Today’s News - Tuesday, December 16, 2014
• ArcSpace brings us Holden Platt x 2: the "surreal saga" of Zurich-based Christian Kerez and his (mis)adventure with Warsaw's Museum of Modern Art commission + Eyefuls of Beijing's Commune by the Great Wall (author's own pix).
• Bingler and Pedersen pen one of the most thoughtful takes on "one of the great design challenges of our time - reconnecting architecture with its users": "For too long, our profession has flatly dismissed the general public's take on our work - we have failed to give the public good reason to trust us."
• Speaking of reconnecting architecture with users, a number of architects and critics have questioned the make-up of the U.K.'s new housing design panel: "A 'progressive' housing design panel led by three white men with a broadly similar conservative approach is likely to produce one thing - retrogressive housing design. At least Prince Charles will approve."
• Scruton (one of those "three white men") cheers the design panel: "Instead of attempting to clothe our cities in the dignified costumes of former eras," architects and planners have, for too long, taken their cue from Gropius and the Bauhaus, "reluctant to be guided by popular opinion, assuming the right to sweep aside our expectations."
• Dittmar warns that BIG's "urban canyon" power station entrance "repeats the mistakes of 1960s planning. We have kept Battersea Power Station, but at what cost?"
• To throw a (refreshingly) different POV on housing, 10 years after the Indonesian tsunami, Vale, Shamsuddin, and Goh return from Banda Aceh with a fascinating report on rehousing initiatives and what they can "teach us about the ongoing struggle for urban resilience" (the most successful seem to be those that forgo government mandates and well-meaning NGOs helicoptered in).
• Geller returns from Hawaii with lessons for Vancouver re: affordable housing solutions - micro-units and limited parking included.
• Nigeria's "star architect" Adenowo on why she mentors and why she "has dedicated her career to reimagining her homeland's landscape" (note the pronoun, please!).
• King cheers Bloszies treatment of "a squat two-story box" that in some spots might be too much - but in this case, it's "a welcome shot of well-engineered flash - a billboard that advertises architectural imagination" and "thoughtful urbanism" (what a concept!).
• Ennead's Anderson Collection at Stanford University "quietly serves up a visual banquet" by "hiding in plain sight and allowing the art to command the attention."
• Eyefuls of OMA's winning design for the Lujiazui Exhibition Centre to be built on the ramp of a former ship cradle in the old Shanghai Shipyard.
• Brooklyn-based Stereotank's "HeartBeat," winner of the 2015 Times Square Heart Competition, will start thumping in time for Valentine's Day.
• Eisenman garners the AIA 2015 Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education.
• SOM's Baker talks Burj Khalifa and "what it's like to work in a building that sits above the clouds," as part of Guinness World Records 60th Anniversary video series.
• A whopping 420 projects on the shortlist for the 2015 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies Van der Rohe Award - and a nifty infographic that explains them all + Link to each and every one - with pix!
• World Habitat Awards 2014-15 finalists "illustrate an impressive breadth of good practice in housing led by inspiring people worldwide."
• Call for entries: 2015-16 World Habitat Awards + 4 different ULI Award programs + Looming deadline reminder: Folly 2015 for NYC's Socrates Sculpture Park.
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-- An Interview with Christian Kerez: The Surreal Saga of Warzaw's Parade Square [Museum of Modern Art]: Vanguard architects who step onto the global stage...rarely air their trials and tribulations. Zurich-based Kerez is an outstanding exception to this rule.
-- Commune by the Great Wall, Beijing, China: ...a collection of buildings designed by a dozen architects... By Kevin Holden Platt -- Yung Ho Chang; Shigeru Ban; Kengo Kuma; Antonio Ochoa; Gary Chang; Seung H Sang |
Op-Ed: How to Rebuild Architecture: For too long, our profession has flatly dismissed the general public’s take on our work...We seem increasingly incapable...of creating artful, harmonious work that resonates with a broad swath of the general population...we have failed to give the public good reason to trust us...Reconnecting architecture with its users...is long overdue. It’s also one of the great design challenges of our time. By Steven Bingler/Concordia and Martin C. Pedersen- New York Times |
Profession questions balance of housing design panel: Terry Farrell, Quinlan Terry and Roger Scruton to lead government body: Architects and critics have questioned the make-up...dubbing it the “oddest housing design triumvirate ever conceived”...“A ‘progressive’ housing design panel led by three white men with a broadly similar conservative approach is likely to produce one thing - retrogressive housing design. At least Prince Charles will approve.” -- Gillian Darley; Peter Barber; Carol Costello/Phil Graham/Cullinan Studio; Sadie Morgan/dRMM; Andy von Bradsky/PRP; Hank Dittmar- BD/Building Design (UK) |
What should we be building today? Britain needs more homes – but they need to look good and be in harmony with our cities and countryside: ...it is reassuring to note that a “design panel” of experts, including...Terry Farrell, is being appointed to address exactly that issue...Instead of attempting to clothe our cities in the dignified costumes of former eras...Architects are often reluctant to be guided by popular opinion, assuming the right to sweep aside our expectations... By Roger Scruton- Telegraph (UK) |
Bigging up Battersea: a progress report: BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group's ‘urban canyon’ power station entrance repeats the mistakes of 1960s planning...in late stage corporatism buildings have become product types, and planning has become assessment of fees and gate keeping. We have kept Battersea Power Station, but at what cost? By Hank Dittmar -- Foster + Partners; Frank Gehry; Rafael Vinoly [images]- BD/Building Design (UK) |
Tsunami + 10: Housing Banda Aceh After Disaster: A decade after the Indonesian tsunami, a devastated city rebuilds. What can rehousing initiatives teach us about the ongoing struggle for urban resilience? When does post-disaster planning give way to the everyday challenge of managing a city? ...three case studies. By Lawrence Vale, Shomon Shamsuddin & Kian Goh [images]- Places Journal |
Affordable housing, Hawaiian style: Like Vancouver, many places in Hawaii are struggling with housing affordability and homelessness...One way Honolulu is trying to address these issues is to allow higher density micro-apartments...with limited parking. It is noteworthy that similar proposals in Vancouver have attracted considerable attention and debate. By Michael Geller- Vancouver Courier |
Olajumoke Adenowo: Nigeria's star architect on how she made it, why she mentors and her biggest dreams...two decades on she is one of Nigeria's most accomplished architects...has dedicated her illustrious career to reimagining her homeland's landscape.- CNN International |
Futuristic S.F. cube building takes design risk in the right spot: ...wrapping a squat two-story box with an illuminated metal skin would be too much...But in the right setting...“too much” can translate to a welcome shot of well-engineered flash...a tantalizing hint of what someday might sprout on our skylines...690 Folsom...a billboard that advertises architectural imagination. There’s thoughtful urbanism at work as well... By John King -- Charles Bloszies [images]- San Francisco Chronicle |
Palette Cleanser: A new campus museum quietly serves up a visual banquet: It’s tempting for designers to try to turn art museums into works of art themselves...Anderson Collection at Stanford University...does a good job at hiding in plain sight and allowing the art to command the attention. By Lydia Lee -- Ennead Architects [images]- Architectural Record |
OMA wins Shanghai exhibition centre: Design references waterfront site’s maritime history...The Lujiazui Exhibition Centre will be built on the ramp of a former ship cradle in the old Shanghai Shipyard. -- Rem Koolhaas [images]- BD/Building Design (UK) |
Stereotank Wins 2015 Times Square Heart Competition: The Brooklyn firm's "HeartBeat" installation will open on Feb. 9...to coincide with Valentine's Day...designed to pulse with light and sound that changes in response to movement. [images]- Architect Magazine |
Yale’s Peter Eisenman named recipient of the AIA 2015 Topaz Medallion for Excellence in Architectural Education: "After 60 years of teaching, the shadow cast by Eisenman's tenure looms over generations of architects..."- Yale News |
World's Tallest Building - Guinness World Records 60th Anniversary: We speak to the Lead Engineer of the Burj Khalifa (at 828m / 2,716ft 6in tall) to discover more about the architecture behind the world’s tallest building and discover what it’s like to work in a building that sits above the clouds. -- William F. Baker/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) [video]- Guinness World Records |
420 Projects Nominated for the 2015 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies Van der Rohe Award: ...the full list and ArchDaily’s exclusive Mies van der Rohe Award infographic.- ArchDaily |
420 projects competing for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award 2015: ...the 60.000€ prize is the highest award in European architecture and is awarded biennially to works completed within the previous two years. [images]- Mies van der Rohe Foundation |
World Habitat Awards 2014-15 – finalists announced: From initiatives focusing on homeless or marginalised people, large-scale lighting projects or finance models as well as community self-build in indigenous communities, this year’s finalists illustrate an impressive breadth of good practice in housing led by inspiring people worldwide. [link to details]- Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) |
Call for entries: 2015-16 World Habitat Awards: projects that provide practical and innovative solutions to current housing needs and problems; cash prizes; deadline: April 30, 2015- Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) |
Call for entries: ULI Global Awards for Excellence + ULI Urban Open Space Award + ULI Jack Kemp Excellence in Affordable and Workforce Housing Awards + ULI Robert C. Larson Housing Policy Leadership Awards; deadline for all: March 16, 2015- Urban Land Institute (ULI) |
Call for entries deadline reminder: Call for Proposals: Folly 2015 for NYC's Socrates Sculpture Park; deadline: January 12, 2015- Architectural League of New York / Socrates Sculpture Park |
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