New Port House in Antwerp by Zaha Hadid Architects

Zaha Hadid has won the competition to design the headquarters of Antwerp Port Authority in Belgium. Covering 12,000 m² of floorspace, the project is expected to be completed in 2013 and will accommodate 500 people when finish. The construction will spend 31.5 million euros excluding VAT and architect’s fees.

The jury/board of directors finally opted for the proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects, because:

• The design preserves as much as possible of the dignity of the present building as a monument, adding a new object to the site.
• The board and its advisors had confidence in a team such as Zaha Hadid Architects being able to further develop the project so as to achieve a high quality end result that can act as a “shop window” for the Port Authority.

More Interesting Facts

Scientists say the higher your I.Q. The more you dream.

The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.

You use 200 muscles to take one step.

The average woman is 5 inches shorter than the average man.

Your big toes have two bones each while the rest have three.

A pair of human feet contains 250,000 sweat glands.

A full bladder is roughly the size of a soft ball.

The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades.

The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopedia Britannica.

It takes the food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

The average human dream lasts 2-3 seconds.

Men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.

At the moment of conception, you spent about half an hour as a single cell.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.

The enamel in your teeth is the hardest substance in your body.

Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born.

When you are looking at someone you love, your pupils dilate, and they do the same when you
are looking at someone you hate.

Your thumb is the same length of your nose.

China Life Insurance R&D Center by Henn Architekten

The design of China Life Insurance R&D Center was proposed by Henn Architekten for a competition. Located in Beijing, the project adopting the Chinese traditional buildings and translates them into modern design. Consists of of a main building, a research and laboratory building and a training center with a connected boarding house, the complex ringed with areas of open water.

xSimilar in shape to a Chinese character, the main building is laid out on a square plan arrangement and symbolizes the strength of China Life Insurance. A peaceful garden opens up at its center, which, as the core of the whole ensemble, serves as a place of communication and contemplation. Delicately detailed interior courtyards adopt the tradition of classical Chinese residential construction and open up the main building on all floors in the corner zones.

AIA Lists 2009 Honor Awards for Architecture

The AIA (American Institute of Architects) has listed nine winners of the 2009 Honor Awards for Architecture. The selected projects are beleived to have a tremendous impact on the social and physical fabric of the communities they serve. The nine winers are: Basilica of the Assumption, Baltimore (John G. Waite Associates, Architects PLLC), Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), Charles Hostler Student Center, Beirut, Lebanon (VJAA), The Gary Comer Youth Center, Chicago (John Ronan Architects), Horno³: Museo del Acero, Monterey, Mexico (Grimshaw Architects), The Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life, New Orleans (VJAA), The New York Times Building, New York City (Renzo Piano Building Workshop and FXFowle Architects), Plaza Apartments, San Francisco (Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects), and Salt Point House, Salt Point, New York (Thomas Phifer and Partners)

Currency Notes: Around the world

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