TOP 10 reader submissions of 2017

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architecture gives form, function and meaning to space for us to use and enjoy. public spaces, even if they’re privately-owned, are even better because we can all be delighted by them. this year we received several thousand submissions from our readers, with designers, artists and architects from across the globe sending through a diverse range of works that we have shared with our audience over the last 12 months.

we believe that maintaining an open dialogue with creatives is extremely important, and we are happy to showcase the high level of original projects of our readership. from a bookstore in china, to a buddhist shrine, we highlight 10 public spaces from our reader submissions of 2017.

1 – LEGO bridge by christo guelov

madrid-based artist christo guelov’s artistic intervention of the älvsborgsbron bridge in gothenburg seeked to break the gravity, volume and great weight of the subject in question. through the use of color, guelov smoothed the bridge’s silhouette, adding a dimension of sensibility to the space. the bridge’s central supporting columns are painted in LEGO blocks, creating a landmark to be viewed from far and wide.

2 – the krane luxurious retreat by arcgency

in an effort to design and build sustainable architecture by using new building methods, danish architecture studio arcgency‘s latest project, the krane, is an aesthetic oasis amidst an industrial landscape on the edge of nordhavn, one of the last harbors under renovation in denmark’s capital. this multi-tiered structure fosters a soothing sense of serenity and is comprised of a reception area on the ground floor, a meeting room called the ‘glass box’ on the first floor, a spa and terrace on the second floor, and a retreat on top called the ‘krane room’ with a lounge and terrace.

3 – waka haiku setsugekka restaurant by sun tianwen

chief architect sun tianwen of shanghai hip-pop architectural decoration design co. captured the spirit of japanese cuisine in the waka haiku setsugekka restaurant project. he explained that, individually, the ultra-clear glass engraved with the sakura, the blue LED light band and complete black background of sushi counter do not necessarily express the sense of zen — however, only when all of these elements mix harmoniously, then an appropriate design is obtained.

4 – inflatable performance stage by plastique fantastique

during this year’s oerol festival — a cultural celebration that takes place on the island of terschelling in the netherlands — plastique fantastique presented a monumental design, yet mobile, soft, and transparent. its skin influenced the environment as much as its inner space offered a clear view outwards. its purpose was to create an intimate place where dance and music merged, and the perception of time was challenged.

5 – yintai center bookstore by x+living

located in the yintai center of chengdu, this bookstore designed by x+living embodies the cultural charm of this populous city in western china. the streets of chengdu have become a unique landscape, with its cultural atmosphere and remarkable leisure, running through every person’s life, and properly showing its elegance. when entering the bookstore, shanghai based x+living designed a vibrant space full of ‘bamboo shaped book shelves’ and small tables which look like ‘bamboo shoots’ to recreate the cultural atmosphere of the region.

6 – chromatogram installation by lazerian

the faded glory of a vast, abandoned cinema and 18th century cotton exchange in lancashire, UK, had its lost nobility temporarily revived as the backdrop to the striking work of manchester-based creative studio lazerian. titled ‘chromatogram’, the installation is composed of fifteen, ten feet tall, walk-in ‘pods’ fabricated entirely from precision-cut and individually printed cardboard modules.

7 – waterside buddhist shrine by archstudio

located within a forest by the riverside in hebei, china, this buddhist shrine was developed by archstudio as a place for meditation and contemplation. the design team began by noticing a mound along the river, behind which is a great stretch of open fields and sporadic greenhouses. from that point on, the architects sought to create a connection between building and nature by hiding the shrine right under the mound. in that sense, the place gains a ‘power of perception – where trees, water, buddha and human coexist’.

8 – bostanlı footbridge and bostanlı sunset lounge by evren başbuğ

the bostanlı footbridge and bostanlı sunset lounge were designed by studio evren başbuğ architects as part of the ‘karşıkıyı’ concept created for the ‘i̇zmirsea’ coastal regeneration project in turkey. positioned in close proximity and aesthetically referencing each other, the two interventions are located on the point at which bostanlı creek flows into the bay, a favorite public attraction spot in karşıyaka, i̇zmir.

9 – DSSI’s school by daniel valle architects

completed by daniel valle architects, the DSSI elementary school in seoul had its interiors renovated for the first and second grade classrooms. throughout the project, three main strategies have been highlighted to address the school’s requirements: maximizing space, equalizing it and creating shared activities.

10 – molecure pharmacy by waterfrom

the owner of the ‘molecure pharmacy’ is a post-80s taiwanese and the third generation of a pharmaceutical family, who hopes to subvert the traditional image of the pharmacy and mold it into the diversified modern environment of taiwan. just like molecure is split and reorganized from words like ‘molecule’ and ‘cure’, the design team returns to the original purpose of the pharmacy — extracting molecules from nature to synthesize healing drugs. therefore, the idea of building a space which is named ‘green in the lab’, combining the seemingly conflicting qualities of ‘primitive’ with ‘technology’, just like new compounds formed due to molecular bombardment.