Borneo Bridge, Eastern Docklands Amsterdam

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This pedestrian bridge designed by IBA connects Spoorenburg and Java-eiland's Borneo quarter of the ‘Oostelijk Havengebied’ in Amsterdam. It was completed in 2000.

This modern take on Amsterdam's famous canal bridges takes four horizontal planes and curves them in different ways to imply movement that is diverse, but moving in the same direction. The wood path provides an experience in context with the docks, but the red suspension steel indicates a significant and modern experience.

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Java Island, Eastern Docklands Amsterdam

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The city of Amsterdam transform their Oostelijk Havengebied from decline into a successful urban renewal project. Various international architects transformed old abandoned port buildings into the most sought after residential buildings in the city.

Sjoerd Soeters's plan for a redeveloped residential section began construction in the 1990s. The island had been abandoned due to less trade after the decolonization of Indonesia, which is where the island gets its name, but the island's history in trade and as a breakwater should never be forgotten.

The post-modern buildings offer a unique living experience, standing right up against the water and in dense street conditions that recall medieval Europe. The vibrant night life of squatters and artists from before the demolition for this project still exist in new theater, restaurants, and concert halls.

Diversity in form is celebrated in these houses, rather than an attempt at unity. This is a vital lesson in rejuvenating old structures: delineate old structures versus new, and bring diverse forms!

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National Yoyogi Olympic Stadium, Tokyo Japan

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Kenzo Tange Associates designed the National Yoyogi Stadium for the 1964 olympics. It accommodates 13,291 people for sporting and entertainment events. A smaller stadium has smaller athletic events and an indoor pool.

Gentle curving ramps reach the stadium seating rather than stairs. The large suspension roof structure achieves a distinctly Japanese form with the peaks signifying the entrances. The form is similar to the nearby Meiji Shrine.

It preceded the tent-like structure for the Munich Olympia park. A gentle dome within this accommodates the functions inside. The tensile structure combines with modernist concrete and a soft wood interior to generate a very interesting building.

It also was surely inspired by the Washington Heights U.S. army baracks that served as the nearby Olympic village.

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Canary Wharf Underground Station, London

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Sir Norman Foster and Partners designed the Canary Wharf Tube Station in London, England, which opened in 1999. It is the busiest station outside of Central London, handling 40 million people each year on the Jubilee Line.

Light streams through two half-arc glass canopies down into the station. A public park stands between these two sides, and a spacious station is below.

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Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome

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Renzo Piano designed the Parco della Musica on the site of the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. It includes three buildings which are called by Piano "music boxes": Sala Santa Cecilia, Sala Sinopoli, and Sala Petrassi. It opened in December 2002 and reportedly receives a million visitors each year.

During construction, Piano designed a museum to accomodate a villa and an oil press from the 6th century B.C. that were uncovered. The lead-layered shells over the buildings give an appearance of three large beetles surrounding a central plaza and open-air theater.

The insect-like wood interior is nothing less than stunning. The red wood hangs like the interior of an ancient tent. As a whole, this complex is a barren edifice waiting to be illuminated by an artistic performance. The modern approach respects the historic context and indicates something great that once occurred there- or has yet to happen.

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Narita International Airport, Chiba Japan

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The Narita Airport in the Tokyo area of Japan is an important story of eminent domain causing conflict with the people. Originally called the New Tokyo International Airport, the first terminal opened in 1972. But this was only achieved after deadly riots involving the radical Sanrizuka-Shibayama Union to Oppose the Airport and villagers that refused to leave.

It was perhaps the largest and most bitter land dispute in recent Japanese history, and though the airport privatized in 2004 these feelings still exist. The less socialist Japanese government today (until this year anyway) has tried to avoid such disputes by building the Osaka and Nagoya airports on man-made islands.

The atmosphere inside the airport speaks of elitism and destroyed heritage. Of course there is much to be appreciated in the beauty of its modernism, but it isn't really a place I would want to call home.

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Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art MACBA

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Richard Meier with F.J. Ramos i Associats designed the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona at the Plaça dels Àngels, which opened in 1995. For some reason it has become a sort of pilgrimage site for skate boarders, and even has its own skating trick.

The large glazed southern facade has taken on an interesting colored geometric pattern that glows at night. The rest of the structure takes on a pure white modernist form, or gridded. Flying and cantilevered rectangular columns making up layers of structure that intrude light into the interior are Meier's trademark, but gentle curves also make certain spaces more intimately involved.

The lengthy building is an interesting opposite to the nearby Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona and stone structures. The diversity of scale and texture throughout Barcelona can be seen through this building. The front ramp hall takes the place of central grand stairway, as light filters through it into each space.

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Le Volcan, Le Havre France

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Oscar Niemeyer designed Le Volcan at the Maison de la Culture du Havre, which opened in 1982. He collaborated with Jean-Maur Lyonnet, with whom he had just completed the French Communist Party Headquarters.

The large volcano contains a 1200-seat theatre and 350-seat cinema, while the small volcano has a 500 seat hall and 80-seat auditorium. The forum continues Niemeyer's communist ideals, as much of it is underground and seems to emerge naturally from the landscape. Niemeyer considers the balance of the two forms and how they establish the urban space between them.

The pure white circular forms are accessible by ramp, as with most of Niemeyer's buildings. Small slits of windows reflect light inside in a mysterious fashion.

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