i see bubbles
August 23, 2004 12:17 PM Subscribe
The next big one has long been in the works. A most bubble-licious swimming center (flash, non) and an equally dramatic main Olympic stadium design were chosen among the shortlist. Does this get an armchair architect's heart racing or what?
Oh, sixpack, that's a very pretty design. I could stare at it and explore it for an entire Olympiad! It's so... welcoming. I just want to climb into it and stay... all day long!
(All architecture is dingles and hoo-has, right? Don't we react to those basic shapes on a genetic level? Also, what design isn't sticky-outy or welcome-inny? There are exceptions, but aren't they exactly that -- exceptions?)
posted by chicobangs at 1:05 PM on August 23, 2004
(All architecture is dingles and hoo-has, right? Don't we react to those basic shapes on a genetic level? Also, what design isn't sticky-outy or welcome-inny? There are exceptions, but aren't they exactly that -- exceptions?)
posted by chicobangs at 1:05 PM on August 23, 2004
The second picture down in the "main Olympic stadium design" link looks to me a lot like the picture of the Mycon pilot from Star Control II.
Which, of course, means it gets my whole-hearted approval.
posted by mragreeable at 1:16 PM on August 23, 2004
Which, of course, means it gets my whole-hearted approval.
posted by mragreeable at 1:16 PM on August 23, 2004
One of the designers of the winning concept mentioned in an interview that the square (swimming ctr) vs the circle (the main stadium) idea were inspired by Chinese philosophy, where the square stands for the earth & the circle stands for the heaven. The ultimate yin vs. yang. (There's just no escaping the symbolism.)
posted by of strange foe at 1:19 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by of strange foe at 1:19 PM on August 23, 2004
Sixpack: Well, at least we'd know where to focus our attention ... if we guys can actually find it...
posted by SpecialK at 1:21 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by SpecialK at 1:21 PM on August 23, 2004
I should've also mentioned that the flash movie link is quite worth it.
posted by of strange foe at 1:26 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by of strange foe at 1:26 PM on August 23, 2004
BTW, the 3-d renderings of the stadium are really beautiful. I love the interior one. Walking into that place and taking a seat would quite literally take my breath away.
posted by SpecialK at 1:36 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by SpecialK at 1:36 PM on August 23, 2004
I also like that we will have holographic screen displays for a stadium audience - at least according to the flash movie ;) Otherwise very cool. I worry about pedestrians tripping in the open pools in the exterior plaza. It's like a giant cube of aerogel.
posted by kokogiak at 1:45 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by kokogiak at 1:45 PM on August 23, 2004
A fascinating relationship developing between the Arup "Water Cube" and the Herzog & De Meuron stadium: I will start by saying that, for me, the Herzog & De Meuron project is too much Koolhaas and not enough Zumthor.
Each project has a tie to recent architectural trends which manipulate solids and skins -- folding space (see Koolhaas's Casa da Musica in Porto) -- but they do not completely reject the structural and "constructional" concerns of modernism (as each of these offices should not), resulting in a finely expressed structure that is distorted in a manner to be more about skin than frame.
posted by Dick Paris at 2:26 PM on August 23, 2004
Each project has a tie to recent architectural trends which manipulate solids and skins -- folding space (see Koolhaas's Casa da Musica in Porto) -- but they do not completely reject the structural and "constructional" concerns of modernism (as each of these offices should not), resulting in a finely expressed structure that is distorted in a manner to be more about skin than frame.
posted by Dick Paris at 2:26 PM on August 23, 2004
Too bad they didn't choose the one "with wings" otherwise this costume from the preceding fpp could double as an Olympic Stadium Costume.
posted by Robot Johnny at 4:24 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by Robot Johnny at 4:24 PM on August 23, 2004
Oh, man, what were the Chinese thinking? One major metropolitan sporting venue that resembles nothing so much as a giant, shiny toilet bowl isn't enough for this world?!
posted by JollyWanker at 6:51 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by JollyWanker at 6:51 PM on August 23, 2004
The Water Cube looks pretty cool, but the main stadium looks like someone took a regular stadium and sprayed it with silly string.
posted by blm at 8:06 PM on August 23, 2004
posted by blm at 8:06 PM on August 23, 2004
[tangent]
Methinks the Asians have a bit of problem with Canadian geography:
Whistler is a satellite city of Ottawa, which has already been selected to hold the Winter Olympiad in 2010. .
I heard they were planning some construction on the Sea to Sky Highway, but I had no idea....
[/tangent]
posted by GhostintheMachine at 8:35 AM on August 24, 2004
Methinks the Asians have a bit of problem with Canadian geography:
Whistler is a satellite city of Ottawa, which has already been selected to hold the Winter Olympiad in 2010. .
I heard they were planning some construction on the Sea to Sky Highway, but I had no idea....
[/tangent]
posted by GhostintheMachine at 8:35 AM on August 24, 2004
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posted by sixpack at 12:52 PM on August 23, 2004