landscape news
Halldór Eiríksson echoes Iceland's dramatic landscape in new Sky Lagoon
by Megan Whitby | 06 May 2021
Icelandic attractions and hospitality brand, Pursuit, has launched Sky Lagoon, a restorative geothermal retreat just outside Reykjavik, situated against the striking backdrop of the North Atlantic Ocean. The new retreat is a competitor to the world-famous Blue Lagoon, which is located a 10-minute drive away. Features of the geothermal Sky Lagoon include an ocean-side 75-metre, (246 ft), infinity-edge pool showcasing expansive ocean and sky views, a sauna with Iceland’s largest
noa* reimagines alpine wellness retreat to merge seamlessly with mountain landscape
by Megan Whitby | 05 Aug 2020
A South Tyrolean wellness resort in Saltaus, Italy, has received a new two-floor wellness centre designed to provide a sanctuary of wellbeing that integrates smoothly into the natural landscape. Apfelhotel Torgglerhof hotel’s new 570sq m facility has been created to complement the resort’s existing spa with its apple-shaped bio-sauna – inspired by the local apple orchards. Architecture and interior design firm Network of Architecture (noa*) led the overhaul, with construction
Sydney's urban beach complex, by Andrew Burges and Grimshaw, to be completed late 2020
by Tom Walker | 28 Jul 2020
Construction work on Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre in Sydney, Australia, is expected to be completed in late 2020. The City of Sydney, which owns the centre, said that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused delays to works and it now expects the facility to open by the end of the year. When complete, Gunyama Park will be the biggest aquatic complex built in Sydney since the 2000 Olympic Games.
Landscaping skills have been lost recently in the Middle East, says Frederic Francis
by Stu Robarts | 20 Mar 2020
Frederic Francis believes a drop-off in landscaping skills is one of the main challenges facing landscape architecture as a discipline in the Middle East. Speaking to CLAD about the challenges of practising in the region, he said: "The first one is the harsh climate, which makes things harder to grow than in Europe. Also, we frequently build landscapes from scratch, where nothing exists other than barren, desert land. "Although there’s
OF Studio design undulating desert landscape to explore at Dubai Creek Harbour
by Stu Robarts | 29 Jan 2020
OF Studio have won a competition run by Emaar to create a new "landmark structure" on a 6,300sq m (67,800sq ft) plot within the 5.6 million sq m (60.3 million sq ft) Dubai Creek Harbour waterfront development. Participants were briefed to submit proposals that would respect the culture and climate of Dubai, but also expose children and families to new worldviews. OF Studio's LAND-MARK proposal was conceived to be a
Aurelien Chen pavilion reimagines the mountains, forest, clouds and water of Chinese landscape
by Stu Robarts | 16 Jan 2020
Aurelien Chen has created a pavilion in China that reimagines the traditional Chinese landscape of mountains, forest, clouds and water. The 350sq m (3,770sq ft) Dragon Mountain Landmark Pavilion, so-called because of its location in Zhulongshan – literally Dragon Mountain, was created to draw the attention to the entrance of the Dragon Mountain Natural site. Described by Chen as "an ethereal and abstract version of a traditional Chinese landscape", the
MAD Arkitekter nature town celebrates the beautiful landscape of Martineåsen
by Stu Robarts | 13 Dec 2019
MAD Arkitekter have planned a new district in Martineåsen, Norway, that is aimed at celebrating the beautiful landscape of the area while offering the qualities of a small-town community. Martineåsen Nature Town has been designed in partnership with Larvik Municipality, in which Martineåsen is situated. MAD sought to avoid what it saw as the typical suburban development of Norwegian city outskirts, with the extensive land-use, need for car ownership, infrastructure
SMA's undulating resort blends with the landscape and provides privacy
by Stu Robarts | 13 Nov 2019
Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos (SMA) have created a branched, undulating design for Chablé's planned Sea of Cortez spa resort that blends with the natural landscape and gives guests both privacy and ocean views. Located on the Baja California Peninsula just north of La Paz in northwest Mexico, the resort will cover an area of 64,900sq m (698,700sq ft). The site is set on the coast between two hills in a sparsely
Dorte Mandrup's whale observatory will breach from the rugged Arctic landscape
by Stu Robarts | 08 Nov 2019
Dorte Mandrup and her studio have won a competition to design an attraction dedicated to whales that will rise organically out of the ground and merge with the surrounding landscape. Called The Whale, it will be located 300km (186mi) north of the Arctic Circle on the northernmost part of Andøya island in Andenes, Norway. The area is regarded as one of the best places in the world for whale-watching and
Architect Bill Bensley to speak about sustainability at Global Wellness Summit
by Lauren Heath-Jones | 17 Jul 2019
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) team has announced that designer Bill Bensley will deliver a keynote speech on hospitality design and sustainability at this year's summit in Hong Kong (15-17 October). Bensley's keynote will challenge delegates to rethink how hotels and resorts are designed and built, by posing questions he believes that the conscientious traveller of the future will be asking, such as: Does this hotel respect its environment? Does
Koichi Takada's residences on the Java Sea take inspiration from Indonesian landscape
by Andrew Manns | 20 May 2019
Sydney-based Japanese architect Koichi Takada has unveiled plans to design a nature-inspired seafront community in Jakarta, Indonesia. The 9,000 sq m development, which is being spearheaded by real estate company Crown Group Holdings, will feature 2,000 apartments, a beach club, a marina, and a number of dining outlets. Set to be housed in eight concrete high-rises, the residences, which Takada said would take cues from rice terraces, forests, and other
MVRDV conceive next gen skyscraper with porous landscapes
by Andrew Manns | 19 Dec 2018
Dutch architects MVRDV have won an international competition to build Vanke 3D City, a mixed-use development with a number of what the design practice have termed "three dimensional" public areas. The 250-metre tower, which will overlook Shenzhen Bay in China, will take the form of eight porous but interlinked blocks. The complex will also feature landscaped gardens, atriums, hotels, apartments, and offices, some of which will be built in open-air,
MAPA's Sacromonte Landscape Hotel blends into the surrounding landscape
by Tom Collins | 30 Aug 2018
A Uruguayan hotel and winery has been designed to disappear into its surroundings with a creative mirrored exterior design. The Sacromonte Landscape Hotel sits in a 250-acre mountain range between Punta del Este, José Ignacio and Pueblo Garzón. Designed by MAPA Architects, it comprises 13 hotel cabins, a winery and a farm, which provides food for the restaurant. The 13 cabins were prefabricated in the Uruguayan capital, Montevideo, and assembled
Shortlisted landscape designs announced for UK's first Garden City of the 21st Century
by Megan Whitby | 03 Jul 2018
An international design competition to determine who will design the first Garden City of the 21st century has been whittled down to five, with Ebbsfleet to become the largest of 10 "Healthy New Towns" being developed in the UK. The competition was launched by the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and the NHS in March to find the best creative and inspiring ideas, which will be used to shape the landscape of
Reiulf Ramstad reveals design for French landscape hotel and spa with 'Nordic temperament'
by Kim Megson | 18 Apr 2018
Norwegian architect Reiulf Ramstad has revealed the design his firm have created for a hotel that will be blended into the landscape of the Alsace hills in France. Construction on the Breitenbach Landscape Hotel will begin in the next few months. Conceived to “gather the best of architecture, design, spa facilities and food culture in the region”, several distinctive architectural forms will be spread across the valley to create “a
International competition launched for UK’s first Garden City of the 21st Century
by Kim Megson | 14 Mar 2018
Architects, urban planners and landscape designers have been invited to submit proposals for the UK’s first Garden City of the 21st Century: a “truly modern and healthy” community of 15,000 new homes, seven parks, numerous leisure amenities and 30,000 new jobs. Ebbsfleet in Kent will be the site of the Garden City, which is the largest project of the 10 Healthy New Town initiative launched by the National Health Service
Birdsong, trees, sky: landscape study suggests exposure to nature important for those at risk of poor mental health
by Jane Kitchen | 15 Jan 2018
A team of academic researchers, landscape architects and artists have come together to look at how nature in cities affects mental wellbeing. Researchers at King's College London, landscape architects J & L Gibbons and art foundation Nomad Projects have used smartphone-based technology to assess the relationship between nature in cities and mental wellbeing in real time. Not surprisingly, they found that being outdoors, seeing trees, hearing birdsong, seeing the sky
CF Møller to create Danish wetland park that prevents flooding
by Kim Megson | 08 Jan 2018
Architecture firm CF Møller have won a design competition to transform an area of wetland in the Danish city of Randers into a public nature park, as part of a climate adaptation project. Randers, like many towns in Denmark, is threatened by the effects of climate change, with its low-lying position in relation to the Gudenå, Denmark’s longest river, putting it at risk from flooding. To counter this, the municipality
Post-earthquake prototype home named 2017 World Building of the Year
by Kim Megson | 17 Nov 2017
A Post-earthquake reconstruction and demonstration project in the city of Zhaotong, China, has been declared the 2017 World Building of the Year. Designed by a team of researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the rammed-earth structure is a prototype home for an elderly couple living in Guangming Village. A devastating 2014 earthquake destroyed hundreds of houses in the region, and the project was conceived to demonstrate "a safe,
Studio Zhu-Pei complete gravity-defying garden in Chinese sculpture park
by Kim Megson | 01 Sep 2017
Chinese architecture practice Studio Zhu-Pei have completed work on a ‘hovering’ garden installation in a Chinese sculpture park, which allows visitors to wander the grounds over, under and around huge stacks of plants and flowers. New images of the project, called Yi Garden II, reveal how an abandoned two-storey concrete frame has been used as the foundation for a seemingly gravity-defying arrangement of greenery in the grounds of Quanzhou National
Carlo Ratti proposes climate-controlled 'Garden of Four Seasons' for new Milan neighbourhood
by Kim Megson | 14 Jul 2017
One of the largest urban regenerations in Europe is set to be anchored by a public garden where spring, summer, autumn and winter coexist together throughout the year. The concept, called ‘Garden of the Four Seasons’, comes from the studio of designers, researchers and innovators Carlo Ratti Associati, and is being developed by property firm CityLife for a 366,000sq m (4 million sq ft) district in the west of Milan.
West 8 to transform Dutch royal palace into leisure and innovation hub
by Kim Megson | 09 Jun 2017
Dutch landscape architects West 8 are to develop a 17th century Dutch country estate and royal residence in Soestdijk, it has been announced today (9 June). The Netherlands’ minister of the interior, Roland Plasterk, has revealed that business consortium Made in Holland have succeeded in the bidding war to purchase and redevelop the palace and gardens of Soestdijk Palace. The group wants to transform the historic site into “a platform
SLA win design competition to transform Danish national park into 'outdoor cultural house'
by Kim Megson | 05 Jun 2017
Danish landscape architects SLA have won a design competition to develop a national park near the city of Roskilde into a 1,500 ha cultural landscape called The New Hedeland. The design concept is centred around the idea of bringing leisure and culture into the outdoors – creating an experience destination that will be a hotbed of voluntary work and human creativity. Flat fields will be transformed into mountains, new trails
Preparations begin for vast Marina Park in Cork
by Kim Megson | 30 May 2017
Work is underway on a vast new riverside sports park in Cork, Ireland, which will surround the city’s regenerated Páirc Uí Chaoimh Gaelic games stadium. Demolition has begun to clear space for phase one of Marina Park – a €20m development created around the stadium and the adjoining agricultural Munster Showgrounds. The phase one masterplan published by the city council is focused on the area to the west of the
Wales celebrates heritage and landscapes with eight glamping 'Epic Retreats'
by Kim Megson | 26 May 2017
The first competition-winning cabins that form Epic Retreats – Wales’ first pop-up boutique hotel – have been revealed. Several architectural teams were chosen through a competitive tender to design the purpose-built glamping units, which are themed on “the mythology, tradition and beauty of Wales.” Launched to coincide with Wales’s ‘Year of Legends,’ Epic Retreats is designed to immerse visitors in the country’s heritage and natural beauty. The cabins will be
MVRDV's Seoul Skygarden of 24,000 plants and trees opens above South Korean capital
by Kim Megson | 24 May 2017
The mayor of Seoul, Won-soon Park, has officially opened a 983 metre long botanical “floating walkway” along a transformed city highway. Designed by Dutch architects MVRDV, the Skygarden, known as Seoullo 7017, is a linear park featuring 24,000 plants, trees, shrubs and flowers from 200 local species – creating “a walkable plant library” for residents and visitors to the city. “Skygarden offers a living dictionary of plants which are part
Week's top news: James Corner on landscapes, Lyndon Neri on the importance of subversion, and a sauna encased in a golden egg
by Kim Megson | 13 May 2017
Here are some of the stories that appeared on CLAD this week, from Elon Musk’s latest big idea to a knighthood for David Adjaye. Monday • In an exclusive interview, James Corner, one of the leading figures behind New York’s High Line elevated park, has described landscape architects as “the unsung heroes of the public realm.” Read here. • Architecture and planning studio Ecosistema Urbano have won a design competition
James Corner: 'Landscape architects are the unsung heroes of the public realm'
by Kim Megson | 08 May 2017
James Corner, one of the leading figures behind New York’s High Line elevated park, has described landscape architects as “the unsung heroes of the public realm.” “We sometimes feel as though we’re in a 1950s TV series in regards to our relationship with architects,” he told CLAD, in an exclusive interview. “They’re the 50s husband – dominant and frontal and vertical and visible. And we’re the stereotypical ‘good wife’. We’re
Snøhetta go back to basics with wooden 'social cabin' designed for any landscape
by Kim Megson | 05 May 2017
Fresh off the back of revamping New York's Times Square and designing a major museum celebrating Europe’s oldest cave paintings, architecture studio Snøhetta have completed something rather more intimate: a new range of ready-made mobile cabins. Called Gapahuk, the simple structure is designed to fit into nearly any scenery – from mountains to forest or by the sea. The product has been designed for Rindalshytter, Norway’s leading producer of leisure
Winning design selected for expansive Friendship Park in China's booming 'eco city'
by Kim Megson | 04 May 2017
A team led by landscape architecture studio Grant Associates with WilkinsonEyre has won an international competition to design a 41 hectare Friendship Park in northern China’s first and largest ‘eco city’. At the heart of the landscape will be a conservatory complex comprising five glass biomes, each housing tropical plant collections and water gardens. A wetland centre, an urban dock, play areas, an event lawn and amphitheatre will also be
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"Funding woes and murky timelines are common problems. It can be easier to make a difference one small project at a time"
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates
From parks designed to mitigate the effects of flooding to warming huts for one of the world’s coldest cities, these projects have been designed for increasingly extreme climates
features
cladkit product news
The new Experience Centre houses a 20m LED dome
Cosm, a global technology company that builds end-to-end solutions for immersive experiences, has unveiled its Experience Centre which houses a
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The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and
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cladkit product news
Alemanno believes the stones are well-placed in the spa environment thanks to their capacity to positively support physical and mental health
Fabio Alemanno Design has expanded its collection with semi-precious stones to enhance spas, wellness facilities, hotels and private residences. The
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The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta
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cladkit product news
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change
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The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto
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