Architecture in 2011, World Buildings of the Year, Architects, Architectural Design Images

Buildings of 2011 – Architectural Designs

e-architect Selection of Architecture of the Year: Besy Contemporary Properties Globally

Major Buildings from 2011

e-architect have selected some key Buildings of 2011.

Our parameters? Architecture that stimulates, buildings that question, designs that show innovation.

We aren’t saying these are the ‘best’ buildings of 2011, merely a selection of ones that have moved us.

Next year we’ll ask a panel of judges to pick out the key buildings of the year but we’re deliberately not considering the complex task of selecting ‘winners’.

Having served on many architectural juries I am not shy of doing this, but over the last 12 years I’ve consciously steered our websites away from that aspect of architecture, we don’t run awards, of course we have to report architectural news and that means reporting on architecture awards. In terms of ‘moving global architecture on’ it is obvious our readers will have a myriad of takes on this.

We haven’t picked a fixed number of projects, like a top ten, we’ve picked what we feel is right.

(Adrian Welch, e-architect editor)

We’ve divided up completed buildings and designs.

Buildings / designs are listed in order of ‘largest impression’:

Major Buildings completed in 2011

Buildings of 2011 – selection by e-architect

Busan Cinema Centre, South Korea – News
Design: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

photo © Woochang Choi Korea
This austrian practice has always shocked and surprised, this is one of their major works so far.

Museo Soumaya, Mexico – new photos
Design: FREE | Fernando Romero EnterprisE

photograph : Adam Wiseman
Breathtakingly bold, challenging in terms of scale and relationship to people and the city around.

Sarpi Border Checkpoint, Georgia
Design: J. MAYER H. Architects

photograph : Jesko Malkolm Johnsson-Zahn
This German architectural practice has risen rapidly in the last few years, rather like the Danish architecture studio BIG, and continues to create original designs, mostly connected by a futuristic curvilinear style.

Ring Around a Tree, Japan
Design: Tezuka Architects

photograph : Katsuhisa Kida
For the last few decades Japan has arguably been the most innovative country in the world architecturally, with a wide range of practices consistently creating genuinely innovative buildings. This poetic design continues the dialogue from their earlier ‘Roof House’.

Martin Luther Kirche Hainburg, Austria
Design: COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

photo © Duccio Malagamba
Another confident and unusual design by this austrian studio, fluid form on a small site.

Universiade in Shenzhen, China
Design: von Gerkan, Marg and Partners (gmp)

photo © Christan Gahl
Intriguing pair of buildings by major german practice with expertise in massive scale projects, such as their 2010 World Cup stadiums

Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Design: BenthemCrouwel Architects

photo from architects
Difficult to comprehend this getting through planning, but this massive ‘bathtub’ design is structurally complete so sneaks into the 2011 selection, compared to their earlier Anne Frank House Museum this represents a wild change of direction for this dutch studio.

Media-ICT, Barcelona, Spain
Design: Cloud 9

photograph from architect
World Building of the Year 2011 as voted at WAF in November – interesting form, programme and materials.

Nebuta-no-ie Warasse, Aomori City, Japan
Design: molo + d/dt Arch + Frank la Rivière Architects

photo : Shigeo Ogawa
What a facade, the sort of fluiditiy and form you might find in an installation but fantastic to find an architect that could push this concept to completion.

Decameron, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Design: studio mk27, marcio kogan + mariana simas

picture : Pedro Vannucchi
This Brazilian design studio has unleashed a superb series of buildings, mostly luxury houses using a strong paletter of concrete, stone and wood. This is a little different, using maritime transport containers and big splashes of colour.

House in Yamanashi, Japan
Design: Takeshi Hosaka architects

photograph : Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Pertners Inc.
Again, Japanese innovation, a humble house divided into 4 1/2 ‘segments’ with each whole segment being lit by a strip of rooflight, refreshing.

Living Foz, Porto, Portugal
dEMM arquitectura

photograph : Fernando Guerra of FG + SG – Fotografia de Arquitectura
Gorgeous crystalline rhythmic facades, boldly sculptural and reduced to pure form.

Guangzhou Opera House, China
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects

photograph : Virgile Simon Bertrand
Arguably the building of the year in terms of architectural dexterity, Zaha Hadid‘s most important design to date, the twin-boulder design contain 1,800-seat and 400-seat spaces, with shimmering, fluid interiors.

New York by Gehry
New York City skyscraper

photo : Gehry Photos
Frank Gehry is often cited as the world’s most famous architect, or its best architect, he’s won the Pritzker Prize and even appeared in The Simpsons, and since his Blibao Guggenheim he has occupied the world of starchitects. Much of his recent work has involved public buildings such as art galleries and museums, so it is interesting to see him tackle the skyscraper programme. This 76 storey tower grabbed the headlines in early 2011 with its rippling facade. Gehry continues to innovate, and this captivating design shows an ability to keep reinventing his oeuvre.

Key Buildings completed in 2011

These designs also took our attention in 2011:

Jeongok Prehistory Museum, Korea
X-TU

photo from architect

Novancia business school, Paris, France
Architecture-Studio

photograph : Georges Fessy

Porta Fira Hotel, Barcelona, Spain
Toyo Ito

photo from FCC

Cité de l’Océan et du Surf, Biarritz, France
Steven Holl + Solange Fabiao

image © Iwan Baan

Metropol Parasol, Seville, Spain
J. MAYER H. Architects

photo : Gonzalo Navarro

Cais das Artes Project, Brazil
Paulo Mendes da Rocha + Metro Arquitetos

picture : Metro Arquitetos

ArtScience Museum, Singapore
Safdie Architects

photo : Timothy Hursley

Torre Diagonal Zero Zero, Barcelona
EMBA – Enric Massip-Bosch

photo : EMBA

The Orange Cube, Lyon, France
Jakob + Macfarlane

photo : Nicolas Borel

Natural History Museum of Utah, USA
Ennead Architects, LLP with GSBS

photograph © Jeff Goldberg/Esto

Treehugger Pavilion, Germany
FH Trier and one fine day

image : Roland Borgmann, Münster

Harpa, Reykjavik, Iceland – new photos
Henning Larsen Architects + Olafur Eliasson

picture Courtesy of Harpa © Hörður Sveinsson

Centro Niemeyer, Avilés, Spain
Oscar Niemeyer architect

photo : Ángel Navarrete

Sunset Chapel, Acapulco, Mexico
Bunker Arquitectura

picture : Esteban Suárez

City of Culture of Galicia, Spain
Eisenman Architects

photo : Pasajes Espanoles

Luxembourg Apartment Building
Metaform architecture

photograph : steve troes fotodesign

Fragile Shelter, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Hidemi Nishida

photo : Anna Nagai

Evelyn Grace Academy Winner
Zaha Hadid Architects

picture : Luke Hayes

Hotel nhow Berlin, Germany
nps tchoban voss

photo : Roland Halbe

Yucca Crater, Mojave Desert, CA, USA
Ball Nogues Studio, Architects

picture : Courtesy Ball-Nogues Studio

Actelion Business Center Building, Switz.
Herzog & de Meuron

photo from ABC

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, Tokyo
Tange Associates Architects

photo : Koji Horiuchi

EDF archives centre, Bure, France
LAN Architecture

photograph © Julien Lanoo

New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion, NYC, USA
Ben van Berkel / UNStudio

image : UNStudio

London Aquatics Centre, UK
Zaha Hadid Architects

photograph © Hufton + Crow

Hotel Lone, Rovinj, Croatia
3LHD architects

photo : 3LHD

Tori-Tori Restaurant, Mexico City
Rojkind Arquitectos

photograph : Paul Rivera © rojkind arquitectos

London 2012 Velodrome, England
Hopkins Architects

photo from fd

La Fabrique, Nantes, France
Tetrarc architectes

photo : Stéphane Chalmeau

Shanghai Oriental Sports Center, China
gmp von Gerkan, Marg and Partners

photograph from architect

M.N.ROY Club, Mexico City
Chic By Accident

photograph : Ramiro Chaves

Museum ABC, Madrid, Spain
Aranguren & Gallegos Arquitectos

photo : Jesus Granada

Felix Nussbaum Haus Extension, Germany
Studio Daniel Libeskind

picture from architect

House in Moriyama, Nagoya, south Japan
Suppose design office architects

photograph : Toshiyuki Yano

CTTI Offices, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
ACXT Architects

photo : Eugeni Pons

Ruta del Peregrino Designs, Mexico
Design: various architects

image : Iwan Baan

Congress Center Hangzhou, China
Peter Ruge Architekten

photo : Jan Siefke

Law Courts in Gouveia, Portugal
Barbosa & Guimaraes

photo : FG + SG – Fotografia de Arquitectura

House in Otake, Hiroshima, Japan
Suppose design office, architects

photograph : Toshiyuki Yano

Museum of Liverpool, England
3XN Architects

photo © Philip Handforth

House Wright, Durban, South Africa
Sw(art)

picture from architects

Riverside Museum, Glasgow, Scotland
Zaha Hadid Architects

photograph © Tom Manley Photography

Little one-room house with a curve, Japan
studio velocity architects

photograph from architect

RATP Formation Center, Paris, France
Stephane Maupin Architectes

image : Cécile Septet

Placebo Pharmacy, Athens, Greece
Klab Architecture / K. Labrinopoulos

photograph : P. Kokkinias

Carlos Ramos Pavilion, Porto, Portugal
Álvaro Siza Vieira

photo : Nelson Garrido

Nanjing Museum of Art & Architecture, China
Design: Steven Holl Architects

picture : Shu He

House in Saijo, Shikoku, Japan
Suppose design office, architects

photo : Toshiyuki Yano

Roomroom, Tokyo, Japan
Takeshi Hosaka Architects

photograph : Koji Fujii / Nacasa&Pertners Inc.

Moon Bay Park, Jinhua, China
RTA-Office

picture from RTA-Office

La Ville Intelligente, Paris, France
Jakob+MacFarlane

© Jakob+MacFarlane – Nicolas Borel photographer

Casa dos Ipês, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
studio mk27 – marcio kogan + lair reis

photograph : Reinaldo Cóser

Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Israel
Preston Scott Cohen

photo © Amit Geron Courtesy Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Florida Beach House, Western Australia
Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects

photo © Peter Bennetts

Sainsbury Laboratory Building, England
Stanton Williams

photograph © Hufton+Crow

Bitexco Financial Tower, Vietnam
AREP Architects

image : AREP Architects

ThyssenKrupp Quarter, Essen, Germany
JSWD Architects / Chaix & Morel et Associés

photo from architects

Salvador Dali Museum Florida, USA
HOK Architects

image : Moris Moreno

Gallery House, Vale dos Cristais, Brazil
MACh Arquitetos

photo : Fabio del Rey

Josephine Baker group of schools, Paris
D. Coulon et Associes

photograph : Eugeni Pons

Las Arenas Barcelona, Spain
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

picture : Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

National Automobile Museum Turin, Italy
Cino Zucchi Architetti

photo : Cino Zucchi

The Crystal, Copenhagen, Denmark
Schmidt Hammer Lassen

picture : Adam Mørk

Pod Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Studio Nicoletti Associati

photo © H. Lim Ho

Arc En Ciel Bordeaux, France
Agence Bernard Bühler

photo from Agence Bernard Bühler

Unbuilt Designs from 2011

Vejle Harbour development, Denmark
Studio Olafur Eliasson + others

image © Olafur Eliasson

Wadi Rum Lodges, Jordan
Oppenheim Architecture + Design

image from architect

Cathedral Fold, Strasbourg, France
Axis Mundi Design

picture from Axis Mundi Design

Dalian International Conference Center, Chn.
COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

image © COOP HIMMELB(L)AU

The Broad Art Foundation, Los Angeles, USA
Diller Scofidio + Renfro

image from architects

The Leadenhall Building, London
Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

image : Cityscape

Bishan Central, Singapore
Safdie Architects

image from CapitaLand

Angkasa Raya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ole Scheeren

image © Buro-OS

Bogotá International Convention Center
Saucier + Perrotte architectes

image from Saucier + Perrotte architectes

Cultural Complex Longgang District, China
Mecanoo architecten

image : Doug and Wolf

The Cube in Beirut, Lebanon
Orange Architects

render from architects

NAMOC, Beijing, China
UNStudio

picture : Mir

Glasgow School of Art Extension, Scotland
Design: Steven Holl Architects

picture : Steven Holl Architects

Civic Sports Center, Shenyang, China
EMERGENT Tom Wiscombe

image from architects

Z15 Tower – tallest building in Beijing, China
TFP Farrells, BIAD, ARUP and MVA

picture from architect

Galaxy Soho Beijing, China
Zaha Hadid Architects

image from architects

Cubus Building, Hong Kong
Woods Bagot

image from architect

Key Buildings to be completed in 2012/13

Sliced Porosity, Chengdu, China
Design: Steven Holl Architects

photo from architects

London Olympic Stadium, UK
Populous with Peter Cook

image from ODA

Birmingham Library, England
Mecanoo

image courtesy BCC

Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

image © Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

Comments on the Buildings of 2011 page welcome

Best Buildings of the Decade

To celebrate the end of a decade, The Mark published their contributors’ picks of the best architecture from the 2000s.

Best Buildings of the Decade

Buildings Selection below:

International Port Terminal, Yokohama, Japan
Design: Foreign Office Architects

photo : Saturo Mashima

Kunsthaus, Graz, Austria
Design: Spacelab Cook-Fournier

photo from RIAS – no larger image

Seattle Public Library, Seattle, USA
Office for Metropolitan Architecture

photo : Philippe Ruault

Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
UNStudio

photo : Christian Richters

Prada New York, New York City, USA
Office for Metropolitan Architecture

photo Armin Linke

Schulich School of Music, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
Saucier + Perotte

photograpph : Marc Cramer

Comments on the Best Buildings of the Decade page welcome

Possible Contenders for Best Buildings of the Decade

New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY
SANAA architects

image from SANAA

Neues Museum, Berlin
David Chipperfield Architects

photograph : Ute Zscharnt

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Herzog & de Meuron with HGA, Inc.

photo : Paul Warchol

BMW Welt, Munich
Coop Himmelb(l)au

picture from Ketchum

GRAM Michigan, USA
Design: wHY architecture

photo : Chris Barrett(at)Hedrich Blessing

Hoki Museum, Chiba, Japan
Architects: Nikken Sekkei

image : Harunori Noda

Architectural Designs

by e-architect

Buildings of 2012

Cinemas building designs

Civic building designs

Comments / photos for the Architects: Nikken SekkeiBest Architecture of 2011 – page welcome