Today’s News - Wednesday, November 1, 2017
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our hearts go out to - and grieve with - our city and the victims of yesterday's truck attack in Manhattan.
It's a Stirling Prize kind of day (so newsletter is a bit longer - and later - than usual):
● Wainwright weighs in on dRMM's Hastings Pier (which also won the public vote): the "stark wooden wonder" is "the most obviously appealing building on an unadventurous shortlist. For its ingenuity and public-minded story, the pier makes a worthy winner."
● Ijeh applauds "dRMM's heroic reworking of Hastings Pier" as a "genuine example of urban renewal" (that the "shortlist was largely uninspiring helped").
● Reactions to the "bookies' favorite" to win the Stirling Prize are (mostly) positive (with a touch of wit: "How many Hasting piers do we need to reach France? Give dRMM a Stirling prize for every 280m").
● Waite's Q&A with dRMM's Alex de Rijke re: Hastings Pier: "Sometimes you don't need a building. Sometimes you just need architecture that is made possible by other means."
In other news:
● Moore finds miles of "metaphors and allusions" easy to come by in the "Republic of Bloombergia" (a.k.a. Bloomberg European HQ): London "hasn't seen such an ambitious homage to corporate power in decades. It is biobloombergology - it is Starship Enterprise and baroque palazzo at once, somewhat Ian Fleming, the interior of the personal volcano of a benign Blofeld" (as well as being "the id and the superego of the city").
● New renderings of Zumthor's $600 million LACMA expansion project via the newly-released environmental impact report: William Pereira, Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer, Renzo Piano, Bruce Goff buildings still bite the dust (but it's looking like a sand-colored swoosh - no longer a black blob!).
● King parses Perkins Eastman's winning redesign of San Francisco's Harvey Milk Plaza that "would recast the neighborhood's Muni subway station," but the "transformation of the plaza is by no means assured - $10 million will need to be raised privately," and will be "subjected to more scrutiny as the proposal moves" forward.
Of politics, policies, zoning, smart cities, gentrification - oh - and architecture:
● Finch explains why, "if you think that architecture isn't about politics, think again. From memorials to the housing crisis, the profession is intrinsically tied up in political machinations."
● Budds delves into a new study that finds "the key to solving cities' biggest problems" is thinking small (and "an added benefit to this approach: It cuts out politics").
● Florida looks at "the flip side of NIMBY zoning: Yes, land-use restrictions make cities unaffordable. But they also keep inequality between regions from becoming even worse."
● McMurrian explains how electric companies, state utility regulators, consumer advocates, and community leaders working toward similar goals can ensure smarter communities.
● Peters parses a new study that finds that "as people in cities file more patents, the gap between rich and poor starts to increase" (blame it on "innovation intensity").
● Bliss looks at the up- and down-sides of how Columbus, Ohio, is handling its $50 million Smart City Challenge grant for transportation innovation that's supposed to "help its most vulnerable families. Now some worry their needs are fading into the background" (is it "an urban renewal scheme in the worst sense of the term"?).
● Jirku talks to Missika, the deputy mayor of Paris, re: Réinventer Paris, "his passion project - and why he believes shared spaces are the future of the city": "Sharing is not a fad, it is a movement."
● Louisville, Kentucky, launches the $14.5 million Green Heart project that "will study the connection between urban green space and human health" (and do a lot of good for at least one neighborhood).
● A look at the rise of the wooden skyscraper from Vancouver to Vienna: "insurance companies aren't delighted, but a small band of renegade architects is determined to lead us into a wood renaissance."
● Che looks at "why timber towers are on the rise in France": "concrete is losing its cachet" with architects and developers "increasingly turning to wood for their office towers and apartment complexes."
Winners all!!!
● "Flatiron Reflections" wins this year's Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition, where you'll "see NYC through a 'bundle of shimmering tubes.'"
● Great presentation of the AIA Innovation Award winners "that highlight collaboration between design and construction teams to create better process efficiencies and overall costs savings."
● Voters choose the AIA 2017 I Look Up Film Challenge People's Choice Award winner: Paul-Vincent Alexander's "A Roof of Their Own" (with links to all the winning videos).
● Fast Company's Innovation By Design Award winners in 13 categories - we highlight the Spaces, Places, and Cities - projects "that improve the urban fabric."
● Flying Pigs on Parade, Chicago's Union Station, and a Coney Island restaurant are among the winners of the Association of Licensed Architects 19th Annual Design Awards.
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Oliver Wainwright: Walking tall: Hastings Pier wins the Stirling architecture prize: Nicknamed the Plank, de Rijke Marsh Morgan’s stark wooden wonder...was praised for changing ‘the idea of what architecture is’: ...it eschews the usual kiss-me-quick seaside clutter...crowdfunding campaign...has given locals a sense of ownership...the most obviously appealing building on an unadventurous shortlist...For its ingenuity and public-minded story, [it] makes a worthy winner. -- 6a Architects; Reiach & Hall/Michael Laird; Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners; Baynes and Mitchell; Groupwork + Amin Taha [images]- Guardian (UK) |
Ike Ijeh: The verdict: 2017 Stirling Prize winner: ...the decision of to award the [Prize] to dRMM’s heroic reworking of Hastings Pier stands as one of the few Stirling prizes to recognise genuine urban renewal. It also complements the wider reinvention of the British seaside resort...in which architecture has also been playing a starring role...viscerally demonstrate the power of architecture - particularly in depressed urban conditions - to regenerate, rebrand and reinvent...making a real difference to the fortunes of ordinary people and the profile of the depressed coastal communities in which they still sometimes live.- BD/Building Design (UK) |
Reaction: dRMM wins the Stirling Prize with Hastings Pier: ...the bookies’ favourite - has been named the best building in Britain this year. Here’s what you thought about dRMM’s victory: "How many Hasting piers do we need to reach France? I’d encourage dRMM to keep on it ... give them a Stirling prize for every 280m."- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Richard Waite: dRMM Stirling Prize interview: ‘Sometimes you don’t need a building’: Alex de Rijke...talks about its Hastings Pier scheme, describing it as "less of a building and more of a platform for future architecture": "...sometimes you don’t need a building. Sometimes you just need architecture that is made possible by other means."- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Rowan Moore: Bloomberg European HQ - welcome to the Bloombergeum: ...boasts beehives, a wellness centre and its very own Roman temple. The City hasn’t seen such an ambitious homage to corporate power in decades: Republic of Bloombergia...so all-encompassing in its vision that it takes ownership of both the id and the superego of the City of London...Rarely is this nature just nature. It is biobloombergology...it is Starship Enterprise and baroque palazzo at once, somewhat Ian Fleming, the interior of the personal volcano of a benign Blofeld. -- Foster + Partners [images]- Observer (UK) |
LACMA Reveals New Renderings and Drawings of Zumthor-Led Expansion Project: ...$600 million transformation designed by Atelier Peter Zumthor...environmental impact report...provides some details of the museum plans...the project has undergone several major changes, most notably changing its original form to protect the nearby La Brea tar pits and changing its color from black to sand. [images]- ArchDaily |
John King: SF architecture firm chosen to redesign Castro’s Harvey Milk Plaza: Perkins Eastman...would recast the neighborhood’s Muni subway station with a tiered amphitheater that at its summit forms a glass portal to the entrance...Transformation of the plaza is by no means assured...$10 million will need to be raised privately...It’s also sure to be subjected to more scrutiny as the proposal moves from a conceptual scheme into the public realm. [images]- San Francisco Chronicle |
Paul Finch: If you think that architecture isn’t about politics, think again: From memorials to the housing crisis, the profession is intrinsically tied up in political machinations: The biggest wide-ranging political story in connection with architecture is the newly discovered interest on the part of government in delivering a mass housing programme in the reasonably immediate future – as opposed to delivering speeches about it, that is...Action is now being considered because housing shortage has become a middle-class problem.- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Diana Budds: The Key To Solving One Of Cities’ Biggest Problems? Think Small: A city doesn’t need a grand action plan to reduce climate change risks, according to a new study. ...risk-specific plans, while technically smaller in scope, yielded more direct policy change than the comprehensive plans...researchers suggest that municipalities that are just beginning to launch climate adaptation plans start by addressing specific risks and working closely with planning departments on policy recommendations. There’s also an added benefit to this approach: It cuts out politics.- Fast Company / Co.Design |
Richard Florida: The Flip Side of NIMBY Zoning: Yes, land-use restrictions make cities unaffordable. But they also keep inequality between regions from becoming even worse: Obama administration indicted unduly strict land-use rules as leading to damaging rents and holding back American innovation and economic progress...Believe it or not, a growing number of studies find that the widening gap between thriving coastal superstar cities and tech hubs and the rest of the country could be even bigger, if not for these restrictions.- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Katrina McMurrian/Critical Consumer Issues Forum: How collaboration facilitates smarter communities: When it comes to making their communities smarter, electric companies, state utility regulators, consumer advocates, and community leaders are up against similar challenges and working toward similar goals. Ongoing cooperation...will ensure that we can improve the well-being of citizens across the nation.- Smart Cities Dive |
Adele Peters: It’s Not A Coincidence That Innovative Cities Become Very Unequal: A new study finds that as people in cities file more patents, the gap between rich and poor in those cities starts to increase: ...blames a phenomenon it calls “innovation intensity." Researchers looked at 2 million patents - all linked to specific U.S. metro areas...The conclusion: A growth in high-tech innovation clearly causes a growth in inequality.- Fast Company |
Laura Bliss: Who Wins When a City Gets Smart? Columbus, Ohio, won a $50 million grant for high-tech transportation innovation, with a promise to help its most vulnerable families. Now some worry their needs are fading into the background: Smart City Challenge...a year and a half later, there’s money sitting in the bank, and the outlines of Smart Columbus are taking shape. The big question: Will vulnerable moms get the lift they need? There is no plan for a pilot. None of the Smart City ideas have a start date...could be an urban renewal scheme in the worst sense of the term... -- Sidewalk Labs- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Irena Jirku: What Will Come of the Competition to Reinvent Paris? Jean-Louis Missika, deputy mayor of Paris, talks about his passion project - a design competition for underutilized spaces - and why he believes shared spaces are the future of the city: ..."nowadays the meaning of co-working, community gardening, and shared housing lies, above all, in human interaction." -- Réinventer Paris- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
Louisville, KY project will examine links between health and greening cities: $14.5 million Green Heart project...will study the connection between urban green space and human health...researchers will primarily examine residents' physical health, such as diabetes and heart disease risk, but they will also look at changes in aspects of mental health, such as stress and depression.- Smart Cities Dive |
'Plyscrapers': The rise of the wooden skyscraper: Timber skyscrapers are sprouting up across the globe, from Vancouver to Vienna. Are they strong enough? Will they rot? And won't they burn down? ...insurance companies aren’t delighted, but a small band of renegade architects is determined to lead us into a wood renaissance nevertheless...cross-laminated timber (CLT)...is a true wonder material. -- Ola Jonsson/CF Möller Architects; Anthony Thistleton/Waugh Thistleton Architects- BBC (UK) |
Jenny Che: Why Timber Towers Are On the Rise in France: From Bordeaux to Paris, concrete is losing its cachet: Spurred by concerns over climate change and the negative impacts of concrete manufacturing, architects and developers in France are increasingly turning to wood for their office towers and apartment complexes...Wood construction has been propelled forward by the growing availability of cross-laminated timber (CLT). -- Steven Ware/Art & Build; PLP Architecture; Jean-Paul Viguier et Associes; Stefano Boeri- CityLab (formerly The Atlantic Cities) |
See the city through a ‘bundle of shimmering tubes’ near the Flatiron Building: The winner of this year’s Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition, "Flatiron Reflections," opens November 20th
offers viewers a mix of social and more personal experiences. “The installation is designed for three scales of experience"; at the intersection of Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street, thru January 1, 2018. -- Van Alen Institute; Future Expansion [images]- Curbed New York |
AIA Innovation Award recipients selected: Program honors projects that highlight collaboration between design and construction teams to create better process efficiencies and overall costs savings. -- Hariri Pontarini Architects; Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture/CharcoalBlue/Bulley & Andrews; Nautilus Group & Stanley Saitowitz | Natoma Architects; University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture [images]- American Institute of Architects (AIA) |
Voters choose 2017 I Look Up Film Challenge People’s Choice Award winner: The public cast more than 268,000 votes...Of the 82 films submitted, the winner, Paul-Vincent Alexander’s A Roof of Their Own, garnered almost half the votes with 122,527 total. [links to videos of winners]- American Institute of Architects (AIA) |
Innovation By Design Awards 2017: Fast Company’s sixth annual awards...in 13 categories: Spaces, Places, and Cities: Projects that improve the urban fabric, including urban planning, architecture, and interactive products such as kiosks or apps. -- MAD Architects; Macro Sea; DBI; Marvel Architects [images]- Fast Company / Co.Design |
ALA 2017 Design Awards Winners Announced: Flying Pigs on Parade, Chicago's Union Station, a Coney Island restaurant...among the projects winning top honors at the Association of Licensed Architects 19th Annual Design Awards. -- Arthur Dyson Architects; Demonica Kemper Architects; Peterssen/Keller Architecture; Design Bridge; Holabird & Root; Sullivan Goulette Wilson; New World Design; EwingCole; INVISION Architecture; Elements Architects; etc. [link to images]- Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) |
ANN feature: Charles F. Bloszies: Left Coast Reflections #3: The Wall: The wall may never be built, but the real damage the Trump Administration is likely to inflict on the built environment will have lasting consequences.- ArchNewsNow.com |
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Robert Martin: Steven Holl interview: ...awarded The Daylight Award in Architecture by the VELUX Foundation...[he talks] about his relationship with daylight: Apart from new materials, do you see any other emerging trends in the application of daylight? "I see a trend of ignorance when it comes to the correct use of daylight in architecture! But it’s about real estate now...it’s not surprising." |
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