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Today's News - December 19, 2006

Richard Rogers calls upon the social, moral, and political dimensions of architecture. -- Mayne's softer side: "It's called maturity, I guess." -- Tempelhof airport's "fascinating history may not be enough to save it from closure" (or might it become a luxury clinic?). -- Should one of New Orleans's "rare expressions of mid-20th-century modernism" bite the dust for a good cause? -- Big plans for a "cultural cluster" in Tucson. -- An "old lion of architecture" puts his glassiest face in Washington. -- An architectural first: a call to have all of Le Corbusier's work worldwide declared World Heritage Sites. -- An overlooked issue as Atlantic Yards debate comes to a boil: what's with the giant signs, and "why must they even partially obscure the architecture?" -- A dark-sky mover and shaker in NYC wants us all to see stars. -- Planning pitfalls: survey data that trade precision for timeliness. -- Rochon's top picks for 2006: there's only one. -- Retail design creating "modern cathedrals to consumerism" (and the end of fluorescent lighting - a good thing). -- For you last-minute holiday shoppers: books, books, and more books - critics' favorite picks.

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How to build intelligent suburbs: The urgency of climate change makes the rebirth of our cities crucial to the planet, and its people... Architecture is not just aesthetic; it has social, moral and political dimensions. By Richard Rogers- Guardian (UK)

A Defiant Architect’s Gentler Side: Can it be that Thom Mayne, the architect of confrontation, has gone soft? His acclaimed design for Paris’s tallest office building...a far cry from the sharp corners, violent eruptions and fragmented forms that led some to call him the architect of dislocation. -- Morphosis [slide show]- New York Times

An Uncertain Future for Hitler's Airport: A monument to Nazi ambitions that became a symbol of hope during the Cold War: Tempelhof...fascinating history may not be enough to save it from closure. But plans are now afoot to transform it into a luxury clinic. -- Ernst Sagebiel (1923) [slide show]- Der Spiegel (Germany)

In Tale of Church vs. School, a New Orleans Dilemma: A historic Catholic school...planned to tear down an abandoned 1960s-era St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Church, but preservationists say the structure is worth saving...one of the city’s rare expressions of mid-20th-century modernism -- Curtis & Davis (1963)- New York Times

Tucson Origins a place that will live, breathe, architect says: ...signature project that will rebuild the Mission San Agustín and create a cultural cluster with the Arizona State Museum, the Arizona Historical Society, the University of Arizona Science Center and possibly the Tucson Children's Museum. -- Jana McKenzie/EDAW- Tucson Citizen

Splendor in the glass: An old lion of architecture has roared into town. At age 84, Kevin Roche has breathed new life into old modernism with the glassiest office building in downtown Washington. By Deborah K. Dietsch- Washington Times

The legacy of Le Corbusier: A town [Firminy] in the Massif Central region is set to become an unlikely world heritage site, thanks to a unique collection of buildings by the controversial pioneer of urban architecture- Independent (UK)

Too Bright for Brooklyn: Lost in the great debate about the existence of [Atlantic Yards] development is a second important issue: the developer's plan for immense signs to mark the presence of the Nets arena...Why such enormous signs? And why must they even partially obscure the architecture? -- Frank Gehry- New York Sun

Tilting at Lampposts: From streetlights to billboards to parking lots to private properties...in cities, suburbs and rural areas, the country is awash in excess light...a virtual one-woman dark-sky mover and shaker...- New York Times

Op-Ed: The American Community Survey: Trading Precision For Timeliness? This year, the first data from the new annual American Community Survey rolled out...But planners should recognize that while the data is more up-to-date, the margin of error is much wider...what can planners do to make best use of the ACS without succumbing to its pitfalls? By Heather MacDonald- PLANetizen

Top 10 of 2006: KPMB: The work of this firm triggers new optimism in an architecturally ordinary city like Toronto. By Lisa Rochon -- Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg- Globe and Mail (Canada)

Shelf life: ...the shopping experience is evolving rapidly, to the point where goods almost come second to their fabulous surroundings...modern cathedrals to consumerism...Some of the best examples of these are showcased in "Design for Shopping" -- Philippe Starck; Toyo Ito; Studio 63 Architecture- The Scotsman (UK)

Books: Exploring the worlds of architecture, design and more. By Blair Kamin -- Robert A.M. Stern; domus; Frank Lloyd Wright; Ove Arup; Meier; Eisenman; etc.- Chicago Tribune

Books appeal to arts types: for the budding city planner, persistent preservationist, hose who love rebels, the politically aware, etc... . By Mary Voelz Chandler -- Eisenman; de Botton; etc.- Rocky Mountain News (Denver)

Extraordinary building is brought to life in a book: "Light on the Hill, building the Constitutional Court of South Africa" document's Joburg's astonishing Constitutional Court. -- omm design workshop; Urban Solutions Architects and Urban Designers- City of Johannesburg

Design Team Selected for Rutgers Grand Redesign Plans: Green spaces and connecting the campus to the river will create places as much for the community as the campus -- Enrique Norten/TEN Arquitectos; Wallace, Roberts & Todd Design [images]- ArchNewsNow

-- SANAA: 21st Century Museum, Kanazawa, Japan
-- Exhibition: New York Times Building (Renzo Piano Building Workshop/FXFowle Architects), Center for Architecture, New York City
-- TEN Arquitectos: Taller de Enrique Norten Arquitectos: National School of Theater, Mexico City

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