You may see glass buildings and structures wherever you go, but there are some who are trying out new concepts in buildings. Here’s taking a look at some international out-of-the-box designs.
Gateshead Millennium Bridge
- Architect: Wilkinson Eyre
- Where: Between Gateshead and Tyne on Rive Tyne in England
- Estimated total cost: £22 million
- Weight: more than 800 tons
- Height: 50 m (in normal state)
- Width: 126 m
- Awards: 2002 Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize, 2003 IStructE Supreme Award, 2005 International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering Outstanding Structure Award, and many others .
A pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge, Gateshead Millennium Bridge opened officially on May 7, 2002 in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II. It is the world’s first and only tilting bridge and is powered by eight electric motors (equivalent to 589 horse power). It is made of two steel arches, one that works as a pedestrian and cycle path and the other that works as a supporting arch. The two are connected with the help of suspension cables and enable the bridge to tilt as a single, rigid structure, allowing ships to pass. As the arch lowers, the pathway rises, counterbalancing each other and using the least amount of energy per tilt. Each opening and closing takes four and a half minutes.
Dusit Dubai
- Architect: Khatib and Alami
- Where: Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
- Height: 150 m
The Dusit Dubai is a fork-shaped building, in which the left side consists of apartments and the right, hotel apartments. The two join above, with the hotel’s gym and swimming pool at the top floor. Construction on this 40-floor, 321-room hotel was completed in 2001. The interiors of the hotel have Southeast Asian influences, particularly from Thailand. Facilities provided by the hotel include a ballroom, four conference rooms, a florist, and a boutique amongst others. Dusit Dubai also serves a number of dining options including Thai and Italian.
Taipei 101
- Architect: CY Lee and Partners
- Where: Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
- Estimated total cost: $1.76 billion
- Height: 509.2 m (antenna)
- Awards: 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award
Taipei 101 is currently the world’s tallest completed skyscraper according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat and holds several other records including the fastest ascending elevator speed and largest countdown clock. The skyscraper has 101 floors above the ground and five underground. Construction on the building started in 1999 and ended in 2004 and the tower opened to the public on December, 31, 2004. It is a mixed-use building and has houses offices, restaurants, a fitness center, a mall, etc.
The building is designed to specifically withstand the typhoon winds and earthquakes in the area and is supported by thirty-six columns, including eight packed with 10,000-psi concrete. The engineers designed a $4 million steel pendulum to act as a tuned mass damper weighing 660 metric tons. It is suspended from the 92ndto the 88thfloor and offsets the building movements due to strong wind movements. Two tuned mass dampers also protect the tip of the spire.
Museu Oscar Niemeyer
- Architect: Oscar Niemeyer
- Where: Curitiba, Brazil
Museu Oscar Niemeyer was inaugurated in 2002 as Novo Museu (New Museum), but was later rechristened Museu Oscar Niemeyer after remodeling and construction of a new annex. The museum complex consists of two buildings the first of which was designed by the architect in 1967 as an educational institute. This was later remodeled as a museum, with Oscar Niemeyer designing the annex similar to an eye.
Museu Oscar Niemeyer is characterized by bold geometric forms, curves in contrast to rectangular forms, large white spaces, and stunning murals and paintings. The museum is located inside a garden designed by Burle Max. The architecture is reminiscent of Niemeyer’s postmodern influences and international styles.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
- Architect: Frank Gehry
- Where: 111, South Grand Avenue, Downtown Los Angeles, California
- Estimated total cost: $274 million
Designed by architect Frank Gehry, the Walt Disney Concert Hall is being hailed as one of the most acoustically sound structures in the world. The hall houses the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Though the project was launched in 1987, with a donation of $50 million by Lillian Disney, construction was completed only in 2003.
Most of the exteriors are designed with stainless steel, and the building stands in a 3.6 acre complex. The main auditorium has been designed by Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics and has been sculpted using Douglas fir and cedar. A giant pipe organ stands directly behind the stage, having an estimated 6134 pipes ranging in size from a pen to an electricity pole. The stage is made of cedar wood, with four concentric circles set on risers allowing for flexibility in positioning the orchestra during performances.
