Archinect - Features

The Art of Pushing Boundaries

2019-06-18T13:28:00-04:00

In our creative endeavors, we are often seeking to push boundaries, to challenge the status quo. As creators, we want to introduce something fresh and new to the world. We hope to express ourselves in authentic ways. In a studio setting, we talk about innovation, but how do we go about that? How do we get outside of the box and separate ourselves from the majority? It’s an interesting question, one that I don’t think has any prescriptive kind of answer. We are all already extraordinarily creative, after all. Nevertheless, there are countless examples for us to explore to help us establish some principles to guide our thinking. This article is one such exploration of how we might approach pushing the envelope in our work.

An Interview with Frank Gehry, Who Turns 90 Today, Upon Receiving the Neutra Award for Professional Excellence

2019-02-28T12:34:00-05:00

Over the course of his career, Frank Gehry, who turns 90 today, has become a household name, achieving a level of architectural stardom rivaled by few, if any. Honoring this impressive legacy, Cal Poly Pomona’s Department of Architecture recognized Gehry earlier this month with the Richard Neutra Award for Professional Excellence, the school’s annual award which is given to an architect for their dedication to the research and development of new environments in everyday life.

Each year Archinect publishes a conversation between Orhan Ayyüce and the winner of the award. Recent years have included published interviews with Tadao Ando, Guy Nordenson, Enrique Norten, and Carme Pinós.

From the Ground Up: Frank Gehry

2018-05-11T09:00:00-04:00

From the Ground Up is a series on Archinect focused on discovering the early stages & signs of history's most prolific architects. Starting from the beginning allows us to understand the long journey architecture takes in even the most formative of hands and the often, surprising shifts that occur on its journey. These early projects grant us a glimpse into the early, naive, ambitious—and at points, rough—edges of soon to be architectural masters.

Frank Gehry, Architectural Education, and the “Future of Prisons”

2017-04-12T11:20:00-04:00

Last week the Architect’s Newspaper reported that Frank Gehry, the 88-year old superstar of American architecture, is teaching a course at SCI-Arc this spring entitled “The Future of Prison.”

To denizens of architecture Twitter, which has specialized in outrage over the past several months, the news seemed like a bad April Fool’s joke. Even the course description had the tone-deaf optimism of a Silicon Valley pitch line, asking “emerging architects to break free of current conventions and re-imagine what we now refer to as ‘prison’ for a new era.”

Frank Gehry, Steven Holl, Liz Diller, Rem Koolhaas and Others Share Crucial Moments in Their Education

2016-09-30T12:19:00-04:00

What is the role of education in shaping a visionary architect? Several contemporary architects reflect on how the environment, curriculum, and tangential opportunities of their formal learning influenced and shaped their design sensibility.

When designing for money breaks the bank architecture mold

2016-03-25T13:26:00-04:00

Think bank architecture and its associated headquarters and you may find yourself stultified by visions of doric columns, artless atriums, and bland corporate highrises. However, these six structures by prominent practitioners are a survey of the unusual and intriguing. Here’s what each financial institution says about its social/historical context, as well as the role of money at that time.

Looking to "Frank Gehry", after Paris but before Los Angeles

2015-08-05T14:00:00-04:00

On September 13 of this year, Los Angeles will get its first major exhibition of Frank Gehry’s work, ever. Despite being the adopted hometown of the world-famous architect, and the city whose new-millennium architectural identity has been inflected most by his work, Los Angeles has not yet hosted a show exclusively on Gehry's retrospective.

Take a Walk: Mike the Poet on L.A.'s Grand Avenue

2014-01-20T13:34:00-05:00

On the verge of metamorphosis, Los Angeles' Grand Avenue could do with a check-up. To take a record of the historic street, Mike "The Poet" Sonksen walks its length from Grand Park to South Park, and muses on its rich history from downtown's beginnings.

Soriano's Glen Lukens House: Back to Life and Happy

2012-07-26T17:41:00-04:00

Opportunities to write about historically significant modern houses in Los Angeles keep coming to my attention this summer and more are on the way. It is kind of fun to write about these masterpieces from my messy office alcove next to the kitchen in our little happy dingbat apartment in Glendale, California.

A New Village at MIT

2004-05-06T15:07:00-04:00