Encountered on the street, they are enigmatic and shifting, even voluptuous. They appear carefully controlled, but their underlying geometry is far from obvious. Driving or walking by causes the towers' profiles to change continuously, and it would require significant mental acrobatics to map the relationship between profiles and construct a complete mental model of the building. From a closer vantage point, the geometric enigma remains, but a feature at another scale begins to dominate. — domusweb.it
In the international architectural competition for the new 'Ozeanium' Aquarium in Basel, Switzerland, the proposal 'Seacliff' by Boltshauser Architekten has been selected as the winning entry. The Zurich-based firm beat out tough competition from big architectural names, like Zaha Hadid Architects, who came in third, or David Chipperfield Architects, MVRDV, and Behnisch Architekten who only made the shortlist. — bustler.net
Hopes rose when the Norman Foster firm was hired to overhaul the 2,700-seat hall on the north side of New York’s Lincoln Center. That was in 2005, and nothing came of it.
Is there a future for the jinxed hall? Perhaps. The success of Lincoln Center’s $1.2 billion remodeling -- from the jauntily tilting lawn and the space-age fountain, to the electronic come- ons that zip across the outside stairs -- can only be inspirational.
— bloomberg.com
Bloomerg's James S. Russell opines on his picks for a new architect, with a list that includes Diller Scofidio & Renfro, Frank Gehry, Snohetta, and Jean Nouvel. View full entry
Hyuntek Yoon and Soobum You, who go by atelier WHY, has sent us their 1st place entry for the Detroit Design 2102: Detroit Riverfront competition. THE FOREST: Fairy tale between the City and the Forest Many things fill the city and continue to do so. The act of “filling” is the virtue... View full entry
Determined to realize a landmark building that will match the esteem of Kent State’s architecture program (currently scattered among disparate buildings on campus), the university is asking four teams, led by Bialosky & Partners Architects, Richard L. Bowen & Associates Inc., The Collaborative Inc., and Westlake Reed Leskosky — all with offices in Cleveland or Toledo — to present thorough design proposals instead of wooing the jury with vaguely outlined schemes and interview charisma. — blogs.artinfo.com
The house is still inhabited by Viktor's daughter, Ekaterina Karinskaya. Ever since Viktor died in 2006, there have been plans to turn the building into a museum, but a family dispute involving Ms Karinskaya, her sister, the Moscow government and a multi-millionaire has meant that no progress has been made.
Preservationists say a nearby construction site has caused the foundations of the Melnikov House to be put in danger.
— independent.co.uk
Federal officials this morning announced that Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Architects has won the contract to build a $400 million Downtown courthouse.
“Today, the new federal courthouse is that much closer to becoming a reality for downtown Los Angeles,” said Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard in a prepared statement. The selection, she said, “means we are moving toward the groundbreaking of a critically needed facility that will resolve long-standing security and space issues.”
— ladowntownnews.com
The ten winners of the 2011 Emporis Skyscraper Award have been announced with New York City's 8 Spruce Street tower taking home the top place. The winners were chosen from over 220 skyscrapers completed in 2011. Now in its 12th year, the award program rewards ten skyscrapers completed in the previous calendar year. — bustler.net
It's known as Eleven Eleven, and it has changed people’s perception about what a utilitarian structure can be; and has ignited conversations worldwide about its design and use. This garage has reshaped the urban fabric of the city and people are going there to get married, relax, and enjoy a cocktail. — vimeo.com
Context South of Portugal, Algarve, Tavira. Here the ocean peeks, while the 400 olive trees surround the house. An old building has to give place to a new one, keeping the two- volume-footprint in the soft topography. Solution Based on the area occupied by the pre-existence, maintaining the... View full entry
Grimshaw Architects reveals an interesting glimpse of the massive construction going on at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia. Back in 2007, Grimshaw had won the competition for a new combined international and domestic terminal designed for 17 million passengers a year. The building is scheduled for completion in December 2013. — bustler.net
Testing the next evolution in commercial building skins the CJ Cheiljedang Research and Development Center’s unique responsive facade controls solar gain over a significant range of exposure... The accordion folded window shading wraps all three towers to provide a level of protection from solar glare. In key areas the shading folds to maximize solar control using a custom designed retractable mechanism. — eVolo
To think this idea came from an umbrella, well done. View full entry
Workers lifted the first section of the 408-foot spire to the top of One World Trade Center Wednesday morning. When completed, the spire will bring One WTC to a staggering 1,776 feet tall, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. (Though some skyscraper purists disagree.) — huffingtonpost.com
Features include individual taps that can be used for ritual cleansing before prayers and sliding doors to keep men and women apart... — BBC News
Anna Holligan reports that about 180 apartments in Amsterdam have been given special makeovers which suit the wishes of Muslim residents. Some such as the anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders have raised concerns that such a move decreases the likelihood of Muslim immigrants integration... View full entry
Danish firm HAO / Holm Architecture Office has shared with us its competition entry for a high-end hotel in Tianjin, Northern China. — bustler.net