March 2019 looked to the past and potential future of the architectural field. There were tributes to influential figures, revisiting the beginnings of one's own design journey, and long-awaited major projects finally coming to life. We also highlighted historical appointments to leadership roles at institutions across the country, practical advice on life after architecture school, groundbreaking technology with possible design applications, and emerging women designers who are positively impacting the future of architecture. In no particular order, here's a recap of the people, places, and things that shaped March 2019 on Archinect.
NEWS
The yearly Women in Architecture Awards spotlights inspiring women who continue to push the boundaries of the profession through progressive design. The competition's highest honors went to Sheila O'Donnell (co-founder of O'Donnell + Tuomey) and Xu TianTian (founder of DnA Design and Architecture).
“Roche was a unique voice in modern architecture for his ability to advocate for abstracted forms that nonetheless tied thoughtfully into their environments.” Moving to the U.S. from his native Ireland in 1948, he will always be remembered for his lasting influence in the American architecture scene. Have another listen to Archinect's interview with Roche in 2015 here.
Arata Isozaki named 2019 Pritzker Prize winner
The 2019 Pritzker jury praised Arata Isozaki for "possessing a profound knowledge of architectural history and theory, and embracing the avant-garde." They added that he "never merely replicated the status quo, but his search for meaningful architecture was reflected in his buildings that to this day, defy stylistic categorizations, are constantly evolving, and always fresh in their approach.”
Meet Hazel Ruth Edwards, Howard University's first female architecture chair
With 30 years of experience as a researcher and a strong background in grantsmanship, Edwards — who is the first woman to be appointed as Howard University's architecture chair in its history — has served as a member of the school's planning and development team. She was also principal designer for many projects that have influenced the campus.
Turns out, Walter Gropius was more warm and fuzzy than we remember him to be
Walter Gropius "was in fact a charismatic figure," according to The Guardian's Fiona MacCarthy, who argues that these long-held ideas of Gropius being humorless “need to be challenged. Why have people got him so wrong?”, she writes.
From Tower Fantasies to Writing Realities; A Conversation with eVolo's Carlo Aiello
Archinect had a chat with Carlo Aiello, the founder of eVolo, which is best known for their mega-popular annual Skyscraper Competition. In the conversation, Aiello looks back at his studies at Columbia GSAPP, working for SOM and Asymptote, and moving to LA to become an entrepreneur.
This new 'acoustic metamaterial' can cancel the sounds of anything—without blocking airflow
"Inside the outer ring, a helical pattern interferes with sounds, blocking them from transmitting through the open center while preserving air's ability to flow through," explain the Boston University researchers who made the discovery. Their discovery can potentially lead to a multitude of practical applications, including in architecture.
This AI converts simple sketches into photorealistic landscapes—and architecture will be next
"GauGAN could offer a powerful tool for creating virtual worlds to everyone from architects and urban planners to landscape designers and game developers. With an AI that understands how the real world looks, these professionals could better prototype ideas and make rapid changes to a synthetic scene."
New York's Hudson Yards finally got its grand opening after almost two eventful decades of planning and development, to say the least. After following the project's development since 2011, Archinect created a timeline looking back on its progress on our site.
Snøhetta's underwater restaurant, first of its kind in Europe, completes
Snøhetta's underwater restaurant, Under, opened to the public and it appears the project's ambitious construction process went swimmingly (sorry, had to). Sitting 16 feet underwater, the experiential dining space was built on a barge near the coast and then towed some 600 feet to its intended location.
'Flintstone House' owner sued by neighbors. Eyesore or Yabba-dabba-doo?
In the affluent Northern California town of Hillsborough, neighbors hated the quirky “Flintstone Home’ so much that they sued the current owner for permit violations and creating a “highly visible eyesore” that is "out of keeping with community standards."
2019 Serpentine Pavilion architect Junya Ishigami draws criticism for unpaid internships in Japan
The rage against unpaid internships carries on. Not long after being commissioned to design the 2019 Serpentine Pavilion, Junya Ishigami + Associates and the Serpentine Galleries landed in hot water when it emerged that the renowned firm uses unpaid interns in Japan, the Architects' Journal reported. Though controversial in the UK and the US, unpaid internships are still common practice in Japan.
Jean Nouvel's “desert rose” National Museum of Qatar opens to the public
After over a decade of planning, the Jean Nouvel-designed National Museum of Qatar finally celebrated its grand opening. Featuring “great curved disks, intersections, and cantilevered angles”, the museum's design was inspired by the rose-like, crystallized formations from the desert.
FEATURES
SOFTlab founder Michael Szivos looks back on his journey as an emerging designer and talks about the challenge of balancing the business and creativity sides of his practice, among other topics. “I am more conscious lately about actively pursuing a couple of projects a year that allow us to live up to our name. So in a way [our name] acts as a mechanism to remind us why the studio was started,” Szivos said.
What to Expect After Graduating From Architecture School
Where to begin in navigating the mysterious land that is post-grad life? This article shares some insights into the ups and downs of life after architecture school, from the process of finding a job, camaraderie with your colleagues, and the always-important reminder of staying true to yourself.
Extra Extra: A Sprinkle of Defense of the Museum of Ice Cream
Ryan Scavnicky discusses the cultural merit of the rise of Instagrammable pop-ups like the Museum of Ice Cream. “The Museum of Ice Cream isn’t good, but it is exactly good enough because it is what people want,” Scavnicky writes. “The image-creation pop-up museum could be the most important typology as a new American phenomenon. Will we sit idly by, or will we play along?”
The New Wave of Female Powerhouses are Pushing the Boundaries of Professional Practice
In celebration of International Women's Day, Archinect highlighted some of the women who are pushing the boundaries of architectural practice in the ongoing effort to make the field more inclusive and diverse. Working across a wide range of sectors, architecture's new wave of female powerhouses are leading the way for its future.
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