The Architectural League of New York's Beaux Arts Ball 2014: Craft on September 20 is coming up! Tickets to the festive event are currently on sale, but guess what: Archinect is giving away two pairs of tickets to two lucky readers! (two tickets for each winner)
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: In the comment section below, give at least one example of a building or architectural detail that exemplifies the art of "craft". Two winners will be chosen on Monday, September 15.
Read on for more details...
Taking place this year at the historic Weylin B. Seymour's in Brooklyn, the ball's 2014 theme "Craft" celebrates the value of artisanship and multi-disciplinary collaboration in creating architecture. Nine architects and designers will work with Nuit Blanche New York to create digital projection interpretations that will highlight the "craft" of the interior design of Weylin B. Seymour's, which is an 1875 George B. Post and Peter B.Wight-designed former Williamsburgh Savings Bank.
For the next two weeks as September 20 approaches, the Arch League will continuously update a behind-the-scenes feature on the restoration of Weylin B. Seymour's. The feature will include excerpts from interviews with the artisans, specialists, architects, designers, and other key players involved in the building's restoration process.
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: In the comment section below, give at least one example of a building or architectural detail that exemplifies the art of "craft".
Two winners will be chosen on Monday, September 15. (two tickets for each winner). Good luck!
For more about the Beaux Arts Ball 2014, click here.
Also check out Archinect's previous coverage on Beaux Arts Ball 2013: -ism
10 Comments
I would like connect craft with context since it implies entirely different thing given time and medium the building is built or assembled. Craft to me has gone beyond the articulation of ornament in a classical building to the ability to rationalize and effortlessly implement complex geometry in a built form. A building that I would like to call attention to is right here in our back yard which is the Barkley’s Center by Shop Architects. The engineering effort to rationalize and install 11,499 is exemplary of what craft can mean to architects today. It is the integration of, design, technology and intelligent implementation to push the envelope of what can be accomplished.
Craft, from the Old English cræft, meaning skill has its roots in the German and Swedish word kraft denoting strength. An integral concept of the Beaux Arts movement coincidentally incorporated this idea. The movement theorized that the strength of design and construction could create a legacy of skill development. Craft, though it is limited to small scale production, has the ability to inform and inspire those who interact with it, from the masters and apprentices in their respective fields to the designers and theorists who build upon their methods. The Grand Ise Shrine in Japan exemplifies this ideal. Rebuilt every twenty years since the 7th century, the simple wood building has influenced architects and designers globally. The strength of its concept, due to the rigor of its craft, is a resource for those who look upon it for inspiration.
Hilversum Town Hall by Willem Marinus Dudok, 1931
Palazzo del Te, Giulio Romano, 1524-1534
Specifically the courtyard. Not for its "craft" as in craftsmanship, but for the craft evident in the execution (and manipulation / transformation) of its formal composition.
Tile work at Colonia Guell, Gaudi.
Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre by Peter Rich Architects in South Africa. Very compelling synthesis of vernacular craftsmanship and masonry construction while engaging digital fabrication. It's hard to tell if this building is 4 years old or 400.
on a residential scale it is easier to find truly crafted architecture. mickey muennig and tom kundig come to mind. fabrication of course has grown by leaps and bounds in some practices, as noted above, though the digital contribution doesn't always compare favorably to "hand-hewn"! as much as i enjoy post ranch inn, a place that comes to my mind as crafted from the moment you approach the grounds is the inn at middleton place.
it exudes serenity and order!
Awesome comments everyone, did anyone win?
Also, we can't, not mention Bruder Klaus Field Chapel / Peter Zumthor when talking about craft. Its another radical technique in building that can be considered poetic in its simplicity and elegance.
Congratulations to Brian and George! We will make an official announcement and contact you shortly with details. We hope both of you (and your +1's) will have a great time at the ball.
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