GLOBAL CENTRE FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES COMPETITION

 Team A

The London School ofEconomics (LSE) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) have revealed designs from the five architects shortlisted for its next major building project; the £90m Global Centre for Social Sciences (GCSS).

  Team B

This international competition, run in conjunction with the RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects), follows the School’s new Students’ Centre which is nearing completion where architects O’Donnell Tuomey were also selected via an RIBA competition in 2009.

 Team C

Designs from five world renowned architectural practices have been submitted to the School for judging. The shortlisted firms in alphabetical order are as follows:

Team D 

• Grafton Architects, Ireland
• Heneghan Peng, Ireland
• HopkinsArchitects, UK
• OMA, The Netherlands
• Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, UK

Team E

Involving the demolition and redevelopment of a number of existing buildings on its Aldwych campus, the brief for the GCSS calls for world class architecture so that its estate is comparable with its international academic reputation. In late October the teams will make a presentation to a Jury Panel chaired by Professor Craig Calhoun, Director of the LSE, with an announcement on the winning team due from the School in early November.

SCIENCE CENTRE AHHAA BY KÜNNAPU & PADRIK ARCHITECTS

AHHAA was established as a special project of the Department of Research and Institutional Development of the University of Tartu (founded in 1632). AHHAA started its activities with a laser show in front of Tartu

Observatory on September 1, 1997, and has had a strong and stable development ever since. The purpose of AHHAA is to introduce science to everyone. Using interactive and entertaining methods and the scientific excellence of 380-year old Tartu University, we try to overcome fear and prejudice towards learning.

With the support of Tartu’s educational traditions and latest developments of information society, we hope to provide every visitor with the joy of gaining new knowledge and pleasant pastime activities.

Since 1997, more than 1,7 million visitors have visited the AHHAA events. Today we have three different work-places: our main building in Tartu, exhibition hall in Tallinn and a 4D adventure cinema in Tartu Lõunakeskus.

“The Science Centre forms a joint whole with the earlier Tigutorn (Snail Tower). The idea of Tigutorn’s design was a cosmic spiral, whereas the Science Centre rests on the shape of Vesica Piscis, known in sacred geometry, which has been hidden in the design’s main image.

The Centre constitutes the roots of the spiral tower. The cupola, half-cupola, globe and box together produce a constructivist composition, where the connecting elements are vertical communication shafts and horizontal spans, which can be observed both inside and outside.

The building contains universal rooms with exhibition halls. There are two auditoriums, offices, a shop, restaurant and cafe. Inside the globe is the planetarium. The materials are metal, concrete and glass.

The cupolas are covered with anodised aluminium and the globe with titanium zinc tin. The cupola ribs are glue-laminated wooden arches, the globe’s ribs are a metal lattice girder.” Künnapu & Padrik Architects.

 

 

 

 

Location: Tartu, Estonia

Architects:Künnapu & Padrik Architects

Interior: Laika, Belka & Strelka OÜ

Roof Engineering:AS Nordekom

Structural Engineering:  DMT Insenerid  [Daimar Taalfeld, Marek Siim]

Area: 10130 sqm

Year: 2011

Photography: Arne Maasik