working modern

I’ve always enjoyed industrial/commercial design elements much more than those of residential. Industrial strength doors and flooring and the stronger small fixtures just made more sense to me than wimpy door hinges and flimsy wood railings. Things that need repeated maintenance like painting, and cleaning that involves waxes and special products just irks me to no end. Metal and glass make sense in my mind and I think I would’ve been happy to live in the icy stoic Fortress of Solitude. When I was little, a new office park  (The Boulders) was being built off a local highway and I was in awe over the course of that year watching the steel skeletons transform into mirror covered, sharply angled modern structures. My mother eventually had to do a lot of business in this area and it was always fun for me to be able to go with her. (A glass encased home would tickle my fancy to no end.)

Here’s a collection of modern commercial design that I have been stashing away for quite some time, throughout my perusings of the interwebs. The clean lines, sharp angles, large open spaces, natural light, abundance of glass and minimalistic approach makes a certain part of my brain feel safe and at ease.

This is the NRGi headquarters in Denmark, designed by SHL architects. I actually love the bamboo flooring since it’s virtually indestructible (and responsible) and being juxtaposed against oddly angled concrete just feels right. (via Arch Daily)

This is Chebanca!, a bank in Milan, Italy.  The fact that it’s nestled into a traditional and probably historic building is wonderful to me. I also like the warm glowing yellow accents. More pictures via Trend Insights.

The vaulted angled ceilings and wide open expanse of space of the Grenada Science park in Spain looks like heaven. Architects Carlos Ferrater and Jiminez Brasa Arquitectos utilized a $50 million budget for this enormous project. More amazing pictures via Arch Daily.

This is also in Spain – the Bakio Sports Center. There’s nothing exceptional about this building. It’s unassuming (purposefully so as not to overwhelm the scenery) but will be relevant for ages, designed by ACXT architects.

The translucent cellular polycarbonate, in the public perimeter areas, resolves the thermal insulation and together with the birches, the protection from the western sun. At night it turns into a lighthouse which crowns the valley. (via Arch Daily)

This is a concept by Gianni Botsford Architects for Kolkatta, India. There are 18 more pictures you can view there. Wow.

…the intent of this project is to create an environment that captures the cultural and intellectual intensity of Kolkatta. An organic street, naturally ventilated and self shaded, is populated with open cafes, flower shops, fruit sellers, kiosks, chaat vaalas, and  musicians leading to the retail, hotel, library, art gallery and auditorium that make up the programme for this hillside site. In the client’s words this is an intellectual destination. The process of evolving the architecture from the various forces prevalent on the site results in a humanist solution- the nature of the space forces the inhabitants to think, explore and discover.

In Austria, one can do their grocery shopping at the super styley Mpreis! (via Serious Eats)

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Tagged as: architecture, decor, design, industrial design