Photographs and illustrations are courtesy of Studio Daniel Libeskind

Designed by Studio Daniel Libeskind, the Grand Canal Square Theatre and Commercial Development in Dublin features a 2,000-seat performing arts centre which is integrated into a commercial area via two office blocks that include 375,000-squarefoot of leasable office and retail space. This is located at the heart of the Grand Canal Harbour development and creates a focal point for Grand Canal Square.

The project consists of a summerhouse located in the beautiful Spanish Island of Menorca. For Dom Arquitectura, whose versatile aproach expands beyond architecture into interior design and landscape, the main idea was to strike the right balance between the interior and exterior spaces, studying the relationship between the two entities, they expanded the interior spaces  into the outside world, permeating into their physical and visual surroundings.

Challenging accepted norms in health care design, this new greenfield facility responds to the highly emotional reality of what really happens in a hospital. TBRHSC affirms a growing belief in the value of designing for the body, the mind and also the spirit.

The most prominent feature is the means through which the hospital draws on its context and makes tangible references to the natural surroundings. It is the first hospital in Canada to gain approval for the use of wood as a primary structural element.

The dramatic three-storey interior space flooded with natural light serves to acknowledge the spiritual dimension of human life. The welcoming glass concourse intentionally curves to follow the path of the sun and functions as a central circulation and gathering space with a lively café. Conceived as a path through a forest, the timber structure is also rooted in the history and culture of the area.

Subnature :
Architecture's Other Environments
David Gissen