2022 promises to be a year of exciting architectural premieres. Many projects that were delayed due to the pandemic are close to completion. It is noticeable that the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of buildings have become decisive qualities. The fusion of architecture with nature is becoming almost the main theme – we will be delighted with green roofs, multi-level museums with terraces, schools that dissolve into the landscape, and even skyscrapers that imitate hills.
DJI headquarters, Foster + Partners, China
This unusual complex was designed by Foster + Partners for the DJI robotics company in Shenzhen. It consists of two towers with steel trusses, which will be connected by a curved bridge designed to showcase the latest technology from the company, a leader in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The towers will house laboratories, offices, and public exhibition spaces. The lower level will be used as a showroom for product launches and a “robot fighting ring”.
Sydney Modern Museum, SANAA, Australia
A new addition to the building of the Museum of Modern Art in Sydney. Sydney Modern, designed by SANAA is an extension of an existing gallery overlooking the city harbor. It is designed in contrast to existing 19th-century neoclassical buildings. This free-standing complex consists of a series of rectangular pavilions descending from the hill to Woolloomooloo Bay. The two buildings are separated by an area called the art garden. In total, the city will receive 7,000 sq. meters of exhibition space, including two galleries with ceilings 5.5 meters high. Another large space has been envisaged underground: the structure is built on top of an oil reservoir from the Second World War. This underground art platform with an area of 2200 sq. meters will be used for large-scale projects and performances.
Zendai Himalayas Center, MAD Architects, China
The area, covering an area of 560,000 square meters in Nanjing, China, is a complex of small buildings, green spaces, and paths nestled among mountain-like skyscrapers. This project by the MAD bureau was presented at the Venice Biennale back in 2014 when the idea of a “village among skyscrapers” looked utopian. However, by the end of 2022, mountainous towers surround the perimeter of the complex, and curved overpasses, bridges and corridors will stretch through commercial areas to squares. An experiment in crossing the natural and the urban is expressed in the abundance of ponds, waterfalls, and pools included in the master plan. Trees and buildings covered in greenery enliven the overall futuristic forms of this urban landscape.
Valley Complex, MVRDV, The Netherlands
The MVRDV -designed Valley residential and office complex in Amsterdam’s financial district is almost complete, with three mixed-use high-rise buildings with overhanging windows and balconies. Now they are waiting for the “green layer” of 13,000 plants, trees, and shrubs, arranged along the edges, to take shape by opening in 2022. Residential complex area – 75,000 sq. meters, in addition to 200 apartments there are office space, shops, restaurants and bars. Pete Oudolf, a famous landscape designer, is responsible for the landscaping of the complex. All plants will be supported by automatic watering systems as well as a team of gardeners. Plants that are not currently visible are in the initial stage of growth and acclimatization, and in the coming years they will gradually acquire their final form.
Memorial Minamisanriku 311, Kengo Kuma and Associates, Japan
The Minamisanriku 311 Memorial Memorial and Visitor Center, designed by Kengo Kuma Bureau, commemorates the victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami, the strongest ever recorded in Japan. The building will have cedar cladding and a large overhanging roof, looking up to the sky.
San Pellegrino factory, BIG, Italy
The San-Pellegrino plant under the BIG project was planned to be built in the Italian mountain valley five years ago. The headquarters of this well-known company will also be located here. To emphasize the closeness to traditional Italian architecture, Bjarke Ingels filled the project with arches, arcades and porticos. The facility replaced an existing bottling plant that had been in San Pellegrino Terme since 1899. “We suggested finding inspiration in the old complex, rather than imposing a new identity. It seemed appropriate to us that the architecture, like the mineral water itself, seems to flow from a natural source. Therefore, we proposed not to divide the building into front and back parts – this way you can create an inextricable link between the environment of production and consumption, cooking and pleasure.
Water sports center Lanternen, Snøhetta and WERK Arkitekter, Denmark
Relatively modest in area, the new public water sports center is called Lanternen – it is located on the coast of Esbjerg in Denmark. Designed by Snøhetta Together with WERK Arkitekter, the building is meant to evoke the craft tradition of boat building. Its feature is a large opening in the facade leading visitors to the water. On one side of the building, a large staircase has been created leading to the ground floor terrace – this terrace will be the heart of Lanternen, where visitors can train and from where easy access to the club rooms located around the perimeter. The second key area, referred to as the “hall”, will occupy the first floor. It will house more practical spaces, including a workshop and warehouses. It will be possible to get to the water through a large opening in the facade – athletes will be able to carry out small boats and canoes on their own.
Taipei Performing Arts Center, OMA
Taipei Performing Arts Center designed by OMA- one of the most futuristic projects of the bureau. The area of this new cultural attraction is 59,000 square meters. meters. Its development was carried out jointly with the architectural studio Kris Yao | Artech and engineering company Arup at the site adjacent to Shilin Market, one of the most popular night markets in Taipei. The complex consists of three auditoriums, as if protruding from a glass cube, towering above the ground. The central volume is a spherical Globe Playhouse with 800 seats, its shape should symbolically resemble a planet. All backstage areas are located in a central cube surrounded by a circular loop-shaped promenade: from here you can see the infrastructure of the theater and production facilities, which are usually hidden from visitors.
School Sundby , Henning Larsen Architects, Denmark
This is an elementary school building designed by Henning Larsen Architects .in collaboration with SKALA Architects, ETN Architects, MOE, Autens and BO-HUS – not just unusual in form. It will be the first building in Denmark to receive the Nordic Ecolabel, the region’s official sustainability certification that takes into account details such as energy consumption and material use. A pedestrian roof will be installed here, and the interiors will be adaptable. The school is located in the municipality of Guldborgsund in southern Denmark and will be the largest building project in the area. According to the planners, investing in sustainable building is a conscious political choice. The two-story school is a C-shaped structure that blends in with the surrounding landscape. Its roof is designed in such a way that it gradually merges with the ground level – this means that you can walk on it.
Xi’an International Football Centre, ZHA, China
Zaha Hadid Architects will complete in 2022 the construction of the International Football Center in Xi’an, China. The Xi’an International Football Center in Fengdong New Area includes a 60,000-seat stadium for national and international matches, youth academy training, and various entertainment and cultural events. The stadium is being prepared for the Asian Football Cup 2023, which will be held in Xi’an, a city of 9 million people and two professional football clubs. The facility is designed in such a way as to provide optimal conditions for matches and make the most efficient use of it after the tournament. The open facades of the stadium are integrated into the urban network of the Fengdong business district. Shaded terraces overlooking the city and Mount Qing, public spaces,
