Archinect - News

The Dubai Frame is becoming a reality, to be complete end of 2014

2013-05-13T14:47:00-04:00

Lootah said the project is a complete glass, transparent structure resembling a huge window frame intended to highlight the attractions of the city so visitors can view the skyscrapers on Shaikh Zayed Road from one side — symbolising modern Dubai — while the other side of the frame will show the old Dubai landmarks of Deira, Umm Hurair and Karama. “The electrical panoramic elevators will help visitors move through its facilities as if they are moving in the sky inside the glass frame,”

As some of you may remember, when the winner of the ThyssenKrupp Elevator Award was announced 3 years ago, there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding the selected winner. The winning entry, "Dubai Frame" by Fernando Donis of the Netherlands, was a 150m tall structure designed as a literal frame of the city of Dubai.

Well, it appears construction on the monument has begun, with a completion date estimated for the end of next year.

Click here to read the 3-year old news article announcing the winner, with the flood of reader comments.

Libeskind's design selected for Columbus Holocaust memorial

2013-05-08T17:58:00-04:00

The specially appointed Holocaust Memorial Artist Selection Committee overwhelmingly favored Daniel Libeskind’s design for an 18-foot tall brushed stainless-steel memorial accompanied by a 40-foot walkway and memorial words etched in limestone.

After a daylong meeting in which the panel heard extensive presentations from all three artists, Richard H. Finan, chairman of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, which will make the final decision on the design, strongly opposed Libeskind’s proposal. He said a memorial with a Jewish religious symbol would immediately open the state to legal challenges from the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations because of the separation of church and state.

Public architectural competitions in Israel - a double-edged sword?

2013-03-07T15:29:00-05:00

Design contests are considered a springboard to personal success, but they are nevertheless an inexhaustible source of friction and entanglement, with recurrent complaints over defects and shortcomings, and even corruption.

University of California reveals new logo, public collectively barfs

2012-12-10T18:32:00-05:00

Creators of an online petition opposed to the change say the new logo "loses the prestige and elegance of the current seal." They want the 10-campus system to use the traditional circular medallion that shows an open book, the motto “Let There Be Light” and the 1868 date of UC’s founding. Or find a dignified alternative. The petition had more than 39,000 supporters so far.

UC's brand guidelines can be found here.

Michael Maltzan Sinks Underwater Reef Garden Idea for Revised St. Petersburg Pier Design

2012-11-28T12:14:00-05:00

Maltzan and his firm were sent back to the drawing board to revise plans for a pier renovation in St. Petersburg, Florida after scientists disputed the feasibility of the proposal’s main appeal: its underwater reef garden. Today, the firm released details of its revisions – the redesign will add shaded balconies, vehicular transit, and another restaurant — features suggested by the local community — while taking away the quasi-aquarium that helped christen the project “The Lens.”

Renzo Piano's Nasher Sculpture Center controversy continues

2012-11-26T19:14:00-05:00

This year both parties met to begin working toward some sort of solution. Negotiations soon turned sour; squabbles ensued. The tower people wanted the museum to modify its roof. The museum replied by saying, essentially, "we were here first." Tom Luce, a local lawyer and civic leader, agreed to act as a mediator. Late last month he stepped aside in frustration. Only 15 of the 126 apartments (priced at $1.3 million to $4.5 million, not including the $20 million penthouse) have sold.

Previously: The Nasher and The Ant Bully

Approval for Eisenhower Memorial planned for Washington likely delayed into 2013 amid dispute

2012-11-19T20:24:00-05:00

“I would hate to stop the process and lose the momentum, especially since a lot of time, money, and effort has been expended on this memorial,” he wrote. “However, given the continued opposition with the Eisenhower family, I question whether we can ever resolve the differences ... and whether it would be in our best interest to continue to move forward.”

Plan For Cuban Landmark's Rebirth Sparks Debate

2012-11-04T13:03:00-05:00

Carlos Acosta's plan to inject life into the island's hidebound ballet scene by refurbishing Havana's crumbling dance school and turning it into an international center for culture and dance has ignited controversy for daring to reimagine the original architect's vision. Acosta was visibly frustrated by the flap over what he views as a way to give something back as he prepares to retire from London's Royal Ballet after a celebrated career.

Previously on Archinect: Unfinished Spaces premieres tomorrow night on PBS; Archinect talks to the filmmaker

The Shard: Renzo Piano's great glass elevator

2012-06-15T12:28:00-04:00

It has transformed the London skyline, but the giant Shard faced hostility all the way. Its Italian architect Renzo Piano meets Steve Rose on the eighth floor – and answers his critics

Chemical Industry Attacks LEED

2012-06-08T14:20:00-04:00

A developing focus on chemicals of concern in the LEED rating systems could make federal buildings less energy-efficient, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC).

Interior Secretary Salazar to review Eisenhower Memorial designs

2012-06-08T12:13:00-04:00

The embattled Eisenhower Memorial in Washington has drawn the interest of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who will be reviewing the designs by architect Frank Gehry. The request could result in yet another delay for the project, which has already been plagued by a number of disagreements.

Zaha calls London Olympics organizers "rude"

2012-05-21T13:33:00-04:00

The architect who created the £269 million aquatics centre has criticised “rude” Games bosses for not inviting her to a single event. Zaha Hadid claimed she was not asked to the opening or closing ceremonies of the Games, or to any of the diving and swimming heats at her acclaimed building in the Olympic Park.

Frank Gehry unveils changes to Eisenhower Memorial design

2012-05-17T13:54:00-04:00

New changes to the contentious design for the Eisenhower Memorial were publicly unveiled on Tuesday at a session in Washington. Architect Frank Gehry made the adjustments following complaints by members of the Eisenhower family that the design put too much emphasis on the former president's upbringing in Kansas and not enough on his accomplishments as a military and political leader.

Architect Frank Gehry’s Eisenhower Memorial design: The plan and what went wrong

2012-05-14T17:30:00-04:00

To some, it seemed an unlikely fit, Gehry designing a memorial honoring Ike, but that impression was always based on two misunderstandings. There is a vulgar idea that Gehry is all about flamboyant buildings, radical structures acclaimed by critics but derided by common sense. The popular perception of Ike is no more accurate.

Calatrava's Peace Bridge to open tomorrow in Calgary

2012-03-23T19:37:00-04:00

“It has been extraordinarily controversial and I made no bones of the fact that it’s not a project I would have supported if I had been on council at the time,” said the mayor. “But the thing is, it’s there. It’s an indelible and a permanent part of the landscape of our city. “It would all do us good to grow to love it.” The span, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is officially pegged at $24.5 million, but is expected to cost more.

Frank Gehry defends Eisenhower memorial design

2012-03-21T11:18:00-04:00

Frank Gehry didn't attend Monday's congressional hearing about his design for the planned Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington. But the Los Angeles architect sent a letter defending his controversial conception of the public memorial, while also stating that he is open to the idea of changes.

Frank Gehry: 'There's a backlash against me'

2012-02-19T18:38:00-05:00

"There is a backlash," says Gehry, now aged 82, "against me and everyone who has done buildings that have movement and feeling", that is "self-righteous" and "annoying… The notion is that it is counterproductive to social responsibility and sustainability. Therefore, curving the wall or doing something so-called wilful is wrong and so there is a tendency back to bland."

Also make sure to check out the heated debate going on in Driehaus and Krier do battle against Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial design

Eisenhower Family Raises Objections to Planned Memorial

2012-02-07T18:31:00-05:00

The design shows Eisenhower as a youth gazing out at images of his adult accomplishments against a backdrop of the Kansas plains. But the Eisenhower family objects to the design and is attempting to delay approval of the project in a dispute that has pitted a leading American family against one of the country’s most recognized architects. The family says Mr. Gehry should portray Eisenhower as a man in the fullness of his achievements, not as a callow rustic who made good.

MVRDV Responds to 9/11 References in Cloud Project

2011-12-09T18:14:00-05:00

A real media storm has started and we receive threatening emails and calls of angry people calling us Al Qaeda lovers or worse. MVRDV regrets deeply any connotations The Cloud projects evokes regarding 9/11, it was not our intention.

The Cloud was designed based on parameters such as sunlight, outside spaces, living quality for inhabitants and the city. It is one of many projects in which MVRDV experiments with a raised city level to reinvent the often solitary typology of the skyscraper. It was not our intention to create an image resembling the attacks nor did we see the resemblance during the design process. We sincerely apologize to anyone whose feelings we have hurt, the design was not meant to provoke this.

The design inspiration of The Cloud is visualised in the image here attached. (see above)

Firm gets a great deal, but does Los Angeles?

2011-10-09T14:23:37-04:00

The public handout will include a three-year holiday from the city's gross revenue taxes — a deal the city offers to relocating companies, and one that could save Gensler hundreds of thousands of dollars. That would have been enough, you'd think, and hard to argue with. But city officials also paved the way for Gensler to receive a $1-million Community Development Block Grant, a federal program that historically has focused on stimulating economic growth and housing in low-income communities.

Eisenhower family calls for timeout in approval of memorial

2011-10-07T12:23:16-04:00

The world’s most-famous architect sailed into a storm of old-fashioned Washington controversy this week. At a public conversation Wednesday at the National Archives, Frank Gehry encountered hostile questions from audience members about his designs for a memorial to Dwight David Eisenhower planned for a prominent spot on Independence Avenue, just south of the Mall.

McGill University School of Architecture Cyclical Unit Review

2011-10-05T10:25:52-04:00

The new directors of the school, [AA, DC, MB said (on record and in a recording) that the university was a corporation and their first interest was not education. If education is a business, shouldn’t we know what we are paying for?

This document is a copy of the cyclical unit review performed by the University for the SoA in spring of this year. The result of the review may or may not have been the forced resignation of Professor Michael Jemtrud - an visionary individual who was making important and progressive changes within the curriculum of the school. Given that this is such a positive assessement of Jemtrud and his work over the last four years, it begs the question - who were the individuals who had lost faith in his leadership abilities? was this perhaps more because they were threatened by his agenda? and where does the school go from here given that the new director has yet to make a public presentation of her particular vision for the school ?

A Paraphrased Quote Stirs Criticism Of MLK Memorial

2011-09-01T12:46:41-04:00

The poet and author and one of the memorial's consultants, Maya Angelou, told The Washington Post, yesterday, the quote makes King seem arrogant. Actually, she put it in harsher terms. "The quote makes Dr. Martin Luther King look like an arrogant twit," she said.

Today, All Things Considered's Melissa Block spoke to memorial's executive architect, Ed Jackson Jr., who explained the quote was paraphrased because of design constraints. At first, he said, the quote was going to be placed on the south face of the monument, but instead the designers decided that they wanted visitors to see the quotation ("Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope...") that explained the whole concept first. So they decided to move the quotation to the north side, where the sculptor had already done some work adding striations that left little room for a lengthy engraving.

That's the technical explanation. But Jackson also said he disagreed with Angelou. He said the quote did not make King sound arrogant and said the memorial includes 14 other quotations and that the full experience cannot be determined by one small part of it.

Seems like some of our members agree that the monument is not ideal - discuss

Alleged Forced Resignation at McGill University Stirs Backlash from Students

2011-06-24T12:37:28-04:00

Word has been spreading since yesterday about the resignation of Michael Jemtrud, Director of McGill's School of Architecture. Archinect has just been anonymously informed, however, that "a very reliable senior faculty source within the school" has confirmed that the resignation was forced and that Jemtrud is not allowed to talk about it.

The message we received follows:

On Thursday, June 23, 2011, Michael Jemtrud was forced to resign from his position as Director of McGill University School of Architecture. Jemtrud was hired four years ago with a mandate to integrate current technologies into the professional programs, to reinvigorate critical discussion and research about their use, and to foster a clearer organizational structure and closer collaborations within the school's many professional and post-professional programs. Jemtrud approached the job with a distinct vision and direction, and an ability to move quickly while continuing to foster the school's longstanding str...

RIBA comes under fire for hosting ‘bonkers’ 9/11 talk

2011-06-24T12:19:37-04:00

Leading architects on both sides of the Atlantic hit out at the institute this week after American architect Richard Gage, part of the group Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth, delivered a lecture at RIBA HQ on Monday night. The venue was booked by fellow American and RIBA member Craig Phillip Kiner, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects.

Institute reviews policy after controversial event booked by Zaha Hadid Architects associate

The RIBA is reviewing its policy on hiring out 66 Portland Place following a storm of criticism over its hosting of a group claiming that New York’s Twin Towers were brought down through a controlled explosion.

The venue was booked by fellow American and RIBA member Craig Phillip Kiner, an associate at Zaha Hadid Architects.

Gage claims that the fires caused by the impact of the two jets flown into the World Trade Centre on September 11, 2001, could not have been sufficient to make the steel structure of the towers collapse, and he questions the collapse of World Trade Centre 7, a nearby 47-storey building which was not hit by an aircraft.

But critics clai...

590ft controversial 'Triangle' tower to be built in Paris

2011-04-05T20:08:17-04:00

Paris town council has given the green light to a controversial "Triangle" tower rising 590ft above Paris which critics say is an "attack on the beauty of the French capital".