This ice castle—or, ice bank fortress—is perhaps the most spectacular entrant in the 30th annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin. A sign hanging outside the sculpture suggests it’s intended to look like a branch of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the nation’s biggest bank. — qz.com
Whether you're flying out for the holidays, staying at home, or you happen to be a migratory bird searching for a stylish pitstop in the midst of your seasonal travels, you might want to check out the birdhouses in Airbnb's "Every Traveler Deserves a Home" campaign that launched on Dec... View full entry
As virtual access to art collections expands through online walk-throughs and projects like Google’s Open Gallery, museums have long been experimenting within their own halls with ways to accommodate a wider range of visitors, particularly those with disabilities. Historically, museums... View full entry
As America's East Coast continues to recover from Hurricane Sandy, MODU's recently completed "Weather (Un)control" exhibition of the Marfa Dialogues/NY highlights an overlooked issue of the storm's aftermath that still remains: the invisible contaminants in indoor air. — bustler.net
The installation features drawings made from artificial dust and static electricity to address the current shortsighted methods for indoor air quality inspection and a "right" to better indoor air. Photos by Brett Beyer. More info at Bustler. View full entry
After two successful showings, the third edition of UNStudio's Motion Matters exhibition opened at the MAXXI Museum in Rome on Dec. 6. As an exploration of movement, space, and perspective, the site-specific installation has visitors interact with and experience 10 rescaled representations of UNStudio's architectural designs. — bustler.net
Get more details at Bustler. Photos © Cesare Querci View full entry
Archinect is delighted to present 5468796 Architecture's travelogue for their award-winning research project, Table for Twelve. The Winnipeg-based firm received the 2013 Professional Prix de Rome in Architecture from the Canada Council for the Arts, awarded to emerging Canadian architects with... View full entry
Adolf Loos, the enigmatic Moravian-born architect, is better known for his writings than his buildings. A century after the publication of his polemical essay “Ornament and Crime,” a Columbia University exhibition called “Adolf Loos: Our Contemporary” examines his enduring relevance. — nytimes.com
The NYT talks to Yehuda E. Safran, exhibition organizer. View full entry
The Santiago Calatrava: The Metamorphosis of Space exhibition celebrated its grand opening at the Braccio di Carlo Magno in Vatican City today.
Curated by Micol Forti of the Vatican Museums, the special exhibition presents over 140 artistic works of Calatrava, including his never-before-seen architectural models, sculptures, and watercolor drawings.
— bustler.net
Images property of Studio Calatrava © Santiago Calatrava View full entry
Once a bustling and stylish avenue, now a street that no longer knows its identity or purpose, no other street in Rotterdam provokes as much discussion as the Coolsingel. — Sculpture International Rotterdam
The Coolsingel is Rotterdam's civic artery, a 1km street home to the city's economic, commercial and political focal points. But despite its central position and function for the last century, the street has suffered a bit of an identity crisis, and lacks the vibrancy it once channeled. To... View full entry
MODU's competition-winning Outdoor Room creates a visual experience while raising awareness on Beijing's persistent air-quality issues.
Recently installed in Beijing's Olympic Park for the 5th China International Architecture Biennial, the 5,000 sq.ft pavilion functions as urban public space and a barometer for Beijing's air quality levels — which are documented as much as the daily weather report.
— bustler.net
All images courtesy of MODU, photography: Matthew Niederhauser. View full entry
In need of weekend plans for December? Some fun Saturday events are happening at the Neutra VDL House in Los Angeles. If you're around the area, be sure to check 'em out!Event details are right below:RELIER Fundraiser & Cocktail Party | December 14, Doors open 4 p.m.The RELIER team -- an... View full entry
Curated by architect and historian Joseph Abram, in collaboration with Rem Koolhaas’ OMA/AMO, the exhibition celebrates the work of Perret, in particular his extended use of reinforced concrete.
The exhibition analyzes, through more than 400 original documents such as sketches, pictures, scale models and personal letters, eight buildings conceived by Perret. These include the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, along with the Hôtel de Ville and the Eglise Saint Joseph in Le Havre.
— wwd.com
Archinect's Architecture School Lecture Guide for Fall 2013 "Get Lectured" is an ongoing series where we feature a school's lecture series--along with their snazzy posters--for the current season. Although the fall term is about to wrap up, we'll still post some select posters and lecture series... View full entry
"A to Z" by acclaimed Brazilian architect and designer Isay Weinfeld is his first U.S. exhibition, which opened on Nov. 12 at the ESPASSO gallery in New York City.
Celebrating Weinfeld's 40th year in practice, the retrospective features two exhibition pieces he made from sustainable tauari branco wood, a showcase of his furniture and product designs, and 13 new films he directed over the past year [...].
"A to Z" will be open until Dec. 1, 2013.
— bustler.net
All images courtesy of ESPASSO. View full entry
Now here's a little weekend inspiration. "Lucid Stead" is an art installation by Phillip K. Smith, III in the beautiful desert landscape of Joshua Tree in California.
With some mirrors, LED lights, custom built electronic equipment, and Arduino programming, Smith transformed a 70-year-old homesteader shack into an architecture piece that complements and contrasts with its peaceful environment throughout the entire day.
— bustler.net
All images courtesy of Phillip K. Smith, III; photographers: Steve King, Lance Gerber, Lou Mora (see image gallery below for details) View full entry