When big equals green
Sustainable buildings and designs have come a long way since the “small is beautiful” movement. Here are some current bright ideas on how to think big while also behaving green.
HANGZHOU SPORTS PARK A major new Olympic-sized sports stadium in Hangzhou, China, is scheduled for completion in 2013. Hangzhou Sports Park will be green, sustainable, and occupy a massive 400,000 sqm. A prosperous provincial centre for much of the last millennium, Hangzhou is 180km south of Shanghai, with the West Lake its major drawcard until now. The city is home to some four million people. Global architects NBBJ joined forces with Shanghai-based China Construction Design International (CCDI) to design the project. “This is a transformational project that redefines ustainable design excellence in sports facilities throughout Asia,” says Robert Mankin of NBBJ. Hu Xiaoming, design director of CCDI’s Sports Division, agrees. “The issue is not about how to sustain a large stadium commercially between games, but about how a massive stadium can lead a mixed-use commercial program in a green park setting, form a future urban centre and redefine a new lifestyle. Our design provides what is exactly needed to support that agenda.” The design concept draws inspiration from the nearby river delta, and the natural landscape defines the site, circulation and main activities. The Sports Park is designed to create a continuous pedestrian experience between two planned major transportation hubs on the east and west ends of the site. Already nicknamed “the lotus”, the stadium’s exterior geometry draws from the flora of Hangzhou’s West Lake. The stadium bowl and structure will create a unique xperience, opening to a view of the Yangtze riverfront. More info: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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Hangzhou Sports Park will
seat ;0,000 spectators.
A JEWEL OF AN IDEA
Shanghai World Expo 2010 is currently attracting record
crowds. Among the many and varied pavilions from different
participating countries, including Australia’s distinctive
structure that uses “Red Centre” iconology, the Shanghai
Corporate Pavilion is a standout attraction.
Designed by Atelier Feichang Jianzhu, the building is built
with thousands of plastic tubes made from used CD cases.
The exterior is composed of hundreds of polycarbonate
transparent recycled plastic tubes formed into a grid-like
matrix. Recycled from CD “jewel” cases, the polycarbonate
tubes can again be recycled after the Expo.
Multi-coloured LED lights are built into the exterior and
are computer controlled to change their appearance.
The energy that powers this unorthodox lighting system
comes from 1600 sqm of heat-collecting tubes on the
roof. The energy is shared around the Expo as well as
powering the pavilion’s needs.
A misting system gives the building an ethereal feel.
It can be sprayed in various patterns and provides a
fresh and elegant appearance. The mist also helps
lower the temperature, purifies the air and ensures
the comfort of visitors.
Even the mist is sustainable, with the water coming
from collected rainwater, which is treated for sedimentation
and then filtered and stored.
Shanghai World Expo runs until October 31.
Construction work has started on San Francisco’s ambitious
new Transbay Transit Centre.
Designed to service the city’s major transportation systems,
the centre will also house a future high-speed rail terminus.
The project is the creation of Pelli Clarke PelliCome and
includes a number of green building strategies such as
passive solar shading, high performance glazing, geothermal
cooling and wind power.
In the opinion of many people, the highlight is the expansive
public park on the roof. At more than two hectares, the park
brings much needed open space to San Francisco’s city centre.
City Park will include an amphitheatre, a children’s playground,
cafes, restaurants, public artworks and a lily pond.
The TTC will be constructed from steel and glass, say
the designers, with “a curvilinear exterior inspired by
the sway of tree trunks and their shady canopies. As the
facade reaches the roof, it curves in, softening the shadow
cast on the street below.”
