Archinect - News

The French Laundry gets a $10 million Michelin-starred revamp from Snøhetta

2018-02-21T15:36:00-05:00

Since opening its doors in 1994, Thomas Keller's restaurant, The French Laundry, has been considered one of the best fine dining destinations in the world. It has three Michelin stars to its name, has been called "the best restaurant in the world, period" by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, and consistently tops Restaurant magazine's annual list of the world's best restaurants.

So, when the celebrated culinary chef decided four years ago to remodel his wine cellar, he turned to one of the architecture world's most distinguished firms to do so—the award-winning, internationally renowned Snøhetta. Their partnership, strengthened by a shared penchant for minimalist design, eventually grew into an extensive remodel involving a new kitchen design and courtyard renovation that is now nearing completion.

Redone to the tune of 10 million dollars, the project has involved a revamp of their 3,000-square-foot kitchen; the addition of a 2,500-square...

Signum Architecture designs sustainably minded Napa Valley winery and office

2018-01-22T20:03:00-05:00

Built atop the rolling hills of eastern Napa Valley in California, the Odette Estate Winery was designed with sustainable farming and wine production in mind. Designer Signum Architecture was awarded as an Industrial Building category winner for the project in the 2017 American Architecture Prize competition.

Photo: Adrian Gregorutti.

With Signum Architecture partner Juancarlos Fernandez as design lead, the Odette facility features a green roof that appears to have emerged from the earth. At the front, sliding perforated aluminum screens veil the winery's covered crush pad and open-air workspace. The screens emit a back-lit glow in the evening, while the perforations allow for ventilation.

Photo: Adrian Gregorutti.

According to the architects, the sweeping graceful curves on the side of the building were inspired by a swan’s wing, a reference to the famous Tchaikovsky ballet character Odette. Behind the screens are three repurposed shi...

NIMBYs go to court over "modern" home; Zaha gets an apology; global warming rages on: News Round-Up for August 25, 2014

2014-09-02T20:07:00-04:00

Friday, August 29:

MIT's MindRider helmet draws mental maps as you bike: The prototype is currently being used to create a mental-map and guidebook for NYC, and an upcoming Kickstarter campaign will attempt to fund the project for commercial sale.
In Beirut, a grassroots push for more grass: Lebanon's fifteen-year civil war made much of Beirut's green space inaccessible or dysfunctional. The Beirut Green Project is trying to bring at least a modicum of green space back to the city's residents.

Thursday, August 28:

Norwegian artists plan to open art academy in North Korea: Nothing's final yet, but the school is committed to its disbelief in sanctions or boycotts on art.
Alvar Aalto gets a close look from Google's Cultural Institute: Google's cameras go inside the famous Finnish architects studio, as well as a selection of his works, for a curated photo-exhibition.

Wednesday, August 27:

China considering drastic ban on coal: Chinese news outlets claim that work is underway to ban coal in Bei...

Napa Quake a 'Reality Check'

2014-08-27T16:13:00-04:00

Most of the Bay Area roads, bridges, water systems, dams and levees fared well in Sunday's 6.0 earthquake near Napa, but the damage in the picturesque Wine Country town was a jolting reminder of the vulnerability of public services for 7 million people. A Big One -- such as a 7.0 earthquake on the Hayward Fault that runs beneath heavily populated Oakland and Berkeley -- would inflict more damage to key infrastructure, experts said.

Overall, the damage caused by the Napa earthquake could have been a lot worse. But a Los Angeles Times article documenting how even retrofitted historic buildings were damaged showcases the profound vulnerability of older structures in California. According to the article: "The destruction highlights one of the greatest fears of seismic engineers — that the retrofitting of unreinforced masonry buildings still leaves weak joints between bricks." Just yesterday, another LA Times article claimed that thousands of brick buildings across the state have not been retrofitted, disproportionately in low-income areas. And while low-cost retrofitting certainly mitigates the risk of a building "pancaking," but doesn't preclude other potential dangers like falling bricks or collapsed walls. Additionally, commentators are pointing to the Napa earthquake as a "wake-up call" to officials that the state's aging infrastructure is in desperate need of an upgrade. For example, a Forbes article detaile...

6 Napa Valley wineries architectural statements

2012-03-21T18:54:00-04:00

Contrary to first architectural impression, not every Napa winery is either a stylized barn too good to be true or an exercise in Mediterranean make-believe. There's austerity as well as opulence, understatement along with over-the-top. You simply need to know where to look.