Gruen’s idea transformed American consumption patterns and much of the environment around us. At age 60, however, the enclosed regional shopping mall also appears to be an idea that has run its course — theatlanticcities.com
The Milllennials, the generation born from 1983 onwards, enjoyed a childhood free of bunkbeds or even shared bathrooms. Growing up in plush megahomes undoubtedly helped them become, in the words of one author, “self-centred, needy, and entitled with unrealistic work expectations.” Oddly, it also spawned a group of people patently unimpressed with backyards and breakfast nooks. — news.nationalpost.com
The $3.5 billion development covers 12,355 acres and was built to house about 500,000 people, and this is one of "several satellite cities being constructed by Chinese firms around Angola," writes Redvers. — businessinsider.com
The building has two colossal, uneven leaning towers (the highest rises 768 feet) that are conjoined at the top by an enormous angular bridge. Conservative estimates put the cost at nearly $900 million; Koolhaas, for his part, says he has “no idea” of the price. What is certain is that the CCTV building now dominates the skyline of Beijing, just as it dominates the airwaves of the country. — thedailybeast.com
Attached are some photos of the CCTV building that I recently took while in Beijing. View full entry
Rusty Shackleford quipped "I wonder what the realtor spin will be with these units... ‘Japan style luxury!’ ‘MINI COOPER with plumbing! Going fast!’ ...I lived once in 275sg.ft. place in NYC. A more appropriate name for this housing type would be JAIL." KarjaCH countered "if properly designed with great attention paid to detail, 300 sf can be the most amazing place to live". Meanwhile hanque helpfully pointed out "if you look at the RFP they've already been designed."
Archinect’s latest project featured in the Showcase series is the House in Ovar, Portugal, by architect, Paula Santos. News NYC launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to... View full entry
And even more completion news from Dutch firms today: NL Architects informed us that their project De Kameleon, a supersized housing block in Amsterdam, was just completed. The huge mixed-used project includes apartments, parking, and a new shopping center in the troubled neighborhood formerly known as Bijlmer. — bustler.net
Rotterdam's MVRDV has completed the transformation of a disused mustard laboratory in Dijon, France (previously on Bustler) into an innovative call center with an education center, incubator and social program. — bustler.net
Previously in the Archinect News: MVRDV to Transform Dijon Mustard Lab into Call Center View full entry
Brad Pitt's Make It Right Foundation (remember THE PINK PROJECT?) has sent us first images of the new home Frank Gehry designed for the initiative. Completed this week, the building is located in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward, the neighborhood most devastated by Hurricane Katrina back in August of... View full entry
The developer David W. Levinson could have set for himself the simple task of commissioning a better-designed tower for 425 Park Avenue than the one that’s been there since 1957.
But that would have been a very low bar.
He has engaged four of the world’s leading architects to compete for the job: Norman Foster of Foster & Partners, Zaha Hadid of Zaha Hadid Architects, Rem Koolhaas of OMA, and Richard Rogers of Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners.
— cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com
In view of recent events, I have found myself asking whether it is a good thing to make a piece of city where rioting is impossible. The Olympic Park, even in legacy mode, seems to be built for this purpose. — ICON
Kieran Long revisits Olympic Park a year later and looks ahead to it's “legacy”. Long finds that all the "regeneration" and "overlay" while positivist and successful in providing amenities is more a "carpet of statistical generalisations and demographic assessments" and clarifies... View full entry
The Residencia is a hotel for staff and guests at the European Southern Observatory's Paranal Observatory in northern Chile. Located in an extremely remote and desolate section of the Atacama desert, the Residencia was designed by the German architecture firm Auer + Weber as a sanctuary in an environment that has never supported life. The L-shaped building was dug into the ground as if to conceal its presence, presenting profoundly different faces depending on the approach. — vimeo.com
Dear Mr. Ayyuce,
I have read your article regarding the destruction of the Lautner Concannon residence and would like to set the record straight. Prior to my purchase and demolition of the Concannon Residence, I had extensive discussions with John Lautner regarding his feelings about the home. He was 100% in favor of the demolition of the Concannon Residence...
— archinect.com
The venerable James Goldstein, collector of John Lautner treasures, past and present, responds to Orhan's feature article Lautner's Concannon Residence, from Dust to Dust. Jump down to the comments to read, along with Orhan's thoughtful reply back to him. View full entry
This video documents the construction of the Masonic Amphitheatre in Clifton Forge, VA. The project was designed and built by 16 students from Virginia Tech's design/buildLAB, helmed by Keith and Marie Zawistowski. The video was put together by photographer Jeff Goldeberg of Esto. — archinect.com
For more about the Masonic Ampitheatre project, visit Virginia Tech's design/buildLAB blog. View full entry
Ai Weiwei has never set foot inside the [Bird's Nest].
He told NPR that the stadium has become entirely divorced from ordinary people.
"We love this building, but we don't like the content they have put in, the kind of propaganda. They dissociated this building [from] citizens' celebration or happiness, [it's] not integrated with the city's life," Ai said. "So I told them I will never go to this building."
— npr.org
The attached photos were taken by me on a recent trip to Beijing. View full entry
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert K. Steel and Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Mathew M. Wambua today launched the adAPT NYC Competition, a pilot program to develop a new housing model for the City’s growing small-household population. adAPT NYC seeks to create additional choices within New York City’s housing market to accommodate the city’s changing demographics. — NYC.gov
The design competition involves a Request for Proposals for a rental building composed primarily, or completely, of micro-units -- apartments smaller than what is allowed under current regulations. New York City's housing codes have not kept up with its changing population, and currently do not... View full entry