foster and partners

Half-Finished London Hotel Project Goes Into Receivership

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

It's a rough time to be an architect. This economy has led to many projects being scrapped before they get built and others halted in the midst of construction. Another in the long list of ones stopped midway through is the half-completed hotel on the Strand in Central London. Building UK reports that the project, which halted construction at the end of last year, is now in receivership. This project was designed by Foster + Partners, Lord Norman Foster's firm, and was being developed by Spanish developer Urvasco on a site that was once the location of Citibank House. PricewaterhouseCoopers has been appointed receiver on the £25 million project which was to include a five-star hotel and 79 luxury apartments. Right now the receiver is evaluating the property with an eye toward preparing it for sale.

Source

Tags: foster and partners, FosterAndPartners, lorn norman foster, LornNormanFoster

Crystal Island Will Be the World's Biggest Building

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

The ambitious architects at Foster + Partners have announced another huge project, in fact this might be the huge project. They have unveiled renderings for Crystal Island, a £2 billion "city inside a building" in Moscow which will be the world's biggest building. Now note, I didn't say tallest, although it is tall. This one is all about the sprawl, it will be have four times the floor space of the Pentagon building in Washington D.C., more floor space than any other structure on Earth. The building will stretch almost 1,500 feet into the sky and will be a multi-use structure. The building will include 900 apartments, 3,000 hotel rooms, a school for 500 students, a movie theater, a museum, a sports complex and dozens of shops. Some critics say it resembles a giant Christmas tree (the tower does spread downward from the top peak, and will be a vulgar blight) on the Moscow cityscape. The structure will be placed on a peninsula located five miles from the city center and it is expected to be completed in six years.

[via The Sunday Times]

Source

Tags: crystal island, foster and partners, FosterAndPartners, moscow, russia

The Plans for Oman's Blue City

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The British architecture firm Foster + Partners has unveiled a new design for yet another planned city in the Middle East. Their latest, Al Madina Al Zarqa, the Blue City, will be a new coastal city near Muscat in Oman. Al Madina Al Zarqa, the Blue City, will be home to 200,000 people. The Blue City is the largest development in Oman and is part of Oman's drive to attract foreign investment to develop its tourism potential and economic growth.

The Blue City takes it is inspiration from traditional Omani architecture, combining local styles with a look that will appeal to potential tourists. The city will be formed of clustered communities with schools, a university, stadia, golf facilities, a marina, hotels, a concert hall, shops and souks with the waterfront developed as a luxury resort. Forster + Partners strives to make sustainable projects and this one will have natural ventilation and careful orientation to minimize direct sunlight and maximize ventilation.

[via Building Design]

Gallery: Oman's Blue City

Source

Tags: architecture, foster and partners, middle east, muscat, oman, the blue city, urban planning

A Diamond Tower Planned For Siberia

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Another amazing design from Foster and Partners. The innovative design firm that we most recently covered when they announced their plans for a carbon-neutral city in Abu Dhabi, has now created an ecological tower in Khanty Mansiysk in Siberia. The mixed-used building includes a tower which rises above two buildings that are designed in the shape of faceted diamonds. The design is created to keep the interior flooded with natural light and will have a viewing platform and restaurant at the top. Again Foster and Partners have been skimpy on the details, but the design is intriguing.

[via Sci Fi Tech]

Source

Tags: architecture, construction, design, development, foster and partners, FosterAndPartners, siberia, siberian, tower

Continue reading “A Diamond Tower Planned For Siberia”