24/11

Les Grandes Tables de L’île, Ile Seguin, Paris

Les Grandes Tables de L’île on the outskirts of paris could be mistaken for a greenhouse – or even a house still under construction, but it is actually a bar / restaurant conceived as a temporary meeting place while Jean Nouvel completes a museum project in the area. The restaurant is housed in a large timber ‘container’ suspended in a scaffolding frame that doubles as an events space.

The interior takes its cue from the restaurant’s temporary nature and uses simple building materials like wood in its crude form for both walls and floors, while playing with the positioning of windows and capitalising on the view it gets over the area. The restaurant will stay open for a total of two years before the entire structure is dismantled and removed, leaving the site practically untouched.


(Images via Wallpaper)

13/07

Serpentine Pavilion 2010

For the Serpentine’s 40th Anniversary the gallery commissioned renowned French architect Jean Nouvel to design its 10th annual pavilion. Following the tradition of experimentation associated with the Serpentine Pavilions, Nouvel designed a dramatic and daring red structure that contrasts lightweight  materials with metal cantilevers. Large awnings and sloped walls in geometric forms provide the framework for glass, polycarbonate and fabric infills that create an interesting play between interior and exterior spaces. The structure is multifunctional, operating as a public space, cafe and an auditorium that will accommodate the Serpentine Gallery Park Nights. The design playfully incorporates traditional French outdoor tennis-tables.

The program has a unique model, giving the designer a maximum of six months for the entire process – from commission to completion, but with no budget restriction. Nouvel approached this project with the same conceptual rigour associated with his work so far and designed a dynamic pavilion for Londoners to enjoy for the summer.

(Images are by Philippe Ruault)

16/03

Painting the Manhattan Skyline

Approaching completion, Jean Nouvel’s new luxury residences at 100 11th have been masterfully crafted from the inside and out. The 23-story tower, located at 19th St and West Side Highway, faces the IAC/InterActive Corporation headquarters designed by Frank Gehry. Both buildings, bound by the Hudson River to the west and the High Line to the east, provide a new chapter to the ever-changing story of Chelsea’s design district.

The most dynamic views of 100 11th, referred to as the “Vision Machine” by Jean Nouvel, can be taken in from the south via the High Line, or the west – even from across the Hudson. These are the sides which the highly engineered glass curtain wall, the most technologically advanced ever constructed in NYC, wraps tightly around the black brick building. Made up of approximately 1647 window panes varying in both size and inclination, these façades shift throughout the day depending on the location of the sun.  The photograph below was taken from the High Line at sunset, with its mosaic-like screen capturing and reflecting the fragmented, nuanced, changing life of New York City.

By contrast, the north and east façades are made up of black brick referencing the masonry characteristics of West Chelsea’s industrial past.  Punched windows, also varying in size and location, frame and highlight certain views of the city from within.  While not yet occupied, every single residence at 100 11th will be connected to the south or west window wall, receiving a floor-to-ceiling stretch of natural light and urban energy.

View of 100 11th from the High Line

Window Wall via dezeen

View from Interior - via dezeen