Five Of The Best Buildings From 2012

Architecture had a good year, as 2012 saw the beginning and end of a variety of constructions serving a vast array of different purposes.  There were many noticeable buildings seen throughout 2012, such as the London Olympic Stadium.
To celebrate the last year, here’s a rundown of 5 of the best buildings from 2012, with an explanation of what makes each so great.

Forest Of Towers/Reflections At Keppel Bay

17 buildings comprise this residential development in Singapore Harbour. There are 6 unique towers, noticeably curved, which make this project truly incredible.
The area is made to look very modern, integrating parks with the metal and glass buildings. Multiple bridges connect towers together, which light up brilliantly at night. It very much looks like the city setting from a sci-fi action blockbuster.

Galaxy SOHO

This year in Beijing, a new shopping, entertainment and office centre was opened. Upon looking at the Galaxy SOHO, it appears there isn’t a corner in sight. The entire complex is made up almost entirely of curves, creating a beautifully fluid and futuristic styled structure.
It’s coloured a brilliant white which is lit up at night so it appears as if it’s glowing. The appearance of this is stunning, and it’s as if these buildings have come straight out of a far off utopian future.

Swanston Academic Building

As a complete opposite from the curvaceous Galaxy SOHO is the Swanston Academic Building in Melbourne, Australia. This building is covered in jagged edges – both outside and in. This building is used as a study building for the Melbourne RMIT tech university.
Panels stick out from the side of the building on the outside, creating an interesting and dynamically sharp appearance. The outside panels are also covered in various colours that transition around the building which adds to the interesting exterior.
The inside is just as sharp – with no curve in sight. Everything is sharp and jagged, while coloured boldly from a wide pallet. It’s a true feast for the eyes that’s meant to create a much more exciting atmosphere.

London Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Stadium was finished last year to play host for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It’s a massive structure, containing around 80,000 seats for the people who went to see the games.
Many events took place here, and over the summer it became a real national icon for the UK as the rest of the world sat watching.
Now that the Olympics are over, the stadium has gone to West Ham United football team and is being reduced to a 60,000 seat capacity.

OCT Design Museum

Another entry for China, the OCT Design Museum is situated in Shenzhen. From the outside, this building looks like a giant metallic pebble – and is also often said to look like a spaceship. The inside is made up of brilliant white curved walls with triangular windows scattered randomly around.
This building will host a variety of design events, such as fashion shows and product design events.

Author Bio:

This article was by Crispin Jones writing for Tennant Rubber, providers of rubber gaskets and rubber strip. Find out more about both rubber gaskets and rubber strips, amongst their other products, on their site.