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Today's News - Friday, April 11, 2008

We are very pleased to introduce Words that Build, an exclusive series by Norman Weinstein that will focus on the overlooked foundation of architecture: oral and written communication. -- Glancey on eco-town plans: just so much political lip service while public services that would make them function are slashed. -- Koolhaas's "giga-project": Delirious Dubai? -- Becker's take on the Chicago Children's Museum's Grant Park plans. -- Saffron says take pity on Philadelphia's walking majority when sidewalks are "being taken in brazen land-grabs by the city's powerful construction industry." -- Two takes on new Newseum: Ouroussoff finds it the "latest reason to lament the state of contemporary architecture in Washington." -- Rothstein is much kiner (though its "preening does call for some skepticism"). -- Also in DC, the Armenian Genocide Museum wins approval to make its home in a bank building. -- Oslo's $800 million opera house ready for its close-up. -- A 78-story tower for Karachi poses some interesting challenges. -- Libeskind's Ohio riverfront condo tower is a "sculpture that sways, not a shrine that shocks." -- Field Operations wins big in Memphis. -- Calls for entries: NYC Green Building Open Competition; and Robin Hood Gardens International Ideas Competition. -- Weekend diversions: Filler finds SANAA retrospective refreshing. -- Heathcote says new translation of Corbu's "Toward an Architecture" will help "explain how an entire culture was seduced into modernism." -- Crosbie finds Rudolfsky's 1964 "Architecture Without Architects" still timely for architects today. -- Intricate watercolors by KPF's Kohn on view in London. -- China's tree house resort offers a 5,000-star hotel stay. -- Big Ben and London Eye tagged as British favorite landmarks. -- Sydney Opera House serenades its architect on his 90th birthday.

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Words That Build: Coping with chaotic communication challenges: Tip #1: Learn to enjoy communicating with your client. By Norman Weinstein- ArchNewsNow

The eco-town has not landed: Politicians pay lip service to the notion of eco-towns while slashing the very public services that would make them function. By Jonathan Glancey- BD/Building Design (UK)

Rem Koolhaas: Delirious Dubai? To call it a mega-project would be a gross understatement. How about "giga-project"? ...construction on such a massive scale has serious, negative long-term consequences. [links]- New York Sun

Jagged Icebergs and Open Pit - the Brutalist Design the Chicago Children's Museum seeks to force into Grant Park...You have to give architects Krueck and Sexton credit for working feverishly to make a silk purse out of this sow's ear... By Lynn Becker [images, links]- Repeat (Chicago)

The city has lost control of its sidewalks: Pity Philadelphia's walking majority. Its precious sidewalks are increasingly being taken in brazen landgrabs by the city's powerful construction industry...It costs nothing...for builders to occupy the public sidewalks. Stay as long as you'd like, too. By Inga Saffron- Philadelphia Inquirer

Get Me Rewrite: A New Monument to Press Freedom: The Newseum is the latest reason to lament the state of contemporary architecture in Washington. Despite its lofty tone, the design reeks of parochialism, not bold ideas. By Nicolai Ouroussoff -- Polshek Partnership; Ralph Appelbaum Associates- New York Times

Chasing the News: Mark Twain’s Inkwell to Blogger’s Slippers: ...the Newseum in Washington is determined to be noticed...an appealing example of how a museum can both teach and entertain...museum’s preening does call for some skepticism. By Edward Rothstein -- Polshek Partnership; Ralph Appelbaum Associates [slide show]- New York Times

Historic Preservation Review Board approves construction of Armenian Genocide Museum in Washington: ...plans call for restoring the exterior of the historical bank building...two blocks from the White House... -- Martinez & Johnson Architecture; Gallagher & Associates- PanArmenian Network

Oslo Gets Italian Marble Opera House as Oil Drives Revival: An $800 million opera house that seems to slope like an iceberg into the Oslo fjord opens tomorrow...Norway's largest cultural building in seven centuries -- aims to revive the industrial waterfront... -- Snoehetta [slide show]- Bloomberg News

Karachi Cracker: ...it is no overstatement to say that the 78 storey Karachi Port Tower...will transform the city's skyline...will be the tallest building on the Indian subcontinent...Building on this scale in Pakistan is a one-off and poses some interesting challenges. -- Aedas; Mott MacDonald [images]- New Civil Engineer (UK)

Libeskind’s Second American Project Is a Sculpture that Sways, not a Shrine that Shocks: The Ascent transforms itself and the Ohio Riverfront...continues the Cincinnati metropolitan region’s investment in high-profile contemporary architecture... [images]- AIArchitect

Field Operations Wins Massive Memphis Park Competition: James Corner unveiled plans for creating America’s largest urban park...Shelby Farms...a 4,500-acre site, five-times the size of Manhattan’s Central Park. [images]- Architectural Record

Call for entries: New York City Green Building Open Competition; deadline: May 30- City of New York / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Call for entries: Robin Hood Gardens International Ideas Competition: This was the Smithsons’ vision ...what’s yours? deadline: May 23 [link to brief]- BD / The Architecture Foundation

Sejima and Nishizawa at the New Museum: A refreshing exception to the museological problem of conveying the essence of architecture is "SANAA: Works 1998-2008"...The modesty of the ten-year overview...befits the pair's delicate aesthetic. By Martin Filler- ArtsJournal

Blame Le Corbusier: "Toward an Architecture" is the most influential book on architecture of the modern era...The republication of this book will help to explain how an entire culture was seduced into modernism. By Edwin Heathcote- Financial Times (UK)

Sustainability by 'Amateurs': “Lessons from Bernard Rudolfsky” [exhibition] in Los Angeles, and [his] insights about the role of sustainability are timely for architects today...opened the design world’s eyes to the genius of vernacular architecture with...“Architecture Without Architects”... By Michael J. Crosbie- AIArchitect

The architect of high art: Eugene Kohn is responsible for some of the biggest buildings on the planet...his watercolours — an exhibition of which is being staged in Mayfair — offer something of a contrast, because they are small and intricate. -- Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF)- CityAM (UK)

For a 5,000-star hotel stay, head to treehouse resort: There probably isn't any place in China that resembles an Ewok settlement more than Sanya Nanshan Treehouse Resort and Beach Club. -- David Greenberg [image]- China Daily

Big Ben named as Britain's favourite landmark: London buildings dominate top 10, with construction industry insiders favouring the London Eye- Building (UK)

Sydney Opera House serenades architect...on his 90th birthday. -- Jorn Utzon- Sydney Morning Herald

-- KK Letter: A visit to HafenCity, Hamburg, Germany
-- Design Hotel: East Hotel, Hamburg, Germany

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