Once, twice, three times a pyramid: thanks to non-invasive scanning, archaeologists have determined that "El Castilo," also known as the Kukulkan pyramid in Chichen Itza, has two other pyramids inside of it. As The Guardian explains:"A 10-metre-tall pyramid was found within another 20-metre... View full entry
Some good news from the White House: iconic designers Maya Lin and Frank Gehry will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in a ceremony on November 22nd. While both designers have already made tremendous contributions to the global aesthetic landscape, they're not done... View full entry
Our second conversation from 'Next Up: The LA River' is with Marissa Christiansen, Senior Policy Director of Friends of the Los Angeles River. FOLAR, as the non-profit is known, turned 30 this year, and was founded on the mission to "protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the... View full entry
When Frank Gehry's office was first attached to the L.A. River's master plan and redevelopment, the river began attracting fresh attention over a project that had already been evolving for decades. This October, in an attempt to do justice to the river's complexity and history (and the... View full entry
Pictures of a planned £10m revamp of a Manchester landmark described as a "concrete monstrosity" have been revealed.
Manchester City Council said it had taken public opinion into account to remove the current wall and pavilion in Piccadilly Gardens.
It said it will improve the quality and safety of the area.
The plans, to be funded by leaseholders Legal & General, will go before the executive committee on 16 November.
— bbc.co.uk
Read more UK related stories here:Zaha Hadid Architects to design new stadium for the Forest Green RoversConstruction of the 'Pinnacle' to continue despite referendum resultZaha Hadid Architects just opened a new office in DubaiBritish transport minister decries "cult of ugliness" in brutalism... View full entry
After nearly ten years of being put through the ringer of recession and recovery, Herzog & de Meuron's Elbphilharmonie is finally complete, and slated for its grand opening in January 2017.But before the public gets to bask in Yashuhisa Toyota's acoustic design, anyone can peek inside the... View full entry
As gentrification continues to sweep London, another of the city’s artist studio spaces is facing redevelopment. There are plans to demolish the Cockpit Arts building in Camden, north London, although the local council intends to relocate all artists and designers to a new building on the same site. “Camden is anxious not to lose them as they are big local employers,” says Michael Pountney, the vice-chairman of the Holborn Library Users Group. — theartnewspaper.com
Read more news from London here:Herzog & de Meuron will design Royal College of Art's Battersea campusBritish transport minister decries "cult of ugliness" in brutalism, modernismBoxpark opens in Croydon View full entry
The AIA Chicago Board of Directors wants to assure our members that we do not support the recent statement made by national AIA on November 10, which prematurely expressed the support of AIA’s 89,000 members for an unarticulated infrastructure agenda made by the incoming presidential administration. — AIA Chicago
Chicago's AIA chapter has joined a growing list of local chapters, individuals and other architectural organizations who have expressed concerns over AIA CEO Robert Ivy's statement in support of the Trump administration. For a complete run-down of the debacle and its evolution into the #NotMyAIA... View full entry
Through their work as visual strategists for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, David Delgado and Daniel Goods inspire scientists and make science inspiring. Under 'The Studio' at JPL, David and Dan help engineers and scientists sort through their own design problems using creative methodologies... View full entry
One of the tallest surviving structures from the ancient world has been totally destroyed by Isil extremists at Nimrud, the former capital of Assyria, which was captured by Iraqi government forces on 13 November. The ziggurat, which was nearly 2,900 years old, was obliterated. Only the largest Egyptian pyramids are higher than Middle Eastern ziggurats and central American step pyramids.
[...] incidents represent “the worst damage that Isil has inflicted on Iraqi archaeology”.
— theartnewspaper.com
An older satellite photo from August 31, 2016 shows the Ziggurat and Temple of Ishtar still intact. Image via ASOR Cultural Heritage Initiatives Facebook page.Related stories in the Archinect news:Destruction of Iraq’s oldest Christian monastery by ISIS militants went unreported for... View full entry
On November 9, 2016, the American Institute of Architects resigned itself to a cowardly position of economic and political subservience with its support of President-elect Trump. The AIA’s refusal to take a principled stance on an incoming administration that galvanized support through hatred... View full entry
Dear Mr. Ivy:On behalf of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA I am writing to share our shock and disappointment with last week’s post-election statement expressing the Institute’s willingness to work with President-elect Trump and members of the 115th Congress. While we support the need for... View full entry
I believe one writes because one has to create a world in which one can live. I could not live in any of the worlds offered to me — the world of my parents, the world of war, the world of politics. I had to create a world of my own, like a climate, a country, an atmosphere in which I could breathe, reign, and recreate myself when destroyed by living. That, I believe, is the reason for every work of art. — Anaïs Nin
I am writing in response to Robert Ivy’s post-election statement committing the AIA’s 89,000 members to working with Donald Trump. As an architect, as a woman, this AIA member makes no such commitment. The fact that in 2016 the very thought of an intelligent, talented, overqualified woman... View full entry
Continue with the wintry, snuggly, mulled wine vibe this week, with the opening of Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. The transformation of one of the most famous parks in the world, into this festival is a feat worth beholding, especially on the festival's 10th anniversary.Other events this week... View full entry
Whether your bout of electora nerviosa ended in celebration or mourning, you may be looking for a little peace and quiet. OFIS arhitekti's recently completed winter cabin on Mount Kanin, Slovenia (home country of our next First Lady) is about as isolated as you can get—its materials had to be... View full entry
