Today’s News - Thursday, December 6, 2018

EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's news is a bit long, but tomorrow and Monday will be no-newsletter days, so you have time to take it all in. We'll be back Tuesday, December 11.

●  Weinstein at his eloquent best with his pick of the 10 Best Architecture and Design Books of 2018, which he describes as "invaluable and impeccably designed"; "quirkily inclusive"; "charmingly loopy"; "enthralling"; "produced with panache" (and then some!).

●  Hagberg Fisher criticizes the current state of criticism - these days, "all anybody wants to talk about is urbanism - there are more angles of attack. Bike lanes! Scooters! Traffic! Writing about a single building is harder. It requires more nuance, experience, and practice."

●  Betsky reports on a recent gathering of a "black-clad array of architecture deans and officials" in Beijing: "Within the next five years, Therrien pointed out, the first Generation Z-ers will be appointed deans at major architecture schools. The rest of us should get ready for retirement - assigned to the dust heap of history."

●  Kimmelman cheers Snøhetta's revised plans for the AT&T building (a.k.a. 550 Madison): "This time, less is more. And credit to those who stood up for saving an architectural lightning rod - it was one of Johnson's decorated sheds," and the original plan "dressed the shed in drag."

●  Gonchar gives (mostly) thumbs-up to Allied Works' National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio: The "inventive circular structure was tricky to analyze. 'I had never designed a building that no one wanted to build,' Cloepfil says wryly" (if only it "were more transparent").

●  Lubell takes us on a tour of Miami and its starchitect-studded "bold and brilliant" architecture: "The city's recent wave of designs for buildings and even parking garages could be its most ambitious yet."

●  Speaking of Miami, we cheer Aric Chen being named curatorial director for Design Miami/ next year, and Nash's Q&A re: Chen's new role, what he envisions for 2019, his current design inspiration, and more.

●  ICYMI: ANN feature: rise Up: Sponsors are cheering on their student/architect teams working to find low-cost, sustainable housing solutions in the rise in the city 2018 design competition - but there are still teams that need sponsorship. Join those who are already reaping the rewards of the partnerships!

Winners all:

●  The five finalists in the running for MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program 2019 "hint at MoMA's commitment to showcasing forward-thinking architects who use eye-catching design, strategic planning, and social media to garner global influence."

●  Richard Rogers wins the 2019 AIA Gold Medal: "Rogers shows us that, perhaps, the architect's most lasting role is that of a good citizen of the world," sayeth Palumbo.

●  Payette wins the 2019 AIA Architecture Firm Award: "Their internal culture is one of curiosity and inclusiveness, resulting in a vibrant studio workshop powered by research and collaboration," sayeth Scott Wolf of Miller Hull.

Deadlines:

●  Call for entries: AIA/ALA Library Building Awards: open to any architect licensed in the U.S.; projects may be located anywhere in the world.

●  Call for entries: the Chicago Architectural Club's 2018 Chicago Prize Competition: Crossing the Line (international, and oddly, 2018 is correct).

●  Call for entries: ZK/U Berlin Residencies, open to "artists, scholars and practitioners who concern themselves with the phenomenon of 'the city.'"

●  Call for entries: 2019 Fairy Tales competition (one of our faves - but register today or pay higher fee).

●  Call for entries: Gauja National Park Footbridge competition (international): design an entryway footbridge to Latvia's largest national park (early-bird registration deadline looms!).

●  Call for entries: Abu Dhabi Flamingo Observation Tower competition (international): design an observation tower and boardwalk in the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve early-bird registration deadline looms!).

●  Call for entries: The Rome Collective Living Challenge competition (international): design a concept for affordable housing in Rome that fits the ideals of a co-living lifestyle (early-bird registration deadline looms!).

A weekend diversion we couldn't resist:

●  "The most wonderful slime of the year: Tate Britain's giant Christmas slugs accompanied by swathes of blue and white LED slug trails across the building's historic facade" (how could we resist?!!?).

Page-turners:

●  Welton x 2: "Le Corbusier: The Built Work": "Its scope alone is fairly breathtaking - it has it all" (great pix by Pare!).

●  His Q&A with Helen Thomas re: "Drawing Architecture" re: the book's intent and more.

●  Campbell-Dollaghan cheers Thomas's "Drawing Architecture," an "unusual, unpretentious" and "subtly provocative" book - "especially in a field that has spent decades, and plenty of ink, debating whether drawing is 'dead.' Thomas manages to make it seem a bit silly."

●  Fixsen's great Q&A with Lamster re: "The Man in the Glass House," a "dynamic composite sketch, one that shifts throughout Johnson's numerous (and ludicrous and troubling) ideological transformations."

●  Betsky cheers "Mark Foster Gage: Projects and Provocations," a "scrumptious new monograph. It is a strange world indeed, and an elegant one, that succeeds in disquieting and delighting exactly because it so strangely familiar."

●  Friesike's "It's a Gas: The Allure of the Gas Station" presents "the world's weirdest gas stations. While gas stations are not exactly known to be beacons of brilliant architecture, this book proves otherwise" (Jay Leno "waxes poetic," too).

●  "Garage" by Erlanger and Govela is "an intellectual history of an often overlooked space - a symbol of suburbia, a site of rebellion, and a very strange room - the first time the machine is given a room to sleep" (think FLW and Jobs and Wozniak).

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To subscribe to the free daily newsletter click here ANN feature: Norman Weinstein: Best Architecture and Design Books of 2018: 10 Books to deepen historical awareness and stretch imagination.- ArchNewsNow.com Eva Hagberg Fisher: Criticism in Crisis: the recurring refrain of what happened to all the good architecture writing: ...I left New York when architecture was a thing and when I returned, all anybody wants to talk about is ... urbanism...But am I right about my urbanism hypothesis? It’s not that urbanism as a subject is inherently easier to write about, but that there are more angles of attack. Bike lanes! Scooters! Traffic! The subway! Writing about a single building...is harder. It requires more nuance, experience, and practice...Maybe everything is actually fine, because everyone I called cares a lot about architecture...- Architect Magazine Aaron Betsky: Bonfire of the Architecture Bosses: On a recent trip to Beijing, he observes as his fellow deans and directors gather to plan their retirement: “A new generation is coming,” warned the Guggenheim Museum’s...Troy Conrad Therrien, as he looked down at the black-clad array of architecture deans and officials (including myself)...Within the next five years, he pointed out, the first Generation Z-er will be appointed deans at major architecture schools. The rest of us should get ready for retirement...All of us were being assigned to the dust heap of history...it did seem clear to me that the current generation...is at the end of making whatever contributions they have to offer.- Architect Magazine Michael Kimmelman: For AT&T, Balancing Change and Preservation Under the Same Broken Pediment: Now that the former AT&T headquarters by Philip Johnson is a freshly minted city landmark, Snohetta has gone back to the drawing board...and found a solution: This time, less is more. And credit to those who stood up for saving an architectural lightning rod...AT&T was one of Johnson’s decorated sheds...Snohetta’s glass wall...dressed the shed in drag...the firm’s new strategy...leaves Madison Avenue’s facade along with the north and south sides of the building completely intact - in total, 94% of the exterior...won’t be touched. -- John Burgee- New York Times Joann Gonchar: National Veterans Memorial and Museum by Allied Works, Columbus, Ohio: An inventive circular structure...is home to a new institution celebrating veterans: ...the unusual form was tricky to analyze...“I had never designed a building that no one wanted to build,” Cloepfil says wryly...The NVMM is part of a larger effort to revitalize the Scioto Peninsula, directly across the river from downtown...If only the NVMM were more transparent, it would have been a building that was approachable and welcoming without blunting its sculptural presence. -- Brad Cloepfil; OLIN; Ralph Appelbaum Associates- Architectural Record Sam Lubell: In Miami, Embracing the Bold and Brilliant in Architecture: The city’s recent wave of designs for buildings and even parking garages could be its most ambitious yet: Fitting for a place that cherishes A-listers, virtually every celebrity architect in the world, and many rising stars, have built there in the last decade. -- Rem Koolhaas/OMA; Frank Gehry; Herzog & De Meuron; Zaha Hadid’s Architects; Grimshaw; César Pelli; Terence Riley/K/R; WORKac; J. Mayer H; Clavel Arquitectos; Nicolas Buffe; IwamotoScott; Leong Leong; Aranguren & Gallegos [images]- New York Times David Nash: Aric Chen Named Curatorial Director for Design Miami/: The Shanghai-based architecture and design curator and critic spent the past six years as lead curator for Hong Kong’s M+ museum. He’s also served as creative director for Beijing Design Week...will oversee exhibitions, collaborations, and commissions in both Miami Beach and Basel. Q&A re: his new role with Design Miami/, what he envisions for 2019, his current design inspiration, and more.- Architectural Digest MoMA picks five finalists for the MoMA PS1 Young Architects Program 2019: The selection below hints at MoMA’s commitment to showcasing forward-thinking architects who use eye-catching design, strategic planning, and social media to garner global influence. -- Pedro & Juana/Ana Paula/Ruiz Galindo/Mecky Reuss, Mexico City; Low Design Office (LOWDO)/DK Osseo-Asare, State College, Pennsylvania; Oana Stanescu/Family/Friends of +Pool, New York City; Matter Design/Brandon Clifford, Boston; TO/Carlos Facio/Jose G. Amozurrutia, Mexico City- The Architect's Newspaper Richard Rogers Wins 2019 AIA Gold Medal: The Pritzker Prize-winning architect of the Centre Pompidou and Lloyd’s of London will be awarded the Institute’s highest honor...Peter Palumbo: "Rogers shows us that, perhaps, the architect’s most lasting role is that of a good citizen of the world." -- Team 4; Piano + Rogers; Richard Rogers Partnership; Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSH+P) [images]- Architect Magazine Payette Wins 2019 AIA Architecture Firm Award: The Boston firm is the 56th recipient of the annual award: ...the approximately 160-person office is known in the industry for its technical expertise and research, as well as its predilection for pragmatic, high-performance architecture that prioritizes design...Scott Wolf/Miller Hull Partnership: “Their internal culture is one of curiosity and inclusiveness, resulting in a vibrant studio workshop powered by research and collaboration.”- Architect Magazine Call for entries: AIA/ALA Library Building Awards: open to any architect licensed in the U.S.; projects may be located anywhere in the world; deadline: January 14, 2019- American Institute of Architects (AIA) / American Library Association (ALA) Call for entries: 2018 Chicago Prize Competition: Crossing the Line (international): select one or multiple material and/or immaterial lines that form Chicago, identify their significance, and propose a design that addresses the urban ramifications of these lines; open to professionals & students; cash prizes; earlybird registration (save money!): December 27 (final registration & submissions due January 21, 2019- Chicago Architectural Club Call for entries: 3-8 month ZK/U Berlin Residency: open to artists, scholars and practitioners who concern themselves with the phenomenon of ‘the city’ and initiatives that create spaces for encounter and exchange between citizens from diverse backgrounds; deadline: December 16- ZK/U Center for Art and Urbanistics Call for entries: 2019 Fairy Tales competition (international): A successful entry combines a text narrative with 5 images in the most spectacular way possible. Beyond that, the rules are yours to create, bend, and break; cash prizes; regular registration: December 6 (late registration/submission deadline: January 4, 2019)- Blank Space Call for entries: Gauja National Park Footbridge competition (international): design an entryway footbridge to Latvia’s largest national park; open to professionals & students; cash prizes; earlybird registration (save money!): December 14 (submissions due April 26, 2019)- Bee Breeders (formerly HMMD/Homemade Dessert) / Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia Call for entries: Abu Dhabi Flamingo Observation Tower competition (internationa): design an observation tower and accompanying boardwalk in the Al Wathba Wetland Reserve in Abu Dhabi; cash prizes; earlybird registration deadline (save money!): December 18; regular registration deadline: February 26, 2019 (latge registration & submission deadline: April 30, 2019)- Bee Breeders (formerly HMMD/Homemade Dessert) / Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) Call for entries: The Rome Collective Living Challenge competition (international): design a concept for affordable housing in Rome that fits the ideals of a co-living lifestyle; cash prizes; earlybird registration deadline (save money!): December 11; regular registration: February 15, 2019 (late registration deadline: April 19, 2019 (submissions due: June 6, 2019)- Bee Breeders (formerly HMMD/Homemade Dessert) / ARCHHIVE Books The most wonderful slime of the year: Tate Britain's giant Christmas slugs: London gallery to light up season with anarchic artist’s Attenborough-inspired work: Monster Chetwynd has installed two giant and illuminated leopard slug sculptures...over 10 metres long...accompanied by swathes of blue and white LED slug trails across the building’s historic facade. thru February 25 [images]- Guardian (UK) J. Michael Welton: "Le Corbusier: The Built Work": Its scope alone is fairly breathtaking: 66 projects, 480 pages and about 500 images...[The book] has it all, especially photography by Richard Pare....Words are from author and curator Jean-Louis Cohen, who is striving...to help people understand the sometimes-controversial, not-always-loved architect. And he’s been painstakingly thorough...this is a serious book for any lover of 20th-century modernism. [images]- Architects + Artisans J. Michael Welton: “Drawing Architecture” by Helen Thomas is a book of visually paired images that draw connections and contrasts between architecture from different times, styles and places. Q&A: The book's intent? "Essentially, to introduce architectural drawings to non-architects as objects that are beautiful, interesting and can tell a story about the world that we live in, while at the same time being appealing to architects and students as a different way of presenting architectural history."- Architects + Artisans Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan: A gorgeous look at 4,000 years of architectural drawings: "Drawing Architecture," a beautiful new tome from Phaidon and architect Helen Thomas that spans 2130 BC to 2018 AD...an unusual and unpretentious book...subtly provocative - especially in a field that has spent decades, and plenty of ink, debating whether drawing is “dead.” Without specifically addressing that debate, Thomas manages to make it seem a bit silly. [images]- Fast Company / Co.Design Anna Fixsen: The Power and Paradox of Philip Johnson: ...Mark Lamster talks about his recent biography of America’s original starchitect and the many contradictions he discovered along the way - from [his] Nazi past, to his many reinventions: For nearly a decade, Lamster meticulously sifted through Johnson’s personal correspondence, his architectural archives, and even FBI documents...The result is a dynamic composite sketch, one that shifts throughout Johnson’s numerous (and ludicrous and troubling) ideological transformations...[his] power - a flak jacket of wealth and wit - saved him again and again. -- "The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century"- Metropolis Magazine Aaron Betsky: Kitbashing Beauty: He reviews Mark Foster Gage’s new monograph and writes that his designs are modern equivalents to Gothic cathedrals: ...in the scrumptious new monograph, "Mark Foster Gage: Projects and Provocations"...he rails against what he calls the “existing pseudo-military-industrial complex of ‘research architecture'"...he is a strong believer in...Speculative Realism or Object-Oriented Ontology (Triple O, in student-speak)...It is a strange world indeed, and an elegant one, that succeeds in disquieting and delighting exactly because it so strangely familiar. [images]- Architect Magazine Jay Leno's Longtime Obsession with the Design of Gas Stations: The former Tonight Show host waxes poetic about all things gas stations in a new book and web series: "It’s a Gas: The Allure of the Gas Station" by Sascha Friesike...a photo book documenting the world’s weirdest gas stations, from California to Thailand...While gas stations are not exactly known to be beacons of brilliant architecture, this book proves otherwise. [images]- Architectural Digest Why There’s No Place Quite Like the American Garage: The garage is a symbol of suburbia, a site of rebellion, and a very strange room: "Garage" by Olivia Erlanger and Luis Ortega Govela...an intellectual history of an often overlooked space...a garage might seem like a utilitarian place. But in the analysis...[it] is a central space of 20th-century America, where modernism and suburban values collide with unexpected power...“It’s the first time the machine is given a room to sleep in...the Freudian id of the home.” Frank Lloyd Wright [images]- Atlas Obscura ANN feature: rise Up - be part of the solution for Africa's housing crisis: Sponsors are cheering on their student/architect teams working to find low-cost, sustainable housing solutions - but there are still teams that need sponsorship. Join those who are already reaping the rewards of the partnerships!- ArchNewsNow.com

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