Archinect - News

Foster for Cuban Ballet School, A Dance Of What?

2012-09-11T15:57:00-04:00

"You have to accept that 50 years have gone by, but the changes should be done by the architect who was in charge. If this architect is no longer able, this is another thing. But the last time I saw Garatti, he was thinking clearly. So there's no reason to put him aside. I don't think it's ethical."

British architect Sir Norman Foster jumps on the opportunity to remodel iconic and unfinished Cuban National Art Schools. But one of the the original architects, Roberto Gottardi, is still alive. (via Alexis Navarro)

Also see; Revolution of Forms: Cuba's Forgotten Art Schools by John A. Loomis

Editor's Picks #272

2012-07-08T12:50:00-04:00

HandsumCa$hMoneyYo commented "Norman Foster seems like a really odd fit for this project. He's a wealthy corporatist architect from northern Europe...taking on an abandoned arts academy in a communist state in the tropics, hmm. What could possibly go wrong, yo?"

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Reports surfaced via an interview in the Sunday Times that Sir Norman Foster has been engaged to plan for a conversion of the famed Scuola di ballo, Escuela Nacional de Arte in Cuba. HandsumCa$hMoneyYo commented "Norman Foster seems like a really odd fit for this project. He's a wealthy corporatist architect from northern Europe...taking on an abandoned arts academy in a communist state in the tropics, hmm. What could possibly go wrong, yo?"

Gov. Brown granted fast-track status to Apple headquarters because "Apple's state-of-the art campus brings at least $100 million dollars in investment to California and generates no additional greenhouse gas emissions". holz.box corrected "tax breaks and fast tracked status! also, brown's dead wrong on this: 'generates no additional greenhouse gas emissions' - only if the project is off-grid. grid-tied net zero ain't 'emissions free’.” and Apurimac added "Suburban superblocks are just as boring as urban ones."

SCI-Arc student Brian...

Scuola di ballo, Escuela Nacional de Arte to be converted?

2012-07-01T14:53:00-04:00

Norman Foster told the Sunday Times: “Carlos is a great dancer who is inspiring the regeneration of an iconic ruin of early modernism outside Havana.”

Speaking to The Sunday Times on June 17th, Cuban ballet dancer Carlos Acosta and Lord Norman Foster explained their plans to regenerate the iconic ruin of early modernism outside Havana. The original building, with its distinctive brick and domed roof construction was designed in 1961 by Italian Vittorio Garatti. Someone has already started a Facebook page Comitato "Vittorio Garatti" looking to prevent the plan. They write "This is really important! We can't permit to another architect to put his hands on the National Schools of Arts...The original architect is Vittorio Garatti and he is alive and well, he should be the one at the helm of any design or development at this site."