Today’s News - Tuesday, December 19, 2017
EDITOR'S NOTE: We are starting to transition to a new mail server. The newsletter will be mailed from Newsletter@ArchNewsnow-Newsletter.com instead of Newsletter@ArchNewsnow.com. Since this is a new site, Today's News may be flagged as spam. If you do not get your newsletter, please check your spam folder.
● ANN feature: Bjone parses "three books that defy expectations. These choices are well off the beaten path but enjoyable in the views of the road least taken."
● Russell tackles the new U.S. tax plan and what it says to cities: "Drop dead. We've seen this movie before. Equity, of course, is not what this basket of tax deplorable is about" (a must-read!).
● Waite, on a (slightly) brighter note asks British architects what their 2018 predictions are: "Will the profession continue to be marginalized? Is business going to get worse before it gets better? Will the housing conundrum finally be cracked?"
● Bliss delves into a new CTBUH study that "challenges some widely held assumptions about urban and suburban development from a few unexpected angles," and finds that density doesn't always mean greener.
● Wainwright x 2: he minces no words re: KieranTimberlake's new U.S. Embassy in London: "the glass citadel aims to be a benign fortress - a 12-storey glass castle" in a "frilly wrapping" that isn't doing its job. "There are some nice moments - but it mostly feels like an unremarkable office block" (ouch!).
● On the other hand, he finds Holl's new Maggie's Centre "hides its battle scars well - a hazy apparition that manages to feel rugged, warm and welcoming at once" (with a few flaws).
● Kafka also hails Holl's Maggie's Cancer Center that is "as much an emotional embrace as it is an intellectual exercise"; its architecture is "serious yet soft - perhaps we can read a vision not just for a better architecture, but a better quality of healthcare facility for all."
● Litt takes a look at the now-approved $140 million renovation of Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena by SHoP and others: It "looks good, but with a caveat": The question is: will the new glass façades "look chilly and unwelcoming," or, "as the architects promise - will they be truly transparent and inviting."
● Giles offers an interesting round-up of some ultra-rich patrons who give up-and-coming architects funding to realize their dreams, and give the public spaces to learn about architecture: "None of these patrons are likely to fund a flashy skyscraper bearing their name, but they're all working in their own way to support architects."
● Wachs ponders "plazas in peril: Why are we wrecking our best modernist landscapes? Maybe because they are underappreciated," they "are threatened by market forces and dumb human decisions."
● There's a lovely little church in Alma, Michigan, designed by an FLW associate, that may face demolition because of needed and costly repairs and no money (maybe an angel will come along and rescue and reuse as something else!).
● On brighter notes: Roanoke, Virginia, has become what many cities like it want to be: "It started by bringing housing to a deserted downtown," and is now a model of "how small industrial cities can reinvent themselves."
● In Sydney, the once-derelict Griffiths Tea building that "has been the source of intrigue among Sydneysiders for more than 30 years" has been transformed and is ready for residents to move in.
● Meanwhile in China's mountainous Yangshuo County, a disused sugar mill is now a (stunning!) a resort hotel (with pix to prove it!).
● And German architect Bengs "has emerged as a leading voice in the effort to save Japan's traditional homes and depopulated mountain villages from extinction."
● The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation launches the website "Pioneering Women of American Architecture" that gives 50 women "their due credit. So why has time forgotten these women? 'Because men write the history books,' says Cynthia Phifer Kracauer."
● Stephens' Q&A with Christiaan Dinkeloo re: the future of his father's firm. "I had been working with the office since the seventh grade. This was my architectural home."
● The U.S. Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations' final (impressive!) list of architects for worldwide embassies includes "some surprises, with a healthy mix of larger and smaller studios."
● The National Endowment for the Humanities announces $12.8 million in grants to projects that include a database to study FLW floor plans and an investigation into the history of Chicago neighborhoods.
● One we couldn't resist: Eyefuls of "Gingerbread City" at the Museum of Architecture in London, a marvelous miniature metropolis made of - guess what, designed by some very notable names (hurry - it closes this Friday!).
| |
|
|
|
To subscribe to the free daily newsletter
click here
|
Christian Bjone: Drama in Architecture: Three Books that Defy Expectations: These choices are all well off the beaten path but enjoyable in the views of the road least taken. -- “World Film Locations”; "The Drama of Space: Spatial Sequences and Compositions in Architecture" by Holger Kleine; "The House that PINTEREST Built" by Diane Keaton- ArchNewsNow.com |
James S. Russell: Tax Plan to Cities: Drop Dead: We’ve seen this movie before...The nation’s housing mess is a key reason working people feel the system is rigged. It will get worse under this tax “reform”: The job of average wage earners would be to pay the taxes the rich are avoiding. To add insult to injury, tax credits that help cities thrive and help people afford to live in them, are on the chopping block...bill also cuts tax incentives for restoring historic buildings...essential for the revitalization of cities that still struggle...Equity, of course, is not what this basket of tax deplorable is about.- JamesSRussell.net |
Richard Waite: 2018 predictions: Will the profession continue to be marginalised? + Is business going to get worse before it gets better? + Will the housing conundrum finally be cracked? Waite asked leading figures about their hopes and expectations for 2018.- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Laura Bliss: When Density Isn't Greener: A new study challenges some widely held assumptions about urban and suburban development: ...a new report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat challenges one of the central tenets of urbanism from a few unexpected angles...To date, most research...has not examined household data in such granular detail...High-rise residents actually consumed about 27% more energy than suburbanites...this pilot study offers quantified evidence that demographics count when it comes to environmental efficiency. -- Antony Wood; Peng Du- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Oliver Wainwright: U.S. embassy proves a catalyst for £15bn Nine Elms regeneration project: ...the glass citadel aims to be a benign fortress...an entire city in a 12-storey glass castle...frilly wrapping isn’t really doing the job it was supposed to...It is held up with a bulky steel frame, clumsily bolted on to the facade, so its main role seems to be blocking the view. There are some nice moments...but the building mostly feels like an unremarkable office block...The feeling of a clunky, contractor-led project jars with the elegance of the current US embassy on Grosvenor Square, a handsome building designed by Eero Saarinen. -- KieranTimberlake [images]- Guardian (UK) |
Oliver Wainwright: A glowing lantern with a bamboo cocoon ... new Maggie's centre hides its battle scars well: It caused outrage - with cries of ‘monstrous carbuncle’...As Steven Holl’s translucent box is unveiled...is it time Maggie’s stopped hiring starchitects? It is a subtle addition to the sober neoclassical stone quadrangle...a hazy apparition that’s barely noticeable from the square, making it hard to believe the design provoked such outrage that it almost didn’t happen...Thankfully the battle scars don’t show...it is a place that manages to feel rugged, warm and welcoming at once. [images]- Guardian (UK) |
George Kafka: Steven Holl’s New Maggie’s Cancer Center is a Pearl of Optimism in Uncertain Political Times: The new St. Bartholomew’s Hospital support facility is a sensitive new neighbor in a historic context: ...misted curtain wall makes it appear as a ghostly shadow...“a thing within a thing”...as much an emotional embrace as it is an intellectual exercise...The architecture is serious yet soft, clearly fitting for the center’s clients...perhaps we can read a vision not just for a better architecture, but a better quality of healthcare facility for all. [images]- Metropolis Magazine |
Steven Litt: Q renovation approved by city planning commission looks good, but with a caveat: ...$140 million project to renovate Quicken Loans Arena...it's worth asking whether the design will justify the investment...looks like it will be a big plus for the Q and downtown. But there's an element of risk and uncertainty about how the final product will look...The big question here is whether the new glass facades will look chilly and unwelcoming, or whether - as the architects promise - they'll be truly transparent and inviting. -- SHoP Architects; Rossetti; Robert P. Madison International; Gensler [images]- Cleveland Plain Dealer |
Oliver Giles: Architects realise their dreams thanks to ultra rich in Hong Kong and China who serve as patrons: ...non-profit organisation Culture For Tomorrow to give up-and-coming architects funding and support to realise their more experimental ideas...Sifang Parkland...a space for the Chinese public to learn about art and architecture...None of these patrons are likely to fund a flashy skyscraper bearing their name, but they’re all working in their own way to support architects. -- Stanley Siu; Steven Holl; David Adjaye; Wang Shu; Ai Weiwei; Ettore Sottsass; Rem Koolhaas/OMA; MVRDV; FAT Architecture/Grayson Perry [images]- South China Morning Post |
Audrey Wachs: Plazas in Peril: Why are we wrecking our best modernist landscapes? ...even successful landscapes...are treated like scenery for architecture...the least appreciated and least understood outdoor spaces...Despite their significance...Maybe because they are underappreciated, many postwar urban parks and plazas are threatened by market forces and dumb human decisions. -- Laurie Olin/Ricardo Legorreta/Barbara McCarren; Dan Kiley; Henry Cobb; Charles Birnbaum/The Cultural Landscape Foundation/TCLF; Lawrence Halprin; M. Paul Friedberg; Sasaki Associates/Hugh Stubbins [images]- The Architect's Newspaper |
Costly repairs, lower attendance put St. Mary’s Church in Alma at crossroads, may face demolition: ...designed by William Wesley Peters, a Frank Lloyd Wright associate...And, it’s not even 60 years old...extensive and costly repairs, neglected in the past, are needed now. And with a dwindling number of parishioners and little money, the parish is at a crossroads. The church may have to be torn down..."estimated that it will cost at least $689,200...However, this is scratching the surface." [image]- Morning Sun News (Alma, Michigan) |
The Small Appalachian City That’s Thriving: Roanoke, Virginia, has become what many cities of its size, geography, and history want to be. It started by bringing housing to a deserted downtown: As small cities struggle to retain young people, Roanoke is attracting them...an unorthodox, rapidly growing downtown neighborhood that didn’t even exist 20 years ago...Perhaps the next step is finding replicable ways to preserve the special character of its neighborhoods.- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Residents ready to move in after PopovBass architects transform once-derelict Griffiths Tea building: ...has been the source of intrigue among Sydneysiders for more than 30 years...“It is a glorious building, with its unique shape...The best thing you can do to an old building is to leave it alone. You cannot design heritage"...the architects mimicked the concept of old-fashioned tea boxes to create the new elements they were introducing to the century-old building... [images]- Domain (Australia) |
Vector Architects converts sugar mill into Alila Yangshuo hotel: ...in China's mountainous Yangshuo County...a resort hotel...involved retaining and repurposing the existing structures and introducing new accommodation buildings that complement their industrial aesthetic. -- Ju Bin of Horizontal Space Design [images]- Dezeen |
Karl Bengs: Keeping Memories Alive: German Building Designer Breathes New Life into Traditional “Kominka”: ...has emerged as a leading voice in the effort to save Japan’s traditional homes and depopulated mountain villages from extinction...To date, Bengs has revived eight old houses in the Taketokoro district, many of which he undertook even before owners had been found...Today, hordes of visitors hoping to get a glimpse of the renovated kominka descend on Taketokoro regularly. [images]- Nippon.com / Nippon Communications Foundation |
Rediscover the Pioneering Women of Architecture That History Forgot: From Florence Knoll to Ada Louise Huxtable, a new research website by the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation gives 50 women in architecture their due credit: “Pioneering Women of American Architecture”...So why has time forgotten these women? “Because men write the history books,” says Cynthia Phifer Kracauer. -- Mary McLeod; Victoria Rosner [images]- Architectural Digest |
Suzanne Stephens: Interview with Christiaan Dinkeloo: John Dinkeloo's son discusses the future of his father's firm: You joined the firm right after your father’s death. It must have been daunting to arrive at this time. "I had been working with the office since the seventh grade. This was my architectural home."- Architectural Record |
U.S. State Department releases final list of designers for worldwide embassies: ...OBO/Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ final selection contains some surprises, with a healthy mix of larger and smaller studios... -- Mark Cavagnero Associates; SHoP Architects; Diller Scofidio + Renfro; Krueck & Sexton Architects; Ennead Architects; Richard + Bauer Architecture; Morphosis Architects; Robert A.M. Stern Architects; Kieran Timberlake; Marlon Blackwell Architects; 1100 Architect; Allied Works Architecture; Ann Beha Architects; Studio Ma; The Miller Hull Partnership; Machado and Silvetti Associates- The Architect's Newspaper |
National Endowment for the Humanities Announces $12.8 million in Grants to 253 Projects: Winning projects include a database to study architectural floor plans of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and an investigation into the history of Chicago neighborhoods: ...will supplement private and public funding of initiatives that range from...the study of Ghana's first planned city, to the renovation of a local museum. The future of the government agency still hangs in the balance...- Architect Magazine |
Top architects join forces to build elaborate Gingerbread City: Recently opened at the Museum of Architecture in London, the miniature metropolis is brimming with contemporary - and almost entirely edible - buildings...landmark buildings, housing, landscape sites or bridges. Zaha Hadid Architects and Foster + Partners have each taken an entire miniature island in the city's Eco Town. [only until December 22!] -- Tibbalds Planning and Urban Design; Studio Egret West; Burwell Deakins; Periscope; Michaelis Boyd Associates; Matthew Lloyd Architects; Bell Phillips Architects; EPR Architects; Architecture for London; PLP Architecture [images]- CNN Style |
ANN feature: Norman Weinstein: Time for Jazzing Up Architectural Imagination? A monumental catalogue of a great exhibition architects need more than they may know - hurry to Cleveland if you missed it in Manhattan. Explore "The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s."- ArchNewsNow.com |
ANN feature: Fred A. Bernstein: Arthur Cotton Moore: Bold Citizen-Architect: Some of the ideas seem impractical. Others would be ruinously expensive. Still others are sensible and ought to be considered, or at least admired for their audacity. A sampling from Moore's new book, "Our Nation's Capital: Pro Bono Publico Ideas." [images]- ArchNewsNow.com |
|
|
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.
© 2017 ArchNewsNow.com