the intersection with the Paseo Bulnes. It presents itself as a great square for both mineral and wooded, where multiple event activities can mingle and succeed as entertainments, concerts, cultural exhibition or flea markets. The meeting point with the Paseo Bulnes is characterized by the pavilion Santiago, adorned with the observation tower symbolizing the work of the Chilean people and nation today A dry fountain adjacent to the pavilion, turns on the occasion, in a reflecting pool to highlight it, and disappears, when the time comes, to make way for large-scale events.

Our market place is organized around of a mixed-use space which accommodates the Fruit & Vegetable's traders the day and can transform itself as a place for event the evening thanks to removable stands and gradins.

The Meat and Fish & Seafood zones are based at the bottom of the market place with direct access from the street while Flowers and Spices are oriented to the street. The refuse area is directly connected to the delivery space for a better hygiene.

On each side of the main entrance, are placed the information office and the newspaper kiosk. Each area is accessible both from outside and inside.

There are two group of toilets, one on ground floor for disabled and one on the first floor in front of the café. The Café, on first floor, allows a whole point of view of the market place thanks to the mezzanine.

Each element of the project - roof, structure, stands and pavement - are inspired by the same basic layout from local craft.

FEEL GOOD in his head - FEEL GOOD in his body - FEEL GOOD in his city - three themes addressed from point of view of sustainable development, urban and functional mix, and culture and sport activities for all generations and publics, which lead Nashville as one of healthiest city in USA. When we talk about health, the first thing that comes to mind is treatment. But now, we come back to the old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Humans are no exception this rule. The well-being becomes a goal for each individual. Also the site organizes itself around three points in close relation with the needs of tomorrow.

FEEL GOOD in his head 
Fossil fuels must gradually be replaced by alternative energy sources more environmentally friendly, thus, the fuel silos are converted into museum of renewable energies and of sustainable development. The cultural and leisure centre, in front of the museum, will meet the needs for information of the inhabitants and tourists. A contemporary work of art scattered all over the site will serve as medium of visual and sound transmission between the places.

FEEL GOOD in his body 
Sports activities from 7 to 77 years scattered throughout the site and connected by pedestrian greenways and bike lanes, which contribute to the well-being of the body by giving a fresh impetus to the site with soft sports located in public squares to extreme sports located more peripherally.

The banks of the Cumberland River, areas near roads and space under the I-24 welcome different sport activities that transform the vocation and reassess these spaces :

- Skatepark and freerunning along the Korean Veteran Boulevard, 
- Climbing + repelling and zip line under the I-24,
- Lawn bowling, children playground and BMX park along the I-24, 
- Fitness trail in the square across the Museum 
- Nautical base in the new marina.

FEEL GOOD in his city 
Today, cities undergo major mutations. They must conquer underused and contaminated territories. A new concept of the city emerges gradually towards sustainable development based on the human scale. The redevelopment of the site follows this three pillars:

1. Social 
- Better accessibility to public services, by implantation of an administrative area along the government place. 
- Better connection with surrounding neighbourhoods by the creation of a multi-modal terminal. 
- The city opens up on the river and the new channel providing large open spaces (huge places designed to accommodate special events, lake with restaurants, picnic areas). 
- Development of green system connects, by promenades, districts and public places which are important elements for the city structure.

2. Economical 
Combination of mixed-use buildings (shop, restaurant and housing), organized in promenade on each shore of the New Channel and connected by crossovers and footbridges, creates a strategic artery.
- Business districts close to residential quarters. 
- A shopping centre links with the multi-modal terminal and another connects with the leisure centre.

3. Ecological 
- Limitation of car use and reduction of commuting thanks to a broad functional mix of buildings. 
- Development of bike path going hand in hand with bike sharing system. 
- Stormwater management by green roof on many buildings, use of permeable pavement, creation of wetlands and tree box along the streets. 
- Buildings will be Silver LEED certificate. 
- The river bank is an alternating of natural and architectural spaces.

Official website of the competition

Official website of the competition