CONTEMPORIST

X House by Agraz Architects
Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth
Odyssey Lounge Chair by Alvin Huang

Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:28 PM PST

Guadalajara, Mexico-based Agraz Architects have completed the X House.

Description from the architect:.

A corner shaped terrain is always an unusual practice for architectonic design. This is why a different solution was required for this house, which is adjacent to another house project of the firm, allowing the opportunity to establish an architectural dialogue between them.

It is also a project where special emphasis was given to the architectural concept and language of the house. Amongst this, the automobiles placed beneath the dweller as customized. And because it is in a corner shaped piece of land, the short front is destined to them in a mid level basement.

Therefore, principal façade disregards the vehicles from all sight, granting the rest of that level for service room and a stairway that leads to the lobby, which can be accessed also by the main entrance.

The terrain was divided by the floor setup into three similar size areas. One strip is given for the garden patio where a small tree-lined plaza turns into an extension for kitchen, living and dinning gallery. In the middle comes the central axis of the line stairway going up from the basement to the first floor and in another flight, to the second floor. And then comes the third area given over to studio, bathroom and main entrance.

This first floor is within itself one single area with retractable windows that add up the patio to the central space of living, dinning and kitchen. Whereas the second floor is divided into two bedrooms with bath and dressing room each, and a main bedroom that seizes the largest part of this surface, also with bath and dressing cornered room looking into a large window.

X House is, in itself, one basic diagram with a simple scheme that gives out a strong faced house. It is a combination of white concrete bodies, marble plates and design metallic shutters.

Knowing it is the last piece on the block X House turns out to be the hinge that pulls it all together by offering façades on both of its sides.

Visit the Agraz Architects website – here.

Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth

Posted: 16 Nov 2011 06:27 AM PST

German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth have completed “Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain” in Duisburg, Germany.

Description fromHeike Mutter and Ulrich Genth

The walkable, large outdoor sculpture Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain is currently in construction on the Heinrich Hildebrand Höhe in Duisburg Wanheim (D). It overtops the plateau with the artificially heaped-up mountain by 21m | 23yd so the visitor can rise by more than 45m | 49yd above the level of the landscape and enjoy an impressive view over the Rhine.

The curved flight of stairs inscribes like a signature on the landscape and recruits the nimbus of the classical roller coaster. Having a closer look, the public is disappointed in a disarming way. The visitor climbs on foot via differently steep steps the roller-coaster-sculpture. So the sculpture subtly and ironically plays with the dialectic of promise and disappointment, mobility and standstill. Visitors happen to briefly meet with oncoming visitors on the steep and about 1m | 1yd wide corridors.

Led-lights are integrated in the handrails and highlight the flight of stairs so the sculpture is accessible at night, too.

The magic mountain in the South of Duisburg happened to come into existence within only one year out of the blue and owes its presence to the shifting of large amounts of toxic zinc-slag that have accrued during the productions of local zinc works.