We continue our roundup with the best metal projects of the year, including a foamed aluminium mountain cut-out, 164,000 meters of chain and a copper clad cabin.
1. Mountain View by CAN (Critical Architecture Network)
Topped with staged mountain scenery, an Edwardian semi-detached home in London has been radically transformed by architecture studio CAN. Drawing influences from geography, theatre sets and a trip to Disneyland, CAN director Mat Barnes came up with the design for his young family.
2. Munch Museum by Estudio Herreros
Located on Oslo’s waterfront, the new Munch Museum by estudio Herreros offers a contemporary concept of a museum with a transcendental urban role and historic responsibility as a cohesive element of the community, not only of Oslo but of the entire country. Towering above the skyline at 60-meters in height, the exterior is clad in recycled, perforated aluminium panels with varying degrees of translucency.
3. New Interior for Casa Batlló Stairs by Kengo Kuma and Associates
Just like Gaudí’s 1906 masterpiece Casa Batlló is a tribute to the light of the Mediterranean and inspired by Gaudí’s famous chain models, Kengo Kuma created a staircase using 164,000 meters of chain.
4. The Author’s House by SLETH
The Author’s House by SLETH is a getaway cabin located in a forest near Aarhus, Denmark. Offering a working-living space for a writer, the brownish-red volume, clad in a copper façade, coexists with the surrounding environment thanks to a muted colour and material palette. Sliding doors and skylights maximize views of the forest.
5. RCC Headquarters by Foster + Partners
Marking their first project in Russia, Foster + Partners has completed the new headquarters of RCC, one of the world’s leading producers of copper. Located in the centre of Ekaterinburg, a main industrial and cultural hub, the 15-storey building’s innovative modular office units are enveloped in an energy-efficient enclosure that draws inspiration from the chemical structure of copper.
6. Manchester Jewish Museum by Citizens Design Bureau
Led by Katy Marks and her team at architecture firm Citizens Design Bureau (CDB), the Manchester Jewish Museum opened its doors in July 2021. The new museum, which is situated in one of the city’s most multicultural areas, explores universal experiences of journeys, communities and identities from the perspective of Manchester’s Jewish community.
7. MCM Haus by Neri & Hu Design and Research Office
In Seoul’s luxury district of Gangnam, Neri&Hu have completed the renovation of an existing five-storey building with a parking tower to serve as a new flagship store for MCM. Drawing from MCM’s strong brand story and German roots, Neri&Hu's design concept for this new flagship is inspired by the Bauhaus movement, which saw the fusion of experimentation in manufacturing with craftsmanship and traditional arts.
8. Sunac Guangzhou Grand Theatre by SCA | Steven Chilton Architects
Located in the Huadu District of Guangzhou China, the recently completed Sunac Guangzhou Grand Theatre is a 2000 seat purpose-built theatre by SCA l Steven Chilton Architects. Guangzhou is known as the birthplace of the ‘Silk Road on the Sea’ and has been an important centre for the arts and trading since the Han Dynasty. Drawing influence from its history, the concept for the theatre is inspired by traditional silk embroidery and the contemporary illustrations of artist Zhang Hongfei.
9. Luma Arles Arts Resource Centre by Gehry Partners
The Tower, a 15.000 sq Arts Resource Center is the centrepiece of LUMA Arles. It will house research and archive facilities, workshop and seminar rooms, and exhibition spaces. The central organising element of the new building is a circular glass drum, the shape of which relates to the Roman Arena in Arles. Like the Arena, the scale and clear geometry of the drum reflects the ancient Roman planning influences that set the foundation of Arles. The Romans used civic buildings to organise the densely situated buildings around it.
10. Ferrum 1 Business Centre by Tchoban Voss Architekten
Situated on the historic site of the former Rossiya factory in St Petersburg, office building Ferrum 1 (Block 16) by TCHOBAN VOSS Architekten is one of the first buildings in Russia to be constructed with a sculptural Corten steel façade. Corrosion-resistant and extremely durable, the characteristic rust-red patina and texture of the material give a striking and expressive appearance to the building. The name of the office building – Ferrum – is Latin for iron and references the material structuring the façade as well as the history of the former industrial history of the site.
