Waldspirale
See the Unusual building of the week series here.
Waldspirale, ‘Forest spiral’, is a residential building complex located in Darmstadt, Germany. It was designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and completed in 2000.
The U-shaped building curves round to partially enclose a courtyard, while the façade subverts the notion of regular grid organisation. It features gilded onion domes on the roof, colourful ceramic columns and more than 1,000 windows, all of which are uniquely shaped.
Typical of Hundertwasser’s naturalistic style, the building is an almost absolute rejection of rectangular forms and straight lines in favour of smooth angles and corners.
Along the roof, which inclines like a diagonal around the U-shape of the building, are planted beech, maple and lime trees. The layers of sedimentary rock found at the site are reflected on the building’s façade in bands of ceramic tiles and multi-coloured stucco in earthy tones.
As a pioneer of modern vegetated roofs, Hundertwasser said: “Grass and vegetation in the city should grow on all horizontal spaces - that is to say, wherever rain and snow falls vegetation should grow, on the roads and on the roofs.”
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Apple Park
- Ark Encounter, Kentucky.
- Building of the week series.
- Cube Houses.
- Dali Theatre and Museum.
- Dunmore Pineapple.
- Fallingwater.
- Little Crooked House, Poland.
- M6B2 Tower of Biodiversity.
- Nieuw Bergen.
- Norwegian Mountaineering Center.
- The Bierpinsel, Berlin.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Watts Towers.
Featured articles and news
An introductory article to external works - all activities carried out to the external environment of a building project.
With the clock ticking, RIBA say that a 'no deal Brexit' will be "disastrous" for the architecture profession.
The focus is generally on the lime binder, but the aggregate is actually the most significant element.
Planning construction projects
The importance of communication, collaboration and simplicity when planning construction projects.
New working group is set up to consider options for raising standards across the property agent sector.
BSRIA provide a top 10 list of recent legislation and guidance affecting buildings.
Record third-time winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize - our profile of one of the world's most celebrated architects.
Foster + Partner's London Bloomberg HQ building wins the 2018 Stirling Prize.
A release schedule is prepared if not all required information has been prepared or issued when the contract is executed.
UKCW report shows industry changing on fire safety ahead of government regulation.