Archinect - News

Exploring empty architecture in the age of social distance

2020-03-25T13:14:00-04:00

"I'm going around the world photographing places using live feed cameras," proclaims Twitter user Noah Kalina — kicking off a fascinating and chilling collection of empty streets, vacant squares, deserted piazzas, and desolate agorae.

Public spaces and tourist magnets, once bustling with life, are now, in the sudden age of COVID-19 social distancing and shelter-in-place orders, devoid of the human occupants and civic life they were designed for.

St. Peter's Square. Vatican City. 3/24/2020 13:44 pic.twitter.com/0ZfL3JmfbI
— Noah Kalina (@noahkalina) March 24, 2020 Times Square. New York City. 3/24/2020 08:15 pic.twitter.com/ep4HINXmGF
— Noah Kalina (@noahkalina) March 24, 2020 Trevi Fountain - Rome. 3/23/2020 16:40 pic.twitter.com/N2jDCuXbm1
— Noah Kalina (@noahkalina) March 23, 2020 Bourbon Street. New Orleans, Louisiana. 3/23/2020 14:43 pic.twitter.com/RSteFfcjpn
— Noah Kalina (@noahkalina) March 23, 2020 Milan Cathedral. Milan, Italy. 3/23/202 17:49 pic.twitter.com/xntheacv2n
— No...

How should cities brand themselves? A new initiative in Helsinki challenges this idea

2019-09-30T23:00:00-04:00

Is a city a brand? Recently in Helsenki a new marketing campaign has launched positioning the Finnish capital a "City as Service" or CaaS. According to this new "digital lifestyle subscription service" the aim for the initiative is to attract highly skilled tech professionals to the city.

According to their website CaaS is "an an all-inclusive service bundle that unlocks the entire city. This platform-to-be is on a mission to motivate, guide and help international tech talent feel at home in Helsinki." Positioning the mayor of Helsinki as a "CEO" their website provides a fascinating video highlighting what the city as to offer, in addition to a "free life-changing demo experience that everyone can apply to.

Those chosen to participate in the program will win a three-day trip to Helsinki in November and attend Slush, the "world's leading tech event."

What are your thoughts on this city branding idea? In an era where digital marketing is considered a must-have for businesses to gr...

Are phone-booth-sized offices the future of workstations?

2019-08-30T08:00:00-04:00

The idea of a workspace has transformed over the past decade, in large part, due to the emergence of co-working spaces like WeWork and Industrious. The shift has fueled the proliferation of the "open office," and the many documented problems associated with the setup. Is the pendulum ready to swing back to a focus on single-person workspaces?

Mitsubishi Estate Co., a Japanese real estate investment company, thinks so and has offered a potential solution to the problem of the open-office: a phone-booth-sized mini-workspace for one. Meet Telecube, the 13-square-foot, soundproof workspace that comes complete with a desk, seat, and power outlets.

In collaboration with office furniture maker Okamura Corp. and video-conferencing software vendor V-Cube Inc, Mistsubishi Estate Co. has unveiled plans to install 1,000 Telecube units by 2023. According to recent coverage from Bloomberg: "The companies are betting there will be enough demand for the mini workstations. Coffee shops in Tokyo ar...

China's newest glass bridge breaks records

2019-08-01T16:21:00-04:00

We want to create a resort where tourists can be entertained and enjoy sports and leisure as well as health care, by integrating innovatively the elements of leisure, recreation, stimulation, amusement and health care," said Pan Zhaofu, director of the Huangguoshu Scenic Area

According to CNN Travel, China's Guizhou Province will be home to a new walkway made of glass. Measured at 1,804 feet, the new bridge is considered to be the longest glass bridge in the world, breaking the record of another famous bridge, which is also located in China.

Set to open sometime in August, the new bridge will allow visitors to walk and enjoy the views the of the Huangguoshu Scenic area.

Construction for the bridge began in March and is said to have cost an estimated $1 million to build.

Overtourism: Are cities suffocating?

2019-07-19T15:01:00-04:00

The global tourism boom that’s inundated legacy destinations like Venice, Amsterdam, and Barcelona has birthed a term—overtourism—to describe the harried state of a city besieged by too many visitors. A recent report by the World Travel and Tourism Council, Destination 2030, looked at cities’ readiness for tourism growth and concluded that Vancouver, [...] had “visitor volumes and activities with potential to cause strain on the city.”

Tourism is one proven way cities can boost their economy in addition to promoting cultural awareness. However, how much strain is tourism putting on these cities? According to recent CityLab coverage by Molly McCluskey, "overtourism" is a term city development and tourism councils are using more frequently. Take Vancouver for example. McCluskey shares that the city will reach its 95% tourism capacity by the end of the summer. What does this mean exactly, and what steps can be taken to manage overcrowding?

According to Gwendal Castellan, manager of Sustainable Destination Development at Tourism Vancouver, he and his colleagues think, perhaps they should "just stop promoting the city?" Castellan continues, "We've been watching this happen all over the world. We haven't hit those edges [of oversaturation] yet, but we're not far off." Cities strained from "overtourism" must not only react to visitor demand but respond to residents and local officials. From overcrowded parking lots, busy...

Is Singapore really the greenest city in Asia?

2019-07-12T14:49:00-04:00

It's a small, dense, island nation where 100% of the population is urbanized. And yet, the city-state of Singapore is the greenest city in Asia, according to the Green City Index, and arguably has few competitors in the rest of the world. As Singapore's population and economy grew, so did its green cover: it was about 36% in the 1980s and it now stands at 47%, according to the Center for Liveable cities.

Becoming one of the "must-see" places in the world, Singapore has created a name for itself amongst travelers. Even Hollywood has already capitalized on the nation's likability and illustrious cityscape thanks to the top-grossing film, Crazy Rich Asians. However, beyond the food and Instagramable sites, what can other cities, urban planners, and architects learn from Singapore's urbanized infrastructure?

Singapore: Flower Dome and Cloud Forest in The Gardens by the Bay. Image © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas

In a CNN travel piece written by Meera Senthilingam, she explains, "while the word "green" can take on a variety of connotations, Singapore appears to encompass them all -- lush environments, renewable energy, and future sustainability." The Singapore Green Buildings Council (SGBC) does not take sustainability lightly. Although the city-state is budding with lush greenery, we must note the city's lack of natural resources. However, where it lacks in natural resources, it makes up for in env...

Dash Marshall's Global Architect Card is an essential item for the world-traveling architect

2019-04-10T17:02:00-04:00

If you're an architect - or even simply a fan of architecture - you probably try to poke your head into every building that catches your eye. As difficult as it can be trying to get away with this in your home country, it becomes exponentially more so when traveling abroad.

Global Architect Card

Enter the Global Architect Card, an essential item for the traveling architecture enthusiast. With a lightweight steel body that provides legitimacy any time it's shown to authorities, the Global Architect Card was designed by Dash Marshall to do the legwork when you're hoping to gain access to the most impressive buildings around the world. It announces your intentions in the top 14 most widely used languages: "I am an architect. I am here to see this significant building."

The Global Architect Card is now available at Archinect Outpost - online and in our brick-and-mortar.

A binge-worthy YouTube channel about abandoned architecture

2019-01-02T16:21:00-05:00

Are you an architecture buff who has traveling at the top of your list this year? Many travel all over to view and capture beautiful sites on camera. However, what about the places that have been forgotten and abandoned over time? These places, once filled with life and activity, have laid silently, overgrown with remnants of the past. Many would decide to skip on such a place for several reasons. However, two friends decided to take exploration into their own hands and document their journey as The Proper People.

Image © The Proper People

Bryan and Michael of the Proper People used their love for film, photography, and architecture to explore forgotten places that exist all over the world. Beginning in 2014, the avid travelers set out on a journey to explore and photograph their findings. Having made over 135 videos, these architectural cinematographers have developed a rather large fan base thanks to YouTube. With over half a million subscribers, The Proper People, have allowed fo...

Can you recognize these blockbuster movie hotel rooms?

2018-12-26T15:39:00-05:00

Architecture and film have had a longstanding partnership. Many iconic blockbuster hits would not have been the same without the magic of talented set and stage designers. If you're planning your next movie marathon, check out these 7 famous hotel rooms that have dawned the big screen. Thanks to the creative imaginations and talents of architects Jelena Popovic and Barbara Lew, these famous hotel rooms were brought to life.

↓ Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA

From the film Pretty Woman - Image courtesy of Expedia

Staring Julia Roberts and Richard Greer, the film takes place in this Los Angeles hotel. In the film, the onscreen chemistry between Roberts and Greer depicts a classic Cinderella story where two unlikely people fall in love.

↓ Park Hyatt Hotel Tokyo in Tokyo, JP

From the film Lost in Translation - Image courtesy of Expedia

In Sophia Coppola's romantic comedy, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson display platonic love in the alluring city of Tokyo. As the two s...

Heatherwick's Zeitz MOCAA, Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi, and other architectural works make Time Magazine's 2018 World's Greatest Places list

2018-08-23T14:07:00-04:00

TIME Magazine has revealed 100 destinations for their first annual list of the World's Greatest Places. Included in the lineup are a range of museums, parks, hotels, and restaurants that they believe are breaking new ground and offering truly extraordinary experiences.

Among the selected are a host of architectural gems designed by some of the profession's most notable stars. One of the entries on the list is Herzog and de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, praised by the magazine for its show-stealing acoustics. Another is one of Los Angeles's hottest new restaurants, Vespertine. Designed by Eric Owen Moss, the magazine noted not only the restaurant's unusual dining experience, but also its unique architecture, describing the space as a "cross between a spaceship and a waffle."

LA restaurant Vespertine, in a building designed by Eric Owen Moss. Photo by Anne Fishbein.

Morgan's Inspiration Island, a universally accessible waterpark in San Antonio, Texas. Photo by Jerstad Photograp...

A Norwegian network of beautiful art and architecture

2017-12-11T11:56:00-05:00

After a couple of days though, the peace and diversity of the countryside became meditational, a panorama that seemed dreamlike through my windscreen...Spectacular modern installations appeared on remote corners in the most far-fetched of places, that they sometimes seemed like a figment of my imagination.

Ondine Cohane traveled to Norway to tour the Norwegian Scenic Routes. A collection of (so far) 144 wonders, that have been built to encourage tourism, with 46 more to be completed by 2023.

Snefjord rest area | Architect: PUSHAK arkitekter | photo by Anne Olsen-Ryum

Eggum rest area | Architect: Snøhetta | photo Jarle Waehler

Stone sculpture at Mefjellet | Artist: Knut Wold | photo by Hege Lysholm

Is this architecture's cutest (or at least most Instagram-savvy) couple?

2017-07-27T20:44:00-04:00

Citing the street as their favorite workplace and the whole world as their canvas, Valencia-based couple Anna Devis and Daniel Rueda inventively interact with architecture. When paired with their love of travel, this playful interest culminates in a quirky and creative collection of photos that'll make you look twice.

For those of you who "curate" your Instagram feeds with your photogenic other, there's some artfully posed competition in town: illustrator Anna Devis and trained architect Daniel Rueda not only know their architecture, but they're determined to pose winningly in front of it, as this article in My Modern Met illustrates.

A website offering vacation rentals for architecture lovers

2017-07-26T13:36:00-04:00

PlansMatter is a new travel website that offers vacation rentals for design-minded individuals. The accommodations are hand-picked by two architects, Scott Muellner and Connie Lindor, the founders of the website. The site is not just another Airbnb—listings for each property point to various rental sites, with which the business collaborates.

The selection is exciting in its variety. The site features listings for Rudolph Schindler 's LA Penthouse, Olson Kundig's camping cabins in Washington, James Turrell 's House of Light in Niigata, Japan, F. L. Wright's Kinney House, and many more 'architecturally significant' properties all over the world in which one can stay at a variety of price points.

plansmatter.com

Muellner notes, “It’s great to go to a museum or a public building designed by an architect you admire, but it’s a whole different experience to stay a week in that architect’s space. It’s not just taking a tour; instead of viewing art, it’s living with it.”

...

Norman Foster and RIBA announce 2017 "survival of cities" traveling scholarship

2017-01-17T13:03:00-05:00

For the tenth year in a row, RIBA and Norman Foster are offering a traveling scholarship in the form of €7,000 (an increase over last year's €6,000) to the destination of the winning student's choice. Students can't enter directly: RIBA and CAA validated schools are allowed to submit only one application each for one student by April 28th, whose merits will then be judged by a panel consisting of both financial backer Norman Foster and RIBA members. In a quasi-apocalyptic vein, the student's proposed research topic should "relate to the survival of our cities and towns and fall under one of the following themes:

learning from the past to inform the future
the future of society
density of settlements
sustainability
use of resources
quality of urban life
transport"

The full details of the application can be found here.

Airbnb reveals its top 17 trending city neighborhoods for travel

2016-12-15T18:09:00-05:00

The hottest Airbnb deals are—surprise!—a little bit out of the way. The home-and-room rental platform has revealed the top 17 neighborhoods whose bookings grew the most this year, based on 140 million arrivals at 3 million homes. Peppered throughout are terms like “off the usual tourist path” or “a tranquil outpost” and “though detached from city proper.” [...] While smaller than many of Airbnb’s major markets, these neighborhoods could be in for even more growth in 2017.

In a data analysis report unveiled yesterday, Airbnb summarizes what travelers are allegedly looking for this year:

"In cities like Miami and Seoul, travelers to this year’s trending neighborhoods can connect with Experience hosts for local access you won’t find in typical tourist guides: In Miami’s Midtown neighborhood, guests can experience the fun, mindful side of Miami with yoga by the beach, paddleboarding and fresh dining; near Daehangno in Seoul, visitors can book a journey through the underground food scene, getting front and center in the kitchens of some of the best restaurateurs in the country. Coming soon are Experiences in New Orleans, Seattle, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Prague, Madrid, Dublin, Provence, Sydney, Bangkok and Osaka [...]."

Looking at the travel patterns of more than 140 million total guest arrivals at 3 million homes on Airbnb from 2015 to 2016, these city neighborhoods are reported as the 17 most trending for travelers in 2017:

Milneburg in New ...

Unfold Berlin's modern architectural history in this nifty paper map

2016-12-02T14:22:00-05:00

At nearly 350 square miles, [Berlin is] a difficult city to tour without some guidance. Its vastness is doubly inconvenient for architecture buffs...The [Modern Berlin Map] documents 50 buildings, selected by Berlin-based journalist Matthew Tempest. Unfolded, the front of the guide displays the landmarks on a map of Berlin, while the reverse catalogues the buildings in chronological order. This provides a unique lens through which to track the city’s political shifts.

Want more travel tips for Berlin? Check out Archinect's Berlin Travel Guide, which features recommendations from Jürgen Mayer H:

Let Jürgen Mayer H. help plan your next trip to Berlin with his own travel tips

Don't miss: walking through the Economist Plaza

2016-07-08T05:45:00-04:00

The Economist Plaza was designed by Alison and Peter Smithson in the 1960s and still serves as a seminal example of an inviting and approachable urban space in Central London. The project is successful because it bravely addresses the clash between the aesthetic of the Smithsons and the surrounding historic fabric.

St. James’s is steeped in history and tradition. The Economist Plaza itself shares a wall with Boodle’s, a historic private member’s club designed with Palladian windows and other classical features. In contrast, the Smithsons advocated the aesthetic for New Brutalism by examining and questioning the work of modernists like Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. They were hired for this project after completing the Hunstanton School in Norfolk.

The Smithsons scheme may appear to be modernist but it subtly addresses the surrounding architecture. The original complex contained an office tower, residential building and bank. The Portland stone cladding references classical mater...

Penn State announces new endowment for student study abroad

2016-06-02T15:37:00-04:00

In the early 1960s, [Penn State's] international studies were confined mainly to books and photos — until George Ehringer and his classmates organized a semester in London, the department’s first official study abroad trip. Ehringer, who earned his bachelor of science in architecture from Penn State in 1964, recently made a $25,000 gift to create the George D. Ehringer, Class of 1964, Award for Study Abroad in the Department Architecture...

According to this warmhearted account, from unwittingly meeting Buckminster Fuller ("He was never introduced. It was only later we learned it was Buckminster Fuller!”) to developing relationships that lasted for decades, studying abroad in London ultimately benefitted the 1964 Penn State architecture students in ways they could not have anticipated. Anyone who wants to donate to the newly created endowment can do so either via snail mail (Penn State to the A&A Development office, 107 Borland Building, University Park, PA 16802) or online.

For more on the benefits of travel in architectural education:

2016 Wheelwright Prize awarded to MAIO's Anna Puigjaner for “Kitchenless City” proposal

2016-05-19T14:23:00-04:00

The coveted 2016 Wheelwright Prize went to Anna Puigjaner, cofounder of Barcelona-based MAIO Studios...[who] won for her proposal “Kitchenless City: Architectural Systems for Social Welfare”. Using shared domestic spaces as a starting point, Puigjaner will spend the next two years studying various collective housing models in China, Korea, India, Russia, Sweden, and Brazil aiming to find new design solutions that address persistent housing dilemmas worldwide.

Anna Puigjaner, MAIO Studios cofounder.

MAIO Studio, Barcelona, 2011-12. Photo credit: José Hevia.

Floating Columns, Chicago Architecture Biennial, 2015. Photo credit: David Schalliol.

The jury cited Puigjaner's proposal for its relevancy to the ongoing housing issues occurring throughout the world and the need for new housing models, as cities struggle to keep up with adequate housing due to rapid urbanization.

Find out more on Bustler.

Previously: Four 2016 Wheelwright finalists to compete for $100K travel grant

Jens Bertelsen, co-founder of Bertelsen & Scheving, shares his favorite local sites in Copenhagen

2016-04-15T14:03:00-04:00

No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. How do designers experience their cities as locals?

Many a listicle have mentioned Copenhagen as one of the most livable cities in the world with the happiest residents. How could that be? “Perhaps [it is] because Copenhagen is designed for people — for life. From architecture to infrastructure to food and culture, Copenhagen has plenty to offer”, describes Jens Bertelsen, CEO and a founding partner of locally based practice Bertelsen & Scheving. Archinect reached out to the firm, and Bertelsen shared some of his favorite undiscovered places around town that the architecturally inclined traveler is sure to enjoy.

From Nørreport to the hip Nørrebro

Experience the streets with LOTS of bicycles. Watch the cyclists and the newly rebuild Nørreport train station. Take a walk from Nørreport St. to Queen Louise’s Bridge and experience the tons of cyclists and pedestrians at what has become an unusual...

A traveler's thoughts on fine-tuning airport design, for the sake of passengers

2016-04-06T14:49:00-04:00

Why are airports built for everyone — the city, the airlines, the retailers — except for the very people who use them the most: the passengers? When discussing his work, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was fond of saying, ‘God is in the details.’ Thanks to star architects, we now have towering, impressive halls of light and space. These new airports are the cathedrals of the 21st century: centers of communication, travel, family and commerce. But where are ‘God’s details’ in these new cathedrals?

“Architects have to try to create art and, at the same time, make room for sightlines, security checkpoints and control rooms,” writer Chris Holbrook says in his piece. “It’s an almost impossible juggling act, I realize, and it’s a small wonder that any airport gets built that isn’t just a cinder-block hovel with benches and rendition-style interrogation rooms.”

Four 2016 Wheelwright finalists to compete for $100K travel grant

2016-03-28T20:21:00-04:00

It's already that time of year when the Harvard Graduate School of Design will soon award their next Wheelwright Prize recipient. First established by the school in 1935, the prestigious prize is a $100,000 travel architectural research grant awarded to one lucky early-career architect. Out of nearly 200 applicants from 45 countries for 2016, the jury selected four finalists.

They are:

Samuel Bravo, Samuel Bravo Arquitecto | Santiago, Chile

Matilde Cassani | Milan, Italy

Anna Puigjaner, MAIO | Barcelona, Spain

Pier Paolo Tamburelli, baukuh architects | Milan and Genoa, Italy

Head over to Bustler to learn more about them.

Previous Wheelwright Prize coverage on Archinect:

2015 Wheelwright Prize awarded to Erik L’Heureux

Harvard GSD announces 2015 Wheelwright Prize finalists

Jose M. Ahedo wins the 2014 Wheelwright Prize

$6B expansion for Atlanta International Airport set to launch this year

2016-03-14T17:35:00-04:00

Two giant, translucent canopies spanning several lanes of roadway and sidewalks outside the domestic terminal will be among the most visible aspects of a $6 billion expansion and renovation project at the world’s busiest airport during the next 20 years, officials announced last week. Among other goals for the coming year: improving wait times for passenger security screenings...'Americans will not tolerate a one-hour wait as normal.'

Previous airport-related news on Archinect:

O’Hare airport announces $1.3B expansion deal

A new LaGuardia is the "airport that New York deserves", says Gov. Cuomo

Fancy $48M animal terminal to open in JFK Airport next year

Beacons in the sky: photographer Carolyn Russo celebrates the architecture of airport towers

Roam L.A.'s Westside with these travel tips from Ehrlich Architects' Takashi Yanai

2015-12-18T19:41:00-05:00

No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. How do designers experience their cities as locals?

Head westbound on the traffic-laden streets of Los Angeles and chances are that you'll find yourself in the aptly named Westside. This loosely bordered part of the city is a hodgepodge of districts that include the Hollywood set-like mansions of Beverly Hills, Miracle Mile in Mid-Wilshire, and quirky beachside Venice, to name a few. Aside from that, the Westside is home to a number of well-loved architectural landmarks, as well as where some of today's most famous architects established their careers decades ago.

Archinect got in touch with Takashi Yanai, Partner and Director of the Residential Studio at Ehrlich Architects, who shared a chockfull of must-see sites around his "neck of the L.A. woods", as he described. Check out Yanai's suggestions — and some of his Instagram shots — right below to rediscover old favorites or find something c...

Editor's Picks #437

2015-12-16T11:51:00-05:00

Nicholas Korody penned a double review; of 'The Geological Imagination' and 'The Underdome Guide to Energy Reform'. He finds "The two books also help illuminate some of the difficulties in perceiving climate change, while offering some potentials for movement" and goes on to reference "enmeshment", systems thinking and dark ecology.

Plus, Robert Urquhart took stock of how The Bartlett and the Architectural Association are "bringing emerging technologies into the UK's architecture education".

News
Denise Scott Brown, along with her husband Robert Venturi, have won the 2016 AIA Gold Medal. Snubbed of the 1991 Pritzker Prize when Venturi was named as the only laureate, Scott Brown is the second female recipient of the Gold Medal.

In honor of the happy and historic occasion, Denise Scott Brown appeared on Archinect Sessions #45.

To DWLindeman it "is splendid good news, and a long overdue award...Robert Venturi was right to say to the AIA ‘not without Denise.’ This is also a very significan...

Explore Warsaw with these travel tips from Four O Nine co-founder Lukasz Kos

2015-12-04T18:53:00-05:00

No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. How do designers experience their cities as locals?

A tumultuous sequence of political upheaval and renewal just within the last century has transformed Warsaw into a bustling incubator of creativity for architects, designers, and artists — and the world is taking notice. For a glimpse into the city's emerging design scene, Archinect reached out to Four O Nine co-founder Lukasz Kos, who manages the practice's Warsaw office (Also see Andrei Zerebecky's Shanghai guide). Kos shared some can't-miss spots around town that he would recommend to the architecturally inclined traveler.

Lukasz Kos. Photo via.

Warsaw is a city with a recent history of violent changes. In the span of the last 100 years it has seen colonization twice by the Russians; experienced cruel and nearly complete destruction at the hands of the Germans, leaving the city of over one million with just 1,000 occupants after WWII; sla...

Architect Paul Michael Davis shares his favorite pitstops around Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood

2015-11-20T13:30:00-05:00

No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. How do designers experience their cities as locals?

The coastal city of Seattle, Washington is not as "sleepy" as some would assume. It's full of gems that the architecturally inclined traveler can appreciate — aside obvious landmarks like the Seattle Central Library, the Experience Music Project, the Olympic Sculpture Park, and of course, the Space Needle, among other tourist hotspots. Not too far away from the central downtown area is Capitol Hill. Never heard of it? No need to be a bespectacled, coffee-guzzling, plaid-sporting millennial to enjoy this part of town. Archinect reached out to locally based architect Paul Michael Davis, who shared some of his favorite spots around this charming neighborhood that non-locals might overlook.

Give Paul Michael Davis' "stops" a try the next time you venture out to Seattle, and you might discover something new about this part of the Pacific Northwe...

Four O Nine's Andrei Zerebecky shares his must-see architectural sites in Shanghai

2015-11-13T19:25:00-05:00

No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. How do designers experience their cities as locals?

As the largest metropolis in mainland China and the world, Shanghai continues to boom at a dizzying pace. Among all the sights and sounds within the city, Shanghai is bustling with people (about 24 million, that is), tantalizing food, and of course a rich mix of architecture -- from the historic ancient structures to the futuristic Lujiazui skyline. How can a visitor not feel overwhelmed?

Archinect reached out to locally based Four O Nine co-founder Andrei Zerebecky to share what places around town he would recommend to the architecturally inclined traveler. Read on to check out his suggestions, along with some historic factoids.

1. Let Sleeping Dragons Lie - Nine Dragon Pillar

One ubiquitous thing about getting around in Shanghai is the ‘gaojia’ or elevated roadways. At night, the underbelly of these massive infrastructural ribbons are illu...

Benjamin Ball, of Ball-Nogues Studio, shares some of his favorite Downtown Los Angeles destinations

2015-11-06T19:25:00-05:00

How do designers experience their cities as locals? No two people, let alone architects, perceive even the most frequented cities in the same way. There's no city that embodies that like the way Los Angeles does it. Beyond the ample sunshine and smog, juice diets, drought consciousness (or not), and the traffic jams that make up parts of present-day L.A., this jigsaw puzzle of a city perpetually intrigues and confuses both tourists and locals alike.

To get a fresh perspective on what to do around town, in addition to seeing the most obvious L.A. landmarks, Archinect got in touch with Ball-Nogues Studio co-founder Benjamin Ball to share some of his own travel tips. Give his suggestions below a shot and experience the City of Angels with some devilish fun.

Night Gallery and Francois Ghebaly Gallery

Night Gallery used to open at 10 pm when it occupied a dilapidated mini-mall in Lincoln Heights. Today, it has regular hours and is located behind a strip club in the vast industrial territor...

Ikea and Airbnb: a match made in globalized heaven?

2015-10-12T13:30:00-04:00

Ikea is to Airbnb what oxpeckers are to rhinos and Donald Trump is to Fox News: a symbiotic partner. [...] It may seem perverse to stump for standardization when Airbnb is known for its diversity, with lodgings in not just chateaus and cute bungalows, but also tree houses and shoe houses. [...] But dig a little deeper and you’ll find the cool lingua franca of Ikea permeating Airbnb’s 1.5 million listings like fat marbling rib-eye steak.

Airbnb and Ikea have previously collaborated on a contest in Tempe, Australia, for shoppers (guests?) to spend the night in showrooms for $10. But the partnership that this piece's author is proposing seems to directly align Airbnb's practices with exactly what its opponents criticize most – that by aiming to make the tourist's accommodations as neutral as possible, hosts are becoming more like a franchised hotelier, without paying the accompanying taxes.

Archinect - News

Exploring empty architecture in the age of social distance

How should cities brand themselves? A new initiative in Helsinki challenges this idea

Are phone-booth-sized offices the future of workstations?

China's newest glass bridge breaks records

Overtourism: Are cities suffocating?

Is Singapore really the greenest city in Asia?

Dash Marshall​'s Global Architect Card is an essential item for the world-traveling architect

A binge-worthy YouTube channel about abandoned architecture

Can you recognize these blockbuster movie hotel rooms?

Heatherwick's Zeitz MOCAA, Nouvel's Louvre Abu Dhabi, and other architectural works make Time Magazine's 2018 World's Greatest Places list

A Norwegian network of beautiful art and architecture

Is this architecture's cutest (or at least most Instagram-savvy) couple?

A website offering vacation rentals for architecture lovers

Norman Foster and RIBA announce 2017 "survival of cities" traveling scholarship

Airbnb reveals its top 17 trending city neighborhoods for travel

Unfold Berlin's modern architectural history in this nifty paper map

Don't miss: walking through the Economist Plaza

Penn State announces new endowment for student study abroad

2016 Wheelwright Prize awarded to MAIO's Anna Puigjaner for “Kitchenless City” proposal

Jens Bertelsen, co-founder of Bertelsen & Scheving, shares his favorite local sites in Copenhagen

A traveler's thoughts on fine-tuning airport design, for the sake of passengers

Four 2016 Wheelwright finalists to compete for $100K travel grant

$6B expansion for Atlanta International Airport set to launch this year

Roam L.A.'s Westside with these travel tips from Ehrlich Architects' Takashi Yanai

Editor's Picks #437

Explore Warsaw with these travel tips from Four O Nine co-founder Lukasz Kos

Architect Paul Michael Davis shares his favorite pitstops around Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood

Four O Nine's Andrei Zerebecky shares his must-see architectural sites in Shanghai

Benjamin Ball, of Ball-Nogues Studio, shares some of his favorite Downtown Los Angeles destinations

Ikea and Airbnb: a match made in globalized heaven?

Dash Marshall's Global Architect Card is an essential item for the world-traveling architect