Triangle Life Science Center
My first abandoned spaces expedition in RTP, NC landed me at the now demolished Triangle Life Science Center. These photos are from February 2010. The building was demolished shortly after. There are plenty more photos here. I hope you enjoy.
An Old Friend
For a while I had this project exploring abandoned buildings and public space in Wilmington, NC [34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W]. If you’re interested you can read about a couple of my experiences here. Since moving I haven’t really kept up with the picture taking/urban exploring activities but I’m still interested in these forgotten places. Just for kicks, I’ve decided to post some pictures of the building that first sparked my interests in abandoned buildings.
Imagine a building that could turn with the sun, maximizing on this energy source, not only in terms of the light it provides, but for air conditioning purposes as well, thus bringing innovation together with sustainability. This was the challenge presented to boolab by the agency Soon in Tokyo for its client, the Building Engineering Department of the Elisava design school. In reality, the commission corresponds to a communication strategy launched by the agency two years ago involving the concept of ‘impossible buildings’, which sought to show that behind any highly innovative architectural project, there must be a architectural engineer who can tackle the most mind-boggling ideas and make them a reality.
The delicate piece, brainchild of Martin Allais, portrays in 90” the construction of this ‘sunflower building’. The director challenged himself with depicting the story solely through the use of camera movements and frame changes over mock-ups and miniature characters, without relying on any animation technique. A poetic and suggestive tribute to a complex career that is often not given its due merit.
Serious Antarctic Architecture
I’m not sure why but recently I’ve had a “thing” for that mass of ice, Antarctica. I think it started back in April when I read this great piece from Wired and shortly after watched Werner Herzog’s Encounters at the End of the World. Tonight I saw the Lee Hotz: Inside an Antarctic time machine TED Talk and decided it was time to revisit some beautiful Antarctic architecture.
Princess Elisabeth (Belgium)
Length: 72.2 feet
Width: 72.2 feet
Height: 27.9 feet
Halley VI (UK)
Length of module*: 64.6 feet
Width: 33 feet
Height: 33.1 feet
*This is the first of several modules of varying sizes that will be linked end-to-end.
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (USA)
Length: 407 feet
Width: 148 feet
Height: 39.4 feet
I urge you to check out the descriptions and details of these and many more Antarctic bases here. The common denominator to all of these great buildings is that they are seriously self-sustaining. In a land that has an involuted relationship with natural resources and energy consumption, these pragmatic buildings must be efficient and smart.
Architecture of Fear
The cities will be part of the country; I shall live 30 miles from my office in one direction, under a pine tree; my secretary will live 30 miles away from it too, in the other direction, under another pine tree. We shall both have our own car. We shall use up tires, wear out road surfaces and gears, consume oil and gasoline. All of which will necessitate a great deal of work … enough for all.
-Le Corbusier: The Radiant City
Seattle: Brought to you by TiltShift
The classic Seattle view. It makes the Space Needle look more impressive than it really is.
Vegetation on part of the Seattle Convention Center.
8-Story Antigravity Forest Facade Takes Root
The vertical garden at the Athenaeum, which is eight stories tall, has 260 plant species and more than 12,000 plants. Eighty percent of the plants at the Athenaeum are evergreen; 20 percent are seasonal. They are planted according to environmental demands — those that need more sun, for example, go up top. Ferns go below, where there’s more shade.
Read more here.
Almont Shipping Terminal
Fortunately I was able to explore these abandoned warehouses/shipping terminals on the Cape Fear River in Wilmington, NC [34°13′24″N 77°54′44″W] just weeks before they were demolished. I wrote about my experience here.
The City on the Rise
Have you ever wondered what one of the most impoverished cities in America looks like? Now you can. Rocky Mount, NC was recently named one of America’s top 10 impoverished cities by Forbes Magazine and as someone who is familiar with the area, this is not surprising.
Read more about my walk around Rocky Mount here & see more pictures of Rocky Mount here.
3rd & Campbell
An entire block of Campbell St. in Wilmington is lined with mostly charming buildings that are unfortunately boarded up and abandoned. Most of the buildings have been purchased by the NCDOT as the site for a future project.
The Jaffe Building
The Jaffe Building was built between 1914 and 1919 and was the home of a furniture business run by the Jaffe family for 50 years. It gained local recognition when it was associated with the Wilmington 10 and civil rights struggles during the 1970s. The Tauheed Islamic Center under the leadership of Iman Abdul Rahman Shareef had attempted to restore the building for their use, but when their efforts fell short they agreed to sell the structure rather than see it demolished.
