Today’s News - Thursday, March 10, 2011
• Angus Stewart begs to differ with Simon Jenkins re: restoring the Christchurch cathedral bell tower: "the thought of restoring a mediocre building makes my hackles rise."
• Elshahed continues his exploration of Tahrir Square's history and future as a public space: it "continues to capture the imagination of politicians, architects, and urban planners eager to come up with a master plan and complete what they recognize is an unfinished urban space."
• Schumacher cheers an "unprecedented collaboration between University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the city" and "a wonderfully progressive and ambitious project" to imagine Milwaukee's forlorn inner harbor as an ecological showplace.
• Long agrees with Britain's housing minister "decrying the 'Legoland' character of much new housing," but "if he wants better planning decisions, invest in better planners"; some "innovative developers" wouldn't hurt, either (there are great examples of contemporary housing that "work with the existing city but leave something new, of our times and a legacy for future generations").
• Poletti cheers Facebook friending its new campus neighborhood: "in a municipality that's had some recent, hotly contested development debates, there was new hope that Facebook could lead to positive change."
• Pearman may have been pessimistic about London winning the 2012 Olympics back in '05, but changes his tune when he tours the "skintight architecture" of the new velodrome: it is "the best possible introduction to the Games because this is one hell of a good building. What on earth went right?"
• Ouroussoff cheers DS+R's Granoff Center at Brown University: it is "a handsome piece of architecture" that "adds a touch of contemporary glamour to a campus of solemn brick buildings...without the over-the-top effects that could offend its aesthetically conservative neighbors."
• Campbell finds "a beguiling mix of effrontery and courtesy" in Kallmann McKinnell & Wood's Mandel Center at Brandeis University: it is "fascinating to see how this new building deals with the DNA of this quirky place."
• FLW's Taliesin turns 100 this year as "the arduous work of helping it survive" continues: "Nothing leaked this spring!" (that's good news!).
• As Pittsburgh plans to demolish its 1961 domed Civic Arena to knit a district back together, preservationists continue to argue that "the igloo" is "an architectural superstar."
• RIBA president-elect blames "star architects and larger firms for promoting an 'endemic' culture of working for free...'There is this view that says 'they don't need the money'."
• 2011 CNU Charter Awards winners highlight the "connection between regional passenger rail development, environmentally-sensitive land-use planning, rebuilding public spaces, and economic solvency" (great presentations).
• "Meanwhile London" competition taps a consortium called Industri[us] to help rebrand the capital's Docklands before the Olympics.
• Call for entries: Connections: The Gowanus Lowline international ideas competition + Core77 Design Awards (15 categories - our fave: Never Saw the Light of Day).
• Unsolicited competitions challenge Eisenhower Memorial and MoMA/PS1 Young Architects Program winners.
• We couldn't resist: LaBarre finds wind turbines we'd welcome in our own backyard!
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Response: Christchurch should not restore its mediocre cathedral: The earthquake-hit city will need memorials which look to the future, not to the past. Simon Jenkins suggests that the restoration of the Christchurch cathedral bell tower should be the memorial for the current tragedy...the thought of restoring a mediocre building makes my hackles rise. By Angus Stewart -- George Gilbert Scott- Guardian (UK) |
Comment> Tahrir Square, A Collection of Fragments: Mohamed Elshahed traces the evolution of Eqypt's revolutionary public space...continues to capture the imagination of politicians, architects, and urban planners eager to come up with a master plan and complete what they recognize is an unfinished urban space. [images]- The Architect's Newspaper |
Milwaukee's inner harbor filled with promise: ...it takes a lot of vision to imagine...an ecological showplace...an unprecedented collaboration between University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the city...a wonderfully progressive and ambitious project, an attempt to create what’s sometimes called “landscape urbanism,” a new kind of civil infrastructure... By Mary Louise Schumacher -- Dreiseitl Atelier; Continuum Architects + Planners; Bohlin Cywnski Jackson [images, links]- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
We need architects who understand this city: New housing developments are unpopular with the public...housing minister Grant Shapps...decrying the "Legoland" character...appealing to the public's fear of new buildings will enforce banal stylistic preference...If he wants better planning decisions, invest in better planners. Perhaps a few of London's thousands of out-of-work architects could help? By Kieran Long -- Tony Fretton Architects; Karakusevic Carson Architects; Sergison Bates Architects- Evening Standard (UK) |
Facebook friends city of Menlo Park: Social network off to the right start with new campus..."They are used to an urban environment. Let’s make it better not just for them, but for everybody"...in a municipality that’s had some recent, hotly contested development debates, there was new hope that Facebook could lead to positive change. By Therese Poletti -- Noemi Avram; Group 4 Architecture/Paul Jamtgaard- MarketWatch |
Skintight architecture: the London 2012 Olympic Velodrome: Back in July 2005...I couldn’t see the British Olympics saga being anything other than miserable. And now look...the velodrome, is finished...It’s the best possible introduction to the Games because this is one hell of a good building. What on earth went right? By Hugh Pearman -- Hopkins Architects [images]- HughPearman.com (UK) |
A Unified Home for Arts Education, With a Split Right Down the Middle: Brown University’s new interdisciplinary arts center...is a handsome piece of architecture...Perry and Marty Granoff Center adds a touch of contemporary glamour to a campus of solemn brick buildings and converted clapboard houses...without the over-the-top effects that could offend its aesthetically conservative neighbors. By Nicolai Ourouossoff -- Diller Scofidio + Renfro [images]- New York Times |
A glass and light celebration of the humanities: Mandel Center for the Humanities at Brandeis University...fascinating to see how this new building deals with the DNA of this quirky place...Its architecture is a response to the demands of setting and purpose...a beguiling mix of effrontery and courtesy. By Robert Campbell -- Kallmann McKinnell & Wood [image]- Boston Globe |
Restoring Wright: The difficult task of preserving Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin...which turns 100 this year...will play host to an array of celebrations, but the most important challenge is the arduous work of helping it survive...work is proceeding. “Nothing leaked this spring!”- The Economist (UK) |
Pittsburgh Pursues Plan to Demolish ‘the Igloo’: A residential district disrupted by the arena’s construction 50 years ago hopes a project planned to replace it will help heal the old wounds...Preservationists argue that the arena...is an architectural superstar... -- Mitchell & Richey (1961); Rob Pfaffmann/Reuse the Igloo [image]- New York Times |
Angela Brady urges stars to stop exploiting students: RIBA president-elect calls for an end to free working and for better student skills...has blamed star architects and larger firms for promoting an “endemic” culture of working for free..."There is this view that says ’they don’t need the money'"...- BD/Building Design (UK) |
2011 CNU Charter Awards Winners: ...honor diverse set of projects highlighting the connection between regional passenger rail development, environmentally-sensitive land-use planning, rebuilding public spaces, and economic solvency. -- Goody Clancy; Notre Dame School of Architecture; BGK Architects/Michael Dennis & Associates; East Beach Company; Opticos Design; WDR & RT Taggart; etc. [link to images, info]- Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) |
Mayor Boris Johnson has drafted in Dare to help rebrand the capital's Docklands area ahead of the London 2012 Olympics: ...part of a consortium called Industri[us]...was chosen via a competition called "Meanwhile London"... -- Fluid; Colliers International; Dave Barrie & Associates- Campaign magazine (UK) |
Call for entries: Connections: The Gowanus Lowline inaugural international ideas competition for the Gowanus Canal area in Brooklyn, NY; registration deadline: April 1- Gowanus by Design/Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation |
Call for entries: Core77 Design Awards: 15 categories of design endeavor icluding Design for Social Impact, Service Design, Interiors/Exhibition, Design Education Initiative, and Never Saw the Light of Day; deadline: May 3- Core77 |
Eisenhower Memorial and PS1 Young Architects Program Receive Rival, Unsolicited Competitions: The old saying “you can’t please all the people all of the time” has gotten a workout in recent days, focused on pieces of architecture. -- MoMA; Archinect; Interboro; Institute for Classical Architecture & Classical America; Frank Gehry [links]- UnBeige |
Can Beautiful Turbines Help Critics Embrace Wind Energy? NL Architects's proposal for foliage-inspired turbines challenges the notions that wind farms are eyesores...wind turbines that could moonlight in an art gallery...Power Flowers...a nice little blast of renewable power -- presumably without raising the hackles of the local NIMBY crowd. By Suzanne LaBarre [images, video]- Fast Company |
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Ryue Nishizawa: Teshima Art Museum, Teshima Island, Seto Inland Sea, Japan |
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