Today’s News - Wednesday, October 9, 2019
It's a Stirling/Lawrence/Gold Medal kind of day + other news with a British accent on both sides of the Big Pond:
● Wainwright cheers Mikhail Riches & Cathy Hawley's uber-green Goldsmith Street council housing winning the 2019 Stirling Prize: It "represents what has become a rare breed. And it's an architectural marvel, too - there may come a time when projects like [this] are not an anomaly."
● Booth says "it has been a week of welcome change in the awards-sphere": Goldsmith Street winning the Stirling Prize "sends a message about sustainability and social purpose," and Grafton Architects, a "considered, exceptional practice, is a worthy winner" of the 2020 RIBA Royal Gold Medal. "There are messages here. Let's act on them."
● Moore mulls whether architecture is "at last breaking through its own glass ceiling" with Grafton Architects' Gold Medal: "It would be no bad thing if the RIBA followed up on this year's tap on its (doubtless beautifully designed) glass ceiling by honoring more architects who are both female and not wannabe Howard Roarks."
● Jessel reports that the "ingenious" Cork House (also nominated for the Stirling) wins RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize 2019: It "is a unique fusion of ancient construction methods and cutting-edge technical research to produce a highly innovative, low-carbon solution with a wide variety of applications from mass housing to emergency shelters," sayeth Goldschmied.
● The U.K. government is publishing new national design guidelines that "aim to ensure that 'beautifully designed homes' are delivered across the country. 'Too often new developments come at the expense of beauty, quality and design.'"
● From the other side of the Big Pond: Gibson reports Chipperfield won the competition to design Rolex USA HQ in New York "with a proposal for a 25-story stacked, jagged glass tower" on the corner of 5th Avenue and 53rd Street.
● Heatherwick joins the starchitect-designed petting zoo flanking the High Line with Lantern House, his first residential building in NYC inspired by the surrounding maritime warehouses.
In the rest of the world:
● Moore's take on BIG's ski slope-topped Amager Resource Centre in Copenhagen: "It's a work that revels in its own contrivance - an emblem of a culture of why-not and because-you-can. Plus a dollop of chutzpah - this is one project that lives up to the hype."
● Ha`aretz's Sternhell delves into Kimmelman's take-down of Jerusalem's plans for "cable cars to the Holy Basin that will overpass Arab inhabitants," and hopes his article "will yet make waves in Israel, which is hard-pressed to preserve its cultural assets - it's not hard to detect his emphatic opinion about the whole project and its savaging of the landscape."
● Leigh, on a brighter note, lauds San Francisco's Transbay Terminal: "Many American cities are not investing in public transport infrastructure even though they need to. Transbay shows how it can be done. The city is far from perfect, but at least it sees the value in building something with a bit of vision."
● architectsAlliance's "controversial expansion to Ottawa's Chateau Laurier rejected for now" because it "does not respect the landscape and character of the heritage features of the historic properties that surround the site."
● New Canaan, Connecticut, is exploring ways to preserve the Eliot Noyes House II as a museum similar to Philip Johnson's Glass House - and not sold to a private owner.
● Ritz raves about OfficeUntitled's renovation of the Cayton Children's Museum in the Santa Monica Place mall that "reflects a heightened understanding and respect for children's capacity for abstract thought and creativity - and perhaps most importantly, fun.
● Betsky visits Open City in Chile, "a half-century-old experiment in making space - built as a home to a community of architects, poets, and artists" that "achieves a sense of complex and near-chaotic order that took my breath away" (his own fab photos, too!).
● Damarwala's Q&A with Schumacher, whose projects "have reshaped and redefined city skylines around the world," and whose "indomitable grit has defined a career spent constantly challenging the status quo."
● ICYMI: ANN feature: In Lesson Plan #4, Sussman and Woodworth, two instructors at the Boston Architectural College, respond to the student open letter for curriculum change, calling for a new, biological approach to architecture.
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Oliver Wainwright: 'A masterpiece': Norwich council houses win Stirling architecture prize: Street of 105 homes hailed as high-quality architecture in its most environmentally and socially conscious form: Goldsmith Street represents what has become a rare breed...And it’s an architectural marvel, too...designed to stringent Passivhaus environmental standards...Immense thought has gone into every detail...marks first time the Stirling prize has gone to social housing...there may come a time when projects like [this] are not an anomaly. -- Mikhail Riches; Cathy Hawley- Guardian (UK) |
Emily Booth: Stirling Prize sends a message about sustainability and social purpose: Awards can both reflect and set the agenda for architecture: Congratulations to Mikhail Riches and Cathy Hawley for their exceptional Goldsmith Street...ultra-low-energy homes...The design is simple and honest...It’s design that really benefits ordinary people...this win shows us what architecture can and should be doing...it has been a week of welcome change in the awards-sphere...Grafton Architects...Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara’s considered, exceptional practice is a worthy [2020 RIBA Royal Gold Medal] winner...The myth of the lone male genius is crumbling...There are messages here. Let’s act on them.- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Rowan Moore: Is architecture at last breaking through its own glass ceiling? A welcome gold medal, and now the RIBA has begun to recognise that what matters is the team: RIBA could hardly have done otherwise, given a campaign by...Part W to highlight the scarcity of women among the winners of the gold medal and the world’s other top awards for architecture. It is flabbergasting that this conversation still has to be had now, in 2019. Still, baby steps. The choice of Grafton Architects can’t be faulted, either - they are outstanding architects...it would be no bad thing if the RIBA followed up on this year’s tap on its (doubtless beautifully designed) glass ceiling by honouring more architects who are both female and not wannabe Howard Roarks. -- Shelley McNamara; Yvonne Farrell- Observer (UK) |
Ella Jessel: ‘Ingenious’ Cork House wins RIBA Stephen Lawrence Prize 2019: ...also nominated for the Stirling Prize...Marco Goldschmied said: "[It] is a unique fusion of ancient construction methods and cutting-edge technical research to produce a highly innovative, low-carbon solution with a wide variety of applications from mass housing to emergency shelters"...special mention...to Tikari Works’ Pocket House...prize recognises the best new project in the UK with a construction cost of under £1 million. -- Matthew Barnett Howland; Dido Milne; Oliver Wilton- The Architects' Journal (UK) |
Government to publish new national design guide for homes: ...aims to ensure that “beautifully designed homes” are delivered across the country: ...will replace the “outdated" system currently in place...Where possible, emphasis will be placed on tree-lined streets and green infrastructure..."Too often new developments come at the expense of beauty, quality and design"...The promise to deliver new standards comes after the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission released an interim report in July which urged planners to “say no to ugliness.”- Inside Housing magazine (UK) |
Eleanor Gibson: David Chipperfield designs Rolex USA headquarters in New York: ...has won a competition...with a proposal for a stacked, jagged glass tower...[25-story] high-rise will replace the Swiss watchmaker's existing home on the corner of 5th Avenue and 53rd Street, which it has occupied since the 1970s...designed to achieve a rating of LEED Platinum.- Dezeen |
Lantern-shaped bay windows define Heatherwick Studio’s first residential building in NYC: Soon to be shining from 515 West 18th Street in West Chelsea...Lantern House...The studio has been busy in that part of town - recently completing the Vessel and Pier 55 nearby..Joining many starchitect-designed blocks flanking the High Line, Lantern House features two towers...It was the surrounding maritime warehouses that really inspired the architects... -- Thomas Heatherwick- Wallpaper* |
Rowan Moore: Amager Resource Centre, Copenhagen - green energy goes off-piste: Bjarke Ingels’s splicing of power plant and ski slope confirms the Danish architect’s transition from enfant terrible to global brand: It’s a work that revels in its own contrivance...a creation of what might be called hypernature...arresting and striking. It’s an emblem of a culture of why-not and because-you-can...It’s an appealing idea realised with a pithy composition...a compelling idea...Plus a dollop of chutzpah...this is one project that lives up to the hype. --BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group- Observer (UK) |
Ziva Sternhell: Jerusalem Is Becoming a Jewish Disneyland, NYT's Architecture Critic Warns: Cable cars to the Holy Basin that will overpass Arab inhabitants, 40-story glass towers and a district planner who sees Singapore as a role model. The New York Times' Michael Kimmelman visited Jerusalem and delivered a warning about the future...it’s to be hoped that his front-page article...will yet make waves...in Israel, which is hard-pressed to preserve its cultural assets...it’s not hard to detect his emphatic opinion about the whole project and its savaging of the landscape. -- Mendy Rosenfeld- Ha`aretz (Israel) |
Gabriel Leigh: Ambitious Transport Infrastructure And A World-Class Park: How San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal Leads The Way: Many American cities are not investing in public transport infrastructure even though the consensus is that they need to, and soon. The Transbay Terminal...with its glorious rooftop park, shows how it can be done...the level of investment in the building says something about the city’s priorities. In this era of decaying infrastructure and few bold plans for how to replace it, maybe that’s what matters most...The city is far from perfect, but at least it sees the value in building something with a bit of vision.- Forbes |
Controversial expansion to Ottawa's Chateau Laurier rejected for now: ...arguably the most important historic hotel in Canada...Designed by Peter Clewes [of] architectsAlliance, the bulky, 7-story structure would bring 147 new rooms to the iconic...107-year-old structure..."The committee is of the opinion that the approval of (the) variance would allow for a new build that does not respect the landscape and character of the heritage features of the historic properties that surround the site..."- The Architect's Newspaper |
Can New Canaan preserve the home of a groundbreaking architect? The Eliot Noyes House II will be changing hands. The question is if it will be saved for posterity for the public to see, or be purchased by a private owner? ...the Tourism and Economic Development Advisory Committee is looking...to save the home, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places, as a museum similar to The Glass House [Philip Johnson]...The family cannot afford to hold onto the uninhabited house...son Fred Noyes, an architect in his own right, [said]. He would love to see the public retain the ability to appreciate it...- The Hour (Connecticut) |
Jessica Ritz: Play, Learn, Discover, Repeat: This Renovated Museum Engages Young Hearts, Hands, and Minds: OfficeUntitled imbues the new iteration of the Cayton Children’s Museum in Santa Monica with a design informed by the institution’s value-driven mission: ...located at the third level of the Santa Monica Place mall...exhibits and design features reflect a heightened understanding and respect for children’s capacity for abstract thought and creativity...Overall, the aesthetic is bold and perhaps most importantly, fun. -- Christian Robert/Shawn Gehle/OfficeUntitled (formerly R&A Architecture & Design; ShareWell; S2 Associates; Greg Nelson/Altitude Design Office- Metropolis Magazine |
Aaron Betsky: Where to Find Open Architecture: He visits Open City in Chile, a half-century-old experiment in making space: ...both ruins of a utopian past and building blocks for an experimental future...built as a home to a community of architects, poets, and artists...a fragment of structures and shaped spaces that are accumulations of bits and pieces that sometimes come together, sometimes wander off into dead-ends (both physically and as designs), and...achieve a sense of complex and near-chaotic order that took my breath away.- Architect Magazine |
Sholeen Damarwala: 10 Questions With ... Patrik Schumacher: He has one of the most coveted jobs in architecture: helming...Zaha Hadid Architects...has played a crucial role in designing projects that have reshaped and redefined city skylines around the world...while the accolades and prestige have propelled his career to greater heights, Schumacher owes his success in part to the indomitable grit that has defined a career spent constantly challenging the status quo. Q&A re: the philosophy behind some of his projects, his vision for the future of building design, and the incident that inspired him to pursue architecture at the age of 10.- Interior Design magazine |
ANN feature: Ann Sussman, RA, and A. Vernon Woodworth, FAIA: Lesson Plan #4: Response to Open Letter for Curriculum Change: A New, Biological Approach to Architecture: This response, in two parts, is from two instructors at the Boston Architectural College.- ArchNewsNow.com |
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