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Today's News - February 9, 2006

New RIAI chief says architects need to "get their act together" to create sustainable residential developments. -- Why is wealthy Edmonton, Canada, allowing second-rate buildings? -- Architects and students take on affordable housing for another Alberta town. -- A model village with houses made of soil rises in Kenya. -- A green conference in Miami to bring South Florida up to speed re: sustainable design. -- The plug is pulled on Turner Contemporary in Margate: "It all smacks of local politics." -- Koolhaas skyscraper a radical creation for Louisville (with pix to prove it). -- London Library re-build the "very opposite of look-at-me signature architecture" (and that's a good thing). -- Herzog & de Meuron take Manhattan with luxury condos. -- Some surprising treasures uncovered in Chicago theater restoration. -- New life for Belgium's Atomium. -- Ken Smith muses on his canyon in Orange County. -- Niemeyer reminisces about his work in Algeria. -- Dubai billionaire buys London Eye (the architects make out very well). -- Call for entries to transform Boston neighborhood.

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Get your act together, new RIAI chief tells architects: James Pike says his colleagues could do better in designing major residential developments. By Frank McDonald -- Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI); O'Mahony Pike- Irish Times

Edmonton's beauty under siege: We all know it's awash in money. So why is the Alberta capital allowing second-rate buildings and an army of suburban big-box stores to choke the life out of its downtown? By Lisa Rochon -- Zaha Hadid; Randall Stout; Cohos Evamy Partners- Globe and Mail (Canada)

Oil town gets a makeover plan: Montreal architect sees potential in Drayton Valley downtown... affordable-housing expert Avi Friedman has brought young architects...from China, South Korea, Mexico and Colombia to study at McGill University School of Architecture's affordable homes program.- The Edmonton Journal (Canada)

Houses Made From Soil: A building technology introduced from India promises strong, cheaper and beautiful residential and commercial houses made from ordinary soil and a little cement.- The Nation (Nairobi)

Tropical Green conference to stress building "green": To encourage ecologically sensitive, energy-saving 'green' buildings in South Florida, architects, planners and Metropolis magazine are sponsoring a conference this week...could not be more timely. -- Zyscovich; Perkins & Will- Miami Herald

Plug pulled on art gallery in the sea: It was always a bold project, a sail like building which was meant to rise elegantly out of the harbour, bringing new life to a past-its-best seaside town. [Turner Contemporary in Margate] too ambitious and too costly... -- Snohetta and Spence- Guardian (UK)

Skyscraper to transform Louisville skyline: Radical architectural creation to house museum, condos, offices...$380 million [61-story] Museum Plaza... -- Koolhaas/Prince-Ramus/Office for Metropolitan Architecture [image]- Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

The library of Babel: how to extend a timewarped masterpiece...London Library is about to spend £25m on its biggest rebuild for over a century. And once that's done, it will still be all but invisible...the very opposite of look-at-me signature architecture. By Hugh Pearman -- Haworth Tompkins [images]- HughPearman.com (UK)

Living at Cool, Not Just Visiting: Forty Bond is the latest downtown luxury condominium, being whipped into shape by Ian Schrager in league with Herzog & de Meuron. [images]- New York Times

Secrets uncovered at former Shubert...renamed the LaSalle Bank Theatre: Best of all, the renovation has uncovered a number of architectural details that had been hidden from public view for as much as half a century. By Kevin Nance -- George Halik/Booth Hansen [images]- Chicago Sun-Times

Restoring an Icon of Optimism: The Atomium, an eblem of Belgium's industrial boom, will prepare for its official reopening with a party celebrating a $33 million restoration..."Noguchi meets Richard Rogers." -- André Waterkeyn (1958); Conix Architecten; Ingo Maurer; Vitra [image]- New York Times

Next, he'll build a canyon: With a postmodern penchant for plastic flowers and a résumé of urban park space, Ken Smith isn't the first landscape architect you'd think of to design the Orange County Great Park.- Los Angeles Times

Oscar Niemeyer, a friend of the Algerians: Part of the history of the most important architect in Brazil involves Algeria...designed various projects for the Arab country, among them the Mentouri Constantine University, in 1969.- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)

Billionaire Dubai Sheik Buys London Eye: Ownership had been split three ways between British Airways, Tussauds and the Eye's creators, Marks Barfield Architects...- Forbes

Call for entries: "inside::out - Weaving Arts into the Urban Fabric": open (U.S.) competition to transform the Tremont Street plaza and other public spaces surrounding Boston Center for the Arts; deadline: May 9- Boston Center for the Arts

Good Neighbor: Hyde Park Miriam Matthews Branch Library: A new library adds to the revitalization of a once riot-torn Los Angeles community. -- Hodgetts + Fung Design and Architecture [images]- ArchNewsNow

Alsop Architects: Sharp Centre for Design, Toronto, Canada

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