Archinect - News 2024-11-21T14:02:01-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150051829/kent-cooper-architect-known-for-work-on-vietnam-and-korean-war-memorials-dies-at-91 Kent Cooper, architect known for work on Vietnam and Korean War memorials, dies at 91 Alexander Walter 2018-02-26T15:23:00-05:00 >2018-02-26T15:24:35-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/3o/3ofztoinlm43d33d.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>Mr. Cooper began his career in 1958 as overseer for architect Eero Saarinen in the construction of Washington Dulles International Airport. [...] Mr. Cooper was best known for his work on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 1982 and 1995, respectively.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Kent Cooper's architecture firm, Cooper-Lecky, became the architects of record for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in&nbsp;Washington, D.C. While Maya Lin's now iconic design for the memorial was chosen as the competition winner in 1981, Lin was an architecture student at the time and not a licensed architect. "Lin was given a job in the Cooper-Lecky office, but Mr. Cooper supervised the necessary drawings and site specifications for the project to go forward," <em>The Washington Post</em> reports, "and he functioned as frontman in dealing with the federal Fine Arts Commission, which had selected Lin&rsquo;s winning proposal, Lecky said."</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/150031094/salon-revisits-how-maya-lin-won-vietnam-war-memorial-competition-by-breaking-its-biggest-rule Salon revisits how Maya Lin won Vietnam War Memorial competition by breaking its biggest rule Mackenzie Goldberg 2017-10-02T14:12:00-04:00 >2017-10-03T12:47:56-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/g4/g4fitv7vd85ox1iu.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>The most important rule was that entries be non-political. They were to express no opinion whatsoever about the rightness or wrongness of the Vietnam War itself.</p></em><br /><br /><p>As the article points out, <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/90917/maya-lin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">May Lin</a>'s design of a series of slabs were conceived by Lin as dominos falling&mdash;a reference to the "domino theory," prominent from the 50s to the 80s, that posited that if one country in a region came under the influence of communism, then the surrounding countries would follow in a domino&nbsp;effect. With the names of those dead from the war etched on, the memorial's foundation "was a brilliantly devastating political commentary on the Vietnam War: that the 'kids' of Vietnam took a dizzying ride on a series of falling dominos to their collective death."</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/113433152/in-honor-of-veterans-day-respecting-and-celebrating-our-veterans-through-architecture In honor of Veterans Day, respecting and celebrating our veterans through architecture Amelia Taylor-Hochberg 2014-11-11T18:33:00-05:00 >2014-11-11T18:33:49-05:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/rz/rzwgwo0fel141jl1.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>In honor of Veterans Day 2014, Archinect put together a collection of memorials and architectural projects devoted to U.S. veterans.</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/29317513/architecture-for-recovery-ideo-and-michael-graves-design-a-home-for-disabled-military-veterans" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Architecture for Recovery: IDEO and Michael Graves Design a Home for Disabled Military Veterans</a>: The Wounded Warrior homes aim to personalize and make accessible veterans' living spaces, to help adapt back to life at home.</p><p><a title="D.C. Breaks Ground on Housing for Homeless Vets" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/113424294/d-c-breaks-ground-on-housing-for-homeless-vets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">D.C. Breaks Ground on Housing for Homeless Vets</a>: Nearly half of the complex's mixed-income and affordable units will be reserved for homeless vets, with onsite facilities for case managers and social workers to engage with tenants.</p><p><a title='Designing for Seniors and Soldiers, Toward a "Silver" Architecture' href="http://archinect.com/news/article/113421877/designing-for-seniors-and-soldiers-toward-a-silver-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Designing for Seniors and Soldiers, Toward a "Silver" Architecture</a>: Michael Graves' designs for the Wounded Warrior homes align with geriatrician Louise Aronson's desire to create a new architectural style for the elderly.</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/67489/the-vietnam-veterans-memorial-turns-25" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Turns 25</a>: Maya Lin's design is now in its 32nd year.</p><p>Veterans Day also gives us a chance to reflect on how we historicize war and those involved, begging the que...</p> https://archinect.com/news/article/44437078/which-is-it-both-meanwhile Which is it, both? Meanwhile... Nam Henderson 2012-04-09T21:30:00-04:00 >2012-04-09T23:48:24-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/uk/ukmqmvicino416vx.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><em><p>It is still far and away the greatest memorial of modern times&mdash;the most beautiful, the most heart-wrenching, the most subtle, and the most powerful. It&rsquo;s also the most abstract, which makes it even more miraculous that it was built in a nation that generally prefers symbols more along the lines of the Lincoln Memorial.</p></em><br /><br /><p> Reacting to the news that&nbsp;The New Yorker's influential architecture critic Paul Goldberger, was moving to another magazine (although both are owned by&nbsp;Cond&eacute; Nast) Vanity Fair, some have wondered whether&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/paul-goldberger-vanity-fair_n_1397665.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eulogies For Architecture Criticism (are) Not Far Behind</a>. Meanwhile,&nbsp;others have seen it as a sign&nbsp;<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/223714/the-architect-critic-is-dead-just-not-for-the-reason-you-think/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Architect Critic Is Dead</a> and confirmation that in this era of digital abundance, in which the profession has witnessed a "<em>'</em><em><strong>sea change' </strong>in the conception of architecture</em>", the new critic "<em>must be a reporter. And an activist one at that.</em>"</p> <p> Meanwhile, Paul Goldberger found the time to contribute a short and thoughtful piece on the <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/04/maya-lin-vietnam-wall-memorial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reflected Grief</a> of Maya Lin&rsquo;s Vietnam Veterans Memorial, for the April 2012 Issue of Vanity Fair.&nbsp;</p> <p> Previously on Archinect:&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/43576357/paul-goldberger-leaves-new-yorker-for-vanity-fair-will-not-be-replaced" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Paul Goldberger Leaves New Yorker for Vanity Fair, Will Not Be Replaced</a></p>