Valencia · 2006.1025
The new Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía opera house has opened in Valencia, Spain. Valencia native Santiago Calatrava designed the building for openness, with accessible terraces and promenade balconies cantilevered off a structure of cutaway white concrete shells. He also created murals and ceramic bas-relief sculptures for the 475,00-square-foot (44,100-square-meter) building, which features a main auditorium, three additional performance spaces, a gallery, and a restaurant. This is Calatrava's third major building in Valencia's 86-acre (35-hectare) "City of the Arts and Sciences" area.
Yonkers · 2006.1024
Struever Fidelco Capelli, a joint venture partnership, has unveiled details of the $1.5 billion first phase of its redevelopment plan for parts of Yonkers, New York. The four main components of Phase I are River Park Center, Cacace Center, Palisades Point, and the daylighting of the Saw Mill River, with landscaped public riverside walks. River Park Center is a mixed-use development comprising 465,000 square feet (43,200 square meters) of retail space, 325,000 square feet (30,200 square meters) of office space, restaurants, a movie theater, a minor-league baseball park, residential apartments, and parking. The Cacace Center features a new 75,000-square-foot (7,000-square-meter) hotel and 150,000-square-foot (14,000-square-meter) office building, partly to replace an existing building, slated for demolition, that houses many City of Yonkers offices. A new fire station and parking structure are also planned. Palisades Point is a residential complex planned for the Hudson River waterfront, comprising two 25-story towers with retail, restaurant, or office space at ground level.
Dubai · 2006.1023
RUR Architecture of New York City has unveiled its design for the 22-story "O-14" office tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building's structural skin is a 16-inch- (40-centimeter-) thick concrete veil, perforated throughout by holes of varying sizes. This facade opens the interior to light, air, and views, and helps circulate air to cool the building. The shape of the building's plan above its two-story podium is like a rounded four-point star. The 338,000-square-foot (31,400-square-meter) building will feature ground-floor retail and four levels of underground parking.
Philadelphia · 2006.1023
Construction has begun on a new 150,000-square-foot (14,000-square-meter) building at the Science Center, a "total venture ecosystem" for biotechnology companies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This first building in the Science Center's $600 million expansion will provide laboratory and office space, with ground-floor retail and structured parking. It is scheduled to be ready for occupancy by the first quarter of 2008. National architecture firm Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership designed the building in cooperation with Ueland Junker McCauley Nicholson (UJMN) of Philadelphia. Four additional buildings are planned for the future to complete the Science Center's expansion to 3.5 million square feet (325,000 square meters).
Santa Ana · 2006.1022
The new $14.6 million expansion of the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art nears completion in Santa Ana, California. The Dorothy and Donald Kennedy Wing adds about 30,000 square feet (2,800 square meters) of exhibit space, plus a 5,800-square-foot (540-square-meter) atrium and a 300-seat auditorium. Robert R. Coffee, Architect & Associates of Newport Beach designed the expansion to complement the Spanish Mediterranean style of the original building, built in 1932. The new wing's exterior features glass, travertine, and off-white acrylic plaster. It is scheduled to open to the public on February 18, 2007.
Columbia · 2006.1021
Architecture, interiors, and planning firm The Boudreaux Group of Columbia, South Carolina, has promoted principal Heather Mitchell, LEED AP, to president, effective November 1, 2006. Founder John Boudreaux, AIA, will become chairman of the board. Also, R. Randall Huth will be promoted from vice president to executive vice president. Mitchell has spent 11 years with the firm and is a registered architect in South Carolina and Pennsylvania. She plans to continue to promote energy-efficient, sustainable business practices.
Zurich · 2006.1018
Construction nears completion on an ovoid-plan office building in Zurich, Switzerland, designed by Camenzind Evolution of Zurich. The offices are arranged along an internal ramp that spirals upward and outward around a central atrium. The 20,500-square-foot (1,900-square-meter) building also features an accessible roof. Completion is scheduled for November 2006.
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