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
Albania Parliament Tirana, Albania
COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
picture © COOP HIMMELB(L)AU
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
Elbphilharmonie concert hall, Hamburg, Germany
Herzog and de Meuron
© José Campos josecamposmoreira(at)gmail.com
Sliced Porosity, Chengdu, China
Design: Steven Holl Architects
photo from architects
The Shard, London : exclusive photos
Design: Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW)
photo © Nick Weall
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.
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
21st Century Museum, Kanazawa, Japan
Design: SANAA
photo © 2008 Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Seattle Public Library, Seattle, USA
Office for Metropolitan Architecture
photo : Philippe Ruault
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany
UNStudio
photo : Christian Richters
Tate Modern, London, UK
Herzog & de Meuron
image © Adrian Welch
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
Caixa Forum, Madrid
Herzog de Meuron
photograph © Mark Bentley
New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY
SANAA architects
image from SANAA
Neues Museum, Berlin
David Chipperfield Architects
photograph : Ute Zscharnt
Phaeno Science Centre, Wolfsburg
Zaha Hadid Architects
image © Zaha Hadid Architects
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Herzog & de Meuron with HGA, Inc.
photo : Paul Warchol
BMW Welt, Munich
Coop Himmelb(l)au
picture from Ketchum
Museum of Modern Literature, Marbach
David Chipperfield Architects
photograph © Christian Richters
GRAM Michigan, USA
Design: wHY architecture
photo : Chris Barrett@Hedrich Blessing
Hoki Museum, Chiba, Japan
Architects: Nikken Sekkei
image : Harunori Noda
Architectural Designs
Architectural Walking Tours by e-architect
Comments / photos for the Architects: Nikken SekkeiBest Architecture of 2011 – page welcome