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Two Housing Blocks
The housing designed by Dubosc & Associes in Montargis, France, is certainly uncompromising. Clad entirely in metal, it eschews any of the conventional domestic touches but it does so in a manner that is refreshing and bright. The only punctuation to the neutral metallic colour comes from the front doors in a cheerful red, with large painted numbers, and sensibly generous vision panels. There is no chance here of forgetting where you live, and the sloping external staircases are both inviting and, argues Eric Dubosc, important places of social interaction. ‘People never talk on internal staircases,’ he says. ‘Here they are out of doors, so they talk and their children play together.’
Architect Dubosc & Associes Location Montargis - France -
Agora Theatre
You can’t miss the new theatre in Lelystad, the Netherlands, designed by UN Studio. A faceted building, clad in the colours of the setting sun, it is a project that makes its presence felt despite its relatively low height. The excitement of the exterior is not diminished as you move inside, to a series of spaces of complex geometry and bright colours, culminating in the womb-like, multisurfaced interior of the bright red theatre itself.
Architect UNStudio Location Lelystad - The Netherlands Company involved Alcoa Website http://www.alcoa.com -
IT Fornebu
You can’t miss the portal building at IT Fornebu. Set between four intelligently designed but monochrome office blocks on the site of the former Oslo airport in Norway is this brilliant shock of orange, a building that manages to be arresting without being garish, to stand out without seeming incongruous.
Architect a-lab Location Fornebu - Norway Company involved 3A Composites (ALUCOBOND®) Website www.alucobond.com