Despite its potential for easy refurbishment and adaptability, the Nakagin Capsule Tower has not exactly fulfilled the hoped-for mission of its designers. A team of documentary filmmakers recently attempted to stay in the tower, only to find the majority of its units without plumbing or much in... View full entry
The clocks have gone back, we’ve had Halloween, it is well and truly ‘coat weather’, and Bonfire Night is coming fast; it’s time to start enjoying winter traditions! This week, go for a first skate in the middle of Canary Wharf on a glowing rink, or watch fireworks over some of the most... View full entry
In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.(Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect... View full entry
The first set of renderings have been revealed for Two Trees' new 380,000-square-foot office building at Williamsburg‘s massive, under-construction Domino Sugar Factory complex. The images highlight how tenants can work with architects Beyer Blinder Belle to customize their spaces for “innovation” and “authenticity” in The Refinery. The interiors preserve the former industrial details, while incorporating creative perks such as suspended glass-and-steel office pods and an indoor skate park. — 6sqft.com
Fittingly, Zaha Hadid Architects' 15-storey, 15,000 square meter Jockey Club International Tower has raced ahead of all other structural competition, winning RIBA's award for International Excellence. Here, the ever observant Iwan Baan shows us why:And for good measure, here's a video tour: View full entry
Now known as 22 Bishopsgate – its address near Liverpool Street station – the building will be the tallest in London’s financial district and is being developed by AXA Investment Managers Real Assets. The building will be 278 metres tall, 10 metres lower than the original design that was first outlined almost 10 years ago.
Construction came to a halt five years ago...but AXA IM said it had continued with the foundations and expected to complete the building in 2019.
— The Guardian
Read more UK news stories here:Third runway at Heathrow gets the go-aheadBritish construction criticised for lack of innovation by government reportIf London Garden Bridge is cancelled, NAO report says taxpayers could lose £20mApple plan to open a huge campus in London’s Battersea Power Station View full entry
After a long and obstructive political process (and some sad looking pics of Rahm Emanuel) George Lucas' Museum of Narrative Art decided to abandon its attempt to build in Chicago and now is looking toward the Golden State: specifically, Treasure Island in San Francisco and Exposition Park in Los... View full entry
The Dutch-Chinese firm NEXT Architects has a well-deserved reputation for designing eye-catching bridges. Their latest project, a bright red, Mobius strip-like pedestrian bridge for the Chinese city of Changsha, is set to become another jewel in their portfolio. Credit: Julien Lanoo185 metres long... View full entry
The $350-million, 633,000-square-foot courthouse, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, is an unusually polished work of civic architecture — especially by the standards of Los Angeles...This is a building that wants to look respectable and rational but not staid, one that is fairly conventional on the horizontal plane and takes a significant if measured chance on the vertical one. Still, it’s a chance that pays off. — Christopher Hawthorne, Los Angeles Times
Christopher Hawthorne gives a thumbs up in his review of SOM's design for the now-completed Los Angeles U.S. Courthouse, which appears to “float” in mid-air. Don't forget to check out a virtual tour of the building in the video below. Previously on Archinect: LA Federal Courthouse under... View full entry
The Rothko Chapel in Houston, a masterpiece of midcentury architecture, houses 14 panels by the revered artist Mark Rothko. But the Chapel is in need of some TLC, from fixing the HVAC system to improving the lighting. The New York-based office Architecture Research Office (ARO) has been selected... View full entry
LIke everything else in the 21st century, infrastructure is no longer about big moves but rather about nuance, refinement, and creative strategy. This is the argument advocated by The Hill, which makes the case that all infrastructure projects should be resilient and made to serve multiple... View full entry
After being criticized for helping to displace renters by inadvertently motivating landlords to turn long-term rentals into short-term hotel-like quarters, Airbnb is getting political and donating $100,000 to Los Angeles' Proposition HHH, which would require city officials to raise tax dollars to... View full entry
Facing a legal and public-relations nightmare with its sinking and leaning Millennium Tower, the San Francisco highrise’s developer is redesigning the foundation of its newest luxury condo project up Mission Street — with the idea of going all the way down to bedrock. [...]
the 58-story Millennium Tower at 301 Mission St. [has] sunk 16 inches and is leaning 2 inches to the northwest. That condo high-rise sits on a concrete slab with piles driven 60 to 80 feet deep, well short of bedrock.
— SF Chronicle
In contrast, the 706 Mission St. tower was designed without any piles. Instead, it was to be held up by a four-story basement garage sitting on a bowl-shaped concrete slab, 12 feet thick at the center and 5 feet thick at the edges. The Millennium Tower is already sinking even though it was built... View full entry
Spend this week exploring exhibitions; whether the work is that of an artist at their prime, a concept drawing from a student, or appreciating the forgotten modern dwellings in historical Highgate, this week is a celebration of hard work and creative pursuits. And, as we move into the end of... View full entry
Trump Tower is no ordinary property: It is the jewel in Donald Trump's brass crown. He lives at the top in a three-story penthouse with his third wife and third son. But it's more than just Trump's home. With its flashy outward image barely concealing a rotting, garbage-filled core, it's a metaphor for the man. — Esquire
Trump once famously declared, "I will build a great wall—and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me—and I'll build them very inexpensively." The last part is definitely true, judging by this undeniably cheap construction.For more on the architecture of the... View full entry