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Today's News - Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Blazing news: As South Korea's No. 1 national treasure went down in flames ("reportedly set ablaze by a disgruntled elderly former fortune teller"), can Korea protect what's left of its few remaining historical sites? -- Flames also destroy UN Studio's first U.S. project. -- The village green making a comeback: a tool for residents to fight development, and developers to attract buyers. -- King applauds a West Berkeley community where new buildings are good neighbors. -- Saffron has high hopes for Philadelphia's new city planner. -- London mayor wants to replicate Paris's free biking scheme - but not all are convinced. -- Dyckhoff disses Paris's new architecture museum: "a bombastic monument to chauvinistic vanity" and "appallingly designed - unforgivably so." -- Olympic power station to be built with re-used remains and a brown roof for wildlife. -- Baltimore's newest experiment in "live-work" environments is a "formula that could help save other cavernous industrial buildings." -- 48-story twin towers for Da Nang will be central Vietnam's tallest buildings. -- A $186m school: "some see quality, others see arrogance" -- Coney Island's iconic Parachute Jump illumination is too "artsy" and needs some "blinging up," says borough president. -- Its lighting designer strikes back. -- Ontario Association of Architects announces 2008 president. -- Inaugural Brit Insurance Designs of the Year exhibition opens today. -- We couldn't resist (sadly, no pix): a feng shui-inspired McDonald's opens in California (where else?).

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Can Korea Protect its Historical Sites? Namdaemun Gate, South Korea's No. 1 national treasure, in Seoul...reportedly set ablaze by a disgruntled elderly former fortune teller...why the 610-year-old landmark was inadequately safeguarded, especially in light of the fact Korea has already lost more than 90 percent of its traditional non-religious architectural sites over the last century.- Time Magazine

Villa NM Destroyed By Fire: Hilltop house by UN Studio hailed as modern classic...had been called this generation’s Glass House, a modern marvel of materials, machinery, and magic. [links]- The Architect's Newspaper (NYC)

The village green enjoys a comeback: According to the Open Spaces Society there were 172 applications last year compared with just 77 in 2006.- Telegraph (UK)

West Berkeley builds community: ...known to locals as Potter Creek. Poised for the moment between hard-edged and hip, it's a reminder that the best change is incremental. And when new buildings are good neighbors, it doesn't matter what the architectural style might be. By John King -- Regan Bice/Regan Bice Architects; Kava Massih Architects [images]- San Francisco Chronicle

Native is back to build on success: Deputy Mayor Andrew Altman had left in the 1980s to plan for other cities...now has a hefty job description that, for the first time, will integrate traditional city planning and economic development..."He's exactly what Philadelphia needs" to restore credibility to the city's broken planning and zoning agencies"... By Inga Saffron- Philadelphia Inquirer

6,000 free ‘granny’ bikes will bring continental success story to London: ...copying almost every other aspect of “Velib”, the Parisian scheme...proposing to create a dozen cycle commuter routes from the suburbs...- The Times (UK)

Gridlock fears over new London bicycle routes: ...12 cycling 'super highways' linking central London with its suburbs will cause chronic congestion for other cars and commercial vehicles.- New Civil Engineer (UK)

Cite de l'Architecture: Paris's architectural pride and prejudice: The world's largest architectural museum is a bombastic monument to chauvinistic vanity ...fault lies with the curating, or desperate lack of it...Ironically, this problem is worsened by the Cité's biggest problem: its architecture. While the restoration of the Palais is neatly done, its conversion is a mess. The museum is appallingly designed - unforgivably so. By Tom Dyckhoff- The Times (UK)

NORD Architecture to help power the Olympics: ...given the go-ahead for this electrical substation in the west of the Olympic Park...will re-use crushed remains from the former Kings Yard industrial complex, which previously stood on the site...to include a brown roof [to] attract local wildlife [images]- The Architects' Journal (UK)

A lofty design at Railway site: Railway Express Loft Building, a former parcel post office...the city's newest experiment in creating so-called "live-work" environments for urban pioneers...a formula that could help save other cavernous industrial buildings that pose challenges for older cities such as Baltimore. By Edward Gunts -- Hord Coplan Macht- Baltimore Sun

Da Nang twin towers plan ok’d: ...48-storey-Vien Dong Meridian twin towers slated to be central Vietnam’s tallest buildings...$180 million project will include a trading center, office building, hotel and serviced apartments. -- Mooyoung Architects [image]- Thanh Nien News (Vietnam)

Discontent builds over $186m school: Some see quality, others arrogance in Newton North High School project...Just how much is too much for a public high school? The problem...is not the new building's jagged design or other high-minded architectural features...but, instead, bad luck. -- Graham Gund- Boston Globe

City to do the Light Thing for Coney Island Landmark: ...iconic Parachute Jump...Borough President Markowitz...says the old lighting system needs some "blinging up"...considered the system installed in 2006 by renowned lighting artist Leni Schwendinger too "artsy... -- Light Projects Ltd.- New York Post

NY Landmark Adrift: Parachute Jump illumination is an internationally recognized symbol of Coney Island...When a politician flies in the face of all this goodwill to divisively demand more "bling" and less "art," New Yorkers should ask themselves: What's wrong with this picture? By Leni Schwendinger, Principal, Light Projects Ltd.- New York Post

Ontario Association of Architects announces 2008 OAA President Sean O'Reilly, principal of 3 stones architecture + design...- Canadian Architect

Inaugural Brit Insurance Designs of the Year: exhibition of shortlist of 100 designs celebrating the best in international design opens today at the Design Museum in London -- Thomas Heatherwick; Michel Rojkind; KOKO Architects; Coop Himmel(b)lau; SANAA; Eduardo Arroyo; Adjaye/Associates; Herzog & de Meuron; MAD Studio/MA Yansong; Zaha Hadid- Design Museum (UK)

Nation's First Feng Shui Inspired McDonald's Restaurant Opens its Doors in Hacienda Heights, California: ...blends classic architecture with modern Feng Shui aspects including water elements, earth tones, red accents and exotic fauna. -- Chi-Jean Liu; JBI Industries- PR Newswire

INSIGHT: Transit-Oriented Design: An Evolution from Societal Convenience to Environmental Solution: TOD is the model for what multi-family housing will look like in the years ahead. By John Burcher, AIA- ArchNewsNow

-- J. Mayer H. Architekten: Cumulus, Danfoss Universe, Nordborg, Denmark
-- Under construction: Eric Owen Moss: Gateway Art Tower, Los Angeles

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