From 28 to 30 October in the capital of Adjara Batumi, within the scope of "Batumi Building & Design International Fair" will be held the 10th Annual, anniversary construction exhibition "Our House". Expo center "Expomedia" reported, that in exhibition will participate companies from Georgia, Turkey and Iran. This year Armenia will take part in the exhibition for the first time. This is the good opportunity to present products of Armenian companies abroad. The purpose of the exhibition is to associate Armenian and foreign companies working in the field of construction and renovation. Exhibition's thematic sections are; design, construction, renovation, furniture, doors and windows, products for external and internal repairs, technology, gardening plots, exterior and interior design.
As reported by english.chosen.com, this week construction began on the Yongsan Landmark Tower, which is expected to be the most expensive building in the world once it is completed, standing 100 stories tall and rising half a kilometer into the sky. The tower is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016. Scheduled to be built in Seoul, inside the international business district in Yongsan, the tower will not quite measure up to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (162 stories, 828 meters) or the Lotte Super Tower being built in Jamsil (123 stories, 555 meter), but it will be the most expensive building per square unit. At present, each 1 square meter costs around US$ 3,150. The total construction cost is US$ 1.2 billion and the entire price tag for the building, including the land, stands at more than US$ 3.4 billion. It is more expensive than the Burj Khalifa, which cost around US$ 3,000 million per 1 square meter and costs 40 percent more than the Samsung Group headquarters in Seocho-dong, which cost US$ 2,400 per 1 square meter. Design alterations and the use of more high-tech materials could bump the price tag up further. The skyscraper will be packed with cutting-edge equipment and facilities. The structure was designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, who created the Pompidou Center in Paris and London Bridge Tower. Samsung Corporation, which also served as the main contractor on the Burj Khalifa and Taipei 101 (101 stories, 508 meters), the latter in Taiwan, will build the new architectural landmark in Yongsan. It will house the offices of global businesses and will offer a wide range of high-tech functions. First of all, the skyscraper will be equipped with the fastest elevators in the world that travel at 800 meters per minute, more than six times faster than the lifts installed in high-rise condominiums in Korea (120 m/min). In order to withstand the staggering weight of 100 stories of steel and concrete, ultra-high intensity concrete will be used to build the skyscraper, capable of supporting up to 800 kg per square cm.
In Yerevan almost in one day was demolished house of famous architect Rafael Israelyan, the author of memorial "Battle of Sardarapat" and "The Victory" monument, reported Panarmenian.net. The house, designed by Israelyan, was built in 1954 on Saryan street. The architect is also the author of some sculptural decorations, which were made by his own hands. On October 8, a ruined house walls were still standing, but two days later we can see only a mountain of debris. A new hotel complex to be built at the same site and Yerevan municipality approved the project. During his interview to Panarmenian.net, architect Arsen Karapetyan mentioned, "Now, in Yerevan there are few buildings, which preserve the memory of our city. Israelyan's contribution in Armenian architecure was so great, that nobody has right to destroy his house. Instead of building another hotel in the same place, his house must become in museum. Thus, in future Yerevan will become a city without memory".
"The Evelyn Grace Academy", a cutting-edge new secondary school in Brixton, south London by Zaha Hadid Architects has won the prestigious US$ 31 thousand "RIBA Stirling Prize 2011" for the best new European building built or designed in the United Kingdom, reported official site of RIBA. This is the second year running that Zaha Hadid Architects have won the "RIBA Stirling Prize". Last year they won the award for their "MAXXI Museum of 21st Century Art" in Rome, this year they have put the practice's formidable reputation to great use by breaking new ground in school design. The presentation of the UK's premier architectural award took place at a special ceremony on October 1 at the RIBA Stirling Prize-winning (2001) Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham. "The Evelyn Grace Academy" is the first school to win the "RIBA Stirling Prize", with seven schools shortlisted in previous years. It is the first time that Zaha Hadid Architects have designed a school and their first large-scale project in the UK. Previously they designed a "Maggie's Centre" in Scotland and more recently they have completed the "Riverside Museum" in Glasgow and the London "Aquatics Centre" for the 2012 Olympics. With total area 10.745 thousand square meters, construction of "Evelyn Grace Academy" completed in 2010 with budget US$ 58 million. A highly stylized zig-zag of steel and glass, the "Evelyn Grace Academy" is squeezed onto the tightest of urban sites (1.4 hectares - the average secondary school is 8/9 hectares). The architects received a complex brief: four schools under a single academy umbrella with the need to express both independence and unity. This is the 16th year the "RIBA Stirling Prize" has been presented. Last year's winner was" MAXXI, the National Museum of XXI Century Arts" in Rome by Zaha Hadid Architects. Zaha Hadid Architects have been shortlisted for the prize on three previous occasions, in 2005 for the "BMW Central Building", Leipzig, Germany; in 2006 for the "Phaeno Science Centre", Wolfsburg, Germany and in 2008 for "Nord Park Railway" in Innsbruck, Austria.
As reported by Chinadaily, developers working on a new skyscraper, which once built will be the capital's tallest building, say they will break ground on the project on September 19. CITIC Group (China International Trust and Investment Corporation), which won the rights to the 11.478 square meters land in the Central Business District (CDB) with a bid of US$ 563 million on last December 21, plans to build a 510-meters tall office tower with 104 floors above ground and four basement levels. The final design hasn't been decided yet, as the group is waiting for municipal governmen's approval, but the building will be higher than 500 meters. The new skyscraper is called Zhongguo Zun, which means China Goblet, as the inspiration for the design came from an ancient ritual vessel. Construction will be completed in five to seven years and the completed building will offer 350 thousand square meter of space. The land where the building will stand is in the north of the CBD, which houses many international companies. The capital's tallest building now is Tower 3 of China World Trade Center, which is 330 meters tall and is also in the CBD. The skyscraper is expected to serve as an office building for CITIC Group. The design of the new skyscraper adopts many elements from traditional culture, such as the Kongming (Floating Paper) Lamp. The building will remind people of the ancient Chinese city, representing Beijing's image perfectly.
