Antti Ahlava

Selective international design competition

Organised by Shanghai Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau and Yangpu District People's Government of Shanghai. Shared first prize in architecture category (¼). Tot. 600 entries. <br/><br/>This was collaboration with Sou Sou, Etopia and KLL.<br/><br/>This is an award in the Creative Open Call of Fuxing Island 2025 Renaissance Island Global Design Contest in Shanghai.<br/>There were in total 600 entries. The core characteristics of our Scheme ”Responsive Future: Quantum Communities” are:<br/>– 3D adaptability / modular neighbourhoods<br/>– urban OS / system architecture enabling leadership in systemic thinking and system-level governance<br/>– modular urbanism / quantum zones supporting openness and scalability. This was a collaboration with @jarmo.suominen, Kent Larson and Su Yungsheng. The project continues with another competitive stage on on schematic design. <br/><br/>Name of the entry:<br/>Responsive Future: Quantum Communities<br/><br/>Authors:<br/>Antti Ahlava<br/>Kent Larson<br/>Jarmo Suominen<br/>Su Yungsheng<br/><br/>Assistants:<br/>Hira Ali<br/>Doga Ataman<br/>Ras Frempah<br/>Duan Haipeng<br/>Beatriz Macias<br/>Julian Olsson<br/>Katharina Polzin<br/>Jian Sheng<br/>Maria Trojczak<br/>Wai In Wong<br/>Jo Xiang<br/>Cheng Xihan<br/>Feng Zeyi

Bauherrschaft/Client: Gemeinde Uznach, SBB Immobilien<br/>Freiraumplanung/Landscape: @vetschpartner<br/>Bauingenieurwesen/Civil Engineering: Conzett Bronzini Partner<br/>Verkehrsplanung/Traffic Planning: Rombo<br/>Stadtplanung/Urbanism: Atelier Bottlang<br/>Städtebau&Architektur/Urban Design&Architecture: @helsinkizurichoffice

Including a new cultural hall and trainee accommodation, urban planning and open space design, City of Munich

Contemporary generic urban planning and design produces areas with clear separation of users and functions. Each block typically is too large, hermetic and mono-functional. Simultaneously, the beneficial principles of changeability, flexibility, adaptability and evolution demand the opposite: small plots, small volumetric parcels, emphasis on groundfloors on streets, open access, functional and user mix – and 3-dimensionality. Without these physical improvements, the "quantum city" cannot emerge. <br/><br/>Core characteristics of our scheme in Fuxing Island competition area:<br/>– 3d adaptability and modular neighbourhoods<br/>– urban OS / system architecture supporting policy capacity: enabling leadership in systemic thinking and system-level governance<br/>– modular urbanism / quantum zones enabling openness and scalability<br/>– a development trajectory in stages to distant future<br/><br/>The connection between the urban OS platform for development and the functional-physical plan: <br/>We integrate the interests of of different stakeholders to achieve effective and imaginative human-machine co-creation and visions, where each of the many neighbourhoods within the extents of the competition area would have their own tailor-made development process and distinct identity. <br/><br/>Our original functional and physical plan was and and the developed version is still based on these characteristics:<br/><br/>1. Important existing buildings, parks and streets have been reused <br/>2. The division of the competition area into sub-areas is based on the understanding of the local DNA <br/>3. Each sub-area has its unique identifying 3D pattern principle, including both horizontal and vertical variability <br/>4. Identifying necessary internal differentiation and hierarchy within the whole competition area.<br/>5. The functional plan with digital culture and emphasis on selected buildings and public spaces.<br/>6. 20m thick versatile buildings which allow any functions changeably and 15m wide plots for maximising variability in plan, and open ground floor access everywhere. Larger spaces have been put into the selected remaining old buildings.<br/>7. New canals introduced.<br/><br/><br/>Since the last stage of the competition, we have developed our plan with these steps: <br/>1. Selection of the sub-area for closer scrutiny: Communities adjoined by the main canal for more detailed development and identity markers.<br/>2. Improved vegetation, waterfronts, emotional resonance / narrativity, public spaces, ecology<br/>3. Expanding our project group<br/>4. Improved 3d modelling and visuals<br/>5. Combining the best parts of three plans together: <br/>1) SOM+Tsinghua DI's test plan: preserved existing elements<br/>2) Tongji CAUP's entry in the resaissance Island competition: other preserved buildings, blocks, ring bridge, most of the new buildings<br/>3) Our Own Quantum Communities entry from the previous stage: infill buildings in-between and over the other buildings; each block having unique spatial-volumetric structure, larger park, canals, meandering block borders, additional jetties on water.<br/><br/><br/><br/>What shows through our visualisations is the logic which makes our plan unique: <br/>1. The whole competition area is divided into smaller communities, which differ drastically from each other. Each has its own development trajectory through gamification on the system platform and producing identifiable volumetric collages.<br/>2. The development process is based on high density combined with adaptability both in programmatic and spatial terms, but characterised by unique types of collage. Each sub-community can have its typical block, building, street and landscape.<br/>3. The area becomes a combination of high density, 3d variation and diversity, where uses, user groups and species mix in controlled but experiential and iconic ways.

3. Suomen arkkitehtiliitto SAFAn ehdotuksesta presidentin myöntämä Suomen valkoisen ruusun 1. luokan ritarimerkki, perusteluna poikkeuksellisen kansainvälinen ja laaja-alainen ura akateemisissa, eturivin taiteellisissa arkkitehtisuunnittelun projekteissa, kilpailumenestysten kautta ja luottamustehtävissä.

The project consists of a buiding for Cham sculptures (second such museum in Danang), and a cover for Cham relic excavations, as well as landscaping.

Tuan Phan: Between Silence and Light (Toys Metaxography, Tokyo), responsible professor Antti Ahlava. Advanced Building Design Studio 2023.

Helsinki Zürich Office (A. Ahlava, T. Mäkynen, M. Niemeyer) with westpol_la, IBV Hüsler, Zeugin Gölker and hlsarchitekten won the competition of Haltenrain masterplan in Niederscherli Köniz, Switzerland. A wooden neighborhood will surround a listed old farmhouse in the future.

3rd prize in the open public art competition 'Engineering Materials' in Espoo, Finland