Archinect - News

Snøhetta completes Vesterheim Commons, blending Norwegian and Midwestern cultures

2023-10-03T11:46:00-04:00

Snøhetta has completed work on the Vesterheim Commons in Decorah, Iowa. Part of Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School, the new building and associated landscape seeks to “establish a new entry point and gathering space for a cultural campus.” Snøhetta served as the design architect and landscape architect for the project, with BNIM as the architect of record.

Image credit: Michael Grimm

The 8,000-square-foot building is marked on the street by a large wooden canopy inspired by boat designs. Off the street, a public reception lobby and event space “mirror the cozy and sheltered outdoor rooms of the surrounding park,” while upper-level galleries and a new digital production studio create spaces for showcasing art and artifacts.

Image credit: Michael Grimm

Image credit: Craig Dykers

Light is drawn into the lobby by a wood oculus above, while a flexible event space and new circulation areas create interior connections to Vesterhei...

China unveils ambitious plan to construct 245 new museums in Beijing by 2035

2023-02-24T16:42:00-05:00

China is pushing forward a draft development plan to construct some 245 new museums in its capital by the year 2035, according to reports coming out of Beijing last weekend.

The plan from the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau calls for there to be a total of 460 museums by the end of the building frenzy, enough, it says, for two per every 100,000 inhabitants in the city of 21.5 million.

The push comes in anticipation of Beijng’s expected tourism influx. Recent research from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) suggested that it could soon overtake Paris as the world’s most frequented tourist destination, with a projected annual value eventually topping out at $77 billion. Museums, therefore, make up the core component of this effort, with a special focus on those promoting Chinese culture and history in line with the Communist party’s nationalist agenda.

Snøhetta seeks to combine the ‘architecture traditions of Norway and the Upper Midwest’ with Vesterheim campus in Iowa

2023-01-27T10:43:00-05:00

Snøhetta has unveiled details of their proposed new building and associated landscape for Versterheim, the National Norwegian-American Museum and Folk Art School. Titled 'The Commons,' and situated in Decorah, Iowa, the 8,000-square-foot building will serve as a “dynamic new entry point and gathering space for a cultural campus,” with spaces including a museum, folk art school, and community facilities.

For the scheme’s design, Snøhetta chose a palette of what they describe as “honest and humble materials” to reflect Norwegian craft traditions. Locally sourced brick, a wood structure, and textured concrete walls unite to create a “tactile and time-honored sensibility,” including a mass timber wood frame fabricated in Minnesota and exterior brick walls sourced from Iowa.

Image credit: Moare

Externally, the scheme is defined by a wooden canopy marking the building’s main entrance, while inside, the ground-floor lobby is connected to the upper levels via a wood oculus. Flexible gallerie...

On the cultural implications of SANAA's latest Art Gallery of New South Wales expansion

2023-01-11T15:09:00-05:00

The Art Gallery of New South Wales, one of Australia’s most important art institutions, faces an especially acute cultural challenge. Museum building in a real-estate obsessed city that Mark Twain called “superbly beautiful” — in the sunny heart of a proud “sporting nation” — often requires overcoming a barrage of negativity. The Sydney Opera House was loathed before it was loved, and the Modern has traveled a rough road already.

The debate around SANAA’s newly-opened $344 million expansion in some ways mirrors the one leading up to the (then $102 million AUS) Sydney Opera House in the late-1960s, which, at the time. centered on a discussion over the value of cultural investments that culminated in philosopher Peter Singer’s groundbreaking text Famine, Affluence, and Morality.

“Most of the rulers and commentators really do believe that ‘culture’ is a nonessential or luxury additive rather than part of the educational, civic, ethical and moral systems whereby a society might govern its core values and activities,” University of Canberra professor Ross Gibson told the Times in summary of that history.

The gallery has reported a total of 120,000 visitors in the first ten days of opening.

Archinect's best fun culture news of 2022

2022-12-23T08:00:00-05:00

And just like that, 2022 is coming to an end. As quickly as it went by, this year was equally prolonged by many of the same issues that have plagued the world over the last couple of years. In addition to the ongoing pandemic, which society is still adjusting to, we have been witness to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its economic repercussions, a surge in inflation, increased climate change-related disasters, and more regressive politics.

While this does not paint a pleasant image of 2022, this year's events weren't all doom and gloom, and Archinect's coverage reflects that. So, we wanted to compile a selection of our favorite pieces that put smiles on our faces and injected joy into the editorial.

Check them out below.

Image: Pixabay.

Lumber shortage hits the metaverse, leads to construction delays

Though this is meant to be a compilation of fun, lighthearted articles, this news couldn't go unsaid. Lumber supplies hit unprecedented lows this year, which has been felt in places no on...

While 2021 was mostly whomp whomp, there were also moments of whee!

2021-12-26T09:00:00-05:00

Let's face it, 2021 was another downer of a year. After 2020 had shown us how quickly the rug could be pulled out from under the world's collective feet, the current year made no attempts of introducing itself with flowers and small talk but, instead, whacked us with a violent attack on the built embodiment of American democracy, dragged a pandemic-induced global recession well into the first few quarters, drowned any attempt of returning to public life with viral waves and lockdowns, and ensured that intensifying natural disasters kept our worries over the acute climate crisis at the center of our fragile attention span.

While we followed our journalistic duty of informing Archinect's readers about life as it happened, including the bummer stuff, there were bright, inspiring moments of beauty and joy, too, that we had the pleasure of sharing.

Here are only a few highlights that stood out.

Image courtesy of Andrew Bruno.

Instagrammer designs and draws a new house every day for a yea...

Lee Bey reminds us an architecture critic can appear in many forms, even one of a famed film critic

2021-04-05T15:41:00-04:00

What defines an architecture critic? These past few months, the discourse surrounding what an architecture critic is, who they have been, and why this role needs to be re-evaluated has circulated across several publications and architecture circles. While several critics come to mind, both past and present, who exemplify the very best of what this role presents for the industry, there are a few individuals outside of the profession that architecture criticism might have needed.

WBEZ Chicago published Lee Bey's piece "Roger Ebert: An architecture critic, too" back in 2013. Throughout the article, Bey recounts his past conversations and memories with the famed film critic. Ebert's consistency and dedication to the "craft of criticism" were admired by many. Even during his final years, when illness befell him and eventually leading to his passing in 2013, Bey reminds us of Ebert's writing and architecture involvement. "He sounded the alarm against civic inattention, mercantile forces o...

Three museums in the LA County announce plans to open doors to the public

2021-03-19T20:55:00-04:00

Museums have lain dormant while pandemic restrictions aimed to keep the spread of COVID-19 low. However, with vaccine rollouts and cities entering new tier levels, museums are preparing to welcome back visitors in-person. On March 10th, the completion of Renzo Piano's long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced it would open its doors this Fall. KCRW reported earlier this week that three more LA-county museums have plans to re-open their doors.

Hammer Museum. Image © Tony Hisgett via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

"With dwindling coronavirus numbers, LA has entered the red tier and allowed museums to open at 25% capacity," shared Steve Chiotakis during his Greater L.A. Podcast. LACMA announced it would open its doors on April 1, with safety protocols in place. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA) has opened their doors and welcomes visitors by appointment. The Hammer Museum also announced its plans to open mid-April.

LACMA will be reopening on April 1, with Membe...

Virtual museums may not be the answer for post-pandemic success

2020-09-21T14:59:00-04:00

Creating an entirely virtual museum is already one approach for the future, but it’s a slippery slope. Museums might be enticed by the idea of having their entire collections online in order to avoid the possible transmission of disease, but then what happens to the buildings...With everything online, a museum building would morph into something that’s more or less just storage.

With self-quarantining, social distancing, and the closure of businesses and public venues, what happens to institutions like museums and their relationship with the public? While exhibitions can be seen online, does that solution defeat the purpose of a museum itself?

According to Smithsonian Magazine writer Jennifer Billock, "how will people experience museums 10 or 20 years down the road, when proactive design changes to curb the spread of disease have been put in place?" Museum closures and online exhibitions have been an answer for some while others plan to reopen in order to revive the museum experience.

Archinect's previous coverage on museums as they respond to COVID. Photo: Wikimedia Commons user BRENAC/CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Architect Bea Spolidoro, principal of FisherARCHitecture, shares with Billock that new design solutions should not "substitute the true experience." In addition to in-person experiential loss, Spolidoro expresses that maintenance costs are another factor to kee...

DnA: Design and Architecture, KCRW radio show hosted by Frances Anderton, to go off the air

2020-09-18T12:11:00-04:00

Amid a dramatic staff downsizing at leading Southern California public radio station KCRW, it was reported that the popular show and podcast DnA: Design and Architecture hosted by Frances Anderton will be discontinued from mid-December after being on the air for 18 years.

The Los Angeles Times writes that the cuts "represent a loss of 18% of the NPR affiliate’s staff, reducing it to 127 full- and part-time employees. It comes less than two years after the station began moving into its $38-million media center on the campus of Santa Monica Community College."

In a Sep-15 tweet, Anderton stated: "It's official: 24 of us are taking buyouts from @KCRW, mine effective mid-Dec. Working there w/ huge talents has been the gift of a lifetime. So has the chance to spread the word about LA design + arch. I'll keep on doing so (unless I go start my fantasy goat farm). Stay tuned!"

It's official: 24 of us are taking buyouts from @KCRW, mine effective mid-Dec. Working there w/ huge talents has b...

Van Alen Institute's "Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge" Competition winners have been announced

2020-08-19T17:29:00-04:00

After much anticipation, the winners of the Van Alen Institute Reimagining Brooklyn Bridge competition have been announced. Thanks to the competition's design jury and a public vote held during the competition's Virtual Design Show, the winning designs are "Brooklyn Bridge Forest" and "Do Look Down."

Within the competition's "Professional" and "Young Adult" categories, the competition brief was to provide proposals that would help redefine the Brooklyn Bridge to become "a new kind of icon." With aims to spark more public discussion about New York's infrastructure, the competition winners and selected finalists each provided a design to emphasize "climate action, social equity, and creative expression."

Deborah Marton, Executive Director of the Van Alen Institute, shared in a statement, "The competition's top proposals demonstrate the Brooklyn Bridge's potential to be a new kind of icon. The winning and finalist designs all contained excellent elements for us to consider as a city."

...

MAD Architects shares renderings for Shenzhen Bay Culture Park

2020-06-25T12:58:00-04:00

MAD Architects, led by Ma Yansong, has revealed a new renderings of a masterplan and architectural design for the Shenzhen Bay Culture Park in China. The complex covers roughly 51,000 square meters and will have a total building area of 182,000 square meters which will include the Creative Design Hall, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum, and an expansive public green space along the waterfront in Shenzhen, China. The project is expected to be completed in 2023.

Renderings by MIR.

"When building a cultural landmark on a site positioned between the dynamic energy of a modern city and quiet timelessness of nature, it
should be imagined as a free civic space – at first a land art park, with its functions complementing its aesthetics," said Yansong in a statement.

Renderings by Proloog.

The core design scheme is shaped by an open green plaza. Spread across the ground floor are a reception area, standard exhibition halls, public education space, library, auditorium, theater, cafe, ...

Arquine showcases the beauty of Chilean and Mexican architecture in two new books

2020-05-06T13:45:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by Arquine

Images of Contemporary Chilean Architecture

In the winter, 15 photographers visited some of the most iconic contemporary architecture projects that have put Chile on the map over the last three decades. A collection of new images presents the singularity of these works that have shaped the recent imaginary and brought visibility to this area of Chile’s cultural development. The photographs hover over details, forms, textures, lights and colors, in spaces, landscapes or natural environments.

Image © Iwan Baan. Courtesy of Arquine

Documentary excerpts show the ways of life, the relations between buildings and cities or natural environments. This new view of these constructions highlights their contributions, intrinsic value, and the possible contemporary currents affecting the local culture. This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Winter: Images of Contemporary Chilean Architecture within the...

Don't Miss Archinect's Must-Follow Architecture Firms on Instagram 2020!

2020-04-20T10:00:00-04:00

Social media's growing presence within architecture culture has fueled firms’ desire to tap into a fast and responsive form of online exposure. The use of social media platforms like Instagram is a topic we've discussed widely on Archinect. However, during this time of self-quarantine, online sharing platforms are becoming new ways for firms to stay connected with their audience and potential clients.

From highlighting studio inspiration to showcasing new and recently completed projects, these social media accounts serve to keep their respective communities up to date on the latest firm developments. To support the work of these firms, Archinect has curated a list of architecture Instagram firm profiles that you should follow. Whether you’re a fan of their work or find yourself inspired by their content, here are 11 Instagram profiles you shouldn't miss.

*Profiles are listed in no particular order.

Hou de Sousa
Instagram Handle: @hou_de_sousa
Profile at-a-glance: Form exploration, Mat...

German government offers €50 Billion aid package to artists

2020-03-26T13:50:00-04:00

The German federal government is stepping in with a sweeping aid package for the country’s creative and cultural sectors. The staggering €50 billion ($54 billion) in backing comes less than two weeks since Germany first made its promise of support. The three-part package includes up to €50 billion ($54 billion) in aid for individuals who are self-employed as well as for small businesses. It will come in the form grants designed to help with overhead costs like venue rentals and artist studios.

According to Artnet, the funding will also support media enterprises, including newspapers. "We know the hardships, we know the desperation," said culture minister Monika Grütters in a statement. "The cultural sector in particular is characterized by a high proportion of self-employed people who now have problems with their livelihoods." Grütters expressed the federal governments awareness and recognition of the importance of creative industries, reports Artnet.

Looking for some inspiration? Don't miss Archinect's round-up of architecture firms to follow on Instagram!

2020-03-26T12:50:00-04:00

Social media's presence within architecture has invited firms to tap into a fast and responsive form of online exposure. The use of social media platforms like Instagram is a topic we've discussed widely on Archinect. However, during this time of self-quarantine, online sharing platforms are becoming new ways for firms to stay connected with their audience and potential clients.

From highlighting studio inspiration to showcasing projects, Archinect has curated a list of Instagram firm profiles that you should follow. Whether your a fan of their work or inspired by their content, here are 8 Instagram profiles you shouldn't miss.

*Profiles are listed in no particular order.

Studio Unltd
Instagram Handle: @studiounltd
Profile at-a-glance: Patterns, Mood Boards, Restaurant Interiors

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Studio Unltd (@studiounltd) on Nov 30, 2019 at 11:05am PST

COOKFOX Architects
Instagram Handle: @cookfox
Profile at-a-glance: Neighborhoods, Facade...

Museums in northern Italy stay closed amid new coronavirus fears

2020-02-25T13:23:00-05:00

An unprecedented shutdown of museums is taking place in Venice, Turin and Milan as private and public institutions close their doors in the wake of the coronavirus (Covid-2019) outbreak across northern Italy. Seven Italian regions have now been instructed to close museums and implement various restrictions: Lombardy, Piedmont, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Liguria, Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The coronavirus (Covid-2019) outbreak that started in Wuhan, China is affecting more and more regions worldwide as a sharp rise in reported cases in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Iran, and Italy is making headlines this week.

According to The Art Newspaper, all museums in seven regions throughout northern Italy have been ordered to close, including high-profile cultural institutions such as Museo Correr, the Palazzo Ducale, and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice as well as Milan's Fondazione Prada venues, the opera house La Scala, and the city's famed cathedral.

Quarantine has been ordered for towns in the Veneto and Lombardy regions to stop the dangerous virus from spreading further.

With the opening of the 2020 Venice Biennale Architecture Exhibition on May 23 quickly approaching, it remains to be seen if or how the new health and safety measures will impact preparation and visitor numbers.

Moscow design team transforms former movie house into a technological hub for business and innovation

2020-02-18T03:30:00-05:00

In 1977, the movie house, Novorossiysk, was constructed. During the 80's cinema clubs, lectures, and film festivals used the site to meet and showcase film. Here Muscovites (Moscow residents) had the opportunity to watch the films of Takeshi Kitano, Michael Haneke, Lars von Trier, and other foreign directors for the first time. Eventually, in the 1990s, the area became a platform for business development, business communication, training, and work.

Novorossiysk movie house before rennovation. Image courtesy of DBH, Moscow Agency of Innovations

After a significant renovation in 2017, the building turned into the Digital Business Space. The site's facade, interiors, and technical equipment were updated to reflect the area. The space was divided into different zones (foyers, classrooms, offices, digital workshops) where exhibitions, presentations, and lectures could be held. With the entire reconstruction cost close to $15 million the space became a new place for Moscow's business and ...

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...

BIG and Freaks' MÉCA in Bordeaux creates a budding cultural hub

2019-07-05T17:05:00-04:00

The Maison de l'Économie Créative et de la Culture or MÉCA is Bordeaux's newest cultural hub. Costing €60m, the site will house a performing arts center, a creative agency for books, cinema, and audiovisual media as well as housing three prestigious French associations the ALCA, OARA, and FRAC regional art center. When BIG and Paris-based architecture firm FREAKS were chosen for the project in 2012, both studios devised a plan to construct a structure that would connect three art institutions to create the ultimate contemporary hub for multi-disciplinary practice in Bordeaux's Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

MÉCA Cultural Center. Image © Laurian Ghinitoiu

MÉCA is a waterfront venue fit for visitors to enjoy a celebration of art, film, and performance. The center embodies a flowing structural loop connecting each institute. According to a recent press release by BIG, "The building is conceived as a single loop of cultural institutions and public sp...

Would you wear these Bauhaus-inspired Nike shoes?

2019-06-27T17:39:00-04:00

Perhaps the dream shoe for any Bauhaus enthusiast looking to stay "fresh," Nike has released their Nike Air Max 270 React with a lead colorway paying homage to the iconic Bauhaus school. The vibrant color palette would make any color theorist jump with excitement. The blue, red, yellow, and turquoise color accents are synonymous with the school — sure to catch the attention of any architecture or sneaker enthusiast.

Image © Nike

Nike shares in their June news announcement, "The initial release of the Nike Air Max 270 React share a consistent foundation in art and design history. Each colorway translates a specific artistic style or movement in its blocking and hues. The lead launch colorway, for example, heralds the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus's founding by recalling the school’s formal studies of asymmetrical balance." Nike notes the shoe will have other color options inspired by "mid-century color blocking" and "San Francisco psychedelia."

Image © Nike

If Kandinsky...

The ABC's of Gentrification

2019-05-07T19:19:00-04:00

When bad things happen, we look around for someone to blame. And when it comes to gentrification, which is loosely defined as somebody not like you moving into your neighborhood, there’s no shortage of things to blame.

Depending on where you live it isn't difficult to notice specific changes happening within your neighborhood. From trendy housing developments, boutique shops, and independent cafes gentrification affects more than a neighborhood's curb appeal. A buzzword many have become familiar with these shifts in housing and businesses have appeared as controversial hot topics in politics and urban planning. However, what exactly does gentrification mean? If gentrification is something seen by all, why is it that so few understand the variables and details that go into this process?

For residents who have lived in older neighborhoods gentrification is understood as sever change and displacement. With the urban landscape continually changing all over the globe major cities are becoming denser and denser by the minute. Residents are being pushed out and forced to adjust to changes they're expected to understand. Thanks to the City Observatory, a website providing a data-driven analysis of cities...

Architecture Office's new exhibition explores the transformation of European immigrant towns in the US

2019-04-04T14:51:00-04:00

Founded by Nicole McIntosh and Jonathan Louie, Architecture Office's newest exhibition Swissness Applied focuses on the architectural transformation of European inspired immigrant towns and their presence in the United States. A nation comprised of people and cultures from around the globe, the project allows for the topic of cultural appropriation in architecture, urban design, and planning to be discussed.

Architecture Office co-founder Nicole McIntosh is a Swiss-born architect whose collaborative research explores a highly curated exhibition of various European immigrant towns whose characteristics reference from German, Danish, and Swiss design motifs. US towns such as Frankenmuth, Michigan; Solvang, California; and New Glarus, Wisconsin have been implemented into the American landscape by the individuals who immigrated to those areas. For this exhibition, New Glarus is a town the studio uses as the primary subject of focus in Swissness Applied.

Swissness Applied exhibition m...

First images of Diller Scofidio + Renfro's London Centre for Music unveiled

2019-01-21T16:45:00-05:00

Today, The Barbican, along with the London Symphony Orchestra and Guildhall School of Music & Drama, released images of the Diller Scofidio + Renfro-designed London Centre for Music. DS+R was first announced as lead architect for the project back in 2017, and teamed up with Sheppard Robson, Nagata Acoustics, Charcoalblue and BuroHappold, and AECOM as the project’s cost consultant.

Serving as a new gateway for London's emerging Culture Mile, the Centre for Music will be situated near the Tate Modern, the Millennium Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, and will be in between two major new Elizabeth Line stations.

Concept Design: Centre for Music Exterior View. Courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

Concept Design: Centre for Music Concert Hall. Courtesy of Diller Scofidio + Renfro.

“We want to unlock the urban potential of the Centre for Music's site at the southern tip of the Barbican by reclaiming the roundabout for the public realm, where the car’s isolating effects are keenly felt today,” DS...

A plastic pavilion dazzles in Mexico City through innovation and discourse

2019-01-16T11:56:00-05:00

Showcased during the Mextrópoli International Festival of Architecture, one of the largest festivals in Latin America with over 50,000 people in attendance, I-CONO dazzles the streets of Mexico City. Aimed at creating and sparking discussion around architecture and the city architects, students, locals, and tourists from all over come to the event. The 2018 project winners, Bianchimajer and Anna Merci, were chosen to headline the festival's Mextrópoli Pavilion structure with I-CONO. Made of 2500 plastic bottles and standing a little over 21 feet high, the project reflects on the public's interaction with architecture and the city. The public piece creates an immersive sensorial display, allowing visitors to be transformed through sound, light, shadow, and color all while standing in one of Mexico City's most famous plazas. The pavilion strives to spark thoughts and discussions of how the architecture of Mexico City can be understood and juxtaposed with a temporary public installatio...

How has Hollywood shaped the idea of an American house?

2018-12-22T13:28:00-05:00

The decorated Christmas houses, bedecked in wreaths and lights and the mythology of Christmas, and the haunted houses of Halloween, draped in fake spiders’ webs and punctuated by plastic pumpkins, are two sides of the fantasy. The suburban house represents freedom and independence just as it can come to represent a trap.

What is the aspirational American house and why is the general public obsessed with this version of residential living? Hollywood has painted a picturesque image of what an ideal American house looks like, especially during the holiday season. These ideal homes can be broken into three specific groups: the Christmas home, the Haunted House, and the infamous McMansion.

All three homes consist of staple vernacular styles like large fireplaces, staircases, multiple garages, and windows of varying styles. However, why have these designs won the hearts of the public and have become the "design goals" of many builders across the nation? Some may say these homes embody varying forms of the American dream, each expressing a combination of fantasy and longing within contemporary American culture.

When people think of the contemporary American life, "families relocate thousands of miles...

What Ikea is trying to tell us about 21st century living

2018-10-18T15:11:00-04:00

Two years ago, the company asked thousands of people about where they felt “most at home.” At the time, 20% of subjects said it wasn’t the space in which they lived. Two years later, they asked again, and found the number has risen by 15% among people who live in cities. In other words, 35% of people who live in cities don’t feel at home in their house or apartment.

Ikea, the largest furniture company in the world, may know a thing or two when it comes to styling a home. However, what many Ikea consumers may not know is that alongside its holding company INGKA Holding a yearly research report is conducted studying and identifying how people live. Since 2014, the "Life at Home" report consisted of data associated with kitchen routines, morning regiments, and overall interaction within living spaces. However, both companies decided to shift from their typical report guidelines and take a more reflective, existential approach.

Instead of focusing on relationships between consumers and products, the yearly report focused on topics such as belonging, loneliness, and what it's like living in a large city. The report indicated that in order for individuals to feel "at home", these five emotional needs must be met: privacy, security, comfort, ownership, belonging. After surveying over 22,000 people living in 2...

Stella Lee's story calls for architecture to adopt a new movement

2018-10-12T15:25:00-04:00

Architectural education is plagued by the mentality that suffering is a necessary part of its practice. [...] The acceptance of suffering easily slips into normalizing sexual misconduct and its suppression as simply part of the practice. Cultlike worship of the star architect only exacerbates this condition, and there are plenty [...] willing to sacrifice their time and integrity because they have been conditioned to believe that this mode of production is normal.

The architecture world is known for many movements that have enabled architects to create iconic works. From bauhaus to brutalist, midcentury modern to contemporary, countless movements have impacted the architectural timeline. But in today's climate of inclusivity and representation is there one movement in particular that architecture is too slow to adopt?

Designing physical spaces that depict an artistic representation of form and function is something many architects strive for. However, have firms and institutions lost their way when it comes to designing a space that evokes "an equitable working environment?"

Bureau V team (left to right) Stella Lee, Peter Zuspan, Laura Trevino Image via BureauV

Stella Lee, architect and founding partner of the inclusive award-winning studio Bureau V, recently shared her experiences while working with Richard Meier. Having been accused of sexual misconduct it was announced early this month that Meier would be stepping down from his leadership...

Contemporary art project opens in ancient ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii

2018-05-21T18:10:00-04:00

The House of the Beautiful Courtyard at Herculaneum and the House of the Cryptoporticus in Pompeii will each be the site of a new installation by artist Catrin Huber, as part of a Newcastle University project designed to create a new dialogue between contemporary art, Roman wall painting and archaeological remains.

Expanded Interiors at Herculaneum. Photo: Amedeo Benestante.

"By investigating two distinctive Roman houses, our project sets out an exchange of knowledge between old and new," the Expanded Interiors project website explains. "We are exploring what Contemporary painting and site-specific fine-art practice can learn from the often incredibly sophisticated and complex works of the Roman wall painters. In turn we investigate how contemporary fine-art practice can provide new perspectives on the spatial configurations of ancient Roman homes and the artefacts that adorned them. In so doing we will bring Roman artefacts (their replicas) back to the sites, while exploring new forms for displaying archaeological artefacts at Roman archaeological sites."

Expanded Interiors runs from May 17 – Jan 15, 2019 at Herculaneum and Jul 14 – Jan 15 at Pompeii.

Casa del Fascio eyed by Italian far right to become major art & architecture museum

2018-04-03T19:06:00-04:00

Italy’s far-right Lega party, which won almost 18% of the vote in the general election on 4 March and could form part of the next coalition government, wants to turn a former Fascist party headquarters in Como, in the Lombardy region, into northern Italy’s biggest museum of Modern art, architecture and design.

As reported by The Art Newspaper, the leader of Italy's newly empowered far-right Lega party, Matteo Salvini, has called in his manifesto, besides the expected anti-immigration, anti-European Union views, to create a grand museum of architecture, design, and modern art in the northern Italian city of Como — inside the Mussolini-commissioned 1936 former Casa del Fascio.