Homelessness in America has reached crisis levels and I am determined to do everything in my power to fix the problem as long as it doesn’t involve changing zoning laws or my ability to drive alone to work or, well, changing anything, really. I’m more than happy to give a hungry man a sandwich once a year and then brag to my friends about it as long as he doesn’t sit down anywhere in my line of sight to eat it. Same goes for hungry women because I’m also a feminist. — mcsweeneys.net
A superb piece satirizing the homelessness and housing crises by McSweeney's writer Homa Mojtabai. From a privileged and entitled point of view, Mojtabai highlights extreme issues on how problems are being "solved". This is of course an exaggeration—but by how much? View full entry
For the 2018 Venice Biennale, Estonia's pavilion, “Weak Monument”, explores the explicit representation of the monument and the implicit politics of everyday architectural forms. Curated by Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa and Tadeáš Říha, the exhibition takes over the former Santa Maria... View full entry
Despite limited physical space in Singapore's dense urban landscape — with a population of 5.6 million squeezed into about 278 square-miles of land, the country's architects and urban planners are coming up with unique solutions to create delightful spaces that help enhance everyday life. So is... View full entry
A new housing project in Paris was recently redeveloped by the Brussels-based firm BOB361. The apartment complex, Orteaux, is part of a larger revitalization project for a Parisian neighborhood located near the Père Lachaise cemetery. Orteaux by BOB361, located in Paris. Image: BOB361. As... View full entry
Kanye West's flirt with the architecture profession appears to take on a more 'It's complicated' kind of status—if you're willing to lend enough credibility to his tweet from yesterday, announcing "we’re starting a Yeezy architecture arm called Yeezy home. We’re looking for architects and... View full entry
Mid- or second-tier cities, loosely defined as those under a million people that aren’t regional powerhouses like Austin or Seattle, are increasingly seen as not just places to find a lower cost of living, easier commute, and closer connections with family, but also a more approachable, neighborhood-oriented version of the urban lifestyle that sent many to the larger cities in the first place. — curbed.com
Census data shows that smaller metros are seeing more migration from millennials while larger cities are experiencing slower growth. These smaller cities have been attracting new growth in part due to investing in green spaces and parks, upswings in local tech hubs, and downtown redevelopment. View full entry
Hot-market cities grappling with a dearth of housing, like those along the coast of California, are increasingly looking at accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—commonly known as "granny flats—to help abate the statewide shortage. In 2016, California passed three laws aimed at facilitating in-law... View full entry
With outposts and partnerships either launched or pending in Metz, Málaga, Brussels, the Gulf, Shanghai and possibly Latin America, is the Centre Pompidou turning into a new Guggenheim, eager to extend its influence globally? Encouraged by the success of its Málaga branch and of Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Pompidou’s president [...] steering it into a number of new ventures, which he believes will deepen the Parisian museum’s relationship with artistic centres it might otherwise be unable to reach. — The Art Newspaper
Lots on the books for the Pompidou in the coming months: the Málaga outpost, originally conceived as a temporary pop-up, may be extended for another five years; the new Kanal-Centre Pompidou in Brussels opens a teaser exhibition and begins its €140m construction project; David... View full entry
Balkrishna Doshi, the 2018 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, will present his public lecture “Paths Uncharted” on May 16th at 6:30pm EST. Professor Doshi’s lecture will be recorded and streamed live on Facebook and Instagram via @UofTDaniels. Following the event, the recording... View full entry
One important outcome of our last MONU issue #28 on "Client-shaped Urbanism" was the realization that in order to create better cities, we need to improve the communication among everybody involved in the creation of cities, whether they are clients, developers, municipalities, architects, urban... View full entry
American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner is known for his language-based sculpture and work exploring the relationship between art, artist, and viewer. Born in the Bronx in 1942, he is considered one of the foremost conceptual artists of the 60s. Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Mural, Boston... View full entry
If yesterday’s terraces were just little rectangular slabs tacked onto the sides of buildings — on which a tenant might cower, or perhaps more likely, rarely step foot — today’s are becoming increasingly generous and welcoming.
Some developers and architects are ushering in a new age of terrace design in a bid to provide more interesting outdoor space, capitalize on views and add greenery. In the process, they’re adding drama to the buildings themselves.
— NY Times
Via 57 West terraces (pictured above) are inset to the building by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). The firm names them “cockpits” due to their shelter against wind and noise. 305 East 44th Street terrace floor rendering. Image: Moso Studio.Terraces of 1,400-square-feet will be located between... View full entry
A plan to build a platform in a tropical lagoon caught heat from locals, and a campaign stoked by opposition politician Valentina Cross swept away their proposals for an inaugural colony. In February, the Tahitian government stated publicly that an agreement with the Seasteading Institute in 2017 was now outdated and non-binding. [...]
That leaves the Institute, and their movement, once again at sea, shopping for a new host nation willing to take on a partnership.
— CityLab
In her article for CityLab, writer Hettie O'Brien looks into the Seasteading Institute's promise of a libertarian offshore utopia in Polynesia and the challenges the movement has been facing recently. View full entry
These 7 iconic buildings have been reconstructed in different architectural styles, such as The Louvre in Brutalist style pictured above. The effect is jarring to say the least... Buckingham Palace in Bauhaus style: Falling Water House in Classical style: Museu de Arte Contemporânea de... View full entry
Farrell and McNamara’s theme is “Freespace”, which they say describes “a generosity of spirit and a sense of humanity at the core of architecture’s agenda”. It can also mean the “free and additional spatial gifts” that architecture can offer and “its ability to address the unspoken wishes of strangers”. They have invited a selection of like-minded architects to demonstrate these qualities with three-dimensional installations of “scale and quality”. — The Guardian
Rowan Moore, architecture critic of the Observer, finds admiring words in his Guardian piece for Grafton Architects principals Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, who are wearing the curator hats this year at architecture's biggest biennial spectacle: "McNamara and Farrell are neither celebrities... View full entry