In a press release, Snøhetta described the new building as not only a home for opera, but as a place to celebrate a common cultural context. The open design of the building was designed around the concept of Kun (heaven) meeting Kon (earth) and Kam (water), a philosophical relationship of great importance to Korean culture. Materials throughout the building bend subtly and touch, coming together as the three elements would. An arching curved bridges the building, embracing the sky and grounding the whole design. Two of the building's four corners are lifted, forming one entrance from the city (earth) and one from the sea (water). According to the press release, these entrances are linked in a continuous public space, flowing around the Opera house and out into the public plaza.

For all those of us who love design and unique buildings, this is a true gem. Check out our photo gallery below for more views of Snøhetta's new opera house.

Source and photos courtesy Dezeen.

The post Snøhetta’s Stunning New Opera House Incorporates Nature in Design appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.

The media-arts group Jonpasang, founded by renowned contemporary artists Jin-Yo Mok, Sookyun Yang, Earl Park, Jin-Wook Yea, and Sang-Wook Yu, created a hugely buzzed-about art instillation based on a very modern concept; a pixel, the unit of digital imagery. The piece was created for the Hyundai Motor Group Exhibition Pavilion at the 2012 World's Fair, titled the Yeosu Expo, in Korea.

The Seoul-based media group's Hyper-Matrix installation looks at first glance to be comprised of three blank, white walls. However, the three walls are in fact composed of thousands of individual cubic units which form moving images. Each lightweight cubic unit measures one square foot; its movement is generated by the stepper motors to which it is affixed on a grid-like steel scaffolding.

In its description of the installation, the Architect's Newspaper said; "Mimicking the pixelated digital image, each white cube extends and retracts in sync to form tangible displays and animations revealed through shade and shadow. While in the room, the sounds of the moving cubes also help engage audiences with the experience of witnessing waves of concentric circles expand across the screen. The surfaces themselves may also serve as projection screens when the cubes are resting on a uniform vertical plane."

The installation ran from May 12 until August 12, but art critics around the world are still buzzing so the installation is sure to make a reappearance in the near future. In the meantime, check out this video of the installation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il_uF0jEAlE

The post Hyper-Matrix: A Wall of Pixels appeared first on Haute Residence by Haute Living.