Archinect - News

Catherine Opie will join Christopher Hawthorne and Carolina A. Miranda at The Broad for a discussion on memory and public space

2022-01-19T18:38:00-05:00

Who gets to be remembered in a city, and why? That will be one of the questions on the dais when artist Catherine Opie joins current and former LA Times architecture critics Christopher Hawthorne and Carolina A. Miranda for a conversation on the topic at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles tomorrow evening.

The conversation will take as its focus the works of Opie as they tie-in with the mission of the city’s Civic Memory Working Group that Hawthorne helped found. The museum will also present Opie’s recently-acquired work monument/monumental, which documents a 2020 road trip from Richmond, Virginia and the attempt by Black Lives Matters activists there to reclaim a noteworthy statue that depicted Robert E. Lee. Opie’s work will be presented in the context of how commemoration can best be processed through the built environment in the 21st century using lessons from the past as a critical guide.

From left to right: Catherine Opie, Christopher Hawthorne, and Carolina Miranda. Image cour...

Archinect's Founder, Paul Petrunia, shares his true feelings about Archinect's trolls

2019-02-06T16:45:00-05:00

With a plethora of podcasts readily available, sometimes a good one worth listening to is hard to come by. This week Archinect's very own Founder/Director, Paul Petrunia, sat down with David Lee and Marina Bourderonnet, from Midnight Charette, to discuss an array of topics. Known for their informal, unscripted, and in-depth interviews, Paul discusses Archinect's humble beginnings back in 1997 (22 years ago!), the problem with journalism today and the faults of internet technology, expanding Archinect into print and retail, dealing with forum moderation and trolls, and much more. The entire conversation runs almost 2 hours long.

Finding a balance between light-hearted discussion and in-depth design focused conversations Midnight Charette has created a platform, especially for young design professionals, to hear and learn what's out there in the profession. Known for their "brutally honest and often not work appropriate" discussions, these podcasts should be added to the must listen t...

Watch David Adjaye and James Turrell discuss light, space, and architecture

2016-10-14T18:40:00-04:00

Last week, the White House held its very own arts and culture festival in D.C., South by South Lawn (SXSL). Organizers arranged a list of panel discussions and programs that brought together a diverse troupe of creatives for a "festival of ideas, art, and action.” SXSL kicked off with a conversation between illustrious light artist James Turrell and award-winning architect David Adjaye, which was streamed live on The Creators Project’s Facebook Page.

"Over the course of their chat, which was moderated by LACMA director Michael Govan, the two artists unpacked their general philosophies on art, light, space, and culture, and discussed some of the influences that have driven their processes and works."

Video via The Creators Project.

Learn about desert-living design in Design Marfa's 2015 Symposium and Home Tour, Sept. 18 + 19

2015-08-31T15:39:00-04:00

Design Marfa is ready to share fresh insight into desert-living design in their 2015 Symposium and Home Tour, happening on September 18 and 19 at the Crowley Theatre in the Texan town of Marfa.

Hosted by Design Marfa — the non-profit who created the Marfa Multi-Family Housing Competition — the two-day Symposium will feature relevant discussions led by an international array of architects and designers.

Events on Friday, September 18 include the earthen building-materials presentation, "Does This Structure Make Me Look Hot?" with Tucson architect Cade Hayes; DUST principal Brad Lancaster's session on harvesting rainwater; multidisciplinary designer Gina Coffman's presentation on how to increase walkability and bikesharing in our local communities; Los Angeles-based architect Linda Taalman on precision building systems in her "IT House" discussion, and more.

Then on September 19, Marfa Multi-Family Housing Competition winner Paul Vincent presents his proposal while juror Sharon Odum delv...

Design Marfa sheds light on desert-living design in 2015 Symposium this September

2015-06-25T15:53:00-04:00

Design Marfa — the non-profit that hosted the Marfa Multi-Family Housing Competition this past fall — announced the details to their 2015 Symposium and Home Tour taking place September 18-19 at the Crowley Theater in the Texan desert town of Marfa. Although the topics focus on desert environments, they could still offer some handy tips for different locations and climates.

Friday, September 18 will include presentations from an international array of architects and designers such as, "Does This Structure Make Me Look Hot?" by Tucson architect Cade Hayes in regards to earthen building-materials like lava rock or adobe; DUST principal Brad Lancaster's session on harvesting rainwater; a presentation by multidsciplinary designer Gina Coffman on how to design community spaces that help increase walkability in our local neighborhoods, and more.

Then on September 19, Marfa Multi-Family Housing Competition winner Paul Vincent presents his design "7+7", while juror Sharon Odum delves into the ...

Articulate your feelings in the "Dear Architecture" competition. Register now!

2015-05-13T21:04:00-04:00

Needless to say, effective communication is vital in architecture, but how often do architects get the chance to elaborate their own thoughts and feelings on the discipline itself — in the form of a letter? Blank Space (the creators of the successful Fairy Tales Architecture Competition) along with Archinect, our sister site Bustler, and ArchDaily are presenting a new challenge: "Dear Architecture".

Dear Architecture invites participants worldwide to write their own 500-word letter to architecture — whether as a concept, a social practice, or as a community — along with an illustration to supplement their letter's message. Through letter-writing, the competition hopes to initiate an open dialogue and valuable exchange of ideas about the role and responsibility of architecture in modern society.

Register by May 27 to take advantage of the $30 early-bird special (Regular registration: $40; Late registration: $50). The final submission deadline is July 24.

As always, give this competition...

Challenging the space-age Manifest Destiny narrative, as Elon Musk vies to move humans to Mars

2015-05-08T12:26:00-04:00

It’s a myth almost universally believed, that sits at the core of liberal technocratic thought, and has been embedded in practically every other work of speculative fiction for the last half century. You can sum it up like this: 'When we go into space, we will all magically become nice.'...It’s early days, but if we really want to create a progressive new world then issues like these should be at the hearts of our efforts from the very start.

The longtime space-age Manifest Destiny of humans inhabiting Mars and the prominently white, European male perspective that narrative perpetually emphasizes has become a bubbling multi-faceted discussion among science bloggers as Elon Musk's staunch ambitions to ultimately turn humans into a "multiplanet species" continue to develop. Stemming from that discussion, writer Martin Robbins of The Guardian contemplates whether or not humanity's eventual future on Mars can exist without the earthly issues of sexism and racism.

Give and Take: Michael Kimmelman and Annabelle Selldorf discuss architectural ethics in urban environments

2014-10-20T13:58:00-04:00

The power of architecture at work in the modern city was a theme that emerged from the start at last Thursday night’s Big Ideas, Bold Thinkers, Brilliant Dialogue series at Pratt Institute. This particular conversation featured New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman and Architect Annabelle Selldorf. Moderator Spencer Bailey of Surface magazine used the broad term of “power of architecture” as a catalyst that spawned a conversation on the social responsibility of architecture as we move into an ever‐growing, thickening urban environment.

Selldof’s recent Sunset Park Recycling Center Brooklyn got the discussion going. Selldorf began by explaining why she was so excited to take on an infrastructure project, noting the architectural demands of the site and program were very interesting problems to take on. But the thing that most fascinated her about the project was its capacity to give back to the city by providing an important logistical hub to New York City as well as co...

NY Times Enters the "Starchitect" Debate

2014-07-30T13:58:00-04:00

Witold Rybczynski, the architect and emeritus professor of urbanism at the University of Pennsylvania, complained recently about “starchitects” who often work in cities they are unfamiliar with, creating buildings that are out of sync with their surroundings. In an interview, he argued in favor of local architectural talent, or “locatecture.” Are superstar architects ruining city skylines?

In this "Room for Debate" at the New York Times, Allison Arieff, Vishaan Chakrabarti, Beverly Willis, and Angel Borrego Cubero all provide their opinions on the much-used and controversial portmanteau.

REMINDER: Register now for Facades+ in Chicago

2014-07-18T14:49:00-04:00

If you haven't already done so, register now for the Facades+ conference taking place on July 24 and 25 in Chicago, IL.

Presented by The Architect's Newspaper and Enclos, the conference will discuss the fast-paced evolution of façade technology and explore innovative, sustainable design practices. Attendees will have the chance to network with leading industry experts, participate in discussion panels, and learn through hands-on workshops.

The opening keynote will be James Timberlake, a founding principal of KieranTimberlake, the renowned Philadelphia-based architecture firm known for its synthesis of art, science, and advanced research. JAHN’s Francisco Gonzalez Pulido will give the afternoon keynote, Lightness.

For more details and to register, visit facadesplus.com.

Norman Foster, Daniel Libeskind, Guy Nordenson to speak at Innovators talk series at the MCNY

2014-05-05T17:44:00-04:00

Mark your calendars! Some popular architects will be speaking in the upcoming "Innovators" talk series at the Museum of the City of New York, starting tomorrow May 6 at 6:30 p.m... Accompanying the current "Palaces for the People" exhibition, each talk will explore the influence of the Guastavino Company, led by a Catalan father-son team whose architecture, construction, and design practices helped shape NYC's built landscape.

Below is the panelist line-up:

May 6 - Innovators: Building Design and Construction: Guy Nordensen (Guy Nordenson Associates); Valentine Lehr (Lehr Consultants International); Jill Lerner and Marianne Kwok (Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates); and Corie Sharples (Shop Architects)

May 14 - Innovators with Norman Foster: From Guastavino to the Moon: Lord Norman Foster and his engineering partner Roger Ridsdill Smith

July 7 - Innovators: The Uses of Tiles Today: Suzanne Stephens (writer, critic, and deputy editor of Architectural Record) as moderator; Daniel Libeskind (Studio Daniel Libeskind), Ingeborg Rocker (Harvard University GSD, Rocker-Lange Architects); and Matthew Karlin (president of Nemo Tile Company).

Find more details about the series on Bustler.

Dispatches from 5468796 Architecture's Table for Twelve | Mexico City

2014-05-05T14:03:00-04:00

Archinect is delighted to present 5468796 Architecture's travelogue for their award-winning research project, Table for Twelve. The Winnipeg-based firm received the 2013 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture from the Canada Council for the Arts, awarded to emerging Canadian architects with outstanding artistic potential. The $50,000 prize is supporting the firm’s worldwide travels to both strengthen their skills and expand their presence within the international architectural community.

5468796’s Table for Twelve is a series of dinner parties held at architectural epicenters around the world, in the hopes that picking the brains of local talent will help them identify the drivers behind a strong design culture. Archinect plays host to their global dispatches through this travel blog, updated upon each city’s dinner.

From 5468796:

MEXICO CITY | Dinner

THE TRIP

5468796 Architecture’s Jayne Miles reflects on the sixth installment of Table for 12, which took place as part of the larger M...

Dispatches from 5468796 Architecture's Table for Twelve | New York City

2014-04-09T14:09:00-04:00

From 5468796:

THE TRIP

5468796 Architecture’s Johanna Hurme reflects on the sixth edition of Table for Twelve, which took place in New York City on March 12th. A full li...

Dispatches from 5468796 Architecture's Table for Twelve | Sydney

2014-02-26T14:44:00-05:00

From 5468796:

IMPRESSIONS

We left Japan with our heads still spinning from the colours, the sounds of gaming lounges, the continuous traffic jams, and the hordes upon ho...

LA Mayor talks urbanism and mass transit with architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne

2014-02-14T18:06:00-05:00

Last night on the bucolic hilltop campus of Occidental College, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke with the Los Angeles Times architecture critic, Christopher Hawthorne, about the state of L.A. urbanism. This broad topical platform positioned Hawthorne's interview not as a political interrogation, nor as a staged public appearance, but as a relaxed discourse for Garcetti to mention policy while riffing on the kind of place he believes L.A. is becoming. You can review Archinect's live-tweets of the event here.

The discourse of L.A. urbanism is often bogged down by insufficient comparisons and false dichotomies -- sprawl vs. density, cyclists vs. drivers, liberals vs. libertarians, east vs. west, etc. -- that doggedly try to force the region into the conventions of other, completely incomparable cities. Early on, Hawthorne made clear that "Los Angeles" has to be thought of on the "regional scale", and shouldn't copy the developmental models of radically different cities. Garcetti ce...

Book Launch: "L.A. [TEN]: Interviews on Los Angeles Architecture 1970s-1990s" author in conversation with Aaron Betsky, Sylvia Lavin

2014-02-06T12:34:00-05:00

Last Tuesday's book launch for L.A. [TEN]: Interviews on Los Angeles Architecture 1970s-1990s at the A+D Museum brought author Stephen Phillips in conversation with the book’s publisher, Lars Müller, and architecture critics (among other things) Aaron Betsky and Sylvia Lavin. The book is a collaborative effort, culling work from students in Cal Poly’s L.A. Metro Program in Architecture and Urban Design, Wim de Wit and Christopher Alexander of the Getty Research Institute, and Phillips himself. As an initiative that pits students alongside practicing professionals, combining oral history with journalistic investigation, L.A. [TEN] is both the artifact of an educational performance and a signpost in the continuing attempt to historicize L.A.’s messy architectural identity.

Lavin and Betsky kicked off the launch with miniature lectures, riffing on L.A.’s environmental and cultural context during the book’s era. Lacking the institutional validation of a strong publishing culture, archite...

WATCH: Diller, Lowry, critics, writers and more discuss MoMA's expansion plans

2014-02-04T18:31:00-05:00

As reported last week by Archinectors Ayesha Ghosh and Alex Stewart, a discussion regarding MoMA's expansion plan and the intended demolition of the American Folk Art Museum took place at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, an appropriate venue for a conversation rife with implications for the ethics of preservation, real estate development and the architectural profession. The aim was to create an opportunity for public discussion of what has been criticized as a unilateral move by MoMA, and investigate the supposed necessity of the Folk Museum's demolition.

The conversation was presented by The Architectural League, in partnership with the Municipal Art Society and the AIA, New York Chapter. Watch the entire discussion below, featuring:

Glenn Lowry (Director of the Museum of Modern Art), Ann Temkin (The Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis Chief Curator of Painting and Sculpture), Elizabeth Diller (principal of Diller Scofidio + Renfro), Reed Kroloff (director of the Cranbrook Academy...

Elizabeth Diller, MoMA discuss expansion and Folk Museum's demolition with slice of NY architectural community

2014-01-29T15:46:00-05:00

The controversial plans to demolish the American Folk Art Museum in service of MoMA's expansion rumbled along last night, at a panel discussion hosted jointly by the Architectural League, the Municipal Art Society, and the AIA's New York chapter.

Catch-up on news surrounding MoMA's expansion here:

Archinect contributors / Parsons MArch students Ayesha Ghosh and Alex Stewart attended the event, taking notes and logging thoughts. The following is their report.

* updated February 3, 2014: You can also find a video of the entire discussion, courtesy of the Architectural League, at the bottom of this post.

A Conversation on the ...

AIANY to host “Archinomics” discussion on Nov. 21

2013-11-13T15:26:00-05:00

Join the discussion on Archinomics: Effects of Predicted Global Economic Growth on the Architecture Profession on Thursday evening, Nov. 21 at The Center for Architecture in New York City.

Hosted by the AIANY Global Dialogues Committee, the two-hour discussion examines which countries are expected to experience the most economic growth and its effects on architectural global practice by the year 2020 and beyond. The event invites all architects, developers, and economists to share their opinions.

Attendants will get to engage on this pressing topic with featured speakers that include:

Joseph Brancato, AIA, Managing Principal, Gensler Architects
Giles Wrench, Managing Director international Desk, Jones Lang Lasalle
Jesse M Keenan, Research Director, Center for Urban Real Estate, Columbia University
Patrice A. Derrington, Chair, Global Real Estate Development Program, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate

Archinomics is related to the exhibition Practical Global U...

Dispatches from 5468796 Architecture's Table for Twelve | Lisbon

2013-11-04T11:04:00-05:00

Archinect is delighted to present 5468796 Architecture's travelogue for their award-winning research project, Table for Twelve. The Winnipeg-based firm received the 2013 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture from the Canada Council for the Arts, awarded to emerging Canadian architects with outstanding artistic potential. The $50,000 prize will support the firm’s worldwide travels to both strengthen their skills and expand their presence within the international architectural community.

5468796’s Table for Twelve will hold dinner parties at architectural epicenters around the world, in the hopes that picking the brains of local talent will help them identify the drivers behind a strong design culture. Archinect plays host to their global dispatches through this travel blog, updated upon each city’s dinner.

From 5468796:

DINNER

The first installment of the “Table” in our year-long research project was held in Portugal during the opening week of the Lisbon Architecture Tr...

Gehry and Salonen discuss ten years of music at Disney Concert Hall

2013-10-16T16:15:00-04:00

To celebrate Disney Hall’s tenth anniversary, architect Frank Gehry and Conductor Laureate for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Esa-Pekka Salonen reminisced on the building’s inspiration last night, at a discussion held at the Hammer Museum. Co-hosted by the LA Phil, far from the actual concert hall and its spotty downtown L.A. environs, the discussion’s moderator Nicolai Ouroussoff (former architecture critic for the New York Times) tried to tease out the relationship between architecture and music. While Salonen touched upon questions of classical music’s relevance, Gehry didn’t delve too deeply into the particulars of his design.

As Music Director for the LA Philharmonic from 1992-2009, Salonen oversaw the orchestra during its transition from the slightly-stuffy Dorothy Chandler Pavilion over to Disney Hall, and is highly regarded for whipping the Philharmonic into shape as a progressive and formidable cultural institution. The trajectory of the LA Phil is largely wrapped up in b...

TEDCity2.0 to revitalize global discussion on the future of urban cities

2013-09-19T19:10:00-04:00

TED Cities in partnership with the Ford Foundation present "TEDCity2.0", happening at TimesCenter in New York City tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 20. From 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern Time, TEDCity2.0 event will focus on encouraging global conversation about the future of the world's cities. Also on the same day, more than 100 TEDxCity2.0 community events will be held by local organizers worldwide for 48 hours.

Instead of offering the annual TED Prize to an outstanding individual with revolutionary ideas for change, TED offered the Prize to City2.0, wherein 10 grants of $10,000 were given to innovative ideas of urban transformation around the world throughout 2012.

Friday's program has four sessions, each with a series of talks revolving on central themes like art, education, food, health, housing, public space, play, and safety. Each session will be hosted by Chris Anderson, Courtney Martin, or John Cary.

More than 20 speakers will be featured in tomorrow's event, including several recipi...

Could Sandy be good for the economy?

2012-11-01T15:24:00-04:00

I realize that Sandy will prob cause billions in damage to the eastern seaboard, and the lost work will not be great for the GDP, but perhaps the resulting building boom will provide the boost the economy needs?

What do you think? Join the discussion.

SCI-Arc Graduation Pavilion Competition Exhibition

2012-10-09T18:31:00-04:00

SCI-Arc invited faculty members Ramiro Diaz-Granados, Elena Manferdini, Marcelo Spina and Tom Wiscombe to submit design concepts for a 1,200-seat pavilion that would accommodate graduation ceremonies, lectures, symposia and outreach cultural events with the neighboring Arts District community. The winning entry, League of Shadows, designed by Marcelo Spina and Georgina Huljich of PATTERNS, fully exploits the fundamental aspect underlying the pavilion, its temporal use as an outdoor event space.

Gehry and Goldberger, live discussion from Yale

2012-04-12T19:27:00-04:00

Check out the live stream of the discussion between Paul Goldberger and Frank Gehry at Yale.

Wide Open - emerging architecture professionals discusses real issues in contemporary practice

2012-03-27T11:44:00-04:00

Sometimes I think, as architects, we talk so little about buildings. That’s part of my issue with the profession — and part of why so many people leave it for other things. Architects don’t know how to define themselves. It makes us unnecessarily modest, as if we shouldn’t think of architecture as this big world-changing thing when we talk with other people. If you don’t find your niche, something that’s easy to explain, you feel engulfed in the “architect” stereotype.

Young designers discuss their professional horizons and architecture’s future.

It's so great to see young architects discussing important issues like these. We need more of this! It's especially great to see this moderated by Archinect blogger Nicole Fichera and starring Lian Chikako Chang, our blogger from the GSD, among others.

Lian has also shared this event on her blog.

Did YouTube Kill Performance Art?

2011-08-19T15:57:57-04:00

The ubiquity of digital spectacles and curiosities today is one reason performance art has had its thunder stolen.

The conversation: Architecture – modernism v traditionalism

2011-08-05T19:26:23-04:00

Is there an establishment bias against traditional architecture? Modernist Michael Taylor talks pastiche and passion with traditionalist Robert Adam