Today’s News - Wednesday, January 20, 2016
• ArcSpace brings us Heatherwick's university project in Singapore that focuses on "the most important asset of the campus in the information age - social space" (great pix!).
• Tomás Franco, a fellow Chilean, parses Aravena's Pritzker win and what it means for many architects in the region who "do not seem to take much interest in rising to the challenge of housing" - the prize could be "a wake-up call for architects and a positive invitation to focus again on the basics."
• An architect and a journalist document how and why "African cities are starting to look eerily like Chinese ones" - will China's model of urbanism work? "Doubtful."
• Will Melbourne [insert any big city] "see a Chinese land sell-off in 2016?
• Harriss makes the case for why "bulldozing Brutalism's bad boys [some are "exemplary modernist icons"] to balance the books won't work": the U.K.'s "housing policy is tough on poverty, but tougher still on the victims of poverty" (Eye of Mordor included).
• A look at how inclusionary zoning "could serve as a highly effective means of expanding the affordable housing stock of Australia's major cities without incurring burdensome additional costs for taxpayers" (and any/everywhere else?).
• Lubell has a great Q&A with Hawthorne re: whether L.A. is having its moment or an identity crisis: "I'm very pessimistic in terms of its ability to produce individual works of important architecture - design is still not as respected in the public realm as it should be."
• Goldman of Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow makes the case for why the city "needs responsible urban design and architecture": it "has become a developer's goldmine - a sure path to future nightmares."
• Saffron tells the tale of the "suburbanizing tide" rising in Philly's "quirky" Roxborough neighborhood, and how "residents have found a way to fight back - their approach could be instructive for other booming neighborhoods" everywhere ("McTownhouses" included).
• Montenegro gives the green light to transform a former concentration camp into a five-star resort - not all are pleased.
• Eyefuls of London-based Mossessian Architecture's winning design for an Islamic faith museum in Mecca that will include "a climate-controlled 'garden of delight' on the rooftop."
• Heathcote delves into architects' drawings in the digital age, and how "early, ad hoc technologies adopted by Gehry and other pioneers present problems" for researchers and curators - "the biggest question is authenticity."
• Gender equality in architecture "will only change when practices actively redesign themselves" - inequality is just bad for business, as research shows "organizations with diverse leadership groups consistently outperform those without."
• 50 architects, critics, theorists, and educators chime in with what they're looking forward to in 2016 ("I think it is vain to talk about architecture given everything the world is facing," sayeth OMA's de Graaf).
• Hume offers his tongue-in-cheek "10 tips for surviving Toronto's streets" (our fave: "Approach wildlife with caution").
• The Knight Cities Challenge sifted through 4,500 submissions to come up with 158 community-transforming ideas as finalists.
• Capps ponders what went into making - and what might come out of - Storefront's "Taking Buildings Down" competition (deadline today!).
• Call for entries: Architizer's 4th Annual A+Awards (deadline extended) + A House for David Bowie (we can't wait to see the results!).
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Learning Hub: Heatherwick Studio's new multi-use building for Singapore's NTU university [Nanyang Technological University] responds to the transforming role of the university campus in the 21st century...recognising the most important asset of the campus in the information age - social space. [images] |
Alejandro Aravena Wins 2016 Pritzker Prize: ...the majority of architects in the region do not seem to take much interest in rising to the challenge of housing. That is why rewarding Aravena...could be considered almost a wake-up call for architects and a positive invitation to focus again on the basics. By José Tomás Franco -- ELEMENTAL [images]- ArchDaily |
African Cities Are Starting to Look Eerily Like Chinese Ones: A journalist and an architect tell us how and why: Michiel Hulshof...and architect Daan Roggeveen...began visiting the continent in 2013 to document and investigate whether China’s model of urbanism can work in Africa. Their conclusion? Doubtful. [images]- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Will Melbourne See a Chinese Land Sell-off in 2016? Interim planning restrictions and a tepid apartment market could hit foreign owners of premium land plots in downtown Melbourne especially hard this year.- Sourceable |
Bulldozing brutalism’s bad boys to balance the books won't work: The Prime Minister’s housing policy is tough on poverty, but tougher still on the victims of poverty: David Cameron’s eye of mordor has spotted another public asset snatch and grab opportunity. This time the asset in question is 100 of Britain’s social housing estates...many...are also exemplary modernist icons By Harriet Harriss- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Can Inclusionary Zoning Expand Affordable Housing? ...could serve as a highly effective means of expanding the affordable housing stock of Australia’s major cities without incurring burdensome additional costs for taxpayers.- Sourceable |
Q+A> Christopher Hawthorne: ...makes the case for a post-suburban city: This seems to be a Los Angeles moment, doesn’t it? "I think it’s having a moment...The question is whether it’s a moment or an identity crisis...it’s become a very difficult place to be an architect. I’m very pessimistic...in terms of its ability to produce individual works of important architecture...design is still not as respected in the public realm as it should be..." By Sam Lubell- The Architect's Newspaper |
Why Santa Monica needs responsible urban design, architecture: ...over-development is consuming our city and its resources. Speculation is taking precedence over all other residents’ concerns. [It] has become a developer’s goldmine...a sure path to future nightmares...how do we find common ground where all parties can prosper? By Ron Goldman/SMa.r.t./Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow- Santa Monica Daily Press (California) |
Fighting the suburbanizing tide in Roxborough: ...the same housing boom that took Philadelphia's flatlands by storm is blowing into this quiet corner of the city...threatening to turn the compact village into something more like a suburban subdivision...residents have found a way to fight back, and their approach could be instructive for the city's other booming neighborhoods. By Inga Saffron- Philadelphia Inquirer |
Controversial resort on site of former concentration camp gets green light in Montenegro: ...five-star development located on Lastavica Island, better known as Mamula...Some local groups have protested...ue to the site’s violent history...Orascom have insisted the project will be sympathetic to the...historical value of the island, and will include a special memorial room... -- Salt & Water [images]- CLAD (Community of Leisure Architects & Designers) |
Winning design unveiled for Islamic faith museum in Mecca: London studio Mossessian Architecture has won an invited competition...The Makkah Museum will include 5,600sq m (60,200sq ft) of permanent and temporary exhibition galleries, an auditorium, a bookstore, a restaurant, and a climate-controlled ‘garden of delight’ on the rooftop. -- Studio Adeline Rispal; Aecom [images, video]- CLAD (Community of Leisure Architects & Designers) |
Architects’ drawings in the digital age: Technology has transformed how architects work - and how their work is seen: ...the change in mediation from hand to keyboard is a fundamental shift in technique and perception...early, ad hoc technologies adopted by Gehry and other pioneers present problems for researchers reading the archives...The biggest question...is authenticity. By Edwin Heathcote- Financial Times (UK) |
Architects promoting gender equality in architecture: ...according to Parlour legacy and inequality...will only change when practices actively redesign themselves...gender inequality in Australian architecture indicates problems with policy, recruitment practices, salary structures...it is also just bad business..."companies and organisations with diverse leadership groups consistently outperform those without."- Architecture & Design (Australia) |
50 Architects Tell Us What They Are Looking Forward to in 2016: ...we asked...architects, critics, theorists and educators..."It is not clear where we are going, and increasingly less clear where we are coming from...I think it is vain to talk about architecture given everything the world is facing. Architecture is not important. Let’s enjoy it." - Reinier de Graaf/OMA/AMO- ArchDaily |
Ten tips for surviving Toronto’s streets: Christopher Hume offers his slightly tongue-in-cheek suggestions for those brave enough to go outside: If you're a pedestrian, remember: drivers, not cars, are the enemy...Approach wildlife with caution.- Toronto Star |
Knight Announces Finalists for Cities Challenge: ...158 community-transforming ideas...as finalists in its second annual Knight Cities Challenge...received more than 4,500 submissions from designers, urban planners, nonprofits, individuals and municipalities...with visions for how to help their cities succeed.- Next City (formerly Next American City) |
A New York Art Gallery Asks: What Would You Demolish? The Storefront for Art and Architecture is hosting a competition...“Taking Buildings Down” stems from the heated debate over...the Tod Williams Billie Tsien building [American Folk Art Museum]...Whether entrants...will focus on solving problems...or engage in architectural criticism...remains to be seen. By Kriston Capps [deadline today!]- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Call for entries (deadline extended): 4th Annual A+Awards Honoring the Best Architecture, Spaces & Products; deadline: January 29- Architizer |
Call for entries: A House for David Bowie: design a house with the built-in question “Where Are We Now?” to use the name of one of his many albums; no fee; one prize: paid trip to the Venice Biennale; registration deadline: February 1 (submissions due March 20).- ICARCH (International Competitions in Architecture) |
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