From the design viewpoint, only the obligatory 3-pointed star placed in the center of the front grille has been seen common with other conventional Benz models. A sweeping curve is making the appearance of the car unique that begins right behind the front quarter and finishes up the beltline located near the back side of the car. This BlueZero concept is relying only on its existing architecture, practical thoughts and strong support from the confident customers.

From : Mercedes Benz

Designer : Jeongche Yoon and Hoyoung Kihl

When it comes to reasons to live, art and human interaction top the list for Carson Hill, painter, tattoo artist, and inventor. “Art is very inspiring – to me the universe and everything in it is art,” said Carson. Steve Johnson, Carson’s right hand at Neuma (the company behind the Neuma Hybrid) comes from a very different, but no less creative world. The idea for Amuen (am-yoo-en) struck when Carson and Steve realized there was a need for a site that welcomes creatives and artists of all types. No matter what your medium, there are elements of the creative process that transcend any one discipline.

Why the name Amuen? Well, Amuen is a type of African word that means “spirits,” – a nod to the creative spirit within each of us. Neuma on the other hand, is Latin for “spirited” or air-powered. Oh, and if you hadn’t noticed, Amuen is Neuma spelled backwards. But that’s strictly coincidence.

Designer : RKS Design

Flexible inner space
The seats are multifunctional; we can use them as a disabled seat area, as a bicycle area and also, during rush hour, we can pull them all back in order to use the inner space efficiently. The seats are made of a flexible material and they have a retractable mechanism that allows pulling them out and back in.

Public transportation should be an event
We have to forget that a public transportation vehicle is an object that transports us from point “A” to “B”. If we want it to compete with cars and put them away from big cities, it is necessary that public transportation become an event. The vehicle has to seduce people; it has to capture people’s attention. It has to be able to transmit emotions to its users. The tramway must project an image of itself and also from the city. It must become a symbol that projects the identity of the city and its inhabitants.

The Tramway is different from all other trains because it is a train that becomes part of the urban landscape; we will have to coexist with it every day. That’s why we have to care so much about the emotional and stylistic characteristics.

Designer : Rodolfo Ciudad Witzel

Anders says:

“Since most of the worlds power supply comes form water, I wanted to use this as a concept. Th!nk is a Norwegian brand, so I also got inspiration from arctic clima. Arctic clima+water=Ice. Freezing water creates natures most powerful force. So that would be good to use for an electric car as an inspiration and concept for clean power. I wanted to create something different from all other works i have seen, mixing sports car looks with off road set up.

Using the non symmetric structures of ice as styling inspiration. Creating hard edgy and non symmetric surfaces. I wanted the car to look different, when its seen from different angles. The cracks in the body, hides signal lights over each belt, as the original think cars do. The huge fans at the back, controls air onto the cockpit also, and adjust the engine and cars temperature. The information hose at the back sends data about weather,temperature and all information thats needed, viewed from inside the car, and also outside. The data information will be shown on screens near at the fans, at the back of the car. That means you can operate the data info from the outside.

This 2 seater car has AWD, 4-wheel steering, independent suspension and hydraulic wheel extenders, for maximum traction and maneuverability.”

Designer : Anders Gloslie

Nicolas explanations:
Utilizing a new energy model, the vehicle uses the electricity to stimulate a central water tank, splitting the water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen gets stored in special reserve tanks, while the oxygen gets expelled into the air as exhaust. With this model, the vehicle functions like a plant, only needing the sun and water to create its own fuel. The sleek, mono-volume design allows for optimal interior space and utility. Special design features also include layered body panels, unique headlight/side mirror units, and offset seating to allow elbow room for all occupants.

Since the principle material used to construct the exterior functions by re-directing light to the edges, I wanted to accentuate this feature in the design. To do so, I designed the roof panel to act like a canopy, suspended over the roof pillars mimicking a shade or visor. The rear lights themselves are packed into the edge of the “glass sleeve” composing the exterior, to seem as if the brake lights are being emitted from the glass edges.

Using this technology, there were key issues that had to be solved in the revision stage. While the solar panels use highly saturated dyes, this color cannot be used on the entire exterior because it would disorient the driver. To solve this, I broke up the material into three different shades (clear/smoked/colored) and strategically placed them around the vehicle in order to maximize driver visibility

Technology aside, it was important that I attempt to break the stigma against small cars in North America. To do this, I used long lines that stretch across the form, visually elongating the vehicle and providing an athletic stance. In order to maximize the use of such a small package, I used a mono-volume approach to open-up the interior space as much as possible. Another important feature to small vehicles is character… so besides a traditional “happy face”, I designed the headlights and side mirrors to be integrated into one unit that extends out from the body like eyes.

Designer : Nicolas Stone

From the designer :
We bring up a new American icon in the subject of Brave and Bold. We were inspired by Harley-Davidson, the American motorcycle symbol and Pontiac-Firebird, a muscle car, therefore we designed the body from which is dynamic and progressive.

The entire body has been designed to have the wheels in front of it like motorcycles, so it is totally different from other cars. The wheel design, which is unique and aggressive, maximizes the design of the body. We call the wheels “the Transforming Multifunctional Wheels”.

A wheel has 24 spokes and each spoke is made up by a special carbon-fiber which has very strong elastic characteristic. The wheel associates a caterpillar tread of tanks. And each spoke can tilt 15 degrees back and forth to be formed to steer the car without any additional steering equipment. The wheels transform and the body tilts in the same direction when the car changes its direction so you can drive safely and dynamically.

Each spoke is constructed independently so that you do not need to replace whole wheel when the tire is flatted but only spokes which are flattened. Therefore, it is an environment-friendly concept. The body can minimize impact of collision to a driver by its body construction of the arms of the wheels. Due to the advantage of the construction, it can run easily off-road, such as the deserts of the United States of America.

Designer : Su-Yang Park & Chang-Hoe Heo

[Press Release]
The future headquarters of Antwerp Port Authority will be designed by the London firm of Zaha Hadid Architects. The choice of architect was made at the Port Authority board meeting on 13 January. The new Port House will occupy the site of the technical services building on quay 63.

The Port Authority aims to make its operations more efficient by centralising the administrative and technical services which are now divided between the Port House and quay 63. The new headquarters will also solve the pressing shortage of workspace in the present Port House on the Entrepot quay. Some 500 people will be able to move into the new building when it is completed in 2013.

In addition to offering better accommodation, the future Port House will contribute to further development and upgrading of the part of the city known as Het Eilandje. The brief for the new building specified that it had to symbolise the Port of Antwerp as a world port and economic driver of Flanders and the Antwerp area. It also had to be built according to the principles of sustainability.

In selecting the architect it was decided to use the Open Call for Tender procedure of the Flemish Government Architect’s team. The procedure was launched in December 2007, and nearly 100 architectural firms responded. A shortlist of five firms was chosen:

• Consortium of TV A2O Architecten / Atelier Kempe Thill / Marcq & Roba / BEG from Hassel, Belgium
• Vier Arquitectos from La Coruña, Spain
• Xaveer De Geyter Architects from Brussels
• Zaha Hadid Architects from London
• Rapp + Rapp from Rotterdam

The jury/board of directors finally opted for the proposal by Zaha Hadid Architects, because:

• The design preserves as much as possible of the dignity of the present building as a monument, adding a new object to the site;
• The board and its advisors had confidence in a team such as Zaha Hadid Architects being able to further develop the project so as to achieve a high quality end result that can act as a “shop window” for the Port Authority.

The estimated construction cost is 31.5 million euros excluding VAT and architect’s fees. This includes all the work for an office building with around 12,000 m² of floorspace for around 500 people, together with underground parking for 300 or so cars.

The new building fits in with the Port Authority’s future-oriented investment policy. At the same board meeting it was also decided to purchase four tugs as part of a renewal series of nine. And of course there will be further investments in infrastructure for expansion and renovation of the port. The various Flemish port authorities are currently holding discussions with the Flemish Government about financing for basic port infrastructure.
The new Port House forms part of a programme of improvements to the Port Authority’s own buildings. In addition to various renovation and new construction work that has already been carried out, a public call for tender has been issued for the new VTS (Vehicle Traffic Service) building beside the Zandvliet lock.

Design proposal

The design team from Zaha Hadid Architects proposed a very dynamic architecture that strikes up a dialogue with the Oosterweel road link, with the Lange Wapper bridge forming a backdrop to the New Port House. With its unique design, its facade architecture and its height of 46 metres, the new Port Authority will be an iconic building, visible from many different directions.

The concept is a free interpretation of a beam-shaped volume raised above the existing fire brigade building and supported on three sculptured concrete pillars housing the stairs and lifts. Two of the pillars are situated on the covered inner courtyard of the firehouse, while the third is located beside an external support point and consists of a panoramic lift shaft.
The new volume is oriented North-South parallel to the Kattendijk dock. The head of the building on the South side is a frame that looks towards the city and clearly marks the start of the port area.
The outside walls are made up of glass triangles, some transparent and some reflecting. These do not all lie in the same plane but are rotated slightly with respect to one another, creating an attractive reflecting play of incoming light in a reference to Antwerp’s diamond industry.

The present firehouse will be kept free of building all around, so that the four outside walls will be fully respected. As for the arrangement of the inside spaces, consultations will be held with Flanders Real Estate Heritage and the Monuments department of the City of Antwerp to determine whether open-plan offices (as laid down in the schedule of requirements) are possible, either partly of throughout.

The inner courtyard will be roofed over at the height of the second story so as to create an air-conditioned inside space. This central entrance hall will be considered as a semi-public space, with various enquiry desks (Personnel department, Harbourmaster’s Office, Planning Permission & Environment Permit office and Port Dues payment desk) integrated in the inside wall portals.

A sculptural, sloping roof unites an underground lobby with the covered inner court. Access to the underground car park is an important aspect of the overall concept, with the loading & unloading bays and the refuse handling facilities also located here. The car park has space for 300 or so cars and consists of a single underground level. The design of the square can be arranged so that daylight is allowed to enter. The above-ground layout forms part of a design project that is being carried out in consultation with the city departments responsible, with the main imperative being to “preserve the visual quality of the outside spaces in the Het Eilandje area.”

The open plan offices are indeed very open, so that office staff will have a great impression of space with a view along the various outside walls. The concept for the open plan office also allows for small areas in which to hold meetings, along with separate study offices.

Designer : Zaha Hadid Architects via Bustler

The designer says : “The Colim concept – an acronym meaning ‘colors of life in motion’ – is an intelligent mobility concept which stretches primarily the bridge between caravans, camper, lifestyle and business. Dubbed a ‘lifestyle motor home’, the cockpit can be disconnected from the usable living space. The livable area is flexible, with individually applicable multi function modules. Designed for two people (max. four persons), the motor home offers the possibility to personalize its four mobile ‘walls’ according to the present life situation of the user. This flexibility is not only limited to the living area, but also features in the cockpit.”

Designer : Christian Susana

Sergio says “Outside the car industry technologies have been developed in order to regenerate power, like kinetic watches, wind turbine, geothermic energy absorption even a sustainable dance floor is developed that regenerates the energy from the bouncing of the floor.

Around those ideas I designed a car with a central kinetic axis that generates the power of the movement as the vehicle turns like two attached motorbikes.

Second, I thought electrical cars should be designed aiming for sensations and not for speed in order to preserve the batteries longer. At high speed the battery range drop considerably, so this vehicle would provide sensations at lower speeds.

Drivers that have lived in a virtual computer game word that want to drive a vehicle closer to a spaceship, something that can provide them with different sensations.”

Designer : Sergio Loureiro