Today’s News - Tuesday, June 9, 2015
• Kimmelman hopes that now the Frick has been "nudged back to the drawing board," it will look at some alternate plans he has seen (one by Helpern) - it is "a golden opportunity to do better."
• Betsky describes the "major differences in what was planned and what was delivered" at the 2015 Milan Expo's Italian Pavilion: "It would be a wonderful farce worthy of Fellini if the results were not so disastrous. Shame on Italy and its architecture culture. The talented young designers deserve a better chance."
• Neighbors of the current U.S. Embassy in London are relieved it's moving, but the critics - not so much: not only is it like moving from New York to New Jersey, "if the embassy's design is intended to project America's 'transparency, openness and equality' - the British are not convinced."
• City Observatory puts out a new report that examines how "people spending more time alone in cars, living in gated and segregated neighborhoods, and cocooned in headphones has profound impacts on how well communities function."
• Giovannini cheers Coop Himmelb(l)au's Musée des Confluences in "a rust-belt zone" of Lyon: "This museum that houses Jurassic-era behemoths is itself the new behemoth in town. Too new and radical for easy digestion, it is the subject of controversy. Whether ugly or beautiful, the building succeeds, but not just as a museum" (and he has a most amusing take on Prix).
• Olcayto applauds the Theatre Royal by Page/Park: "if ever one of Glasgow's corners needed an architectural peak, this would be among the favorites - it revels in the art of showing off."
• Leber finds out why Ingles is "a big sci-fi nerd," and how that influenced the design of The Dryline: "Architecture and design - at the core of it, is the art and science of turning fiction into fact."
• King calls out some of the tensions that may be raised as San Francisco considers what it may have to do to defend itself against rising sea levels (cue the sci-fi nerd, perhaps?).
• Parramatta shows off its big riverfront plans that include a major square to "serve as Sydney's largest public plaza."
• Lord Rogers x 2: he "launches parliamentary probe into design" that "hopes to discover examples of design prompting 'good behaviors,'" and resulting in "recommendations 'designed to stimulate new thinking in planning policy'" (insights and case studies welcome).
• He makes the case for why Heatherwick's Garden Bridge "is a potentially brilliant enhancement of the river and the city - some of the criticism entirely misses the point, or is based on misinformation."
• Meanwhile, Garden Bridge opponents take issue with the mayor's funding guarantee, but supporters claim the "guarantee is little more than a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise" (right - until the bill comes due).
• Manaugh delves deep into "a vast and strange new world for architectural design" that "suggests that another revolution in architecture is on its way": electromagnetism - and how it is reshaping the built envirnoment.
• Schumacher responds to the responses to his first - and much-debated - "In Defense of Stars and Icons" essay in hopes of dispelling "some misunderstandings that I feel might have stirred misgivings and suspicions where agreement should be possible."
• Q&A with HDR's Ayoub and Horan re: the challenges of working in "a hotbed of new hospital construction" - the Middle East: ""Spiritualism is very much intertwined within the science of medicine" (and Brooke changes wardrobe before deplaning in Saudi Arabia).
• Leddy Maytum Stacy's Sweetwater Spectrum Community in California is "a new national model for supportive housing for adults with autism - the fastest growing developmental disability in the U.S. - offering 'life with purpose and dignity.'"
• The University of Melbourne establishes the Australian Research Council Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing.
• An impressive, international mix of teams make the shortlist for Stage 2 in the competition to design a four kilometer-long signature stretch of Singapore's Rail Corridor.
• One we couldn't resist: the Israeli architect who was asked by two engineers to design the "world's longest (and scariest) glass pedestrian bridge" said no - until they described it as "thin as a wing and as light as a swallow. My god, can you imagine a structural engineer describing a bridge like this?" (pix to prove it!).
| |
|
|
|
To subscribe to the free daily newsletter
click here
|
Frick Collection Spares a Prized Garden: ...nudged back to the drawing board by City Hall, has a chance to devise a creative plan for expansion that will leave its Russell Page-designed garden intact...Alternate plans are already out there...Frick officials might also want to take a look, if they haven’t yet...a golden opportunity to do better. By Michael Kimmelman -- Davis Brody Bond; Helpern Architects- New York Times |
The Italian Pavilion That Could Have Been: Aaron Betsky finds major differences in what was planned for the Italian Pavilion at the 2015 Milan Expo versus what was delivered: Everything that could go wrong did...it is hard to believe that anybody could have done much to save the original design...Shame on Italy and its architecture culture. The talented young designers such Nemesi and others deserve a better chance. [images]- Architect Magazine |
With Move Across London, U.S. Embassy Can’t Please Everyone: Residents near the current Mayfair site...are relieved, but the new design, grittier location and departure from tradition have their critics...“It’s like moving from New York’s Upper East Side to New Jersey...a high-value ghost town"...if the embassy’s design is intended to project America’s “transparency, openness and equality"...the British are not convinced. -- Peter Rees; Jonathan Glancey; KieranTimberlake- New York Times |
Why we wrote “Less in Common”: report details national decline in social capital: People spending more time alone in cars, living in gated and segregated neighborhoods and cocooned in headphones has profound impacts on how well communities function. By Joe Cortright/Impresa- City Observatory |
Musée des Confluences, Lyon, France: Coop Himmelb(l)au: ...the museum was leaving the city center to spark urban renewal in a rust-belt zone with no trappings of cultural elitism. ...This museum that houses Jurassic-era behemoths is itself the new behemoth in town. Too new and radical for easy digestion, it is the subject of controversy, not unlike the Eiffel Tower in its time...Whether ugly or beautiful, the building succeeds, but not just as a museum. By Joseph Giovannini -- Wolf Prix [images]- Architect Magazine |
Theatre Royal by Page/Park Architects: a theatre using architecture to attract wider audiences: ...if ever one of Glasgow’s corners needed an architectural peak, this would be among the favourites...While it engages solidly with the existing structure, it also revels in the art of showing off. By Rory Olcayto [images]- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Why The Architect Behind NYC's Enormous Flood-Proofing Plan Is Inspired By Martian Sci-Fi: Bjarke Ingels...is a big sci-fi nerd...His creativity process is inspired by the structure of the genre..."Architecture and design - at the core of it, is the art and science of turning fiction into fact"...the Dryline..."the lovechild of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs"... By Jessica Leber -- BIG - Bjarke Ingels [images]- Fast Company |
Bay fill may be defense as sea levels rise, many concede: In a region where transportation and housing are immediate concerns...Bay Conservation and Development Commission want to focus attention on a less obvious challenge: the need to prepare for rising sea levels...“If ever there was an issue that begged for regional collaboration, this is it.” By John King- San Francisco Chronicle |
Parramatta riverfront: $200m reimagination: ...pushing forward the suburb’s conversion into a major hub...will cover an area of 30 hectares along 1.5 kilometres of riverfront...River Square, a multi-purpose public space that will accommodate around 10,000 people for major civic events, and will serve as Sydney’s largest public plaza. -- McGregor Coxall [images]- ArchitectureAU (Australia) |
Richard Rogers launches parliamentary probe into design: ...hopes to discover examples of design prompting “good behaviours” and being used to create environments in which people thrive...will report back to Parliament...with recommendations “designed to stimulate new thinking in planning policy”... [deadline for submission of insights and case studies: July 3]- BD/Building Design (UK) |
The garden bridge will be an oasis of calm and beauty in the heart of London: The creation of Thomas Heatherwick’s green link across the Thames is a potentially brilliant enhancement of the river and the city...Every good idea has its opponents...some of the criticism entirely misses the point, or is based on misinformation. By Richard Rogers- Guardian (UK) |
Campaigners to fight Mayor's funding guarantee for Garden Bridge: ...will launch a legal challenge against Boris Johnson’s decision to underwrite millions of pounds of future maintenance costs...Yet supporters claim the Mayor’s guarantee is little more than a bureaucratic box-ticking exercise. -- Thomas Heatherwick [images]- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Giving physical shape to invisible signals: ...electromagnetism is beginning to have a physical influence on the way we construct and manage the built environment...where signal propagation becomes as important a design parameter as natural light, good acoustics or fresh air...architects have not had time to adapt...suggests that another revolution in architecture is on its way, giving physical shape to invisible forces and fundamentally rethinking the implications of our built environment. By Geoff Manaugh -- Joseph Grima/Space Caviar- New Scientist |
Op-Ed: Beyond Stars, Icons and Much More: I want to make two general remarks that are meant to clear up and hopefully dispel some misunderstandings that I feel might have stirred misgivings and suspicions where agreement should be possible. By Patrik Schumacher- Archinect |
10 Questions With... Mohammed Ayoub and Brooke Horan of HDR: The Middle East has become a hotbed of new hospital construction, and HDR is handling some 15 million square feet of it...including King Faisal and King Saud Medical Cities, both in Saudi Arabia, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi..."Spiritualism is very much intertwined within the science of medicine in the Middle East." By Annie Block [images]- Interior Design magazine |
California housing by Leddy Maytum Stacy addresses the needs of residents with autism: ...the fastest growing developmental disability in the US...Sweetwater Spectrum Community...a new national model for supportive housing for adults with autism, offering "life with purpose and dignity"... [images]- Dezeen |
New Melbourne Prefabricated Housing research centre to ‘transform the building industry’: University of Melbourne has been awarded $4 million to establish The Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing.- Architecture & Design (Australia) |
5 teams shortlisted for Stage 2 of the Rail Corridor RFP: ...details of the requirements in Stage 2, including a feasibility study and preliminary design for a four kilometre-long signature stretch... -- West 8/DP Architects; Grant Associates/MVRDV/Architects 61; Turenscape International/MKPL Architects; Nikken Sekkei/Tierra Design; Olin Partnership/OMA Asia/DP Architects- Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority |
The World’s Longest (and Scariest) Glass Pedestrian Bridge: When two engineers approached the Israeli architect Haim Dotan about designing a span across a 1,200-foot canyon in Zhangjiajie National Forest in China, his answer was a quick and resounding no..."thin as a wing and as light as a swallow. My god, can you imagine a structural engineer describing a bridge like this?” [images]- Wired |
Nuts + Bolts #12: The Importance of Mentorship: Debunking Mentoring Myths in the AEC Industry: Mentoring can help anyone make meaningful professional connections, and it should be considered rewarding and an honor for everyone involved. By Donna Maltzan- ArchNewsNow.com |
|
|
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.
© 2015 ArchNewsNow.com
