PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM BUILDING RENOVATION BY KOHN PEDERSEN FOX

The Petersen Automotive Museum announced that it will mark its 20th anniversary in 2014 by commencing a complete exterior transformation and a dynamic redesign of the interior, resulting in a world class museum that will showcase the art, experience, culture and heritage of the automobile.

Displays will feature the prominence of the automobile in Southern California, as well as cars, trucks and motorcycles from around the world. In addition to the facility upgrade, the new Petersen will feature a refined and upgraded permanent collection and an expansion of rotating displays, galleries, technology and story-telling, providing visitors with fresh, new experiences throughout the year.

The exterior design by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates will transform the Petersen building into one of the most significant and unforgettable structures in Los Angeles. Long ribbons of stainless steel will wrap around three sides and over the top of the deep red building, making a visceral statement that evokes the imagery of speed and the organic curves of a coach-built automobile.

At night, the color and forms will be lit from within to accentuate the steel sculpture and act as a beacon in the neighborhood known as The Miracle Mile. The transformation will extend to the museum’s interior as well, with a proposed additional 15,000 square feet of display space.

Redesigned galleries will feature state-of-the-art lighting, digital displays and immersive learning stations that will tell the stories of the people and machines that changed the world over the past century.

Education programs will showcase a restored and upgraded permanent collection that includes historically significant American and European classics, hot rods, groundbreaking race cars, the latest in alternative fuel technology, cars with Hollywood heritage and even vehicles designed and built in Los Angeles itself.

OPEN CHENGDU INTERNATIONAL FINANCE SQUARE

Chengdu International Finance Square (Chengdu IFS) occupies the most coveted location within the Chunxi Road’s core business district in the heart of Chengdu. It is at the intersection of the city’s two main bustling arteries: Hongxing Road and Dacisi Road.

With overall gross floor area exceeding 760,000 square metres, Chengdu IFS is a landmark development: not only is it the leading elite fully integrated complex in the central business district of western China, it is also one of the most popular one-stop-shop flagship high-end retailing landmarks.

Chengdu IFS complex has been conceived to be a “City within the City”. It consists of flagship shopping mall, Premium Grade-A office buildings, five-star hotel, and luxury residential.

The flagship shopping arcade of Chengdu IFS measures 210,000 square metres and covers six levels and two underground levels. It features seamless connection with Chunxi Road Station, the interchange hub of Chengdu’s Metro Lines 2 and 3 and close to 300 top-tier international brands of which 90 of them just made their debuts in Chengdu.

They include a host of the best known international luxury and lifestyle brands, leading designer fashion labels, jewellery and luxury watch brands, skincare and cosmetics centre, Lane Crawford Department Store, trendy eateries featuring international cuisines, a large ice-skating rink, UA Cineplex (IMAX), and a chapel.

The proposal aims to celebrate the city by amplifying the spirit of the street. At the same time, innovative and international ideas are being injected to create a new financial, cultural, leisure and entertainment hub.  With the mixed-use program catering for a wide range of customers, users and visitors, this hub will redefine the lifestyle of the people.  It is envisioned that this will become a new Landmark destination for the people of Chengdu.

The retail podium will offer luxury and flagship retail, entertainment and food and beverage terrace featuring international cuisine and al fresco dining. The scheme aims to celebrate the city by amplifying the spirit of the street. At the same time, innovative and international ideas are being injected to create a new financial, cultural, leisure and entertainment hub.

Inheriting the Group’s corporate social responsibility philosophy, Chengdu IFS is launching an art and charity crossover event that will attract worldwide attention. Chengdu IFS has collaborated with world-renowned artist Lawrence Argent to build the unprecedented outdoor giant panda art installation in Chengdu, to raise public awareness of the protection of pandas.

The world's biggest 15-meter tall outdoor giant panda with the theme of "I Am Here" has been installed for Chengdu IFS. Currently clinging to the exterior of Chengdu IFS, the gigantic panda has not only drawn both city wide and international attention. To strengthen the public’s awareness of the conservation for pandas, Mr. Argent has also created twenty 40-centimeter-tall.

The curator AllRightsReserved, together with famous photographer Leslie Kee and the creative consultant Sean Kunjambu have invited 20 world-renowned artists and trendsetters to design the unique panda sculptures, and will be exhibited in the “HE-ART for PANDA Charity Auction Exhibition” in Chengdu IFS.

Location: No. 1, Section 3, Hongxing Road, Jinjiang, China 
Project tower buildings: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates 
Project shopping mall: Benoy 
Design the Tang Dynasty heritage site: Sichuan Province Ancient Architectural Design Co Ltd 
Design of Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden:Junzo Munemoto 
Engineering: AECOM 
Construction: LWK & Partners 
Developer: The Wharf (Holdings) Limited 
Leasing Agent: Long Jin Development (Chengdu) Company Limited 
Property Management: Chengdu Harriman Property Management Company Limited 
Area: 760,000 square metres 
Year: 2014

ZIRAAT BANK HEADQUARTERS BY KPF

KPF has been commissioned to design the new headquarters for Ziraat Bank (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Ziraat Bankası), the country’s largest and oldest financial institution in Instabul, Turkey.

Located in the heart of Istanbul, the two tower, 200,000 square-meter Ziraat Bank headquarters will be the centerpiece of the new Istanbul International Financial Centre (IIFC) development, a large step towards Turkey's goal to expand its economy to become one of world’s largest by 2023.

At the convergence of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Istanbul has been one of the world’s foremost cultural and commercial capitals for centuries. With a flourishing economy and record levels of foreign investment, the city is once again becoming one of the world’s top financial centers.”

The form of the building and its facade adopts motifs, geometrical patterns and symbols of the Ottoman Empire, including the Ottoman symbol of the Tugra; the seal of the Sultan. The Tugra symbol is prevalent throughout the design.

The podium is designed as a plinth for the towers, organising the interior and exterior spaces to create vibrant and dynamic public realm around the buildings.

The towers, of 46 storeys and 40 storeys respectively, will rise from the podium, progressively becoming more transparent as they reach towards the sky. Facades and interior materials are inspired by their locality, combining high quality glass and metal frames to accentuate the building’s geometry.

HUDSON YARDS PROJECT BREAKS GROUND

At the groundbreaking ceremony, which took place at the rail yards on Manhattan’sWest Side, were present the architects Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF).

Among those in attendance were real estate brokers, and city officials, as well as Stephen M. Ross, the chairman of the Related Companies, which is developing the $15 billion, 26-acre project along with Oxford Properties Group.

Oxford and Related have agreed to pay the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) $1 billion to lease the site, which unfurls from West 30th to 33rd Streets, Tenth to Twelfth Avenues, for 99 years.

“Today, we formally start the most ambitious construction project in the history of New York,” said Ross. The first building to rise at the site will be a 1,300-foot, 46-story office tower designed by KPF, which also created the master plan.

Coach, the luxury apparel company, will purchase 740,000 square feet of the tower. The tower, which will overhang a portion of the High Line, is expected to open in 2015 and aiming for LEED Platinum certification.

The project involves the construction oftwo angled office towers, to north “30 Hudson Yards” and south “10 Hudson Yards”, rise dramatically above a glass enclosed seven-story retail podium.

Encompassing nearly 5.5 million square feet, this mixed use complex bound by 10th Avenue, 33rd Street, Hudson Boulevard and 30th Street will be the largest commercial building in New York City.

Meanwhile, the project’s entire first phase, which will take up half of the site and be built mostly atop a platform over the rail yards, is set to be completed in 2017.