Today’s News - Wednesday, April 3, 2013
• ArcSpace revisits MVRDV's 2005 Gemini Residence on Copenhagen's waterfront + Wiles whiles away some time with Winy, the "pixel prophet using towers to increase urban density and using the pixel as a basis for 21st-century architecture" (Lego's included).
• McEwen takes on "urbanists vs. technocrats" in Detroit: "what we are seeing are two different disciplines - abstract finance and urban planning - telling two very different stories about the same city" (a fascinating read).
• Hume tackles the car vs. condo syndrome: "Condos are helping to turn Toronto into a real city. Transit is the city's and the region's Achilles' heel."
• Jaffe reports on a new TOD initiative in Phoenix, a "walkability gamble that might actually pay off" - even with the city's "rich history of sprawl."
• The New South Wales Government releases its planning application for Darling Harbour precinct overhaul that includes "extended public parkland that is identifiably 'Sydney' in character."
• Litt lights up at the thought of Cleveland's PlayhouseSquare aiming for "a bright lights, big city feel. The idea is not to mimic the glitz of Times Square, but to make the district's artistic vitality visible day and night."
• Pogrebin gets word that the Municipal Art Society of New York has tapped Calatrava, DS+R, SHoP, and SOM to re-envision New York's Penn Station and Madison Square Garden (hope springs eternal?).
• An Israeli architect and planner minces no words when it comes to what it's going to take "if there is to be any real hope for Israeli architects to help shape the future" when starchitects seem to be hogging the limelight: "Never has architecture been given to such extreme extravagance, to such little true human purpose."
• A look at the "rise and fall of RMJM": it is now "being swallowed up" by an investment firm. "But the Scottish architecture world is confident that it could once again, phoenix-like, rise from the ashes" (well, not the entire Scottish architecture world).
• MIT's D'Hooghe looks to remake the 'burbs by building better big boxes: "The future of our cities is in the gradual densification of our suburbs. If we can make the big box more intelligent..."
• Lamster queries Bernheimer about his "rather analytical approach" to designing a new outpost for an iconic New York fast food joint (beyond design, "I don't believe ketchup should be allowed in a hot dog restaurant").
• Speaking of fast-food joints, Capps has an amusing (and most interesting) take on McDonald's looking for a new master architect - make that "McArchitect" (some great links, including to the job offering).
• Revisiting a 1988 L.A. Times Magazine feature that offered what futurists thought the city would look like in 2013, "what they got right (and wrong) paints a fascinating picture of the ability and limits of people to guess where the world is heading."
• Dunlap offers a most eloquent tribute to Toan, who "was among the first architects to wrestle seriously with the challenges of creating long-term living quarters in space" (Rick Bell as astronaut stand-in and Star Trek included).
• RAIC | Architecture Canada bestows the inaugural 2013 Emerging Architectural Practice Award to 5468796 Architecture.
• Next week AIA celebrates National Architecture Week.
| |
|
|
|
To subscribe to the free daily newsletter
click here
|
|
Image Library: MVRDV: Gemini Residence (2005): The old twin Seed Silos on Copenhagen's waterfront transformed into exciting new residences in a new urban district. |
Pixel prophet: ...using towers to increase urban density and using the pixel as a basis for 21st-century architecture...Pixellation is Maas’s route to combining individualism and collectivism through high density. By Will Wiles -- Winy Maas/MVRDV [images]- Icon (UK) |
Urbanists vs. Technocrats in Detroit: ...transformation and decay can often appear indistinguishable...If the technocratic logic of the Emergency Management seems irrefutable to you, consider the lesser-circulated statistics...what we are seeing are two different disciplines - abstract finance and urban planning - telling two very different stories about the same city. By Mitch McEwen- Huffington Post |
Cars, not condos, are Toronto’s biggest threat: Despite concerns about rampant urban growth, Toronto’s problem is more the car than the condo...Condos are helping to turn Toronto into a real city...Transit is the city's and the region’s Achilles’ heel. By Christopher Hume- Toronto Star |
Phoenix's Walkability Gamble Might Actually Pay Off: The Reinvent PHX initiative will try to guide transit-oriented development in five districts along the new light rail corridor...The challenges of implementing a strong livability program in a city with such a rich history of sprawl are considerable. By Eric Jaffe- The Atlantic Cities |
NSW release plans for Darling Harbour precinct overhaul: ...20-hectare precinct...will bring a new level of public amenity for visitors and citizens through extended public parkland that is identifiably 'Sydney' in character...has attracted controversy as it will mean the demolition of the award winning Cox Richardson designed current convention centre. -- Hassell; OMA; Populous [images]- Architecture & Design (Australia) |
PlayhouseSquare aims for a bright lights, big city feel with $16 million in signage, digital displays and amenities: The idea is not to mimic the glitz of Times Square in New York but to make the district’s artistic vitality visible day and night on its streets and sidewalks. By Steven Litt -- Barnycz Group- Cleveland Plain Dealer |
Challenging Architects for a New Vision of Penn Station: The Municipal Art Society of New York is calling on four design firms to re-envision New York’s Penn Station and Madison Square Garden...will have until May 29 to propose new designs... By Robin Pogrebin -- Santiago Calatrava; Diller Scofidio + Renfro; SHoP Architects; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)- New York Times |
Global architecture in Israel: Never has architecture been given to such extreme extravagance, to such little true human purpose...If there is to be any real hope for Israeli architecture to help shape the future, two key elements are essential: well-informed clients...and young, native talent...that needs to be given the opportunity to express its creative potential. By Gerard Heumann -- Santiago Calatrava; Richard Meier; Preston Scott Cohen; Pei Cobb Freed ; Studio Libeskind; SANAA; Foster + Partners; Frank Gehry- Jerusalem Post |
The rise and fall of RMJM: Now, the firm that was rescued from receivership by a new Morrison-owned company called RMJM Architecture some months ago is being swallowed up by Duthus Investments. But the Scottish architecture world is confident that it could once again, phoenix-like, rise from the ashes – if the right business sense prevails.- The Scotsman (UK) |
Building a better big box: MIT architect Alexander D’Hooghe looks to remake suburbs and other neighborhoods with ‘more intelligent’ designs...director of the Center for Advanced Urbanism [says] "The future of our cities is in the gradual densification of our suburbs...If we can make the big box more intelligent..." -- Organization for Permanent Modernity- MIT News |
Q&A: How to Design an Iconic NY Fast Food Joint: How do you design an outpost of a legendary fast-food joint without losing its character? Papaya King's architect, took a rather analytical approach... By Mark Lamster -- Andrew Bernheimer/Bernheimer Architecture [slide show]- Design Observer |
Now Hiring: McArchitect: McDonald's is looking for a new master architect. The right person could follow in the footsteps of architects who have touched design history...[it] has a much more distinguished architectural pedigree than you might imagine. By Kriston Capps -- Stanley Meston; Dirk Lohan [images, links]- Architect Magazine |
2013, As Imagined By Futurists In 1988: Twenty-five years ago, Los Angeles Times Magazine envisioned what the world would look like a quarter-century in the future. What they got right (and wrong) paints a fascinating picture of the ability and limits of people to guess where the world is heading.- Fast Company |
This Architect Was Aboard the Space Station 45 Years Ago: Danforth W. Toan, who died on Jan. 16 at 94, was among the first architects to wrestle seriously with the challenges of creating long-term living quarters in space...Grumman "wanted someone who could think about habitability in the abstract"...For inspiration, he would watch “Star Trek” with his son... By David W. Dunlap -- Rick Bell; Warner Burns Toan Lunde- New York Times |
RAIC | Architecture Canada announces recipient of inaugural 2013 Emerging Architectural Practice Award: The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada has selected 5468796 Architecture..."It clearly stands out on the Canadian architectural landscape and is undeniably helping to reshape it." -- Johanna Hurme, MRAIC, Sasa Radulovic, MRAIC, Colin Neufeld, MRAIC- Canadian Architect |
American Institute of Architects Celebrates National Architecture Week, April 7–13- American Institute of Architects (AIA) |
Nuts + Bolts #3: Focus on the Future: Keys to Steady Growth in a Slow Recovery: Business forecasts are looking brighter, but steady, measured growth is still your best strategy for success. By Steve Whitehorn- ArchNewsNow |
|
|
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window.
External news links are not endorsed by ArchNewsNow.com.
Free registration may be required on some sites.
Some pages may expire after a few days.
© 2013 ArchNewsNow.com