Archinect - News

Rifat Chadirji, father of Iraqi “international regionalism,” dies from COVID-19 at 93

2020-04-13T13:42:00-04:00

Rifat Chadirji, a world renowned international architect from Iraq, has passed away in London following a positive diagnosis for COVID-19.

Chadirji was born in on December 6, 1926 and passed away April 10, 2020.

Throughout a long career, Chadirji helped to develop and propagate a new pan-Arab architectural language that fused traditional architectural forms and building approaches with modern materials, building technologies, and functional uses.

Born into an influential political family in Baghdad while the Iraqi territories were under “British administration,” Chadirji studied architecture at the Hammersmith School of Arts & Crafts in London, graduating in 1952 with a degree in architecture. Upon graduating, Chadirji started the Iraq Consult IQC group, an architectural practice that he used as a launching pad for his inventive “architectural experiments.” Two years later, back in Iraq, he was appointed as the director of the Building Department of the Iraqi Waqf, a body that ove...

What makes a work of architecture American?

2017-09-11T20:53:00-04:00

“Whether there is or is not a Northwest regional style of architecture is debatable,” said John Yeon in 1986, “but what is certain is that lot of people want to think there is.”

In "A Fortuitous Shadow," Keith Eggener is inspired by the Portland Art Museum's recent exhibition on John Yeon's life and legacy to explore the concept of regionalism in architecture, beginning with the doubts expressed by the architect long associated with Pacific Northwest regional modernism.

Six projects win in 2017 RIBA West Midlands Awards

2017-05-19T15:54:00-04:00

The 2017 RIBA Awards cycle continues with the recent reveal of six winning buildings for the 2017 West Midlands Awards. “The winners deliver an architecture with a narrative and a poetry, while also fully responding to the functional needs of the facilities they created,” stated RIBA Jury Chair Natalia Maximova. “It is a year of quieter and well-mannered design, nevertheless, no less confident and powerful for that reason.”

Here's a glimpse of the winning projects:

The Compound by BPN Architects

Photo: Tom Bird.

St. Michael’s Hospice, Hereford by Architype

Photo: Dennis Gilbert.

Croft Lodge Studio, Leominster by Kate Darby Architects

Photo: James Morris.

Alan Walters Building, University of Birmingham by Berman Guedes Stretton

Photo: Quintin Lake.

Remembrance Centre, National Memorial Arboretum Alrewas by Glenn Howells Architects

Photo: Rob Parrish.

Jaguar Land Rover Engine Manufacturing Centre by Arup Associates

Photo: Simon Kennedy.

Learn more about the projects on Bustler.

RIBA announces 85 shortlisted projects for 2017 London Awards

2017-04-03T19:12:00-04:00

RIBA revealed a hefty shortlist for the 2017 London Awards today. Starting out with 215 hopeful submissions, the jury picked 85 to advance in the regional competition, including projects designed by David Chipperfield, AHMM, WilkinsonEyre, Coffey Architects, Fletcher Priest Architects, Grimshaw, Haworth Tompkins, Zaha Hadid Architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners, and many more notable contenders.

In the coming weeks, one of the five London juries working across the West, North, East, South East and South West areas of the city will visit all the shortlisted projects for further evaluation. Here's the full shortlist:

1 King William Street, AHMM
131 Sloane Street, Stiff + Trevillion
Mixed Use Scheme, Bermondsey, Hampson Williams Ltd
Private House, North London, Alan Higgs Architects
Shepherd’s Bush Road, ColladoCollins Architects with LOM Architects (interiors)
2 Orchard Place, NGArchitecture
30 Cannon Street, Delvendahl Martin LLP

Belarusian Memorial Chapel, Spheron Architects. Photo: Jo...

Hyperloop One announces 35 semifinalists in 17 countries for its global challenge

2017-01-10T12:58:00-05:00

Whether you envisioned Hyperloop One as an overhyped pneumatic tube or an inventive way to transport cargo and/or passengers, 35 teams from 17 countries around the world have just been announced as semifinalists in the contest to create working transit corridors for the technology. The 35 proposed routes are sited in countries including Argentina, Poland, Australia, India, the U.K. and the U.S. (the full list is below). Finalists will be announced in May after three global showcase events where each team has the chance to demonstrate how their proposal will economically benefit their region. The showcases will be held in New Delhi on February 28th, Washington D.C. on April 6th, and London on April 27th. Twenty of the proposals currently have governmental or other funding sources already lined up.

Corridors in the semifinalist round include:
AR Buenos Aires-Cordoba
AU Sydney-Melbourne
CA Ontario (cargo)
CA Toronto-Montreal
CA Vancouver (cargo)
CH Shanghai-Hangzhou
DE Autobahn
EE Tallin-Helsi...

Do western architects disrespect eastern architecture?

2012-07-17T19:21:00-04:00

Seung, who is the third Korean architect ever selected and the only one to get invited twice, says he hesitated to participate in the Biennale. This is because of the 64 star architects invited, there were only two from Asia: Seung and Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima. “I thought the European architecture world doesn’t respect Asian architecture. After hesitating, I decided to go and discuss Asian architectural values that aren’t found in Western architecture.”

Top Architects Go Local

2011-12-30T03:20:14-05:00

People are searching for something more authentic, says Kenneth Frampton, a British architect and critic and professor of architecture at Columbia University, who helped define this movement as "critical regionalism." Mr. Frampton says these houses are a reaction to the past couple decades of "compulsive uniformity," whether it's McMansions or the proliferation of "white box" modern houses.