Peter Eisenman and Wolf D. Prix on Architecture Education
Interesting conversation between Peter Eisenman and Wolf d.Prix on architectural education during a studio presentation. What do you think?
On a side note, the 92nd Street Y Association is hosting an interesting conversation with Peter Eisenman and Greg Lynn (moderated by Kurt Forster) this Thursday. Entrance is $27 ($10 for students). About the architects:
One of the most influential architects of our time, PETER EISENMAN is known for his pure and sensual designs and his belief that architecture is an autonomous art. Founder of the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies, and author and co-author of numerous books and articles, he works from his New York-based Eisenman Architects. GREG LYNN uses computer-aided design to create sculptural, biomorphic structures. His interest in digital fabrication, calculus and what he terms “blob architecture” have put the architect-theorist at the forefront of architectural discourse. Influential theorist KURT FORSTER is the founder of the Getty Research Center and the Canadian Center for Architecture in Montreal. He has published widely and has curated groundbreaking shows, such as those on Herzog & de Meuron in Montreal and on Schinkel in Chicago.
Thursday, Oct 23, 8:15 pm
92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave at 92nd Street
More info at: www.92Y.org or 212.415.5500
Volume #16: Engineering Society
A few weeks ago we received the latest issue of Volume Magazine, a joint effort between Archis, AMO and the C-LAB. Continuing with their tradition of thematic issues with suggestive names, number 16 is called Engineering Society.
It relates somehow to Volume #14 (Unsolicited Architecture), on which the editorial analyzes the lost of relevance of modern architects because of their failure to adapt to a market driven society, urging them (us) to answer current society questions from the field of architecture.
On this issue, Arjen Oosterman starts with -yet another- incredible editorial, Planning Paradise, that analyzes how architects tried to impose their utopias in the past, without a direct relation with the end user of these projects. But now, we can certainly tell that society can´t no longer be made, and it´s actually being driven and shaped by the users as a consequence of democracy, and free market economy and politics. And this opens a new opportunity for architects, to be the ones that present new futures to this users, an opportunity lost long time ago in “our consumer society of commodity logic“.
iPhone replacement for the bubble level
The iPhone can be a very useful tool for an architect, as it allows you to check drawings and even do sketches on site. But today i found this new application for the iPhone OS v2.0: A-Level, an electronic version of the good ol’ bubble level. I have to recognize that it’s a clever use of the iPhone’s accelerometer. You can get it at the iTunes App Store for 99 cents. To download follow this link (it will open iTunes).
Seen on Wired Gadget Lab.
Zaha Hadid´s project rejected due to heat
I just read on Design Boom that Zaha Hadid´s extension proposal for the Middle East Centre in St Antony´s College in Oxford has been denied approval by the the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). The comission wrote in their report “it appears unfortunate to position the archive and reading room behind the large south facing window; we wonder whether full sunlight and overheating could potentially compromise the usability of this space”.
Too bad for Zaha, but thank god the CABE took a closer look at the project before its occupants had to go trough the heat. I wonder how many built projects that we occupy every day should have been revised by a comission that take this in count.
More pictures of the denied project below.
Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2008
Every year Wallpaper* Magazine brings us a list of new architects from around the world. This year, they list -according to them- the world’s 50 hottest young architects practices.
I gotta recognize that they beat us with this selection, so far we only have buildings from 2 of the architects on this list: Murúa Valenzuela – Countryside House and works from BGP (Mexico), which will be published on ArchDaily shortly. We are contacting the rest of this practices to bring you their work, so stay tuned.
In the meanwhile, here´s the full list of this -so called- 50 hottest young architecture practices.
Tinker Hatfield: Pompidou Centre and Nike Air Max
Tinker Hatfield is an architect who started working at Nike designing showrooms, and ended up being VP of design. He was behind the design of the now classic Air Max shoes. On this short interview he tells how the Pompidou Centre by Renzo Piano influencied his shoe design, in terms of exposed systems and color.
I always enjoy this stories on how architects end up working on other fields, but still influenced by architecture.
Seen on Certified Random.
AD Interviews: Amale Andraos & Dan Wood / Work AC
As I had previously mentioned we visited Work AC in New York a few months ago, where we interviewed Amale Andraos and Dan Wood. This turned out to be a great interview, where they shared their thoughts on the current state of architectural practice, the role of architects in current society, humor, networking, media and something that really interested me: the importance of knowing how to manage the growth of your office.
On their office we saw the amazing model for their Cadavre Exquis Lebanese, a proposal based on a series of interventions to re-create Downtown Beirut presented at the 2007 Rotterdam Biennale. We also got to see their on on going projects and a 1:1 prototype of their Public Farm 1 structure soon to be opened at the PS1. You can check the construction progress at the PF1 website.
Pictures of Work AC after the jump.
TU Delft Architecture School devastated by fire
TU Delft Architecture School was devastated by fire today. The fire, belived to have been started by a short circuit in a coffee machine caused by a faulty water pipe, was so poweful that the fire brigade couldn’t get close to it and decided to stand back and let the fire burn itself out.
No injuries were reported, but several collections and student/faculty works were lost, including their historic chair collection.
Hopefully, this disaster will open an opportunity for the brilliant dutch architects out there to design a new building.
via BD Online
AD Interviews: Mark Foster Gage / Gage Clemenaceau
Gage / Clemenceau Architects is a NY based architectural firm that deals with a wide scale of projects, from product design, commercial & residential projects to exhibition design. Also runners for the Young Architects Program @ PS1 in 2007, Gage Clemenceau´s work is motivated by the premise that architecture transcends the practice of mere building- in favor of a new and vibrant alliance between progressive technologies, new materials, context and program.
We interviewed Mark Foster Gage (G/C partner, assistant professor at Yale), and discussed about education, media, networking role of architects in contemporary society, among other topics regarding the current state of architectural practice in our second issue of AD Interviews, in a very interesting and fluid talk.
More interviews each Sunday. Please leave your feedback at the comments for future issues.
Pictures of the Gage Clemenceau Studio after the break.
Sir Norman Foster on TED Talks
Well, not exactly on TED Talks but on the DLD (Digital Design Life) Conference in Munich which is being presented at the TED site. Norman Foster discusses his work to show how computers can help architects design buildings that are green, beautiful and “basically pollution-free.”
AD Interviews: Shohei Shigematsu, OMA*AMO NY
A few weeks ago we started conducting a series of video interviews with some of the most promising young architects. In times when “[...] architect may no longer mean architect“, they were asked to talk about key aspects of their role as an architect in modern society, among other topics to discuss about the direction of architecture.
Our first guest is Shohei Shigematsu (1973). He graduated from the Department of Architecture at Kyushu University in 1996, and then went to the Berlage Institute in Amsterdam. He started working at OMA in 1998, becoming an associate in 2004. He´s now the director of OMA*AMO NY, working on projects such as the CCTV Headquartes in Beijing, the design of the Whitney Museum extension in NY, the Millestain Hall at Cornell, the Stock Exchange at Shenzhen, the Torre Bicentenario in Mexico and a mixed use building in Jersey City.
Photos of OMA NY after the break.
Icon: 20 essential young architects
The april issue of Icon features 20 essential young architects. According to Icon ““young actually means young, but architect may no longer mean architect”. Architecture for Humanity (Cameron Sinclair) and Alejandro Aravena (Elemental) are good examples – also architects doing blogs…
On the list, there´s some known names such as MAD, BIG, REX and JDS (what´s with the acronyms/identity?). We are going to publish works by some of this architects during this month. In the meanwhile, enjoy the full list:
- REX
- Alejandro Aravena
- Estudio Barozzi Veiga
- FAT
- Jesko Fezer
- BIG
- Architecture For Humanity
- Serie
- Philippe Rahm
- 6a
- MAD
- Work Architecture Company
- Junya Ishigami
- JDS Architects
- Information Based Architecture
- Limited Design
- Carmody Groarke
- Dorell Ghotmeh Tane
- Sou Fujimoto
- Feld 72
Image via anArchitecture
