“This is the beginning of the timber age.”
— Andrew Waugh, Waugh Thistleton Architects, November 2015
Last year, the idea that timber-framed buildings could be at the forefront of sustainable urban development was consolidated, with a number of prominent firms buying into the “forest to frame” philosophy advocated by the winners of the US Tall Wood Building Prize. Coupled with architects’ longstanding love affairs with this material as a warm, textured antidote to the cool steel and concrete towers of modern metropolises, the rising trend for adopting wood as a primary material in contemporary practice is not surprising.
Here, we explore some of the most anticipated timber projects on Architizer’s radar in 2016:
Sleuk Rith Institute by Zaha Hadid Architects, Battambang, Cambodia
In October 2014, Zaha Hadid revealed beautiful renderings and a deeply atmospheric movie outlining her firm’s vision for the Sleuk Rith Institute, a museum, library and archive designed to house documents relating to the atrocities carried out by Pol Pot’s regime in the 1970s. The warm timber curves that will form these five intersecting towers possess a very different aesthetic to the gleaming white concrete of ZHA’s usual cultural landmarks, and the building looks set to form a fitting backdrop for its emotive program, as Architizer noted in its original review:
“The tapering blocks appear simple at first glance, but a closer examination reveals intricate lattices of louvers, resulting in interiors bathed with warm, filtered light. The internal images allude to a muted atmosphere that appears appropriate for the function of remembrance and quiet reflection. The building strives, in the institute’s own words, to ‘soar upward into the light, conveying aspiration in place of dejection, hope in place of remorse, pride in place of shame.’”
Since then, the testing realities of this complex project have become clearer. Speaking with The Phnom Penh Post, Youk Chhang — the executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia — reflected on the financial challenges of creating an elegantly engineered timber structure with the necessary hardiness to ensure its longevity within this tropical climate.
“You have one bullet to shoot,” he said, describing the institute as a building designed for the Cambodia that will exist in 35 years, not the Cambodia of today. “The utmost that we can do is to show respect to those who’ve died with such a beautiful place.”
If the funding process is successful, the project should break ground toward the end of 2016. For more insight on Hadid’s design, check out our in-depth opinion piece.
NORR – National Museum by Henning Larsen Architects, Östersund, Sweden
In Northern Europe, Norwegian firm Henning Larsen Architects is making an architectural foray into neighboring Sweden, winning a competition to design the NORR – National Museum in Östersund. Designed as an extension to the world-renowned Jamtli museum, the new exhibition hall has been conceived as an inhabitable “wooden sculpture,” characterized by a distinctive roof topped with frustums (truncated pyramid forms).
The multifunctional building will incorporate numerous exhibition spaces dedicated to local history and traditions, along with a workshop and a café. Design development is well underway, and the project is planned for completion in 2018.
Bamboo Wall Pavilion by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Brisbane and Sydney, Australia
Whether or not bamboo can be defined as timber has long been a subject of debate in the construction industry, but we’re including it for the purposes of this article due to a marked rise in its use for innovative architecture in the near future. One of the most recent examples is a pavilion entitled Bamboo Wall, by Vo Trong Nghia Architects, designed as part of the annual “Fugitive Structures” exhibition by the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) in Australia.
The scaffold-like structure will be highly porous — allowing for the passage of light, greenery and people. “The design of the SCAF pavilion centers around two central pillars of Vo Trong Nghia’s approach to architecture: the innovative use of bamboo, and his passion — and self-imposed duty — to green the world’s urban landscapes with plants and vegetation,” said Dr. Gene Sherman, executive director of SCAF. The pavilion will be on display in Brisbane from March 1st to May 15th, 2016, before being displayed in Sydney from July 8th through December 10th this year.
Wooden Highrise Apartments by Tham and Videgård Arkitekter, Stockholm, Sweden
Back in March 2015, Swedish firm Tham and Videgård Arkitekter unveiled plans for a cluster of four 20-story apartment buildings that would tower over Stockholm’s old harbor.
“The buildings are constructed entirely in one material, Swedish solid wood, from the frame to the façade, finishes and windows,” said a statement from the architects. “Through consistent use of a renewable material like wood, the result is a sustainable, well-insulated and robust house structure with good potential to perform well over time and minimise the total energy consumption.”
The buildings are shaped to ensure every resident has a view of the sea, while large floor-to-ceiling windows permit ample sunlight to permeate each apartment. Green sedum roofs will form communal gardens for use by residents across the development.
475 West 18th Street by SHoP Architects, New York, United States
New York-based firm SHoP Architects was announced a winner of the aforementioned US Tall Wood Building Prize with its proposal for a luxury high-rise with an exposed timber frame. The building is set to rise alongside the High Line, not far from Frank Gehry’s IAC Building on the Hudson River.
“By choosing to develop a timber building, we hope to pave the way for a new method of urban construction that is ecologically conscious and supportive of rural economies,” said Erica Spiritos of Spiritos Properties, one of the partners for the project. “Rooted in the forests and erected in the city, this building is a celebration of habitats that are at once ancient and cutting-edge, interconnected and individual, natural and technological.”
SHoP collaborated with engineers at Arup to develop the design, which will incorporate 15 apartments with two, three or four bedrooms. On completion, the condominium will stand as New York City’s tallest timber-framed building.
Writers’ Theatre by Studio Gang Architects, Chicago, United States
Taking shape in Tudor Court in the north of Chicago, the new home of the Writers’ Theatre is topped by a glazed box wrapped in a distinctive timber lattice. “Timber trusses structure the lobby, through which the 250-seat theater and flexible 99-seat theater are entered,” explains Gang. “At night, the lobby — visible from afar — is envisioned as a lantern that announces the Theatre and is poised to become [the] Writers’ Theatre marquee.”
“Writers’ Theatre’s hallmark is audience and actor immersion, and, thus, a feeling of intimacy inside the 250-seat theater is paramount,” continues the architect. “Designed with input from Writers’ Theatre’s audience and artists, its thrust stage is surrounded by three seating banks, two of which are free-standing. By detaching the seating banks from the exterior wall, the design intensifies the intimacy of the stage by extending the actors’ space all the way around and behind them. Audience members are literally sitting on the stage and drawn into the world of the play.”
The building is well underway to be completed early in 2016.
BONUS: Tokyo National Stadium by Kengo Kuma and Associates, Tokyo, Japan
After the furor over the cancellation of Zaha Hadid Architects’ commission to design the Olympic Stadium for Tokyo 2020, a new proposal has emerged with a primary material of timber. Conceived by Japan’s master of wooden architecture, Kengo Kuma, the aim is to commence construction post haste in order for the stadium to be completed in time for the Rugby World Cup in 2019. Watch this space for further developments …