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Today's News - Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Sculpture + school architecture can enliven the educational process in unexpected ways. -- America's 50 greenest cities (and why). -- Dyckhoff on "oligarchitects" - the "Mr. Hyde in architects" who can't resist "power, riches and gold taps." -- Heathcote on a new, "more sophisticated type of urbanism" in the midst of the Middle East's "self-conscious architectural zoo." -- Something goes awry in plans for a model green village in China. -- A Providence, RI, neighborhood moving towards a long-awaited renaissance. -- Mays is impressed with a young architect's vision for Waterfront Toronto. -- Another take on Downtown L.A.'s downturn. -- It's not all doom and gloom: Downtowners of Distinction Awards honor stand-out projects. -- A new arts center for Aberdeen, Scotland. -- Farrelly on public transportation (or lack of). -- Mid-century Modern at risk in New Orleans. -- Googie gets reprieve in Seattle. -- Aerotropolis: the city of the future. -- In pictures: Beijing's Terminal 3. -- A monument to Navajo Code Talkers takes shape. -- Edgy design is making its mark at a mall near you. -- Trompe l'oeil construction cover creates an artful installation instead of an artless mess.

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INSIGHT: Art in Learning: Bringing the Tradition of Sculpture in Architecture to Education: Art incorporated into school architecture can enliven the educational process in unexpected ways. By Barry Svigals, FAIA [images]- ArchNewsNow

America's 50 Greenest Cities: #1: Portland, Oregon; #20: New York City; #32: Anchorage, Alaska [links]- Popular Science

Build me a pyramid: Daniel Libeskind and the oligarchitects: Western architects make a killing building monuments for regimes that you wouldn't want to bring home to meet the folks...Despite being plagued with a social conscience...the Mr Hyde in architects just can't help being tempted by unlimited power, riches and gold taps. By Tom Dyckhoff -- Foster + Partners; RMJM; Zaha Hadid; Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)/Rem Koolhaas; Kisho Kurokawa- The Times (UK)

Walkable, pleasant, urbane, hot: The latest race...in the searing heat of the Middle Eastern desert where skyscrapers are being erected to create a self-conscious architectural zoo...a new generation of business districts...are leading to a more sophisticated type of urbanism. By Edwin Heathcote -- Pei Partnership; Woods Bagot; Hopkins Architects; KPF; SOM; Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA)/Koolhaas; Foster + Partners- Financial Times (UK)

China: Green Dreams, A [not so] model village: The village of Huangbaiyu in rural northeast China was supposed to be a model for energy-conscious design....400 sustainable homes, collaboration between US architect William McDonough and the Chinese. But something went awry. [links]- PBS Frontline

Providence Begins to See Its Future Around the Corner: Until the middle of the 20th century, Downcity was a vibrant shopping district...There has long been talk of a renaissance in Downcity...and progress has been made. -- Andrés Duany- New York Times

A vision that makes room for a blue-collar future: Jason LeBlanc's plan...is a welcome contribution to the ongoing discussion about what kind of new cityscape we want Waterfront Toronto to deliver, and a lively, engaging proposal for joining life and work in the post-industrial city. By John Bentley Mays- Globe and Mail (Canada)

Downtown Downturn? Uncertainty Looms as LA Projects stall or fail...Is downtown’s rally over? -- Frank Gerhy; KPF- The Architect's Newspaper (Los Angeles)

Definitely Distinct: Los Angeles Downtown News Honors the Projects That Stand Out In Their Communities...Downtowners of Distinction Awards... -- Michael Maltzan; Killefer Flammang; Thomas P. Cox Architects- LA Downtown News

Ministers Give Green Light to Arts Centre for the North: Plans for a major new centre for the contemporary arts, the first of its kind in the North of Scotland...in the heart of Aberdeen... incorporating the development into a sunken Victorian garden and has been described as 'visionary' and 'iconic' -- Brisac Gonzalez [links]- allmediascotland.com

If it's all about the journey, London holds key to life: Sydney, by contrast, can't even get to first base. ...In global terms only LA looks less serious about public transport...Then again, LA has Hollywood, Santa Monica - and the mother of all freeway systems. By Elizabeth Farrelly- Sydney Morning Herald

Mid-Century Architecture at Risk in New Orleans: ...due to the public’s desire to see the storm-damaged city rebuilt quickly and a general disregard for structures of the Modern era...“We are outliving our buildings and that’s not right.” -- Arthur Q. Davis ; Ray Manning; August Perez (1958); Holly & Smith; Wayne Troyer; DOCOMOMO- Architectural Record

'Googie' style now ready for historical look, says author: Manning's/Denny's building is a landmark because it's ordinary...according to Alan Hess..."The fact is that this era has only recently been looked upon as historic." -- Clarence Mayhew (1964)- Ballard News-Tribune (Washington)

Go jumbo: Speak no more of city airports but of airport cities, so huge have these transport hubs become. But how should architects approach these new urban forms? An ‘aerotropolis’...sounds high tech but these new urban forms are based on the oldest model of city development... -- Grimshaw; HOK; John Kasarda [images]- RIBA Journal (UK)

Enter the dragon: In pictures: See inside Norman Foster's new Terminal 3 at Beijing International Airport- Guardian (UK)

Prescott Landscape Architect’s Design to Honor Navajo Code Talkers: Plan aims to create setting of remembrance and veneration for new state monument -- T. Barnabas Kane & Assoc. [image]- Native American Times

Innovation on Sale: How do international brands roll out stores that reinforce their identities while providing varied experiences for consumers? How does edgy retail design translate at the mall? Alan G. Brake Shops for Answers. -- Robin Kramer Design Group; Lynch Eisinger Design (L/E/D); Work AC [images]- The Architect's Newspaper (NYC)

A picture and a thousand words: In replicating a façade, a department store adds depth to the urban landscape...a striking bit of trompe l'oeil...an ingenious solution....a temporary art installation where there would otherwise be an artless mess...covering sends out vibes about the architecture by depicting an echo of what's beneath, keeping it in sight, saying this old building is treasured. [image]- Toronto Star

-- Serero Architects: Concrete Canopy Auditorium and Movie Theater, Saint Cyprien, France
-- Call for entries: Design for an Eco-friendly Community on arcspace Island, Second Life; registration deadline: March 7
-- Book: Ecodesign: A Manual for Ecological Design, by Ken Yeang

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