Cummins Inc. announced Tuesday morning that it has selected New York-based Deborah Berke Partners to design its global distribution headquarters in downtown Indianapolis. — Indianapolis Business Journal
Cummins Inc. has an important history of working with significant architects in Columbus, Indiana, the small Midwestern city where it is located. In selecting Deborah Berke Partners for its new global headquarters in downtown Indianapolis the company commits to fostering excellent design in the region, as well.
13 Comments
Deborah Berke is the best.
Prob one of top 5 architects alive.
Sheila Kennedy, Kazuyo Sejima, Zaha Hadid, and Farshid Moussavi
GURL POWR!!!
Predictably, many of the local blog commenters feel Berke's work is "boring". I'm keeping silent on those blogs, but I'll say it here surrounded by other architects: Pearls before swine, man. It IS the Midwest, despite Cummins best efforts to elevate local appreciation for quality design.
<sigh>
I'd say to those bloggers that they need to visit the Hope Library or the Irwin Union Bank Branch she did off of 10th and Marr in Columbus. It's not flashy work that she does, but it is packed full of meaning and always well done. I think she's a good choice.
Most of the architecture tastemakers are lazy, and can't find anything to write about subtlety, modest and sharp modern craft that makes most of the current construction. The 21c series is top notch. Most writers wet themselves for Bjarke Ingels but it's gonna be interesting to see how flimsy his work is in retrospect.
Top 5 living by built work:
Holl
Mackay-Lyons
SHoP
Berke
Rem (pre China)
Worst: Bjarke "death of adulthood" Ingels
Darkman, doesn't Todd Williams Billie Tsien belong on that list? They MAKE better than just about anyone, certainly better than the Rem buildings I've been to (SPL and IIT - both of which I *love* and think are exceptionally pieces of architecture, but they aren't particularly well-crafted, materially, IMO).
At first glance, yes TWBT fall into this category, though I remember a lecture by TW explaining very $$$ materials, fitting of an Egyptian tomb. Heavier, Kahn-y feel. Which made the Folk Art demo even more puzzling. Drops them down a few notches. Also Peter Bohlin would have made it, sadly RIP.
Berke is sharp modernism that doesn't feel like a throwback. Same for BCJ.
Agree on IIT and SPL, while craft wasn't superb, the innovate use of moden materials, planning and graphics are answer to everything Rem bitches about now.
Yes, I woudl include BCJ. I woudl also add Krueck Sexton in Chicago; the Spertus building is incredible.
Let's not forget about Julie Snow in Minneapolis. Excellently crafted modernism with local relevance.
I'm really intrigued by her hairstyle. Do you suppose she colors the back and leaves just the front gray or is it the reverse? I'd like to think that the coloring isn't all natural and that is it very much a design decision which would be consistent with her work. The gray highlights her face and eyes in a pretty amazing way and I've honestly never thought of a two tone hairstyle.
Did Darkman pick the lineup for this competition? Berke, TWBT, and SHoP all competing - 3 of his apparent faves.
I'll admit that I'm not crazy about Berke's work. Some of the others mentioned above have bodies of work which re-visit modernism in a far more conceptually rigorous (and technically elegant) way, but that's just me. Her work always struck me as a bit of a yawn - boring concepts and fairly nice tectonic execution but nothing particularly show-stopping. That said, credit where credit's due: her bank in Columbus, Indiana is really nice.
Update: renderings published!
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.