Many of these references are to natural phenomena: the wind-blown sand dunes of the desert or the sanctuary of an oasis; others refer to a way of life seemingly passing beyond recall: the dhows used for trade and pearl diving, or the tents of the nomadic Bedouins. — Atlantic Cities
It is like the new expression of Orientalism. Middle East architecture is defined by few limited metaphors by Western architects who are really looking East to fulfill their payroll obligations. View full entry
"A. Quincy Jones: Building for Better Living" is the LA-based architect's first major museum retrospective happening now until Sept. 8 at the Hammer Museum. Practicing architecture in Los Angeles from 1939 to his death in 1979, Jones -- or Quincy, as he was known -- is described as a quiet... View full entry
Randell Makinson, a forceful advocate for preservation of the rambling Greene & Greene bungalows that came to be seen as graceful emblems of early 20th century California, has died. He was 81. — LA times
Randell Makinson is an important force of the architectural preservation community not only for Los Angeles but for California in general before there was LA Conservancy and preservation boards. An authority of Greene & Greene Architecture who has written 5 books on their work and also... View full entry
Young Frank sees creative possibilities everywhere, and likes to use anything he can get his hands on—macaroni, old boxes, spoons, and sometimes even his dog, Eddie—to create things like chairs out of toilet paper rolls and twisting skyscrapers made up of his grandfather’s books. But Old Frank is skeptical; he doesn’t think that’s how REAL architects make things. — Inside/Out
MoMA's new children's book, Young Frank, Architect tells the story of a budding architect living with his architect grandfather in modern-day New York City. Hoping to give a lesson in design professionalism, Old Frank takes Young Frank on a trip to MoMA, where they find inspiration in... View full entry
In the latest edition of the Working out of the Box series Archinect interviewed Brooklyn-based designer & artist Doug Johnston. His current profession is creating "objects by stitching rope together" and he explains "I guess sometime early on, I realized that my design work wouldn't be... View full entry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FAÇADE IMPROVEMENT TO INVIGORATE HALF BLOCK OF LONG BEACH Long Beach, CA, August 12, 2013 The City of Long Beach is revitalizing a half-block in need of an upgrade at the corner of Long Beach Blvd. and Anaheim Street across from the Blue Line. Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio... View full entry
Los Angeles is a vast city with countless significant buildings working their way into native architects' psyche often without their acknowledgement. It is not unusual one of those buildings would show up head on, often seen while driving and only to go back to their reclusive place in mind... View full entry
"The Poetics of Boxes" is the first monographic exhibit in Europe of the work of Mathias Klotz, currently one of Chile's most acclaimed international architects. The exhibit opens on Sept. 13 at Aedes Berlin. The upcoming exhibit will reveal the design approaches and methods of Klotz's... View full entry
Hey Archinectors! We're having another exciting giveaway, this time from Michael Blackwood Productions, who is also giving a summer discount of 20% + free shipping for both institutional and individual clients until September 30. To enter, simply fill out this survey by 11:59 PM Friday, August... View full entry
Shelly Kappe moderates a panel consisting of Charles Moore, Frank Gehry, Helmut Schulitz, Peter de Bretteville, Roland Coate, and Glen Small. They discuss their ideas about the future. This Fall 1976 series was supported by a grant from the Graham Foundation. Moore emphasizes the importance of the past. — SCI Arc Media Archive
Gehry proposes new material possibilities. Schulitz questions the values of contemporary commercial society. De Bretteville discusses complexity and its various forms in architecture. Coate discusses diversity in the world of architecture, proposing that the discipline of architecture will cross... View full entry
The principals of the respected New York firm Rogers Marvel Architects have decided to form two independent practices, to be known as Marvel Architects and Rogers Partners. Jonathan Marvel and Robert Rogers came to a “mutual agreement to formally dissolve their current practice,” according to a statement. — archpaper.com
A turn of events took place for Cité Radieuse in 2010, when the building’s rooftop gym and solarium went up for sale. Designer Ito Morabito, who goes by Ora-Ito, purchased it as a collector might. “Like you buy a piece of art, but architecture,” he noted. After the acquisition, it became Ora-Ito’s self-appointed mission to honor the iconic structure.
Ora-Ito transformed the rooftop of Cité Radieuse into MAMO, a contemporary art center dedicated to exhibitions and creative ateliers.
— knstrct.com
The [Marina Abramovic Institute] was launched last year, and designed by none other than OMA, under the direction of partners Shohei Shigematsu and Rem Koolhaas. The architects are poised to explore programming for the center and produce mock-ups--depending on Kickstarter results. The funding Abramovic is after is to cover this "first phase" work on the project. — Co.Design
Performance artist Marina Abramovic is the latest established artist seeking funding for large-scale projects using Kickstarter, the democratic fundraising platform. The Marina Abramovic Institute, to be located in Hudson, New York, will use the funds from Kickstarter backers... View full entry
There may be better terms but it seems we are going to be stuck with “starchitect” until everybody with a keyboard agrees to retire it. — Metropolis Blog
Guy Horton tackles the subject of starchitect mechanism in a Metropolis article where he quotes some other critics on the subject including yours truly. View full entry
Well, it is the prerogative of men to enter the world without acknowledging that they are men. - Sylvia Lavin — Harvard GSD M.Arch.I (Lian)
Watching Sylvia Lavin and Eric Owen Moss in conversation at SCI-Arc last night, prolific Archinect blogger Lian Chang took careful note of a few key impasses -- where Lavin and Moss either failed to see eye-to-eye, or artfully dodged one another's argumentative traps. Lavin, an imposing academic... View full entry
