The massive, 11-foot-by-8-foot colorful kinetic sculpture titled "Hurly-Whirly" was designed by artist David Barthold and manufactured by a team of five young people who are part of the Beam Center's paid Art Production Apprenticeship program.
“It was a beautiful opportunity for the kind of experimentation-driven revitalization that I care so much about (and had spent so much time studying),” he told me recently by email.
The design is structured around geometric principles derived from Basque cultural references, with a central motif being the 'Eguzki-Lore,' a traditional sunflower symbol historically placed at entrances for protection.
The bridge links the waterside residential area of Kruunuvuorenranta to the Nihti district via Korkeasaari island, pulling thousands of residents meaningfully closer to the city centre.
The Dasha River Ecological Corridor flows along the western side of the site and empties into the sea, using water as a link to connect various educational and urban public facilities.
Silent Embrace uses choreography and physical interaction to explore how bodies respond to restrictive spatial conditions, revealing the adjustments required to inhabit spaces not designed for rest.
The most defining element of Wasl Tower is its ceramic facade, developed by the architects at UNS as a full-height environmental system rather than a surface treatment. Thousands of terracotta fins wrap the building to form a continuous outer layer that filters sunlight and channels air movement across the envelope.
Alejandra Ferrera emphasizes that the security-driven design, while functional at the time, has led to a fragmented urban experience where streets serve only as transit voids, lacking social engagement.
The architectural approach emphasizes simplicity, durability, and contextual integration, with brick as the primary material for its structural capacity and long-term performance.
"We're looking at quite large new numbers of residents that will be in this part of town. And the decision was made that we need to connect those parts of town across the water to downtown, but that we need to do it in a way that won't increase congestion."
The selected proposal was described by the jury as 'exemplary,' highlighting its capacity to balance formal clarity with sensitivity to context while establishing a dialogue with the existing Sainsbury Wing.
The design team combined the requirements for an accessible bridge and a small pavilion into a single structure, creating a unified architectural gesture that supports both movement and gathering.
Prada has unveiled new scaffolding on its building, currently undergoing renovation, that covers its facade in rippling layers of semitransparent Prada-green scrim paper. The result is a beautifully nuanced design solution that turns what's typically a functional safety requirement into a moiré urban dreamscape that becomes a visual extension of Prada's brand.
Singapore has a special way of blending old traditions with modern life, especially evident in its historic neighborhoods like Chinatown, Little India, and Kampong Glam. There, colorful shophouses, temples, and mosques sit alongside cafes and boutiques, while long-standing food and craft traditions remain part of daily life.
