This morning, joggers in New York’s Central Park may have come across a curious, rather illustrious sight. A cube composed of 186 kilograms of pure 24-karat gold, conceived by the German artist Niclas Castello who has billed it as a conceptual “socle du monde” (base of the world) sculpture for our time, was wheeled out to the Naumburg Bandshell this morning at around 5:00am. — Artnet News
The one-day installation has its own security detail and will sit aptly in the Gilded Age landmark designed by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted before a turn as the guest of honor at a special celebrity-laden private dinner being held later this evening on Wall Street. A special kiln had to... View full entry
Architects are no strangers to burnout. In recent years, our editorial has explored the genesis of burnout in architectural circles by examining the impact of college studio culture as well as burnout and fatigue in the professional architectural workplace. While burnout existed long before... View full entry
The Italian state is spending €70 million ($86 million) to rehabilitate structural remains at Santo Stefano and neighboring coastal sites. At the former, the government is building an open-air museum that will illustrate the site’s dark past, along with gardens and conference rooms that will be used for seminars and events focused on cultural and political themes. — ARTnews
The cultural center will be located inside the site of a former 18th-century prison originally constructed under the reign of King Ferdinand IV in a now aging village called Santo Stefano. The project is being overseen by the state’s cultural minister Dario Franceschini and mirrors efforts... View full entry
Architectural journal “Attention” has recently released an innovative all-audio issue of the publication, titled "Community is a Practice" (Issue 6), written and narrated by Portland State University School of Architecture faculty members Anna Goodman and Molly Esteve. Anna Goodman... View full entry
The Biden administration on Monday reversed a Trump-era rule dictating what kind of art can be commissioned for federal buildings as part of an effort to have public art better reflect America's diversity.
The new rule removes content and style restrictions that Biden administration officials say excluded many artists from consideration for the Art in Architecture program, which commissions visual art in federal buildings.
— CNN
The rule is a holdover from the Trump administration, which enacted the measure late in 2020 with the vague but distinct guideline that commissions must depict “historically significant Americans or events.” Critics immediately saw the mandate as a racist attempt to whitewash public art in the... View full entry
Happy Lunar New Year! Also referred to as Chinese New Year in some regions, this important celebration marks the beginning of the lunar calendar year. Traditionally, many Asian cultures follow a lunar calendar versus the solar/Gregorian calendar, which is why the Lunar New Year falls on a... View full entry
Architectural educator, critic, and author Aaron Betsky has published an editorial reflecting on the value and failings of the studio culture in architecture schools. Betsky, who is Director of the School of Architecture + Design at Virginia Tech, published the piece on Architect... View full entry
After years of stops and starts, triumphant announcements and long silences – there is finally momentum, once again.
Gallery officials are meeting regularly with the city, city hall is re-examining the term of the lease agreement, a public open house is scheduled for March, and shovels could be in the ground next year.
All it took was a single private donation – of $100-million.
— The Globe and Mail
The firm’s repeatedly revised design was originally set to be its first commission in the country for an expansion effort that has been mulled since first being announced in 2014. Vancouver Art Gallery has been balking at the effort since the early 2000s without naming a winner. Herzog & de... View full entry
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer may be leaving the nation’s top court, but his days of making high-profile decisions are not over yet. Breyer will reportedly remain one of the jurors of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, regarded as the highest honor in the field. — Fast Company
The 83-year-old Breyer has served on the Pritzker Prize jury since 2011. He reportedly became interested in the discipline after having first-hand involvement in the selection of architects for the then-new Moakley Courthouse in Boston as part of his responsibilities as Chief Judge of the U.S... View full entry
An expected temporary closure for the oldest art museum in the Tulsa, Oklahoma area has many vying for the not-too-distant debut of what promises to be an instant architectural icon. The Gilcrease Museum began demolition of its existing building Tuesday in order to make room for a new... View full entry
The United States Artists (USA) Fellowship is a program that celebrates the work of artists and their "essential role in society." Across ten disciplines ranging from architecture and design (A&D) to craft, media, and film, 63 artists were inducted into this year's fellowship... View full entry
In a new partnership with Sean Lally's Night White Skies podcast, we're going to be sharing new podcast episodes with our readers here on Archinect. Night White Skies addresses "architecture’s future, as both earth’s environment and our human bodies are now open for design," with recent... View full entry
In 2019, ten architects, artists, designers, and academics came together to discuss their plans for an upcoming exhibition with MoMA's curatorial team. Emanuel Admassu, Germane Barnes, Sekou Cooke, J. Yolande Daniels, Felecia Davis, Mario Gooden, Walter J... View full entry
A new landmark on the European cultural scene is now on view in Hungary. Sou Fujimoto’s House of Music has now officially opened in the country’s capital city after almost six years of construction. The 97,000-square-foot performance venue is the centerpiece of the Liget Budapest Project, a... View full entry
Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is about to make a big splash — over the next eight years. The venerable cultural institution on Monday announced its Centennial Commitment, a $500 million transformation of the aquarium culminating in 2030, the Shedd’s 100th anniversary. — Chicago Sun Times
The eight-year project will be split into four phases and commence later this year. The first phase will cover major interior renovations, including the modernization of the original six historic galleries, enhancement of all animal habitats, the restoration of the original walls of windows, and... View full entry