Soler Orozco Arquitectos and Javier Sánchez embed spa in Mexican jungle

Soler Orozco Arquitectos and Javier Sánchez have created a spa that is shaped like a truncated cone and lit by a dramatic skylight in a dense Mexican jungle.

The project is located in Tepoztlán, a mountainous town roughly 50 kilemetres from Mexico city.

The architects created a spa in the middle of a Mexican jungle

"Tepoztlán enjoys a certain mystique for its pre-Hispanic past and its reputed creative and curative energies," according to Soler Orozco Arquitectos and Javier Sánchez.

"The client for this project — an avid athlete — wanted a house embedded within this setting as a space dedicated to improving people’s physical and emotional wellbeing," the team added.

The primary entrance is a narrow corridor

The spa building was completed in 2021 and contains a series of wellness spaces within a cone-shaped structure clad in volcanic stones. These rooms include a gym, massage studio, sauna, and a cold plunge pool.

From the outside, the mass of the building is a stone mound topped by a rounded platform. This structure is in fact a terrace that the architects describe as a "borderless shape that cannot be grasped as a whole".

The central chamber is lit by a skylight

The occupants enter the spa from below via an opening that cuts through the mound-like form, a procession that leads to a central space lit by a skylight.

"The circular floor plan has radial spaces around a central area left almost as a void, lit from above by a round skylight that lets sun and water filter through," said the architects.

The spa rooms are positioned around a concentric corridor

"This skylight occupies the centre of the 20-meter-diameter green roof-dish that acts as an impluvium to collect the rainwater that then filters down into the underground cisterns," they added.

Off the circular corridor that surrounds the central chamber are the rooms which include the massage area, sauna, and restrooms. The ground floor gym is connected to a terrace.

The dressing rooms and bathrooms have access to outdoor areas

The interiors of the spa were completed using natural finishes including brick floors, plaster walls, and wooden accents for doors and furniture.

Much of the interior is lit by wall sconces, lending the space an intimate, subterranean feeling.

From the central chamber, a flight of stairs leads up to the rooftop. Here, the architects included plenty of vegetation, making the building appear almost invisible when seen from above.

The spa is located in a mountainous jungle

"As its guiding design principle, the spa needed to blend into the site without impinging on the landscape, keeping the architecture out of view," said the team.

On this plane, the architects included a fire pit, hot tub, and outdoor lounge area overlooking the surrounding mountains.

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"The upper program is perfect for contemplation, a place where guests can enjoy dawn, dusk, and the night around an open fire or in a hot tub," the team explained.

"Ensconced amid mountains and beneath a vast sky, the infinitely green valley also has a seasonal river flowing through it – panoramic views spread out in every direction," said the architects.

The roof of the spa is landscaped for use as a terrace

Other spa projects include a "self-care club" in Washington DC by US firm Snarkitecture, and a spa in Hangzhou with "cavernous" interiors made up of circular rooms finished in white clay.

The photography is byJaime Navarro.

Project credits:
Design team: Juan Soler, Alan Orozco, Javier Sánchez, Fernanda Leon, Ingrid Casas, Elena Annunziata
Structural engineering: Clinker Proyectos / Sergio Barrios
MEP Engineering: Amado Guevara, Oscar Zárate
Landscape design: Paar Taller

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#all #architecture #mexicocity #spa #mexico #salonsandspas #volcanicrock #roundbuildings #circular

Casa S is an amoeba-shaped home on the coast of Chile

A concrete podium topped with a sculptural, glazed volume forms Casa S, a cliffside Chilean house by architecture firms Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos and Más Arquitectos.

The project is located in Punta Pite, a community that sits between the beach towns of Zapallar and Papudo on the Chilean coast. As indicated by its name – punta is Spanish for tip – the site juts out into the sea.

Casa S sits on a clifftop that juts out to sea

Santiago firms Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos and Más Arquitectos were tasked with designing a second home for a couple with three children.

Their design was heavily influenced by the client’s unique property, which is almost 100 metres long and has a steep, rocky drop of 20 metres.

The structure is shaped like an amoeba

"One of the main objectives of the project was to create a horizontal plane – a large podium that allows for habitation and highlights the strength of the landscape, the view of the sea and the sunset," the team said.

The two-level Casa S consists of a V-shaped, concrete podium topped with a glazed, amoeba-shaped volume.

The house is embedded into the site

The podium is embedded in the site, making it barely visible from certain vantage points.

"This reduces the image of a large house in the landscape," the team said. "When you are in the pavilion on the upper floor, the rest of the house disappears."

Casa S features views of the surrounding coastline

Within the 420-square-metre dwelling, there is a clear division between public and private areas.

"The idea of the proposal was to separate the public and private programs into two pieces arranged one on top of the other, relating both levels to the landscape," the team said.

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Upstairs one finds the kitchen, dining area and living room. Each occupies a circular room with a sunken central portion.

Floor-to-ceiling glass enables the rooms to feel integrated with the natural terrain. Granite flooring continues outdoors, further helping the interior merge with the landscape.

A spiral staircase is located at the heart of the ground level

At the heart of the ground level is a spiral staircase, which leads down to the sleeping area. One side holds a main suite, while the other encompasses three bedrooms.

Throughout the home, the team used a restrained palette of materials, including stone, wood and board-formed concrete. Stacked plywood boards form the stairs and dining furniture.

Chocolate-toned wood is found throughout the home

Given Chile’s high amount of seismic activity, the architects were mindful of earthquakes while designing the building. The upper portion consists of a concrete slab that rests on 21 steel columns.

"The height of the columns is the minimum, 230 centimetres, thus avoiding the possible deformation of the structure in the face of dynamic stress," the team said.

"This height enhances the horizontality of the enclosures, highlighting the views always towards the horizon."

The podium is made of concrete

Other coastal dwellings in Chile include a pair of minimalist, timber-clad cabins by Croxatto and Opazo Architects, and a cliffside retreat by the late Chilean architect Cristián Boza that features a winding yellow wall and circular swimming pool.

The photography is byCristobal Palma.

Project credits:

Architecture firms: Gubbins Polidura Arquitectos and Más Arquitectos
Architects: Antonio Polidura and Alex Brahm
Landscape: Juan Grimm
Architecture collaborator: Hernan Fournies
Project calculations: Alberto Maccioni
Construction: Daniel Alemparte
Lighting: Greene During Iluminacion and Luxia Lighting

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#residential #all #architecture #cristobalpalma #concrete #houses #chile #chileanhouses #roundbuildings

Feldman Architecture updates 1960s Round House in northern California

American firm Feldman Architecture aimed to take a respectful approach while overhauling a "quirky circular house" perched on a hillside near Silicon Valley.

The Round House is located in the affluent town of Los Altos Hills and is bordered by a nature preserve.

The house is located in the Los Altos Hills

Completed in the 1960s, the building consists of a circular main floor, and a lower-level volume housing an in-law unit and a garage. The total area is 5,103 square feet (474 square metres).

When a couple with two young children bought the unusual house – whose original architect is unknown – they weren't exactly sure what a renovation would entail.

The building has a circular main floor

"The clients fell in love with this quirky circular house and initially planned a modest remodel," said San Francisco's Feldman Architecture. "Soon after moving in, the pair recognised the inefficiencies of their new home."

The issues included low ceilings, roof overhangs that obstructed views, and an awkward entry sequence. After a few years of living in the house, the clients hired Feldman Architecture to design a sensitive overhaul.

A circular kitchen was incorporated into the design

"Our team set out to craft a respectful enrichment of the home's original form, focusing in on a site-sensitive response to the steep, challenging plot," the architects said.

The home was stripped down to its studs and foundation. The walls and roof were rebuilt, and exterior facades were re-clad in charred accoya wood.

The house features a spacious deck

Modifications were made to the floor plan, including switching the location of the public zone and main bedroom.

Most notably, the team did away with an internal, central courtyard and replaced it with a circular kitchen. The cooking area now befits a family of food enthusiasts, including a mother who is an ardent baker.

Feldman Architecture arranged pie-shaped rooms around the circular floor plan

"A large circular skylight streams daylight into the kitchen, creating a makeshift sundial that illuminates different sections of custom, curved casework throughout the day," the architects said.

Adjoining the kitchen is the living room and dining area, along with a spacious deck that offers sweeping vistas of the landscape.

The yard has a small lawn

"Tall, curved pocket doors vanish into the walls, asserting a seamless indoor-outdoor connection," the studio said.

Pie-shaped rooms are arrayed along a circular hallway. Each of the home's four bedrooms is afforded access to a perimeter deck.

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Interior finishes include white walls, concrete floors and wooden accents. In the main bathroom, a wall behind the bathtub is sheathed in large, greyish tiles from Porcelanosa.

The home's restrained decor helps keep the focus on the outdoor terrain, which is made visible through large stretches of glass. The clients can also take in the scenery while relaxing in a yard with a small lawn and circular jacuzzi.

Exterior walls are clad in charred accoya wood

The architects said they encountered many challenges due to the home's rounded shape, and overall, the project required a lot of creative problem-solving.

"Most conventional solutions favour straight geometry, which made for a refreshing intervention that is an honest response to the constraints of this unique project," the firm said.

The house has sweeping views of the surrounding landscape

Established in 2003, Feldman Architecture has designed numerous residential projects in California and beyond.

Others include a pair of crisp, backyard pavilions for a Silicon Valley residence and a cypress-clad, beachfront dwelling in Santa Cruz that is meant to balance high design and a casual aesthetic.

The photography is byAdam Rouse.

Project credits:

Architect: Feldman Architecture
General contractor: Baywest Builders
Structural engineer: BKG Structural Engineers
Civil engineer: Lea + Braze Engineering Inc
Landscape design: Variegated Green
Geotechnical consultant: Romig Engineers Inc
Arborist: Urban Tree Management
Lighting designer: Tucci Lighting

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Gio Ponti's towering Denver Art Museum is updated and expanded

A rounded, glazed welcome centre is among the enhancements made by US firms Machado Silvetti Architects and Fentress Architects to the Gio Ponti-designed Denver Art Museum, which opened in 1971.

The museum sits within the heart of Denver, in a district known as the Golden Triangle. After being partly closed for years, the museum will fully reopen to the public on 24 October 2021.

A rounded welcome centre is among the updates to the Denver Art Museum

The modifications include a new welcome centre, outdoor areas and reconfigured galleries, along with additional space for education, events and dining. The project was designed by Boston-based Machado Silvetti Architects and local firm Fentress Architects.

The art museum unveiled the renovation and expansion plan in 2016, citing the need to expand its offerings while unifying its buildings and bringing them up to date. The project was mostly completed last year, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the unveiling until this fall.

The original entrance features an oval-shaped steel tube

The original museum – a seven-storey, asymmetrical tower clad in shimmering tiles – was designed by the Italian architect Gio Ponti and opened in 1971. It has 24 different sides and has been referred to as "castle-like" in appearance.

"More than one million reflective tiles cover the building's exterior, and its two-towered facade has long been an iconic city feature," the team said.

The Martin Building is clad in tiles

The building was one of the first high-rise art museums, in addition to being Ponti's only completed building in North America. The architect – known for such works as the 1958 Pirelli Tower in Milan, along with a range of furniture, household items and art objects – died in 1979 at the age of 87.

Long called the North Building, the facility has been renamed the J Landis and Sharon Martin Building.

A rooftop terrace on the Martin Building

The Martin Building is not the only structure the architects had to consider while conceiving the overhaul. A spiky, standalone addition to the museum, called the Hamilton Building, opened in 2006 with a design by American architect Daniel Libeskind.

Next to the museum is another notable work of architecture: the postmodern-style Denver Central Public Library, which was largely created by Michael Graves.

The Sie Welcome Center is elliptically-shaped

The team has said its goal was to respect the context and to honor Ponti's original vision as best as possible.

"To create the new Sie Welcome Center in the architecturally rich context of Denver's Golden Triangle Creative District, it was critical for us to design a structure that was simultaneously in dialogue with the vibrant visual language of Ponti and Studio Libeskind's designs, while also providing connection to the museum," said Jorge Silvetti, principal at Machado Silvetti.

The most visible aspect of the renovation project is the new Sie Welcome Center, which adjoins the Ponti tower.

Rounded in plan, the building rises two levels and totals 50,000 square feet (4,645 square metres). Its shape was inspired by an elliptical auditorium that Ponti had originally intended for the museum.

A view from the Welcome Center

The upper level is clad in curved, structural glass panels, with each panel measuring 25 feet tall and eight feet wide (7.6 by 2.4 metres). The team described the glazed facade as "an unprecedented feat of engineering and the first building to use curved glass panels in this way".

"With its elliptical shape that is approachable from all angles, and transparent glass facade, the Sie Welcome Center is an inviting and glowing beacon to greet all visitors," said Silvetti.

A conservation laboratory

Inside, the new centre holds guest services, a fine dining restaurant, a casual cafe, educational and event space, and a conservation laboratory.

Within the Ponti tower, two new elevators were installed. All galleries have been upgraded, and a new design gallery was created.

Interiors in the Ponti tower

Moreover, a gallery dedicated to Western American art on the seventh floor has been expanded by 9,000 square feet (836 square metres). Also on the seventh level are two new patios, where visitors can take in views of the city and Rocky Mountains.

On the Ponti tower facades, the team swapped out many of the original tiles with replicas, and it replaced windows with energy-efficient versions.

Duncan Hall features a new grand staircase

The building's exterior lighting has been replaced with an LED system, one of the many elements that helped the project earn LEED Silver certification from the US Green Building Council.

The tower's original entrance, which features an oval-shaped steel tube, has been restored and will be used for large groups, such as schoolchildren.

Lights inside Duncan Hall

Several additional firms were involved in the project.

OMA New York was responsible for exhibitions for the museum's design gallery, and IKD of Boston and San Francisco has designed a special exhibition on the building's main floor. A new learning and engagement centre features "playful, creative and inspired flexible spaces" created by Mexico City's Esrawe + Cadena.

Tiles shimmer on the Martin Building

To mark the building's reopening, the museum will present an exhibition titled Gio Ponti: Designer of a Thousand Talents. Designed by OMA and organised by the museum's architecture curator, Darrin Alfred, the show will present objects from the museum's collection. The show opens 24 October 2021 and runs indefinitely.

Located at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Denver has experienced significant growth and development in the past decade. Other recent projects there include a hotel by Dynia Architects that has an off-kilter appearance, and a multi-use complex by Tres Birds that encompasses a full city block.

The photography is byJames Florio.

Project credits:

Architects: Machado Silvetti and Fentress Architects
Owner's representative: Grundy Construction Management & Consulting
General contractor: Saunders Construction

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#cultural #all #architecture #usa #extensions #museums #renovations #culturalbuildings #michaelgraves #gioponti #roundbuildings #denver #colorado

Tubular holiday home cantilevers over hill in Russian art park

Moscow's chief architect Sergey Kuznetsov has completed a pipe-shaped cabin, constructed like the hull of a ship and balanced on the edge of a slope in Russia's Nikola-Lenivets Art Park.

The holiday home was conceived for the annual Archstoyanie festival, known as Russia's Burning Man, and will remain in place after the event to provide accommodation for visitors of the outdoor art gallery, which is set in a nature reserve near the city of Kaluga.

Sergey Kuznetsov designed a tubular house for the Archstoyanie land art festival

Clad in a single, continuous sheet of stainless steel that reflects the surrounding forest, the building is 12 metres long and weighs around twice as much as a fully-grown elephant. But Kuznetsov claims its structure is held together using only six bolts.

"The idea was to create something with an element of magic," he told Dezeen.

The holiday cabin is cantilevered from the top of a small hill

To create the impression of the cabin hanging in mid-air, its foundation is concealed inside a small hill that had to be almost completely demolished during excavation, before being rebuilt and reinforced with sand cushions.

Kuznetsov and construction company Krost devised the cylindrical structure mounted on top by drawing on a shipbuilding technique known as transverse framing.

The kitchen and bathroom are located above the foundations, close to the plumbing and electricity supply

In lieu of traditional wall studs, this involves a system of closely spaced, circular ribs that run along the length of the entire building.

Cut from sheets of stainless steel and connected by horizontal guides known as stringers, they create a strong yet lightweight frame that is able to support itself without breaking.

The bedroom occupies the far end of the tube

"The entire structure consists of six cylindrical modules, simultaneously manufactured and then connected to each other," Kuznetsov explained. "The same thing happens in shipbuilding. Separate sections of the hull are made in the workshop before being assembled into a single structure on a dry dock."

"The biggest challenge at this stage was to put the cylinders together – precisely, coaxially, with virtually no tolerances," he added.

Underground, a concrete slab foundation extends in the opposite direction of the cabin to act as a counterweight.

This also houses the plumbing and electricity, with the kitchen and bathroom located directly above while the bedroom occupies the far end of the building that floats above the forest floor.

Cladding is formed from a single, continuous sheet of stainless steel

Kuznetsov says no one on his team knew whether the structure was going to hold up in its cantilevered position until it was physically installed on-site, due to the complexity of the construction.

"The designers calculated potential deformations but due to the lack of relevant experience, no one could say with confidence how the structure and most importantly its cladding would behave when installed," Kuznetsov said.

"After removing the supporting structures, the bottom of the console dropped by 22 millimetres within a calculated maximum tolerance of 30 millimetres, which caused an incomparable feeling of joy and relief for everyone involved."

The cabin will provide accommodation for visitors of the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park

Kuznetsov is one of the co-founders of Russian practice SPEECH Tchoban & Kuznetsov alongside Sergei Tchoban. Before leaving the firm in 2012, he completed a number of international projects including the Museum for Architectural Drawing in Berlin, as well as representing Russia at the Venice Architecture Biennale on four separate occasions.

In his role as chief architect of Moscow, Kuznetsov has overseen the refurbishment of the city's Luzhniki Stadium by SPEECH as well as Diller Scofidio + Renfro's Zaryadye Park, which Russian government officials have accused of corrupting the local youth after a number of couples were caught having outdoor sex.

The photography is byIlya Ivanov.

_Archstoyanie is a festival for large-scale landscape art and architecture that takes place in the Nikola-Lenivets Art Park every year. _SeeDezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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#residential #all #architecture #cantilevers #holidayhomes #russia #mirroredbuildings #cabins #roundbuildings #stainlesssteel #sergeykuznetsov