monument magazine - Design Cities

Friday

26Feb2010

Barangaroo for you?

How they decided it's going to be.

Of the people, by the people, for the people. Fine sentiments for some democracy but clearly not applicable to the Government of New South Wales. Whatever your views about removing the self-serving state government and replacing it with a Sydney metropolitan and local ones, here's the plan for Barangaroo and a couple of regulations from the Barangaroo Consolidated Concept Plan and Environmental Assessment:

Solar Access: Living rooms and private open spaces for at least 70% of apartments in a development should receive a minimum of 3 hours direct sunlight between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in mid winter. For up to 30% of dwellings, 2 hours is required (excluding south-facing units).
Single Orientation Apartments: Apartment buildings should aim to maximise cross ventilation. The number of single-aspect apartments with a southerly aspect (SW-SE) should be limited to a maximum of 10% of the total units proposed. Developments which seek to vary from the minimum standards must demonstrate how site constraints and orientation prohibit the achievement of these standards and how energy efficiency is addressed.

Hands up who wants a south facing apartment?

One consolation I've found in this, ah... urban development is that at least the new towers will prevent this view of the astonishing Macquarie Bank and other gems flanking Darling Harbour, unless of course you have the fortune to live on the south side of one.

William Meldrum |

FRONTIER: BANGKOK AND BUENOS AIRES

This week we've been putting the finishing touches on our next issue (96 - on sale March 25th). There are some really beautiful projects featured, in amazing locations. Hadid in Rome, Patterson on west coast NZ.

Our all new 'Frontier' section is also coming along well. In issue 95 we went to Mumbai, this coming issue we have a specially commissioned reportage in Bangkok. Photographer Annie Tritt has produced a stunning essay on the city. Portraits of Bangkok's emerging creative leaders and hidden architectural gems have been woven together with a photographic exploration on the various modes of transport that people use to move throughout the city. Some samples of the pics that didn't make the layout are below. Nice huh?

Anyone who has been to Bangkok will tell you that the tuk-tuks, motor bikes, and traffic create a cacophony that makes up the sound track to every day you spend there. Combined with the sky train and water taxis, this is the infrastructure that really defines Bangkok and it's population. To provide some context to what it must be like to work as a professional creative, Annie has captured the crowds and the chaos of this pulsating design frontier.

But that's next issue. The issue after that (97 - May 27th) we are heading to Buenos Aires, this week has also involved refining the commission for this feature. We have a great photographer (more soon) and some really brilliant creative people and practices to show you. It's been a fun one to research and produce, I can't wait to see what we get back.

If you have any suggestions for who or what we should check out in Buenos Aires, drop me a line: dan.peterson@textpacific.com.au

photo Annie Tritt

Dan Peterson |

2 Comments |

Monday

01Feb2010

95: Frontier: Mumbai

Serie’s Tote bar and restaurant is housed in a heritage building where horseracing bets were laid. Photography Fram Petit

Raintree white metal columns at Serie’sTote bring the exterior indoors. Photography Fram Petit

“Surrounded by Arabian Sea from three sides, Mumbai is bursting at its seams. There’s no room for expansion, with the existing land covered in slums, residential housing, business districts and heritage buildings.

While in Delhi urban planners are ferociously developing the capital city with a new metro system and a cutting-edge network of roads and flyovers in the lead-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the pace of infrastructure development in Mumbai leaves a lot to be desired.

The city administration and councils are plagued with everything the country is infamous for – lack of organisation, red tape and bureaucracy. The only feat of urban planning they’ve achieved in the past few years is the 5.6 kilometre Bandra-Worli Sea Link, a cable bridge connecting central Mumbai with its western suburbs, which took 10 years to finish.

But it’s not all doom for Mumbai. In the absence of government initiatives, its citizens have taken it upon themselves to give parts of the city a new sophisticated, contemporary, artistic look. Mumbai’s architects, artists and interior designers cannot expand the city or bring about infrastructural improvements, but they can innovate in their own little spaces.”

So begins Akash Arora’s overview of Mumbai. It seemed like the obvious place to start when talking about cities bursting with creative energy. The exciting thing about Mumbai is its pockets of creativity. We’d like to hear your experiences of this city. Post a comment below or email us.

Monument |

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Issue 95