Zira Island

While wandering through the digital world, I came across an interesting architectural project by a Denmark firm, Bjarke Ingles Group (BIG). The architectural design is based on the seven peaks of Azerbaijan and the project was imagined by Avrositi Holding, based in Baku, Azerbaijan, with the goal being to set a new standard for luxury and sustainable living by creating a carbon-neutral eco-island with low-end resource usage that is independent of external resources.

http://flash.big.dk/projects/zir/

Zira Island (aka Nargin) is the largest island in the Baku Archipelago, which separates the Bay of Baku from the Caspian Sea. The surrounding region is highly dependent on oil, but the projected development on the island will use alternate, renewable resources. Heat pumps, submerged in the Caspian Sea, will heat and cool buildings; Solar Hot Water Collectors, integrated into the buildings’ design, will provide hot water; photovoltaic cells, installed on facades and rooftops, will generate electricity; and off-shore wind farms,  positioned on existing oil platforms, will provide additional, sustainable electrical power. Desalination plants will provide potable water, and waste water will be collected, treated, and recycled for irrigation. Solid waste will be composted and recycled as fertilizer.

I’m not a proponent of luxury complexes, but at least this development is environmentally viable. I think the Zira Island project is a step in the right direction.

For more information:

Bjarke Ingles Group

Avrositi Holding

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Beautiful Libraries of the World

Image credit: VPL LSCC

I just came across an interesting list: the 25 most beautiful libraries in the world, as ranked by Flavorpill.

I must admit, the thing that most intrigued me was the fact that the Vancouver Public Library’s Central Branch, Library Square came in second (the Vennesla Library and Culture House, in Norway, was in first place).

The Vancouver library was designed by Moshe Safdie & Associates’ Downs/Archambault Partners, and the exterior design —  based on the Roman Colosseum (the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome) — was the most radical design submitted to the City of Vancouver, but the design was embraced by the public, and eventually won the competition.

The exterior has certainly made the library a landmark, but it is the interior, Promenade Square that I enjoy the most: this spacious, glass-roofed concourse serves as the entrance to the library and access to offices and retail space. It’s a lovely place to drink a coffee and enjoy a novel.

My only grievance is that the rooftop garden is not open to the public (I’m still awaiting my private viewing if anybody is reading this and can oblige ;))