3 World Architectural Projects designed by 3 Famous Architects

➤ Read more: I hereby refer my readers to some of those posts by following the links below:

• The Opus, Latest of Dubai Hotels by Zaha Hadid (The Opus Hotel Review)
• Iconic Architectural Projects: Remembering the World Trade Center (The World Trade Centers Review)
• 2 Newest Architectural Projects in Beirut (The 3Beirut and Plot #1282 Reviews)
• 8 Best Worldwide Architectural Projects in 2016 (8 Best Worldwide Architectural Buildings)
• 5 Facts Behind "Beirut Terraces" Architectural Building (The Beirut-Terraces Project Review)

And here we go! ... The three selected projects are randomly chosen.

In some ways, I did do my listing according to the designer; it means, the project itself can reveal the name of its creator. Actually, I did choose three of the most famous Architects, with the finest selection of their mind works: Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid, and BIG.

1- The Alibaba Main Headquarters in Shanghai, China

It wasn’t surprising at all for Foster + Partners to win the competition for the Alibaba headquarters of the well-known Chinese giant company, that specializes in the e-commerce industry. The concept of the project adopted by the designers consists of revealing the aim of this company, located in the heart of China;

It emphasizes the importance of communication and integrity between workers within the corporation and embodies an image that reflects the company's position. Good to note, that nature did occupy a good part of the project. In fact, the site selection with its natural surroundings was real proof of the integration of the inside of the building into its outside;

The external terraces presented on every side of the construction, make it in complete connection with the environment surrounding it. The project was designed to be transparent, allowing passers-by to discover it from the inside. (see Fig. No.1)

Fig. No.1- A perspective of the main facade of the building and its entrance, showing its structural method consisting of repeated units stacked between each other to form the final shape, Photo: aasarchitecture.com

Algorithms were used in the design to create the ideal block for the building. These rules combine many important aspects of the project to create the appropriate and relevant model, through the high response to environmental conditions, and the increase in the outlook in addition to the requirements of the region.

The design improves the building block to provide the best comfort for the building's users throughout the year through protection from strong winds in the winter and also from the sun's heat in the summer, and by creating innovative solutions for the workspaces of the various departments in the company.

Fig. No.2- The courtyard is in the middle of the building, showing a part of its uses, Photo: designboom.com

Office units and meeting rooms were organized in the seek of encouraging cooperation and teamwork. The interior spaces are characterized by natural lighting and their ability to connect with the external spaces to encourage work and interaction among workers.

The construction uses a recurring unit system and off-site manufacturing system to monitor quality, reduce waste, and construction operations on-site to achieve an effective construction program.

Fig. No.3- The site plan shows the integration of the outside with the interior of the building.

2- The OPPO Mobile Telecom Main Headquarters, in China

The OPPO by Zaha Hadid is my next selection; To whom the OPPO brand doesn’t sound familiar, and I doubt anyway, it is a Chinese consumer electronics and mobile communications company. OPPO is one of the leading smartphone companies in the world.

The company started to produce smartphones back in the year 2008, aiming to become a leading company in China in addition to being the fifth-largest company in the world by employing nearly forty thousand employees in 40 different countries. The company has established six research institutes, four research and development centers, and a design studio.

Zaha Hadid's office was chosen in an architectural competition to design the headquarters of OPPO Mobile Telecom. The design aims to achieve the LEED Gold certification. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy and water savings, better eco-environmental friendly conditions, etc…

➤ Read more related topics about What is Green Architecture Design?.

A Glance at the Project Specifications

The project is located on an area of 185,000 square meters, and it consists of four interconnected towers up to 200 meters in height and comprises 42 floors. The towers were directed to provide distinctive views of the interior spaces of the city, as they rise from a small base, which allows the public outdoor spaces to be provided at the street level.

Fig. No.4- Overview of the Project, Photo by arabianbusiness.com

Two of the towers benefit from a flexible design characteristic of the creation of open spaces that link together with a 20-meter-high pathway, and the two others include the service and technical facilities.

Fig. No.4.a- Another internal View of the OPPO Project, Photo Source: albenaamag.com

The project has also been developed and linked together with corridors, which include a landscaped yard, commercial shops, and restaurants, and it is also directly related to the metro station adjacent to the site. The whole project concept follows Zaha Hadid’s Philosophy of Curves.

3- A Residential Hill of a Green Nature

It’s another creative project by BIG (BIG stands for Bjarke Ingels Group) a very famous Architect from Germany, known mainly for his project VIA 57th West in New York City.

➤ Read more: Have more information about this project in my previous post: 8 Best Worldwide Architectural Projects in 2016 for a complete review.

Fig. No.5- The distinctive facades with large openings provide a view of the green nature, connecting the interior with the outside, Photo Albina'a Magazine

The building then descends on a slope from both ends of its upper corners, reaching a height of 7 meters above the ground, appearing as a wooden hill merging with its natural green surroundings. The natural appearance of the building covered with wood continues in the courtyard, which consists of stepped surfaces dedicated to various services and activities, cultivated courtyards, and bicycle parking.

The architectural influences by using natural materials, floors, and wood for details, give the whole project a warm touch. In addition, the granite ceramics used in the bathrooms, as well as natural stones in the kitchens’ tops, added a sort of spirit missed in similar constructions.

Fig. No.8- Detail of the Elevation made mainly of wood.

The facades are characterized by large openings that provide a view of the green nature, linking the interior with the exterior. Every residence is provided with private and public outdoor terraces. Planted with different sorts of perennial plants, which only need little maintenance, those vegetables provide a great green look for most of the year.

While the ground level contains commercial and business spaces, the upper floors are reserved for housing studios.

References and Photos in this article: