2013
Eva Castro and Chuan Wang lecture at Shenzhen Municipal Construction Affairs Bureau
Plasma Studio's Eva Castro and Chuan Wang were invited to the Shenzhen Municipal Construction Affairs Bureau this April 18th. The partners presented "Between Scales", lecturing on the pactice's latest projects.
Project Architect Position Available
For our multinational team in Beijing, we are looking for a postgraduate Chinese-speaking architect that is motivated, entirely self-driven, who excels in leadership as well as in being a team player.
Further details here.
DOLOMITENBLICK IS MOST POPULAR RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
Following an ample welcome by the media since its completion, Dolomitenblick has been awarded "Most Popular Residential Low Rise (1-4 Floors) Building" at the 2013 Architizer A+ Awards. Our project was chosen as one of 5 finalists for this category by an international jury of over 200 architects and cultural leaders. Among those were Steven Holl, Preston Scott Cohen, Ole Bouman, Philip Jodidio, Winny Maas, Eric Owen Moss, Dominic Perrault, Charles Adler, Paola Antonelli and Aranda/Lasch.
AA+ Awards' aim is to "remind everyone in the world that they are fans of architecture, even if they don't realize it. This year's winners make our job easy. They are projects where noble ambitions match their formal sophistication [and] represent the best architecture from across the globe," says Marc Kushner, CEO of Architizer.
Thanks to the jury's selection, Dolomitenblick made it to the finals. But the "Most Popular" buildings were actually chosen by more than 150,000 AA+ users who voted, making us even more humbled and grateful to you all who were part of this honor.
Please, check the full list of awarded projects here.
"THE PLAN" FEATURING PLASMA STUDIO'S WORK
With editorial written by Steven Holl, The Plan's latest issue reviews Plasma Studio work among the likes of Farshid Moussavi and Massimiliano Fuksas.
Plasma Studio was founded in London by Eva Castro and Holger Kehne in 1999. In 2002, they were joined by Ulla Hell. [...] Plasma comes from the Greek word to shape or mould. I think there could be no better way of expressing Plasma’s optimistic, proactive attitude to form yet at the same time acknowledge their organic approach and environmental sensitivity. The group’s work can be summed up in five objectives. First, to break down established confines, especially between public and private space. If volumes can be moulded, then the separation between inside and out is no more; the divide between an individual building and urban space is swept away. Which in turn leads to innovative forms of social aggregation and new ways of organising collective space by better use of residual, in-between spaces or by rethinking concepts like threshold, limit and boundary.
Further details here.
2012
"PLASMA WORK", NEW BOOK RELEASED
Plasma Studio's work is showcased in the 15th and most recent volume of IT Revolution: Architecture Book Series, tittled "Plasma Works".
After collaborating for an exhibition in 2009, editor Antonino Saggio invited Plasma Studio to become the latest subjects of his pretigious book series, joining the likes of UNStudio, Zaha Hadid, Diller+Scofidio, and Peter Eisenman.
From the back cover: "Plasma Studio is an example of how digital experimentation has become an important weapon for design and research nowadays. A model of operation that allows emergent groups to achive rapid recognition, and secure prestigious projects at an international level. This [15th] volume in the series, draws with great precision the manifold aspects of the studio's work, relating the cultural legacy to landform, parametrics, and to the studio's organisation itself. The book's author [Elizabeth Maria Bonafede] provides the reader with a complete, comprehensive essay on this international architecture office."
The Italian version of the book is already released, published by Edil Stampa.
DOLOMITENBLICK PUBLISHED IN ARCHITEKTUR AKTUELL
Dolomitenblick, Plasma Studio's latest built project, is reviewed in the current issue of Architektur Aktuell.
From the article: When googling Plasma Studio Architects, you find three addresses: one in London, one in Beijing and one in Sesto. The latter location is where Ulla Hell is based and is also where this innovative trio's latest design, the "Dolomitenblick House", stands (...)."
More on Dolomitenblick here.
ULLA'S OWN HOUSE JUST COMPLETED
After stripping off an existing Tyrolean house to its Carthesian skeleton, the project, located in Sesto, Italy, extends from the landscape like a lichen, forming layered sculptural volumes.
Leading German weekly Stern featured an in-depth article and interview with Ulla in issue 20, 10.05.2012.
For publication enquiries, please contact Ulla Hell at uh[@]plasmastudio.com.
CONVERSION IN HISTORIC CENTRE IN THE ITALIAN DOLOMITES
Located in the historic centre of San Candido/Innichen, Schäfer Residence is a conversion of an existing building. The first three storeys house a shop, and the top three storeys serve as independent apartments for the owner and his daughters.
As the semi-detached structure faces a public plaza and is thus protected by local regulations, our efforts were directed towards the rear facade. This west-facing elevation is cut out to create generous balconies and allow sunlight to penetrate the space-a marked departure from the traditional pitched roof of the neighbouring buildings.
Plasma Studio's 1st prize for Low Carbon Technology Centre
Plasma Studio, in collaboration with Suzhou MEDI, won an invited competition and just signed the contract for a new-built Low Carbon Technology Centre that will inform visitors about a wide range of green technologies.
The resulting proposal represents a radical interpretation of the competition brief: beyond simply exhibiting these technologies inside the building, the building itself becomes the exhibit. A roofscape, tessellated by walkways, enables visitors to walk up and see solar panels, water collection and green roof systems live and in place. All building surfaces collect rainwater which runs through a visible system of channels to a series of ponds that extend from a wetland park on the neighboring site.
Plasma Studio exhibiting at REM
China's leading curator and critic Zhenning Fang has selected Plasma Studio's Flowing Gardens / XI'an Expo for 'Architecture China-The 100 Contemporary Projects.' We are proud to be alongside only a handful of foreign-designed works by OMA, Fuksas and Yamamoto to complement the exciting works of contemporary Chinese architects. The exhibition will open at the Reiss-Engelhorn Museen (REM) in Mannheim, Germany from 15 September to 13th of January 2013 as a key event in the 2012 Germany-China Cultural Year.
Holger Kehne at Architect@Work-China
Holger Kehne will be a lecturer at Architect@Work-China in Shanghai on the 7th of September 2012.
ARCHITECT@WORK is an event exclusively designed for architects & designers and other professionals with a focus on innovation.
Eva Castro taking part in WAF
Eva Castro will be a lecturer and critic at the World Architecture Festival (WAF) in Singapore from 3rd- 5th October 2012.
WAF is the world's largest festival and live awards competition dedicated to celebrating, and sharing architectural excellence from across the globe.