Today’s News - Thursday, March 29, 2018

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tomorrow and Monday will be no-newsletter days. We'll be back Tuesday, April 3 (April already?!!?).

●  Kimmelman at his most eloquent explains why Charleston needs the Pei Cobb Freed-designed International African American Museum, "a subdued, graceful project" - a "plain-spoken modernism comes across as almost whisperingly defiant promising a deliverance from history" in a city that "can come across as Disneyland for the Confederacy."

●  Cummins considers what we should "do with all the bodies" of dying big box stores, and talks to Lewis; Leddy, and Christensen re: "how to remove, reuse, or recycle these fallen retail giants": while "demolition may be the most practical, adaptive reuse is gaining ground" (some "Toys 'R' Us carcasses" to be Amazon brick-and-mortar stores - great read).

●  Lamster laments Dallas's central library "verging on obsolescence, a dated relic from a generation past," while "Austin is reinventing the public library. It is a lesson Dallas would do well to follow."

●  Davidson x 2: He delves into NYC's Design and Construction Excellence program "that has dusted the city with good buildings at an agonizing pace and an exorbitant cost - how to build good public architecture briskly and frugally has little to do with design and everything to do with bureaucracy - it's hard to identify whose decision caused which screw-up."

●  He explains why NYC'ers "should be in favor of congestion pricing": "There's plenty of room for skepticism" - but "the major objections have answers, most of them satisfying" (includes a link to "a beautiful plaything for a data geek").

●  Hume spends some time in the Eternal City and finds, "despite the chaos, crowds, filth, noise, pollution, ankle-breaking sidewalks, murderous traffic," Rome "reminds us of the forgotten power of the beautiful. In Toronto, we make do with Tim Hortons."

●  Santora offers a fascinating tour of Skopje, Macedonia, that "could be one of the kitschiest capitals on the planet," including an "opulent house dedicated to Mother Teresa" he describes as "Miami meets the Flintstones - part of a long-running face-lift for the city roundly derided by urban planners and architects" - though "there are those who appreciate it, even for its sheer madness" (great pix!).

●  LeBlanc cheers the "Dickinsonian vibe still alive" at Centennial College's 1954 Story Arts Centre, "one of Toronto's almost-forgotten Modernist gems" designed by "a larger-than-life, British expat who chain-smoked and partied his way into the hearts of the postwar city."

●  Baird-Remba takes a deep dive into whether SOM's 270 Park Avenue deserve to be saved: Preservationists and architecture fans may be up in arms, but "not everyone believes that it is worthy of being saved - demolition offers an opportunity to think about more efficient ways to take apart skyscrapers," and keeping it could hold the neighborhood back "from competing with more modern office developments."

●  Bernstein profiles Toshiko Mori, who "challenges strong men through her architecture": "I'm respectful but not subservient."

●  A good reason to head west next week, where "the world of design collides in Los Angeles at Dwell on Design," and architects, designers, and industry tastemakers are in "for a sensory experience."

Weekend diversions:

●  The production designer of the stop-motion film "Isle of Dogs" explains how its "hellish and beautiful" architecture was influenced by Metabolist architecture - and FLW.

●  "SUPERSTRUCTURES: The New Architecture 1960-90" at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich, U.K., "showcases the architects who challenged conventions with their experimentation and interest in engineering and industrial production."

●  Q&A with Garrett Nelli, who "challenges the profession to establish a focus on more community-engaged design" with "In the Public Interest" at the Center for Architecture and Design, Seattle.

●  Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA's "The Metropolis in Latin America, 1830-1930" has traveled to NYC's Americas Society.

●  "Philippe Rahm: The Anthropocene Style" at the San Francisco Art Institute is the first U.S. solo show of the Paris-based Swiss architect, whose "practice is at the vanguard of thinking about the future of humanity in an era of rapid climate change."

●  "No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man" at Washington, D.C.'s Smithsonian American Art Museum offers "giant art installations" of everything from "ornate temples to colorful mushrooms to larger-than-life animal sculptures" from "the free-spirited desert festival."

●  The H&deM-designed Parrish Museum, Southampton, NY, presents "Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture," which "tracks how architectural photography sells a narrative as much as the buildings themselves" (great pix!).

Page-turners:

●  Feighan cheers Conway and Haefner's '"Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy" that "goes behind the scenes of 34 iconic buildings - making the case that Michigan was a 'cradle for modernism'" (great pix!).

●  Waldek promises that Allen and McNear's "The Photographer in the Garden will "make you rethink garden photography" - it "chronicles over a century of the relationship between photographers and gardens."

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To subscribe to the free daily newsletter click here Michael Kimmelman: Charleston Needs That African American Museum. And Now: To be built on [Gadsden’s Wharf] where thousands of African slaves once arrived, the International African American Museum needs to secure funding: ...a subdued, modernist, 47,000-square-foot pavilion...A graceful project, long discussed and years overdue...Charleston can come across...as Disneyland for the Confederacy...Cobb describes this project as an “unrhetorical work of architecture.” But that’s not quite true...the museum’s plain-spoken modernism comes across as almost whisperingly defiant...promising a deliverance from history...Symbols matter. The past is present...would clearly be good for more than just business. -- Harry Cobb/Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Walter Hood; Moody Nolan [images]- New York Times Eleanor Cummins:Big box stores are dying. What do we do with all the bodies? How to remove, reuse, or recycle these fallen retail giants: Now, architects, urban planners, and activists are asking: What becomes of these big, empty storefronts and their sprawling parking lots...While it’s not necessarily the preferred option...demolition may be the most practical...second option: adaptive reuse...Turn ghost stores into vibrant housing...churches and community centers...courthouses and museums...adaptive reuse is gaining ground. -- Roger Lewis; William Leddy/Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects; Julia Christensen/"Big Box Reuse"- Popular Science Mark Lamster: Austin is reinventing the public library, and Dallas should too: ...a co-working place, a conference center...a technology hub, a business incubator, a gallery, a bookstore, a live-music venue...a café, a butterfly garden, a bicycle repair clinic...Inside, the brooding exterior gives way to its visual opposite; a bright well of terrific spatial and visual drama...the real product of [$90 million] investment...to provide the foundation for industry in all its forms and build an American economy for the modern age...It is a lesson Dallas would do well to follow. This city's own [1982] central library...is a verging on obsolescence, a dated relic from a generation past. -- Lake|Flato Architects; Shepley Bulfinch [images]- Dallas Morning News Justin Davidson: How Can It Take 15 Years and $32 Million to Build a Neighborhood Library? We’re getting better public buildings, but not without a big downside: Steven Holl’s Queens Public Library in Hunters Point...a two-sided emblem of Design and Construction Excellence...that has dusted the city with good buildings at an agonizing pace and an exorbitant cost...It’s tempting to blame the...roster of fancy architects...how to build good public architecture briskly and frugally has little to do with design and everything to do with bureaucracy...it’s hard to identify whose decision caused which screwup...the process somehow slowly grinds out good buildings...Designing for the city demands a high tolerance for compromise, and an aptitude for flexibility. -- Studio Gang; Rafael Viñoly Architects; Dattner/WXY; Garrison Architects; Dean/Wolf; Marpillero Pollak; WORKac [images]- New York Magazine Justin Davidson: Why You Should Be in Favor of Congestion Pricing in New York: Yes, it’s annoying to be taxed for something that always appeared to be free. Get over it: The city needs congestion pricing...proposals called Fix NYC...are pretty good...There’s plenty of room for skepticism. Models can be wobbly and assumptions misplaced...But against those potential kinks and growing pains and resentful muttering, we have to weigh the certainties that flow from doing nothing...The major objections have answers, most of them satisfying.- New York Magazine Christopher Hume: What Toronto Can Learn About Civic Excellence From Rome: Unlike Toronto, even the most ordinary Roman buildings tend to be part of a larger plan that brings harmony and elegance to the city...In Toronto, where many buildings seem to be at war with their neighbours, the sum of the city’s parts isn’t greater than the whole...a city that many live in but few inhabit...In an age when the very idea of beauty seems quaint, when utility trumps aesthetics every time, Rome reminds us of the forgotten power of the beautiful. In Toronto...we make do with Tim Hortons.- Toronto Storeys Marc Santora: Dancing Nymphs and Pirate Ships: Notes from a Capital of Kitsch: An ambitious building project...in Skopje, Macedonia’s capital...was meant to evoke an ancient past. It has created a wild present: A house dedicated to Mother Teresa...done up in an opulent style that can best be described as Miami meets the Flintstones...part of a long-running face-lift for the city...roundly derided by urban planners and architects...it was rushed into reality at the cost of structural integrity and functionality...“Architecture at its heart is about honesty,” [architect Nikola Strezovski] said...covering buildings in false facades...is about as dishonest as you can get...there are those who appreciate it, even for its sheer madness. -- Kenzo Tange [images]- New York Times Dave LeBlanc: Dickinsonian vibe still alive at Centennial College's [1954] Story Arts Centre: A Modernist adaptive-reuse success story that continues to inspire creative types to this day: ...one of Toronto's almost-forgotten Modernist gems...penned by Peter Dickinson, a larger-than-life, British expat who chain-smoked and partied his way into the hearts of the postwar city...touches of Dickinson remain both large and small. -- Page and Steele; Alar Kongats [images]- Globe and Mail (Canada) Rebecca Baird-Remba: Does 270 Park Avenue Deserve to Be Saved? When J.P. Morgan Chase announced...it would demolish its 52-story headquarters...Architecture writers were quick to point out...the Union Carbide Building was an important example of mid-century corporate architecture...perhaps the first high-rise designed by a woman...Not everyone believes that 270 Park is worthy of being saved...demolition of such a large building offers an opportunity to think about more efficient ways to take apart skyscrapers...protecting buildings like 270 Park may simply be holding the neighborhood back, preventing it from competing with more modern office developments... -- Natalie de Blois/Gordon Bunshaft/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM); Alexandra Lange; Justin Davidson; Matt Shaw- Commercial Observer (NYC) Fred A. Bernstein: Immigrant Stories: Toshiko Mori Challenges Strong Men Through Her Architecture: Of renovating buildings by architecture masters she has said, "I'm respectful but not subservient": What may be intimidating challenges to some are invigorating to her...Born in Kobe, Japan...As a budding architect, she benefited from mentors on both sides of the Pacific. -- Kazuo Shinohara; John Hejduk; Edward Larrabee Barnes; James Carpenter- Architectural Digest The world of design collides in Los Angeles at Dwell on Design - gathers architects and designers with industry tastemakers for a sensory experience. April 5-7- Dwell on Design Wes Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" film sets influenced by Metabolist architecture: The "hellish and beautiful" architecture...takes its cues from the work of Japanese architect Kenzo Tange, says production designer Paul Harrod...he studied Tange, as well as other examples of Japan's future-focused Metabolist architecture movement, to create the film's sets...Another source of inspiration was the Japanese architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. [images]- Dezeen Sainsbury Centre celebrates 40th anniversary with show on tech-inspired architecture: ...the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich is pretty iconic...the first ever public building designed by Norman Foster, and one of the key architecture landmarks of the second half of the 20th century that heralded the era of the ‘High Tech’ movement..."SUPERSTRUCTURES: The New Architecture 1960-90"...showcases the architects who challenged conventions with their experimentation and interest in engineering and industrial production. thru September 2 -- Foster + Partners [images]- Wallpaper* Architecture's Evolving Role: How Community-Engaged Design Can Encourage Social Change: A lack of interest in critical social issues from a profession that holds such high responsibility within a community is a problem that should no longer be avoided. In "In the Public Interest" at the Center for Architecture and Design, Seattle, Garrett Nelli challenges the profession to establish a focus on more community-engaged design. Q&A re: his research and how you can begin to implement elements into your design practice to help promote social change in your own communities. thru May 26- ArchDaily Latin American cities at the turn of the century go on view at the Americas Society, New York City: "The Metropolis in Latin America, 1830–1930"...a leading feature of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA...an initiative led by the Getty Research Institute...presents a century-long narrative of...Buenos Aires, Havana, Lima, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Santiago de Chile...The shift from Iberian urban regulations to independent national authority was expressed through a diverse set of novel and imported models of architectural design and urban planning. thru June 30 [images]- The Architect's Newspaper "Philippe Rahm: The Anthropocene Style": Decorative style in a new age of global warming: The first solo exhibition in the United States of Paris-based Swiss architect known internationally for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of climate, architecture, and physiological space...Rahm’s practice is at the vanguard of thinking about the future of humanity in an era of rapid climate change. San Francisco Art Institute thru May 19- San Francisco Art Institute The Art of Burning Man is coming to Washington D.C.'s Smithsonian American Art Museum this Friday: From ornate temples to colorful mushrooms to larger-than-life animal sculptures, the giant art installations...are a hallmark of the free-spirited desert festival [in] Black Rock Desert, Nevada...“No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man”...organized with feedback from the Burning Man community, who played a major role in selecting the pieces for the exhibition. thru January 21, 2019 [images]- Archinect Photography’s power to shape the experience of architecture goes on display at the Parrish Museum, Southampton, New York: "Image Building: How Photography Transforms Architecture" tracks how architectural photography sells a narrative as much as the buildings themselves...57 images by 17 renowned and lesser-known photographers who shaped a language of architectural photography that’s survived well into the age of Instagram...Parrish, designed by Herzog & de Meuron...itself was partly the inspiration for the show. thru June 17 [images]- The Architect's Newspaper Maureen Feighan: New book secures Michigan’s role in modernism movement: "Michigan Modern: An Architectural Legacy" by Brian Conway and photographer Jim Haefner goes behind the scenes of 34 iconic buildings, homes...making the case that Michigan was a “cradle for modernism"... [images]- Detroit News Stefanie Waldek: These Stunning Images Will Make You Rethink Garden Photography: "The Photographer in the Garden" by Jamie M. Allen and Sarah Anne McNear chronicles over a century of the relationship between photographers and gardens: ...examines the relationship between the image and the cultivated landscape. Here, we take a look at 11 stunning photographs from the book. [images]- Architectural Digest

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