New York · 2007.0210
A $10 million renovation project was recently completed at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York City, part of a series of extensive renovations. Stonehill & Taylor Architects, P.C. of New York City provided architecture and interior design services for the hotel's ballroom complex, architectural design of the Avenue restaurant and the fitness center, and interior design of the Presidential Suite. Architecture and interior design firm BBG of New York City served as architect for the Presidential Suite renovation. Tocar Interior Design of New York City served as interior designer for the restaurant and fitness center. A saturated color palette of blues, reds, and whites connects the interiors, which are also detailed with mahogany, glass, and beveled mirror panels.
Svalbard · 2007.0209
The government of Norway has revealed the architectural design for the Svalbard International Seed Vault, to be carved deep into rock on the Arctic island of Svalbard. The building is intended to house seed samples of nearly every food crop in the world. The location of the vault in an area of permafrost provides back-up refrigeration for the seeds. The vault will also be located about 430 feet (130 meters) above sea level and 390 feet (120 meters) into the rock to avoid the potential future consequences of climate change. The vault's interior will be utilitarian, its rock walls sprayed with concrete. The entrance portal will be a narrow triangular structure of concrete and metal that projects from the mountainside. Security measures include several sets of reinforced doors between the entrance and the chambers, the absence of windows, and a video monitoring system. Construction is scheduled for March through September, 2007. The vault is scheduled to open officially in late winter 2008. The Global Crop Diversity Trust will co-fund the vault's operations.
Sahl Hasheesh · 2007.0209
Foster + Partners, the London-based firm of British architect Norman Foster, has revealed its master plan and architectural designs for Serrenia, a $3 billion high-end residential development in Sahl Hasheesh, Egypt, on the Red Sea coast. The 620-acre (250-hectare) development includes residences that range from apartments to palatial villas, as well as a spa, golf course, seven-star hotel, and 330-berth marina. The buildings will be almost hidden in a landscape of gardens, lagoons, and canals. Structures were designed to offer shelter from heat and desert winds, with curving protective forms inspired by the shape of the dunes. The plan features photovoltaics and solar water heating. The marina will be topped by a wave-shaped floating roof, and the hotel will be a coral-like shape inspired by the underwater seascape of the Red Sea. Construction on the development began on January 28, 2007, and is slated for completion in early 2010.
Chicago · 2007.0208
Georgeann B. Burns, AIA, has joined the Chicago office of architecture and planning firm RTKL Associates Inc. as a principal in the firm's healthcare practice. With a career than spans three decades, Burns has been involved in the programming and planning of many major academic medical centers, including Newark Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, New Jersey; Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia; and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent, England, United Kingdom. Prior to joining RTKL, Burns served as principal and director of healthcare in the southeastern United States for The S/L/A/M Collaborative. She has also served as vice president for U.S. and U.K. offices of HKS, Inc.
Los Angeles · 2007.0207
The installation of a new Noah’s Ark exhibition nears completion at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California. In consultation with Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie, who designed the Skirball Cultural Center, Jim Olson and Alan Maskin of the Seattle, Washington, firm Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects designed the ark, the exhibits, and many of the animals to be included. The floor-to-ceiling ark, which occupies an 8,000-square-foot (740-square-meter) gallery space, will appear incomplete. Visitors will be asked to participate in completing the construction before loading the ark with animals and then boarding themselves. The exhibit is scheduled to open June 26, 2007.
St. Louis · 2007.0207
The $56.8 million Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, has opened to the public. The five-building complex features two new buildings designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki. The new Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum is a 65,000-square-foot (6,000-square-meter) building clad in limestone. The Earl E. and Myrtle E. Walker Hall is a 38,000-square-foot (3,500-square-meter) facility that houses a library, studios, classrooms, and offices. Both buildings feature open floor plans and extensive daylighting. One of the other buildings in the complex, Steinberg Hall, was Maki's first-ever commission, designed in 1960 when he was a professor at the university. The project architect was Harish Shah, AIA, ARA, a principal of Shah Kawasaki Architects of Oakland, California.
People and Places Last Week
People and Places Archive
ArchitectureWeek Professional Directory
ArchitectureWeek Web Directory
Send us your People and Places items
