io9: colombia

DiY Public Library Is a Low-Tech Beauty

Lisa Katayama — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:40:00 PDT

A new library in Casanera, Colombia shows us what humankind might have built with sticks and stones if they'd never discovered bricks, steel, and electricity. The Villanueva Public Library was built on a modest budget, designed by a bunch of university students in Bogota. And instead of importing fancy, expensive materials, builders used local timber and stones from nearby rivers to lower transportation costs. Then, instead of hiring experienced construction workers, they trained local people to build it.

The building consists of 32,000 square feet including a reading room, an auditorium, a children's library, offices, and open space for hanging out.

From the outside, it looks like a giant pile of stones or firewood. Images by Nicolas Cabrera

Villanueva Public Library, Colombia [Dezeen]

A Greenhouse Made of Steel

Lisa Katayama — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:51:20 PDT

Who said nature has to be pristine and untouched by technology? The Orquideorama is a giant steel-and-wood structure recently built in the middle of a more traditional botanical garden in Medellin, Colombia. It consists of a series of modular, honeycomb-like "flower-tree" structures. The hexagonal "flowers" actually serve an important function—they collect rainwater and distribute it evenly to the flora beneath. This beautiful, functional structure could become a common substitute for antiquated greenhouses. Image by Sergio Gomez [Inhabitat]

Stonehenge Structures Make Cool New Skyscrapers

Lisa Katayama — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:20:41 PST

Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti was commissioned to build a new modern library in Santo Domingo. But instead of making the facade a shiny, multi-dimensional steel thing that stuck out like a sore thumb, he created these three giant artificial rocks. It's a kind of urban-Stonehenge look, mixing ancient paganism with the ultra-modern.

The rocks are super modern inside, and constitute a library, a community center, and a cultural center. Here's how to look cool without being tacky or over-the-top. Images by Sergio Gómez

Giancarlo Mazzanti via Notcot