An epic journey
Milan's tree library
No petrol or exhaust fumes
Akka's office
After Chernobyl
Near Helsinki
Enjoying the Amazon Spheres
New access to a resilient coast
Studio Akka
a sense of beauty
We’ve been absent for a while, but not idle, and now we’re delighted to present our new e-zine. Scroll through it and you will discover more than
visual beauty. How about recharging your electric car and yourself at the same time in green and pleasant surroundings instead of having the stink of petrol and exhaust fumes of traditional
filling stations? Be inspired by the graphic power of the new botanical garden in Milan – as the trees grow they will bring beautiful counterbalance to the richly coloured circles. Be enchanted
by the serene beauty of a boardwalk on the outskirts of Helsinki, constructed to rise and fall with changing water levels. We are deeply touched by the underwater landscapes filmed by deep-sea
free divers Guillaume Néry and Julie Gaultier. They take us on a breathtaking journey around the world’s oceans and their inhabitants, portraying a world of silent and undiscovered beauty.
We take a look inside the offices of Studio Akka in Slovenia. In their light and airy offices landscape architect Ana Kučan tells us that every design is a new story.
And talking of new stories… Chernobyl has become an official ‘tourist attraction’. The rise in visitor numbers to the site of the world’s worst
nuclear accident is getting out of hand. Scantily dressed tourists taking selfies, smiling in front of the abandoned ruins in a scene of devastation. Surely this is not the way to treat this
unique location? Thought-provokingly, Silke Rainen takes us around Chernobyl, distilling the results of the summer school initiated by Lola, L+CC and Taller, and the ideas and designs that were
produced there.
We plan to produce five e-zines a year, to share more beauty and inspiration with you. Meanwhile, the latest printed edition of ‘scape magazine is almost ready. We can’t wait to share the
exciting content, critical views and reflective articles with you in September. We hope you’ll get in touch with us to share your thoughts and your projects, and don’t forget to tag us on Instagram. Enjoy!
Daphne de Bruijn
a charging station in fredericia
no petrol or exhaust fumes
Charging an electric vehicle (EV) takes a while longer than filling up a car with fossil fuel. The Copenhagen-based community of architects COBE has designed an ultra-fast charging station where drivers and passengers can recharge their own batteries at the same time. The one in Fredericia is the first of a network of 48 charging stations that will be built along Scandinavian highways.
A series of 12 structural 'trees' forms a 'grove' with a canopy that filters light and offers shade and protection from the elements, providing a green and pleasant ambience. It's a far cry from the cramped lines of cars and the stink of petrol and exhaust fumes at traditional filling stations. The goal is that these green oases will not only promote the transition from fossil fuels to greener cars, but that they will also make the roads safer.
Project Ultra-fast EV charging stations
Location Fredericia, Denmark
Design 2018
Implementation 2018
Designers COBE
Commissioned by Powered by E.ON Drive & Clever
Photos: Rasmus Hjortshõj
an observation
BY SILKE RAINEN
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Inside the office of ...
Studio Akka
Landscape architect Ana Kučan: 'As we say about our own work, each design is a new story ... and in this sense we're nomads ... we've
occupied office space in four different locations over the past ten years. The crisis pushed us into smaller and smaller spaces, until finally some fellow architects welcomed us into
their studio. Sharing space created fantastic synergy, but soon the work of both groups started to suffer from the cramped conditions.
Recently we moved again, into airy rooms on the first floor of an Art Deco building in the centre of Ljubljana. Light pours in through the six large windows that look out over the
park, so we felt little need to design the interior. Apart from basic metal shelving and a handful of iconic chairs of Slovenian design from the sixties, the only new elements in the
studio are long white tables. The light bounces off their shiny surfaces, making even the models from past projects look brighter.'
moving pictures
LAMMASSAARI Boardwalk
Helsinki wetlands transformed into a unique experience
Helsinki city dwellers can now immerse themselves in wilderness less than a kilometre from the urban jungle. Nomaji Landscape
Architects and Studio Puisto Architects designed a corridor-like boardwalk through
the Vanhankaupunginlahti protected wetland area, making the area easier to reach for locals and visitors to the city.
The old duckboards have been replaced with a fully accessible 'floating' boardwalk, anchored to wooden poles which enable the path to rise and fall with the changing water level. Occasionally
the path rises by more than a metre.
The Lammassaari boardwalk snakes its way through the high reeds, creating a narrow, enclosed feeling to the space. Two elevated platforms provide a place for birdwatching and the pathway
culminates in a raised vantage point with stunning views over the ever-changing reed landscape.
One Breath Around the World
Free diver on an epic journey
Deep-sea free divers Guillaume Néry and Julie Gaultier take us on an otherworldly underwater odyssey in One breath around the world. All in the space of 12 minutes.
Néry enters the Mediterranean somewhere south of France and we are plunged into the depths as he takes leaps and bounds through the bizarre underwater landscape of Yonaguni off the Japanese
coast, swims among sharks, and hangs out with sleeping sperm whales.
In stark contrast to media images of plastic pollution and decay, the makers have chosen to show breathtaking marine
landscapes and nature, combined with spectacular acrobatics.
The Seattle spheres
Wow factor that promotes well-being and creative thinking
Design practice NBBJ and the landscape architecture firm Site
Workshop are working with Amazon, the world's largest online retailer, to build new corporate office space and design the surroundings. They wanted to create something special for their
employees, and have succeeded.
The Spheres are the cherry on the cake of Amazon's headquarters. Inspired by iconic glass conservatories such as those at the Eden
Project, these ingeniously constructed interlocking multi-storey glass domes contain tens of thousands of plants and trees from around the world. Around the offices in the centre of the
web-like domes there are tree houses, bridges and a waterfall, imparting an open atmosphere to the office space and bringing the employees closer to nature.
In the heavily built-up Denny Regrade neighbourhood, the Spheres offer an oasis of green and social space. The street-level shops and surrounding parkland are open to all. The domes are open
to the public on two Saturdays a month, and then only by appointment, so this video provides an impression of the inspiring space…
Photos Jeroen Bosch
Resilient South City
Shared community approach in San Francisco Bay Area
The quest to make the San Francisco Bay area more resilient to rising sea levels and climate change involved a year-long design challenge. The Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge brought together local residents, public officials and local, national and international experts.
We selected one of the projects: Resilient South City, the contribution of international design practice
Hassell. In the video clip a child narrates the story of Colma Creek, and how a
plan emerged to improve amenities, and create more public green space and continuous public access along the shoreline. Based on the community's understanding of shared problems, the plan
harks back to the past while preparing for future risks such as drought, rising sea levels and earthquakes. Grey will become green and locals will be able to swim and fish in the Bay again.
a tree library in milan
Biblioteca degli Alberi
Milan, Italy has a new park. The Biblioteca degli Alberi (The Tree Library) is a welcome green space in the densely built up heart of the city. The landscape designers at the Amsterdam office Inside Outside – supported by big shots landscape architect Piet Oudolf and graphic designer Irma Boom – devised a graphic line play that connects key locations and routes in the surrounding area. A variety of park and garden typologies have been created within the mosaic: a flower meadow, lawn, shrubbery, pond and a paved square.
Tree circles have also been planted throughout the park. Dubbed 'vegetative pavilions' by the designers, they can be used for all sorts of activities. The species names of the trees and botanical information have been etched into the paths next to each tree circle. Passing traffic has not been forgotten either. The graphic quality of the park makes for spectacular viewing from cars and the surrounding residential and office blocks.
Project new urban park
Location Milan
Designers Inside Outside
In collaboration with Mirko Zardini; Michael Maltzan Architecture; Piet Oudolf; Irma Boom; Ro d’Or; Studio Franco Giorgetta
Commissioned by City of Milan
Area 10 ha
Design 2003 – 2017
Implementation 2016 – 2018
september print issue
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Ezine 1 / 2019
Text
Sara Butler, Silke Rainen,
Daphne de Bruijn, Harry Harsema, Mark Hendriks
Translation & Text editing
Sara Butler
Design, concept & realisation
Daphne de Bruijn
Published by
Blauwdruk Publishers
