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Accompanying a profile of DCM’s John Denton in WISH, a magazine supplement to the nationally distributed The Australian, were three images of John’s recently completed house in the Yarra Valley outside Melbourne.

In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, Studio Pei Zhu has completed the OCT Creative Exhibition Center. Located within the ambitious OCT Harbor development, the dynamic forms, both externally and internally, make a great starting point for whatever interpretation each new exhibition will generate. With no overbearing corners demanding attention, one’s eyes are free to gently slide over the the surfaces.

From the architect

“The fluid and energetic form of the museum brings people into the site while still standing alone as a unique building. The cantilever and overhang allow people to pass underneath and around the building to experience the project from all directions. This natural shape and flowing movement reflect back to the water drop as inspiration for the design.

Reflection is an important aspect for the design. A light metal coating is applied to the natural form to reflect the surrounding activity and energy. As the gateway into the rest of the site, the museum reflects the energy, youth, and enthusiasm of the city of Shenzhen. The museum becomes a fluid mirror to the rest of the site and entertainment functions, allowing people to experience the building’s presence and also notice their own engagement with the museum. This reflection allows for people to connect with both the architecture and their own lives.

During the daytime the triangular windows and skylights perforate the naturally inspired surface in a seemingly random pattern that evokes the scattered reflections of light from a surface of water. At night these openings produce scattered light towards the outside. The light splashes from the building like water fireworks for people to enjoy.

The organic form allows for maximum flexibility in the use of the interior. While experiencing the fluid forms and circulation coupled with soft motion and speckled natural lighting throughout the inside of the building, a person is quietly reminded of the smooth water and the harbor beyond the building. This strong connection to the water is experienced whether inside or outside the building.”

Nearing completion in Kuwait City is the 50 story United Towers, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox. Drawing references from the sea and the sand, the gracefully curved facades are striking against the otherwise (mostly) rectilinear skyline.

Opened at the end of 2010, the Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi was designed by Zaha Hadid to evoke the undulating sands of the desert. 

When approaching the bridge along the new highway, the compressed perspective gives you a distinctly different impression of the long undulating form.

Also completed in Abu Dhabi, Captial Gate designed by RMJM stands adjacent to ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center). The 35 story tower leans 18 degrees to the west as it rises, making it, according to the erstwhile Guinness Book of Records, the world’s furthest leaning man-made tower. All I know is that it played havoc with figuring out the levels on my camera.

At one point in time, Raha Beach, stretching eastward along the Arabian Gulf from Abu Dhabi, was nominated as the largest construction site on the planet. Projects such as Ferrari World and the Yas Island Formula One Grand Prix Circuit justifiably captured the the world’s attention. While several other projects have since completed, when driving around the area recently, it soon became apparent that many of the cranes were either stationary, or gone altogether.

The remarkable Aldar HQ Building challenges the imagination but is still surrounded by great swathes of raw earth. Add a strong crosswind, raining punishing showers of grit and grime upon all in its path and you begin to wonder whether it’s all a strange mirage.

Rubbing your eyes and getting closer to the building only heightens the sense of the surreal.

Still in Singapore, the final phase of Kohn Pedersen Fox’s Marina Bay Financial Center is nearing completion. Continuing the expansion of Singapore’s central business district around towards the Marina Bay Sands, the deep blue glazed MBFC project includes a large public open space that will become a focal point for both business and residential communities alike.

The addition of a third office tower and a second residential tower to the waterside cluster brings with it an extra burst of activity in the public plaza linking the various ground level lobbies and subterranean retail center.

Out in equatorial Singapore, where even the buildings seem to wilt in the humidity, the prolific Daniel Libeskind recently completed his largest residential project to date. Reflections at Keppel Bay is located on the southern side of Singapore, with views across to the new theme park skyline of Sentosa and beyond to the South China Sea.

Comprising six high rise towers ranging from 24 to 41 stories and 11 low rise blocks of 6-8 floors, the development delivered a total of 1,129 units.

After a brief weather delay in Orange County (which roughly translates to there being a cloud in the otherwise endlessly blue sky), we squared off against the newly opened John Wayne Airport Terminal C.

As the existing terminals, designed by Gensler in 1990′s, were exceeding capacity, the firm was again commissioned to create an addition in keeping with the original. Six new commercial passenger gates, security screening checkpoints, three baggage carousels and two commuter passenger hold rooms were incorporated into the project. While keeping outward appearances consistent, David Loyola, Design Director at Gensler’s Newport Beach office, introduced new, more efficient lighting systems, daylight-filled connector links and a cleaner color palette, serving to contrast against  the new airport concessions.

An unseasonal storm front crossing through Southern California had delayed my showdown with John Wayne, so with a few hours to fill I turned off the Interstate in Garden Grove to visit the famed Crystal Cathedral and Tower of Hope. I’d driven past them many times en route to other jobs and despite the rain, was happy to get this opportunity to stop awhile.

Due to it’s rather grand scale, the 1980 Johnson-designed Crystal Cathedral somewhat overshadows the earlier and more statuesque Tower of Hope. Finished in 1968, the 13 story tower was designed by Richard  Neutra. Topped with a 90 foot neon-lit cross, the tower was the tallest structure in Orange County for more than a decade.

The staircase on the south-west corner is classic Neutra with the mass of the concrete treads playing off the slim steel rods as they cascade skyward.

Back over at the Crystal Cathedral, the darkening skies, perhaps echoing the recent financial challenges the Ministry has faced, provided a dramatic backdrop to the sleek, reflective forms of the carillion.