THE WORLD’S BEST ORGANIC BUILDINGS

There is a powerful new tendency sweeping through the world of design and construction, and for once it is not purely related to style trends or new technologies. This movement is above all driven by environmental concerns and the desire to find a balance between development and construction on the one hand, and not being wasteful with resources or adding to our environmental problems on the other. In other words, the world of architecture is undergoing an exciting shift from creating concrete jungles to looking for solutions to them – with nature and humans the winners. What’s more, look deeper and you'll notice that this ‘new’ direction is not really all that novel.

WORDS MICHEL CRUZ PHOTOGRAPHY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

For well over a century now we’ve been showing nature who’s boss. Having mastered the elements during the industrial revolution, engineers and architects, not to mention their developer clients, imposed upon the world’s surface a veritable deluge of bricks, steel, glass and concrete. In the process, the more organic wooden and stone structures of the past were replaced and after almost two centuries of intensive building, in particular in the period following the Second World War, the world increasingly resembles a concrete jungle. With some cities now sprawling over vast areas and containing populations of over 25 million, the need for change is clear, and the green, organic movement is providing an alternative that may colour our urban environment green. The concept of organic architecture, however, isn’t entirely new, and includes famous works by some of the greatest masters of the field. Here’s a small selection.

FALLINGWATER, PENNSYLVANIA

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT

Fallingwater – now a classic – is an early example of organic design The fact that some of greatest and also earliest modern architects were inspired by the concept of organic design integrated into nature is reflected by such iconic works as the Fallingwater villa created in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, by none other than Frank Lloyd Wright. One of the early engineers of modern architecture, he showed that modernity and an organic approach needn’t be mutually exclusive, especially when you realise that avant-garde technology and design are not limited to an industrial approach using manufactured materials and shapes.

Fallingwater was built as far back as 1935, and while it makes use of advanced construction methods and materials, linear modern styles and a pioneering open-plan distribution, this is a villa that has become an icon in its own right for the way in which it blends futurism with environmental sensitivity. The latter comes from the way the property is positioned in an intimate setting within a wooded area, right by a cascading waterfall that inspires its name. Like a modern version of The Hay Wain, Fallingwater has become part of its natural surroundings, adding to the scene rather than detracting from its beauty – something that all good architecture should aspire to.

The curved lines of Zaha Hadid’s design for the London Aquatic Centre

LONDON AQUATICS CENTRE

ZAHA HADID ARCHITECTS

Zaha Hadid was a very popular choice for big public projects, contributing also to the 2012 Olympics in London, and in this case with the design for the Aquatics Centre. It is a futuristic project featuring her characteristically organic signature lines, which trace a curvilinear outline that looks modern yet somehow less rigid than typical buildings of this type. It became an iconic part of the London 2012 Olympics heritage and continues to serve the community today with modern, flowing lines that merge in with and soften their urban surroundings while also offering the very latest in contemporary technology and conveniences.

Convex shapes define the London Aquatic Centre, created for the 2012 Olympics

The Gherkin has become an icon of the London skyline

THE GHERKIN, LONDON

FOSTER + PARTNERS

Officially known as 30 St. Mary Axe, the Gherkin is another example of contemporary architecture with an organic twist. Norman Foster, usually an exponent of internationalist modernity, changed tack with this project to produce a design that is surprisingly rounded and soft-edged. Although thoroughly modern with its extensive glass surface, this is a skyscraper with a different kind of aura – one that evokes a sympathetic smile rather than the awe of diminutive humans caught within its towering shadow. Quite apart from the more appealing impact on the urban landscape and the fact that it makes it more liveable, the Gherkin has also become one of the immediately recognisable landmarks of London and, thanks to a wide range of energy-saving innovations, uses half as many resources as a similar structure might have done. In other words, a fine example of modern urban organic design.

The Gherkin has become an icon of the London skyline

The intricate, flower-inspired forms of the Lotus Temple in New Delhi

The Lotus Temple in New Delhi at night

THE LOTUS TEMPLE, NEW DELHI

FARIBORZ SAHBA

Amodern building for a modern, humanistic religion, the Lotus Temple in New Delhi displays a suitably naturalinspired design that takes the form of a giant flower opening majestically. It is the global centre of the Bahá’í faith, a progressive religion that welcomes believers of all faiths to worship side by side within its walls. Bahá’í has its origins in Iran, which is also where architect Fariborz Sahba hails from. He had the difficult task to create a modern temple that reflects the peaceful, humanistic values of the faith, which naturally also include respect for life and all living creatures. Add to this a love of the environment and you have quite a brief, but the architect has done wonders with it, creating a monument to organic design not only in the aesthetics but also in the harmony of proportions.

The intricate, flower-inspired forms of the Lotus Temple in New Delhi

Though modern and somewhat industrial, the Learning Hub’s rounded forms and greenery soften its urban surroundings

THE HIVE, SINGAPORE

THOMAS HEATHERWICK

Ahive of advanced learning, The Learning Hub forms part of the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. At first glance, the structure created by English architect Thomas Heatherwick is industrial and concrete, but a closer look reveals its natural rounded shapes, its neatly arrayed anarchy of dimensions and forms, and lofty greenery sprouting from the top of its towers. Though unmistakably urban, technological and contemporary, The Hive also has a very natural quality to it, not least because of the striated texture of its rounded concrete turrets, which not only create a more natural, stone-like effect but also give the complex the aspect of an Indian temple. Given that South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent share a lot of cultural heritage, this detail adds to the organic credentials of Heatherwick’s first major project in Asia.

Inside, the Learning Hub in Singapore feels like a jungle temple

The fluid forms of the Kunsthaus in Graz

KUNSTHAUS, GRAZ

COLIN FOURNIER/SIR PETER COOK

Asomewhat wacky example of the organic genre in the classic Austrian tradition, the Kunsthaus is one of those public projects designed to add character to a city. It was commissioned to celebrate Graz’s European Capital of Culture 2003 election and received a mixed reception, but it’s undeniably organic in form, sporting the shape of a giant whale. The acrylic panels that help to create this look also provide solar power. An example of Blob Architecture, it’s part of a contemporary trend of flowing, ‘blobby’ shapes made possible by modern materials and construction technologies, but it also serves to soften the urban horizon with its rounded forms and low energy footprint – making it one of many new expressions of a growing range of organic, green architectural styles.

The Kunsthaus is like a spaceship that has landed in the centre of Graz The whale-like shape of the Kunsthaus Museum in Graz stands out from its surroundings

The fluid forms of the Kunsthaus in Graz