It is a thoroughly cynical piece of work, a building that uses a frenzy of architectural forms to endorse the idea that architecture, in the end, is mere decoration. Mayne's design appears to put innovative architecture on a literal pedestal — or a plinth, to be exact — while actually allowing it to become peripheral, noticeably separate from the heart of the museum and its galleries. — latimes.com
Archinect published work from Beyond Prototype, an advanced digital fabrication seminar developed at Columbia University...Nicholas Cecchi was impressed but also offered some criticism "This is amazing student work...However, I would like architecture schools to stop pushing students to contextualize this kind of research-based exploration. Showing these as enclosures (or the one as a gondola) only undermines the amazing generative capacity of this kind of design"
For the latest edition of the Student Works feature, Archinect published work from Beyond Prototype, an advanced digital fabrication seminar developed at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation by Jason Ivaliotis and Nicholas Kothari. In the course "Students... View full entry
Soundscrapers could soon turn urban noise pollution into usable energy to power cities.
An honourable mention-winning entry in the 2013 eVolo Skyscraper Competition, dubbed Soundscraper, looked into ways to convert the ambient noise in urban centres into a renewable energy form.
Noise pollution is currently a negative element of urban life but it could soon be valued and put to good use.
— DesignBuild Source
During the winter there has been a selection process to choose the architects who will be invited to participate in the planned architectural competition to design a Nobel Center at Blasieholmen in Stockholm. In total, over 140 architects have been considered by a specially appointed evaluation committee. Of these, 12 have been selected to be invited to the architectural competition. — nobelprize.org
The Nobel Foundation has announced the following 12 architects selected: Kim Herforth Nielsen – 3XN, Denmark Bjarke Ingels – BIG, Denmark David Chipperfield – David Chipperfield Architects, England/Germany Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron and Ascan Mergenthaler – Herzog & de Meuron... View full entry
A previously historic government building has now become the centre of the Parliament of Navarra, Spain.
Designed by Otxotorena Arquitectos, the redevelopment project was part of plans to restore the 19th century Audiencia Building of Pamplona. Covering 11,062 square metres, the €9 million redevelopment project has drawn attention for its architectural aesthetics which incorporate a new glass skin into the parliament building.
— DesignBuild Source
These landmarks are not as grand as the Chrysler Building in New York, and there is no Art Deco district like Miami Beach’s, but fans say there is an unusual wealth and diversity of stock, much of which has remained standing — if poorly maintained — through 50 years of Communist rule. — NYT
Some 250 Cuban and foreign connoisseurs met last week in Havana for the start of the World Congress on Art Deco which runs until March 27th. Victoria Burnett interviewed a number of the organizers and participants and spoke to them about challenges facing the owners of Art Deco... View full entry
Klaus Wowereit, Berlin's mayor since 2001, has watched his city become one of world's coolest artistic meccas. But under his guidance, the city has devolved into a backward-looking architectural wasteland in which urban planning only favors the rich. — Der Spiegel
Complete breakdown of the City with all the usual suspects, 'Couldn't-Care-Less Architectural Vision' 'Forward into the Past' 'Historicism and Capitalism' 'Russification' 'A City Enthralled by Developers' and 'Hopeful signs of change...' View full entry
The Skyhouse, which occupies four stories of an early skyscraper in Lower Manhattan, shows architect David Hotson manipulating the available space to include features such as a climbing column and tubular metal slide with which inhabitants can move between levels. The living space rises through all four stories and can be accessed with the climbing pole — safety ropes included — while the huge German-constructed slide takes you down from the attic right to the entrance. — theverge.com
The team consisting of Rotterdam's MVRDV, French architects de Alzua+, and the development corporation ADIM Nord, has won the first place in an urban renewal competition in the French city of Villeneuve-d’Ascq. — bustler.net
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. Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Outdoors. ↑ Brooks Residence in Venice... View full entry
The Flint AIA chapter and Flint Public Art Project have unveiled the winner of the first annual Flat Lot Competition, an initiative to design and build a temporary summer pavilion in the central parking lot in downtown Flint, Michigan. The jury chose Two Islands, a London-based team of architects and designers, the receive the $25,000 grand prize for their proposal 'Mark's House.' — bustler.net
About a year ago, we published the rather unusual proposal for a Bike Pavilion in China's Hainan Province designed by NL Architects. The concept of using any available square inch of roof space seems to have grown into a trademark of the Amsterdam-based architects, as they are now sharing their... View full entry
The students were tapped in determining whether to invest in one or two clothes dryers. Would they use drying racks to eliminate the second dryer? Would they give up hair dryers? Would they wear sweaters in winter to permit an energy-saving thermostat setting of 67 degrees?
“We don’t tell students that certain behaviors are unacceptable,” said Joseph Scanio, one of the center’s two live-in teachers. “We discuss things. We make it easy to be intentional about the choices you make.”
— bloomberg.com
My old battered shoes climbed the worlds tallest building today. What an amazing structure! Tweeting from 820 meters straight up! — joemcnallyphoto, via instagram.com
Architecture’s favorite black humorist Rem Koolhaas is at it again, off planning a Venice Biennale that stresses the dangers of globalization while battling conservationists for rights to transform a 16th-century Venetian palazzo — which currently serves as a post office — into a retail hotspot. Koolhaas’s firm OMA and its client Benetton recently secured permission to redesign the palazzo into a department store/cultural venue after five years of facing resistance from preservationists. — blogs.artinfo.com