Herzog and de Meuron is one of the world’s most celebrated architects.
Led by Swiss duo, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the architects
have worked around the world on a huge variety of impressive projects – from stadiums and
skyscrapers, to museums and even a car park.
Here we take a look at the top 5 buildings by the Swiss masters.
We start our list with one of Herzog and De Meuron’s latest projects;
a daringly formed skyscraper in New York.
Named “56 Leonard” after its address, the skyscraper’s unique, Jenga-esque form,
sets it apart from the city’s many rectangular towers.
One of a new generation of super-skinny towers that are currently being built in New York,
the 60-storey skyscraper comprises of a series of stacked blocks that are increasingly offset
from one another as the tower rises.
The skyscraper’s uppermost floors are taken up with 10 storeys of penthouses that cantilever
up to 25 feet (or 7.5 meters) out of the building, offering panoramic views across the city.
Next up is the National Stadium in Beijing, another building designed by the Swiss practice
with a truly unique form.
Nicknamed the “Bird’s Nest” due to its outward appearance, the USD $428M stadium
is wrapped in a seemingly random steel frame that was developed to hide the structure supporting
a retractable roof.
Although the roof was later abandoned, the design was retained giving the building its
instantly recognisable appearance.
Built as the centrepiece for the 2008 Olympic Games, the Bird’s Nest is scheduled to be
used again during the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the first stadium in history to host
both the Summer and Winter Olympic opening ceremonies.
Next on our list is a serious contender for the title of world’s most aesthetically
pleasing car park.
Completed in 2010, this building in Miami is a car park like no other – with 300 parking
spaces, shops, a private residence and a roof top restaurant arranged in a truly mixed-use
project.
Ceiling heights in the fully open concrete structure vary between standard parking height
to double and even triple height bays - allowing the spaces to be used for a variety
of alternative purposes, such as parties, photo shoots, fashion shows or concerts.
Second on our list is a building that saw Herzog & de Meuron secure the highest accolade
in British architecture: the Stirling Prize.
The architects won this prize in 2003 for their Trinity Laban Dance Centre in south
London.
Designed to showcase the silhouettes of dancers without compromising their privacy, the building’s
13 dance studios are arranged around the perimeter of the building and clad with translucent
polycarbonate in an exciting variety of colours.
Our first place is technically a joint-award, recognising two buildings designed by the
architects for London’s Tate Modern.
Herzog and de Meuron converted the giant Bankside Power Station into a home for the Tate Modern
art museum in 2000, then returned to the building 15 years later to add an extension.
The original refurbishment retained the form of the original structure and took advantage
of the industrial spaces – including the huge turbine hall – to create a spectacular
venue for exhibiting art.
With the gallery’s rising popularity, the architects added a striking ten-storey brick
tower to the building in 2016 that doubled the amount of display space and created one
of the world’s largest museums of modern art.
The building now receives almost six million visitors each year making it the third most popular
visitor attraction in the UK.
Other projects that didn't make out list but are of course worthy of mention include;
… the Elbphilharmonie, an impressive concert hall in Hamburg, Germany…
…the CaixaForum, an arts centre in Madrid…
…and VitraHaus, a showcase for furniture in Germany.
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