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| Future Architecture | Absolute Towers by MAD Architects Canada | Photo by MAD Architects |
Would you ever guess that a tiny little Slovenia mountain village is the home to a ground breaking rocket engineer who pioneered theories on long-term human habitation of space? That’s right! Herman Potocnik Noordung, the first theoretician of space, was raised on the hillside of Vitanje. It is Potocnik’s theoretical work that brings the new Cultural Center of European Space Technologies (KSEVT) to the small town today.
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| OFIS Architects, The Cultural Center Of European Space Technologies, Slovenia |
One of the design concepts of the project is to create an internal world reflecting the theme of the Chinese courtyard.
Soho Galaxy, Zaha Hadid Architecture, Urban Complex, Beijing
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| Pierres Vives, Zaha Hadid Architects, Montpellier, France |
The $1.3 billion skyscraper is actually the first major property development to come after the global financial crisis put hundreds of projects in the Big Apple on hold and upon its completion in 2013, will be the tallest residential building in the city, at 1,005 feet, eclipsing the Trump World Plaza.
There will be 136 apartments in the tower, above the 210-room Park Hyatt hotel which will sprawl over the first 20 floors. Gary Barnet, the project’s developer, seems confident that his tower will attract both design kudos and deep-pocketed buyers.
The sculptural building cost almost $100 million and consists of two wings connected by an open courtyard.
In the ordinary northern part of the building is a research center and hospital, in the creative south part – the life activity center. 
In this project the architect manipulates space and materials to create stunning structures that captivate the imagination and although the two parts of the building differ from each other, they also act like two parts of the whole. 
The Gehry teams have created a masterpiece of architectural design, blending strong visual impact with superior efficiency in patient care.
According to WAN, Gehry decided to design the building because he, like founder Larry Ruvo, has been affected by degenerative brain diseases. Ruvo’s father had Alzheimer’s and Gehry’s analyst’s wife had Huntington’s disease. 
Therefore, this building is like a tribute to those they lost, and also a beacon of hope for finding treatments or cures for these unfortunate ailments.
Calatrava designed a structure ‘without facades’ and focused on the roof as the key element within the design. It offers protection from the surrounding natural environment in the form of a glass and steel vaulted curve and stretches over five platforms.
A series of pedestrian bridges and walkways at basement level provide access from one end of the station to the other.
Santiago Calatrava said: “It was my goal to create a 21st century transportation facility that would not only unite Liège with the rest of Europe, but would also serve as a symbol of the city’s renewal. The project, as a whole, creates a new gateway into Liège and re-establishes a relationship with the city”.
Well then, how about this one? 
Yes, this is how the new Hamburg’s Philharmonic Orchestra Hall will look like, upon completion, in 2012.
The design of the Philharmonic Hall will incorporate a pre-existing brick warehouse topped by a new crystalline tent-like structure that seems to float above the industrial base. 
The Elbe Philharmonic Hall will become a cultural centerpiece for Hamburg and is destined to house one of the world's ten best concert halls, a 250 room five-star hotel, a wellness and conference zone, numerous restaurants and nightclubs and 47 owner-occupied apartments!
That’s exactly what the city of Reggio Calabria did when they assigned Zaha Hadid with the development of the Regium Waterfront, a museum and a multifunctional block that will include a shops, cinemas, a gym and even local craft laboratories!
The location (and a sea star…) was all Zaha needed to get inspired since it provided a great opportunity for creating two really peculiar constructions. The two buildings will sit on the narrow sea strait separating continental Italy from Sicily and will be visible from the Sicily coast and the sea.
Another exploration of organic formations has just begun and the Mediterranean will be proud to bare the mark of such a future forward building! 
Singapore is three months closer to the realisation of a remarkable landmark on the island. Aedas have designed this spectacular 54,000 sq m Singapore Civic & Cultural Center as an expression of the rich and varied activities within. Its angular, multi-faceted design creates a variety of perspectives, changing the form dramatically depending on the viewpoint.
Inside too the dynamic design serves to create a new visual experience and blurs the boundaries between the public and private realms, between the civic and cultural spaces. 24,000 sq m of retail space on the lower floors connects to the civic and cultural zones visually and spacially via a 40m high 'grand foyer'.
The focus of the cultural zone is a 5,000 seat auditorium providing the largest venue of its kind in Singapore. The remainder of the 30,000 sq m of civic and cultural space is comprised of function spaces, administration, foyers, circulation areas and artist and technical support areas.
The project broke ground in October and is currently making good progress towards its projected completion date in 2011 when Singapore will find its new civic and cultural signature.
