capacity for creativity

Contents Pages for the Magazine

This magazine finished publishing in 2003. But delving into the many articles, you uncover a wealth of great articles and photography from around the globe. From an article about Jun Aoki, who designed Tokyo’s store for Louis Vuitton, to Luxury housing next to the Great Wall in China which echoes avant-guarde philosophies, there are so many articles to delve into and be inspired from.

World Architecture: Hotel De Ville

This article is a Building study within the magazine. Hotel de ville is located in Innsbruck and the architect on this project was Dominque Perrault. The French architect has created many works with steel and glass as a signature theme, and in this building he combines these with louvers and glass creating a density of layering.

The project didn’t have an easy start. The site was on a green area, loved by the local community set in the old town which has a rich mix of medieval, renaissance and baroque styles. The Hotel was to house city council offices, a chamber for debating, a shopping mall, a high-end restaurant and a luxe hotel. After many conversations, the positives of having this connecting space outweighed the protestations.

The exterior was important to meld it within it’s surrounds. Here Perrault used metal-meshed structures. The terms of fabric are used liberally: quilting, frayed edges, tents.

The extreme of seasons need to be addressed. Perrault has done this by combining sun shades of capillary glass that are in tiny tubes; and for winter there are springs that deal with snow load. inside, the climate is not air-conditioned. The use of an offset roof which becomes a semi-outdoor space and an internal courtyard. The shops in the mall all have natural light coming in through the mesh and glazed roof structures.

Meeting diverse needs of many clients as well as being sensitive to it’s surroundings, Hotel de ville, manages to create be-spoke architecture that has become not only a talking point but a central meeting point for many of Innsbruck’s local people.