Archinect - News

Farshid Moussavi one of ten appointed to Mayor of London’s new Town Architects committee

2024-10-29T15:53:00-04:00

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced the appointment of Harvard GSD professor and architect Farshid Moussavi to a new two-year pilot program to improve public space and high streets in the city.

The Town Architects program includes ten total names and is meant to "support the creation of safe, inclusive and sustainable neighbourhoods and economic growth by ensuring that boroughs" by augmenting the planning process in unison with Chief Placeshaping Officers and Design Champions. Each architect was chosen from the existing Design Advocates pool. Joining Moussavi are Jas Bhalla, Adam Khan, Ken Okonkwo, Holly Lewis, Hilary Satchwell, Paul Monaghan, Tom Holbrook, Alice Fung, Julian Lewis.

29% Equal podcast explores the impact of women in architectural practice today

2023-03-08T08:00:00-05:00

Just in time for Women's History Month, a new podcast called 29% Equal recently launched, bringing attention to the influence of several women architects on the way the profession is practiced today.

Produced by Newcastle University doctoral candidate Sarah Ackland with support from the RIBA Research Fund, three episodes of the six-part series are available so far, featuring voices like Farshid Moussavi, 2021 MJ Long Prize winner Alice Brownfield, activist architect Elsie Owusu (herself a guest on Archinect's podcast in 2016), and others working in the UK — in close association with the Part W action group — towards similar goals aligned with gender equity and the representation of women in academia, professional practice, and architectural history.

“In an effort to eliminate this continual erasure of women, I have invited a young architect, designer, artist or activist from Part W (and friends) to have a discussion with a woman they feel deserves recognition, or perhaps more recogn...

Where do Instagram and architecture meet?

2018-11-27T10:34:00-05:00

Let's face it, what wouldn't people do a like? The 800 million user and counting social media platform, Instagram, has taken "photographic moments" to a whole new level. "Insta-fame" doesn't only affect people, but places as well. Deemed an influential force, Instagram is not only changing the way we view architecture but how we understand. Our environments are being shaped by the photos and coveted "likes" made by hundreds of people.

In Oliver Wainwright's piece, Snapping point: how the world’s leading architects fell under the Instagram spell, he explains "For a place to be shared on Instagram is no longer a chance by-product of a photogenic design, but a primary concern that drives the ambitions of clients and designers. The idea of “doing it for the ’gram” has moved from the preserve of Like-hungry teens to board meeting discussions and multimillion-pound budgets."

La Muralla Roja Image © Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura

For example, Thomas Heatherwick's Vessel, which is des...

Farshid Moussavi: ‘We are in a world where ideas migrate’

2014-11-17T13:56:00-05:00

“I am excited by being an architect now,” she says. “We are in a world where ideas are shared and migrate. There is no going back, so let’s go beyond. Let’s look at what really are the differences between, for example, two housing projects that both have curved balconies. Architecture makes a difference. Let’s discuss what difference it makes.”

Farshid Moussavi Criticizes Volunteer Work

2011-12-06T15:03:00-05:00

Speaking at the V&A last week, the former Foreign Office Architects partner said that she was "dubious" about volunteers who see working in these places as an "easy option".

Moussavi, who teaches at Harvard and runs her own practice in London, said: "It's quite telling that Harvard students, when they want to be activists, have to go to these areas of the world. It's tougher to be an activist in America.

Big Name Semi-Finalists for the St. Petersburg Pier Design Competition

2011-07-30T10:35:00-04:00

Six New York City firms were selected, including BIG, which Saitowitz said had designs of past projects that were "jaw dropping."

On Friday, a five-member panel narrowed down a list of 23 firms and teams competing to design a new $50 million Pier to nine semifinalists. They are:

West 8 Urban Design, New York City
Michael Maltzan Architecture, Los Angeles
BIG, New York City
James Corner Field Operations, New York City
HOK, Tampa
Frederic Schwartz, New York City
Weiss/Manfredi Architectural/Landscape/Urbanism, NYC
Farshid Moussavi Architecture, London
!melk Urban Design, NYC

Farshid Moussavi Architecture Opens For Business

2011-06-06T11:15:00-04:00

Internationally acclaimed architect Farshid Moussavi announced today (3 June 2011) the opening of her new practice, Farshid Moussavi Architecture (FMA). Moussavi has founded her new firm as an international practice based in London. FMA is currently working on a number of prestigious commissions including the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, USA and a Quran Museum in Tehran, Iran.

Moussavi was previously co-founder and co-principal of the award-winning Foreign Office Architects (FOA). At FOA, Moussavi co-authored the design for the award-winning Yokohama International Ferry Terminal in Japan (which was subject to an international competition in 1995) and was part of the United Architects team who were finalists in the Ground Zero competition as well as the team that designed London 2012 Olympics masterplan. Other international projects completed include the John Lewis complex in Leicester, England, the Carabanchel social housing in Madrid, Spain and the Meydan retail com...