WELCOME

                                                               INTRODUCTION

       Hi, welcome to Mani's Cosmos. My name is Manuela Boaduwa Xose Mantey .I am an Art and Design student at De Montfort International College and I will further my studies with a bachelor's degree in Architecture.  I have a keen interest in art and the design about buildings, artworks portraits amongst others. This blog will be based on topics related to the architecture field as well as how I will maneuver my way around the use of a variety of digital software

                                                         

 Any Architect can draw and design a building and with the help of Engineers, these buildings can become a reality. However, to produce sophisticated structures, not every Architect is capable of this.   However, there are a few Architects who have made a mark in the Architecture world by producing abstract and astonishing building designs. Some of these Architects are Frank Lloyd Wright, Norman Foster, and Zaha Hadid. Out of all these successful Architects, Zaha Hadid stands out in my opinion and she is also my role model

In this blog, I will be talking about two of her world-class building designs

SKY SOHO- SHANGAI

Sky Soho was designed by Zaha Hadid in 2010 and the construction of the building was completed in 2014

Located in the Linkong Economic Park adjacent to Hongqiao Transportation Hub and close to Shanghai City Center, SKY SOHO is a mixed-use complex comprising four 40-m tall buildings. The project’s signature feature is the building envelope that ties the undulating, elongated architectural features together with a sinuous retail podium, walkways, and bridges.






The building envelope is defined by four elongated elements tied together by a sinuous retail podium and a continuous metallic ribbon that wraps them – a calligraphic gesture that will be highly recognizable. Such simplicity is contrasted by the added complexity of a ‘squeeze’ applied to the middle area. These moves have the double advantage of configuring intimate courtyards framed by bridges branching off the slabs and providing dramatic and dynamic views.

                                                                     SHEIKH ZAYED BUIDLING



     The Sheikh Zayed Building has very striking features and has a very sophisticated design in terms of its curves. The building also features amazing lightning which makes it a beautiful sight to behold at night.

Considered to be one of the most intricate bridges ever built it features striking curved design arches which evoke the undulating sand dunes of the desert region. The bridge is 842 m (2,762 ft) long and is composed of three main arches supported by four piers and two additional sets of supports on the Abu Dhabi island side. The main span is 140m (460 ft) wide (Bridges of Dublin 2010).




The arches are constructed of steel and are linked together by blocks of concrete reinforced with steel cables. Almost 500 tons of concrete, 5,000 tons of pre-stressed steel, and 2,000 tons of foundation steel were used. Designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, construction of the bridge began in 2003 and it took seven years to complete, more than twice the original timescale (Bridges of Dublin 2010).

            References 

SKY SOHO (no date) Www10.aeccafe.com. Available at: https://www10.aeccafe.com/blogs/arch-showcase/2012/05/31/sky-soho-in-shanghai-china-by-zaha-hadid-architects/ (Accessed: 06 October 2023)

Sky Soho (no date) SKY SOHO | Thornton Tomasetti. Available at: https://www.thorntontomasetti.com/project/sky-soho (Accessed: 06 October 2023).

Bridges of Dublin (no date) Sheikh Zayed Bridge (2010) | Famous Bridges | Bridge Building | Bridges of Dublin. Available at: http://www.bridgesofdublin.ie/bridge-building/famous-bridges/sheikh-zayed-bridge-2010#:~:text=Considered%20to%20be%20one%20of,dunes%20of%20the%20desert%20region. (Accessed: 06 October 2023).