Museum Plaza and Torre Absolute

Two eye-popping projects discovered while checking noticias arquitectura this morning.

When it's completed in 2010, Museum Plaza will thrust 61 stories into Louisville's skyline and include an acre-sized public "island," a contemporary art museum, restaurants and retail stores, 85 luxury condominiums, 150 lofts, a 300-room hotel, office space and a 1,100-car underground parking garage.

Designed by Office for Metropolitan Architecture (founded by Rem Koolhaas and headquartered in Rotterdam), the structure would be one building composed of many smaller buildings -- a city block contained in one structure. The structure has four legs below the island and three towers above it. All seven structures intersect on the island.

The island where the public will be able to mingle, would have several gallery spaces that can expand or shrink as needed for art installations. It also will contain a swimming pool, shops and restaurants; a hotel bar. The galleries will be able to be altered so they can spill into other spaces on the island. An artist, for example, might want to use the pool for an installation -- or the hotel bar as part of an art piece.

Architectenweb, architectuur, archinect < courier journal. Photogallery.

Mexican architect Michel Rojkind's proposal for Your Absolute to be built in Mississauga (Ontario - Canada) is by far my favourite one among all the finalists of the competition.

The skyscraper would be a concrete structure with a central core and a double membrane that would make it possible to reduce the section of columns and beams, making a 60 story building appear very light.

Via noticias arquitectura, The Star, noticias architectura, concurso internacional, europaconcorsi (+ images.)