Today’s News - Tuesday, February 11, 2014
• ArcSpace brings us a Hadid tome that "portrays another side" of the starchitect; "Will it Sustain?" at the Danish Architecture Centre is "three wonderful international exhibitions, all under one roof!"; and Kiser brings us eyefuls of Ricciotti's MuCEM in Marseille.
• Dimendberg says "MoMA is right": "That no one has come to the defense of the DS+R expansion speaks volumes about the envy and pettiness that dominate" American architectural practice, journalism, and criticism."
• Webb, on the other hand, calls MoMA the "neighborhood bully" with its "uncompromising plan to demolish the American Folk Art Museum" (seems to have been written awhile ago, but posted recently).
• Shubow, not surprisingly, is just about jubilant that Congress's 2014 budget has delivered the "decisive blow" to Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial: "And virtually none of Gehry's friends have come to his defense. They have left him flapping in the breeze" (all that's missing is a grinning emoticon).
• Calatrava's Chicago Spire "could rise again" (when/if funding is secured - haven't we heard this before?).
• Meanwhile, "Dallas's favorite overpaid architect" (a.k.a. Calatrava) is ordered to hand over €3 million to a Spanish developer for "shortcomings in the implementation of the work" at the Palacio de Exposiciones y Congresos Ciudad de Oviedo.
• Brasuell tackles the "power of the planning language" that is "in constant need of re-evaluation. Take the meaning of the word 'planning.'"
• Australia's Association of Consulting Architects takes issue with findings in a recent report on the value of architecture degrees (see ANN, Jan. 23): "The reportage, and the 'research' on which it is based is alarmist, but not alarming."
• Pfau offers an architect's perspective on school curriculums "incorporating new concepts of 'design thinking'" that "may help schools shed the 'rat race' of teaching to the tests."
• Cheers to girl power! Mecanoo's "confident but humble" Houben "crowned" AJ Woman Architect of the Year + Ph.D. candidate King is "truly inspiring" as AJ Emerging Woman Architect of the Year.
• Jeers to sexism in architecture: Fairley asks, "Awards aside - what is there, really, to celebrate?"
• Chambers "can't pinpoint seeing female students discouraged or bullied" when he was in school, "but if I'm honest, some glaring examples start to jump out at me."
• Davidson gives thumbs-up and -down to two new Manhattan academic buildings: the New School's University Center "brings the school's brand of sensitive boldness" to the neighborhood, while Cooper Union "got a brooding, elegant, sharply folded office building that looks utterly foreign" to its nabe.
• Eyefuls of the three concepts in the running to revamp Mies's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC.
• Lamster sees some déjà vu in Sochi's Fisht Stadium that "bears some resemblance" to Dallas's Cowboys Stadium, though one "hits the ground" in a "sensitive way," and the other "is a lot more ham-fisted" ("heterogeneous" and "redundant bore" added for good measure).
• IIT College of Architecture launches the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize and the MCHAP for Emerging Architecture - two biennial prizes that come with healthy purses.
• The fascinating tale of Torrance, CA, that is "largely a story of failure" of a planned utopia of small, modern workers' homes that "proved to be too ahead of their time."
| |
|
|
|
To subscribe to the free daily newsletter
click here
|
|
-- "Zaha Hadid + Suprematism" by Charlotte Douglas, Hans Ulrich Obrist, et al. portrays another side of the London-based architect...
-- "Will it Sustain?" Danish Architecture Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark: three wonderful international exhibitions, all under one roof!
-- Rudy Ricciotti Architecte: MuCEM (Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilizations), Marseille, France. By Kirsten Kiser |
Bigger and Better: MoMA is right: Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s expansion shows every sign of being sensitive and lively, a fact that has been lost in a debate about corporate insensitivity...That no one has come to the defence of the DS+R expansion...speaks volumes about the envy and pettiness that dominate contemporary American architectural practice and the replacement of incisive journalism and criticism about the built environment by empty cant. By Edward Dimendberg -- Tod Williams Billie Tsien- Architectural Review (UK) |
Neighbourhood Bully: MoMA is wrong: MoMA’s uncompromising plan to demolish the American Folk Art Museum defies the fine craft heritage of modern art: ...transparency has never been the hallmark of its operations. By Michael Webb -- Tod Williams Billie Tsien; Diller Scofidio + Renfro- Architectural Review (UK) |
It's Time to Bury Frank Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial: The decisive blow is Congress’ 2014 budget...Critics and pundits have been nearly unanimous in their opposition to the design. And virtually none of Gehry’s friends have come to his defense. They have left him flapping in the breeze...We are confident that a new, streamlined competition can be held and a modest — and worthy — memorial be completed... By Justin Shubow/National Civic Art Society- Roll Call |
Chicago Spire could rise again: ...aimed to build what was planned as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere...plans call for moving full steam ahead with the 150-story development when the company emerges from bankruptcy...funding to complete the project has not yet been secured... -- Santiago Calatrava- Chicago Sun-Times |
Santiago Calatrava Ordered to Pay €3 Million For Faulty Design, Continues Run of Being Awesome: ...Dallas’ favorite overpaid architect is being ordered by the court to pay a Spanish developer for “shortcomings in the implementation of the work” of The Palace of Exhibitions and Congresses in Oviedo, Spain.- D Magazine (Dallas) |
Why Definitions Are Less Important than Discussions: To be pedantic, or to participate, is the question: The power of the planning language ranges from intensely personal to global in scale...Given the stakes, the jargon and buzzwords and legal terms and hot buttons of the planning conversation are in constant need of re-evaluation...Take the meaning of the word “planning”... By James Brasuell- PLANetizen |
Report flawed on architecture graduates: The Association of Consulting Architects (ACA) scrutinizes the recent McCrindle Research findings on architecture degrees: Is architecture really “Australia’s second-most overrated degree”? The reportage, and the “research” on which it is based is alarmist, but not alarming.- ArchitectureAU (Australia) |
Rethinking Education with Design Thinking: How school curriculums are incorporating new concepts of "design thinking"—an architect's perspective: ...may help schools shed the “rat race” of teaching to the tests...A movement to “think again” about this self-perpetuating system is gaining momentum. By Peter Pfau/Pfau Long Architecture- Metropolis Magazine |
Francine Houben crowned Woman Architect of the Year: Founding partner of Mecanoo...was described by the judges as "confident but humble" + Q&A [images]- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Julia King named AJ Emerging Woman Architect of the Year: Sole practitioner and PhD candidate...described by the judges as "truly inspiring"...has already designed and built a sewer for 322 low-income houses in New Delhi and is regenerating the Taj East drain which runs through slum areas near the Taj Mahal + Q&A [images]- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Sexism in architecture: Remember what Kathryn Findlay said? 'Women, don't be put off by the aggression of men': As the best UK female architects pick up coveted industry awards, new statistics show discrimination against women in the industry is rising. Josephine Fairley asks why...awards aside - what is there, really, to celebrate? What we all have to hope for is that women continue to be inspired to build on the successes of the Hadids and the Findlays... -- Julia King; Francine Houben; Ushida Findlay [images]- Telegraph (UK) |
Sexism in Architecture: The Path Still Taken? When I think back to my time in architecture school, I can't pinpoint seeing female students discouraged or bullied...But if I'm honest, some glaring examples start to jump out at me. Solving the issues around sexism in architecture will not be resolved with one survey, but...likely to engage more deans of architecture schools, architects, partners and leaders...to face the realities that it is uncovering. By Neil B. Chambers/chambersdesign- Huffington Post |
Big Men on Campus: Two academic interlopers...could almost be opposing characters in a two-person play. One school tends to its neighborhood...the other treats property as a bank account...The New School’s University Center...brings the school’s brand of sensitive boldness to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 14th Street...Cooper Union...neighborhood got a brooding, elegant, sharply folded office building that would be the pride of midtown and looks utterly foreign to the East Village. By Justin Davidson -- Roger Duffy/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM); Fumihiko Maki [images]- New York Magazine |
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library Design Ideas Released: Three concepts for renovating Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's only library..."concepts are meant to judge the architect's ability and will by no means be the final design of the library..." -- Studios Architecture/Freelon Group; Patkau Architects/Ayers Saint Gross/and Krueck + Sexton Architects; Mecanoo/Martinez+Johnson Architecture [images]- Architect Magazine |
Olympics deja vu: Sochi’s Fisht Stadium vs. AT&T Stadium: If something seems vaguely familiar...don’t worry, it’s not a figment of your imagination. Fisht Olympic Stadium...bears some resemblance to our very own Cowboys Stadium...What it appears not to share...is the sensitive way Cowboys Stadium hits the ground...Fisht is a lot more ham-fisted... By Mark Lamster -- Populous; Brian Trubey/HKS Architects- Dallas Morning News |
IIT’s College of Architecture Launches the Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize: ...and the MCHAP for Emerging Architecture...two biennial prizes will “recognize the most distinguished built constructs of the North and South American continents”...recipients will be awarded $50,000 [and] $25,000... -- Wiel Arets; Dirk Denison [link to details]- ArchDaily |
The Rise and Fall of One Architect's Modern Torrance Utopia: ...largely a story of failure...A series of small, modern workers' homes in Torrance proved to be too ahead of their time, as was often the case with Gill himself. -- Frederick Law Olmsted; Irving J. Gill [images]- Curbed Los Angeles |
ANN Feature: Nuts + Bolts #8: Best Friends Don't Make the Best Partners: For the successful partnership, it's all a matter of balance. By Michael M. Samuelian, AIA, AICP- ArchNewsNow |
|
|
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window.
External news links are not endorsed by ArchNewsNow.com.
Free registration may be required on some sites.
Some pages may expire after a few days.
© 2014 ArchNewsNow.com