Norway opens glacier inspired Art Museum; Zaha Hadid Architects branch out with Pierres Vives Building; Aecom to manage Istanbul community development; Pinnacle One Tower's concept designs revealed

Forde, Norway

CF Moller Architects has designed a new art museum in Forde, Norway, inspired by the surrounding mountains and the Jostedalsbreen Glacier ice blocks. The Sogn & Fjordane Art Museum’s facade is covered with white glass intersecting lines, reminiscent of the fault lines in ice. In the evening the lights illuminate, so the museum is like a sparkling block in the middle of the city's darkness.

Image: CF Moller

Montpellier, France

Zaha Hadid Architects has completed the tree trunk-inspired Pierres Vives Building in Montpellier, Southern France. The building is a bold new addition to the landscape, bringing together three previously separate branches of the Herault regional government. Inspired by the imagery of spreading branches, Hadid devised a network of passages to keep the three departments separate yet easily navigable within the 35,000 sq m facility.

Image: Jean-Baptiste Maurice

Istanbul, Turkey

International firm AECOM has announced that it has been awarded the project management contract for Phase 1a of $2.2bn development in Turkey. Bio Istanbul will incorporate a dedicated children’s hospital, biomedical science park (Innovation Campus) and a range of residential units. When the campus is fully operational, 20,000 working commuters and 15,000 residents will bring the development to life.

Image: AECOM

Chengdu, China

The first images have now been released of a new office block in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. Conceptualised by the Beijing studio of Make Architects (founded by Ken Shuttleworth), Pinnacle One is an eco-friendly addition to the burgeoning business district and will feature a sleek glass and aluminium exterior.

Image: Make Architects