Stephen Holl's Linked Hybrid
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08.14.07
Steven Holl's Linked Hybrid in Beijing has green roofs, 600 wells for geothermal heating and cooling, recycled gray water pond, and is just a very neat building. (see Alex's earlier post here) He says "The aspiration of the developer Modern Group is for an ultra-modern expression of 21st Century ecological urban living. Current development in Beijing is almost entirely “object” and free standing towers. This “city within a city” envisions urban space—as well as all the activities that can support the daily life of over 2500 inhabitants." Very cool videos.
Garden of Mounds , five landscape mounds with recreational activities, have been formed with the earth excavated from the new construction.
The new park is a semi-public space while the use of the integrated functions is electronically controlled by the resident's cards.
1. The Mound of Childhood is a fenced in area adjacent to and integrated with a kindergarten.
2.The Mound of Adolescence has a Basket Ball Court, a Roller Blade and Skate Board Area a Music and TV Lounge
3.The Mound of Middle Age has a Coffee and Tea House, a Tai Chi Platform and two Tennis Courts.
4.TheMound of Old Age has Chess Tables, a Reading Lounge, a Tai Chi Platform and an Exercise Machines Park
5.The Mound of Infinity is a Meditation Place with ã5 Elementsä Pavilions: Earth, Wood, Metal, Fire and Water.
via ::myninjaplease
Very nice urban system. Seems quite green from the limited info I could see. The 600 drilled wells is quite ingenious.
Green is fine, but this is typical Holl anti-urban fortress architecture. Where is the connection to its surroundings? It might as well be on Mars. Maybe that's where Steve thinks he is. He's never gotten cities and this just proves he still doesn't. He thinks he's trying to "solve" the problem of the 21st century because explosive growth and accelerated pace of building renders the models of past millennia obsolete. But ignoring the lessons of what make spaces and buildings work for people using these new influences as an excuse simply betrays the work for the lazy, facile modernism it is.
Green is fine, but this is typical Holl anti-urban fortress architecture. Where is the connection to its surroundings? It might as well be on Mars. Maybe that's where Steve thinks he is. He's never gotten cities and this just proves he still doesn't. He thinks he's trying to "solve" the problem of the 21st century because explosive growth and accelerated pace of building renders the models of past millennia obsolete. But ignoring the lessons of what make spaces and buildings work for people using these new influences as an excuse simply betrays the work for the lazy, facile modernism it is.