The news of British Prime Minister Theresa May announcing today that she would move out of 10 Downing Street on June 7, following a lengthy period of political disarray over the UK's post-Brexit future as well as criticism over her handling of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy, did not come as an... View full entry
Daniel Libeskind, the architect famous for the Jewish Museum Berlin, has added another holocaust memorial project to European soil. Rendering of 'Through the Lens of Faith,' by Daniel Libeskind On July 1st, Libeskind will present a new temporary exhibition at Auschwitz-Birkenau, perhaps the... View full entry
Following a sizable decrease in demand for design services in March, the April Architecture Billings Index (ABI) climbed back into positive territory according to a new report today from The American Institute of Architects (AIA).
AIA’s ABI score for April showed a small increase in design services at 50.5 in April, which is up from 47.8 [...] Despite this and the positive overall billings score, most regional and sector indicators continue to display decreasing demand for design services.
— AIA
"In contrast to 2018, conditions throughout the construction sector recently have become more unsettled," said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. "Though we may not be at a critical inflection point, the next several months of billing data will be indicative of the health of the... View full entry
The Minneapolis skyline has been mostly untouched for nearly 20 years.
By the end of June, the city is expected to finalize the sale of the former Nicollet Hotel Block for the Gateway project, a 37-story, mixed-use tower that will become one of the 10 tallest buildings in Minneapolis and one of a few office skyscrapers to be built in the Twin Cities this century. Construction is expected to start soon after, though some work has already begun on the site.
— Star Tribune
Image: United Properties View full entry
Notre Dame is not stable and urgently needs reinforcing. [...]
The collapse of a part of the vaults has severely reduced the safety of its structural system, which, in the case of a Gothic cathedral, does not rely on the heavy mass of the walls, as in classical architecture, but on discharging weight through clustered columns, external flying buttresses and counter-supports—a structural “exoskeleton” that until now has been extremely effective and resilient.
— The Art Newspaper
A new assessment of the Gothic cathedral's structural system after the devastating April 15 fire shows that the stability has been severely weakened by various factors and warns that the walls could now fail to withstand strong wind gusts. The morning after the incident: Notre Dame's spire is gone... View full entry
What should we do with industrial sites after they have fulfilled their original purpose? Considering the fact that so many of the now disused sites are so close to city centers, the answer to this question can determine the quality of city life for many places around the world. Landschaftspark... View full entry
An eclectic range of project types is represented in this year's RIBA London Awards which were just announced by the Royal Institute of British Architects. The 47 winning projects were selected from 83 shortlisted projects published in March and feature new work by some of the UK's heavy hitters... View full entry
Glass has always been an unlikely material for large buildings, because of how difficult it becomes to control temperature and glare indoors. In fact, the use of fully glazed exteriors only became possible with advances in air conditioning technology and access to cheap and abundant energy, which came about in the mid-20th century. And studies suggest that on average, carbon emissions from air conditioned offices are 60% higher than those from offices with natural or mechanical ventilation. — Fast Company
Philip Johnson, after building his own Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, had this bit of advice to offer others in the field: "Don't build a glass house if you're worried about saving money on heating." The advancement of modern architecture was predicated on the seemingly magical properties... View full entry
This week Ken and I are speaking with the leadership team responsible for the upcoming Brown University Performing Arts Center – Joshua Ramus of REX, Carl Giegold of Threshold Acoustics and David Rosenburg of Theatre Projects. Brown University Performing Arts Center, East... View full entry
The City of London’s new tallest building, PLP’s 22 Bishopsgate tower which completes next year, has reached its highest point
The 62-storey skyscraper for French investment manager AXA IM – Real Assets and development partner Lipton Rogers officially topped out at 294.52m AOD (above ordnance datum) or 278m above ground.
— Architect's Journal
The new 22 Bishopsgate tower (formerly the Pinnacle/Helter Skelter) now stands taller than its nearby City of London neighbors, the Cheesegrater and Heron Tower, but can't quite reach the height of the Renzo Piano-designed Shard near London Bridge.Rendering of 22 Bishopsgate in its urban context... View full entry
A downtown Milwaukee high-rise has found support from an unlikely source: the United States Department of Agriculture.
The department’s Forestry Service division announced this week that it had awarded 41 grants totaling $8.9 million to businesses, universities, non-profits and tribal partners in 20 states to “create jobs, support fire-safe communities, restore healthy forest conditions, and spur environmentally sound innovation.”
— Urban Milwaukee
Part of the grant will be allocated to Ascent, a potentially record-breaking mass timber tower in Milwaukee proposed by New Land Enterprises (previously on Archinect). Image: Korb + Associates Architects."The funds will be used to support engineering work on the proposed 21-story, 201-unit... View full entry
As an architecture student-turn-fashion designer, Virgil Abloh has famously straddled the line between the two professions. An exhibition of his work, which has been described as 'ultramodern' and 'genre-bending,' will highlight this Interdisciplinarity at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago... View full entry
Join us in celebrating Ballpark, the latest book by Paul Goldberger, at Archinect Outpost on Saturday, June 1st, 5-8pm. The doors will open at 5 and will close promptly after 6 as the conversation begins between Paul Goldberger and Paul Petrunia, the founder and director of Archinect, on the... View full entry
Urban designers are increasingly being tasked with an emergent ‘design challenge’ for public spaces: how best to deliver anti-terror infrastructure while generating a pleasant urban environment. By allowing themselves to be drawn into this challenge, and by dutifully working to respond with creative and constructive solutions, they are inadvertently helping to normalize a creeping ‘fortification’ of our cities that in turn contributes to a wider process of ‘bordering’ across the world. — Failed Architecture
Urbanist Alice Sweitzer and Failed Architecture editor Charlie Clemoes share their thoughts on a booming new design task, "making an increasingly aggressive urban situation more palatable to an ever more anxious citizenry." View full entry
A judge temporarily stopped the city’s plan to open a homeless shelter in a former hotel near Billionaires’ Row, which a group of residents have been trying to derail citing fire safety concerns in the property. [...]
The stay is the latest in a nearly two year battle between locals and the city over the shelter at the Park Savoy Hotel—which backs against the One57 luxury tower that has $100 million condos [...].
— Commercial Observer
"Neighbors have fiercely opposed the shelter, citing possible increased criminal activity and fire safety concerns," reports Curbed NY. "But, as [Judge Alexander] Tisch noted in his April ruling, the FDNY approved the building’s Fire Protection Plan. Further, a source familiar with the plan said... View full entry
