Archinect - News

'I Would Prefer Not To' looks at refused commissions, the decisions behind them, and their impact on architecture

2023-08-30T17:38:00-04:00

The second season of The Architectural League of New York’s new interview series I Would Prefer Not To is gaining popularity thanks to its ability to shed light on an overlooked area of architectural practice.

A cross-collaboration between the League and MIT's Critical Broadcasting Lab, the series explores the topic of commissioning and the refusal of architects to work with a particular client.

Guests, including Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, speak in detail about the nature of refusals, which The Architectural League argues constitutes a permanent part of architectural history. The stories they share touch on key aspects such as ethics and professional practice, decision-making, business development, the tug-of-war over visions for a project, clashes of creativity, and more.

“Decisions to refuse a commission, or withdraw from one, by definition, stay hidden from public scrutiny, and thus also hidden from architectural history,” The Architectural League notes. “Withdrawals of thi...

Six distinguished architects and designers reflect on their first projects

2019-08-09T12:39:00-04:00

Taking a retrospective look at the careers of various architects and designers can provide us with an opportunity to see where each got started and how much of their careers have shifted over time.

In this vein, The Guardian recently connected with six architects and designers to ask them about their first commissioned works. In the article, writer Nell Card collects narratives from each visionary to create a succinct survey of this important early work.

Featured below are select images of the inaugural commissioned works of British architects and designers Norman Foster, Thomas Heatherwick, Kate Macintosh, Asif Khan, Mary Duggan and David Chipperfield.

Norman Foster's Amenity centre and passenger terminal for Norwegian shipping company Fred.Olsen & Co. (1969-1970)

Cross section of Amenity center and passenger terminal by Norman Foster (c. 1969–70). Image courtesy of Birkin Haward

Thomas Heatherwick's window display for Harvey Nichols department store during London Fashion Week (199...

A closer look at AR-MA’s “Trifolium” digital pre-fab pavilion in Sydney

2014-08-07T17:33:00-04:00

"Trifolium" by AR-MA (Architectural Research – Material Applications) from Australia recently won the commission to design a new event pavilion for the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation (SCAF) in Sydney, Australia. Hosted annually by SCAF, the Fugitive Structures invite-only competition promotes emerging architects from Australia, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East. The 2014 edition had entrants explore the potential of digital pre-fabrication in their designs.

The pavilion dons a Corian shell and a vaulted reflective steel interior speckled with optic lights that glow at night. Trifolium will be exhibited at SCAF until December 13, 2014.

Find out more on Bustler.

Weapons, Bribes, And Dictators: Where Architects Draw The Line

2014-04-30T18:57:00-04:00

Zaha Hadid says it's not her job to pay attention to how many migrant workers die in the construction of her World Cup stadium. We asked four top architects--Bjarke Ingels, Liz Diller, Clive Wilkinson, and Curtis Fentress--how morality fits into the process of accepting or rejecting a commission.