Future Systems
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Future Systems | |
 Exterior detail of the Selfridges Building, Birmingham |
|
| Practice Information | |
|---|---|
| Name | Future Systems |
| Key architects | Jan Kaplický Amanda Levete |
| Principal office in | London, England United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Work | |
| Significant Buildings | Lord's Cricket Ground; Selfridges; Bull Ring |
| Significant Projects | Maserati Museum |
| Awards and Prizes | Stirling Prize (1999) |
Future Systems is a London-based architectural and design practice, headed by Directors Jan Kaplický and Amanda Levete together with Associate John O'Mara.
Future Systems shared many of their founding principles with the British High-tech architects Norman Foster, Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers. However, Future Systems tended towards more radical, less "machine aesthetic" buildings that were no less high-tech.
Many of their designs were strikingly original and organic, acting as a fore-runner of what is now known as bionic architecture, and mimicking natural structures such as a fly's wings, a tree's branches, or the insides of rocky caves. The designs freely adapted construction methods from other professions, including (most commonly) the curved monocoque shell structures found in aircraft design, car design and boat building. Some designs expressed the structural members externally in a complex rib pattern; some designs looked more like huge insects, than houses.
Into the 1990s the company found popular approval and fee-paying work, which led to high-profile projects such as Media Centre at Lord's Cricket Ground in London (completed 1999), and the Selfridges Building in the Bull Ring, Birmingham (completed 2003). The latter building, occupied by Selfridges department store, forms part of the redeveloped Bullring shopping centre on the edge of the city centre. It is the only part of the new development designed by architects other than Benoy Ltd. (the firm responsible for masterplanning the scheme) and makes a striking contribution to Birmingham's cityscape. Part of the early 21st century movement towards amorphous, organic shapes sometimes referred to as "blobitecture", it may be compared to Peter Cook's Kunsthaus in Graz, Austria.
Contents |
[edit] References
- Pawley, Martin (1993). Future Systems : The Story of Tomorrow. London: Phaidon. ISBN 0714827673.
- Sudjic, Deyan (2006). Future Systems. London: Phaidon. ISBN 0714844691.
[edit] Further reading
[edit] Articles
- Amanda Levete / Future Systems. designboom (2003-09-26). Retrieved on 2007-04-01.
- "Interview with Jan Kaplicky-Future Systems" by Alessandra Orlandoni- The Plan 008 January 2005
[edit] Books
- Field, Marcus (1999). Future Systems. London: Phaidon. ISBN 0714838314.
- Future Systems (2001). Unique Building (Lord's Media Centre). Chichester: Wiley Academy. ISBN 0471985120.
- Kaplický, Jan (2002). Confessions. Chichester: Wiley-Academy. ISBN 0471495417.
- Kaplický, Jan (1996). For Inspiration Only. Chichester: Academy Editions. ISBN 1854904787.
- Kaplický, Jan (1999). More for Inspiration Only. Chichester: Academy Editions. ISBN 0471987700.
- Pawley, Martin (1997). Hauer-King House : Future Systems. London: Phaidon. ISBN 0714836303.
- Tichá, Jana; Jan Kaplický (eds.) (2002). Future Systems. Prague: Zlatý řez.
[edit] External links
 The Media Centre, Lord's Cricket Ground, London |
 Selfridges Building, the Bull Ring, Birmingham, Birmingham |
 The Selfridges Building from a distance |
 Interior of the Selfridges Building |
 Front view |
|
|||||
