Are bug-like designs becoming the latest trend?
German architect Achim Menges’ futuristic installation called the Elytra Filament Pavilion (“elytra” being the wing casings of a beetle), with its 2,000-ft span, can be seen in the courtyard of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.
And recently the Architectural Competition Concours d’Architecture (AC-CA) awarded first prize to Iranian architect Maryam Fazel and German architect Belinda Ercan, who work out of HLM Architects’ office in Sheffield, England, for their insect-inspired design of the new Moscow Circus School, located in that city’s Twerskoy District, which boasts an up-and-coming artistic scene.
The aim of the single-stage competition, according to AC-CA’s website, was to design a new Circus School to serve as an academy for young aspiring circus performers. The competition was announced on October 27, 2015, and closed for submissions on February 20. First prize was US$3,000, and the first-, second-, and third-prize winning designs would be published in magazines in several countries. The winners were selected in March.
Arch Daily reports that the design proposal—coincidentally called Elytra—opens upward to create a protective shell, as a bug’s might. Roof access would be available to the public (which the school is not, currently), with the goal of creating a cultural hub with waiting and exhibition areas.
HLM Architects' winning design proposal makes the school's activities more visible to the public. Image: Arch Daily.
“Central to this design is its transparency of activities,” stated HLM. The heart of the school will be an open-air amphitheater with wide programming opportunities. The elytra part of the building tower will include training and academic zones, as well as offices and service areas.
“Using the competition as a mechanism within the HLM Academy to further explore different design processes and form making led to a series of extremely interesting and thought-provoking submissions, which challenged our regional teams to deliver ideas within an extremely short space of time,” says Jeremy Picard, HLM’s design director. “We are extremely pleased with the result.”
Related Stories
Giants 400 | Feb 1, 2023
2022 Cultural Facilities Giants: Top architecture, engineering, and construction firms in the U.S. cultural facilities sector
Populous, DLR Group, KPFF, Arup, and Turner Construction head BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest cultural facilities sector architecture, engineering, and construction firms, as reported in the 2022 Giants 400 Report. Building types include museums, public libraries, performing arts centers, and concert venues.
Libraries | Jan 13, 2023
One of the world’s largest new libraries opens in Shanghai
Designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Shanghai Library East covers more than 1.2 million sf, 80% of it dedicated to community activity.
Performing Arts Centers | Dec 23, 2022
Diller Scofidio + Renfro's renovation of Dallas theater to be ‘faithful reinterpretation’ of Frank Lloyd Wright design
Diller Scofidio + Renfro recently presented plans to restore the Kalita Humphreys Theater at the Dallas Theater Center (DTC) in Dallas. Originally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, this theater is the only freestanding theater in Wright’s body of work.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 15, 2022
Community centers reinforce a town or city’s sense of place
The intersection of a community with its natural surroundings is one key to a successful design of community centers, according to a new 24-page paper titled “Creating a Wellness Culture,” about the benefits of this building type, cowritten by HMC Architects’ Civic Practice Leader Kyle Peterson, and Director of Design James Krueger, who used three of their firm’s recent projects to buttress their thesis.
Museums | Oct 25, 2022
Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion emphasizes human connection to oceans
Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion, currently under construction, features several exhibits that examine the human connection with the Earth’s oceans.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022
CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 200 Contractors for 2022
Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 45 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2022
Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and Burns & McDonnell top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022
Top 80 Engineering Firms for 2022
Kimley-Horn, Tetra Tech, Langan, and NV5 head the rankings of the nation's largest engineering firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Aug 21, 2022
Top 110 Architecture/Engineering Firms for 2022
Stantec, HDR, HOK, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill top the rankings of the nation's largest architecture engineering (AE) firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
