Archinect - News

400 hanging mushroom bricks used in Studio Link-Arc’s Shenzhen Biennale installation

2023-03-22T11:27:00-04:00

New York City firm Studio Link-Arc has created an installation in Shenzhen formed from 400 hanging mushroom bricks. Titled 'Mushroom Brick Pyramids,' the project was created for the 2022 Shenzhen Biennale, which adopted the theme ‘More than Human Adventure.’

Photo credit: Yu Bai

Seeking to respond to the theme with a project that explored “the intersection between living organisms and architecture,” the studio chose mycelia as their working material due to its ability to survive and adapt to varying environments. As a result, the installation aimed to reflect, visualize, and learn from the organisms in order to inform future architectural applications of the material.

Photo credit: Yu Bai

The resulting scheme was set within a converted old brewery, which included a gallery space between the continuous concrete frames. Beneath the 400 hanging mushroom bricks, a pool was created to provide a moist microclimate, while the indoor-outdoor nature of the space allowed for additional moisture...

Facial recognition takes center stage at Bi-City Biennale in Hong Kong

2019-11-21T18:59:00-05:00

The Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture of Hong Kong and Shenzhen that opens this December is set to become "the first exhibition to use Facial Recognition and Artificial Intelligence on its own premises," according to biennale chief curator Carlo Ratti. The focus is created "in order to prompt a critical reflection on how digital technologies are impacting urban life," a press release from Carlo Ratti Associati explains.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology-based architect aims to "explore the new urban condition of cities that can 'see'" with the exhibition focus, which will inform a linear exhibition space situated within a high-speed railway station in Shenzhen that connects Mainland China with Hong Kong.

Image courtesy of Carlo Ratti Associati

Hong Kong has been gripped by powerful protests in recent months as the public there struggles against attempts by China to imposition of its legal jurisdiction on the island, which is supposed to enjoy administrative and eco...

Participating artist arrested at Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture for tribute to Chinese dissident

2017-12-21T13:45:00-05:00

The artist Hu Jiamin and his wife, who said they were French nationals, were seen being taken away by plain clothes police on Friday night from the event, Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao reported. It was not known if the couple were still under detention.

The Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture opened over the weekend. Organized in two parts, half the biennale takes place on the Hong Kong side and is organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Architects while the other, taking place in Shenzhen, is put on by the city government. While the local government's involvement has helped turn this portion of the biennale into a big-budget affair with imaginative proposals and large venues much to the embarrassment of the considerably smaller Hong Kong side, it is now being seen to also undermine the possibility of open debate at the biennale.

HU JIAMIN‘s mural Timed Discrepancy (2017). Courtesy Cao Yuxue.

The French-Chinese artist Jiamin Hu and his wife, Marine Brossard, were asked to present a mural on the outside wall of a historic temple as part of the biennale's 'Art Making City' program, in which artists from around the world were invited to explore the notions of the street, home, public space, social production and more. As part o...

7th edition of the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture opens tomorrow in Nantou Old Town

2017-12-14T12:52:00-05:00

Currently the only biennial exhibition in the world to be based exclusively on the set themes of Urbanism and Urbanization, the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture in Shenzhen will open for its 7th edition tomorrow, Dec 15th. Initiated in 2005 by the Shenzhen Municipal Government and joined by neighboring Hong-Kong in 2007, the co-organized biennale addresses both the material aspects of urban development as well as the many social aspects of city living in the context of rapid growth.

Curated by Hou Hanrou and the founding partners of URBANUS, Liu Xiaodu and Meng Yan, the exhibition's theme this year is “Cities, Grow in Difference." With more than 200 exhibitors including MVRDV, the French artist Pierre Huyghes, the Dutch artist Rob Voerman and the Chinese architect John Lin, participants will explore the urban concept of “coexistence” and its role in the future development of urban villages and their place among the swiftly developing cities of China.

Held in Nantou Old To...

Ole Bouman appointed as Director of Shekou Design Museum

2015-01-10T20:18:00-05:00

China Merchants Group (CMG) has appointed Ole Bouman as Director of the Shekou Design Museum in Shenzhen, a project being developed in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) to become a major design hub for China. Bouman will take up his new role from the beginning of January 2015.

Bouman is a cultural historian, editor and critic, and cross-disciplinary curator who was formerly the Director of the Netherlands Architecture Institute (2007-2013), and the Creative Director of the fifth Shenzhen Architecture and Urbanism Biennale in 2013/14. Bouman will head up a small founding team in Shenzhen comprising Zhao Rong as Project Manager and Yuan Man and Wu Sichao as Project Assistants.

Zhang Lin, Vice General Manager of China Merchants Property Development, said: “I am delighted to welcome Ole Bouman as the Director of the Shekou Design Museum. He has a strong track record of finding innovative formats to produce, present, explore and discuss design, which we believe will b...

Editor's Picks #367

2014-05-14T14:10:00-04:00

She explains "Our role then, in Shenzhen, wasn’t to play cultural ambassador or artistic exposition-ers, but to effectively perform the moods of Los Angeles from a distance, through whatever interpretative media each individual deemed to be most fit"...

Amelia published What is the Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture / Urbanism?

Plus, the fifteenth edition of Screen/Print featured Sophie Yanow ’s graphic novel,War of Streets and Houses. The novel examines the student protests in Montreal in February of 2012

News

Orhan Ayyüce alerted readers, to the news that the Sandinista government finally managed to blow down Managua’s iconic Concha Acústica the elegant shell-shaped structure designed by architect Glen Small. snooker-doodle-dandy mourned "Now this is a Sad Day!"

Over at the Atlantic Cities, Sarah Goodyear reviewed her time spent wearing NeuroSky, one of a range of new "brain-computer interfaces" that promise to Measure the Brain's Response to Urban Design. C hris Teeter was looking fo...

Editor's Picks #365

2014-04-30T15:24:00-04:00

News

Dave Heller spoke with Inga Saffron about not just architecture but "city life criticism". Evan Chakroff asked for tips "Has anyone compiled a good 'top ten' of her articles?"

Quondam replied "Links to Saffron's articles appear almost weekly within ArchNewsNow's daily collection of worldwide architecture news. The articles themselves, however, may not have a broad audience appeal because they are, for the most part, very Philadelphia centric. What is significant though, is that a local newspaper still publishes the work of a critic that is so in tune"...

Referring to the Catalog #1 of the Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture/Urbanism Orhan Ayyüce warned interested buyers "for now, the aim is first limited and numbered edition of 100".

The NYT published an editorial by John Freeman Gill, which points out similarities between the fate of the Laing Stores (sometimes called the Bogardus Building) and the current FolkMoMA discourse/proposals. Steven Ward proposed a future PS1 competi...

Out of Shenzhen: Catalog #1 of the Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture/Urbanism

2014-04-24T12:42:00-04:00

Was it:

Possible for a group of architects, artists, educators, writers, publishers to fly to Shenzhen and start a dialog and call it a Los Angeles Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, a.k.a. LAB A/U? (Yes)

A first for architecture and urbanism for Los Angeles? (Yes)

Possible to bee line the assumptions, suspicions, silent treatments and doubts? (Yes)

Real? (Yes)

Possible to talk about the aura of a city via on the road biennale? (Yes)

And...

Could the nomads' opinion be harnessed? (No)

LAB A/U did not happened in a vacuum even though it seemed that way. The participants, hosts and audience have thought so.

Is this a one time deal? (No)

Can I join when it convenes again? (No , you need to be curated)

Does it cost to participate? (No)

Will LAB A/U continue indefinitely (Yes, there are no plans to shut it down at the moment)

Will it be always nomadic? (Yes, even when it is in LA)

Is its nomadism in spirit or action? (Both)

Will it be critical and threatening? (Yes, but ...

Editor's Picks #361

2014-04-01T17:34:00-04:00

The latest ShowCase: was a private residence in Weinheim by Wannenmacher-Möller Architekten. megan_eleven commented "I like the interior. The outside looking, I think, is not like a home, not warm enough~ I still prefer a house giving people warm and love.......This one, it looks a little cold~Just my opinion...."

Plus, the eleventh edition of Screen/Print: featured an article by Juhani Pallasmaa published in 2013 in OASE #91: "Building Atmosphere". The essay examines the "haptic and ‘dense’ spaces" found in Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings and the "the importance of atmospheres in architecture".

News
Justine Testado reported the news that Shigeru Ban was announced as the 2014 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

For his part Peyton Westlake felt it was a "Savvy choice by the Pritzker; award an architect who does projects for all social types (disaster and ny condos alike) in beautifully constructed and detailed ways...Still, it feels about five years late".

Patrik Schumacher off...

Editor's Picks #356

2014-02-25T05:28:00-05:00

Amelia interviewed Jason Pomeroy an architect, academic and urban planner based in Singapore, about his new travel show City Time Traveller.

His travels through Asia have convinced him "What transcends culture though is an indigenous civilisation’s understanding of basic environmental and social needs, embodied in many of these historical buildings. Shelter from the elements, natural light, natural ventilation, locally sourced materials and a spatial ‘encoding’ as to who can come in and occupy a particular space, and who must stay outside, can be found in all".

Plus, the seventh edition of Screen/Print featured Bauhaus-University Weimar, Horizonte 's Ausgabe 08. Specifically an essay authored by Tyler Survant’s titled 'Biological Borderlands: Ant Farm’s Zoopolitics'.

News

The NYT published a trend-piece of sorts, about the new permanent, intern underclass.

In response Miles Jaffe argued the "Sad thing about this article is they're pushing the idea that this an acceptable lifestyle choic...

Editor's Picks #346

2013-12-17T12:24:00-05:00

Responding to some critical commentators Donna Sink pointed out "you realize she was one of the first architects to use reinforced concrete, right? The first woman admitted to the Ecole? Working in one of the most revered styles in our history when it was brand new?".

Fifty-six years after her death, the Board of Directors of the AIA voted today to honor the AIA Gold Medal to Julia Morgan, FAIA (1872-1957) — the first woman to ever receive the award. Morgan will be honored at the AIA 2014 National Convention and Design Exposition in Chicago.

Steven Ward admitted feeling ambivalent "Could they not find a living woman architect worthy of the honor - they had to comb through the history books?...I can see the flip side. If they had created a different award, they would have gotten criticism for that…Ah, well. Progress nonetheless!". Responding to some critical commentators Donna Sink pointed out "you realize she was one of the first architects to use reinforced concrete, right? The first woman admitted to the Ecole? Working in one of the most revered styles in our history when it was brand new?".

Erin Lani continued in this vein "the work of Julia Morgan stands as one thorough exercise of an Architect's thesis, regardless of gender. She gat...

Shenzhen biennale explores postindustrial urbanism

2013-10-31T18:23:00-04:00

The 5th Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (UABB) will reflect on southern China's rapidly developed recent past, while focusing attentions on its postindustrial future. Co-organized by Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the biennale presents a variety of international studies on urbanism, through architectural, ethnographic and artistic means. True to its future-focus, the biennale will renovate former industrial sites to use as venues, including an old waterfront warehouse and a former glass factory.

Shenzhen's rapid urban growth began in 1979, when the Chinese government named the small village a "special economic zone" for manufacturing and employment. Since then, the city has been flushed with Chinese and foreign investments, primarily in manufacturing -- now, Shenzhen aims to develop more service industries and away from its fast-earned industrial past.

UABB purports to be the only biennale in the world devoted entirely to urbanism and urbanization, and will be held from Dec...