The most spectacular spheres

The sphere is the most perfect geometric figure that exists, and its use in architecture comes from the hand of a material called steel.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, the most important figure in the history of the mankind is, certainly, the sphere. You must think that this phrase is completely certain for several reasons, the first (and the more obvious) is that your peculiar and famous friend Rodolfo (I am) tells you, he never lies. The second is that we are born and develop our lives in one of them: the Earth, although this is a trap sphere, as it is slightly flattened by the poles.

The third is that our Greek ancestors knew already, in fact, a “such” Eratosthenes made the first measurement of the Earth’s elliptical surface, he calculated 250,000 stadia (unit of measurement equivalent to a sports stadium at the time, obviously). The connoisseurs say that Eratosthenes approached quite to the measure real of the world, at least, to which we consider today as real. There are more reasons, as is the form of our cells, our atoms and the majority of our fruits, although I like another completely different and no, is not football.

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The Dior Scenarios in China

Dior bets by the Asian giant… a big way: opening a boutique in its more international commercial centre and with a parade of luxury.

(Edición en Español)

“What would do you, Carmen?”, thought Raul, he coincided briefly with her on several occasions in the past, while he was partner of Carlos, her son, but, despite being only a possible mother in law, she filled a gap that neither he himself knew. He breathed relieved when she called him, a saturday afternoon, to say that although he not is partner of her son, the friendship between the two wouldn’t change, “great woman”. In front of him, four pictures of the same person, for the uninitiated, impossible to decide which is better. For him, photographer of models, not decide was not an option.

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The present for Calatrava

A present have given to Calatrava: perpetuate his work in China, a country where he had never designed… so far.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, my name is Rodolfo, as you know, obviously, by the many articles that I have already narrated (I do not write) in this magazine. My surname nor lack does tell you it, because, in a hypothetical and unacceptable case, if not you knew it, you will learn over time, you and your descendants, clear is, as in the series of futuristic science fiction Star Wars, where everyone has memorized the surnames “Galactic” of Skywalker, Solo, Kenobi or Vader, for example.

Similarly must pass another character in the world of the architecture and the engineering, which has earned a place in the annals of the history, at least, the history of those two branches. I do not assess his contribution, it would not be fair, also it would not be productive and that is something that I cannot allow, the productivity is the success and, consequently, the future. His contribution, as I was narrating, is valued by the international entities such as ECCS (European Steel Design Awards), MIPIM (Marche International des Professionnels de l’Immobilier), ECSN (European Concrete Awards), among many others, and this value is in the form of prizes, such as those recently granted by CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) or by the American magazine ENR(Engineering News Record), something will be.

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The highest green building of the World

A secret meeting was held to choose the "building of the summer" Which? All the signs indicate that the Shanghai Tower can to be chosen.
(Edición en español)

She left her seat with parsimony and diligence, she had been preparing in secret the past few months for this. Subtly, she revised the faces of the colleagues while was collecting the dossier, she had waited patiently all the time and, already, having exposed the majority of proposals, seemed that this year her proposal could be elected. She had already participated in five meetings, the first as guest of honour and the followings as a contestant of prestige. The idea was simple: each participant should to take data and details of a building under construction or newly built, to determine which of them would be awarded as "The building of the summer".

She introduced the Pendrive and wielded the laser pointer; as first image appeared the logo of her company, one marks more than known in worldwide for their quality and their (good) treatment to the operators, she was proud of several social advances that had managed within the company, "a little of publicity is always good, even here", she thought, as she watched the faces surprised of the persons had not recognized her. When she saw the second picture knew that she had done well her work: already none of those the attendants could separate the logo of her company of the silhouette of the Tower of Shanghai who they were watching, the largest building of double facade of the world.

Shanghai Tower Construction and Development Co., is the promoter of this project, whose design was awarded by a international competition, this is often done, in June of 2008. The architecture firm that won the competition, studied in detail the premises which should have the construction, first and foremost, a building anchored in the time, as it was at its time, the other two that form (together) the trio more next of the planet, the Jin Mao Tower skyscraper and the SWFC (Shanghai-world financial center). They took into the account international environmental standards and the comfort technology.

The Shanghai Tower reaches a chilling height of 632 metres, which it makes it the second tallest building in the world (behind of the Burj Khalifa, Dubai), has 127 plants with five under the basement, intended, mainly to parking. The area is 576.000 meters in total, including 410.000 above ground. Have commercial and cultural spaces, 200,000 square meters for offices, and the building has a luxury Hotel with 80,000 square metres which are distributed in 258 rooms between the floors 84 and 110 what she herself would call a "luxury of height".

She made a break, not because she was tired, was paused intentionally, for than the other negotiator exasperated a little, enough to weaken but not too much, so he do not miss the attention, was accustomed to this type of negotiations and she had marked the times perfectly. "But the best is yet to come, if so far I have given some figures, from here I will give you an architectural analysis", it seemed to her, at that moment, that increased the tension in the room, almost could swear that one of the people seated there was a very popular character, "his name was Rodolfo, not?"

The building becomes twisted on its axis at 120 degrees, with a form that it would not go unnoticed anywhere in the world. The responsible architect of the studio, Gensler, with their best 48 professionals (200 has the company), has been the managers of the design and direction of the work, although that its "Chief Architect", Marshall Strabala, no longer belongs to the company, he has not withdrawn of its professional tasks in this work. The building is subdivided in turn into 9 cylindrical parts, one above of the other, with an interior garden at the base of each one of them.

But the shape exterior aerodynamics is not capricious, it is achieved to reduce the thrust of the wind (which in Shanghai can reach a speed of 53 meters per second, about 190 kilometers per hour) by 28 percent, according to Strabala, this amounts to a saving of 60 million dollars (54 million euros) in the structure, a amount significant, on the other hand the budget is 4.2 billion dollars (3.80 billion euros), so a little of help never it hurts. The form in semi-spiral also serves to collect rainwater, which is intended for heating and air conditioning.

The system of double glass wall using in the construction serves as thermal insulation, this physical separation of the two elements allows that the external temperatures (in Shanghai, the temperatures range between 0 and 40 degrees from winter to summer) softened greatly. The bag of air acts every fifteen plants independently, increasing its effect the asymmetry in plant. The outer layer of glass is attached to the inner structure using steel turnbuckles, these tensors help to hold the wall and, at the same time, convey the force of the wind to the main structure.

The developers rely on that the building could receive between 15,000 and 20,000 people for day between workers, visitors and guests of the hotel. It has 106 lifts, the quicker lift will reach 18 meters per second (64 km / h) until the second tourist viewpoint highest of the planet on the floor 119. The building will also with an open terrace on the floor 121 (for the bravest). It has a geothermal system to take the temperature of the Earth, devices collectors of water for use in landscaping and other secondary uses and 270 turbines below of the parapet to generate additional power, with a capacity of 135 kW of power.

They expect to get, in brief, the certificate LEED Gold and the three stars of the Environmental Committee of Chinese in recognition of sustainable design and construction. The contractor, Shanghai Construction Group started work on November 29, 2008 and boasts of have built the first building in the world with a weight of 850,000 tons over soft ground, also calls the title of tallest green building on the planet for their construction. For anyone person is a building of records.

"I could continue giving you more details, the podium at the foot of the Tower (is also the entrance to the Hotel) has 60,000 square meters of retail, catering, exhibitions, banquets and a long etcetera. I could explain that the lower part of the building can display letters and characters in any language, and that the emblem of the Tower will be displayed in the crown of the building, and that, furthermore, multiple images can be in it...

… I could analyse the mass-damper (structure on the top floor which serves to offset the ups and downs and movements of skyscrapers) that is the heaviest in the world with 1,200 tons. I could say that the building has the highest panoramic restaurant on the floor 120, the highest pool (in 393 metres) on the 84 floor, which has the highest Sky Lobby (in 470 metres) on the floor 101, and it is the first luxury hotel with Chinese style. I could..."

She paused, aware that in the last sentence was played all her argument, one false step could decant the scale, although, in this case, was frankly unlikely. "I could invite you to visit China and that you choose this tower as the building of the summer of this year, 2015", concluded.

The two Suns of Beijing

We move in the time and the space to discover what happens to the new building by Zaha Hadid.

Ai Weiwei loved the sunrise, the sunset and, more specifically, the dusk. he loved it because he had experienced this of first-hand in his youth and, although now it were only part of the memory, he could enjoy using it in several times a day. He was only fifteen years when took place the phenomenon who stopped to humanity as no other natural or scientific prodigy could, appeared one Sun, i.e. another star; but with a curious peculiarity: it moved in a position equidistant to the globe and following the same orbit around another star, the Sun.

Ai Weiwei felt a slight sense of relief when he understood the near that the humanity had been of the mass extinction: cults of any nature, urban chaos, the madness, the chaos and the despair. It was as if most of the people in that year (2020) had been waiting for the appearance of the second star to undertake misdeeds unspeakable. The details of how it had reassured the population, it was not something that interested too to the peculiar character of this story. The motivation that moved his interest are of a very different nature.

Ai Weiwei not have only the name in common with the artist of Beijing which had helped the architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron on the design of Chinese Stadium "Bird's nest", he moving also by artistic and architectural interests. He was proud of his name, boasted of knowing all the interventions of his namesake, and, also had a healthy and legitimate interest in the claim political to what he considered abuse or inactivity, incidentally, it was not well received by a large part of their fellow citizens.

Ai Weiwei resided in Beijing, in the Luontianwa district, very close to the Sub-District of Wangjing, he worked at a technology company of last generation. "The mornings", (had decided to continue to call tomorrow to the appearance of the star King by the East), got up to go to work. He loved his work, but even more liked the site where he exercised it: Wangjing Soho Technology Center, built between 2009 and 2014 was, in the beginning of its creation, the architectural forefront of what would come later.

The company owner, Soho China Ltd., made the request to the most internationally renowned architect: Zaha Hadid. The premises were clear: to be a complex, unique, modern and adaptable, functional and with more than 500,000 square meters. The study of Zaha Hadid was raised built a project of two towers, but the idea was scrapped by the current: three towers of 200, 118 and 127 meters in height for use of offices and three pavilions surrounding for commercial uses and other.

The original design, in the form of stones or fishes (as you look at it) and its privileged position in the city, close to the Airport (it is the last thing that the citizens look when come and go from the capital), together with its communication (motorways and trains), before even of the completion of the construction, the towers 1 and 2 be exhausted to 100% and the third to 90% at the time of the inauguration, a success. The total area was 521.265 square meters, distributed in 136.384 for the tower one, 125.131 for the Tower two and 125.307 for the third. To these amounts should add 5.443 square meters in three halls and 129.000 square meters in the basement.

While he parked his bike in one of 8.256 parking lots for this vehicle that has the complex, Ai Weiwei  thought about how fortunate that must have been for the passers-by of the place seeing grow this icon. Not in vain, surround the complex 60,000 square meters of free space, open to the public 24 hours a day, and designed with a park to the South, gardens to the North and areas of activities to the East and the West. The breadth and generosity of the hallways, with ceilings of up to 10 meters high, with receptions of between 1,100 and 2,200 square meters, with 81 lifts for the three towers (with possibility of access control) and offices with between 3.6 and 4.2 meters high, it are friendly to all users.

In the surrounding, the workers of other companies (Microsoft, China Telecom, Panasonic) in telecommunications, or manufacturers as Siemens, Caterpillar could immortalize countless photographs of the uprising of the structure of reinforced concrete, as well as the crowning of the three towers, with their steel trusses. The envelope of the building is composed of external white aluminium slats that walking sinuously (with different thicknesses) the outline of each building and windows with double glazing and low emissivity (protecting of the sun's rays), in addition, reduce the consumption of heating and cooling.

The building complex was designed using the BIM technology and the systems MEP (Mechanical, electrical and Plumbing) with fantastic results helping to reduce the emissions of CO2 and the consumption of electricity and drinking water. This lowered the energy costs a 13% and 42% the consumption of drinking water, with respect to the criteria of the ASHRAE Foundation (for 2015) for the sustainability and energy efficiency. The thermal transmittance (ability to creep out of the heat through objects) of the envelope is U = 0.55 w/m2oC (a higher value of U, does easier the transmission of heat, and, therefore, less protective).

The buildings have also rainwater collection systems for its re-use, recovery of heat from the air systems, sensors controlling the energy efficiency, monitors of electricity consumption in real time, a high-efficiency pumps, fans, boilers and chillers. One of the major achievements was the introduction of high-efficiency electrostatic air filters, that removed the environment harmful bacteria and prevents the entry of particles PM2, 5 (particles of less than 2.5 microns), with this managed to improve the ASHRAE requirements by 30%. The management of the buildings within the plot and design, allowed the anchor in the identity of Wangjing community project.

Ai Weiwei was always the first to arrive at his office, in the tower one, he used to open his window to listen carefully to the horizon, "Yes", he used to think, "definitely to have two Suns not appears nothing wrong".