The Wave Pier, designed by Mesh Architects in collaboration with BIG & others, is set to become the hottest cultural event spot in Florida. Located on Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, on Florida’s western coast, the swooping building will house exhibitions & events, everything from fundraisers to concerts.
From the coastline, a pier of concrete protrudes into the bay which then loops up to frame a summery open air pavilion, while the glass and concrete whorl itself houses event spaces, a banquet hall, & even a rock climbing wall. As the wave recedes, the concrete extends into the water to create a sort of faux-beach for tanning and relaxation. Who wants to go to Florida?
Bjarke Ingels’ BIG & FREAKS freearchitects have collaborated to create a stunning cultural center in Bordeaux, France that seeks to engage the community through its design. The Maison de l’Économie Créative et de la Culture en Aquitaine (MÉCA) will serve as a home for three cultural institutions in France, the visual arts organization FRAC, the performing arts group OARA & the literature/movie organization, ECLA. The center features at its heart, a public space the designers have dubbed the “urban room” that serves both as a stage for exhibitions and a causeway through the building, engaging the public. Ramps leading up to the “urban room” also serve as exhibition space for various events at the center. In Bjarke’s words, “By inviting the art into the city and the city into the arts, the MÉCA will provide opportunities for new hybrids of cultural and social life beyond the specific definitions of its constituent parts.” Fantastic.
