The new store for fashion designer Alexander McQueen was recently completed in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue. This is the fourth store that Architect William Russell of Pentagram has commissioned for McQueen and it won’t be stopping there. There are plans for more stores in Las Vegas, Moscow, Bahrain, Osaka and Vilnius.

Upon entering the LA store you are greeted by the bottom half of the ‘Angel of the Americas’ (a sculpture by Robert Bryce Muir) whom is installed inside the glowing, circular skylight above the entrance. The theatrical quality of the interior, inspired by McQueen’s extraordinary catwalk shows, compliments the clothes while the limited palette of materials and precise detailing allow the collection to stand out.
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A design for a brand new Cultural Centre and Opera House are being commissioned by Zaha Hadid Architects and Patrick Schumacher. The landmark will be erected in the new Seven Pearls district of Dubai and will accommodate an opera house, playhouse, arts gallery, performing arts school and a themed hotel. The opera house will be able to seat 2,500, the playhouse will seat 800, and the arts gallery’s exhibition space will be comparable to the size of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. This exquisite and gentle, winding design evokes the thought of mountains or sand dunes, that will both be a part of the landscape yet a distinct element in the skyline.

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We’ve been thinking about getting a little summer house. The 130,000 square-meter island of Nurai, located northeast of Abu Dhabi city, is about to be transformed into a absolutely stunning resort and exclusive private residential estates. New York based design firm, Studio Dror, led by Dror Benshetrit, and Paris-based AW2 will turn the area into a boutique luxury hotel resort with 60 suites, 31 beach front estates and 36 water villas.

The gorgeous multi-story water villas will span 515 square meters each and be made up of three bedrooms, four bathrooms, a private rooftop garden with a spa pool, private infinity pool, multiple decks, outdoor barbecue area, gourmet kitchen and concealed service quarters. As for the private Seaside residences, each will contain five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a private beach and garden, rooftop garden with spa pool, indoor reflecting pools, concealed service quarters, entertainment patios, outdoor dining areas, chef and show kitchens, and outdoor showers. The resort is due to open in 2010 and the prices for the residences start at $20 million.

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The growing Christian population in China is demanding larger more grand structures of worship. GMP Architekten of Germany have designed the largest Christian church in China. Containing public, private, and commercial space, the 4,000 m² structure’s design aimed “to set off the church from the latter’s commercial by giving it a curving facade in order to emphasize its religious function.”

The name OFT comes from the word Loft, in which it has been taken out the “L”, that has to be meant like the dimension “Large”. The OFT is in fact of limited dimensions in its basic composition, but, as well as the loft, it is characterized by spaces adaptable to changeable necessities.

We have imagined a home that would easily allowe to assemble different pieces and to change them during the time. Adding or subtracting elements, also temporarily. Designed by Samanta Snidaro, Andrea Fino and Barbara Giroldi for Sand and Birch Design. Apparently it’s in the ballpark of $500 per square foot.

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Dear Architecture Students,

Save yourself the angst, wear cool glasses.

xoxoxo

Neu Black via Core 77

Architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the Japanese firm Sanaa are responsible for the New Museum of Contemporary Art which opens tomorrow in New York. The institution has moved from SoHo to the Bowery, turning its back on an upscale environment and embracing its gritty roots. The 60,000-square-foot museum was built on a $50 million budget.

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The book features the work of close to thirty architects and their work with prefab. As much as being a book about prefab, this book could be helpful to anyone studying small modern floorplans (each project shows a small diagram of its plan). Paperback, 160 pages, and 10.9 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches. The book can be picked up here for under $17.

What started as an country getaway became a home for Grace Weir and Joe Walker in County Leitrim, Ireland. The Dubliners were concerned about planning approval for a non-traditional house. Architect Dominic Stevens came up with the solution to make the house “disappear” by covering the roof in grass and making the exterior walls mirror the surrounding greenery. The 1500 square foot home was completed five years later and for the modest budget of 50,000 Irish pounds (60,000 USD). Photos by Derek Speirs. You can read the full article on the New York Times website.

Translating to BMW World in English, BMW Welt is an ultramodern shrine to the company’s automobiles. Beginning in October, customers in Germany can pay a fee to pick up their car adjacent to the Munich factory culminating in the unveiling of their car, perfectly lit, and on a turntable. In 2001, BMW held a competition for the building’s design. The chosen concept (rumored to have cost in the ballpark of $300 million) was designed by Austrian firm Coop Himmelb(l)au.

The construction of the museum asserts BMW’s heritage and presence in the design world. The site is a direct strategic positioning against the likes of Lexus. It is a wonderful byproduct of branding to see such beautiful buildings take form. Photos by Cliff Serna for The New York Times. - Via The New York Times