...the [Architectural Works Copyright Protection Act] is a [comparatively] recent development. Architecture shares certain myths with art that influence its commercial value, such as that of the singular author and singular work, but these are also relatively recent: Renaissance architects believed the peak of civilisation existed in antiquity, and so imitated ancient ruins.
The commercial and social value of “new” and “novel” and even “original” are, arguably, products of modernity.
— the Guardian
The team will examine the spatial experiences of people with Alzheimer’s and the installation will be accompanied by a social media campaign designed to extend the reach of the work beyond the Biennale. [...]
The scheme was set to be a test case for future developments and was seen as an opportunity to ‘improve the quality of life of a marginalised group by reaching towards an understanding of the deep human mystery of how we place ourselves in the world.’
— architectsjournal.co.uk
More design work responding to the symptoms of Alzheimer's:Showcase: Antoine de St exupéry home for dependent elderly people, by Naud & Poux ArchitectesInside the Dutch Village Where Everyone Has DementiaDesigning for Seniors and Soldiers, Toward a "Silver" Architecture View full entry
We're pleased to announce a special bonus episode of Archinect Sessions, featuring a live recording of the closing panel discussion for "Shelter" at the Architecture + Design Museum in Los Angeles. To close out the exhibition on November 6, curators Sam Lubell and Danielle Rago hosted two panel... View full entry
As architects, we are living at a time of shifting paradigms. [...] It’s why I’m so interested in how architects and urban planners engage with other fields – economics, security, the environment and so on. Our challenge must be to go beyond architecture and speak the languages of these other disciplines, before translating our discussions into formal design proposals. [...] Our ultimate focus is still on form, but what informs this has expanded dramatically. — theguardian.com
Just a few key takeaways from Alejandro Aravena's piece for The Guardian:"As curator of Reporting From The Front, I want to reverse the idea that the Biennale only deals with issues that are of interest to other architects. We have begun by identifying problems that every citizen can not only... View full entry
Built in 1962, the People’s Bank has distinct glossy, off-teal bricks and a sawtooth, vaulted rooftop. The building is not only one of the finest remaining examples of Googie commercial architecture in Kentucky — it is one of the finest examples in the nation. However, after years of neglect, locals are working to ensure that the building isn’t leveled into a movie theater parking lot. — hyperallergic.com
Related in the Archinect news:Only one vote left before Marina City can become official city landmarkL.A. City Council Officially Votes Norms Restaurant as "Historic and Cultural Landmark"Has preservation become too conservative and elitist? View full entry
You're familiar with pretty much every phase of Julius Shulman's long career as an architectural photographer. You started following the globe-trotting Iwan Baan on Instagram way before he became a design-world celebrity. You can't recommend Ezra Stoller's black-and-white pictures of midcentury Manhattan highly enough.
But Wayne Thom? The name may draw a blank.
— LA Times
“History is not a simple meritocracy: it is a narrative of the past written and revised - or not written at all - by people with agendas.” - Despina Stratigakos, "Unforgetting Women Architects: From the Pritzker to Wikipedia", Places Journal, June 2013In 2007, in the nascent days of Wikipedia... View full entry
Swiss architect Christian Kerez, born 1962 in Maracaibo (Venezuela), will be responsible for creating the exhibition at the Swiss Pavilion for the 15th edition of the Architecture Biennale in Venice.
Kerez studied at ETH Zürich and has been teaching there as Professor of Architecture and Design since 2009.
— Pro Helvetia
Pro Helvetia, the Swiss arts council that has been responsible for the country's contributions to the Venice Biennale since 2012, announced the other day that Christian Kerez will create the exhibition for next year's Biennale. Kerez is best known for a commercial tower project in Zhengzhou... View full entry
Season two of Archinect Sessions premiered last week – featuring a discussion on the Chicago Architecture Biennial with Log director (and co-curator of the US Pavilion for the 2016 Venice Biennale) Cynthia Davidson – and to finish out our coverage of CAB, we're posting the "Next... View full entry
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2015Archinect's Get Lectured is ready for another school year. Get Lectured is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series—and their snazzy posters—for the current term. Check back frequently to keep track of any... View full entry
Held at the Grand Hyatt from October 26 to 30, the conference theme was The Resurgence of the Skyscraper City. A series of case studies presented by leading visionaries in the industry showcased building technologies, new landmark developments around the world, and where the capital to finance these developments is coming from. — SkyriseCities
At a CTBUH conference held in New York City last month, well known architects including Daniel Libeskind, Bjarke Ingels, Moshe Safdie, Adrian Smith and Rafael Viñoly joined planners and developers to discuss the future of skyscraper design and construction around the world. Many of their... View full entry
As the evening progresses, the event turns into a painful X-ray of the current state of American academia: a strangely insular world with its own autonomous codes, dominated by some antiquated pecking order with an estranged value system and no hope of a correction from within. The often grandiose character of the debate stands in stark contrast to the marginal nature of that which is being debated. — Reinier de Graaf
Reinier de Graaf, partner at OMA, delivers a scathing takedown of the current state of architecture academia as represented by the participants of the ArchAgenda Debates, a panel in which he was also a participant. Alongside Jeff Kipnis, Patrik Schumacher, Peter Eisenman, and Theodore... View full entry
November 5th marks the celebration of Guy Fawkes day in the U.K., in which bonfires are lit to celebrate the capture of the titular royal traitor and the subsequent preservation of the life of King James I in 1605. Of course, lighting things on fire to commemorate dates isn't limited to the... View full entry
Each year, Critical Halloween celebrates a feared ghost of art and architectural production. This year, we explore DEMO, which operates simultaneously as an abbreviation, a prefix, a verb, and a noun.
From acts of collective will (DEMOnstration) to institutional erasure (DEMOlition), DEMO invites guests to intellectually examine ideas, issues, and objects in art, architecture, and design with a focus on those that should get a dose of DEMO.
— Storefront for Art and Architecture
Critical Halloween, an annual event hosted by the Storefront for Art and Architecture, is a hybrid party, critical debate, and costume contest. Each year, the organizers announce a "spooky" architectural issue or concept, which is then interpreted by design aficionados and practitioners from... View full entry
Leading up to (and continuing after) the premiere of Archinect Sessions' second season on November 5, we're posting individual interviews as Mini-Sessions from our first-ever live-podcasting series, "Next Up", held at Jai & Jai Gallery in Los Angeles' Chinatown and at the opening weekend... View full entry