Sculpture from stacked chairs


Chairs for Abu DhabiChairs for Abu DhabiChairs for Abu DhabiFor the 2012 Abu Dhabi Art Fair Japanese artist, Tadashi Kawamata, created a huge structure out of chairs.

“Chairs for Abu Dhabi” took five days to create and reached the 20 foot high ceiling of the gallery it was housed in.

It created a focal point for the event and a pavilion for people to try to escape the hustle and bustle of the fair and proved to be a popular meeting point.

Tadashi is renowned for using recycled materials or scrap, using metal, wood, plastic and, in this case, used chairs, ranging from sofas and benches to stools and arm chairs.

A stunning structure that ‘pays homage to humanity’s diversity, unity and interconnectedness’, according to the artist.

Images from Daniel Suarez for Reuters

Barbour ABI featured in Evening Standard


Barbour ABI article in evening StandardThe Think Tank has been working with Barbour ABI to raise awareness of the great construction and housing sector data that they deliver every month.

As part of this activity we were able to secure them a mention in the Evening Standard Homes and Property supplement as part of an article discussing the ‘don’t move, improve’ trend.

The article featured Ed Miliband and his wife, as they extend their house in Primrose Hill, and quotes Barbour ABI’s statisticss that detail the volume of planning applications received across London boroughs.

In the article Adam Valentine, Group Content Director at Barbour ABI, said he expected the upward trend to continue – in 2010 some 55,000 London homeowners applied for permission to extend their homes. “I think that the areas where we are seeing a large volume of home improvements are those where prices are still rising. These are the areas where people will seek to increase the size of their homes,” he said.

Read the full article here.

Miliband’s Primrose Hill mansion gets even bigger _ News _ Property news _ Homes & Property.pdf (300 kb)

The Rainbow Igloo


Igloo CompleteIgloo halfwayIgloo FoundationsWhile spending time in Edmonton, Canada with his girlfriends family, New Zealand engineering student Daniel Gray was given the task of trying to build an igloo from ice blocks his girlfriend’s mother had prepared for his arrival.

To make the blocks, Brigid Burton, mother of Gray’s girlfriend, poured water with food colouring into empty milk cartons then froze them.

Gray took on the task over 5 days with help from the family and neighbours and this was the result.  

Check out the full story with more images here

The Think Tank wins Best Brand Campaign Award at CMA’s


Best Brand Campaign - CMA RexelWe had a great night at the Construction Marketing Awards yesterday – shortlisted for three awards we picked up the trophy for Best Brand and Positioning Campaign for our work with electrical distributor Rexel.

We were approached by Rexel to develop the brand identity for a new online merchant, NaturalSparx, supplying the renewables sector.

The Think Tank was tasked with developing the messaging, brand design and identity for use in marketing collateral both off and on-line.

We created a vibrant look and feel for the brand that delivered standout within the renewables sector, alongside a series of icons to represent core products and services and a positioning statement for this new brand.The brand identity was developed, along with the messaging, to work across a range of media from the website to direct marketing, advertising and point-of-sale.

In stiff competition from five other shortlisted entries in this category we managed to scoop the prize with the judges commenting, ‘A very well executed campaign, with striking creative ideas that set the business apart in a very crowded market place.’

Well done to all The Think Tank team and to Rexel for giving us the opportunity to help launch one of their brands.

We were also shortlisted in the awards for:
SAS International – Best Product Launch
Rexel – Best Campaign over £25k

Best for PR Awards


Best For PR Awards ConsumerBest for PR Awards ConstructionBest for PR Awards NationalBest for PR Award TechnologyThe Think Tank has received four awards in the ‘BestFor PR Industry Awards’ announced today, 18th September 2012.

The awards have been keenly contested and ‘BestFor’ describe them as follows:

‘ PR Agencies across the UK have the opportunity to apply for a BestFor PR ranking. Our independent judging panel rigorously assesses each application and if successful, agencies are awarded a gold, silver or bronze ranking and listed within the relevant ranking table.

Each ranking table on the BestFor PR website enables companies seeking PR agencies to identify, select and contact leading agencies in the applicable sector or region that match their requirements.’

We are thrilled to have received the following awards:

Silver – Consumer Category
Silver – Property and Construction
Bronze – Technology
Bronze – National Category

This is a great credit to our PR team. Well done to all.

Click here to find out more.

Russian aquarium covers all five continents


Russian Aquarium 1Russian Aquarium 2Russian Aquarium 3This beautiful structure, still in construction, is the Primorsky Aquarium, which is the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Combining a research centre, Dolphinarium and the underwater worlds from five continents the centre will have tanks that are more than 10,000 cubic metres in size. 

These will hold around 500 species of marine and fresh water inhabitants with a complex of different sized tanks, allowing visitors to explore a range of habitats including the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Bering Sea, Lake Baikal, the Amur River and Lake Khanka.

The centre has been design by architects, OJSC Primorgrajdanproekt and you find out more on Arch Daily.

Photographs by Alexander Hitrov.

The corridor in the sky


Corridor in the skySecond stage of buildAnd a roof appearsLooking out of our windows in Clerkenwell, London we have watched an amazing structure grow over the last few weeks.

What started off as a corridor in the sky has steadily grown to now include the frame of a roof and it still keeps going up.

Looking up at it just makes us giddy, let alone being on top of it, putting it together.

Semispherical building takes to the skies in Abu Dhabi


Al Dar Headquarters Abu DhabiAl Dar Headquarters Abu DhabiAl Dar Headquarters Abu DhabiThis stunning piece of architectural engineering is the Al Dar Headquarters in Abu Dhabi, designed by MZ Architects.

The semispherical building consists of two circular convex shaped facades joined by a narrow band of indented glazing.

Find out and see more of this innovative building on Arch Daily.

Time lapse video of building of London Olympic site


Olympic Site Time Lapse VideoTake a look at this great time lapse video condensing 7 years of regeneration in Newham and the building of the Olympic site in London.

Seven years condensed into one minute 45 seconds.

Georgian service stations a real eye opener


Service Stations
When Georgia built a new road connecting the Republic of Azerbaijan with the Republic of Turkey they commissioned architects J.Mayer H to design a series of 20 rest stops (or service stations).

Service Stationa
The result was were these stunning structures that are located on selected scenic viewpoints along the route. They serve as activators for their area and neighbouring cities, including not only a gas stations and supermarket, but also a farmers market and a cultural space for local arts and crafts.

Service Stations
See  more on Contemporist here.

Woods Bagot releases report into future of airport design


Woods Bagot Warp Speed Aviation ReportWoods Bagot, a leading global architecture and design practice, has recently published a report into airport design and the future implications of global travel.

The report, called WARP Speed: Mach 1, covers a range of topics that will influence the way that airports are designed in the future including technology, efficiency, passenger numbers and collaboration. The report seeks to understand the near to medium term trends that are shaping the design of airports so that we can all build the IATA vision of “sufficient and efficient” infrastructure in a sustainable and future proofed way.

By 2050 it has been estimated that 16 billion passengers will fly every year along with 400 million tonnes of freight. The implications are immense and this first stage report attempts to highlight and tackle some of the core issues.

The report was compiled by a team of senior experts and identifies emerging trends in the aviation industry that will be critical to the future success of airports. It focuses on airports as well as their tenants – airline carriers, retailers and concessionaires.

In the report introduction they say, ‘Woods Bagot’s WARP Speed: Mach I is the first in a series of research investigations that identify emerging trends in the aviation industry that will be critical to the future success of airports. From wild science fiction to grounded realities, WARP Speed: Mach I makes forecasts by exploring the various wants, needs and aspirations of airports and their tenants. Most importantly, WARP Speed: Mach I recognizes that change – fast change – is the only constant in the aviation industry.

Throughout WARP Speed: Mach I, we are taken on an exploration of the often-tenuous relationship that exists between airports and the airline carriers, retailers and concessionaires with which they sh
are both dependence and competition.’

This is an important insight into the issues facing the aviation industry in the coming decades and makes interesting reading.

You can download the full report here:

Smarter Buildings: Interacting with the environment


Experimenting with materials in architecture to achieve environmental benefits has led to the development of many outstanding innovations that have changed the way we interact with buildings.

Now architect Doris Kim Sung, assistant professor of architecture at the USC School of Architecture, is experimenting with how a building can interact with its environment through the materials used in its construction.

Her latest installation, “Bloom”, is 20-foot tall and made from 14,000 tiny sheets of metal that open and close with the sun manipulating the light within the structure.

Sung discovered a new use for a material usually used in thermostat coils that responds to temperature changes. The metal alloy, called “thermobimetal”, is made of two sheets of metal laminated together. Each metal expands at a different rate when heated, curling as the temperature rises and flattening when cooled.

The metal sheets curl upwards with the sun creating moving shaded areas within the installation when needed. Sung believes that it could be used to create canopies that close when the sun is above or vents that open when the air becomes too stuffy and is now working on ways to integrate thermobimetal with standard building components.

It looks fantastic and is a mixture of art and architecture that addresses an environmental need. See a video of the installation below and more can be found on their blog.

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The Think Tank heads off to Nordbygg, Sweden


Did you know that Nordbygg is the biggest building exhibition in Northern Europe? I did (as I have been working on it for a few months)…but last week I attended the fair and was reminded by anyone to whom I said ” Förlåt, jag prata inte Svenska” (I don’t speak Swedish) as they immediately wanted to be sure that this non-Swede knew how proud of the exhibition they are.  

Well, they should be…with three halls packed to the brim at Stockholmmassen, just 10 minutes outside of Central Stockholm, this event is full of tools, materials and everything you can think of to do with the building industry. Over three days I had the opportunity to speak to journalists from many Scandinavian publications and experience the building industry from a completely different cultural perspective.  

I had the privilege of going to Stockholm with our client Formica Group to help launch its VIVIX exterior facade panels. Offering opportunities to play with colour and shape, VIVIX panels can complement or add interest to office buildings, public, cultural and sports facilities, transportation centres, industrial buildings, educational facilities, residential developments and more.  

Eva Hoernisch, Formica Group Design Manager, Europe, was on hand and together we were able to take a few moments to explore the building materials section. With her eye on colour Eva spotted a stand with insulation sample pieces in the most beautiful colour palette. We were dumbfounded at first as to why insulation would be so colourful until we realised it correlated to different degrees of density. VERY clever!  

With room for FIKA (traditional Swedish coffee and cake), a little of bit of Swedish entertainment and a lot of hard work, being part of Nordbygg was definitely an experience to remember.

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Universal Construction Kit solves an age old problem


Carrying on our Lego theme from last week Free Art & Technology (F.A.T.) and Synaptic Lab have teamed up to create the Free Universal Construction Kit.

If you’re the type of person who owns lots of different construction sets, like Lego, K’Nex, Mechano etc, but are frustrated that they don’t fit together then this is for you.!

The Free Universal Construction Kit is a set of 3D adapter bricks that offers complete inter-operability between up to 10 children’s construction toys. With nearly 80 models available for free download, the kit can be printed, one at a time, using open-hardware desktop 3D printers like Makerbot.

Just what we’ve all been waiting for!

Construction kit 1.jpg

Construction kit 2.jpg

New environment message from Formica at Ecobuild 2012


One of our clients, the Formica Group, is exhibiting at Ecobuild (20-23rd March), the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment and the UK’s largest construction event of any kind. We will be supporting them throughout the three-day event which takes place at the ExCeL exhibition and conference centre in London’s Docklands, and have set up press interviews, designed a special brochure for the event and look forward to making a special announcement at the show relating to a major sustainability initiative which underlines the company’s commitment to meet the challenges of tomorrow.  

Renee Hytry Derrington and Gavin Todd, Formica Group senior executives will be at the stand, offering a unique insight into the company’s product innovation and sustainability strategies.   After 99 years of defining the look and performance of modern interiors worldwide, the company goes all out (excuse the pun) with its innovative exterior facade panels VIVIX which will be showcased in the UK for the first time at Ecobuild. A perfect way to celebrating many decades of innovation!

See more about Formica and the Environment here.

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How the Chinese build a 30-story hotel in 15 days


This is how pre-fabrication is done in China or ‘How the Chinese build a 30-story, five-star hotel in only 15 days.’ 

Built by the Broad Group, it used prefab construction techniques for ninety-three percent of the high-rise. The 17,000 square meter hotel is known as T30, is located in the Lin Gang Industrial Zone in Xiangyin County and comprises of over 350 rooms, a restaurant, bar, gym, swimming pool on the top floor, underground parking and a helicopter pad.

Interesting viewing.
 

 

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Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain


German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth have completed designs for “Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain” in Duisburg, Germany.

The walkable, large outdoor sculpture Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain is currently in construction on the Heinrich Hildebrand Höhe in Duisburg Wanheim (D). It overtops the plateau with the artificially heaped-up mountain by 21 metres so the visitor can rise by more than 45metres above the level of the landscape and enjoy an impressive view over the Rhine.

The curved flight of stairs inscribes like a signature on the landscape and plays upon the iconic nimbus of the classical roller coaster. Visitors climb the roller-coaster-sculpture on foot via differently steep steps. So the sculpture subtly and ironically plays with the feelings of promise and disappointment, mobility and standstill, just like a real roller coaster. Visitors happen to briefly meet with oncoming visitors on the steep 1 metre wide corridors. LED-lights are integrated in the handrails and highlight the flight of stairs so the sculpture is accessible at night, too.

To read more visit Contemporist. Photography by Eichental

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Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel



Combining careful restoration and computer led parametric design, the Bethnal Green Town Hall Hotel looks set to open its doors to the public this November. Led by the design team at rare architecture the aluminium skinned extension to this historic building may polarise opinions but its use of digital is, at the very least, intriguing. The patterning in this aluminium skin varies according to what is situated behind it; opaque when covering bare walls and perforated where let needs to be let in. This pioneering use of computer modelling has led the project to be used as a teaching case study at the AA, whilst the digitally crafted wall panels within the buildings interior formed part of the furniture range showcased by rare at the London Design Festival. For a further insight into this innovative building visit Blueprint Magazine.

Centre piece of Russia’s Silicon Valley


Blueprint says ‘Identified flying objects: the school’s hovering disc and glass-fronted towers espouse ‘openess, cohesion and lack of hierarchy’, unlike the student body. One of its rooftop towers, a patterned glass finger, may point towards the city centre but Moscow School of Management sits incongruously on a 26.5ha green site encircled by forest.’

Apparently this building is the trailblazer in President Dmitry Medvedev’s Skolkovo project to emulate the USA’s Silicon Valley. It was designed by David Adjaye and funded by $320m of public finance and private investment. Various Russian corporate giants and oligarchs are paying to import scientific talent and technical specialists to study in Moscow and Ukranian oligrach Viktor Vekselberg, Skolkovo’s project leader, envisages further investment of around $6.5bn over the next three years to realise this ‘prototype of the city of the future’.

Read more on Blueprint

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Foster + Partners unveils Zayed National Museum, Abu Dhabi


Foster + Partners has recently unveiled designs for the Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi. It is presented as a monument and memorial to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding president of the UAE. The aim is to architecturally create a contemporary form with elements of traditional Arabic design and hospitality that creates a museum that is sustainable, welcoming and culturally of its place. Read more on ArchDaily

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