By gum, that’s a big tree house
The Australian Business Review
4 July 2020
by Mackenzie Scott
A tree-covered apartment building planned for Brisbane is hoped to put the river city on the world map alongside some of the world’s greenest destinations.
Aria Property Group’s “The Urban Forest” is poised to become one of the `greenest residential buildings in the world in the most literal sense, with the entirety of the building covered with thousands of plants and more than 1000 established trees.
Designed by internationally renowned architect Koichi Takada, the 30-storey premium apartment tower planned for the growing South Brisbane lifestyle precinct will… Read more
Koichi Takada Architects Reveals Latest Design for L.A.’s Skyline
ARCHDAILY
Christele Harrouk
20 June 2020
Koichi Takada has designed a 43-story mixed-use development, in downtown Los Angeles, inspired by “California’s natural beauty and iconic redwoods”. Hoping to create the healthiest place to live in L.A., the proposed building humanizes the concept of high-rise through the use of natural materials, vertical landscaping, engaging public elements, and creating a between artificial and natural environments.
Designed by Sydney-based boutique architecture firm Koichi Takada Architects in collaboration with MVE + Partners as executive architect, the $500M mixed-use high rise condominium and hotel tower is the latest project to be introduced to the… Read more
An example of “Aussie lifestyle” in the architectural ferment of Downtown LA
Interior Furniture Design Magazine
18th May 2020
1111 Hill Street in Downtown Los Angeles, a mixed-use tower of 43 stories designed by Koichi Takada Architects, represents the first investment of Crown Group in the United States, a developer based in Sydney with a portfolio of projects in progress for a value of 5 billion dollars, in five cities on two continents. The project of a tower for residences, hotel and retail facilities, slated for completion in 2024, is the result of a joint venture between Crown Group, the Singapore-based firm Magnus Property Pte Ltd, and one of the leading Indonesian property developers, ASRI, the premium lifestyle… Read more
Nature-inspired housing enriches the landscape of our cities
Wallpaper*
24th May 2020
By Ellie Stathaki
From Tokyo to Sydney and Oslo, architect-led, boutique housing developments are changing the way we live and define the landscape of our cities, creating small-scale visions of modernity and expressing the zeitgeist in the multi-family residential realm
Enjoying architecture in an urban setting while staying at home is not just about a well-designed residential interior; it also expands to the views outside one’s window and the city beyond. And in the crowded environment of the global metropolis, where space is at a premium, this means balancing the need to house greater numbers of people with maintaining a high level of architectural… Read more
The Robb Interview: Architect Koichi Takada
Robb Report
21th May 2020
by Terry Christodoulou
The globally-renown, Australian-based architect on nature and the very real need to bend rules and rally against monotony.
Architect Koichi Takada has never taken the easy option.
Born in Tokyo, at 16 he held dreams of pursuing life as a fashion designer or an artist – aimed at realising a firm desire to live in Manhattan.
He eventually came to architecture – a combination of art and engineering – as a pathway to appease such wants and those of his parents.
It didn’t quite workout – his father offering an easy life and… Read more
Designers will be challenged to integrate to post-COVID-19 restrictions says Jessical Ball
Australian Design Review
21st May 2020
by Elisa Scarton
Our Senior Interior Designer, Jessica Ball, discusses the importance of incorporating nature in a post-COVID world and the challenges we designers face. Full interview below.
Designers will be challenged to “respond to” and “come up with” strategies that address and alleviate concerns about public safety and physical comfort post-COVID-19 according to interior architect Jessica Ball.
“The challenge will be creating that sense of distancing and encouraging people to spread out in an integrated and beautiful way.”
Interior architect Jessica Ball. Portrait supplied.
Speaking to ADR, Ball says the pandemic would make people… Read more
Natural Selection
Mansion Australian
Issue 35 | May 2020
A Planet Ark study three years ago found that workers are less stressed and more productive, students learn better, patients heal faster, and people are generally happier and calmer in indoor areas that contain wooden elements.
Crown Group’s new development, Mastery by Crown Group, in Sydney’s Waterloo, highlights the trend with its extensive use of timber across its five-tower precinct. Crown’s chairman and chief executive, Iwan Sunito, says that on meeting architect Kengo Kuma, he thought seriously about the notion that people respond viscerally to natural materials such as rocks, timber and… Read more
Koichi Takada Architects Plans Mixed-Use Tower for LA
Hospitality Design
28th April 2020
by Will Speros
Australian developer Crown Group has revealed plans for a new residential-and-hotel tower in Downtown Los Angeles. Sydney-based firm Koichi Takada Architects will spearhead the design of the 43-story skyscraper, known as 1111 Hill Street. The project is slated for completion in 2024.
The design of the building will reflect Crown Group’s philosophy of looking ahead toward the future. The façade will reference California’s iconic redwood trees and feature a dramatic street canopy that will transform the lower stretch of the building into a “breathing green wall” aimed at improving air quality. In addition to luxe… Read more
Koichi Takada Architects reveals tree-like skyscraper for Downtown Los Angeles
The Architect’s Newspaper
16th April 2020
by Shane Reiner-Roth
Australian firm Koichi Takada Architects, in collaboration with MVE + Partners as the architect of record, has unveiled its latest design for Sky Trees, a 43-story tower set for the corner of 11th Street and Hill Street in Downtown Los Angeles. Crown Group, the Singapore-based developer of the project, is hoping to start construction by the end of next year and has set an estimated budget of $500 million. “It’s rare to find the central district of a large cosmopolitan city on the verge of such significant change,” said Crown Group chief executive officer Iwan Sunito… Read more
New SKYE Suites Hotel in Infinity Is Opened for Long-stay Guests During Pandemic
Commercial Real Estate
13th April 2020
by Sue Williams
A new Sydney hotel is bucking the coronavirus-hit tourism downturn by opening its doors three months earlier than planned.
As a number of other hotels close to visitors during the pandemic, SKYE Suites is fast-tracking the opening of its hotel in Green Square because of a surge in demand it has found for longer-term stays.
“We see a lot of hotels closing down at the moment, but we’ve experienced a lot of demand for longer-stay accommodation,” said Crown Group’s chief executive Iwan Sunito.
The eye-catching building, made up mostly of residential apartments, was… Read more
