Striking Concepts: The Architectural Projects Unveiled This Month

Aldin Biodomes

Reykjavik, Iceland

Architects: WilkinsonEyre

Designed to host exotic plants and facilities for education on food production, the Aldin Biodomes are intended to provide a striking, organic addition to the Icelandic capital’s skyline, while serving as a gateway to the green region beyond.

Having gained planning permission in July, the complex will consist of two domes, one for temperate plants, alongside a restaurant, shop and marketplace, and a tropical zone for plants requiring warmer climates. Set to be heated using naturally occurring geothermal energy, it will serve an educational and entertainment facility for the region.

Image courtesy of WilkinsonEyre

Bushwick Inlet Park Tanks

New York, USA

Architects: STUDIO V / Ken Smith Workshop

Conceived as a dramatic reinvention of a series of industrial tanks in Brooklyn, this project transforms the decaying structures into a series of mini public spaces within the wider park area. Each tank is designed to transform in a different way, including picnic groves of trees and wildflowers; reflecting pools of water; hanging vines and vertical gardens.

Other proposed uses include a theatre, adventure playground and an oyster farm. Collectively, the tanks are designed to provide a multifunctional public space that preserves the cultural and civic value of the structures.

Image courtesy of STUDIO V / Ken Smith Workshop

Oakridge Towers

Vancouver, Canada

Architects: Henriquez Partners

Designed to provide a new residential community, Oakridge is a series of ten towers set to be located in a suburb of the Canadian city. The 4.5 million square foot project includes housing, retail and office facilities as well as a library, senior centre, shopping mall and performing arts centre, seated in a nine-acre park.

The project’s green credentials span more than appearance, with an energy system designed to use geothermal wells for heating alongside water savings and on-site solar energy. Each tower is also designed to have its own distinct character, with different external silhouettes paired with unique interiors designed by different studios.

Image courtesy of Westbank

Fish n’Chips

London, UK

Architects: bauchplan

The winning entry in a competition to reinvigorate a disused viaduct in Hammersmith, London, Fish n’Chips sees the space transformed into a vast education and leisure structure with similarities to New York’s acclaimed High Line.

Combining greenhouses, aquaponics and swimming pools, it is intended to provide a recreation space for the area that simultaneously raises awareness of urban food production and waste management within the city. As part of this, the structure will house community gardening facilities, while rainwater collected from the roof will be used to supply the fish tanks and swimming pools.

Image courtesy of bauchplan

Science Center

Lund, Sweden

Architects: COBE

Set in the heart of the Science Village Scandinavia district of Lund, COBE’s design has won an international competition to create a new science museum for the university city.

Designed to demonstrate sustainability, it will be completely CO₂ neutral, using cross-laminated timber wood and featuring a roof covered in solar cells that will also serve as a viewing platform. The centre will house halls for permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as a gallery, offices, workshops, a restaurant, a museum shop and an auditorium.

Image courtesy of COBE