I must say I'm no fan of modern architecture. Generally the last building style I really appreciate is a functionalism. But from time to time a new modern building(consisting mainly of concrete, steel and glass) emerges that is able to captivate my aesthetic taste. So does e.g. so-called 'Dancing House' in Prague which models on figures of Fred and Ginger. On the other hand I have never understood and enjoyed that weird glass pyramid in Louvre. This time it's completely different and once again it will be located in the Czech capital. This is a visualisation of a new building of the Czech National Library. Do you like it? To me it evokes of the Moon surface or some disgusting alien slime but I like it :)

The project was part of a LEED for Homes pilot project program that was administered by Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building resource organization that has certified 11,000 sustainably built homes. Ierulli Construction, Inc. of Tigard, Oregon, built the residence.

The home is designed for indoor and outdoor living, with generous and balanced naturaldaylight interiors. The site slopes from east to west, has a grove of native Douglas firs, and enjoys excellent southern solar exposure. The new house’s footprint minimizes soil disturbance and reuses the existing driveway alignment, enabling preservation and restoration of the remnant native Northwest landscape. The design arranges interior spaces and outdoor private areas to the east and south, away from the public street, emphasizing views to the existing grove of trees and planned gardens on the property.

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How long can the "Water Cube" survive? Zheng Fang, the chief designer for the "Water Cube," gave the following answer -- 100 years. Can any architectural structure survive one hundred years, subject to bad weather and other outside forces? Tests have proven that the strength of the membrane structure of the National Aquatic Center can meet these stability requirements, even in bad weather conditions. such as hailstones.

The membrane structure of the "Water Cube" uses a special material called ETFE. This material was first used in the aviation industry and honored as the "bubbles." With the construction of the National Aquatics Center, ETFE membrane has been used for the first time in China.

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Discussions of Korean architecture would be incomplete without the Space Group, which has designed buildings that have become symbolic of modern architecture in Korea. The group also played a pivotal role in promoting visual and performing arts through its magazine, Space, which celebrates the publication of its 500th issue next week.

Space Group, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year, has been behind projects large and small, from Kyungdong Presbyterian Church in central Seoul to the main Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul. Both are considered outstanding examples of modern Korean architecture.

The group was founded by Kim Swoo-geun (1931-1986), one of the most respected and influential architects in the country. He was one of a handful of architects who went to Japan during the Japanese colonial period. He returned to Korea in 1960 after an absence of nine years, clinching first prize in a competition to design the National Assembly building, though his design was not used in the end. The same year, he established the architectural firm that later became Space Group.

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Natural materials define the Frank Lloyd Wright—inspired facade right from the curb, with exterior cladding that mixes a stucco finish, real stone veneer, and the same reclaimed redwood found inside the house. Bluestone steps that seem to hover above a cascading water feature lead to an imposing front door of quartersawn oak. A steel frame hidden inside black-stained oak trim allows the door to "float" between oversized panels of textured glass.

Standing across the road from Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, you can see how it might have fazed visitors in 1910, the year of its completion. “There you are arriving in your horse-drawn cab,” says Jim, our guide, “but where do you go? Where’s the front door?” For in 1910 the 28-year-old Frederick C Robie had decided that horse-drawn transport was already a thing of the past. The design he commissioned from Wright included a garage for not one but three cars.

Located in Hyde Park (the area around Chicago University), the Robie House is still a showstopper. Long and low, with dramatic cantilevered overhangs, the house is Wright’s most elegant rendering of the Prairie style. Inside, the Prairie themes unfold before you: the free-flowing living space, the secure central hearth, the uninterrupted ribbon of window connecting the room to the world outside.

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The Museum of Modern Art presents today The Young Architects Program 2009, on view through September 14, 2009. This is an exhibition of the five finalists' proposed projects. The exhibition was organized by Andres Lepik, Curator, Department of Architecture and Design, The Museum of Modern Art.

Barry Bergdoll, the Philip Johnson Chief Curator of the Department of Architecture and Design at MoMA, explains, "The project proposes to deal with issues of sustainability and a return to basics, working towards climate altering through passive means, even in the context of an exhibition/party space in the P.S.1 courtyard. It consists of a lightweight aluminum frame of recyclable parts clad in a weave, allowing some light and air to circulate but at the same time shading visitors from the sunlight. Its combination of forms includes tall, chimney-like shapes, heroic cones, and others that are evocative at once of the vernacular village structures world-wide and of the open ruined vaults of the Roman Forum."

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Seen from the Nichols Bridgeway, the pedestrian bridge that connects Millennium Park to the Art Institute’s new Modern Wing, the hard lines of Loop skyscrapers and the organic shapes of the park unite as if they had always been together. The view — the facades of Michigan Avenue’s older buildings, kids running around, the lake to the east — is incredible.

At the museum end of the bridge, a new restaurant offers a taste of what is to come: museum as entertainment venue. A place where to throw a party, a view people would pay thousands to enjoy while sipping drinks and hors d’oeuvres cleverly named after Millennium Park sculptures.It is a formula museums have used for years to survive: by day, culture for the people. By night, playground for the elite. One gets the sense that the whole $283 million wing was designed with the latter as the priority. The private sector has an influential role in Chicago, from the schools to the parking meters so it is no surprise to find a similar dynamic in the art world.

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Spiral stairs have always held an essence of mystery and romance. With their new Genius collection, Albini & Fontanot have created a contemporary modern style for the classic spiral stairs. A light and airy design, the beech treads feature prominently while the solid wood handrail swirls like fine garnish. Solid beech has a rich golden colour, light and warm. The steel supports with their shining smooth surface, contrast fabulously with the wood grain. The Albini & Fontanot stairs mirror the repetition in the treads in the five steel cables that twist around the helical stairs. Besides the modern diaphanous design, Spiral stair can be fantastically practical. Ideal for converted buildings or restricted spaces, spiral stairs take up half the space of traditional flights. This frees up more room for living in, while also adding sparkle and mystery. Albini & Fontanot have created a wonderful addition for modern home design.

Adaptive reuse used to be a tactic of necessity - people didn’t have the time, energy or money to build something new so they made the best with what they had. Today it is a way to stand out, make a statement, go bold and try something completely different. From airplanes, chapels and garages turned into houses to airplane hangers turned into tropical rain forest resorts, the possibilities are essentially endless. Know of other recycled design or amazing architecture projects? Be sure to list them in the comments below!This Dutch chapel-turned-apartment very clearly shows its origins as a stunning chapel, yet is somehow also compellingly sleek, modern and ultimately residential (if spacious). The Dutch team of ZECC Architecten split this structure into two stories and the stained glass windows, rough-hewn stonework around the entryway and even the gigantic old church organ (wood, pipes and all) were retained while more modern furniture and architectural interventions were added and spliced to create unique visual juxtapositions. The net effect? Something far more austere than the original construction but ultimately also more home-like and modern.What could be better than an amazing house made out of an airplane? A cheap one.

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