Top 5 Architectural Marvels Coming In 2018
It’s a brave new world out there, with everyone pushing the boundaries and changing the norms. This is especially true in construction and architecture. In fact, some of our greatest achievements are in the form of buildings, such as the Roman Colosseum in Rome, The Taj Mahal in India, or the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. But these marvels are not the end; to architects all over the world, they represent a challenge! In this article, we will take a look at the top 5 architectural marvels that will be coming up in 2018.
Taipei Performing Arts Center, Taiwan
The design for this theatre was first revealed by Rem Koolhaas’ firm back in 2009. The complex involves three “floating theatres”- two of which can be combined into a “super-theatre” with a 100-metre stage. It also boasts a street market and a public path that visitors can follow into the building to catch glimpses of performances before reaching a magnificent roof terrace.
The Taipei Performing Arts Centre is planned as a large-scale cultural project covered in steel and corrugated glass panels, under construction at present in Taipei, Taiwan.
The Vessel, New York
A new centre-piece in Hudson Yards, The Vessel has a geometric form and a modular nature and will give patrons a never-before-seen view of New York. The giant honeycomb of interlinked staircases, placed at the centre of the Hudson Yards development in Manhattan, has 154 staircases and 80 landings in place – forming a mile of walkways. Patrons can either scale the 2,500 steps or take a lift if they want to. The components were prefabricated in Italy and shipped to the US, ensuring quick assembly and accuracy. The Vessel will eventually be surrounded by a public plaza and gardens.
V&A Museum, Dundee, UK
Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, V&A Dundee is a new museum being built in Dundee Scotland that aims to reinvigorate the city’s waterfront. It will be the first purely design museum in Scotland.
The building’s unique form will feature a facade of curving concrete walls made of 2,500 pre-cast rough stone panels, weighing up to 3000 kg each and spanning up to 4m wide, to create the appearance of a Scottish cliff face. The wall has horizontal concrete striations and a pointed corner that projects out over the water like the prow of a boat. It will be a welcoming space for everyone to visit, enjoy and socialise in – a ‘living room for the city.”
Qatar National Library, Qatar
This 45,000-square-metre structure will consist of three wings, each with a different type of library; the National Library, the University and Research Library and the Metropolitan Public Library.
The exterior façade is stunning, like a futuristic spaceship. The interior design is a masterpiece as well, with a wavy glass façade, a good Children Section with a playroom and story reading room and a special gallery displaying historical copies of important writings that look like a canyon full of treasures. It is a must see.
Paradise City, South Korea
Being built by Dutch firm MVRDV, this entertainment complex in Seoul is perhaps one of the most extravagantly designed buildings on this list.
Paradise City will have a nightclub and a shopping centre, both of which are designed to feature a “concrete casting” of neighbouring facades. The main entrance will be marked with a large golden dot, making the landmark clearly visible to tourists flying into the nearby Incheon airport.
It forms part of a masterplan that comprises four main zones; a hotel with a casino and convention facilities; the Plaza, with a boutique hotel, food-court, retail space and galleries; a spa; and the Entertainment Square, with retail spaces and a nightclub.
These are but a sampling of the brave new world out there, and there’s always something new around the corner. What kind of new structures can we expect to see in the times to come?
