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Architectuur op z’n best

The LXRY List 2023 highlights the architecture of the future; from Q Residences in Buitenveldert to a floating city on the coast of South Korea. No castles in the air but concrete solutions for living, working and recreation.

Floating city

40 percent of the world's population lives within 100 kilometers of the coast and 90 percent of megacities (>10 million inhabitants) are threatened by rising sea levels. With floating infrastructure, we can deal with impending floods. And so Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, UN Habitat and maritime development company Oceanix present the world's first floating city: OCEANIX Busan. That name does not come out of the blue: the city will be located off the coast of the South Korean city of Busan. OCEANIX Busan consists of interconnected platforms (totaling 15.5 hectares in size) connected to the mainland by bridges. In the beginning, a population of 12,000 is assumed; that number can be expanded to 100,000. The project should lead to pioneering technology for vulnerable coastal cities. Because, as UN-Habitat director Maimunah Mohd Sharif says, "We cannot solve today's problems with yesterday's tools."

Built on the sun

For Taipower, the energy company of the Taiwanese government, MVRDV designed a building for the storage and maintenance of renewable energy equipment. The Sun Rock building is energy-generating thanks in part to 4,000 square meters of solar panels, which together generate nearly 1 million kWh of clean energy per year. The site can count on many hours of sunshine throughout the year. To convert them into energy as much as possible, the building was given a round shape. On the south side, it slopes downward, creating a large surface that faces the sun directly in the middle of the day. On the north side, the dome shape maximizes the area exposed to sunlight in the morning and evening. In addition to offices, a maintenance workshop and storage areas, the building also has an exhibition area where visitors can learn about machines that make renewable energy possible, from solar panels to huge wind turbine blades. For Taipower, Sun Rock is a statement about sustainability and at the same time a way to communicate the company's green ambitions.

Bunker with zoning change

In response to Allied air attacks, several huge bunkers were built in Hamburg during World War II. These were made extra tall to give air defenses a wide field of fire and to serve as a beacon for local residents who could take shelter there. Since there is no more shooting and sheltering, the bunkers are used for other purposes. For example, the one in Willhelmsburg serves as a local power plant with viewing platform. And the bunker in the St. Pauli district housed, among other things, a television broadcaster, galleries and nightclub Uebel & Gefährlich (the three-and-a-half-meter-thick walls kept the noise in). Now the structure, with a floor plan of 75 by 75 meters and 38 meters high, will be expanded by six floors (good for 7,500 square meters) to accommodate, among other things, a memorial space, sports halls and a 136-room nhow hotel. The roof structure will have a stepped shape and be surrounded by plants and trees. A "mountain path" circles up to a public rooftop park. From shelter to city park.

Planungsbüro Bunker/Matzen Immobilien

Green at heart

In the Utrecht station area, Bouwcombinatie Wonderwoods (Boele & van Eesteren | Kondor Wessels Amsterdam) is realizing Wonderwoods: the two "greenest towers in the Netherlands" (total area 81,000 square meters), in which all aspects of life come together: living, working, culture, leisure, eating and drinking. The tallest tower (105 meters), designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti, will feature a vertical forest of plants on its balconies and facades, thanks to about 4,000 planters, 161 tree boxes and green roofs with a water retention function. The second tower (70 meters) is characterized by the curves in the facades typical of MVSA Architects. This design has a lot of greenery on the inside; for example, the tower will have a large atrium and winter gardens along the facades. At a height of 25 meters there will be a roof park with a walkway connecting the towers. Here there will be room for a farm-to-fork restaurant and an Education Hub, where the Wonderwoods ecosystem will be explained. By bringing flora and fauna back into the city, city dwellers are encouraged to rediscover their relationship with nature. And inspiring future generations to live harmoniously with greenery. Construction of Wonderwoods is expected to be completed in mid-2024.

Wonderwoods

Building with pluses

In the summer of 2022, in the Norwegian village of Magnor, close to the border with Sweden, the complex The Plus designed by Danish architectural firm BIG will open. This site for street furniture manufacturer Vestre is the first industrial building in the Norwegian region with BREEAM Outstanding certification, the maximum score using sustainability criteria according to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. This is due in part to the choice of materials (locally sourced wood, sustainable concrete, recycled steel) and a design based on the principles of renewable and clean energy (solar panels, thermal storage) guaranteeing that the plant produces at least 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than comparable factories. The building is arranged around an office building that provides access to four production halls that "protrude" from the central volume. Viewed from above, this creates the plus for which the building is named. In addition to being a sustainable production facility, The Plus is a destination for nature lovers. The production facility is located in a public forest, where people are welcome to hike and camp.

LXRY LIST 2023

What else to expect in the future? The new LXRY List 2023 is out now! The annual wow magazine with innovative items and surprising addresses, a list that inspires and points to the future. Technological possibilities mean new times are dawning...

LXRY LIST 2023