Today’s News - Tuesday, December 9, 2014
EDITOR'S NOTE: Tomorrow is this week's "floating" no-newsletter day. We'll be back Thursday, December 11.
• Holl beats out a roster of shortlisted starchitects to design new wing for Mumbai's oldest museum + Local press reports some are concerned about losing an adjacent playground, but are assured (sort of) that "the area will remain a public space."
• Florida parses a recent study re: arts hubs and their roles in urban economic development: while they "are not a silver bullet for cities, their role is 'highly underestimated.'"
• West digs deep into some of the (astounding) reasons why 1WTC isn't as green as it's supposed to be (Superstorm Sandy was only part of the problem).
• Kim counsels 1WTC to "take heart" despite all the criticism, and offers a round-up of other iconic skyscrapers that "were initially criticized, only to later be widely admired, or at least accepted, as part of their cities' skylines."
• It looks like Piano may be designing the "final piece of the Barangaroo puzzle" with three residential towers that "will no doubt rekindle the debate about the use of public space and whether the proposed height and scale is appropriate for Sydney."
• Hadid minces no words about the cadre of Japanese architects criticizing her Tokyo stadium, saying it's "embarrassing" for the architects - and calls them "hypocrites."
• Meanwhile, Walker and Clagett mince no words about what they think of Hadid's design for a London billboard: it's a "butt-ugly heap of twisting sheet metal"; "space junk"; and "its aesthetic traction is questionable. The design is a retread..." (ouch!).
• On a more positive note, Moore picks "the five most inspiring buildings of 2014."
• Architectural historian Brown pleads for an end to the architecture wars between traditionalists and modernists: "Unfortunately, differences in opinion can become toxic when the opponents meet," but there must be a way to make peace.
• A proposal by Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman to save Rudolph's County Government Center could be a model for saving other endangered landmarks: "perhaps the solution lies with architects taking a financial stake - such as a $1 million deposit accompanying the firm's proposal, may prove more effective."
• Capps can't believe Memphis "is only doubling down on the bad juju" that has followed the city's "infamous" Pyramid, and could put the city "on the hook for millions if the deal falls apart" (it wouldn't be the first time).
• Lubell calls for L.A. to get serious about building more affordable housing that is "essential for a vibrant and diverse" city - and suggests ways it could be done.
• Ferro looks into Maltzan's "quest to remake housing for the homeless": "You can't just give them an apartment and expect things to work out," says he.
• Eyefuls of the design approaches and solutions proposed by the five teams participating in the Re-envisioning Branch Libraries initiative.
• Heathcote pays eloquent tribute to Mackay: "His dedication to making urban settings better for everyday life became pivotal in the way cities are now planned."
• Call for entries: Harvard GSD 2015 Wheelwright Prize Competition (registration doesn't open until January, but guidelines are posted - use the holiday break to get a jump on things!) + Expression of Interest/EOI: Nine Elms to Pimlico Bridge Competition for a pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Thames + Architecture Podium International Architecture Awards 2015.
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Steven Holl Architects to design new wing for Mumbai City Museum: ...collaborated with Mumbai practice Opolis Architects on the red stone design for the new north wing of Mumbai's oldest museum...sits within a 47-acre botanical garden and zoo in Byculla... [images]- Dezeen |
Extend museum, don’t take away playground: locals to Bhau Daji Lad expansion plan: Institution director assures residents that the area will remain a public space. -- Steven Holl Architects- Mumbai Mirror |
Why Cities Can't Afford to Lose Their Artists: A look at America's leading arts hubs and their roles in economic development: ...the study notes that while arts are not a silver bullet for cities, their role in urban economic development is...“highly underestimated.” By Richard Florida -- Urban Studies Journal- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
The Freedom Tower Was Supposed to Be the Greenest Building in America. What Went Wrong? Under pressure to get a publishing giant into the iconic tower, the site's developers may have sacrificed a core part of its green plans...Superstorm Sandy caused critical damage to the World Trade Center's $10.6 million clean-power sources...a third of which went unrepaired and unreplaced... By James West -- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Haters Gonna Hate: Take heart, One World Trade Center: Critics hated these iconic skyscrapers too: ...aim was to establish “a new civic icon for the country"...Kimmelman is not the only critic to view it as a failure on that count. But many iconic skyscrapers...were initially criticized, only to later be widely admired, or at least accepted, as part of their cities’ skylines. By Jeanne Kim -- David Childs/Skidmore, Ownings & Merrill (SOM); Rem Koolhaas/OMA; Renzo Piano; I.M. Pei/Pei Cobb Freed & Partners; Gustave Eiffel; Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF); Minoru Yamasaki- Quartz |
Renzo Piano in talks with Lend Lease for final piece of Barangaroo puzzle: ...If chosen...will design three residential towers that will potentially rise 240 metres...and add an estimated 740 apartments...will no doubt rekindle the debate about the use of public space...and whether residential towers of the proposed height and scale is appropriate for Sydney.- Architecture & Design (Australia) |
Zaha Hadid says Tokyo stadium criticism is "embarrassing" for Japanese architects: "I understand it's their town. But they're hypocrites...they lost the competition...If they are against the idea of doing a stadium on that site, I don't think they should have entered the competition."- Dezeen |
Zaha Hadid Has Designed the World's Worst Billboard: ...butt-ugly heap of twisting sheet metal...[on] a heavily trafficked route to Heathrow...an existing billboard...will be torn down to make way for Hadid's space junk...will remove the existing street lighting and replace it with a strip of illuminated pavement. Because less lighting always makes people walking at night feel better...Please, I beg of you, residents of Kensington and Chelsea, make it stop. By Alissa Walker [images]- Gizmodo |
Drive-By Design: A billboard by Zaha Hadid proposed for London: From an improbable aerial view, the project looks promising. But on the ground, its aesthetic traction is questionable. The design is a retread, both in its resemblance to defective tires and with regard to Hadid’s canon of mobius-like creations. By Leslie Clagett [images]- The Architect's Newspaper |
Rowan Moore: the five most inspiring buildings of 2014: From the LSE’s decisive new student centre to an understated Scottish refuge... -- O’Donnell + Tuomey; Rogers Stirk Harbour; Haworth Tompkins; Smiljan Radic; Reiach and Hall- Observer (UK) |
An end to the architecture wars? Architecture is important in Providence...people here have strong views...Unfortunately, differences in opinion can become toxic when the opponents meet...We can protect our architectural heritage and embrace a certain type of sensitive modernist architecture at the same time. In doing so, we might even blaze a trail for other cities that struggle with this issue. By Marisa Angell Brown/genie loci- Providence Journal (Rhode Island) |
Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman Submits Proposal to Save Paul Rudolph’s Goshen Landmark: ...proposal to transform the Orange County Government Center into a Hudson Valley arts hub would save the Modernist masterpiece from destruction...perhaps the solution lies with architects taking a financial stake...such as a $1 million deposit accompanying the firm’s proposal, may prove more effective...- Architect Magazine |
Is Memphis Making (Another) Massive Mistake With Its Pyramid? A giant Bass Pro Shops outlet is set to move into the infamous landmark. But the city could be on the hook for millions if the deal falls apart....Bass has a proven track record of sticking cities with the tabs for failed launches...Memphis is only doubling down on the bad juju... By Kriston Capps- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Editorial> Build More Affordable Housing: Sam Lubell argues that affordable housing is essential for a vibrant and diverse Los Angeles: We may think we’re getting more prosperous as our economy improves, but that will prove to be a dangerous, and expensive, mirage if we don’t manage our development the right way.- The Architect's Newspaper |
Michael Maltzan Architecture's Quest To Remake Housing For The Homeless: The architect's newest building joins a cadre of ambitious residences he has built for the Skid Row Housing Trust..."You can’t just give them an apartment and expect things to work out." By Shaunacy Ferro [images]- Fast Company |
Re-envisioning Branch Libraries: An overview of the design approaches and solutions proposed by the five teams — led by Andrew Berman Architect, L+ (SITU Studio), Marble Fairbanks, MASS Design Group, and UNION [images]- Architectural League of New York / Center for an Urban Future |
David Mackay, architect, 1933-2014: [He] saw Barcelona - and all urban settings - as places of opportunity. His dedication to making them better for everyday life became pivotal in the way cities are now planned. By Edwin Heathcote -- Oriol Bohigas/Josep Martorell /MBM- Financial Times (UK) |
Call for entries: Harvard GSD 2015 Wheelwright Prize Competition: ...will begin accepting submissions January 5, will award a prospective architect with a $100,000 international travel grant. [Registration deadline January 16. Submission deadline January 30]- Architect Magazine |
Call for entries: Expression of Interest/EOI: Nine Elms to Pimlico Bridge Competition (international): a pedestrian and cycle bridge spanning the River Thames; honorarium will be paid to second-stage shortlisted competitors; deadline: January 13, 2015- Wandsworth Council, London |
Call for entries: International Architecture Awards 2015 (international); 36 categories open to professionals and students; registration deadline: January 31 (submissions due February 15)- Architecture Podium |
ANN Feature: Nuts + Bolts #10: Charting a Course from Career Bewilderment to Career Betterment: Be curious, be adventurous, and, when necessary, be assertive. By Stanley Stark, FAIA, LEED AP- ArchNewsNow |
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7 Examples of Seductive Retail Architecture: ...a local landmark that helps to make a brand seem substantial...a few recent examples of enchanting retail architecture. -- MVRDV; OMA; Toyo Ito & Associates; Jun Aoki; Zaha Hadid Architects; Reiser + Umemoto [images] |
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