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Today’s News - Thursday, October 18, 2018

EDITOR'S NOTE: Tomorrow and Monday will be no-newsaletter days. We'll be back Tuesaday, October 23.

● ANN feature: Edward McGraw/Ashley McGraw Architects: Building Abundance: Creating abundance is more than sustainability or resilience, and should be a driving force in architecture.

● Kamin takes a serious (and terrific!) dive into the dull plazas, problem promenades, and subpar streets and buildings of Chicago's Cityfront Center - the "'meh' blocks are a cautionary tale for Chicago's next round of megaprojects."

● King says "the aspirations are admirable" for San Francisco's Harvey Milk Plaza makeover, but "there's a long way to go. And design for the sake of design is not the answer."

● TCLF puts out a warning that London's Dolphin Square Gardens, an "expansive interwar landscape, may yet be destroyed by renovations to the apartment block that surrounds it."

● On a brighter note, Berlin's Tempelhof Airport "is now a beautiful public park that'll soon house some of Berlin's most talented artists" with galleries, an innovation center, and a museum.

● Stephen Lawrence Prize winner Anna Liu considers Bloomberg HQ's Stirling Prize victory as a "'disastrous result' which could yet be turned into a positive if client and architect shared details of its innovative features."

● Finch takes issue with Stirling criticism: "The cliché about architects being a bunch of squabbling egos starts to ring true when people who should know better rush to judgment about others' work. Can we avoid turning the mother of the arts into a catalyst for slanging matches?"

● P+W's Bullock, one of only 424 female African-American architects in the U.S., explains why it was the "lack of diversity that ignited my ambition to push for real change in our industry. I've seen a marked improvement - but we have a long way to go."

● Sisson parses the Urban Land Institute's Emerging Trends report, and highlights "the 10 top emerging trends that will shape real estate in 2019:"

● A new USGBC survey finds that "employees are happier, healthier and more productive" in LEED-certified buildings ("81% of those who work in conventional buildings say the same").

● ICYMI: ANN feature: rise in the city 2018: Call for mentors and sponsors for an international student competition to design affordable housing in the capital of Lesotho, in Southern Africa.

Weekend diversions:

● "The World of Charles and Ray Eames" at the Oakland Museum of California is "an in-depth and personal look at the designers - aiming to draw a link between the design power couple's chairs and toys," and "shows how influential California was as a backdrop for the designers' idealistic experimentations."

● The Ando-designed Wrightwood 659 exhibition space opens in Chicago's Lincoln Park with "Ando and Le Corbusier: Masters of Architecture."

● Corbu is also in the spotlight in Oslo with "Le Corbusier by the Sea" showcasing "his more dreamy and humorous nature," and "draws upon his memories from his summer travels along the coast of southwest France."

● "Tutto Ponti: Gio Ponti, Archi-Designer" at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is "a comprehensive retrospective featuring more than 500 items, most of which have never been displayed outside Italy."

Page-turners

● Welton finds "McKim, Mead & White: Selected Works 1879 to 1915" to be "a gem of a book - the all-in-one four volumes are nothing short of your basic spectacular."

● D'Arcy Jones cheers Thorsteinson and Smith's "Green Blankstein Russell and Associates: An Architectural Legacy": The "folksy presentation" makes the book "endearing, the kind you leave on the coffee table."

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ANN feature: Edward McGraw: Building Abundance: Creating abundance is more than sustainability or resilience, and should be a driving force in architecture. -- Ashley McGraw Architects [images]- ArchNewsNow.com

Blair Kamin: Cityfront Center: Am incredible transformagtion? Not really: The "meh" blocks west of Navy Pier are a cautionary tale for Chicago's next round of megaprojects: The public spaces were supposed to be vibrant and interconnected. Instead, they are unfinished, underachieving, largely disjointed...Urban planning flops like these loom large...the blandness of Cityfront Center’s streets can be attributed to the city’s unwillingness to enforce its own design standards...The current development boom has put city officials in a stronger position to regulate public space - and deliver better results...There’s a dramatic difference, Cityfront Center shows, between real estate success and building a great city. -- Adrian Smith/Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, (SOM); Cooper, Eckstut Associates; Lohan Associates [images]- Chicago Tribune

John King: Harvey Milk Plaza makeover not the right change for Castro: ...public spaces need a shot of common sense to succeed long-term...The aspirations are admirable for the small area...There’s a lot to like in the conceptual design...But the location is awkward, at best, in terms of a plaza intended to be a tourist destination and local gathering space...In the abstract, the firm did a good job...But when you try to imagine the redone plaza in the actual context, the case isn’t nearly so compelling...there’s a long way to go. And design for the sake of design is not the answer. -- Perkins Eastman [images]- San Francisco Chronicle

London’s Dolphin Square Gardens Face Threat: This expansive interwar landscape is one of the few surviving designs by...Richard Sudell (1892 - 1968)...Located beside the River Thames in the Pimlico area...Although it has been recently included on the Historic England Register of Parks and Gardens, the landscape may yet be destroyed by renovations to the apartment block that surrounds it...technically a roof garden, having been constructed atop a basement garage, with a second elevated roof garden over a sports complex (and possibly the first major residential roof garden designed in London). [images]- The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF)

Berlin’s Old Airport Will Soon Host Vibrant Art Scene: Built in the 1940s under Nazi occupation, the now-defunct Tempelhof Airport is now a beautiful public park that'll soon house some of Berlin's most talented artists: ...Berlin Creative District...airport's former U.S. Army Officer’s Hotel will be turned into a Digital and Innovation Center with office space for startups, creative institutions, and artist studios...will also open a new historic museum in hangar 7...called the Allied Museum...nearly mile-long rooftop...will become an exhibition space... [images]- Architectural Digest

Stirling result is ‘disastrous’, says Stephen Lawrence Prize winner: Anna Liu has described the Bloomberg building’s Stirling Prize victory as a ‘disastrous result’ which could yet be turned into a positive if client and architect shared details of its innovative features...Liu’s challenge was backed by the Stirling Prize jury’s sustainability adviser Simon Sturgis, who said publishing sustainability data from the landmark project would help the industry to learn valuable lessons. -- Tonkin Liu; Fosgter + Partners- The Architects' Journal (UK)

Paul Finch: Stirling criticism undermines design talent that we should be celebrating: The cliché about architects being a bunch of squabbling egos starts to ring true when people who should know better rush to judgment about others’ work: The suggestion that it was ‘disastrous’ to award the Stirling Prize to Foster + Partners’ Bloomberg headquarters only goes to show how abuse of language is not confined to the world of politics...this project is jaw-dropping in its ambition and achievement...It would be worth an award simply as a piece of urbanism...Nor do I like the attacks on De Matos Ryan for its V&A extension designs. Can we avoid turning the mother of the arts into a catalyst for slanging matches?- The Architects' Journal (UK)

Gabrielle Bullock/Perkins+Will: Hiring an African American woman on your leadership team is a step in the right direction: Improving the diversity of your architecture firm will help you win more projects: Pursuing a life-long career in an industry with almost no self-representation can be a daunting task...it was this lack of diversity that ignited my ambition to push for real change in our industry...I've seen a marked improvement...but we have a long way to go...I am one of only 424 female African-American architects licensed in the U.S...We have a long way to go, but real change is on the horizon.- Dezeen

Patrick Sisson: The 10 top emerging trends that will shape real estate in 2019: The Urban Land Institute’s annual look at the year ahead focuses on technology and transformation at an uncertain moment: Emerging Trends report,...points to a more complex, multi-layered series of overlapping trends, with unpredictable results, as opposed to a few strong narratives...While [it] expects an overall economic slowdown...emerging trends and markets in flux that could provide new opportunities...Second cities, and now their suburbs, may be key markets...A renewed sustainability; etc.- Curbed

Employees are Happier, Healthier and More Productive in LEED Green Buildings: According to a new [USGBC] survey...84% want to work for companies that are value-oriented, take stances on important issues like sustainability...79% say they would choose a job in a LEED-certified building over a non-LEED building...93% who work in LEED-certified buildings say they are satisfied on the job...81% of those who work in conventional buildings say the same.- U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

ANN feature: rise in the city 2018: Call for Mentors and Sponsors: Students are already busy working on their submissions for an international competition to design affordable housing in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, in Southern Africa. Now, mentors and sponsors are needed.- ArchNewsNow.com

Massive new Eames exhibition sheds light on iconic couple’s legacy and California life: "The World of Charles and Ray Eames" is an in-depth and personal look at the designers...aiming to draw a link between the design power couple’s chairs and toys, and their life in the Golden State...What makes [it] different - and worthwhile - is the personalized frame of reference...shows how influential California was as a backdrop for the designers’ idealistic experimentations. Oakland Museum of California thru February 27, 2019 [images]- Curbed San Francisco

Tadao Ando-designed exhibition space opens in Lincoln Park: Wrightwood 659 is a new venue...on a quiet residential block in a former 1920’s apartment building. Once inside, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s signature style is instantly recognizable: masterful concrete work and thoughtful consideration of light...[gallery] plans to host exhibitions that focus on socially engaged art and explorations in architecture and design. "Ando and Le Corbusier: Masters of Architecture" thru December 15 [images]- Curbed Chicago

Le Corbusier’s Paintings Showcased for the First Time Since 1966: Depicting his more dreamy and humorous nature, the Nasjonalmuseet's exhibition titled, “Le Corbusier by the Sea,” draws upon his memories from his summer travels along the coast of southwest France...aims to highlight how often he drew inspiration from nature and the environment around him. Norwegian National Museum, Oslo, thru December 16 [images]- ArchDaily

Paris Exhibition to Celebrate Gio Ponti's Career in Architecture and Industrial Design: "Tutto Ponti: Gio Ponti, Archi-Designer" at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs...a comprehensive retrospective...Featuring more than 500 items, most of which have never been displayed outside Italy... thru February 10, 2019 -- Wilmotte & Associés; Italo Lupi [images]- Architect Magazine

J. Michael Welton: "McKim, Mead & White: Selected Works 1879 to 1915": The Monograph: Here we have a gem of a book that started as a gift...combines all four volumes into one - with an introduction by Richard Guy Wilson and an essay by Leland Roth...all-in-one four volumes are nothing short of your basic spectacular...The firm worked on nearly every major project during the nation’s Gilded Age. Now most of their projects are contained in a single volume...Anyone who peruses it will owe special thanks to Scott Hartman...- Architects and Artisans

D'Arcy Jones: "Green Blankstein Russell and Associates: An Architectural Legacy" by Jeffrey Thorsteinson and Brennan Smith: They don’t make them like they used to. For 72 years, Winnipeg’s GBR were prolific in ways not possible anymore...The folksy presentation does make the book endearing, the kind you leave on the coffee table...pencil perspective drawings have an analogue charm that describes GBR’s motivations almost better than the photographs do...[it] quarterbacked a defining era that shaped Winnipeg in the 1950s to 1970s. (GBR was bought by Stantec in 2004)- Canadian Architect

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