Comments on: Star Place by UNStudio

By: konstantinos

konstantinos — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:23:02 +0000

Referring back to the comments about renderings vs the real build, it also happens the ability to model, structure and render better, better pre-visualization play a big part. Usually the momentum of killer ideas are tempered by bringing them to life, not so much anymore.

Maybe ‘edgy’ architecture and industrial design are at a point of flux, the totally fluid digital design tools blending with the static forms of the finished piece. The LED facade (some are calling tacky) is it the non-static form of the design coming through?

By: Rogier van der Heide

Rogier van der Heide — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:37:55 +0000

Thanks everybody for the comments and compliments to the design team of this project. UNStudio designed the facade together with me and my team in Amsterdam. I can respond to these comments that the building looks like the renderings indeed; it does have that sleek, sophisticated if not hyper real feel that Ben van Berkel sometimes calls “made in heaven”.

The purpose of the facade was (as I see it) to create a visual landmark that succesfully competes with the typical Asian light signage without a “just going brighter” approach. The subdued visual language is powerful because of its simplicity. The material of the facade is light, among other things, and the glass panels emit light themselves; they are not backlit or frontlit, but self-illuminated. This is certainly something that adds to the magic of this building design, especially since the facade remains transparent and therefore you can see through from within the building.

“Tacky” is a word that appears in some comments, and I do agree with Rango that cultural differences drive our appreciation. The design team felt that because of its location and geometry, the Star Place facade is a great opportunity to use light in a seductive way; not a bad starting point for a department store. That is the element in the facade design that refers to the Asian tradition of light signs; the interpretation of it is contemporary and future minded.

Finally it should be mentioned that besides a great architect and design team it takes a visionary client who has the guts to hire an exotic team to re-do his landmark building at a hi-visibility site. Including the client in the design process is instrumental in projects like this I believe.

Rogier van der Heide
Arup Lighting

By: Chao

Chao — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:10:09 +0000

i have seen the building, i think they did a good job, the facade is pretty nice at both day and night.

By: rango

rango — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:58:51 +0000

The lighting is a very east asian tradition in many respects, what may be considered ‘tacky’ by your conservative western sensibilities, is actually an interesting, animated and appropriate feature.
Oh, and this is contemporary commercial architecture, its just a little better sculpted than most because they have put in the time and effort to envisage and detail it. There aren’t too many commercial architects managing to incorporate a parametric twist in their built work.

By: atomant

atomant — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:27:55 +0000

would be a nice casino, but not a really nice facade design for a department store