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Henning Larsen mass-timber logistics centre
CategoriesArchitecture

Henning Larsen unveils design for world’s largest timber logistics centre

By Zarkon Group,
Henning Larsen mass-timber logistics centre

Danish architecture studio Henning Larsen has revealed plans for a mass-timber logistics hub on Flevopolder island, the Netherlands, that will be the largest of its kind in the world.

Designed by Henning Larsen, the 155,000-square-metre hub will contain offices, shuttle storage and pallet shuttle, as well as a restaurant and roof garden.

Henning Larsen mass-timber logistics centre
Trees will provide shaded seating on the roof

Expected to be completed by 2026, the Logistics Center West will be built largely from glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) along with other biogenic materials.

Internally, the timber structure will have oversized columns and exposed beams complimented by light-coloured floors and furniture. Externally, the facade will be divided by rhythmic timber fins and regular openings.

Timber warehouse
Timber interiors flooded by natural daylight

The building will be surrounded by a wetland habitat and forest with a 30,000-square-metre  meadow placed on its roof to increase the site biodiversity.

Planting beds, fruit trees and bushes on the building’s rooftop will provide a green outdoor space for the employees, as well as attract local species.

Regular timber fins on facade
Regular timber fins decorate the facade

A boardwalk will serve as a scenic route across the wetland, while also providing educational tools for the employees, reinforcing the integration of nature into the workplace.

With just over 40 per cent of the site to be dedicated to greenery, access to certain areas of the site will be restricted to reduce human impact and promote wildlife growth.

According to the studio, the project’s biodiversity will work to absorb CO2, filter air pollutants and mitigate heat absorption to create “a more comfortable and sustainable environment”.

Rainwater from the rooftop will be collected and stored for sustainable reuse around the building.

Logistics centre in wetland
The mass-timber proposal will feature a constructed wetland

According to the studio the project will be the world’s largest timber logistics centre. The design will aim to create an atmosphere that prioritises employee well-being through the integration of nature into the workplace. Natural light, green spaces and clean air will work to “invigorate the space and enhance focus”.

Henning Larsen is an international studio for architecture, landscape, and urbanism. Other projects set to be completed by the studio include a ferry terminal in Faroe Islands that draws on traditional Viking boats and a wooden Ørestad church with trapezoidal roofs.

The renders are by Henning Larsen

Project Credits:

Client: Bestseller
Architect: Henning Larsen (services: architecture, interior design)
Landscape architect: Henning Larsen
Engineers: Ramboll, Denc and Pelecon

Reference

Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects
CategoriesSustainable News

Ingenhoven Architects tops resort with Europe’s largest thatched roof

By Zarkon Group,
Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects

Architecture studio Ingenhoven Architects has created a series of buildings topped with large, overhanging thatched roofs for the Lanserhof Sylt health resort on the Germany island of Sylt.

Ingenhoven Architects was informed by the surrounding dunes and the thatched roof of a previous building on the site for the resort, which was built in an area formerly used by the military on the island of Sylt in northern Germany.

Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects
Ingenhoven Architects created the largest thatched roof in Europe

Lanserhof Sylt includes traditional spa services, such as a saltwater swimming pool, gym, climbing wall, yoga studio, sauna and steam rooms, library and indoor-outdoor lounges. The resort’s focus on health means there are also CT and ultrasound scanners, ECG monitors as well as IV lounges and colonic hydrotherapy suites.

Its building is topped with a thatch roof that measures 7,100 square metres – making it the largest in Europe. It was conceived as a contemporary interpretation of the surrounding dune landscape.

Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects
The studio built the medical health resort to blend in with the surrounding landscape

“Our projects are always to be understood as a contemporary reaction to what previous generations have created,” Ingenhoven Architects founder Christoph Ingenhoven told Dezeen. “At the same time, building on Sylt means being part of a dune in motion.”

“For the Lanserhof we designed buildings in harmony with nature, reduced to the essentials, which is our definition of luxury today,” he continued.

Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects
The health resort has a pool looking out to the dunes

The studio chose a colour palette that echoes the surrounding landscape: beige, white, grey, wooden floors, large windows and transparent glass.

“Everything is geared towards simplicity and transforming restraints to achieve a positive spatial experience,” the studio explained.

Natural materials without synthetic finishes, such as reed, were used for the project, which Ingenhoven described as “not only a traditional choice but also an eco-friendly building element”.

Local craftsmen built the roof framework from wood, which “eased logistical challenges posed by the island’s location”.

“The softly undulating form of the roof harmonises beautifully with the dynamic dune landscape,” Ingenhoven explained.

“In terms of architectural heritage, we sought to pay homage to the cultural tradition of the island’s historical houses.”

Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects
An imposing staircase made of steel and oak features inside the resort

Inside, an imposing staircase made of steel and oak connects all levels, leading guests from the reception to the garage to the medical area to their rooms, which each have their own sheltered outdoor area.

“The architecture operates in analogy to the medical concept, which, in terms of the healing process, translates to a design that simplifies itself to the essentials,” added Ingenhoven,

Lanserhof Sylt Medical Health Resort by Inhenhoven Architects
The studio chose a colour palette that consists of beige, white and grey, echoing its surroundings

Other projects by Ingenhoven Associates recently featured on Dezeen include plant-covered skyscrapers in Tokyo and an office covered in five miles of hedges in Dusseldorf.

The photography is courtesy of Ingenhoven Architects/HGEsch. 

Reference

centre pompidou to host the largest retrospective of norman foster's work
CategoriesArchitecture

centre pompidou to host largest norman foster retrospective

By Zarkon Group,
centre pompidou to host the largest retrospective of norman foster's work

the ‘norman foster’ retrospective will span six decades

 

The largest retrospective spanning the entire oeuvre of Norman Foster’s work over the last six decades will open at the Centre Pompidou in Paris this coming May. Covering nearly 2,200 sqm, the exhibition reviews the different periods of the architect’s work, highlighting seminal projects, such as the headquarters of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (Hong Kong, 1979-1986), the Carré d’Art (Nîmes, 1984-1993), Hong Kong International Airport (1992-1998) and Apple Park (Cupertino, United States, 2009-2017). Running from May 10 to August 7, 2023, the retrospective is being designed by Norman Foster and executed in collaboration with Foster + Partners and the Norman Foster Foundation.

centre pompidou to host the largest retrospective of norman foster's work
Marseille Vieux Port | image © Edmund Sumner

 

 

exploring the architect’s work through seven themes 

 

The Norman Foster retrospective at Centre Pompidou explores the architect’s work through the prism of seven themes: Nature and Urbanity; Skin and Bones; Vertical City; History and Tradition; Planning and Place; Networks and Mobility and Future. ‘This exhibition traces the themes of sustainability and anticipating the future,’ shares Foster.

 

‘The birth of the practice in the 1960’s coincided with the first signs of an awareness of the fragility of the planet. These were the green shoots of what would later be named The Green Movement. These principles may now be mainstream, but more than half a century ago, they were revolutionary and anticipated the reality of today. Throughout the decades, we have sought to challenge conventions, reinvent building types and demonstrate an architecture of light and lightness, inspired by nature, which can be about joy as well as being eco-friendly.‘

centre pompidou to host the largest retrospective of norman foster's work
Millau Viaduct | image © Daniel Jamme/Eiffage

 

 

a unique display of 130 major projects 

 

Drawings, sketches, original scale models, dioramas, and many videos will enable visitors to delve into 130 significant projects. Indeed, welcoming visitors at the entrance to the Norman Foster retrospective, a drawing gallery showcases items never seen before in France, consisting of drawings, sketchbooks, sketches, and photographs taken by the architect. Illustrating a resonance with Foster’s architecture, the display includes works by Fernand Léger, Constantin Brancusi, Umberto Boccioni, and Ai Weiwei, along with industrial creations, such as a glider and several classic automobiles, which have often served as sources of inspiration.

 

Lastly, a 264-page catalog accompanies the exhibition, depicting eighty of the architect’s most significant projects. This monograph features three portfolios showcasing Foster’s early sources of inspiration, projects conducted in collaboration with Richard Buckminster Fuller, and other drawings and sketches. This collective volume is published by Editions du Centre Pompidou under the direction of Frédéric Migayrou, curator of the retrospective.

centre pompidou to host the largest retrospective of norman foster's work
Newport School | © The Norman Foster Foundation

centre pompidou to host the largest retrospective of norman foster's work
Carré d’Art, Nîmes | image © James Morris



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Photo of the front of a turboprop plane with ZeroAvia branding on the side sitting on tarmac
CategoriesSustainable News

ZeroAvia test-flies largest plane yet powered by hydrogen-electric engine

By Zarkon Group,
Photo of the front of a turboprop plane with ZeroAvia branding on the side sitting on tarmac

ZeroAvia has flown what the aviation company claims is the largest aircraft yet to be run on a zero-emissions hydrogen-electric engine, testing a 19-seater plane over the skies of England.

The company flew a modified 19-seat Dornier 228 twin-engine aircraft with one prototype hydrogen-electric engine retrofitted on its left wing and a regular gas turbine engine, a Honeywell TPE-331, on its right wing.

The test flight saw the plane take off, fly and land at ZeroAvia‘s R&D facility at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire on 19 January.

Photo of the front of a turboprop plane with ZeroAvia branding on the side sitting on tarmac
ZeroAvia has test-flown a plane retrofitted with a hydrogen-electric engine

According to ZeroAvia, the flight shows the British-American company is on track to run its first hydrogen-powered commercial flight by 2025, with the aim of eventually scaling up the technology to larger planes.

“This is a major moment, not just for ZeroAvia but for the aviation industry as a whole, as it shows that true zero-emission commercial flight is only a few years away,” said ZeroAvia founder and CEO Val Miftakhov. “Our approach is the best solution to accelerate clean aviation at scale.”

ZeroAvia uses hydrogen fuel cells, one of two major hydrogen-based technologies being explored for flight along with the hydrogen combustion engine.

Photo of a white and blue painted turboprop plane with ZeroAvia branding on the side taking off from a runway
The plane took off and landed at ZeroAvia’s base in south-west England

In fuel cells, hydrogen is used to produce electricity and that electricity powers the propeller, instead of the hydrogen being burnt like in a combustion engine. The process generates no emissions besides water vapour.

ZeroAvia deployed its prototype engine in a testing configuration that featured two fuel cell stacks along with lithium-ion battery packs to provide extra support for takeoff and backup power.

The fuel cells and hydrogen tanks were housed inside the cabin of the plane, where the seats would usually be. But eventually, they will need to be stored externally.

The company conducted the flight test under what it describes as the “stringent” requirements for a Part 21 aircraft flight permit with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, which the company says signals its readiness for commercial certification.

ZeroAvia says that under these conditions, the test flight places the company on the direct path to a certifiable configuration to be finalised and submitted for approval in 2023.

ZeroAvia is one of the current leaders in the race to develop hydrogen engines to decarbonise plane travel. The prototype tested was developed as part of the company’s HyFlyer II project, which is supported by the UK government’s Aerospace Technology Institute and targets the development of a 600-kilowatt powertrain.

Photo of two men hugging next to a small aircraft
Pilot Jon Killerby and ZeroAvia Europe head Sergey Kiselev led the test flight

Simultaneously, the company is also developing a two-to-five megawatt powertrain that scales the technology for aircraft with up to 90 seats.

Hydrogen engine technology is evolving rapidly, with many airlines and aerospace companies engaged in development and testing.

Recently, EasyJet and engineering company Rolls-Royce conducted a ground test of a modified commercial aircraft engine run on hydrogen combustion, while Airbus has previously revealed three concept designs for hydrogen-powered aircraft.

A challenge for the technology is the size of the hydrogen tanks required, which has made critics doubt that it can ever be used for jet planes or long journeys.

Reference

hirshhorn museum appoints selldorf architects & SOM to lead its largest renovation to date
CategoriesArchitecture

hirshhorn museum appoints selldorf architects & SOM to lead its largest renovation to date

By Zarkon Group,
hirshhorn museum appoints selldorf architects & SOM to lead its largest renovation to date

Hirshhorn to receive major modernization after nearly 50 years

 

The famed Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C, has announced that New York-based firm Selldorf Architects will work with Chicago-based practice Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) to develop a modernization plan for the museum’s interior and plaza. Nearly 50 years after its construction, the Hirshhorn will renovate its galleries and public spaces to respond to changes in contemporary art making and accessibility standards, as well as the drastic increase in attendance since 2017.

 

‘Art making has changed dramatically since our opening in 1974, and the Hirshhorn’s annual attendance has increased 40% in the past five years,’ says Melissa Chiu, director of the museum., ‘In response to these developments, the revitalization of our museum campus prepares us for the 21st century. We are pleased to work with SOM | Selldorf to do this.’

hirshhorn museum appoints selldorf architects & SOM to lead its largest renovation to date

image courtesy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (head image by Ron Blunt, courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum)

 

 

an ambitious, diverse, and sustainable museum 

 

The renovation by Selldorf and SOM addresses the changing needs of the iconic museum and the expansion of its exhibition spaces. In addition, the New York-based practice and Chicago-based firm will modernize the aging infrastructure, including artwork storage, vertical transportation, and stormwater management. The architects are expected to present a vision document in 2023, anticipating a draft public consultation process.

 

‘We are thrilled to be working together on the revitalization of the Hirshhorn Museum,’ mention Chris Cooper, FAIA, partner at SOM, and Annabelle Selldorf, FAIA, principal at Selldorf Architects, in a joint statement. ‘Ensuring that the building is better able to accommodate the museum’s ambitious programs, while serving a larger and more diverse audience, is of critical importance. And we need to be able to do so while making the building more sustainable.’

hirshhorn museum appoints selldorf architects & SOM to lead its largest renovation to date
the iconic cylindrical building was designed by Gordon Bunshaft in 1974, and is part of the Smithsonian Institution

image courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum

 

 

hirshhorn’s largest renovation to date

 

According to the Hirshhorn, the appointment of SOM and Selldorf marks the final chapter of the museum’s largest renovation to date, which consists of three phases and began in 2021 with the repair of the building’s facade. During the repairs, the building was covered with Nicolas Party’s Draw the Curtain mural, which was removed in October 2022.

 

The first project, expected to be completed by the end of 2022, includes replacing the museum roof and prefabricated panels to improve thermal performance and create new structural attachments. A second project, the revitalization of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden by artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto, will begin in spring 2023. The Sculpture Garden redesign will expand Hirshhorn’s ‘front door’ on the National Mall to increase attendance by 300% and establish three distinct exhibition areas for modern sculpture, time-based and performance art, and large-scale commissions. Sugimoto’s plan also calls for the reopening of the Gordon Bunshaft-designed underground passageway that will reconnect the National Mall to the Hirshhorn Museum and plaza via the Sculpture Garden.

hirshhorn museum appoints selldorf architects & SOM to lead its largest renovation to date
installation view of Lee Ufan: Open Dimension at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

image by Cathy Carver, courtesy of Lee Ufan, via The Pace Gallery

 

 

project info: 

 

name: Hirshhorn’s Largest Revitalization in History
architects: Selldorf Architects in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)

myrto katsikopoulou I designboom

nov 01, 2022

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The world's largest flow battery energy storage system
CategoriesSustainable News

The world’s largest flow battery energy storage system

By Zarkon Group,
The world's largest flow battery energy storage system

Spotted: As the world strives to achieve carbon neutrality, energy storage technology is becoming increasingly important. Renewable energy sources like wind and solar power are intermittent, meaning they’re not always available when needed. Energy storage can help to even out these fluctuations, making renewables a more reliable and consistent source of power. One of the largest energy storage projects in the world is currently being completed in Dalian, China.

The Dalian Flow Battery Energy Storage Peak-shaving Power Station will have a capacity of 100 megawatts/400 megawatt-hours, making it one of the largest storage facilities in terms of both power and capacity. The project is due to be completed in mid-October and will play an important role in helping China meet its climate goals.

The Dalian Power Station, which is based on vanadium flow battery technology developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), will serve as the city’s power bank while helping Dalian make use of renewable energy – such as wind and solar energy. The Power Station will convert electrical energy into battery-stored chemical energy and back into electrical energy, providing a reliable source of power for the city.

The power station plans to meet the daily electricity demand of about 200,000 residents. Looking ahead the aim is for these numbers to increase as the power station eventually produces 200 megawatts/800 megawatt-hours of electricity. The Power Station is an important step in Dalian’s transition to a clean energy future, and it is hoped that it will help to make the city a model for others in China and around the world.

The roll-out of renewables is gathering pace and with that roll-out comes innovation in energy storage. Springwise has recently spotted innovations such as a thermal energy storage system and a new system that stores energy in the form of heat and compressed air.  

Written By: Katrina Lane

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Building the largest network of profitable smallholder farmers
CategoriesSustainable News

Building the largest network of profitable smallholder farmers

By Zarkon Group,
Building the largest network of profitable smallholder farmers

Spotted: Smallholder farmers in many developing countries suffer from a lack of scale – they cannot compete with large conglomerates, even if they offer a high-quality product. This is due to their lack access to financing, food processors, and the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market. In Nigeria, agricultural company ThriveAgric is using technology to help small farmers compete. 

ThriveAgric uses its proprietary Agricultural Operating System (AOS) to assist farmers with financing, development and training, technology and post-harvest services, access to premium markets, and social and financial inclusion. Each season, the company onboards farmers and communities, inputting data about individual fields, soil texture, slope, proximity to water, and creditworthiness into the AOS. This data is used to calculate and disburse loans to each farmer, in the form of improved seeds, fertilisers, and crop protection products, rather than cash.

But that’s not all. ThriveAgric also gives tailored advice and tracks each farms’ progress using multiple data points, assisting, where needed, to maximise harvest. Farmers repay their loans in form of produce, based on agreed amounts. The rest of their harvest is profit. ThriveAgric stores all the produce in its own warehouses and sells it at volume at peak prices to markets where they have established relationships.

ThriveAgric recently raised $56.4 million (€58.2 million) in debt funding from local commercial banks and institutional investors. Discussing the investment, Chief Executive Officer Uka Eje said, “The new investment takes us one step closer to fulfilling our mission of building the largest network of profitable African farmers using technology to ensure food security.” 

The climate crisis has encouraged innovators to explore new ways of increasing crop yields without using intensive methods that can harm the environment. Springwise has recently seen many promising developments in this area, including a sustainable fertiliser that can be manufactured on-site and the use of extremophile bacteria to increase crop yields. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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