Today’s News - Tuesday, December 20, 2011
• A thoughtful start to the day, beginning with never before published 1970 essay by Robin Boyd, "the champion of the international modern movement in Australia," who thoughtfully ponders: "What do we want of architecture?"
• Urban design historian D. Grahame Shane traces the origins of MVRDV's controversial Cloud to its source in research: "the excitement of the creation of an urban village half way up two skyscrapers blinded MVRDV to the very obvious 9/11 image the design might provoke...Was it naïveté?" (or a publicity stunt?)
• "Wrestling with Moses" author Flint on Jane Jacobs: she "battled Robert Moses on some truly bad projects," and her "legacy is indeed towering. But the future of cities could use a touch of her nemesis mixed in."
• Russell hopes Cornell's $2 billion (very green) campus plans for Roosevelt Island "will spur NYU and Columbia to look anew at their feeble, innovation-averse growth plans."
• A New Orleans artist (and student of urban planning) uses art and technology to create a platform community organizations and an architect/developer are beginning to use to tap residents' input (very cool).
• Yadav traces Delhi's journey in architecture: "the city's architectural body stands tall, bearing the crown of Mughal taste on its head, the stout body of British imperial imprint and the occasionally shaky legs of today's independent, democratic rule."
• Rinaldi on the new MLK and 9/11 Memorials: they "proved how complicated remembering has become...9/11 is artful and challenging. King is distilled and uplifting...offering up confident commemorations that, complete or not, command reflection."
• Maltzan, Ingels, and Geuze explain their designs for a new pier in St. Petersburg, Florida (great slide show).
• Lloyd's of London building "joins Grade I elite at tender age of 25": a "fitting recognition of the sheer splendor of Richard Rogers's heroic design." + A Brutalist "piece of concrete art" that many wanted to see pulled down "finds itself among the most protected structures in the UK."
• One of Indianapolis's "most misunderstood and underappreciated buildings" gains new appreciation; in 1974, it "was the cutting edge of its day."
• Feireiss offers a thoughtful (and image-filled) take on what 21st-century sacred buildings share: the "ability to allow the cracks and ruptures, contrasts and contradictions between the past and present to co-exist."
• Charleston chooses Denver's Fentress for its airport terminal redevelopment, despite a "unanimous recommendation" to choose a "local company to keep the money in the Lowcountry."
• Iovine has a most amusing interview with Koolhaas (with some surprising statements): he might appear severe, but "he comes across as a teddy bear, albeit a chic Parisian one."
• Keegan queries Graves: did he ever expect to receive the Driehaus Prize? "Not in a thousand years."
• Gordon Murray Architects merges with Ryder Architecture to become GMA Ryder.
• A great presentation of the 2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence winners.
• Call for entries: AIA Diversity Recognition Program (open to AIA and non-AIA members).
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What do we want of architecture? In this never before published 1970 essay by Robin Boyd, the champion of the international modern movement in Australia, he suggests that Australian architecture and planning would be improved simply by looking around, not by seeking answers from overseas experts. Boyd died in 1971. [images]- Sydney Morning Herald |
Tracking the Origins of MVRDV’s Cloud: Urban design historian D. Grahame Shane weighs in on the controversial project tracing MVRDV’s explosive imagery to its source in research...the excitement of the creation of an urban village half way up two skyscrapers blinded MVRDV to the very obvious 9/11 image the design might provoke...How could these otherwise savvy media operators have been so blind? -- Ole Scheeren; Rem Koolhaas/OMA; Ken Yeang; Hiroshi Hara; Urbanus; Oliver Wainright; Atelier Bow Wow [images, links]- The Architect's Newspaper |
Jane Jacobs and the book that inspired a revolution: In writing "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," [she] revolutionized the business of urban planning. She battled Robert Moses on some truly bad projects...But the 21st century city...requires thinking big at least in some respects...legacy is indeed towering...But the future of cities could use a touch of her nemesis mixed in. By Anthony Flint- Grist Magazine |
Cornell University’s $2 Billion Campus Fuels N.Y.C. Search for Tech Jobs: ...worked with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology on a $2 billion proposal for a 10-acre campus on Roosevelt Island...exemplifies how much “green” design has permeated the world of technology...I hope the high environmental performance and the seamlessly interweaved research and educational facilities proposed by both Cornell and Stanford will spur NYU and Columbia to look anew at their feeble, innovation-averse growth plans. By James S. Russell -- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) [images]- Bloomberg News |
The city speaks — and artist Candy Chang finds fresh ways to listen: ...Neighborland combines some of her analog tools with an online platform where people can voice their opinions, share local knowledge, and discuss what they need in their New Orleans neighborhoods...community organizations are using the tool to gather ideas for two major commercial corridors in the city, and an architect/developer is collecting ideas for the commercial ground floor of a downtown high-rise. By Greg Hanscom -- Jane Jacobs; Robert Moses [images, links]- Grist Magazine |
The journey in bricks and mortar: ...marking Delhi completing a century as modern India’s capital, BBC Hindi’s Shalu Yadav traces Delhi’s journey in architecture: Shaped by various empires, the city’s architectural body stands tall, bearing the crown of Mughal taste on its head, the stout body of British imperial imprint and the occasionally shaky legs of today’s independent, democratic rule. -- Edwin Lutyens; Snehanshu Mukherji; Herbert Baker; Robert Torr Russell; AGK Menon [images]- Khaleej Times (UAE) |
The daring art of remembering: New memorials for Martin Luther King Jr. and 9/11 succeed simply because they try: ...proved how complicated remembering has become...The memorials could not be more different; 9/11 is artful and challenging. King is distilled and uplifting. But they succeed in the same way...offering up confident commemorations that, complete or not, command reflection. By Ray Mark Rinaldi -- Lei Yixin; Roma Design Group; Michael Arad; Peter Walker [images]- Denver Post |
St. Petersburg pier design finalists make presentations to panel, public: ...at least one juror said he had made up his mind about how the designs should be ranked. But he did not reveal his decision...Questions from the judges centered mainly on cost, shade along the pier approach, materials...permitting, storm ratings and boating. -- Michael Maltzan Architecture; BIG/Bjarke Ingels Group; Adriaan Geuze/West 8 Urban Design [slide show]- St. Petersburg Times (Florida) |
Lloyd's building joins Grade I elite at tender age of 25: ...puts Richard Rogers's 1986 hi-tech design in the top 2.5% of all listed buildings..."fitting recognition of the sheer splendour of...heroic design. Its dramatic scale and visual dazzle, housing a hyper-efficient commercial complex"..."will protect the building against unsuitable alteration or development while retaining its flexibility to adapt within the market's needs." -- Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners [image]- Guardian (UK) |
Apollo Pavilion relaunch: Peterlee's brutalist blast is given a Grade II* listing: Victor Pasmore's 1969 piece of concrete art situated on County Durham housing estate...faced numerous calls for it to be simply pulled down. But now...finds itself among the most protected structures in the UK. [image]- Guardian (UK) |
Federal building in Indy is the work of 'rock-star' architect, artist: 40 years later, Milton Glaser's downtown mural gets fresh paint - and a new appreciation...Minton-Capehart Federal Building is one of Downtown's most misunderstood and underappreciated buildings...it "was the cutting edge of its day" -- Evans Woollen/Woollen Molzan and Partners (1974)- Indianapolis Star |
The Strength Of Sacred Buildings At The Beginning Of The 21st Century: What these buildings share is an avant-garde and often explicitly expressive formal language that shows an exciting relationship between traditionalism and a pioneering, future-oriented outlook. By Lukas Feireiss -- Ross Barney Architects; Theis and Khan Architects; Aaron Westgate; Daniel Borilla; Wandel Hoefer Lorch; FAT/Fashion Architecture Taste [slide show]- Huffington Post |
Charleston International Airport chooses architect: Denver's Fentress Architects to design $150M in improvements...Those voting against the terminal redevelopment committee's unanimous recommendation preferred a lead local company to keep the money in the Lowcountry. -- Watson Tate Savory Liollio Architecture- Charleston Post and Courier (South Carolina) |
Jean Nouvel: The Pritzker-winning French architect checks in on hotels, carousels and burning down the house: ...he comes across as a teddy bear, albeit a chic Parisian one... By Julie V. Iovine [images]- Wall Street Journal |
Michael Graves on Winning the Driehaus Prize: When asked whether he ever expected to receive the Richard H. Driehaus Prize, which honors a living architect whose work embodies the principles of classical architecture, [he] replied, “Not in a thousand years." By Edward Keegan -- Robert A.M. Stern; Peter Eisenman- Architect Magazine |
Gordon Murray Architects merges with Ryder Architecture: New firm will trade as GMA Ryder- BD/Building Design (UK) |
2011 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence winners announced -- B + H Bunting Coady Architects;Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB)/Smith Carter Architects and Engineers; Patkau Architects/Kearns Mancini Architects; gh3 Architects and Landscape Architects/R.V. Anderson Associates; Zeidler Partnership Architects/Snøhetta; Williamson Chong Architects; Saucier + Perrotte Architectes/Hughes Condon Marler Architects; MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects; etc. [link to images, info]- Canadian Architect |
Call for entries: AIA Diversity Recognition Program seeks submissions featuring exemplary efforts to diversify the architecture profession; open to AIA and non-AIA members; deadline: March 1, 2012- American Institute of Architects (AIA) |
Best Architecture Books of 2011: 10 books sparking creative inspiration plus escapist fare for financially fickle times. By Norman Weinstein- ArchNewsNow |
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Competition winner: BIG/Bjarke Ingels Group: Koutalaki Ski Village, Levi, Finland |
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