Architecture and design: 10 amazing new buildings coming soon

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This was published 6 years ago

Architecture and design: 10 amazing new buildings coming soon

By Andrea Black
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VESSEL, NEW YORK CITY

Dubbed the stairway to nowhere, the 15-storey Vessel will offer another vista to the New York cityscape. A functional artwork, Vessel is the showpiece of the giant Hudson Yards development and will offer tourists and New Yorkers alike the perfect free workout apparatus, with 154 interconnecting open-air staircases, and for photographers, 8 viewing landings. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, who amongst other projects designed the Caldron torch for the 2012 London Olympics, the Vessel is made of bronzed steel and concrete and is set to be climbable this time next year. See hudsonyardsnewyork.com

PENGUIN PARADE VISITOR CENTRE, PHILLIP ISLAND, VIC

Treetop Experience in Denmark will offer towering views across Gisselfeld Klosters Skove, a preserved forest an hour south of Copenhagen.

Treetop Experience in Denmark will offer towering views across Gisselfeld Klosters Skove, a preserved forest an hour south of Copenhagen.

If watching little penguins parade wasn't already enough to lure visitors to Phillip Island, there's another reason – to marvel at the geometric timber ceilings of $58.2 million Penguin Parade Visitor Centre due to open in late 2019. The futuristic multi-pointed, star-shaped building designed by architectural firm Terroir will house a theatre and an interpretation space as well as retail and food outlets. According to the architects, the design of the single storey building is aimed to "create a sleeve" within the surrounding landscapes. See penguins.org.au

See also: Phillip Island travel guide and things to do

EXTREME MODEL RAILROAD AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM, MASSACHUSETTS, US

These days Frank Gehry buildings are no big deal, there's even one (nicknamed the squashed brown paper bag) tucked away in the backstreets near Sydney's CBD, but this one appears to be something of a passion project for the prolific architect. He's signed on to design the Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum which will feature models of trains running around famous buildings from the last 150 years including six of the architect's own creations. No time to visit the great buildings of the world? Head here. Inside expect miniature versions of Frank Lloyd Wright, Zaha Hadid and 69 other architects' works. The museum is expected to open in 2020. See foga.com

LEEZA SOHO, BEIJING

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Dubai's Burj Al Arab is finally going to be pipped, the world's largest atrium within a building mantle will go to Beijing with the imminent completion of Leeza Soho. Designed by starchitect Zaha Hadid before her death, the 207-metre 46-storey structure will feature a giant atrium that twists at 45 degrees. Offering a mix of offices and retail, Leeza Soho will dominate the skyline at Lize Financial Business District, a new business, residential and transport hub in southwest Beijing. Already under construction, Zaha Hadid Architects expect it will be open in late 2018. See zaha-hadid.com

1HOTEL, PARIS

While plant-covered buildings are nothing new, this hotel, to be built on Paris' Left Bank takes verdant vertical greenery to another level. Architect Kengo Kuma's eco-luxury resort design features wooden fins with plants growing between the gaps. There's also a giant rooftop garden, and leafy atrium planned. As well as an upscale hotel onsite, there will be a youth hostel, a sports centre, bars and restaurants and perhaps the city's leafiest co-working space. The project is slated to be completed by 2022. See kkaa.co.jp

GRAN MEDITERRANEO, TEL AVIV

Imagine a high-rise that not only looks futuristic (think curves, mirrored glass, greenery, and Bauhaus-like white concrete) but integrates a public automated carpark and operates as the first induction charging station for public and shared electric driverless vehicles. Sounds positively Jetsons-like but this building, designed by architect David Tajchman could become a reality in Tel Aviv. Included within the building will be residential apartments, a hotel, bars and restaurants, public gardens, co-working spaces and even swimming pools and dead sea spas. See davidtajchman.com

MASS EXTINCTION MONITORING OBSERVATORY, PORTLAND, UK

A monument to the world's extinct species, MEMO is not only situated in a spectacular setting on a cliff on the Isle of Portland, part of the "Jurassic Coast", the stone structure will be carved with images of 860 extinct species. Designed by architect David Adjaye, the circular building will be made from stone quarried from the cliffs. Its centrepiece will be a bell that rings annually on the international day of biodiversity. MEMO was the winner of the World Architecture News Future Projects Civic Award in 2016. See memoproject.org

APPLE PARK, CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA

There has been much anticipation surrounding the new Apple campus dubbed the mothership. This year 12,000 employees finally moved into their circular workplace, devised by Steve Jobs, in collaboration with architectural firm Foster + Partners back in 2011. And this month (September) the public space opened with the unveiling of the new iPhone at the Steve Jobs Theatre which makes it worth the 50-minute drive from San Francisco to Cupertino to check out. Inside the ringed building is an orchard, a meadow, a pond, a giant fitness centre and a 3.2-kilometre running track. See apple.com

TREETOP EXPERIENCE, DENMARK

Another structure that's a piece of functional art, this spiralling treetop walkway will offer towering views across Gisselfeld Klosters Skove, a preserved forest an hour south of Copenhagen. The 600-metre path designed by Danish architectural firm Effekt takes visitors 45 metres up to view the area's lakes, cliffs and wetlands. Like an outdoor Guggenheim, the continuous ramps allow multiple vistas of nature. There's a high walkway that takes visitors past the forest's older trees and a lower one where you can view young saplings. There's an aviary along the way too. See effekt.dk

See also: The art and soul of Denmark's second city

ISKCON TEMPLE, AHMEDABAD, INDIA

Natural ventilation was at the forefront of Sanjay Puri Architects' minds when designing this temple, after all the city of Ahmedabad endures eight months worth of temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius. Open-air bodies of water mirrors the temple and an abundance of breeze blocks provide both shade and air flow. There's also a large grass covered roof under which up to 5000 worshippers can congregate. The design won an Architizer A+Award in 2017 in the Unbuilt Cultural category. See sanjaypuriarchitects.com

See also: The 10 hottest emerging countries you need to see now

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