Archinect - News

Rotterdam icon becomes 24-hour city

2013-05-24T20:28:00-04:00

Architecture Day Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June 2013
One of the most iconic buildings in Rotterdam, the Hofpoort on the Hofplein, will be transformed into a 24-hour city on Friday 21 June and Saturday 22 June. All are welcome to come and eat, drink, dance, relax, breakfast, discover, meet, skate, create, shop and much more. For a full 24 hours the Hofpoort will be the epicentre of Architecture Day in Rotterdam.

The Hofplein area used to be regarded as the pulsing heart of Rotterdam. AIR, the Rotterdam architecture centre, ZUS – De Dépendance centre for urban culture and Rotterdam ArchiGuides are joining forces to bring it back to life again on Architecture Day. For 24 hours they will combine to transform the Hofpoort into a vertical city where there is something new to experience every hour.

The Hofpoort, better known as the Shell building, was built in 1976 and has 24 floors. Most of these floors have been vacant for some years. The abandoned office floors will be fil...

PATH/Fail: The Story of the World’s Most Expensive Train Station

2013-05-24T18:56:00-04:00

At $3.74 billion, plus another $200 million in contingencies, the “Transportation Hub” at the World Trade Center—not even the busiest station in the Financial District—will be far and away the most expensive train station built in modern history. The Hub, as it’s known in Port Authority speak, will be the crowning artistic statement of the World Trade Center complex, perhaps the last grand gesture at a site that was supposed to be full of them.

Sears to convert defunct department stores into data centers

2013-05-24T14:51:00-04:00

Sears Holdings, the 120-year old retailer (which now includes Kmart), plans to start converting its struggling and defunct department stores into data centers, Data Center Knowledge reported today. A new unit of the company, Ubiquity Critical Environments, will lead the charge. Thanks to Walmart, specialty shops, an economic downturn and—the sweet irony—online shopping, department stores are heading toward extinction, and Sears is feeling the pain particularly hard.

Director of Hirshhorn Museum resigns over Bubble's uncertainty

2013-05-24T14:49:00-04:00

Richard Koshalek, the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, said on Thursday that he was resigning after the board of trustees failed to reach a consensus on the future of a long-planned project to cover the museum’s interior courtyard with a temporary inflatable bubble.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Interiors" Pinterest Board

2013-05-24T13:58:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Interiors.

↑ Miami Modern Home in Miami, FL by DKOR Interiors Inc.

↑ Haus W in Frankfurt am Main, Germany by Ian Shaw Architekten; Photo: Felix Krumbholz

↑ Waterfall Bay House in Marlborough, New Zealand by Bossley Architects

↑ Camenzind Office in Belgrade, Serbia by Iva Bekic & Tamara Popović; Photo: Relja Ivanić

↑ Kristianna Circle - Full Interior Remodel in Salt Lake City, UT by Imbue Design

↑ Zenale Building in Milan, Italy by Filippo Taidelli Architetto

↑ James Perse Store in West Hollywood, CA by Standard

↑ The Old Vicarage in Rendham, Suffolk, UK by Studio RHE

↑ Netherlands Forensic Institute in The Hague, The Netherlands by Claus en Kaan Architecten; Photo: Christian Richters

...

Istanbul saves its silhouette

2013-05-24T13:38:00-04:00

Three skyscrapers are to be demolished in Istanbul's Zeytinburnu district for interfering with city's historical silhouette. Decision reached by the 4th. Administrative Court of Istanbul and the use licences of the buildings were revoked. H ü rriyet

Allison Arieff declares "Prefab Lives!"

2013-05-24T12:50:00-04:00

B2, a 32-story tower that is part of a 1,500-unit, mixed-use complex designed by SHoP Architects for Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards, will soon be the tallest modular building in the world. nARCHITECTS recently won adaptNYC’s competition to design a micro-unit apartment building, and will see its concept transformed into a 10-story building by 2015. It will be the first multiunit building in Manhattan to be built with modular construction.

Zaha Hadid-Designed Riverside Museum Wins European Museum of the Year Award 2013

2013-05-23T18:57:00-04:00

The Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum: Scotland’s Museum of Transport and Travel keeps raking in recognitions [...]: the new Glasgow museum attraction just won the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award 2013, presented by the European Museum Forum. The announcement was made at a special awards ceremony at EMF's annual assembly hosted by the Gallo Romeins Museum in Tongeren in Belgium, EMYA Winner in 2011.

"Sky City" gets approval, to be tallest building in the world, with contruction schedule now estimated at 7 months

2013-05-23T17:13:00-04:00

Last week, Broad Group announced it has received approval from the Chinese government and will break ground on the project next month, though according to Quartz's Lily Kuo, Broad Sustainable Building has pushed the building's schedule to a more modest seven months.

China Builds Museums, But Filling Them Is Another Story

2013-05-23T17:12:00-04:00

Jeffrey Johnson, an architect who runs the China Megacities Lab at Columbia, is among a number of scholars who study China's rapid urbanization. He says local governments are building museums to create a cultural life and competitive identity for their cities. But China lost a lot of art because of its civil war in the 1940s, as well as the Cultural Revolution, looting and overseas sales. Johnson says many museums are going up faster than curators can fill them with works and audiences.

FABRIC Wins Competition for a Temporary Pavilion in the King’s Garden in Copenhagen

2013-05-23T17:04:00-04:00

The entry Trylletromler by Dutch practice FABRIC has won the international design competition for a temporary pavilion in the King's Garden in Copenhagen. The completed pavilion is scheduled to open to the public on September 13.

Chicago - Five Great Buildings

2013-05-23T16:59:00-04:00

Chicago has many truly great buildings. It sits firmly on the map of global architecture and is the birthplace of the skyscraper. Creating a short video about just five great buildings is doing this city a massive disservice, as there are many and this is simply my thoughts.

From microchips to algae: Finding ways to make buildings that live, breathe and think

2013-05-23T13:33:00-04:00

The BioIntelligent Quotient House, which opened in March, is the first to use external tubes of algae to help heat, shade and generate power for the building. But Khoury Levit Fong (KLF), the Toronto firm in which el-Khoury is a partner, came up with the idea six years ago, and incorporated it into a design that won – then lost – an international competition for a huge new museum in Shenzhen, a major Chinese city near Hong Kong.

Colon, Panama: A Once-Vibrant, and beautiful, City Struggles

2013-05-23T12:56:00-04:00

Civil society has to get things done here - Kurt Dillon, architect, Urbio

"In recognition of its historic role in the development of modern international trade and transportation, as well as its cultural and environmental value, the Historic Center of Colon was declared a historic monument in 2002. Despite its protected status, the center continues to suffer the effect of more than 30 years of neglect and abuse. This short, Spanish-language documentary offers criteria for a democratic project of urban conservation and economic revitalization that begins with the dispelling of stereotypes and the valorization of Colon's exceptional cultural heritage."

The Historic Center of the City of Colon: A project for its conservation, revitalization and sustainable management.

See physics behind why buildings crumble

2013-05-22T15:22:00-04:00

CNN's Tom Foreman explains the strength of the tornado in Oklahoma and why some buildings couldn't withstand the force.

Donate to Architecture for Humanity to help rebuild Moore, Oklahoma

2013-05-22T13:52:00-04:00

Architecture for Humanity is working with local and regional construction professionals to begin assessments and support rebuilding work after an F-4 tornado ripped through the heart of Moore, OK and surrounding communities.

Architecture for Humanity focuses on helping communities beyond the relief phase of disaster. The agency is currently working on rebuilding efforts post Superstorm Sandy and rebuilt in communities affected by Hurricane Katrina. Architecture for Humanity is mobilizing to assist in long term-reconstruction to help rebuild Moore and the surrounding communities. The agency works to incorporate resiliency and disaster mitigation strategies, leaving communities safer and stronger than before.

“After the Haiti earthquake students from Moore West Junior High raised funds for the organization to help rebuild schools for displaced students. Our thoughts are with the entire community of Moore, OK and those affected,” said Cameron Sinclair, Co-founder, Architecture for Humanity.

Editor's Picks #316

2013-05-22T11:11:00-04:00

Beth Mosenthal penned a thoughtful Op-Ed titled The Ego and the Architect. Therein, she briefly examined "the idea of ‘leadership’ in an architectural office".

News
Celebrating the fact that "the Museum of Modern Art blinked" Michael Kimmelman wrote an article Defending the Former American Folk Art Museum Building. Donna Sink commented "A lovely, calm argument and well- written article. Fingers crossed that MOMA's less egotisticsl and more community-focused board members will listen".

Archinect talked to Ivan Blanco, designer of the competition-winning entry in the LA Film Festival Director's Lounge Design Competition. Ivan heads LA-based multi-disciplinary design studio Blnko Design Labs. Eric Chavkin enjoyed the interview but had a couple of thoughts "The scheme is, well, kind of typical but does address the very important IMHO the after film-aspect of going to a screening. The 'windows frame' metaphor is just weak".

Following the release of CLOG: Brutalism—the NYC-...

NBBJ designs biospheres for Amazon's Seattle headquarters

2013-05-21T18:44:00-04:00

Reminiscent of a greenhouse or conservatory, the three intersecting biodomes replace an earlier plan for a six-story office building and would establish a visual focus and “heart” for the three-block project, according to plans filed with the city. The spheres will offer “a plant-rich environment” filled with species from mountainous ecologies around the globe, chosen for their “ability to coexist in a microclimate that also suits people,” according to the plans.

schmidt hammer lassen + Friis & Moltke to Design Correctional Facility in Greenland

2013-05-21T17:40:00-04:00

schmidt hammer lassen architects, in collaboration with fellow Danish architects Friis & Moltke, landscape architects Møller & Grønborg and contractor Rambøll A/S, has won the competition to design the correctional facility Ny Anstalt in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. This is the first such facility in Greenland.

FT discusses Nouvel's design for the National Art Museum of China

2013-05-20T18:27:00-04:00

The French architect behind the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Fondation Cartier and the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris has designed the breathtakingly bold new National Art Museum of China (Namoc) for Beijing, a vast structure which combines internal complexity with apparent external simplicity.

The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Frank Lloyd Wright Homes

2013-05-20T18:22:00-04:00

For those willing to accept the challenge of owning a dwelling designed by America's most-famous architect, there are about 20 Wright homes currently up for sale in eight states. That's the largest number in recent years. Those on the market now range from a six-bedroom Illinois home listed at $649,000 to a sprawling Montana ranch with a price tag of $5.6 million. "It is a good time to buy a Wright house because there is a variety of prices and locations,'' said Janet Halstead...

Cleveland Institute of Art to break ground on final phase of an eight-year, $63.5 million expansion and renovation

2013-05-20T17:44:00-04:00

The institution launched its consolidation in 2007 by hiring the star architect Winy Maas of the hot Dutch architecture firm of MVRDV to design the project. The effort then hit numerous snags, including the worst recession since the Depression, and the revelation in 2008 that the Maas expansion design... would be too costly. The Philadelphia architecture firm of Burt, Hill, originally hired to help realize the Maas design, became the lead designer.

An Unlikely Architecture Hub

2013-05-20T12:35:00-04:00

the Visitors Center lists some 70 structures as “noteworthy”), many designed by a litany of important American architects: I. M. Pei, Harry Weese, Robert A. M. Stern, Richard Meier, Kevin Roche, Robert Venturi, Cesar Pelli and others...

Recently Nancy Kriplen wrote about a visit to Columbus, Ind, for the NYT Sunday travel section. The city was "ranked sixth among the nation’s cities in 1991 for its architectural innovation and design by the American Institute of Architects".

Prishtina Central Mosque Entry by Team Venturella/Balducci/Ponsi/Gaeta

2013-05-17T17:42:00-04:00

A team of collaborating Italian architects is sharing with us their rather unusual spin on mosque design. The solar panel-covered "Wall-Dome" concept was the group's entry to the highly debated architecture competition to design the Central Mosque of Prishtina, Kosovo [...]. The team includes the architects Paolo Venturella, Angelo Balducci, Luca Ponsi, and Paolo Gaeta.

Previously: No Clear Winner (yet) in Kosovo’s Central Mosque of Prishtina Competition

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Architect Sure!" Pinterest Board

2013-05-17T14:41:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Architect Sure!.

↑ Brown Vujcich in Herne Bay, New Zealand by Bossley Architects

↑ Palace of Justice in Amsterdam, The Netherlands by Claus en Kaan Architecten; Photo: Sebastian van Damme

↑ Private Client in Crouch End, London, United Kingdom by LLI Design

↑ Taizhou Medical City Convention Center in Taizhou, China by Futurepolis

↑ The Old Vicarage in Rendham, Suffolk, United Kingdom by Studio RHE

↑ Zenale Building in Milan, Italy by Filippo Taidelli Architetto

↑ CEREZA House in Puebla, Mexico by NOVHUS

↑ Tree House in Los Angeles, CA by Standard

↑ OCT Museum in Shenzhen, China by Studio Pei-Zhu; Team Member: Ryan Newman

(Cover pic: VÅGEN High School and SANDNES Culture Academy in Sand...

Security trumps urban planning at WTC site

2013-05-17T13:56:00-04:00

With the blank slate offered by a catastrophic attack, planners, soon joined by the mayor himself, saw a chance to re-establish a great crossroads: Fulton and Greenwich Streets, tying the second World Trade Center into New York — north, south, east and west. Now, however, they see that vision slipping away, as security concerns trump urban planning.

Miami Herald obituary writer pens a farewell to the Miami Herald building

2013-05-17T13:52:00-04:00

One Herald Plaza, the bayfront behemoth from which generations of journalists fanned out across South Florida — and at times the world — to cover the news, passed into history on Thursday after succumbing to a real estate deal. … She was 60.

What is the future of the library?

2013-05-16T18:36:00-04:00

For the first time since Henri Labrouste (1801-1875), currently the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, formulated the conception of the new, democratic library, the central library is fighting for survival. The relevance of these gloriously inflated book boxes is being questioned in an age that looks to the Internet for its intellectual resources.

Life-size Barbie Dreamhouse opens in Berlin

2013-05-16T18:27:00-04:00

The first life-size Barbie Dreamhouse opened in Berlin on Thursday and is being guarded by police after feminist groups and left-wing activists said they would picket the plastic villa.

Previously on Archinect:

Winners of the 2013 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards

2013-05-16T17:16:00-04:00

Also announced this week were the three recipients of the 2013 AIA/HUD Secretary Awards, sponsored by the institute's Housing and Custom Residential Knowledge Community in conjunction with the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD).