Black and white emotions. EmotionArch photo project by Alessio Forlano

/ Art /

Can photographing architecture be a way of artistic self-expression or does it simply create an objective representation of reality? The EmotionArch project by the Italian photographer and architect Alessio Forlano was born out of this question. The main goal that the author set for himself was to popularize modern architectural culture with the help of emotional pictures.

Alessio Forlano sought to combine his two serious passions — architecture and photography — and found common elements in them: space, light, time, and dimensions. In his EmotionArch project, he raised the question of the role of architecture in a rapidly changing world. New construction technologies and new needs of people determine the shape of modern cities. Intricate forms and structures replace elementary Euclidean geometry. Forlano tried to depict this complex reality, relying on the ancient, but not outdated, language of emotions. Contrasting black-and-white pictures help to appreciate the architectural aesthetics, which could remain unnoticed by the average person.

Alessio Forlano, photographer

Circle of Light

The new pavilion of the Messe Basel exhibition complex

Basel, Switzerland

Herzog & De Meuron Architects

In 2013, the Swiss architectural firm Herzog & De Meuron completed the construction of a new exhibition pavilion on the Messeplatz square in Basel. In addition to exhibition premises, the three-story building houses shops, restaurants and bars. The renovated Messe Basel complex, located in the very center of the city, has become a place of attraction for residents and tourists.

Circle of Light
The new pavilion of the Messe Basel exhibition complex, Herzog & De Meuron Architects

Emotional Circle

The new pavilion of the Messe Basel exhibition complex

Basel, Switzerland

Herzog & De Meuron Architects

The architects connected the new Messe Basel pavilion with the other buildings of the complex, creating a covered public space on the Messeplatz. From above, this space is protected by a dome with a large round hole-oculus. The roof is covered with curved metal panels. The sun, reflecting in them, creates tonal contrasts that add dynamism to architectural volumes.

sand dunes

UAE pavilion at EXPO 2015

Milan, Italy

Foster + Partners

The UAE pavilion, designed by the architectural studio Foster + Partners, was one of the most recognizable structures built at the World Expo 2015 in Milan. Walking along the narrow path between the undulating walls under the hot summer sky, visitors feel as if they are among the high dunes of the Arabian desert.

sand dunes
UAE Pavilion at EXPO 2015, Foster + Partners

The Big Eye

Fulton Center

New York, USA

Grimshaw Architects

Opened at the end of 2014 in Manhattan, the Fulton Center is a large subway interchange and a shopping center of the same name. The main feature of the project is the Sky Reflector Net: it is a huge lantern in the form of a pipe, lined with 952 aluminum panels that scatter light into the interior space. Thanks to this design, the Fulton Center received LEED certification for energy efficiency. About 300 people pass through the transit station every day. passengers

The Big Eye
Fulton Center, Grimshaw Architects

Umbrella Wooden

Metropolis Parasol

Cheap hotels in Seville, Spain

Jurgen Mayer Architect

Completed in 2011, the Metropol Parasol is one of the new symbols of Seville and the largest wooden structure in the world. The futuristic work of the German architect Jürgen Mayer is a canopy consisting of six huge "umbrellas" in the form of mushrooms. The structure, made entirely of natural materials, casts a shadow over the Plaza de la Encarnacion. "I wanted to create a "cathedral without walls" that would be "democratic," the architect said about his project.

Contemporaneity

Metropolis Parasol

Cheap hotels in Seville, Spain

Jurgen Mayer Architect

Metropol Parasol is the decoration of one of the liveliest areas of Seville. The structure is perforated and allows air to circulate on hot summer days, but at the same time the canopy protects passers-by from direct sunlight. Metropol Parasol has several levels. For example, the museum with the ruins of an ancient Roman settlement is located underground, and the latter is a pedestrian path that runs along the top of the "umbrellas" and ends at a large observation deck with a panoramic view of the old quarters.

Contemporaneity
Metropol Parasol, Jurgen Mayer Architect

Silence

Kamppi Chapel

Helsinki, Finland

K2S Architects

The Kamppa chapel was built in 2012 according to the project of the K2S Architects studio. The completely wooden building resembles a bowl in shape. The sun's rays seep through the openings in the ceiling, creating a special glow inside and setting visitors to contemplation. In the chapel, people can be alone, find themselves and their faith away from the madness of the big city.

Silence
Kamppa Chapel, K2S Architects

Wings of Freedom

Transport terminal of the World Trade Center

New York, USA

Santiago Calatrava

The transport terminal of the World Trade Center, known as the Oculus and designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, was opened on March 3, 2016. The preparatory and construction work took almost 12 years. On the surface, the Oculus is a white steel structure with two large "wings" 50 m above the ground. In addition to transport stations, the multi-level underground part also includes a shopping center.

Contemporary Cathedral

Transport terminal of the World Trade Center

New York, USA

Santiago Calatrava

Light enters the main hall of the transport hub through a glass dome. Such natural illumination was inspired by the oculus (round window) in the dome of the Roman Pantheon, hence the name of the hub - Oculus. At the same time, the architect rethought the original oculus of the Pantheon, added longitudinal ribs. The project offers New York a second type of public space: passengers inside are protected by a glass vault and at the same time feel like a part of the city. Note that the terminal receives about 200 passengers per day. man

Contemporary Cathedral
Transportation terminal of the World Trade Center, Santiago Calatrava

Be in an Open Atmosphere

IAC building

New York, USA

Gehry Partners

The IAC building is the first building built by architect Frank Gehry in New York. A special ceramic coating was applied to the glass surfaces of the facade, which increases energy efficiency. Curved lines and shapes make the building look more like a sculpture than an architectural structure. There are only two vertical supporting columns in the building, the others are inclined, some up to 25°.

Be in an Open Atmosphere
IAC building, Gehry Partners

Natural Wave?

Paul Klee Center

Bern, Switzerland

Renzo Piano Building Workshop

The Paul Klee Center, designed by Renzo Piano, was opened in 2015 in the suburbs of Bern. According to the architect's plan, the building is a "landscape sculpture" and is a harmonious continuation of the hilly landscape. The curved roof forms three exhibition spaces connected by passages. Due to the fact that the artist's works are sensitive to the world, most of the museum is hidden underground.

Recycled Steel

Hearst Tower

New York, USA

Foster + Partners

The Hearst Tower skyscraper, opened in 2006, is a glass and steel tower designed with maximum respect for the environment. During the construction of the building, only environmentally friendly materials were used, and most of the metal from which the supporting structure is made was obtained by recycling old structures. In addition, the tower consumes 25% less energy than other New York skyscrapers.

Recycled Steel
Hearst Tower, Foster + Partners

New Landscape

Ordrupgaard Museum

Copenhagen, Denmark

Zaha Hadid Architects

The Ordrupgaard Museum, dedicated to the art of the 2015th and XNUMXth centuries, is located in Charlottenlund, a small town near Copenhagen. The new wing of the museum, which was opened in XNUMX, was designed by Zaha Hadid. The plastic forms of the building are designed to blur the transition lines between the exhibition halls. In addition, Zaha Hadid used concrete with volcanic ash for the project - the result was a material whose color changes from gray to black depending on the lighting.

New Landscape
Ordrupgaard Museum, Zaha Hadid Architects

green architecture

Krøyers Plads

Copenhagen, Denmark

Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects + COBE

The residential complex Krøyers Plads in Copenhagen, completed in 2016, is one of the most environmentally friendly buildings on the planet. It meets many requirements - from saving energy to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and toxic waste. The house is almost 40% more energy efficient than required by local legislation. With its brick facades and sloping roofs, Krøyers Plads becomes a modern version of the old warehouses that were built in this historic area.

/Published in #11 volume Pragmatika, May 2019/