Asymptote Architecture facts for kids

Asymptote Architecture is a design company from Long Island City, New York, in the United States. They are famous for creating buildings that mix different design ideas, often using digital technology.

History of Asymptote Architecture

The company was started in 1989 by a husband and wife team, Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture. They first designed buildings in the United States. Later, they began working on projects all around the world.

People have called Asymptote's building style "futuristic." This means their designs look like they are from the future. They are known for blending architecture with computer technology. Rashid and Couture believe that the shape of a building gives it its meaning. They also think their buildings show parts of the areas around them.

For example, the Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi has smooth, curvy shapes. These shapes make you think of speed. This is because Formula One car races happen right under the hotel. Another building, 166 Perry Street in New York City, has wavy glass on the outside. It looks like a flowing waterfall.

Key Projects by Asymptote

One of their first famous designs was in 1988. They won a competition for the Los Angeles Westcoast Gateway. Their design, called "Steel Cloud," was chosen by many experts. However, local people did not like the idea, so it was not built. In 1992, The New York Times asked Asymptote to design a make-believe building for Times Square.

NYSE Virtual Trading Floor

In 1997, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) asked Asymptote to create a special environment. This space would help people see real-time numbers and information about stock trading. They worked with the Securities Industry Automation Corporation (SIAC) on this.

This was the first large virtual reality space for the New York Stock Exchange. It was finished in 1999. They designed a control center with advanced screens. This project was an early example of different fields working together. These fields included architecture, how people use computers, showing data visually, and designing user experiences.

Yas Hotel Design

The Yas Hotel is in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was finished in 2009. This hotel has 500 rooms and is very large. It is built around a Formula One car race track, called the Yas Marina Circuit.

When the building was finished, it hosted the UAE's first Grand Prix in November 2009. The hotel has a natural, flowing shape and two 12-story towers. Its design was meant to show speed and the movement of car racing. It also includes patterns from Islamic art. This hotel is now called the W Abu Dhabi on Yas Island. It used to be known as the Yas Viceroy Hotel Abu Dhabi.

Missoni Baia Residential Building

The Missoni Baia is a building with homes. It is being built by the OKO Group in Miami, Florida.

Other Notable Architecture Works

Asymptote's first project built outside the United States was the Univers Theatre in Aarhus, Denmark, in 1997. This project won an award from the Architects' Association of Denmark.

They also designed the HydraPier Pavilion in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands. Asymptote has built main stores for companies like Carlos Miele and Alessi. More recently, they have built tall skyscrapers. These include the 190 Váci Budapest Bank Commercial Towers in Budapest, Hungary. They also designed the FCD Yongsan Landmark Tower in Seoul, South Korea. The company also designs buildings for art centers, shipping areas, and homes.

In the early 2000s, they worked with the Knoll furniture company. They helped design the A3 office system.

Exhibitions and Art Installations

In their early years, Asymptote created experimental art installations. They also designed exhibitions using multimedia technology. Some of these include the Virtual Museum (2000) at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City. They also worked on DOCUMENTA XI in Kassel, Germany, the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, and a project for the Ministry of Public Works in Madrid, Spain.

In 2003, Asymptote had its first big solo exhibition. This show looked at all their work at the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI).