Isern Serra turns renderings into reality to form pink Moco Concept Store
CategoriesInterior Design

Isern Serra turns renderings into reality to form pink Moco Concept Store

Design studio Isern Serra has transformed a computer-generated image by digital artist Six N Five into a rose-coloured retail space for the Moco Museum in Barcelona.

Situated in Barcelona’s El Born neighbourhood, the Moco Museum exclusively exhibits the work of modern artists such as Damien Hirst, Kaws, Yayoi Kusama and Jeff Koons.

The institution’s eponymous concept store has a similarly contemporary offering, selling a mix of design, fashion and lifestyle goods.

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five
The store’s interior is completely covered in pink micro-cement

Its surreal pink interior started out as a computer-generated image by Six N Five, a digital artist known for envisioning other-worldly dreamscapes in pastel hues.

Barcelona-based design studio Isern Serra then brought the image to life, using pink micro-cement to achieve the same uniform, ultra-smooth surfaces seen in the drawing.

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five
Products are displayed inside huge circular display niches

“The Moco Concept Store represented an interesting challenge, as I had to combine the purpose of the store with actual architecture remaining true to our original dreamy world I had built in CGI,” explained Six N Five, whose real name is Ezequiel Pini.

“But these concepts were able to go one level further, both in decisions and execution, thanks to Isern Serra who brought its extraordinary talent and experience.”

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five
Arched and square niches have also been punctured into the walls

The store’s rosy interior can be seen through two large openings in its facade – one of them is rectangular, while the other is slightly curved and contains the entrance door.

A series of chunky columns run through the middle of the space. Surrounding walls have been punctured with arched, square and circular display niches, some of which are dramatically backlit.

Rows of shelves and a frame for a tv screen have also been made to project from the wall.

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five
A faux skylight sits directly above pink display plinths

The store’s largely open floor plan is only interrupted by a few pink cylindrical plinths used to showcase products, and a bespoke pink cashier desk with an integrated computer system.

Custom spotlights have been installed on the ceiling, along with a faux skylight.

Pink interior of Moco shop in Barcelona, designed by Isern Serra and Six N. Five
The store’s custom furnishings, like the cashier desk, are also rendered in pink

An increasing number of creatives are making their virtual designs a reality.

Last year, digital artist Andres Reisinger collaborated with furniture brand Moooi to produce a physical version of his Instagram-famous Hortensia chair, which was initially a rendering.

The piece is covered with 20,000 pink fabric petals, emulating the almost fluffy appearance of a hydrangea flower.

In Sweden, designer Christoffer Jansson passed off a virtual apartment as an Instagram home renovation project.

The photography is by Salva Lopez.


Project credits:

Authors: Six N Five and Isern Serra
Builder: Tegola Rosso SL

Reference

9 Tutorials To Improve Your Section Renderings
CategoriesArchitecture

9 Tutorials To Improve Your Section Renderings

The winners of Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge have been revealed! Interested in next year’s program? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.  

Sections are integral to understanding any architectural scheme. Whether 2D or 3D, they can give an insight into the varying heights within a model, site conditions, function, material use, light mapping and more. Students and professionals have been experimenting with a variety of styles and techniques to create conceptual and realistic sections to best showcase their proposals. Softwares like Illustrator and Photoshop have also made the task easier, especially when paired with 3D modeling applications and rendering assets.

People creating or inspecting design portfolios now expect drawings that are not only accurate but also have a strong visual appeal. Whether it is a blueprint effect, pop-art palette, x-ray layering or a watercolor effect, every technique contributes something different to the composition. Below is a list of videos that show some different types of sections and how to create them digitally.


Using Photoshop, the above video walks viewers through the different steps of converting a simple line drawing of a section into a rich visual that shows material, depth, light, green cover and more. In addition to the main drawing, there are several smaller steps that can not only apply to sections but can also help enrich other 2D drawings. The tutorial also takes care of less important details that might otherwise be overlooked such as staggering shadows on sloped surfaces and recesses.


The creator has explained how to take a perspective section from SketchUp into a vector drawing on Illustrator to create a minimal black and white render. This is especially helpful to understand how angled sections can be created for structures with irregular forms. Naudet starts with detailed instructions on how to cut a section in a 3D model and add a reference height for human figures as well as faces for shadows on transparent surfaces. The tutorial then moves to Illustrator where we learn how to layer the base image and the shadows and then add humans, manipulate the site and play with line weights.


Street sections are helpful when it comes to showing road widths, tree heights and compound boundaries. The video above shows how to simply and effectively render a cross-section of a road for larger architecture projects, public space designs or urban planning. It starts with a line drawing and builds on it with silhouettes and vector additions of cars and trees along with labels and dimensions.


This video combines the regular view and the hidden line mode and normal mode views in SketchUp to create a conceptual render in Photoshop. There are also tips on how to vary opacity to enhance depth and manipulate line weights, add subtle textures, and correctly use colored lines instead of black for drawings. The technique is an effective way of moving away from traditional sections to more stylistic drawings without compromising on details or accuracy.


More focused on the Photoshop rendering than the original SketchUp model, this lengthy video is a must watch for all looking to create detailed and dramatic section renders. It starts with the basics of masking, introducing textures in perspective and adding noise, before moving into light modifications, building contrast and artistic flourishes. The voiceover is also extremely helpful in understanding the importance of each step and how the different tools and commands work.


This two-part series shows how to build out a landscape section entirely on photoshop. The first video focuses on a basic 2D section with a water body, vegetation and human activity. This is a method that focuses less on accurate site contours and more on the visual impact of the site. However, it is easy to start with a contour diagram from an AutoCAD drawing or SketchUp model and then follow along with the steps as described in the video. The second video shows how to convert the previously created 2D section into a perspective view, again entirely on Photoshop.


There is something very charming about hand-rendered drawings and sketches. However, creating multiple drawings by hand is not only more time-consuming but also can leave less room for modifications. The tutorial above shows a simple way of converting a line drawing imported from any 3D modeling software into a section that appears to be rendered by hand. It uses a variety of brush settings such as size, opacity, spacing and jitter to create realistic shading. While the brushes linked in the description are not available anymore, it might be possible to find similar ones on other websites online.


Paired with a great music selection, this video uses an angled section plane in an axonometric SketchUp view to create a colorful section. The initial part of the video focuses on cleaning up the imported drawing, adding fill to the cut portions and tweaking certain line weights. It shows how adding blocks of color can help differentiate programs and also assist in labeling. The drawing is finished off with painted shadows, tree silhouettes and tags for functions.


A less traditional way of depicting a 3D section is by using a puzzle piece form to cut a section line as opposed to a standard section plane. The video shows how to cut a puzzle piece out of a 3D model in ArchiCAD and clean the model for rendering in Illustrator. The second half focuses on using transparency, adding dotted lines for better understanding, introducing color and more.

The winners of Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge have been revealed! Interested in next year’s program? Subscribe to our newsletter for updates.  

Reference

100 Renderings That Tell Stories About Architecture and Our World in 2022
CategoriesArchitecture

100 Renderings That Tell Stories About Architecture and Our World in 2022

The largest exhibition of architectural renderings in 2022 is officially here! We are thrilled to reveal the 100 Finalists for the 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge, each one telling a unique story about architecture’s role in the shaping of modern society. Below, you’ll find every amazing image that made the Top 100, forming an extraordinary showcase of architectural visualization and narrative-driven design.

Our stellar line up of expert jurors are now reviewing each of these images in minute detail, and their decisions will revealed with the publication of the Official Winners’ Announcement towards the end of April. The renderings will be judged according to the competition criteria. For the One Rendering Challenge, jurors’ rankings are converted into scores, which then give us our two Top Winners and 10 Commended Entries.

You can explore those 100 renderings below (published across 4 posts and in no particular order), accompanied by their stories. Tell us which is your favorite on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #OneRenderingChallenge! Below, “Part 1” presents the first 25 architectural visualizations — you can jump to part 2, 3 and 4 using these buttons:

Part 2     Part 3     Part 4


“Kaiserwagen” by Zana Bamarni

“Depicted in this image is my hometown Wuppertal. The world famous Schwebebahn, which was build over one hundred years ago as a result of advancements in steel production and metal fabrication, still remains to awe visitors when it meanders through narrow streets above the river Wupper. Shown here is a speculative redesign of the city in the spirit of the early Schwebebahn designs and its historic “Kaiserwagen”.

A lot of motivs were drawn from historic Schwebebahn Stations and the Art-Nouveau movement. A combination that is very fitting in a historical context. Both were made possible due to the progress in metal fabrication and could have been natural evolutions of each other. This image celebrates the joyful mingling of architecture and craftsmanship and carries this spirit into the scenery itself. People mingling.”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino


“REMEMBRANCE” by Zoe Russian Moreno

“Memories and dreams sometimes go hand in hand. The combination of reality and fantasy is an intrinsic force that supplies the creative portfolio of an artistic mind with endless possibilities. Nevertheless, even with all the infinite pieces put together sometimes one can’t help but look into triggers of certain spaces that take you back into specific moments of life. This particular studio is a combination of said moments in time; clutter in respective areas, materiality, scale, objects and the conglomeration of mechanical pieces grounds the imagery, which brings a sense of character that many people resonate with. It’s a sense of remembering a space that does not exist. A remembrance.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop


“The Lantern” by Evan Mott

“On December 21, 1848, a white plantation owner, traveling with his enslaved servant, passed through the Central of Georgia Railroad terminal in Savannah, seeking medical care in Boston.

Or so it seemed.

In actuality, the pair were Ellen and William Craft. Enslaved since birth, the married couple devised an artful plan of escape in which fair-skinned Ellen disguised herself as William’s white owner. Four terrifying days and 1,000 miles later, they successfully carried their lantern to freedom. They would devote their lives to exposing the dark brutalities of slavery, lighting the way to liberty for others.

Today the same railroad terminal, reimagined as the SCAD Museum of Art, carries its own lantern. The glow of the 85-foot glass tower reminds us that Craft-like creativity and courage are essential in building and protecting the delicacy of equity and freedom.

Thank you, SCAD, for telling this story.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop, Other


“Up In The Air” by Vittorio Bonapace

“The First Settlement on Mars.

The author imagined the first Colony – not so far in the future – inhabiting the sky into high-altitude balloons, leaving Mars’s surface for laboratories, roads, research and science experiments. “Up In The Air ” is part of a set of three illustrations. It’s not about the first epic human’s landing on the planet; the whole concept is about the confidence of living there, enjoying home.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop, Other


“Halo Funeral Center” by Pablo Emilio Vázquez Ramos

“Located near a highway between two major cities in the north of Mexico, Monterrey and Saltillo, the site generates from the hillside of the mountain chain. A ring with an inner radius of 47m, a section of 18m and an outer radius of 65m. Embedded in the ground giving the appearance of rising or detaching from it. The intention of the project is to guide the farewell process of a loved one through the natural and architectural environment. HALO Funeral Center stands out for its morphology and relationship with the context that generates a farewell process for both the bereaved and the deceased. In this way achieving a liberation and a healthy duel.”

Software used: Blender


“About Storeys and Stories” by Guilherme Marcondes

“People is what gives architecture life. With all their different lights and colors, they make the spaces alive. When designing a façade, a lot of effort is put into the relation with the exterior environment. With this rendering I wanted to focus on the role that the interior spaces play in a façade. Each of these windows have a story to tell, a feeling to show, a thought going on.

Home can have a lot of meanings: it’s where we come after work, rest, see our loved ones. It’s where we process the thing that happened outside, where we plan the things we want to do outside. Most importantly, it’s where we can show our true colors: sometimes bright, strong and warm. Sometimes soft, cold and blue. Through the day and the night the façade is where we see not just the city, but also the people’s light.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop


“Layers of the Underworld” by Keyhan Khaki

“A boundless generative study for a spatial understanding of an infinite archive dedicated to letters and stamps in the context of Campo Marzio. Inspired by “The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borgestry, the drawing tries to incorporate the idea of sauntering and browsing through ramps. It explores the layers beneath the Campo Marzio in relation to the accumulation of historical letters and records. This is a result of moving upward and downward into the layers of Campo Marzio imagined by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720- 1778).”

Software used: Rhino, Lumion, Photoshop


“Foot of The Hill” by qiantailong Shi

“Overlooking the sky, the water,the mountains and the small houses, they form a long picture that is deeply touching. The combination of a long time and strong strength reveals a solemn scene and makes people linger and forget to return. I suddenly had a strong desire and shouted at the mountain opposite. Bursts of pleasant echoes reverberated in my young heart, and my heart suddenly gushed a kind of magnanimity I had never had before. I felt that I had melted into the mountain.”

Software used: 3ds Max, SketchUp, Corona Renderer


“Gravity” by jingwei li

“The illustration explores a future in which architectural forms grasp to reach beyond Earth’s gravity. Density and population lead some to choose a nomadic life-style, free to roam the open plains below…”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop


“Museum of Memories” by Hristo Rizov and Arthur Panov

“What are memories if not frozen fragments of time?
Locked there in the museum.
Screaming for attention.
Wrestling to keep you restless.
Some full of sorrow and unrealized dreams.
Some… of uncried tears.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop


“Fainted Hope” by Dennis Grimm and Renato Aguilar

“Faced with the cruel reality everybody witnessed on TV in 2021, we were moved and felt responsible to act.

The image was to grab the viewers’ attention, evoke a feeling of affectedness, and make them reflect on the situation. The ambiance was inspired by several images we found of Afghan habitations. We aimed for realism, so we tried our best to capture the arid and vast landscapes we saw in these references and model authentic regional architecture. Finally, the young women are the focal point of the entire scene, they are quite literally in the middle of everything.

The environment, the architecture, and especially the characters – everything had to look and feel as real and convincing as possible. The women’s postures and facial expressions are crucial in conveying this feeling of uncertainty and helplessness, so we put a lot of effort into their appearance.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop


“Sunset Love” by Mark Eszlari

“Churches are sacred spaces where people unite spiritually with a higher power. We enter churches when faced by pure and meaningful emotions like true love. Churches are therefore unique types of architecture where humans can express their deepest feelings through prayers influencing their psychology, philosophy and lifestyle. Love at first sight usually culminates in a church during the wedding ceremony.

The illustrated couple expresses their love for one another, sharing a kiss at sunset, before climbing the stairs to enter this sacred space while the priest looks after them with his prayers, binding the souls together to be one. The design of the church is inspired by praying hands pointing towards heaven, the location by Greek islands. The elements such as the red roses, symbol of love, the sunset and staircase to the church contribute to the romantic emotions adding warmth to the image, a metaphor for hearts in love.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop


“Shanty Stack” by Arnaud Imobersteg

“The sun is warming the air as the market is closing now. My shirt is already sticking to my skin. They advised to avoid going out, but I feel good, I’m only coughing. Uncle Alisha is saying he got sick because it’s not air anymore, he says that before we used to see the sky and it was blue. But I don’t know; maybe he’s just getting old, he’s already 37. The Stack is constantly growing as new people are moving in. Are they coming from Above?”

Software used: Blender


“Cheese Factory” by Artem LT and Mykola Mondich

“Cheese factory. A place that is sure to please guests, especially fans of healthy eating preservation of national traditions, local cuisine. The landscapes there are also quite beautiful – the peaks of the Carpathians are clearly visible. Shepherds work here from spring to autumn. During this time, many sheep can be seen on the slopes. Various cheeses, Budz, Bryndza, Vurda are prepared on the fire. You can see with your own eyes a difficult but pleasant process, the preparation of Hutsul cheeses.

Architecture is organically integrated into the environment. Polonyna is a forestless area of the upper belt of the Ukrainian Carpathians, which is used as pasture and hayfield. Hutsul cheese becomes first Ukrainian product with protected geographical indication. Hutsul Bryndza is made of mountain sheep milk in accordance with traditions dating back to the 15th century on the summer high mountain pastures of the Carpathians.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop


“SHINE” by Alexis Bossé

“I dreamed of a circle room with countless thin arkd who fall in the center. At first, I tried to make a subtile natural light like a overcast sky. I worked shaders of walls and arks with dressed stone for remind stuctures like abbayes and churchs. After that I really wanted to make a old dark wood floor with a lot of wear but in the same time I want to make it elegant with strong reflections. I choose a dark Floor because this helped me contrast the image, the room is globally dark except for the center of the image. I placed a tree with a soft shape to stay close to the arks shape. After that I added few artificial lights with warm color to have more reflections on the floor. I tried to make a place which is perceived like sacred and silent.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop


“Victory St” by Dániel Ócsai

“My story depicts a dystopia that is mostly driven by the cold and insensitive brutalism of Orwell’s 1984 novel and the post-soviet era in Middle-Eastern Europe. These types of buildings are called “panel houses” in Hungary, which means houses made of reinforced concrete blocks. Most of these were built right after World War II, when suddenly many people had to be accommodated.

I love the negative charm of these monsters that makes them look like they will stand forever and beyond. On my image the inhabitants have either left the building or taken them away – who could tell. The man in the cap can be a propagandist or some kind of servant who is a faceless, impersonal part of the omnipresent, yet intangible system. Life is unknown down there, but presumably everyone is doing an automated, meaningless job. I think less information says more here.”

Software used: Cinema 4D, Photoshop, Other


“The Remnant” by Sai Lam Ma

“Day 1947

This is it, the tales are true. I’ve found the remnant of human civilization from all those years ago.

It was said people used to turn to technology for all their problems, almost worshiping it as if it was the solution to everything. But only if they would look closer, they would have noticed all the pollution, inequality, conflict and harm they were causing. Instead of going to the roots of these problems, they slowly trapped themselves in this concrete tomb scrambling for some miraculous device to save them all. Maybe only then, when it all come crashing down would they realize how they should have treasured it all. Maybe only then, would they start to let nature heal.

They could have left us with so much more than a monument of regrets…”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino, Photoshop


“THE SECRET LIFE OF A DAM” by Dominic Maslik

“This is the story of an old industrial building with a new form of life. One idea was popping in my mind to take the most industrial function and to make it not only a practical source of energy, but also architecturally and publicly friendly. Looking over different dams around the world I realized that’s the perfect ground for the imagination. Brutalist aesthetics, and the almost military look of the dams, made me overthink their use.

What if it can be used by the public, attract tourists? When I realized It can be redesigned also as a garden, lookout, integrated into nature as a beautiful architectural element there was no hesitation where it potentially could be. I took as a location lush Australian forest with its amber rivers coming from the mountains. My inspiration for the scene and color-grading were coming from Austrian landscape painters such as John Wilson, John McCartin, Frederick McCubbin.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Photoshop


“Tokyo Rift” by Felix Manibhandu

“Growing up in urban South-East Asia, I’ve found there’s nothing in comparison to the chaotically beautiful sensory overload.

The typical high-rise modular architecture above provides enclosure to the sprawling hustle and bustle of micro communities below, night time transforms high density spaces to a fluorescent techno-visual feast.

This work in progress it to develop in to an environment camera pan shot. The first frame is a reimagining of what could be the sights, sounds and smells of a city I’ve never visited, referencing heavily on past experiences and emotions.”

Software used: Photoshop, Other


“The Meditation Temple” by Fatimah Ishmael

“The project is an anti-surveillance monastery in the mountains of China named the ‘Blind Spot’. Located more specifically in Fengdu ghost city, Chongqing, the Blind Spot is a retreat/sanctuary where you can escape the pressures of a heavily surveilled society. It is temporary living off the grid and houses sleeping chambers, meditation rooms, learning centres, and is influenced by the design of Buddhist monasteries.

The Meditation Room is constructed by metal mesh (influenced by a Faraday cage) and is a retreat within a retreat. It conveys a peaceful yet eerie feeling; though the cage-like construction stops the electromagnetic fields (WiFi, etc), the exposed and semi-transparent walls and floors still give the feeling of being watched.”

Software used: V-Ray, Other


“Celadon City (Saigon, Vietnam)” by Nhi Hoang (Producer), Lucien Bolliger (Executive Producer), Trinh Thai (Art Director & Visualizer) Quynh Luong (Model), Ng Lee (Model), Thanh Ho (Model photographer), Gamuda Land (Developer), Soyon (Creative agency), and createdby.ma (Architecture Visualization Agency)

“Saigon has evolved from the ’70s-nowhere else in Vietnam can one experience the quickly changing cultural and economic shift that takes place before our eyes. The 10+ million inhabitants seem to be constantly moving…Locals and foreigners, looks, sounds, smells, tastes all mix, and create something so eclectic and excitingly new that is impossible to capture in words. The city’s constantly buzzing. Moving. People yearn to break the shackles of the past, the shackles of society’s expectations. Poverty, traditional values, and collectivism are quickly shifting to consumerism and individualism.

Our CGI aims to captures the hustle, bustle and buzz one can feel in Saigon. The two models embody the modern people of Saigon, whereas the rest of the city moves around them at lighting speed. We used a neo-noir, cyberpunk-inspired mood to imply how this place isn’t stuck in the past, but very much representing the future.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop


“Group Therapy” by Gourav Neogi

“We heard the thump of music. A door swung open, LED lights bleeding into the night. The space was packed but it felt familiar, like being reunited for the first time with people you didn’t really know. Some whose first names you know but whose numbers are not in your phone. You have no idea what they do for a living, or where they are from, or how old they are. You see them on the dance floor, where you have been hanging out for years.

This images captures a moment from the future as the pandemic restrictions are lifted. This ordinary corner of the Schaulager museum designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & De Meuron, becomes the destination for an underground techno party in Basel.”

Software used: V-Ray, 3ds Max, Rhino, Photoshop


“Cabins in the Woods” by Behzad Keramatih and Hizir Kaya

“City life can be vibrant, diverse, and dynamic. But it can also be crowded, polluted, and noisy; It is overstimulating which can make people feel stressed and overwhelmed. So the question is what’s the antidote to modern life stress? That is why we in the DD Studio decided to design a cabin in the woods in our style with minimum interference with nature as a building and maximum view. In this image, we are trying to show the communication between nature and humans and how the cabin sits in context.”

Software used: 3ds Max, Corona Renderer, Photoshop


“Reclaim the Air – AirKeepers” by Minsung Kim

“Along the Passaic River from Port Newark through Jersey Turnpike, air pollution caused by toxic factories and transportation leads to increased health concerns and affects families’ health and vulnerable communities in Newark and the entire New York Metropolitan area.

The rendering shows AirKeepers’ interventions to combat air pollution along the Passaic River. The Mist Towers emit mist to capture toxic chemicals and particulate matter and drop them down to the ground. Then, Hyper-accumulating plants absorb the fallen pollutants and keep them away from the river. Additionally, Drones monitor the air quality and alert polluted air by emitting lights, helping people avoid being exposed to the pollutants.

While the scale of pollution is far greater than the Newark area alone, AirKeepers view these design interventions as a framework that can be used in the future to guide design efforts for combating pollution around the region and creating a healthier environment.”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino, Photoshop


“The Construction of the Mihama Nuclear Shrine” by Sabina Blasiotti

“In 2012, Japanese architect Katsuhiro Miyamoto made the extraordinary proposition to erect giant Shrine-style roofs over the ruined reactors of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant after the 2011 nuclear disaster. The conceptual idea of using the roofs to signify the presence of a powerful force on site extends to a workable proposition, based on the Japanese culture where shrines are rebuilt every 20 years to ensure that traditional building techniques are passed on generations. Likewise, the upkeep of the reactors’ decommissioning will extend in centuries, therefore the construction of these roofs is chosen as a form of preservation, to transmit the knowledge of Nuclear Waste management to future generations.

This drawing retells the story of Miyamoto, the construction of the Nuclear Shrine further influences the regeneration of the surrounding abandoned coastal landscape, repurposed as a sanctuary integrating ceremonial and commercial activities such as fishing and rice farming.”

Software used: V-Ray, Rhino, Photoshop

Next 25 Renderings →

Reference

What Kéré Architecture’s Renderings Reveal About the Firm’s Design Process
CategoriesArchitecture

What Kéré Architecture’s Renderings Reveal About the Firm’s Design Process

The 10th Annual A+Awards is still accepting entries! New this season, firms can gain recognition for their entire portfolio of work thanks to the addition of the new Best Firm categories celebrating practices of all sizes, geographies and specializations. Start your entry today.

Images tell powerful stories of people and place. For Kéré Architecture, renderings provide a way to showcase design and relate to larger contexts. Founded by Francis Kéré in 2005, with a dual focus on design and social commitment, the studio’s scope encompasses building, design and knowledge sharing. Known for its use of structure and materials, the practice’s portfolio spans a wide spectrum of projects from civic infrastructure to temporary installations, from concept to execution and across diverse geographies.

Kéré’s architectural reputation is strongly tied to the work’s built realization, and rarely is the process of a project’s creation explored through working images and visualizations. The following article examines a range of Kéré Architecture’s work through rendering, and it does so across different approaches and scales. A common thread emerges that is grounded in the renowned Burkinabè architect’s pioneering approach to sustainable modes of construction and context. The result is a portfolio that centers process and vision as the heart of design.

Inspired by the particularities of each project’s locality and its social tapestry, Kéré and his team work on projects across multiple continents. At the intersection of utopia and pragmatism, the team creates contemporary architecture that feeds the imagination with an Afrofuturist vision. Informed by tradition, the practice explores new modes of construction for which the foundations have long been laid.

Innovative uses of local resources and participatory design methods allow them to work beyond the boundaries of most established design practices and shed dominant norms. Exploring the many crossroads of the architectural realm and other disciplines, from art to technology, they expand their design practice through a deeper understanding of the relationship between rendering, illustration and built work.

Interior of Thomas Sankara Memorial. Render by Kéré Architecture

Interiors: Thomas Sankara Memorial

The Memorial Thomas Sankara is a project to honor and commemorate the memory of the seminal 20th-century Burkinabè thinker, former president and change-maker Thomas Sankara. The design proposal for the memorial reflects the genesis of revolution. The aim is the integration of a structure into an existing landscape that places innovation at its fore. In this rendering, the studio visualizes the interior of the memorial tower, an 285 feet (87 meters) high urban landmark for the Burkinabè capital, a design that stands on the site of the 1987 assassination of Sankara and his comrades.

Visitors are invited to climb the structure using a helicoidal ramp. The path is purposefully long and demanding, emulating the call not to fear the challenging road to change. Tackling the winding route is rewarded with stunning views across the city from a unique vantage point, which also features a restaurant shaped as the contour of Burkina Faso. A suspended funicular cabin provides access to the summit for older people and other abled. This rendering view is used to emphasize materials, light and circulation — all central elements of the design.

Xylem, Render by Kéré Architecture, photograph by Iwan Baan.

Early Concepts & Materials: Xylem

Kéré Architecture designed Xylem, the gathering pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Centre, as a quiet, protective shelter. Named to evoke the vital internal layers of a tree’s living structure, Xylem is a place where visitors of this vast outdoor art space can gather to converse or sit and contemplate in solitude. Early renderings for the project show a much more playful and artistic interpretation of the finished design. Favoring illustration over realism, the renderings evoke layering that is much more conceptual than later renderings.

The logs of Xylem’s canopy are grouped in circular bundles within a modular hexagonal structure in weathering steel, supported by seven steel columns. The upper surface of the canopy is carved sinuously to blend into the surrounding hills. Simultaneously massive yet light, the roof is inspired by the tuguna, the sacred gathering space of many small Burkinabè communities. These low-level wood and straw shelters offer protection from the sun while allowing for ventilation.

Inside the pavilion, sunlight filters through the vertical logs, creating a soft play of light and shadow on the curvilinear seating and polished concrete circular platform below. The spatial complexity of the carved wooden seating elements encourages visitors to explore different views of the surrounding landscape.

Xylem, Render by Kéré Architecture, photograph by Iwan Baan.

Design Development & Scale: Xylem

Later in the design process you can see how Kéré Architecture’s renderings evolve to a more realistic approach. This brings in scale, sky and photo-realism as an entirely different approach to illustration. Located in a slightly sunken landform between the main facilities of the art center and the start of the hiking tracks, the pavilion nestles in a clearing surrounded by aspen trees, facing a small creek. Entirely carved in wooden logs, the pavilion invites visitors into the heart of the trees. The sustainable pinewood used for the entire pavilion, locally sourced from a natural pruning process that saves forests from parasitic bugs, is used in its raw state.

For Kéré Architecture, the definition of local resources has many layers, all of which are tightly interwoven. The studio believes that to build in a particular location means to engage actively with all aspects of the building practices of that place. Perhaps the most significant local resource is the existing built heritage, which teaches us how to adapt to our given context. In the work of Xylem and the render process, you can see how the studio strongly believes that a comprehensive understanding of local resources grounds each of their projects in its specific site and context.

Waterfront of the Niamey Nyala Masterplan. Render by Kéré Architecture.

Masterplans: Niamey Nyala Masterplan

Not only does Kéré Architecture work at the scale of architecture and pavilions, but also masterplans. The Niamey Nyala Masterplan puts forward a new vision, based on the premise of transforming the city by harnessing the hugely untapped potential of its riverbanks. The plan intends to create a network of public spaces along the Gounti Yéna (a tributary of the Niger River flowing through the city from south to north) and the Yantala Corniche on the left of the river, promoting Niamey’s biodiversity. The studio’s rendering for the masterplan combines an aerial view of the river and city superimposed with textures, architecture and infrastructure for the new project vision.

Along the Yantala Corniche, the existing tree nurseries and market gardens are reorganized to integrate recreational areas. In turn, the illustration shows how housing is planned along the riverside to slow the city’s expansion into the desert, as well as water transport to improve the connection between various points along the banks. The promenade planned along the Gounti Yéna waterway is combined with a series of waste stabilization ponds that filter the water through plants and sand. At the heart of the masterplan, a pedestrian bridge connects the two main promenades and spans the ring road, offering Niamey’s citizens a new vantage point over their city and its river.

Façade of the TUM Tower. Render by Kéré Architecture.

Large-Scale Landmarks: TUM Tower

At the start of 2019, Kéré Architecture was commissioned to design a multi-use civic centre at the heart of the Technical University of Munich’s Garching research campus. Complementing the science facilities, this new central hub aims to promote cross-pollination between the public, faculty, alumni, students and researchers of various disciplines. The rendering especially showcases how each terrace is brought to life by the green façade, which serves as the building’s natural climatization system.

The design explores the organic and flexible possibilities of geometric forms, starting from the simple square. The TUM Tower includes a 360° view of the campus, made possible by the 22.5° rotation of a squared plan around its core axis. Acting as a landmark visible from afar, the TUM Tower brings the form of the campus’s functional architecture to new light. It playfully evokes both the essence and shape of the Bavarian maypole or Maibaum tradition – an annual celebration of communal gathering around a soaring tree-like structure.

Interior of the Serpentine Pavilion. Render by Kéré Architecture, photo by Iwan Baan.

Pavilions & Light: Serpentine Pavilion

Since 2000, the Serpentine Galleries annually commission an international architecture practice to design the Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens, London. In 2017, they chose Francis Kéré. Taking inspiration from the great tree in his hometown of Gando, under which members of the community meet to reflect on the day, Kéré’s design is based on creating this sense of community while connecting people with nature. A great overhanging roof canopy made of steel and a transparent skin covers the entire footprint of Kéré’s Serpentine Pavilion, allowing sunlight to enter the space while also protecting it from the rain.

Not only does this rendering showcase the materials and vision for natural light, but it also points to a larger approach to pavilion design. The project is defined by wooden shading elements that line the underside of the roof, creating a dynamic shadow effect that changes with the movement of the sun and clouds. The wall system is made of prefabricated wooden blocks assembled into triangular modules with slight apertures, giving a lightness and transparency to the building enclosure. The curved walls are split into four fragments, allowing four unique access points to Kéré’s Serpentine Pavilion. Completely detached from the roof canopy, these elements allow both the air and visitors to freely circulate.

Façade of the Benin National Assembly. Render by Kéré Architecture.

Architecture & Facades: Benin National Assembly

Having outgrown its current building, which dates back to the colonial era of its past, the parliament of the Republic of Benin has entrusted Kéré Architecture to design a new national assembly that will embody the values of democracy and the cultural identity of its citizens. The project takes inspiration from the palaver tree, the age-old West African tradition of meeting under a tree to make consensual decisions in the interest of a community. Here, an approach to rendering not only accentuates the conceptual idea and brings it to life, but also tells a story of structure and the building façade.

The assembly hall is defined by the dynamic reach of the structure. The crown is comprised of offices and auxiliary functions, set back from the deep façade, which filters the sunlight. The trunk is hollow, creating a central courtyard that allows circulation spaces to be naturally ventilated and indirect light to penetrate the plan. A spiral staircase in its center connects the assembly hall on the ground floor to the offices above. In the southeast corner of the site, a public square marks the civic façade of the building, across from the former national assembly where Benin’s independence was historically declared.

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The Architecture of Escapism: 8 Dreamlike Renderings That Showcase Bold Utopian Environments
CategoriesArchitecture

The Architecture of Escapism: 8 Dreamlike Renderings That Showcase Bold Utopian Environments

Send Us a Rendering. Tell Us a Story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge is open for entries, with a Regular Entry Deadline of March 11th, 2022Submit a rendering.

Renderings are more than simple computer-generated images; they tell a story and help us envision how a space feels, is used and interacts within the surrounding environment. Architizer’s annual Rendering Competition the inspiring and striking architectural ideas made possible by architectural visualization. This rendering challenge provides designers with an opportunity to showcase their individual talents and distinctive imaginations.

At its best, ArchViz allows designers to explore the expansive potentiality of what architecture can be through surreal imageries that engage with the absurd, the paradoxical, and escapism. Each of the eight renderings offers a dreamlike vision. Whether it be an idyllic setting, a fascinating paradox, or a dream-like scene, each rendering highlights the fantastical possibilities of bold utopic environments and pushes the boundaries of what an architectural rendering can be — a chance to escape reality. 

Floating Vestiges by Timlok Li

Timlok Li’s rendering takes the viewer off-ground and into the sky. His rendering challenges the notion of architecture as permanent and site-specific, encouraging us to engage in the idea of impermanence. Floating Vestiges is hard to categorize as it flees from a defined architectural style. Instead, it embraces various styles and practices from different eras and periods. From American roadside architecture to imperial China, this floating structure is an amalgamation of historical periods and thus creates an inviting space for all walks of life.

The House of the Rising Sun by Bogdan Begmat

Bogdan Begmat’s paradoxical rendering is seemingly warm as it is brutalist. Made of poured concrete, this monolithic design boasts a warm brutalist aesthetic with a reflective façade. The rounded structure is at once muted through its monochrome appearance and, yet, defiant as it stands tall within the skyline. The building reflects onto the water surface below in what amounts to an almost subliminal effect. The juxtaposition of harsh and warm effects speaks to a surrealist aesthetic. Still, with the help of the surrounding peaceful landscape, a warm and inviting atmosphere is imagined.

Joint Structures by Nash Hurley, Jean-Pierre Monclin and Sonja Guth

A collaborative effort by three architects produces a rendering that responds to society’s ever-changing work culture. Remote work currently dominates over the traditional office space, and this change has required designers to pivot and evolve their practices. This rendered design concept imagines a healthy, functional, and environmentally-conscious workspace. It consists of a skyscraper made of a cluster of separate volumes, all of which are attached in a motif that creates a tree-like design. The workspaces within the structure offer ample daylight and access to fresh air, which encourages good work habits and good health. Moreover, the separated volumes are ideal for small workgroups while equally remaining connected to the others and thus creating a sense of communal belonging.

The Oasis by Nuno Salgueiro

Nuno Salgueiro’s rendering features a pyramid within the middle of a desert and reveals a surreal and oxymoronic design. It employs the traditional tomb structure — a space once used to commemorate the dead — but instead designs an environment for the living. The Oasis is a structure that provides shelter, rest, and a chance to appreciate the surrounding desert topography. The interior is a light spectacle, a space where visitors can appreciate the radiating sunlight that shines through a series of intricately-cut openings. The focal point is the grand staircase, which leads guests to the top of the pyramid and where they can contemplate the surrounding desert landscape.

ISAURA, A city that moves entirely upward by Maria Karim

Maria Karim’s city design takes inspiration from the works of Italian writer Italo Calvino. His imaginative writing and description of cities influenced Karim to design ISAURA, a city that is oriented upwards. Karim’s city design is built above a subterranean like — just as Calvino describes it to be. The lake provides residents with fresh drinking water and also houses many of the city’s gods. This unconventional city organization speaks to Calvino’s vivid imagination and excites our surreal senses.

The Crevasse by Yeong Joon Ko

Yeong Joon Ko’s light-filled gallery was intended for Hongik University in Seoul, South Korea. The space is cubic, boxy and exudes a tranquil morning atmosphere. A series of box-shape volumes were assembled in such a way that creates an arched path that leads visitors to a public space below. A sequence of crevasses and cut-outs connect the space with the outdoors and allows streams of sunshine to brighten the interior space. The rectangular shapes work together with the soft beams of lights to create a calm and warm gallery space.

Enter the Garden by Zana Bamarni

Zana Bamarni’s rendering invites the viewer to a light-filled haven. Enter the Garden is designed to be a tranquil space where for those in need to escape their chaotic and often frustrating work lives. The structure consists of a rounded archway that is deeply ornamented and stands with grandeur. Shining through the archway is a radiating, almost blinding light. What lies beyond the archway is unknown, but the fierce light and large scale create a sense of mystery and a deep urge to explore what may be lying ahead.

Solivagant No More by Joe Parayno

Joe Parayno rendering embodies the widely-felt fear of the pandemic, the intense fatigue of isolation and the desperate desire to travel. This design consists of a home hitched on a giant balloon, which allows the structure to fly freely in the sky. This illustrative rendering depicts a hiker who comes across the flying house and joins the owner of the home on a traveling adventure. Both individuals connected over their shared urgency to travel and see the world. The home is a surreal take on the human necessity for freedom and mobility.

Send Us a Rendering. Tell Us a Story. Win $2,500! Architizer’s 3rd Annual One Rendering Challenge is open for entries, with a Regular Entry Deadline of March 11th, 2022Submit a rendering.

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