New Office for Urban Development and Environment in Germany, British Airways flights go carbon neutral and open-air theatre causes controversy in Malta.
GERMANY
Berlin-based Sauerbruch Hutton has won an international competition for the design of a new home for Hamburg's Office for Urban Development and Environment. The design consists of one high-rise and two wing buildings. The foot of the high-rise will house a central lobby and seven separate 'houses' will be connected to the high-rise via an access road. Each 'house' has its own open staircase atrium, enhancing easy orientation, good distribution of natural light and natural cross-ventilation.
UNITED KINGDOM
Europe's first sustainable jet fuel plant will be built by British Airways, which also plans to use biofuel in part of its fleet from 2014. Four sites in East London are being considered for the site, which will convert 500,000t of waste a year into approximately 61 million litres of green fuel. According to Building, this is more than twice the amount of fuel needed to make all of BA's flights at London City Airport carbon neutral.
MALTA
A petition signed by 128 opera singers, artists and musicians has been handed to the Maltese prime minister requesting that he cancels Renzo Piano's designs for a roofless theatre. Concerns centre around security, weather conditions and noise pollution, with the signatories calling for a covered multi-function space, The open-air theatre is part of the City Gate masterplan which will provide a new gateway into the Maltese capital, Valetta, and a new parliamentary building.
UNITED STATES
A 54-storey landmark hotel in Los Angeles, designed by Gensler, has opened its doors. The hotel, the first tower to be built in LA in approximately 20 years, completes the LA LIVE sports and entertainment district, which covers 27 acres and six blocks. The district will house a music museum which will host the Grammy's Emmy's and American Idol Finals. The building's 22 lower floors host the JW Marriott, the next four levels are The Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Ritz-Carlton Residences, for residential living, rise to the top.
CHINA
The national pavilion for Shanghai's 2010 World Expo, due to start on 1 May, is complete. Also known as the Orient Crown, the pavilion showcases sustainable building practices including passive design and rainwater harvesting. It is one of five permanent green buildings on the Expo site, and will be converted into a national history museum after the Expo. Designed by He Jingtang, the pavilion consists of four pillars with six floors expanding out and up. The roof is constructed from 56 wooden brackets, with each one representing a minority ethnic group in China.
