Archinect - News

'Grenfell: in the words of survivors' play comes to New York this spring

2024-03-21T13:36:00-04:00

A new dramatization of the deadly 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy is being staged next month at the St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, after traveling from the National Theatre in London, where it premiered last summer.

Playwright Gillian Slovo’s interviews with survivors are the basis for the play’s verbatim dialog. Directors Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike will reprise their roles for the four-week run, beginning an opening night performance on April 13th.

A July review of the first adaptation from The Guardian called it “a masterpiece of forensic fury.” The New York Times’ Alex Marshall wrote about the play's proselytizing effects, framing it as a democratic and justice-driven “call for change.”

The aftermath of the blaze that claimed the lives of 72 people has indeed led to several proactive reforms, including a recent mandate concerning cladding remediation and the appointment of a new building safety regulator. Potential criminal charges stemming from the London Me...

In an Ontario plaza, interactive pavements play music ‘as if by magic’

2024-02-28T13:28:00-05:00

Montreal-based studio Daily tous les jours has completed a public space design in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Titled 'River Lines,' the project saw the creation of an interactive stage in an urban plaza for big impromptu musical ensembles.

Video credit: doublespace photography

Part of the studio’s wider Musical Pavement series, the interactive wave-patterned pavement is embedded with 62 sensing light rings that “get people moving through musical collaboration exercises.” The infrastructure is formed of twelve in-house tailored audio tiles that have no visible hardware and blend with the wider pavement pattern, meaning “music emanates from the ground as if by magic.”

Image credit: doublespace photography

Located on the site of a 19th-century foundry, the artwork is “a response to the historical nature of the site” and “an exemplar of how investment in the public realm is essential to reimagine and activate places and encourage collective interacti...

Montreal home becomes a ‘playhouse for kids and adults’ by Indee Design

2024-02-14T11:47:00-05:00

Montreal-based interior designers Indee Design have completed what the studio describes as “a playhouse for kids (and adults!)” in the city. Named Atelier Chabot, the scheme saw the transformation of an existing duplex into a single-family home featuring curated furnishings themed around play.

Image credit: Caroline Thibault

“On a mission looking to change the lives of their family, the owners were trying to decide whether to take a trip around the world by sea or to purchase a home,” the team explains. “This project combines both of those dreams, which seemed to oppose one another. For these great travelers, the notion of travel became the common thread of this project, which inspired the idea of creating a space where the inner child can awaken within.”

Image credit: Caroline Thibault

While the beams and brick walls of the original duplex were preserved, the unit was otherwise overhauled to remove overly-confining partiti...

3XN shares new Copenhagen Children's Hospital images ahead of 2026 opening

2023-08-16T13:57:00-04:00

3XN has shared photos of their nearly complete Copenhagen Children’s Hospital project in the Danish capital.

Spanning 58,000 square meters (about 624,300 square feet), the design will yield a total of 219 beds for children, teens, and pregnant women, 15 operating rooms, 57 ambulatory care suites for children and adolescents, another 30 for adults, 14 delivery rooms, and a nuclear diagnostics center.

Once it opens early next year, the hospital will have a capacity for 900 persons in addition to 1,200 staff. The firm says its design is meant to harness the power of play as a palliative measure and will be completed at a cost of $350 million for its client, the Capital Region of Denmark.

Image: 3XN

Formed by two asterisk-shaped volumes meant to evoke the image of a pair of widespread hands connected together at the wrist plate, the bays inside the individual "fingers" in the design are bookended by winter gardens at the tips and share a central core reserved for family lounge...

The Met unveils designs for new children's learning center ahead of September opening

2023-06-14T18:49:00-04:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has set a date for the opening of the new 81st Street Studio children’s education space created by KOKO Architecture + Design.

This September 9th will see the daylong dedication festival for the new learning center, which takes over a renovated space in the museum’s Harold D. Uris Center for Education. The 3,500-square-foot design will offer free activities to children ages 3–11 and their caregivers, offering itself as an “interactive space that reimagines how the Museum can inspire exploration of its encyclopedic collection, amplify curiosity, and create new experiences for The Met’s youngest visitors.”

Museum director Max Hollein says: ”This is a project that was made possible by so many and with strong support to create something unique for our younger audiences.”

Rendering: Brick Visual. Image: KOKO Architecture + Design, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Education is a critical — and very exciting — part of The Met’s mission, ...

A flexible Japanese nursery school that functions like a village

2023-06-07T15:12:00-04:00

Takeru Shoji Architects has designed a nursery school in Niigata, Japan, that forms a seamless connection between its rooms, the building, and the surrounding area. Called The Center for Early Childhood Education and Care, the school is dedicated to the principles of engaging “naturally with nature.”

Image © Koji Fujii (toreal)

The single-story wooden building was designed to establish a mutual relationship between it and the surrounding village, in which the village is involved in the children’s learning and play, and the nursery functions to revitalize the village.

Image © Koji Fujii (toreal)

A series of workshops, including childcare researchers and workers, parents, and local residents, was conducted to discuss the potential of hosting a school that would serve an area with an aging population and declining birthrate. The participants decided on a vision to create the nursery school to work like a village and for the village to function like a nursery ...

This city playground is designed in the shape of the Chinese character for horse

2023-05-31T12:10:00-04:00

Shanghai-based firm 100 Architects has designed a playground in Hangzhou driven by the shape of the Chinese character Mă (马), which means horse.

Graphic © 100architects

Called Mă Way, the park is the latest in a series of projects by the firm that revolve around the concept of the horse for regular client, Dong Yuan. It was developed at the site of a newly built residential development in the city.

Image © RexZou

The architects started by laying out the character Mă in monochromatic, aquamarine green and then constructing the playground around it. The color and shape allow it to be visible and readable from all of the surrounding residential towers.

Image © RexZou

The character’s calligraphic stroke makes it suitable for providing a path or “Way” for fun activities and social interactions. The negative space surrounding the path features pocket plazas for leisure, sports areas, and floor games for all ages.

Image © RexZou

The independent stroke in the character takes the form of a v...

10 new architectural spaces designed for kids

2021-03-19T13:26:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles.

↑ Kids Barbershop "ByBliss" in Odessa, Ukraine by JK Lab Architects; Photo: Natalia Nagorna

↑ NLL Children's Library in Riga, Latvia by GAISS; Illustrations: Rūta Briede; Photo: Ansis Starks

↑ Playground in the outdoor gallery "Walking in the Clouds" in Suwon, South Korea by EUS+ARCHITECTS; Photo: Myungho Kang

↑ Bookend House in Santa Monica, CA by ORA (Oonagh Ryan Architects Inc.)

↑ Park School in Mortsel, Belgium by Binst Architects; Environmental Construction: TV Thiers – Dujardin Landschapsarchitecten

↑ Peninsula Residence in San Francisco, CA by Richard Beard Architects; Interior Design: Kelly Hohla Interiors; Pho...

Risk-Averse Design: What would Aldo van Eyck think of playgrounds today?

2019-11-01T10:28:00-04:00

Going to the park and playing in the playground is a memorable childhood past time. However, with the increase of risk-averse design, have these beloved spaces for children to frolic, climb, and fall become too dull for children? Oliver Wainwright of the Guardian addresses an excellent perspective towards these "risk-averse" play areas, outlining how "architects are taking issue with risk-averse playgrounds full of sluggish roundabouts and tiny climbing frames."

Regarding this specific subject, it's difficult not to think of Aldo van Eyck and his iconic playground designs found throughout Amsterdam. The famed Dutch architect played a pivotal role in transforming Amsterdam's playground landscape for children after World War II.

Image © Aldo van Eyck Archive / Amsterdam City Archive

Image courtesy of WikiCommons

Thanks to Mariabruna Fabrizi of SOCKS, her informative piece on van Eyck analyzes details highlighting his 30 year research and its relevance to urban design for children. Fab...

10 fresh architectural spaces designed for kids

2019-09-27T13:06:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Nook, a new children’s play and learning space in Ballston, VA by Mickus Projects; Photo: Abby Jiu

↑ Kindergarten & Nursery in Linz, Austria by lobmaier architekten zt gmbh; Photo: Kurt Hoerbst

↑ Plainsboro Public Library in Plainsboro, NJ by BKSK Architects, LLP; Photo: Ruggero Vanni

↑ Avenues: The World School, New York Expansion in New York, NY by Eleven of Eleven Architecture; Base Building Architect: Morris Adjmi Architects; Executive Architect: Murdock Solon Architects; Photo: Ernst Fischer

↑ Nakuru Children's Home in Nakuru, Kenya by Orkidstudio

↑ Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA by Koning Eiz...

The power of play, how childhood toys inspired architects and their designs

2019-04-08T20:14:00-04:00

Everyone can recall their favorite toy as a child. For some, these childhood toys inspired interests and passions that led to specific career pursuits as an adult. Thinking back on one's own experience with toys like LEGO and Lincoln Logs, these simple pieces of wood and plastic led to endless amounts of fun and creative possibility. As a child, I recall spending hours playing with Little Tykes Waffle Blocks and Playskool's colored wooden blocks.

1982 Vintage Playskool Colored Wood Blocks

Play-based learning, especially with blocks or other building-focused models, enhances a child's ability to problem solve and stimulate creative decision making. These simple, tactical objects allow for children to experience and understand the world around them, especially the built environment. Through stacking and connecting, these types of educational toys enable children to experience trial and error through forms of continuous self-assessment. The anticipation of stacking one more block on t...

10 new architectural spaces designed for kids

2018-08-03T15:55:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Frederiksvej Kindergarten in Frederiksberg, Denmark by COBE

↑ Act for Kids Child and Family Centre for Excellence in Townsville, Australia by m3architecture

↑ A hat on the tree in Shanghai, China by Mur Mur Lab

↑ Dr. Seuss Playhouse in Grand Junction, CO by Bldg Seed Architects

↑ Primary School in Murteira, Portugal by NOZ Arquitectura; Photo: Fernando Guerra

↑ MARTaK in Loveland, CO by Andrew Michler

↑ Water Pavilion in Ann Arbor, MI by Synecdoche Design Studio

↑ Vestre Fjord Park in Aalborg, Denmark by ADEPT; Photo: Ramus Hjortshoj - COAST

↑ Silverlake Residence in Los Angeles, CA by Laney LA

Click here to see mor...

House of Heroes by White Arkitekter provides space for children with long term diseases

2018-04-12T16:07:00-04:00

Hjältarnas Hus (House of Heroes) is a new facility by White Arkitekter functioning as a temporary home for families with young children suffering from long term illness. The project is a collaboration between the Sweden Västerbotten healthcare council and the organization “Hjältarnas hus”, which will run the day-to-day operations of this new facility. The firm has been involved from start to finish in creating this safe and homely haven, free from white coats and difficult treatments.

Hjältarnas Hus (House of Heroes) by White Arkitekter, located in Umeå, Sweden. Image: Åke E:son Lindman.

Five out of six geographically large hospital region of northern Swede have already had relative homes linked to the larger children's clinics. Now the final region, Norrland, will get their own equivalent located in Umeå.

Hjältarnas Hus (House of Heroes) by White Arkitekter, located in Umeå, Sweden. Image: Åke E:son Lindman.

This home away from home is located in a newly renovated building in the h...

Thinking with a box, to think outside the box.

2017-12-07T14:50:00-05:00

FreelandBuck has recently completed an 8,000-square-foot (or square-cubed) office interior/exterior for Hungry Man Productions headquarters in Los Angeles. Hungry Man asked FreelandBuck to potentially think outside the box and evaluate the traditional organization of an office. The result being a design just as playful and inviting as Hungry Man's own identity.

Drawing by FreelandBuck

The parti of the project creates a composition party of stacked, unstable cubes and playfully composes them through informal arrangements creating a diversity of stable and flexible working configurations while maintaining the scalelessness of discovery and fragility. Feigning randomness, the cubicles are calibrated to support specific relationships between staff while leaving adjacent breakout spaces open and flexible.

In addition, cubicle boxes pile up to make visually prominent display and projection areas that take full advantage of the generous ceiling height of the warehouse shell.

Photos by E...

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Kids Spaces" Pinterest Board

2017-06-23T14:59:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Burntwood School in London, UK by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)

↑ Broxholm Road in London, UK by Selencky///Parsons

↑ SANDBOXING in Dallas, TX by DSGN AGNC (Quilian Riano, Designer), New Cities Future Ruins (Gavin Kroeber, Curator), Ash Studio (Fabrication)

↑ Hummingbird House Children's Hospice in Brisbane, Australia by ThomsonAdsett; Photo: Alicia Taylor

↑ The Boa Constrictor in the Children's Grand Park-Touch the Story Project in Seoul, South Korea by studio_GAON

↑ Cheetah Mobile global office headquarters in Beijing, China by IDEAL Design & Construction

↑ Chelsea Eco Duplex in New York, NY by Wunderground a...

A Brutalist coloring book lets you paint it black (and gray, perhaps even blue)

2017-01-12T18:47:00-05:00

Depending on the level of surreality you favor in your coloring book exercises, The Brutalist Colouring Book from Belgian graphic designer Marc Thomasset allows you to create wildly imaginative or strictly literal renderings of various famous brutalist landmarks, including works by William Pereira and SOM (and even provides pre-made clouds for you):

Turning America's suburbs into 'playborhoods' for kids to cope with fear

2016-10-25T13:31:00-04:00

They were living in San Francisco, but they wanted to move out of the city to a playborhood — a version of American kid life featured in shows like “The Little Rascals” and “Leave It to Beaver,” in which kids build forts and ride bikes outside, unsupervised — free, skirting danger, but ultimately always lucky. [...] Dangerous play is how kids learn how to titrate fear. [...] “If the instinct wasn’t of evolutionary benefit, the behavior would have been rooted out.”

This piece is ostensibly about parenting, and one Silicon Valley-dad who is trying to teach (and trust) his kids to take physical risks. But in defiance of the "helicopter parent" method, Mark Laska, the piece's subject dad, elects to modify his own environment rather than coaching his individual kids. He changes his home, yard and (he hopes) his city to create environments that all kids can learn test their own limits in—without parents presence, but with their parents' trust.

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Kids Spaces" Pinterest Board

2016-05-06T19:56:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Kids Spaces.

↑ Nursery in Buhl, France by Dominique Coulon & associés; Photo: Eugeni Pons

↑ Khabele Elementary Expansion in Austin, TX by Derrington Building Studio; Photo: Peter Molick Photography

↑ Swindon Designer Outlet in Swindon, UK by POD Architects

↑ Pleated Inflation in Argelès, France by THEVERYMANY

↑ City Library in Gothenburg, Sweden by Ersèus Arkitekter; Interior Design: Link Arkitektur; Photo: Hundven-Clements Photography

↑ PlaNYC Far Rockaway Park Masterplan and Parks Structures in Brooklyn, NY by WXY Architecture + Urban Design; Photo: Albert Vecerka/ESTO

↑ Studio Eight Photos in Thessaloniki, Greece by INPUT creative studio...

Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler meet for one last time in new play, "The Princes of Kings Road"

2015-09-15T17:28:00-04:00

Midcentury modernist architects Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler may have been good friends when they studied together in Vienna, but by the time they ran into one another one last time in a Los Angeles hospital in 1953, they were bitter enemies. Ensemble Studio Theatre/L.A.'s production of The Princes of Kings Road, now playing at the Neutra Institute in Silver Lake, imagines what it might have been like in the hospital room they shared

"The Hole Idea" celebrates the simple joys of creating "spontaneous architecture"

2015-04-01T15:16:00-04:00

Architectural design can be as playful as a child's imagination and still be taken seriously. Coated in a sunny yellow and candy-colored circular openings, "The Hole Idea -- Now in Technicolor" in Winnipeg is a snow tunnel that may seem like a kids-only zone at first glance, but is an engaging installation that can spark the curiosity of anyone who is trudging by in the snow. Since it was first installed in January after winning the popular Warming Huts 2015 competition, The Hole Idea has attracted visitors of all ages. The project's success continues with its recent win of an Ontario Association Of Architects Award.

Designed by Toronto-based Weiss Architecture + Urbanism, the playful concept for The Hole Idea -- which was named after a 1955 Looney Tune animation of the same name -- evokes childhood memories of Saturday morning cartoons, colorful playgrounds, and building snow forts.

The firm worked alongside Blackwell Engineering and the Canada Culvert fabrication team to complete th...

Oren Safdie's play FALSE SOLUTION now released

2015-03-06T20:19:00-05:00

Excellent news for all fans of FALSE SOLUTION, the latest architecture-inspired play by Oren Safdie (yes, son of Moshe Safdie): the piece not only just came out in publication but re-orders are only $6.99 this week.

Find some more detailed information we've received from Oren below, and also listen to our 2014 interview with him about FALSE SOLUTION here.

Original Works Publishing announces the publication of Oren Safdie’s timely play, FALSE SOLUTION. Dealing with the creative process of the architect as it relates to the design for a Holocaust Museum in Poland, the play was produced in 2013 at La MaMa Theatre in New York before transferring to the Santa Monica Playhouse in 2014 [previously on Archinect].

Margaret Gray of the Los Angeles Times wrote: “The dialogue is engaging, witty and bracingly cerebral ... An undertaking Safdie persuasively presents as heart-breaking, morally fraught and politically hazardous.”

Zachary Stewart of TheaterMania affirmed: “Oren Safdie's intellectually s...

Ten Top Images on Archinect's "Kids Spaces" Pinterest Board

2014-11-14T13:38:00-05:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!)

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the NEW board Kids Spaces.

↑ Blaxland Common Playground - Regional Playspace in Homebush, Australia by JMD Design

↑ Incheon Children Science Museum in Incheon, South Korea by Haeahn Architecture; Photo: Park Youngchae

↑ Concordia International School in Shanghai, China by Watershed

↑ Fladängskolan in Lomma, Sweden by Link Arkitektur; Photo: Hundven-Clements Photography

↑ Upshur Playground in Washington, DC by Landscape Architecture Bureau

↑ Playdipity by db2/ARCHitecture

↑ Stelzhamerschule in Linz, Austria by Kirsch ZT gmbh; Photo: Hertha Hurnaus

↑ Children’s Science Studios in Los Angeles, CA by Ioana Urma (Paint Design)

↑ La Caracola Beach House in A...

Danish parking garage invites to stay and play

2014-08-07T14:18:00-04:00

A new parking garage in Nordhavn, Denmark by JAJA Architects will combine form, functionality, and fun. Draped in greenery and topped with a public playground, the aptly named Park and Play reimagines a garage as an active social space rather than simply a storage place for cars. [...] The garage is being built as part of the first phase of Nordhavn’s almost 500-acre master plan to be developed over the next 40 to 50 years.

Oren Safdie's play "False Solution" finishes up its 3-week run this weekend in Santa Monica

2014-05-07T17:36:00-04:00

Oren Safdie, architecture-turned-playwright (and son of Moshe Safdie), has taken his play False Solution to Santa Monica, after a run in NYC last year. False Solution, Safdie's 3rd architecture-themed play, following Private Jokes, Public Places and The Bilbao Effect, follows German-Jewish architect Anton Seligman (played by Daniel J. Travanti) as he designs a new Holocaust museum in Poland. Linda Johansson (played by Amanda Saunders), a first-year architecture student, brings sexual tension as she challenges his work.

I met up with Oren at his home in Venice Beach to talk about his work as a playwright. You can listen to our conversation below...

I also had a chance to record a read-through between leads Daniel J. Travanti, whom you may recognize as the captain from Hill Street Blues, and Amanda Saunders.

Tickets to False Solution can still be purchased for the final four performances this Thursday to Sunday.

Finding playground potential in the Energy Carousel in Dordrecht

2014-03-31T15:08:00-04:00

For a kid, a lifesize light-up spinning top that you can play in right in your neighborhood sounds like a dream come true -- and such is the case in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

The Energy Carousel by Madrid-based firm Ecosistema Urbano is a play structure that is both engaging and educational. As kids grab onto one of the structure's hanging ropes, the kinetic energy released by their movements is stored in a battery, which later serves as supply to light up the structure at night. The carousel's LED lights shine in various colors depending on how much energy was stored during that day.

The Energy Carousel was one of the winning designs in a 2010 invited competition by Carve, an Amsterdam design group that specializes in developing and engineering public spaces for children. Carve asked 10 European firms to design a multi-age sustainable "unconventional play object" to complete the Governeursplein public square in Dordrecht.

Since then, it seems the Energy Carousel has provided whirls ...

50th anniversary of NYC Penn Station demolition to be honored by staged reading and panel highlighting the debate on historic preservation

2013-10-31T14:49:00-04:00

The Eternal Space will visually recreate the marvel of the former Pennsylvania Station using the actual photographs that documented the station’s demise. [...] Using the latest in projection technology these arresting photographs will speak to the tragic demolition of an American architectural masterpiece [...] On the 50th anniversary of that great loss, The Eternal Space will pay tribute to the station and the gifted photographers who worked to immortalize it.

Architects, historians, and all urban enthusiasts are invited to a free evening event that will acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the demolition of NYC's Pennsylvania Station on Nov. 6 at the AIA | NY Center for Architecture. Hosted by AIA | NY, the program will begin with a live reading of selected scenes from The Eternal Space, a two-man stage play set during the Penn Station's demolition, which began on Oct. 28, 1963.

The play presents a dialogue on the value of old vs. new, past vs. present, and all the timeless arguments that come with them that last to this day. The Eternal Space also points out the ongoing yet overlooked debate on the preservation of historic structures in New York and throughout the U.S. Never-published photography of the demolition from some of the subject's most notable photographers will provide the scenic backdrop for the staged reading.

The reading will be followed by a panel discussion — moderated by Curbed NY Senior Editor Hana Alberts ...

“Plant-a-BALL PARKS” - PLAYscapes Honorable Mention entry by OP-AL

2013-10-14T13:48:00-04:00

Upon our recent coverage of the PLAYscapes competition results earlier last week, we would like to present a more thorough look into one of the listed projects, "Plant-a-BALL PARKS" by OP-AL. Out of over 500 registered entrants, OP-AL received an Honorable Mention for their proposal.

Previously: PLAYscapes Design Competition results

PLAYscapes Design Competition results

2013-10-07T20:25:00-04:00

Building Trust International recently announced the winners for their international PLAYscapes Design Competition. As the name states, PLAYscapes challenged participants to propose their ideas to transform neglected city spaces into interactive places of fun for local communities. More than 500 entrants participated, with many of their projects highlighting the use of sustainable materials and the importance of redevelopment and adaptive reuse in their local cityscapes.

The competition-winning project, "Cape Town Gardens Skate Park" was designed by a multidisciplinary team from the City of Cape Town in South Africa. In the Student category, a team from Lusiada University of Lisbon - Faculty of Architecture and Arts won with their entry, "Bring a Pal and have fun."

Architecture as Child's Play

2013-05-01T19:31:00-04:00

At university, students from other courses felt that we in architecture weren’t really studying at all; to them the studio seemed like some kind of uber-kindergarten, legitimated for academic credit.... The architecture profession seemed from the outside, and perhaps even to us on the inside, to promise an idyllic eternal childhood of balsa and glue and gee-whiz drawings on computers.

On Places, Naomi Stead discusses the popular conception of architecture as a kind of "child's play."

What do dollhouses and architectural models have in common? Why should we care about Lego Architecture and Architect Barbie and the romantic depiction of architects in Hollywood movies?

She concludes: "If the profession of architecture is constructed from the outside as an escapist daydream, available for the idle fantasizing and wish-fulfillment of all, then this leaves the whole profession operating inside a doll’s house: idyllic, hermetic and controlled, but largely powerless to act in the actual world."

Oren Safdie's architecture-themed play "False Solution" opens this June

2013-04-16T14:57:00-04:00

Oren Safdie, son of Moshe Safdie, and writer of plays themed around architecture, will be opening his third play, titled "False Solution", on June 13th. The play deals with an established architect struggling to design a new Holocaust museum in Poland, focusing on the architect's creative process.

FALSE SOLUTION -- a world-premiere play about an architect's struggles to design a Holocaust museum in Poland - written by Oren Safdie (author of the Off-Broadway hit PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES, and THE BILBAO EFFECT) - will be presented Off-Broadway with previews starting June 13 prior to an official press opening night on June 16, 2013 at La MaMa ETC (74A East 4th Street) in Manhattan.

PRIVATE JOKES, PUBLIC PLACES, which also premiered at La MaMa in 2003 before transferring to the Center for Architecture, starred Anthony Rapp. Mr. Safdie's Off-Broadway play THE LAST WORD, also enjoyed critical and popular success in 2007, and starred Emmy Award-winning actor, Daniel J. Travant...