The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) has shortlisted six design teams for the new U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. — bustler.net
The shortlisted teams are: Diller Scofidio + Renfro Mack Scogin Merrill Elam/AECOM Morphosis Architects Rafael Viñoly Architects Steven Holl Architects Yazdani Studio UPDATE: Shortlist for new U.S. Embassy in Beirut now down to three finalists UPDATE 2: Morphosis Architects selected to... View full entry
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes hit a significant milestone in June, surging eight points to a reading of 52 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. Any reading over 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. — nahb.org
For the latest edition of the Student Works: series Archinect featured the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) library pavilion, located on a sloping lawn on the temporary Dover Campus. The gridshell structure designed by City Form Lab had to accommodate three mature trees... View full entry
"We mustn't let ourselves be imprisoned by a 'heritage vision' of the city," Ms Hidalgo told the news magazine L'Express. "We are working towards a "genero-city" which is to say a city that is open, convivial and in vibration." — BBC News
John Laurenson talks with supporters and critics sparring over plans to build 12 new skyscrapers in Paris. The issue has generated enough controversy that Laurenson believes it will likely play a role in deciding the next municipal elections. View full entry
The international architectural competition for the design of the Helsinki Central Library [...] has announced the entry "Käännös" by Finnish firm ALA Architects as the winning proposal. The jury selected Käännös unanimously and described the entry as "impressive and casually generous."
A Second Prize was not awarded, and the entries ”Liblab” by Playa Architects and "Kasi” by Verstas Architects were awarded a shared Third Prize. Additionally, five Honorable Mentions were awarded.
— bustler.net
Previously: Helsinki Central Library Competition Announces Stage 2 Finalists View full entry
Reiser + Umemoto, RUR Architecture PC. is proud to announce the groundbreaking of the Taipei Pop Music Center an urban complex dedicated to the celebration, production and performance of Taiwan's pop music. This iconic center features a variety of performance venues including three live houses, an outdoor performance space for 3000 and the Main Hall a faceted fan shaped building with a seating capacity of 5000.
This veritable 'city of pop music' will allow for simultaneous performances ranging from large productions of internationally known artists to more intimate up-and-coming artist's shows. Up to date production facilities housed in the crystalline egg of the Industry Shell compliment those of the... View full entry
Paris-based practice Atelier Zündel Cristea (AZC) has shared with us photos of its Peace Pavilion which was open to the public for a few weeks in May and June at London's Bethnal Green, Museum Gardens. The proposal had won the first prize in the Triumph Pavilion - LONDON competition and earned the rare opportunity to go from design concept to built pavilion. — bustler.net
Last week, we published the winning projects of the international design competition Redesigning Detroit: A New Vision for an Iconic Site. Organized by the Opportunity Detroit campaign, the competition sought after ideas for a potential signature project on the former Hudson’s Department Store site in downtown Detroit.
[...] the proposal "The Grand Opening" which won an Honorable Mention. The design team comprised Chung Whan Park, Terry Park, Jeong Jun Song, Hyuntek Yoon, and Kyung Jae Yu.
— bustler.net
Previously: Winners of Redesigning Detroit: A New Vision for an Iconic Site View full entry
Dubai ceremony marks inauguration of world's highest twisted tower.
Saudi developer Cayan inaugurated late Monday the opening of the 73-story, one-thousand-and-seventeen-foot (310-meter) tall Cayan Tower in Dubai's prestigious Marina district.
Inspired by the structure of human DNA, each floor of the 272-million-U.S.-dollar (1 billion-Dirham) tower is rotated by one-point-two degrees to achieve the full 90-degree spiral, creating the shape of a helix. Dignitaries from diplomatic corps and Corporate Dubai joined the celebrations which... View full entry
“Cities today have become far too large,” Wang said in an interview while visiting New York in April. “I’m really worried, because it’s happening too fast and we have already lost so much.”
Wang, a sturdy 49-year-old, has built his small architectural practice as a riposte to this heedless destruction. With his wife, architect Lu Wenyu, he runs a 10-person firm called Amateur Architecture Studio in Hangzhou, a picturesque lakeside city southwest of Shanghai.
— bloomberg.com
SPIEGEL: Mr. de Meuron, Mr. von Gerkan and Mr. Ingenhoven, architecture's reputation in this country is worse than ever. How much of the blame do you bear? — Der Spiegel
Stuttgart's train station, Hamburg's concert house and Berlin's airport: Three projects in Germany are currently competing to be seen as the country's most disastrous. SPIEGEL spoke to the star architects behind the construction sites. View full entry
New York-based practice H Architecture has shared with us its submission to the recent Sejong Art Center competition for the design of a cultural center for the planned city of Sejong in South Korea. The entry was a collaborative effort with Haeahn Architecture from Seoul. — bustler.net
Nicknamed “The Fish House” by locals, the Tsui House built by architect Eugene Tsui is touted by its creator as the one of the world’s safest dwellings. The design is based upon a small and segmented water creature known as a tardigrade, and also features a few architectural elements inspired by dinosaur physiology. — Inhabitat
[...] here are now also the twelve projects which won the institute's 2013 RIBA International Awards for architectural excellence.
The selected award winners are eligible for the RIBA Lubetkin Prize awarded to the best international building by a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
— bustler.net
See also: 2013 RIBA National and EU Award Winners View full entry
In June 2013, a further element will be introduced on the Vitra Campus. On a hill between the VitraHaus and the Dome, the Italian architect Renzo Piano and the Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) has developed “Diogene”, which to date is Vitra’s smallest building ― but largest product. — vitra.com
