An [In]Closure for Seattle
Imagine a forest in the heart of a major metropolis, framed by a wall – a living entity on its own – that folds and unfolds to present an array of cultural events. Paris design collective ABF proposes just that with [In]Closure, which recently won Seattle’s Urban Intervention competition to re-envision a 3.6‑hectare site as a public space for the future.
ABF’s interactive wall is composed of an exterior clad in stacked wooden planks; and an interior facade of mirror panels that reflect a verdant landscape, which will fill in with time. Cut-out sections open up to create micro-spaces for greenhouses, food festivals and art shows. “[In]Closure will be both open and closed in,” the firm states, “external and internal, the city’s past and its future.”
Though it won’t be realized any time soon, the concept already integrates green features. A rooftop running track incorporates a piezoelectric system that harnesses joggers’ energy to supply power; and a rainwater runoff system replenishes the greenhouses and the bathroom facilities.
A Travelling Grenade
As otherworldly as a bright red UFO, Grenade has already landed. Since it won the CityVision PFFF Inflatable Architecture Competition in June, the portable pavilion – designed by Sitbon Architectes and made of recycled plastic bottles – has travelled throughout Sicily. Its purpose here on earth? To promote art tours by Farm, an organization that supports creative ventures.
A Vision of Venice
A surreal network of concave structures that resemble lily pads, filled with green spaces and transitional zones – such is the future of Venice as put forth by Alberto Bottero, Simona Della Rocca and Valeria Bruni of Turin, Italy. The trio’s design won the Venice CityVision Competition, gaining recognition for its imaginative response to the City of Water’s “lack of dry land.”