Today’s News - Thursday, August 2, 2012
EDITOR'S NOTE: We'll be taking Fridays and Mondays off for the rest of August. We'll be back Tuesday, August 7. Happy Weekend!
• We'll admit to a slight obsession with the London Olympics (should we fear LOCOG?): RIBA's Brady reaches out to Olympic sponsors to "lighten up" about the architectural gag order: "London is the centre of a civilized world city - not the pit of corporate greed."
• Despite the marketing ban, some firms report a "boost in client enquiries" because of their involvement.
• Chan gives Gold Medals to the "built-to-last infrastructure...thoughtfully designed energy centers and pumping stations will continue to serve East London, reviving the heroism of civic projects."
• Brussat, not surprisingly, cheers the athletes who shine despite the architecture, and East Enders who "hope that 'temporary' and 'portable' will not be broken promises."
• Glancey finds the ArcelorMittal Orbit "breathtaking - but is it art? ...it looms like some gigantic Meccano model of a praying mantis made on Mars" (but at least it's cheaper to get to the top than the Shard).
• On our own side of the Big Pond, Stoelker brings us an eyeful of Arquitectonica's Revel in Atlantic City's that "aims to turn around a tired genre, and a city": it is a "shocking departure from casino protocol" (ocean views!), "but there are signs that the complex is not playing nice with its urban context."
• Lamster takes a long look at the future of libraries: "for all their supposed obsolescence, they remain vital places" even though printed material "is not always the primary draw" (great read).
• Call for Entries: Posters for "Beyond Zuccotti Park" exhibition at NYC's Center for Architecture + Generation Kingspan Student Architectural Design Competition.
• Weekend diversions:
• Zara uses Denver Art Museum's "Now Boarding: Fentress Airports + the Architecture of Flight" to parse the "new architectural wisdom of airports" (iPads and Ikea included).
• Rinaldi finds the show "tight and informative" - and Fentress himself an architect who doesn't deal in archi-babble: "One of his personal design principles is that it ought to be easy to find the front door."
• An eyeful of what's on view in "Oh, Plastiksack!" at the Gewerbemuseum just outside of Zurich that features "30-something artists interpreting the humble bag in unnatural, funny or menacing ways."
• MOMA's "Century of the Child" is an "intriguing exhibition" that explores the "confluence of modern design and childhood."
• The summer installation of the winning entry in Rome's MAXXI Young Architects Program "responds to the current public health crisis by offering an alternative solution to traditional urban furniture that choreographs exercise and play" (we wanna play too!).
• Rochas STEREO.BOT at SCI-Arc "documents the largest customized structure in the U.S. featuring interactive 3D projection mapping content, designed for the 2012 Coachella Music Festival."
• Austin Williams takes issue with "The Art of Dissent: Adventures in London's Olympic State": the 'original Dissenters had a vision of a better world, whereas our contemporary ranters are just complaining."
• Farago has a few issues with Sinclair's "Ghost Milk," but it does "remind us that a city is a living thing, not a branding opportunity" (and at least it "costs rather less than £24 billion") + In a Q&A, Sinclair "bemoans what the construction of Olympic Park has done to his East London neighborhood."
• Lifson lauds Lai's "Citizens of No Place," a graphic novel of "intensely beautiful, whimsical, and profound graphic stories on architecture and urbanism. It's as if the Little Prince grew up to become an architect."
• "Eames: The Architect and the Painter" is "a touching an insightful film."
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"Architects built the platform for your success," Angela Brady tells Olympic sponsors: Drop the marketing ban...RIBA president has urged Olympic sponsors to “lighten up”...In an outspoken attempt to appeal to sponsors’ better nature...“London is the centre of a civilised world city - not the pit of corporate greed.”- BD/Building Design (UK) |
Olympics boost client enquiries despite gag order: Practices have reported an upsurge in work as a direct result of their involvement, despite LOCOG’s punitive marketing ban...have also helped some firms get a toehold in new areas. -- David Morley Architects; Eric Parry Architects; Hopkins Architects; Zaha Hadid; Piercy Connor; Fletcher Priest Architects; Penoyre & Prasad; Stanton Williams- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
The London Olympics' Built-to-Last Infrastructure Deserves a Gold Medal Too: The designed impermanence of Olympic Park speaks to a growing trend in cities...that associates the temporary with the sustainable. But some of the greatest architectural strides...thoughtfully designed energy centers and pumping stations will continue to serve East London, reviving the heroism of the civic projects... By Kelly Chan -- NORD Architecture; John McAslan + Partners; Lyall Bills & Young; Joseph Bazalgette; Isambard Kingdom Brunel [images]- Artinfo |
Olympiad rises above its architecture: The creators of Olympic Park promise to avoid the white-elephantine legacy left quadrennially to host cities...a third of the venues will be temporary and portable. East Enders doubtless hope that "temporary" and "portable" will not be broken promises. By David Brussat -- Populous; Hopkins Architects; Zaha Hadid; Magma Architecture- Providence Journal (Rhode Island) |
The ArcelorMittal Orbit is a breathtaking structure. But is it art? ...the much–trumpeted and awkwardly named Olympics observation tower, an ambitious sculpture, of sorts...looms like some gigantic Meccano model of a praying mantis made on Mars. By Jonathan Glancey -- Anish Kapoor; Cecil Balmond- Telegraph (UK) |
Revealed: first images of PRP and Make's Olympic legacy housing: ...Chobham Manor – a new post-Games district on the Olympic Park which will include 870 homes...the first of five new neighbourhoods... -- Make Architects,;PRP Architects; Muf; Karakusevic Carson; NORD [images]- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Magic City: A new hybrid casino-convention complex in Atlantic City aims to turn around a tired genre, and a city: ...Revel may prove an influential model. It merges several markets under one roof...But there are signs that the complex is not playing nice with its urban context. -- Arquitectonica; Jerde Partnership; BLT Architects; Floss Barber [images]- The Architect's Newspaper |
Still Here: A funny thing happened on the way to its predicted obsolescence. The library became more popular than ever: How does one even begin to think about designing libraries in a time of rapidly developing technologies and shifting programs? ...for all their supposed obsolescence, libraries remain vital places...Printed material, however, is not always the primary draw. By Mark Lamster -- Bing Thom; Rem Koolhaas; William Rawn Architects; Eun Young Yi; Norman Foster; Helmut Jahn- Metropolis Magazine |
Call for Entries: Posters for "Beyond Zuccotti Park" exhibition: designs that provoke thought and dialogue on democracy, equity, freedom of assembly, and public space (no fee); deadline: August 20- Center for Architecture (NYC) & Occuprint |
Call for entries: Generation Kingspan Student Architectural Design Competition (U.S. & Canada); cash prizes + internship; deadline: October 31- Kingspan |
The New Architectural Wisdom of Airports: Ikea, iPads, And Ice Skating Rinks: Denver Art Museum's "Now Boarding: Fentress Airports + the Architecture of Flight" surveys six airports...not only presenting Curtis Fentress as a member of a new generation of planners...but also examining the greater theme of the evolution of airports...airport architects around the world are trying different methods. By Janelle Zara [images]- Artinfo |
Denver Art Museum lands the designs of Curt Fentress: While other designers chatter on about theoretical volumes and masses and planes, he talks plainly about people and places and how buildings should serve them. One of his personal design principles is that it ought to be easy to find the front door..."Now Boarding: Fentress Airports + The Architecture of Flight" is tight, informative and easy to digest... By Ray Mark Rinaldi- Denver Post |
A Museum Exhibit Based Around the Humble Plastic Bag: Cost of entry to this unusual Swiss show: One plastic sack (seriously)..."Oh, Plastiksack!...at the Gewerbemuseum in Winthertur, Switzerland...features 30-something artists interpreting the humble bag in unnatural, funny or menacing ways. [images]- The Atlantic Cities |
MOMA's new exhibition goes beyond child's play: "Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900-2000"...an intriguing exhibition...features more than 500 works from five continents investigating the confluence of modern design and childhood.- Los Angeles Times |
Urban Movement Design debuts UNIRE/UNITE at MAXXI Young Architects Program: ...interactive, summer installation...responds to the current public health crisis by offering an alternative solution to traditional urban furniture that choreographs exercise and play back into our daily lives. [images]- ArchDaily |
Alexis Rochas STEREO.BOT SCI-Arc Library Gallery Exhibition: ...documents the realization of the Coachella Gateway Pavilion, the largest customized structure in the U.S. featuring interactive 3D projection mapping content, designed...for the 2012 Coachella Music Festival in Indio, Calif. -- I/O; Arup- Archinect |
Chronic Dissentery: Olympic Whingers: Austin Williams takes issue with "The Art of Dissent: Adventures in London’s Olympic State": The original Dissenters had a vision of a better world, whereas our contemporary ranters are just complaining. All too often they are blind to the exciting, positive, humanistic value of the Olympics...Tim Abraham’s "The Stadium" is a cheaper – yet richer – read.- Architectural Review (UK) |
Iain Sinclair Rejects Olympic Excess In 'Ghost Milk': if he is right...London Olympics will outdo all predecessors for short-term annoyance and long-term devastation...reminds us that a city is a living thing, not a branding opportunity...But if he goes off the deep end, so has the British government...a little excess might be necessary. And at least the book costs rather less than £24 billion. By Jason Farago- National Public Radio (NPR) |
Q&A: For U.K. Author, Games A 'Smoke And Circuses' Affair: In "Ghost Milk: Recent Adventures Among the Future Ruins of London on the Eve of the Olympics," Iain Sinclair bemoans what the construction of Olympic Park and the Olympic Stadium has done to his East London neighborhood.- National Public Radio (NPR) |
The Graphic Architect: Jimenez Lai likes stories about buildings and buildings that tell stories: "Citizens of No Place: An Architectural Graphic Novel" collects ten of his intensely beautiful, whimsical, and profound graphic stories on architecture and urbanism. It’s as if the Little Prince grew up to become an architect. By Edward Lifson -- Bureau Spectacular [slide show]- Metropolis Magazine |
Design film "Eames: The Architect and the Painter" launches in the UK this week: While many of us are familiar with the work of husband-and-wife designers Charles and Ray Eames...little is know about the couple’s lives...a touching an insightful film... [images]- Design Week (UK) |
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Argos, Gullinsnid & Studio Granda: The Historic Corner, Reykjavik, Iceland...mix of interpretation and resolution reflecting the different ages and histories of the former buildings. |
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