Riverfront Reboot

                                             The following images are from Archpaper.com.

I have just heard from Archpaper.com that a bi-coastal team will redesign the Minneapolis waterfront.  The waterfront is physically and psychologically seperated from the lives of the people of Minneapolis because of highways, railways, a commercial port, and abandoned industrial sites.  It is all going to change because of the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board.  They gave the 5.5 mile project to landscape architects Tom Leader Studio and Boston-based Kennedy & Violich Architects. 

Archpaper said, "Among the team's ideas: creating artificial wetlands at key run-off points to filter and remediate stormwater, and constructing floating islands built on rafts of recycled water bottles with the excavated fill, which would serve as wildlife refuges."  The project will also aim to maintain industries and new green industries and to increase public access in and around industry sites.  The waterfront project will serve for not only park uses, but industrial uses too. 

With new resources and technology, the design team expects to refine their plan, and focus on specifics over the next four to six months.  If I ever get a chance to go to Minneapolis I would go see the new waterfront as soon as I could.  The design looks new and refreshing, and I bet the residents in the city will love their new waterfront.  For a full image gallery of the new Minneapolis waterfront design, click here.

Today's ArchiPic #34

Photo by Feserc.

This is a crazy house in Dalat, Vietnam.  It is pretty crazy!  The house was built into a tree and is mostly carved wood covered in concrete.  The Crazy House more than defies architectural classification!  

Dazzling Designs | Hydropolis

The Hydropolis by Dubai.com.
 
The Hydropolis, when it will be built, will be the world's first underwater luxury resort.  This is a very ambitious design, and it will be built in Dubai.  It will be a 10-star hotel resort with 220 suites, villas, shopping malls, cinematic theaters, children's Seaworld.  The Hydropolis will cost 300 million euros.  Designed by  Joachim Hauser, it is located 20 meters beneath the surface.  It has been constructed in Germany and brought to the site piece by piece for re-construction in 2009.  This amazing structure will be another one of Dubai's famous landmarks.  Wow, Dubai has so many landmarks you can't even count them!

Quoted | Most Useful Tools...

All quotes were read by me before being put on this blog, and they will all be formally credited.  All are inspiring quotes that continue to show me what architecture is.  Welcome to Quoted. 

"An architect's most useful tools are an eraser at the drafting board, and a wrecking ball at the site."

- Frank Lloyd Wright 1867-1959

This is a very true statement to architecture.  Frank Lloyd Wright is my favorite architect.  All of his quotes are very interesting to read.  

Today's ArchiPic #33

[All pictures' links were broken. I will make sure this never again happens in the future. Sorry for the inconvenience. This has been fixed for most recent posts. Older posts might still have this issue.]

Museum of Contemporary Art in Niteroi, Brazil by instantshift.com.

Today's ArchiPic features the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niteroi, Brazil.  It is one of the city's main landmarks and was built in 1996.  The museum has a 817 square meter reflecting pool around the base.  It is one of the most amazing museums I've seen!

RCT3 Let's Play | Visitors' Center

As you can see here, I started with a flat slab as a foundation for the Visitors' Center.  It took a little over an hour of trial an error until I actually got the design the way I wanted it.

That's weird.  It almost looks like a shopping center!  Technically it is because it sells information and food.

Here are some better angles of the Visitors' Center.

The inside took the longest.  The walls are slate with red paint.  In the very middle are the information stands.  The food court is right behind the photo.

This is a photo of the Visitors' Center in the morning.  I haven't opened the park (city) up yet.  I can really only pretend it is a city because this is a theme park game.  So it's kind of hard to get the city to work and look right.  I will also be adding a lot more vegetation outside tomorrow.  I'm still looking for a good city game.  I would say Sims 3, but you have to buy all these packs that cost money to have a full experience.  And I'm not up to that.  The only reason I like the Sims 3 is because you can design a house with almost no limits.  I just hope I can find something that I can express architecture and design more easily without any limits.  Anyway, stay tuned for my next RCT3 Let's Play post, and enjoy the ARCHITECTURE!

Today's ArchiPic #32

ING Headquarters (Amsterdam, Netherlands) by instantshift.

Today's ArchiPic features the ING Headquarters in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  The ING group is a Dutch financial institution.  ING stands for International Netherland Group.  The headquarters is truly amazing.  I love the design!

RCT3 Let's Play! | Starting the Road

Welcome to my RCT3 "city build" series called "RCT3 Let's Play!"  This will be a continuing series for my blog until I stop building or am done with the city.

    The road is the start to my city.  Turning left will get you to the visitors' center that will be built soon.

This is the bridge over the road.  It took me about 20 minutes of thinking of how to do the design.

This is the bridge at night.

As you can see, this is the parking lot to the visitors' center that will be built.  It will include shops, information, maps, and a food court.  The next update will be soon on The Art of Architecture!  I might even include some videos!  Stay tuned.

Today's ArchiPic #31

Experience Music Project by drocpsu.

Today's ArchiPic features the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington.  The colors look amazing to me.  It's crazy how they can bend and shape the materials like that.  Creative minds have created this creative structure!  That's way too many creative words!

Quoted | The Drawer of Dreams...

All quotes were read by me before being put on this blog, and they will all be formally credited.  All are inspiring quotes that continue to show me what architecture is.  Welcome to Quoted.

"An Architect is the drawer of dreams."

- Grace McGarvie

(For some weird reason, I can't even find a Wiki page on him.)