Steven Holl's Visual Arts Building opens Oct. 7th at University of Iowa

2016-10-06T19:34:00-04:00

On Friday October 7th, Steven Holl and Senior Partner Chris McVoy will be on hand to officially open the firm's Visual Arts Building for the University of Iowa, which in addition to being the only building in the United States that uses an integrated hydronic radiant heating and cooling system in combination with a cast-in-place "bubble deck" (thereby eliminating the need to cool or heat air mechanically), is simply gorgeous.

In a signature Steven Holl move, the interior is illuminated by seven vertical cutouts that are defined by the slide and jostle of the four floors against one another. This shifting dynamic creates opportunities for a series of balconies and informal working spaces.

Check out our conversation with Steven Holl from earlier this week:

For the latest on Steven Holl:

Photos from the "Bigger Than a Breadbox" opening reception

2015-06-18T18:36:00-04:00

What is the role of installation in architecture? More importantly, how does a curator arrange an installation that is primarily concerned with the effects of installation? “Bigger Than a Breadbox," which held its public opening reception on June 17th, is partly the brainchild of BSA space, Archinect, and curators Aaron Willette and Rob Trumbour of Khôra LLC, who considered precisely how to arrange the space to best explore this concept. We asked curator Aaron Willette about his process and the inherent challenges in creating an installation about installation.

“Working with architects is like herding cats,” Willette joked, before describing the fundamental aim of the installation, which was to incorporate the general public, not only physically, but intellectually. Instead of creating a highly abstracted terrain, first-time curator Willette strove to make the exhibit as accessible to passerby as it would be to gallery veterans.

Willette worked on precisely how to mount the exhibitio...

Archinect - News

Steven Holl's Visual Arts Building opens Oct. 7th at University of Iowa

Photos from the "Bigger Than a Breadbox" opening reception