Design WOO

The Mercedes-Benz Museum houses an incredible amount of automotive history, unexpected surprises, and is in and of itself an absolutely mind blowing architectural space. That being said there are a million and one different posts i could write about it, and none would do it justice fully. So, let’s do this my way and start with my favorite detail… the ELEVATORS are amazing! When you enter the space, you can see straight up to the roof (and a peek at the sunlight coming in) as floors spiral all the way… you could even say the ceiling has a Mercedes-Benz star inspired shape… and then you notice what look three like vertical tracks going up… and these awesome metal pod (with abstract ghost like eyes/shape) moving up and down… it’s surreal. A bit overly concrete feeling (gave me a similar vibe to Oakley HQ’s entrance)… there was something very sterile/scifi feeling about the entrance space. I could have stood there and stared up at the mesmerizing symmetry of it all for ages. So see more close ups of it in action on the next page!

p.s. Also amazing are those giant panels… the ones that look like concrete? they arent. That’s how they move cars into the various floors.

p.p.s. Additionally, when it comes to ventilating the space and quickly dealing with a fire/etc… this building is the official world-record holder for the World’s Largest Artificial Tornado! It’s over 100ft, generated from the center of the roof… i’ve just updated the post with a few videos on the next page…

They totally look like little ghosts!

Of course the interior of the elevator pods have dramatic lighting as well… but as they mentioned… it DOES basically take you from present, well in to the past ~ so the capsule-esque time machine vibe works pretty well!

view looking out from within…

See? You can attach the hooks to hold a few tons… pull it up to the door panels… and slide it right in…

Want to see the indoor tornado in action?

From the 2007 press release: It was necessary to take a new approach, and so a globally unique smoke elimination system was developed especially for the Mercedes-Benz Museum. In the event of fire, 144 outlets located along the core walls inject air into the interior courtyard of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. This generates an artificial tornado, and the smoke collected is then discharged into the outside air via a smoke elimination ventilator located in the upper part of the building.

This procedure uses the principle of the tornado force, which has a devastating effect under natural conditions

The Mercedes-Benz Museum ~ you’ve seen the elevators and tornado and while the cars and exhibitions are amazing, there are so many parts of the architecture that were surreal and beautiful! From the way they play with the constant combination of sun and artificial lighting, to the way the building is constantly leading you to swirl downwards from past to present, to the engraved concrete markings to denote what section you’re in, to the horse ~ the first… pre-automobile? It’s much like a car museum meets history museum meets sweeping art gallery filled with surprising textural juxtapositions at every turn… so take a peek at the next page for a full gallery of images ~ it’s less about the cars and more about the amazing images the space creates for you.

Eco Factor: Off-grid energy-saving house powered by solar energy.

A team of student designers at Tianjin University have unveiled their futuristic home that doesn’t need to be connected with the grid for electrical power. Dubbed “Sunflower”, the sustainable house has been designed to participate in the Solar Decathlon 2010 competition to be held in Spain in June.

The house features an energy-saving kitchen and an efficient recycling toilet system. Moreover, the solar-powered home has been designed in a way that maximizes sun exposure to improve both active and passive energy generation.

Via: Xinhuanet/GreenDiary

Eco Factor: Sustainable low-energy house developed by Studio Aisslinger.

German design firm Studio Aisslinger has unveiled the Fincube, a concept sustainable and transportable low-energy house. The Fincube has been created 1200m above sea level near Bozen in Northern Italy. The sustainable dwelling has been made entirely of locally sourced wood and provides 47sqm of living space.

With minimal carbon footprint, the living unit can also be easily dismantled and reassembled on a new site. Moreover, the dwelling requires minimum soil sealing of just 2 meters. The material-oriented Fincube has been designed to be in close touch with nature. The wooden space with a 360-degree triple glazing is furnished with a second layer façade that provides shade and gives the built its unique look.

The roof of the Fincube is equipped with photovoltaic panels that generate renewable energy for the dwelling. The supporting structure is also made from local materials and the interior features a combination of larch and stone-pine. The entrance blends into an open kitchen with an adjacent sofa living space.

Eco Factor: Sustainable prefabricated homes made using earth-friendly materials.

Fabulous Cabin (FabCab) has unveiled new prefabricated homes for those who’re looking for a sustainable place to live. The company’s first home, which was on display at the Seattle Home Show last month has an open kitchen, living space, bedroom and bathroom for a price of about $85,000.

The home has been built using sustainably harvested Douglas fir and uses low-VOC pains and finishes. Moreover, the prefab dwelling has bamboo flooring, energy-efficient lighting and water efficient fixtures. The startup is offering small FabCabs from about 300-450 square feet, medium FabCabs up to 600 square feet and large prefabs that measure more than 600 square feet.