Archinect - News

French officials float €5 tourist entrance fee after Notre Dame reopening

2024-10-29T09:59:00-04:00

The soon-to-reopen Notre Dame Cathedral might include a €5 entrance fee. The French cultural minister's controversial proposal, which The Guardian says is being "fiercely opposed" by the Roman Catholic church’s leaders, could raise upwards of €75 million ($80.8 million) annually. A 1905 law enshrining secularism in France could prevent the fee from being enacted. Ariel Weil, who represents the city center, told a radio outlet "The minister’s proposal as it stands may not be possible, but it does raise the question of the huge number of visitors to Notre Dame and the colossal investments required in our religious heritage nationwide."

Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen its doors on December 8th after a five-year reconstruction.

Montrealers ask: What to do with the Olympic Stadium?

2024-03-28T13:45:00-04:00

But nostalgia rarely makes for good decision making. Keep the tower and repurpose it as a tourist destination. With the money saved, we can erect a better stadium serving the city’s current and future needs. Not all landmarks are sacred. When fire consumed the Notre-Dame cathedral, they raced to replace the roof; Montreal’s Olympic Stadium is not Notre-Dame.

Quebecers face a vexing choice: Keep the stadium or pursue an even costlier demolition that would erase the landmark, which late architect Roger Taillibert called a “poem in concrete,” owing to its location over two underground metro stations. The new, $870 million replacement roof that is being made transparent to let in natural light for the first time won't be completed by 2028. (The original Kevlar roof partially collapsed in 1999 and has suffered several smaller tears since being constructed in the late-1980s.)

Montreal has been floated as a potential location for a new MLB expansion franchise for the past few years. Our preview of the new BIG and HNTB-designed home of the relocating Oakland A's franchise in Las Vegas (another city that was on the league's expansion list) can be found here.

Skate park within former church burns down in St. Louis

2023-07-04T10:00:00-04:00

A four-alarm fire late Wednesday engulfed a towering historic church that had been converted into an indoor skatepark north of downtown St. Louis. No injuries were reported in the blaze at S, near Hogan and North Market streets. The cause of the fire remained under investigation as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

The fire is believed to have started in the church rectory before it spread to where the skatepark is. The German Gothic church at the St. Liborius Parish Complex in the city’s St. Louis Place neighborhood was originally constructed in 1889. The building was declared a city landmark in 1975 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 before it closed in 1992. The current owner of the church, Dave Blum, purchased it in 2012, which was followed by its renovation into a skate park named Sk8 Liborius in 2016.

Video courtesy SK8 Liborius/YouTube

The former church had become a sanctuary for St. Louis’ skater community as one of the few dedicated skating locations in the city. Skate ramps, notably a 40-foot miniature ramp in the center, graffiti, and murals replaced what were once pews.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sk8 Liborius / The LUAS 501c3 (@sk8liborius)

It remains unclear what the cause of the blaze was. Blum is working with fir...

Former Chicago nightclub where House music was born is now a designated landmark

2023-06-22T17:04:00-04:00

A one-time nightclub where the roots of house music spread from a group of Chicago DJs to worldwide prominence is now an official city landmark. [...] “The Warehouse at 206 South Jefferson is where Black and Brown Chicagoans celebrated life and love and the birth of house music, a genre that has taken over the globe [...] The Warehouse is where Frankie Knuckles, a Grammy winner and proud openly gay Black man, created a safe space for everyone.”

The Chicago City Council approved a landmark designation on Wednesday, June 21st, for The Warehouse at 206 S. Jefferson Street in the city’s West Loop. The three-story structure, built in 1906, served as a dance club between 1977 and 1982.

It was where world-renowned artist and House pioneer Frankie Knuckles served as the club’s resident DJ, who used the space to develop and popularize the genre. The club became a safe space for Chicago’s Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities. The venue closed in 1983 due to safety concerns.

Today, the building is home to law offices. It has long had no historical protections, allowing the potential of its demolition after being sold in December 2022. This led to the creation of a petition by Preservation Chicago that garnered close to 15,000 signatures calling on the City to recognize and preserve the building. The nonprofit organiz...

Save Britain's Heritage details threats faced by landmark department stores

2022-04-06T14:41:00-04:00

At least 18 “high street titans” – architecturally significant department stores that have fallen victim to profound changes in shopping patterns – are at risk of being permanently lost, according to a new report. But these “cathedrals of commerce”, as Émile Zola described them in his 1883 novel The Ladies’ Paradise, should be granted new lives – as art galleries, residential housing, community hubs and social spaces, says Save Britain’s Heritage.

The report Departing Stores: Emporia at Risk details the threats to department stores across the UK and what can be done to save these spaces. It covers 46 landmark department stores in town and city centers, some of which have been restored or developed while maintaining their architectural heritage. Others, however, have been left vacant and are at risk of decay or demolition. In addition, according to the British Retail Consortium and Local Data Company, there were 237 vacant department stores in the UK as of mid-2021.

The popularity of department stores has sharply declined with the proliferation of online shopping, which was exacerbated by the onset of the pandemic. The Guardian notes that in the first quarter of 2021, overall retail vacancy sat at a five-year high of 14.1%. In defense of department stores, the report hails their architectural and historical merit. Now, “the race is on to identify and assess these buildings,” according to Marcus Binney, executive president of ...

Communicating with landmarks: How architecture can amplify international support and solidarity with Ukrainians

2022-03-01T14:43:00-05:00

Coverage of Vladimir Putin's violent Ukraine invasion has flooded news and social media outlets since Thursday, February 24. Over the last few days, anti-war protestors around the globe have crowded city streets as they show support for Ukraine and its people.

Cities worldwide have echoed sentiments of solidarity and peace by illuminating public buildings and landmarks in Ukraine's national colors of blue and yellow. Yet, while many groups and organizations continue to send relief and aid, have we overlooked how architecture can be used to send messages of social and political expression? After all, architecture is political.

Delegation of the European Union to the United States building located in Washington, DC. Image courtesy of @EUintheUS via Twitter.

Take the recent writing of Los Angeles Times columnist Carolina Miranda. Posted on Monday evening, Miranda's perceptive take on President Zelensky's use of "architectural backdrops" shows the importance of how historic buildings, l...

Kurt Cobain's childhood home is now a historic landmark in Washington State

2021-08-04T17:18:00-04:00

The one-and-a-half story house on 1210 E. First St. has been added to the state’s list of landmarks because it “is directly connected to specific activities or events which had a lasting impact on the community or region,” according to the Washington Heritage Register.

The Cobain house will now avoid the fate of Jimi Hendrix' childhood home two hours away in Seattle. Cobain made Aberdeen, WA a bit of a household name for 90s pop culture followers. The town has since named a park in his honor after declining to do so for an area bridge the future Nirvana frontman was supposed to have slept under before his rise to fame and which is now a magnet for grunge fans and Cobain-inspired graffiti.

Cobain's mother eventually sold the home for a reduced price after originally putting it on the market in 2013. The home was bought by a lighting designer and will soon begin accepting visitors following a brief renovation. Rolling Stone has more on the state's designation here.

Snøhetta unveils “Lunar” landmark proposal for Shenzhen

2021-07-12T11:49:00-04:00

Snøhetta has released details of their competition entry for a new landmark at Qianhai Bay, Shenzhen. No overall winner was chosen for the competition, with Snøhetta sharing second place with Sou Fujimoto’s floating tower design. Snøhetta’s scheme, titled “Lunar,” is inspired by the concept of data, and the question of whether a landmark should belong to a time or a place.

Image: Snøhetta / Plomp

For the scheme’s design, Snøhetta reflected on the core role of a landmark, asking if such a structure should embody the land in which it sits, or the era in which it was built. “A landmark is a product of its context, a manifestation of the technology of its time,” says the team. “A landmark marks its land, and also marks its era.”

Image: Snøhetta / Plomp

Evoking historical precedents such as the Eiffel Tower and Medieval cathedrals, the team notes that a landmark should reflect the technology of its time. Just as the Eiffel Tower became a symbol of France’s industrial prowess through an ...

Sou Fujimoto unveils Sky Island tower for Shenzhen

2021-06-21T12:18:00-04:00

Sou Fujimoto Architects has unveiled designs for a landmark tower in Shenzhen, China. Part of an international competition for which no first prize was awarded, the Fujimoto design was awarded the top ranking through earning second prize. The proposed scheme is 268 meters (879 feet) in height and consists of 99 individual towers grouped to appear as one structure looking onto the waterfront. “Being one and many simultaneously, it symbolizes the future of societies in the age of diversity,” says Sou Fujimoto Architects.

Qianhai New City Center landmark. Image: Sou Fujimoto Architects

For the scheme’s design, the team asked how the “tower” typology could be reimagined in the 21st century, drawing inspiration from the distinctiveness of landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The resulting proposal sees the 99 towers floating with limited points of contact with a main central tower. At the top, the structure spreads broadly, inspired by the natural forms of flowers, clouds, and isl...

3 competition finalists propose designs for a new landmark in Silicon Valley

2020-09-29T19:26:00-04:00

As the largest city in the Silicon Valley, San Jose yearned for a physical structure that would help "define the identity and spirit of this extraordinary region" as explained in the competition's brief. Inspired by the original San Jose Electric Light Tower that stood 1881 to 1915, the San José Light Tower Corporation led an open call inviting architects, landscape architects, urban planners, artists, students, etc. to submit proposal ideas for the city.

Part of the competition brief asked for a creative landmark design that encapsulates a net-zero approach, "dramatic lighting" incorporated into the design, and an "impressive physical presence." The competition's jury consisted of architects, planners, landscape architects such as Walter Hood of Hood Design Studio, Julia Czerniak, Associate Dean, and architecture professor Syracuse University, Jerry Van Eyck of !melk, among others. After launching the competition in 2019, 963 design ideas from 72 countries were submitted.

The jury...

William Pereira-designed Hunt Branch Library in Orange County to be renovated

2020-06-10T12:17:00-04:00

The William Pereira-design Hunt Branch Library in Fullerton, California has received funds for a new renovation. Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silvia issued a $2.5 million budget request in 2019 which has since been approved and allocated to the City of Fullerton to be utilized in the renovation of the historic library.

The Hunt Branch Library was designated a local landmark by the Fullerton City Council back in November 2018, writes Save The Hunt Library, a group of Fullerton citizens who have been advocating for the preservation of the building.

"I am very proud to have worked with the state to secure $2.5 million for a future renovated Hunt Branch Library," said Assemblywoman Quirk-Silvia in a statement. "As a classroom teacher, and former City Council Member, I have always prioritized community spaces, literacy, and the arts."

The renovation project comes as several of Pereira's other notable works, including the original Los Angeles County Museum of Art campus and an extension to T...

Does owning a Frank Lloyd Wright home come with a secret curse?

2019-08-19T18:00:00-04:00

With only 400-some Wright structures still standing, surely these listings must erupt in bidding wars from eager buyers as soon as they hit the market, right? Wrong. On the contrary, Wright homes tend to sit on the market for years. Often with numerous price cuts!

Owning a home designed by a famed architect may be a dream for many. However, what are some of the unforeseen factors that come with owning such a home? According to Adriana Velez from realtor.com, owning a Frank Lloyd Wright home comes with its fair share of obstacles.

Velez explains, "for starters, keep in mind that most Wright homes were built in the early to mid-1900s. So these homes are up in the years, and often in dire need of upkeep and repairs." She continues, "Repairing or restoring a Wright house is even more difficult if it has landmark status. That means any renovation plans must be approved by the local landmarks commission, and are subject to restrictions meant to preserve the historical accuracy of the structure."

Norman Lykes - Interior. Image courtesy of The Agency

Other challenges buyers of Wright-designed homes face can include the unconventional floor plans, furniture, and specific color schemes used during Wright's heyday. Potential buyers should anticipate th...

The Silicon Valley needs a new landmark. Submit your ideas to for the Urban Confluence Silicon Valley Ideas Competition!

2019-08-12T13:15:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by the Urban Confluence Silicon Valley

UPDATE: Urban Confluence Silicon Valley has extended the entry deadline to July 1, 2020.

San José Light Tower Corporation invites visionaries, place-makers, architects, artists, designers, students, and dreamers to help define the identity and spirit of this extraordinary region, to reflect the breathless sense of possibility we all feel, and to propel that influence and hope into a world-class landmark.

We want to bring to built life the visceral feeling of vibrant progress that threads its way through our beloved environment, while at the same time protecting the existing landscape in the midst of urban sprawl.

Call for Entries!
The San José Light Tower Corporation announces the launch of Urban Confluence Silicon Valley (The Competition), an international open ideas competition. Artists, architects, urban planners, landscape architects, students, designers, engineers, and anyone with a passion for place-making is inv...

The challenges of saving Alvar Aalto's architecture

2019-07-22T17:40:00-04:00

In his 50-year career, Aalto completed some 300 buildings, most of them in Finland. That’s an embarrassment of riches for a country of just 5.5 million people. About half of them are landmarked, and 14 of them, including Säynätsalo Town Hall, have “national monument” status—meaning they are covered by the country’s Act on the Protection of Buildings. Yet many of Aalto’s structures have outlived their original purposes.

The Wall Street Journal just published a captivating long-read by Fred A. Bernstein about the challenges of preserving Alvar Aalto's sizable built body of work when some of the aging buildings no longer serve any practical purpose or become too costly to maintain, including celebrated structures such as the 1933 Paimio Sanatorium, the Säynätsalo Town Hall completed in 1951, or his Finlandia Hall from the early 1970s.

"That puts them in a preservation limbo," writes Bernstein, "too important to tear down, but too expensive to be maintained merely as shrines to their creator."

Rome aims to protect national monuments and historic landmarks with strict tourist rules

2019-06-12T13:58:00-04:00

Authorities in the Italian capital have now enforced a slew of rules, updated from legislation drafted in 1946, as they seek to clamp down on uncouth behavior that has long been a source of frustration.

With a slew of visitors and tourists filling the streets of historic cities across the globe, it is no wonder authorities in the Italian capital are enforcing measures to help preserve Rome's cityscape. From "messy eating" and foot bathing near the Trevi Fountain to preserving historic staircases, these rules are set to reduce the level of transgressions happening within the city. "Bans on wheeled suitcases and buggies being dragged down historic staircases, walking around bare-chested, and pub crawls. The authorities are also taking aim at 'nuisance drunks' or people who sing on public transport, as well as those who wrap their mouths around the nozzles of the city's drinking fountains."

Visitor dipping head into Trevi Fountain. Image © Vincenzo Pinto/AFP

One specific measure with a permanent ban are for individuals dressing up as modern-day centurions. According to the Guardian, "men who dress up in tunics and leather breastplates, wielding plastic swords – and make money by posin...

Snøhetta's updated AT&T Building redesign gets Landmarks Preservation Commission approval

2019-02-13T13:38:00-05:00

The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission paved the way for Snøhetta to partially redesign Philip Johnson’s Postmodern skyscraper at 550 Madison Avenue Tuesday with a vote backing the contested plan. [...] The biggest change to the property, which was granted landmark status in July 2018, is the privately-owned public space (POPS) at the ground level.

Image: Snøhetta

Snøhetta's original proposal to renovate the, now landmark-protected, 1984 icon of Postmodernism at 550 Madison Avenue was met with fierce opposition from architects, preservationists, and critics.

An updated design that incorporated much of the feedback was released a few months later in December 2018.

Image: Snøhetta

The 2018 class of landmarked buildings in NYC

2018-12-18T14:04:00-05:00

While 2018 wasn’t quite the banner year for historic preservation like 2017—NYC got three rare, new interior landmarks last year—several beloved structures finally got the recognition (and protection) they deserve. Those include the Riegelmann Boardwalk along the Coney Island waterfront, and 550 Madison Avenue, Philip Johnson’s 37-story Postmdodern icon.

Curbed New York has put together a handy map of all historically significant buildings that received landmark protection this year, including a number of structures in the outer boroughs as well as the iconic 550 Madison Avenue (formerly the AT&T Building), which just returned to the spotlight with Snøhetta's latest renovation plans.

Check out Snøhetta's updated AT&T Building renovation proposal

2018-12-13T13:53:00-05:00

A year after Snøhetta’s first attempt at renovating Olayan America and Chelsfield’s office tower at 550 Madison Avenue ended in controversy and eventual landmarking, the architects are hoping their second attempt will be smoother.

"The new proposal unveiled Tuesday features three stories of retail at the ground level and a new opening in the rear facade to allow sight lines from Madison Avenue into a new open-air garden that will replace the currently enclosed galleria," reports The Real Deal about Snøhetta's reworked approach after last year's initial proposal to renovate the Philip Johnson and John Burgee-designed 550 Madison Avenue tower—formerly known as the AT&T Building, a 1984 icon of Postmodernism—ignited a passionate debate among architects, preservationists, and critics. The building was ultimately granted landmark protection in July 2018.

Image: Snøhetta

"Snøhetta’s design for the rear of the building (west side) would provide the community with a vibrant green space that will be 50% larger than the current public space," reads a project statement on the architects' website.

Image: Snøhetta

"Snøhetta’s updated design will preserve and revitalize the landmark tower, undo past renovations that compromi...

Next to the Gherkin, a Tulip-shaped tower designed by Foster + Partners could soon rise

2018-11-19T14:10:00-05:00

British firm Foster + Partners have proposed plans for a Tulip-shaped tower that would rise beside their London landmark, the Gherkin. The new skyscraper, which at 305-meters high would become the city's second-tallest building, is conceived as a state-of-the-art cultural and educational resource by the architects.

Credit: DBOX for Foster + Partners

Also described as 'a classroom in the sky,' the future landmark will include an educational facility for local schoolchildren, with 20,000 free visits offered per year. In addition, the Tulip will have viewing galleries as well as bars and restaurants offering panoramic views of the city.

Visitors will have a variety of noteworthy ways to move about the 12-story observation tower, choosing between sky bridges, internal glass slides and/or a gondola pod ride.

Credit: DBOX for Foster + Partners

Announcing the plans, Norman Foster described the project as "in the spirit of London as a progressive, forward-t...

Frank Gehry on the “ever-shifting” Disney Concert Hall: What could've been and what's to come

2018-09-12T15:00:00-04:00

Gehry likens his creative process to jazz, a fluid, always-evolving symphony of ideas, as he describes it. A main intention with Disney Hall, he says, was the relationships, or rhythms, between the different entities of people inside the hall, also ever-shifting. [...] Sherman said that there’s no concrete timeline in place for making such changes to Disney Hall. But that “any changes could potentially be in sync with the opening of the Grand.

Frank Gehry talks about his early visions for the Walt Disney Concert Hall as well as what future changes — both within and around the landmark — are being planned, especially once his nearly $1 billion mixed-use complex, The Grand, is built.

Philip Johnson + John Burgee's AT&T Building is now a designated landmark

2018-08-02T14:20:00-04:00

The designation protects the exterior of the building, including the facades of the office tower, annex, and enclosed covered passageway, and notably preserving its rose Stony Creek granite cladding and the broken pediment at its crown. Going forward, any proposed alterations to the exterior will require approval and permitting by the [NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission].

It's official. The AT&T Building is now a designated landmark. Late last year, Snøhetta's plans to redesign the historic building sparked months of heated debate among architects, preservationists, and critics.

India's Supreme Court again weighs in on discolored Taj Mahal: shut it down, demolish it, or restore it

2018-07-16T15:50:00-04:00

The Taj Mahal in Agra could be closed unless the Indian government steps in and saves the neglected landmark, says India’s Supreme Court. “Either we shut down the Taj or demolish it or you restore it,” the two-judge committee told state officials last week. [...] The Supreme Court says that it will monitor the situation on a day-to-day basis from 31 July.

Frustrated with the slow response from officials in charge of restoring the deteriorating Taj Mahal, India's highest court demanded swift action to stop the ongoing discoloration of the iconic Unesco World Heritage site caused by pollution and millions of tiny insects, saying: "We want you to give us an action plan of what you propose to do. We will hear it and finally dispose it. If it has to be shut down, let it be shut."

The Taj Mahal went from white to yellow and now greenish

2018-05-10T19:08:00-04:00

India’s Supreme Court on Wednesday faulted the country’s archaeological conservation body for failing to protect the Taj Mahal from discoloration, dirty feet and green slime emitted by millions of mosquito-like insects. Since 2015, the body, the Archaeological Survey of India, has overseen a restoration project at the Taj Mahal, with workers scaling scaffolding to remove grime from the 17th-century tomb [...].

After decades of slowly turning dull and yellowish from smog and pollution, the Taj Mahal's formerly white facade has now taken on an unattractive green discoloration. Archaeological experts suspect swarms of tiny bugs to be the perpetrators, but India's highest court isn't pleased with the slow pace of cleanup of what is arguably India's most well know architectural landmark.

Inspired by Bamboo scaffolding, ODA designs "Dragon Gate" at the Canal Street Triangle

2018-04-05T15:01:00-04:00

ODA New York—known for their distinctive residential projects like 420 Kent, 2222 Jackson, and 251 1st Street—has put forth a proposal that would reclaim an underutilized pedestrian island in Manhattan's Chinatown. The 'Dragon Gate' pavilion, a massive steel structure reminiscent of bamboo scaffolding, would offer a new gateway to the growing Chinatown neighborhood at the Canal Street Triangle.

Rendering: Labtop

The design, recognizing Chinatown as home to the largest Chinese population outside of Asia, deploys modern building materials while invoking Chinese Symbolism. Blending the two, the project manages to capture the neighborhood's unique characteristics and honors "the spirit of a place that feels at once timeless and original."

Diagram: ODA New York

Designed for the triangular traffic island at the intersection of Canal, Baxter, and Walker Streets, the pavilion mimics the triangular shape in order to take full advantage of its site. Rising 33 feet, the Drag...

The iconic Portland Building's postmodern, multicolored facade is dismantled

2018-03-09T16:09:00-05:00

Designed by Michael Graves, the pioneering Portland Building is at once considered to be a postmodern icon as well as the "ugliest building in Oregon". A rectangular block of four, heavily ornamented, salmon and turquoise facades, the building can easily be likened to a small, fancy French cake. But, beyond the merits of its aesthetics, the 15-story office tower has also been criticized for its structural mishaps that include seismic deficiencies and water intrusions issues.

Concern over these flaws, as well as a healthy dose of po-mo hate, have led to long held discussions regarding its potential destruction. In 2015, the conversation was finally brought to head when the city decided to move forward with a major, $195 million reconstruction of the building.

Photo by Joakim Lord. Courtesy of Docomomo Oregon.

The rebuild, which was approved by the Landmarks Commission due to the building's historical significance, will mean updates to the building's operating systems and seismic retr...

Could L.A. be getting a second Hollywood Sign?

2018-02-20T15:37:00-05:00

Community leaders and affected homeowners have mixed reactions regarding a consultant’s recently released recommendations on how to best provide relief for residential communities besieged with Hollywood Sign tourists. The recommendations, released in January and commissioned by Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu, ranged in impact from the jaw-dropping, like the idea of installing a second Hollywood sign, to the mundane, like improving signage for lost tourists.

The Los Feliz Ledger gives a detailed account of various recommendations currently being discussed among community leaders to drastically improve access to L.A.'s iconic landmark sign while also easing the traffic burden on locals in the adjacent Hollywood Hills neighborhoods.

One idea from a 65-page report commissioned by Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu is to install a replica Hollywood Sign on Griffith Park's north side facing the San Fernando Valley: "Some said that it was an interesting, out-of-the-box idea that could satiate at least some tourists’ desire to see the sign, albeit a replica, and would therefore lessen traffic in Los Feliz and the Hollywood Hills. Others however, said they did not see a duplicate’s sign value."

Despite pending landmark status, demolition to the AT&T Building's lobby has begun

2018-01-09T12:55:00-05:00

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has approved interior demolition of the lobby at Philip Johnson and John Burgee’s postmodern tower at 550 Madison Avenue. Though the 1984 tower is up for landmark consideration, the designation would only protect the facade, not the interior. Department of Buildings (DOB) records show demo plans received LPC staff approval on December 15 and permits were issued that same day.

The New Yorker commiserates the demolition of Citicorp's brutalist plaza, recently named a protected "city landmark"

2017-10-17T14:42:00-04:00

New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission declared the Citicorp complex a protected landmark on December 6, 2016, but between that designation and its earlier “calendaring” (the scheduling of a public hearing and the first formal step in the designation process) in May of last year, approvals for demolition and new construction were secured.

Despite being named a city landmark in 2016, the brutalist sunken plaza of 601 Lexington Avenue, formally known as the Citicorp Center, was demolished over the summer.

"The finest part of the new urban composition was a sunken plaza, a dozen feet below sidewalk level. Entered from the block’s southwest corner and uncannily sheltered by the underbelly of the elevated skyscraper ten stories overhead, it was a consequence of the city’s “plaza bonus” zoning, which allowed developers to build higher in exchange for incorporating public space into their property. It was the work of Hideo Sasaki, one of a great generation of landscape architects—Dan Kiley, Lawrence Halprin and Harriet Pattison prominent among them—who worked alongside such familiar heroes of mid-century modern design as Eero Saarinen and Louis Kahn. "

Gensler will lead the 200,000-square-foot renovation of the plaza.

Seattle's Space Needle is getting a makeover: new renderings revealed

2017-10-04T14:36:00-04:00

Seattle's 55-year old landmark Space Needle is undergoing a $100 million renovation headed by Seattle-based design firm Olson Kundig. The venture's aim is to reveal the historic tower’s internal structure and harken back to the original concept sketches, all while expanding and improving the Space Needle’s iconic views and guest experience.

Image Credit: Olson Kundig

Enhancing the iconic view involves the addition of a lot of glass—176 tons to be exact will be added to the Observation Deck and restaurant level. Expanding the views by more than 25%, the observation deck above the restaurant will feature floor-to-ceiling glass panels on the interior and exterior to enhance the 360-degree views. At the restaurant level, the tables, chairs, windows, and rotating floor of the reimagined space will all be made of glass.

Construction began earlier in September with the impressive installation of a 28,000 pound platform 400 feet in the air to rest in place just below the Space Needle’s Top...

FAA restricts drones over ten major U.S. landmarks, including St. Louis Gateway Arch, Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore

2017-10-02T14:14:00-04:00

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a new regulation restricting unauthorized drone operations over 10 Department of Interior sites, including the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore. [...] The announcement says the action comes at "the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies."

These new FAA restrictions will be effective as of October 5 so make sure to keep your drones at least 400 feet away from these ten National Landmarks:

Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, NY
Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution), Boston, MA
Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA
Folsom Dam; Folsom, CA
Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell, AZ
Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee, WA
Hoover Dam; Boulder City, NV
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, MO
Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Keystone, SD
Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake, CA