Zaha Hadid Architects to transform Russia's largest port

Following an architectural competition, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) has been given the nod to head a 13.9 hectare (34 acre) development of Russia's largest shipping port, Novorossiysk. The project is due to begin construction in the second half of 2019.

ZHA has previously worked on a high-profile port project with its Port House in Antwerp. However, the Admiral Serebryakov Embankment project is on a far bigger scale.

Located on the Black Sea coast, the port city of Novorossiysk connects Russia with the Mediterranean, Atlantic Ocean and Suez Canal, and is both Russia's largest port and the third-busiest port in Europe by turnover, according to ZHA. The firm's design calls for a new fishing port, marina, hotel and piers, as well as public plazas, gardens and parks. Vehicle access will be restricted and outdoor leisure encouraged.

The project will also include nine buildings, all angled so as to mitigate disruption of existing sea views in the city, and all iterations of the same basic design.

"Applying the concept of 'instancing' in which nine iterations of a single form evolve in a gradient across the site, the configuration of each building is established according its unique function, conditions and requirements," says the firm. "As with time-lapse photography capturing nine instances of its subject over a period of time, this evolution sequence becomes the masterplan itself. The digital computational model developed for this masterplan in Novorossiysk performs as an urban planning tool analyzing many different programmatic, environmental and socio-economic conditions to define the new buildings within the masterplan."

The project also involves Russian firm Pride TPO.

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World's largest Shah Faisal Mosque Islamabad - Pakistan

Faisal Mosque is the mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan. Located on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad, the mosque features a contemporary design consisting of eight sides of concrete shell and is inspired by a Bedouin tent. The mosque is a major tourist attraction, and is referred as a contemporary and influential feature of Islamic architecture.

Construction of the mosque began in 1976 after a $120 million grant from Saudi King Faisal, whose name the mosque bears. The unconventional design by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay was selected after an international competition. Without a typical dome, the mosque is shaped like a Bedouin tent, surrounded by four 260 feet (79 m) tall minarets. The design features eight-sided shell shaped sloping roofs forming a triangular worship hall which can hold 100,000 worshippers, while the surrounding porticoes and the courtyard up-to 200,000 more.

Combined the structure cover an area of 54,000 square ft, the mosque dominates the landscape of Islamabad. It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the national park. The largest mosque in Pakistan, the Faisal Mosque was the largest mosque in the world from 1986 until 1993, when it was overtaken by mosques in MENA region. Faisal Mosque is now the fourth largest mosque in terms of capacity.

History

The mosque was named Shah Faisal Mosque due to the late King Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia who suggested building a national mosque in Islamabad during his visit in 1966 and later largely supported funding for the construction. The government Saudi Arabia provided 130 million Saudi Riyals donation for the mosque. Work on mosque was started in with an international competition held in 1969, in which architects from 17 different countries submitted 43 designs for the Mosque. The accepted design was created by a Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay who recieved the Agha Khan Architectural Award for this assignment. The construction work for the mosque under supervision of Azam Khan was started by National Construction of Pakistan in 1976. It was completed in 1986 at a cost of 130 million Saudi Riyals and is designed similar to a desert Bedouin’s tent.

Building

The design made by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay not only reflects modern but also the basic Islamic principles of design. This unique mixture of traditional Islamic construction style and modern building principles has made Shah Faisal Mosque very popular throughout the world.

Instead of using traditional domes Vidat Dalokay designed an eight sided main hall that looks like an Arab Bedouin’s desert tent. Additionally he added four minarets all of 90 meters (300 feet) on all four corners of main hall. The main structure of building is a main prayer hall and four minarets. The giant structure of 40 meters (131 feet) high hall is supported by four concrete girders.

At the entrance of mosque there is a small courtyard containing a small round water pond with fountains and introductory plaque inside it. Next to this courtyard, on the left hand are stairs leading to main courtyard of mosque and going straight leads to another but comparatively larger water pond with fountains. On the left side of this pond is ablution place for worshipers. This second water pond looks very beautiful. Stairs goes to main courtyard from all four corners of this pond.

There is an adjoining ground on east of mosque that contains mausoleum of a former president Gen. Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan. Another ground is located at front side of mosque but it is a smaller one. There is also a water pond with fountains at frond side of the building.

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Ever wanted to live in an Italian castle? Now's your chance

If you've ever dreamed of taking up residence in an Italian castle but don't have the deep pockets required, a new scheme by the Italian government may be of interest. It's handing out longterm leases to 103 castles, villas, and other historic buildings free of charge – providing you're willing to roll up your sleeves and do some DIY.

ourism in Italy is often focused on familiar hotspots like Venice and Rome, but the country's new Strategic Tourist Plan aims to introduce visitors to less well-trodden areas. The idea is to promote "slow tourism," or cycling, walking, and the like.

There are a total of 103 properties up for grabs this year and another 200 planned over the next two years. They're located all over Italy in various stages of dilapidation. Many are still very picturesque though and include villas, castles, inns, farmhouses and other buildings.

Standout properties include Serramazzoni's Torre della Bastiglia, a 12th Century tower erected to support the Castle of Monfestino; Torre Angellara in Salerno, a 15th Century military building that was part of Italy's coastal defenses; and Fortilizio dei Mulini, a medieval fort in Spoleto

Before you go packing a drill and phrasebook however, you'll first need to fill out an online application (follow the source link below). You'll also need to commit to renovating a site into a tourist-friendly facility like a hotel, restaurant, or spa. Duties will include promoting local walking tours, cycling, and such. Under 40's are preferred, and the offer is only open until June 26th.

Those given the nod will be granted an initial nine-year period to work on their project, with further nine-year chunks of time then doled out. Up to 50 years is also possible in some cases.

The question remains as to whether the scheme is open to non-Italian citizens. Judging from our rudimentary attempts to translate the Italian text with Google Translate, we'd guess that's the case, though an English-language version of the terms and conditions is on the way, so all should become clearer soon.

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Huilo Huilo: A night in Patagonia's fairytale eco-lodge

After toiling away on gravel roads for about four hours we pulled over to ask an elderly Mapuche man for directions. We were undertaking a bumpy off-road adventure through Chile's southern Andes in search of one of the country's more remarkable eco-destinations – the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve. Home to bizarrely-shaped hotels crafted from local timber and surrounded by dense Patagonian rainforest and crashing waterways, this magical getaway stands tall as a beacon of sustainable architecture in one of the world's most pristine environments.

The main entrance to the Magic Mountain Lodge is found in the towering Nothofagus Hotel, so named for the surrounding Nothofagus trees (also known as southern beech trees) that inspired its design. Across its seven stories, the building widens from bottom to top in an awe-inspiring imitation of treetop canopy formations. Not a moment after the door closed we were struck with the kind of genuine wide-eyed wonder you always long for in new travel experiences. It's Ewok village meets The Magic Faraway Tree.

For the next couple of hours we get lost in winding corridors, bent stairways and luxurious lounges complete with open fireplaces and grand pianos. Huilo Huilo is sometimes rough around the edges with its bark-covered beams and doors that don't close quite so neatly, but this only adds to its unique charm. It features four different lodges. In addition to Nothofagus and Magic Mountain, there is the high-end Nawelpi Lodge that hosts luxury holiday-makers and overlooks the river snaking through the reserve and Hotel Reino Funghi, which translates to Mushroom Kingdom.

On-site is a classy restaurant where locals don crisp white shirts and serve icy pisco sours, a delicious cocktail of lemon juice, a little sugar and of course pisco, the South American grape liquor. Diners can pick from dishes of wild game hunted in the surrounding forests, such as boar and deer. The breakfast buffet is extensive and certainly caters to international tourists, with waffles, pancakes, eggs and bacon all part of the mix.

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World's longest glass bridge set to open in China next year

In a bid to attract more tourists to the region, Hunan Province in China has commissioned the architectural firm of Haim Dotan to produce a completely transparent glass bridge spanning 370 m (1,214 ft) across the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. Dizzyingly high at about 400 m (1,312 ft) above the canyon floor, the span is claimed to be capable of holding up to 800 people at a time.

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China seems to be enamored with terrifyingly high, world-beating glass structures. Gizmag recently detailed the world's longest glass-bottomed cantilever skywalk in Longgang National Geological Park, Chongqing, for example, which extends 26.64 m (87.4 ft) over a straight drop of 718 m (2,356 ft), making it some 5 m (16 ft) longer than the Grand Canyon Skywalk in Arizona. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon glass bridge continues this trend of oneupmanship.

Funded as part the Tourism investment cooperation meeting at the Central China Expo in 2012, and slated for opening some time next year, the glass bridge is touted as a "Wonder of the World" by Hunan Province.

Set to be constructed between the summits either side of the canyon, the deceptively fragile-looking structure will also have an added thrill for those that find the idea of walking across a sheer drop on a see-through bridge too tame: A bungee jump. To be located in the middle of the structure, the bungee jump is also said to be another world-first for Hunan province as the highest bungee on the planet, at around 60 m (197 ft) or so higher than the current highest commercial bungee of 233 m (764 ft) on the Macau Tower.

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Reclaimed Modern home hits near net zero

When we think about sustainable homes, we tend to think about energy usage. A new home in Columbia City, US, can claim to not only be energy efficient, but to make sustainable use of materials. Reclaimed Modern has near net zero energy consumption and is built using reclaimed metal, wood and concrete.

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Designed by architecture firm Dwell Developments, Reclaimed Modern covers 3,140 sq ft (290 sq m) and houses four bedrooms. It has a detached garage and rooftop deck from which there are views of Seattle, Columbia City and Lake Washington. Much of the building's character, however, comes from the reclaimed materials of which it makes use.

"We have always used a lot of materials with high recycled content," says design project coordinator at Dwell Development Abbey Maschmedt. "But the idea of actually taking and reusing materials from old buildings slated for demolition was the next step – a natural evolution."

The materials used include metal and wood from a deconstructed barn in the Willamette Valley. Corrugated metal from the barn was used for cladding on the side of the house, as well as to create fencing in the garden. The barn wood, meanwhile, forms part of the overhang, or "soffit," above the rooftop deck. The pathway leading up to house is made out of repurposed concrete from a public sidewalk that was removed during construction.

The house has a 7.29 kW solar array installed on the roof and was built targeting a net zero level of energy consumption. With it only having only recently been occupied, there is no practical usage data available yet, but Dwell tells Gizmag that it came in just short of the target, with a HERS rating of 15.

The HERS index is a US rating of a house's energy performance. A score of 150 means a house is 50 percent less energy efficient than a standard new home, while a score of 100 puts a house at the same level of efficiency as a standard new home. A score of 0, meanwhile, indicates that a house produces as much energy as it consumes ... a net zero home.

Reclaimed Modern's HERS score of 15 shows that it has an excellent level of energy efficiency. Dwell tells Gizmag that the building could be brought up to net zero level by adding another 4 kW of solar panels.

Any electricity generated that isn't used is sold back into the grid at a premium over the cost at which the owners buy their electricity, earning them a projected US$4,500 per year for the next four years plus.

Elsewhere, the house makes use of Enviro-Dri coating on its exterior that helps to create a weather-resistant barrier and seals the building against moisture. Triple glazing helps to insulate the house and a blower door test for airtightness has also been carried out. This measures the number of times in an hour that indoor air is replaced at pressure and Reclaimed Modern's result of result of 2.5 at 50 Pa indicates a high level of air tightness.

Building work on Reclaimed Modern began in February 2014 and was completed later that year in October

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KLM turns jet into a two bedroom apartment

The idea of spending a night on a plane might be a nightmare for anyone who has flown a long-haul flight in Economy class. But KLM is offering an upgrade that is much more attractive – even if it doesn't get off the ground. The airline has transformed one of its grounded McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft into a luxurious apartment. Dubbed Airplane Apartment, this novel conversion offers four guests a unique overnight stay without the turbulence.

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The retired KLM aircraft which successfully charted 3,675 flights, is now located next to the Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and has received an impressive interior makeover. Converted into a 366 sqm (3940 sq.ft) vintage-inspired apartment, the aircraft features an open plan lounge room, study zone, master bedroom with a king size bed, second bedroom with two single beds, two fully equipped kitchens, 116 jet windows, eight tiny bathrooms and a panoramic cockpit.

The aviation apartment also comes with free Wi-Fi, a coffee maker, a library full of books and magazines, use of the buzzer/wireless intercom and a viewing room where guests can enjoy extra leg room as they watch the planes come in and depart from the adjacent airport.

Guests must however abide by the following House Rules:
No flying
Don't use the inflatable emergency slide
No smoking when the non-smoking cabin sign is on
Do not use the jet engines to toast marshmallows
Guests must water the plants and feed the fish
No consumption of alcohol allowed on board
Guests are asked to treat the plane as their own plane

This one-of-a-kind apartment is currently featured on Airbnb, as part of a contest to win a night on board, and will be temporarily available to house guests from the 28th to the 30th November 2014.

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Hub by Premier Inn hotel will allow guests control their room with a smartphone

Hotel rooms can be impersonal and transitory places, designed for a high turnover of guests. To make the hotel experience more comfortable, the new hub by Premier Inn chain will put control into the hands of customers, who will book, check-in and control their room facilities via a smartphone app.

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Technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in hotels as a means of providing guests with a better service and improving efficiencies. TheSaviOne robot butler, for example, recently began a trial period delivering room service at the Aloft Hotel in Cupertino. Whereas the SaviOne robot can benefit the hotel by automating a process that was previously manual, the aim of the hub hotel app is to improve the comfort of the customer.

The app will allow users to search for and book rooms, as well as check-in online. Once in their room, guests can use the app to change the temperature and lighting according to personal preferences, as well as select TV and radio channels and stream content from their smartphone or tablet to the 40-in inch smart screen TV. They will also be able to pre-order the following day's breakfast via the app.

According to Whitbread, the parent-company of hub by Premier Inn, the rooms will be designed to be "compact and clever." At 11.4 sq m (123 sq ft), the size will allow Whitbread to maximize the number of rooms it can fit into a single hotel, helping to keep costs down for guests. Storage space will be built into beds and pull-out desks will slide away when not in use to save space. Each room will feature a Hypnos pocket-sprung bed, a dual-shower ensuite bathroom, and free Wi-Fi.

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Singapore's surreal Supertree Grove and Cloud Forest

There are places on this Earth where you simply stand, slack-jawed, and pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming – and Singapore's Gardens by the Bay is as surreal a place as I've ever been. This billion-dollar techno-garden theme park is absolutely stunning right through, but the two stand-out highlights are its signature Supertree Grove – a collection of giant cyborg trees – and the Cloud Forest – a gigantic bio-dome that recreates the environment and climate of a mountaintop forest at sea level. As a bonus, there's also the world's tallest indoor waterfall.

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The jewel in Singapore's crown is its Marina Bay precinct, with stunning views in every direction. There's the Durian-shaped Esplanade theaters, the imposing shard-shaped skyscrapers of the financial district, the shell-shaped ArtScience museum, and dominating the landscape, the bizarre, colossal Marina Bay Sands hotel complex itself – shaped like a giant cruise ship beached atop three giant columns.

And since 2012, in behind the Marina Bay Sands hotel, there's also the Gardens by the Bay, a billion-dollar work of art inspired and enhanced by nature, parts of which feel like you've stepped into a sci-fi movie.

Supertree Grove

Entering the Gardens, you're immediately introduced to one of the main attractions: the Supertrees. Standing between 25 and 50 m tall (80-160 ft), each Supertree is a vertical garden supporting a range of ferns, vines, orchids and other plants, which creep over the towering, purple skeletal structures.

Each Supertree is designed to mimic the function of a real tree, with photovoltaic cells to echo photosynthesis and contribute energy to run the park. The trees also collect water during Singapore's frequent heavy rains and channel it throughout the park wherever irrigation or fountains are needed. Some are also used as exhaust flues for the Gardens' underground biomass boilers.

Cloud Forest

A short walk from the Supertrees, you can find a pair of climate-controlled bio-domes. One is the Flower Dome, which keeps a dry climate of between 23-25° C (73-77° F) and features a range of plants from Mediterranean, Australian, South American and South African regions. I didn't have time to get in and have a look at that one – time and the hot, humid weather steered me toward the other instead – the Cloud Forest.

The Cloud Forest is a man-made mountain inside a climate-controlled dome that replicates the cool, moist conditions on top of tropical mountains between 1,000 and 3,000 m (3,300 to 9,800ft) above sea level.
At the entrance you're greeted by a refreshing blast of cool air, followed by the sight of the world's tallest indoor waterfall, which rains down water and mist from 35 m (115 ft) above the floor.

Taking an elevator to the top level brings you to a mossy, ferny "lost world" garden, after which you circle the mountain on the way down via a series of huge skyways that provide a series of spectacular views, both of the mountain itself, as well as the rest of the facility and out across the bay to the city.

Half way down, the Crystal Mountain cave features a variety of stalactites, stalagmites and hollowed-out crystals, and after that you're taken through the +5° C video presentation room, which demonstrates the effect that a 5° C (+9° F) increase in temperature due to climate change is expected to have on mountain-top environments like these.

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