Archinect - News

Moshe Safdie's National Medal of Honor Museum is off to a rocky start

2018-07-13T14:45:00-04:00

It isn't often that architect Moshe Safdie is sent back to the drawing board. But that's exactly what happened earlier this year when his soaring vision for the National Medal of Honor Museum clashed with a local height ordinance. [...] planning commission in the Charleston suburb of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, unanimously denied its Safdie-concieved proposal because it would exceed by 75 feet the elevation limit on land zoned for no more than 50 feet.

"Ultimately, it all came down to a lack of communication," writes Jolee Edmondson. "What has transpired in Mount Pleasant underscores the importance of builders engaging in community outreach before submitting a formal plan for public property. Safdie's design was unveiled in 2015, but it was mainly confined to the foundation's website."

What some of the world's most famous monuments could have looked like

2018-01-12T09:33:00-05:00

Had things gone differently, France's Arc De Triomphe could have been a massive giant elephant!—at least, that is what architect Charles Ribart envisioned for the landmark back in 1759 before his proposal was rejected by the French Government. Similarly, Sydney's iconic Opera House, known for its distinctive roof, may have never become the masterpiece of modern architecture it is today had the competition opted for the conductor of the Orchestra's entry over that of the Danish architect Jørn Utzon.

Beyond the Arc De Triomphe and Sydney Opera House, many of the world's most famous landmarks could have looked radically different had things gone another way. Here to show what could've been, GoCompare has illustrated the rejected designs of some of these iconic structures.

Arc De Triomphe

45 years before the Arc De Triomphe was built, 18th century architect Charles Ribart proposed to construct a three-story elephant on the very same site. The design was turned down by the French govern...

Jean Nouvel's museum extension plans narrowly rejected in Geneva

2016-03-02T14:04:00-05:00

The people of Geneva have narrowly rejected a controversial plan to extend and renovate the city’s Musée d’Art et d’Histoire by the French architect Jean Nouvel. The “non” camp won the public vote on 28 February with 54%. Ateliers Jean Nouvel in Paris designed the planned extension, which was approved by Geneva’s municipal council last May, in collaboration with the local firms Architectures Jucker and DVK Architectes.[...] The council must now launch a new competition for the museum.

Related Nouvel stories in the Archinect news:

History breaks down the Lincoln Memorial’s bizarre rejected designs

2015-02-13T00:45:00-05:00

The neoclassical monument designed by Henry Bacon has become an iconic piece of architecture, but had one of the designs from the other competing architect been selected, the familiar Lincoln Memorial would have looked jarringly different—perhaps in the form of a ziggurat, Mayan temple or Egyptian pyramid.

Park City Rejects Bjarke Ingels' Kimball Art Center Designs - Again!

2014-08-26T13:10:00-04:00

City Hall on Thursday rejected the designs of the Kimball Art Center's expansion proposal, determining they do not meet the municipal government's strict Old Town guidelines. It was a significant setback as the not-for-profit organization attempts to press ahead with an ambitious redo of the high-profile intersection of Main Street and Heber Avenue. [...] The Kimball Art Center selected a renowned Danish architectural firm, Bjarke Ingels Group, to draft the designs.

Previously: BIG is named winner of the Kimball Art Center Transformation Project Design Competition

Panel rejects design for Eisenhower Memorial

2014-04-04T15:08:00-04:00

A federal commission that oversees plans for monuments in the nation's capital voted Thursday to reject the current design for a memorial honoring President Eisenhower, sending the concept back to its architects for revisions. The National Capital Planning Commission voted 7-3 to endorse its staff's report opposing the current design. The objections focus primarily on the scale and placement of columns that would hold large stainless steel tapestries framing a memorial park honoring Eisenhower.

OMA's winning Santa Monica design is rejected by city council members

2013-09-04T15:38:00-04:00

The design called for a series of rectangular buildings skewed on an axis comprised of ground-floor retail, office development and proposed residential and flex office space and the upper section would be a hotel, according to city officials. “I have to say that the Metro Pacific is a beautiful project and you look at it and it’s stunning architecturally,” Davis said. “The affordable housing is kind of an afterthought … . It’s a little unclear of how many units we are going to get.”

Journal of Universal Rejection

2012-10-10T13:53:00-04:00

After submitting your work, the decision process varies. Often the Editor-in-Chief will reject your work out-of-hand, without even reading it! However, he might read it. Probably he'll skim. At other times your manuscript may be sent to anonymous referees. Unless they are the Editor-in-Chief's wife or graduate school buddies, it is unlikely that the referees will even understand what is going on.