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Today's News - July 26, 2002

New design debates are sure to arise when the winner of the 55 Water Street plaza renovation competition is announced in mid-September, and the six shortlisted proposals are put on exhibit.

For the time being, there's no let-up on news about Ground Zero: John King offers an insightful profile of Billie Tsien, the only architect on the board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. "For political reasons, they needed an Asian, they needed a woman…," she said. (We only hope that she doesn't resign.) For Richard Florida (author of "The Rise of the Creative Class"), "economics" is not a dirty word in making "Lower Manhattan become the prototypical hub of the 21st century." And LMDC president Lou Tomson is surprisingly candid.

Meanwhile, there's the rest of the world: "Enthusiastic pragmatism" is the way of the future, or so it is said at the UIA Congress in Berlin. That means, according to another pundit, the future will be "in the hands of children and of women."

The future of housing and urban planning: barns in Colorado inspire affordable housing in Kenya. And you could probably substitute any city with any of the stories from Portland to Pittsburgh, and Sydney to Chongqing. There is praise (will protect urban character) and derision ("watered-down imitation vanilla," "1950s-style Russian housing," and "instant slums") for "pattern book planning" (expect to hear that phrase more often!). On a most positive note, entire buildings really are being recycled…and much more.


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Six Teams Named Finalists in the Public Plaza Design Competition for 55 Water Street in Downtown Manhattan- ArchNewsNow

AN AMERICAN PORTRAIT Sept. 11--July 26: In New York, architecture vs. economics. Woman fights to ensure that sense of inspiration prevails at twin towers memorial By John King - Billie Tsien- San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion: People Who Can Rebuild a City: The most sensible approach to rebuilding Lower Manhattan is to help it become what it is becoming anyway — a multifaceted creative hub. By Richard Florida- New York Times

A Conversation With Lou Tomson, President of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation: " I think we can be more bold and innovative..."- Gotham Gazette

International community cheers 2030 vision: ..and showed the problems that future generations will face in achieving this vision. - Christoph Ingenhoven/Overdiek und Partner; Richard Kroeker; Valerie Portefaix- The Architects' Journal (UK)

Bank reports contract on gold dome building: Some preservationists remained cautious- The Oklahoman

Enchanting "shells of steel" houses: 90 per cent of the material used to construct the house can be recycled...takes two weeks to construct - Planning Systems Services- East African Standard (Kenya)

Urban living gets new push: Downtown Baltimore apartments promoted- The News Journal (Delaware)

Columbia Villa faces transformation: Oregon's largest and most stigmatized public housing project, is slated for demolition and rebirth as a mixed-income community- The Oregonian

Opinion: Flat-out developers must realise the whole is more important than its parts: The move towards architect-designed apartments will help protect Sydney's character, Chris Johnson writes.- Sydney Morning Herald

How Sydney's architects seem to favour the bland over the brave: There is plenty of glass but not enough class when it comes to the harbour city's buildings, writes Davina Jackson.- Sydney Morning Herald

China's Largest Municipality Prepares for Facelift: Six design companies from Germany, France, the United States, Shanghai and Chongqing are taking part...new urban planning scheme- People's Daily (China)

Prescott earmarks 42 brownfield sites for new homes- The Guardian (UK)

Some worry that Waterfront developer may bring ho-hum housing to North Shore: [potentially] "watered-down imitation vanilla;" 1950s-style Russian housing;" "instant slums"- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

North Shore architect field narrows: The Design Alliance and Strada are the finalists.- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Designer of edifices: Of all the architects' firms of old Shanghai, Palmer & Turner...left the city with the richest architectural heritage.- Shanghai Star

Life in the Woodlands: Houston-area mall developers announce large 'lifestyle' expansion for 2003- VisualStore

Architects give Pittsburgh clubs a facelift: Architect sightings are rare in the buzz and throb of Pittsburgh nightclubs... - Fukui Architects; Ross Bianco Architects; Melvin Fain Architects [images]- Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)

Demolished Montgomery Ward store is not going to waste: Turner Construction's latest example of reclaiming an old structure...goal is to recycle 95 percent of the building- The Oregonian

Who What When - 7/25/02: of interest, on the boards, firm news, and people on the move- ArchNewsNow

 

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