Video: Oki Sato of nendo
Nendo in Japanese means free forming clay almost like Play-Doh, founder Oki Sato goes on to further describe the meaning to represent in the end ‘flexibility’. The company, which he established in Tokyo in 2002 after graduating with an architecture degree from Waseda University, has steadily gained momentum (they now have a second office in Milan) and recognition. Focusing on small ideas that provide a strong impact, Sato shares, “we don’t specialize in anything it is the story that is important.” Nendo‘s designs, are able to simultaneously remain clean and minimal while remaining friendly or as Sato describes it, “he doesn’t want to make them cold, it needs a pinch of humor.”
Take a look at nendo‘s work featured on ArchDaily. The PUMA House design incorporated vine like staircases giving the space a unique character and key display stands for PUMA sneakers. The resulting effect is in the words of the firm, “a strong reminder that we exercise our bodies daily going up and down stairs, and has a visual connection with stadium stairs and podiums too, to bring in PUMA’s important relationship with sports. The stairs bring a sense of movement to the interior, enabling a three-dimensional product display that fully uses its space and allows visitors to experience PUMA’s worldview.”
Video: Metropol Parasol / Jürgen Mayer Architects
Pedro Kok recently shared with us a video he shot at the Metropol Parasol. We thought you would enjoy it. Check out our other articles on this design.
In Progress, Update, Opening, Javier Orive’s Photographs
Rem Koolhaas on Charlie Rose
On October 19th Charlie Rose interviewed OMA founding partner Rem Koolhaas (his fifth appearance on the show). The discussion ranges from Koolhaas’ current interest in the countryside, rather than the city, his firm’s newly completed Milestein Hall project at Cornell University, and the launch of the book Project Japan: Metabolism Talks written with Hans Ulrich Obrist and edited by Kayoko Ota. Watch the interview here.
Global Village Construction Set / Open Source Ecology
Open Source Ecology is a network of farmers, engineers, and supporters working to complete a DIY Global Village Construction Set (GVCS) – “a modular, DIY, low-cost, open source, high-performance platform that allows for the easy fabrication of the 50 different industrial machines that it takes to build a small, sustainable civilization with modern comforts.”
Continue reading for more information and videos. (more…)
Video: The Library of Birmingham Timelapse
Opening in 2013, the Library of Birmingham will be a major new cultural destination, rewriting the book for 21st century public libraries. Designed by international architects Mecanoo, the Library of Birmingham will be located in the city’s Centenary Square. Recently, the author of the architectural videos blog shared with us his time lapse video of the building.
Video: Salk Institute / Louis Kahn
This short film by Pablo Casals-Aguirre captures the formal perfection and daily life within Louis Kahn’s architectural masterpiece, the Salk Institute. Kahn was commissioned in 1959 to design the inspiring facility for scientific research. The iconic facility became a designated San Diego Historical Landmark in 1991 and continues to attract daily admirers from all corners of the earth.
Review detailed information, images and drawings at AD Classics: Salk Institute / Louis Kahn.
EAMES: The Architect and The Painter
The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as America’s most important designers. Perhaps best remembered for their mid-century plywood and fiberglass furniture, the Eames Office also created a mind-bending variety of other products, from splints for wounded military during World War II, to photography, interiors, multi-media exhibits, graphics, games, films and toys. But their personal lives and influence on significant events in American life — from the development of modernism, to the rise of the computer age — has been less widely understood. Narrated by James Franco, Eames: The Architect and the Painter is the first film dedicated to these creative geniuses and their work opening November 18th at the IFC Center in New York City.
Foster + Partners Launch Proposals for Thames Hub
Norman Foster has launched proposals for the Thames Hub as “An Integrated Vision for Britain”. The self-funded collaboration between Foster + Partners, Halcrow and Volterra has produced a detailed, holistic vision for Britain’s future development of infrastructure.
The rapidly population growth and evolving global economy has put pressure on UK’s aged infrastructure. The study describes the Spine, which will combine rail, energy, communications and data throughout the entire length of the UK. The Spine is supported by the proposed Thames Hub, introducing a new river barrier and crossing, an international airport, and a shipping and rail complex.
The Thames Hub plans to maximize Britain trade links with the rest of world, stimulate job creation, and boost the economies of the Midlands and the North by providing direct connections to the cities and markets of Europe.
Continue reading for more detailed information and images.
Video: Stirling in Stuttgart
‘James Frazer Stirling: Notes from the Archive’ provides a rare glimpse into the works of James Stirling, renowned British architect, Pritzker Prize laureate (1981), and Yale School of Architecture professor, the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), Montréal and the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven have co-organized this impressive exhibit on display at Stirling’s own Neue Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart until January 15th.
Featuring the exhibition curator, Anthony Vidler Dean and Professor of The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at The Cooper Union, the video highlights Stirling’s works: the Engineering Building of Leicester University (1959-63), History Faculty Library in Cambridge (1964-67), Florey Building for Queen’s College at Oxford University (1966-71), along with the 1970 competition entry for the New Civic Centre in Derby, Nordhein-Westfallen Museum (1975), and Wallraf-Richartz Museum (1975). The works ‘reveal Stirling’s wide ranging approach to architectural composition and language, as well as the fundamental importance of historical and modernist architecture to his work.’ On display are more than three hundred original architectural drawings, models and photographs.
AD Interviews: Meinhard von Gerkan, gmp architekten
We recently had the opportunity to interview gmp architekten founding partner, Meinhard von Gerkan. Born in 1935 in Riga/Latvia, Gerkan completed his architectural studies in 1964 at the Carolo Wilhelmina Technical University in Braunschweig. In 1965 he co-founded with Volkwin Marg, von Gerkan, Marg and partners. They have completed together over 260 buildings, among them the Berlin-Tegel Airport (competition, 1st place 1965, built in 1970-75), the Berlin Central Station, Villa Guna, Christ Pavilion, and the Lingang New City, been recognized nationally and internationally for their designs and competition proposals.
Meinhard von Gerkan has also dedicated time to architectural education serving as a professor at multiple institutions including Hamburg’s Free Academy of Arts and Japan’s Nihon University in Tokyo. His interest in the training of architects resulted in the creation of a foundation to promote architectural training in 2007: the Academy for Architectural Culture. He has regarded this as one of his most important projects.
“The architect has a particular social responsibility since architecture is an art with social obligation and use.”
Our profession has a big component of passion, and Meinhard was full of it. It was inspiring to interview him, and I hope you enjoy this video.
A list of gmp architekten projects featured on ArchDaily include:
Video: Urban Density Benefits
David Baker of DB+P Architects recently produced a short video on the benefits of urban density and the repercussions of the current suburban sprawl trend in the US. It provides an insightful look into the resources required to maintain current cities and why density, if properly planned can provide the healthy atmosphere that great cities are known for. One of the most interesting points brought up is how population density is inversely related to carbon footprint – one example illustrates how Oklahoma City with a population density of 872 per square mile produces almost double the carbon that New York does with a population density of 70,595 per square mile. With land still relatively inexpensive, especially in the heartland of the US, the question becomes how to convey the benefits of urban living to those that cherish suburbia.
Video: House NA / Sou Fujimoto Architects
Shinkenchiku brings you an exclusive inside tour of the contemporary House NA, designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects. Thin, steel poles delicately support the transparent “pile of boxes” at varying heights. In an interview conducted by F.W. Monocle, Sou Fujimoto explains, “In one way the house is like a single space, but each room is also a tiny space of its own. The clients said they wanted to live like nomads within the house – they didn’t have specific plans for each room. The house looks radical but for the clients it seemed quite natural.”
Eames: The Architect and the Painter
Check out this trailer for what promises to be an awesome documentary on the Eames. This painter and architect duo carved their niche into the history of design, beginning with their famed lounge chair and ottoman, continuing with graphic design, photography, architecture, and visionary ideas for companies such as Westinghouse, Boeing and Polaroid. Directed by Jason Cohn and Bill Jersey, the documentary will run in New York at the IFC Center on November 18, and will have its broadcast premiere December 19 as part of the PBS American Masters series. Narrated by James Franco, Eames: The Architect and the Painter is the first film dedicated to these creative geniuses and their work. As the clip explains, ”They [The Eames] were introducing people to look at the world differently.” Enjoy!
SUPRASTUDIO 2012-2013
Suprastudio Greg Lynn from UCLA Architecture & Urban De on Vimeo.
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design, led by Greg Lynn, recently announced SUPRASTUDIO 2012-2013, a new model for architectural education that elevates the academic experience of future leaders in architectural design to a level unique amongst post-professional M.Arch. II programs. The M.Arch. II degree promotes critical practice by emphasizing applied research. The application deadline is Dec. 15, 2011. For more information, please visit their official website here.
Video: OMA Show & Tell at the Barbican
Yesterday, the Barbican Gallery in London hosted an interesting event with OMA.
“OMA Show & Tell” features all the of the firm’s partners: Rem Koolhaas, Victor van der Chijs, Reinier de Graaf, Ellen van Loon, Shohei Shigematsu (watch our interview with Shohei), Iyad Alsaka and David Gianotten.
The discussion was chaired by Chris Dercon, director of the Tate Modern, who makes a very good intro to this “historic evening“, in which the partners for the first time will discuss together how the creative practice has worked in the past and how it will work in the future. It includes questions from the 300 members of OMA.
It is interesting to see how the partnership works, and Dercon encourages the young architects in the audience to learn from it and speak to their CEOs to run their firms according to their views after this lecture.
Video: Richard Meier Retrospective
On October 20, The Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey (MARCO) and Richard Meier & Partners Architects launched Latin America’s first retrospective exhibition celebrating the forty-eight years of Richard Meier’s career. The show reveals an in-depth overview of many significant projects, showcasing a large collection of models, original sketches, photographs, renderings and an exclusive gallery dedicated to Meier’s product design.
Video: SCI-Arc Robot House
SCI-Arc‘s introduction of the Robot House (spring 2011) – a multifunctional robotics lab that enables the exploration of advanced fabrication techniques, manipulation of high tech materials, and numerous methods for simulation – has brought about a new and intriguing component to the school. Designed by faculty members Peter Testa and Devyn Weiser, its primary goal is the advancement of next generation platforms for the experimentation and future speculation of architecture.
The state-of-the-art Staübli robotic systems are housed within a 1,000 sqf double height research room between studio spaces and the shop. Given the nature of work that is being produced at SCI-Arc, it will be interesting to see the new projects that take full advantage of the Robot House and the adjacent Robotics & Simulation Lab.
Video: Architecture and Business
Jenn Kennedy, author of Success by Design and AD collaborator, shared with us this interesting video in which she asked an influential group of architects about their business direction. These testimonials by Dan Meis, Art Gensler, Lauren Rottet and Steven Ehrlich give us valuable insights on running a successful firm.
Video: Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi – Evolutionary Infrastructures
Earlier this week Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi, founding principals of Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, lectured at Harvard GSD about Evolutionary Infrastructures. The multidisciplinary firm has distinguished themselves with their holistic design approach, successfully integrating the disciplines of architecture, art, infrastructure, and landscape design.
Their projects have been received internationally attention; the Olympic Sculpture Park for the Seattle Art Museum, which was the winning design of an international competition and has been recognized at Barcelona’s World Architecture Festival (Nature Category Winner), by ID Magazine Environments Design Awards (Best in Category), and was awarded the Veronica Rudge Green Prize in urban Design from harvard University. The Diana Center at Barnard College was chosen as the winning design of a national design competition and received a Progressive Architecture Award and an ArchDaily 2010 Building of the Year winner.
Weiss/Manfredi has received the Academy Award in Architecture and the Gold Medal of Honor by AIA New york City chapter. ArchDaily had the chance to interview Weiss/Manfredi earlier this year. Be sure to check it out.
Video: OMA/Progress Exhibition
This video features an exclusive interview with Rem Koolhaas by BD online discussing the launch on October 6th of ‘OMA/Progress Exhibition’ at the Barbican Art Gallery. Curated and designed by Rotor, a Belguim-based collective, member Maarten Gielen and OMA founding partner Rem Koolhaas discuss the importance of this major retrospective, the stories being told, and the discoveries Rotor made after having a unique and unheard of ‘behind the scenes access’ to OMA – asking candid questions and reviewing materials from the archives of OMA offices.
The launch of the exhibit coincides with last weeks opening of Maggie’s Centre in Gartnavel, Glasgow and the Rothschild Bank Headquarters in London later this year. The OMA/Progress Exhibition will run through February 19, 2012.
A Musical Interlude with Simon & Garfunkel / So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright
For those of you who may not know who Simon & Garfunkel are (don’t worry I wouldn’t admit to it either), they were an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. Most notably known for their hit single “The Sound of Silence” and also for their music being featured in the film The Graduate which featured another one of their hits “Mrs. Robinson”.
Simon & Garfunkel rose to critical and commercial success between 1960 and 1970 when they recorded their final studio album Bridge Over Troubled Water which included the song “So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright”. The origins and meaning of this song have long been debated, one argument is that the song is a dedication to Frank Lloyd Wright from Art Garfunkel who was himself a former architecture student, and the other argument is that the song served as a hidden farewell between Simon & Garfunkel since this would be their final album together. Evidence can be found within the lyrics of the song that says, “I remember the nights we’d harmonize till dawn, I never laughed so long, so long, so long…” The repeated use of the “so long” can be interpreted as a goodbye between the two.
What do you think were the intentions behind this song…?
So long, Frank Lloyd Wright.
I can’t believe your song is gone so soon.
I barely learned the tune
So soon
So soon.
I’ll remember Frank Lloyd Wright.
All of the nights we’d harmonize till dawn.
I never laughed so long
So long
So long.
Architects may come and
Architects may go and
Never change your point of view.
When I run dry
I stop awhile and think of you
So long, Frank Lloyd Wright
All of the nights we’d harmonize till dawn.
I never laughed so long
So long
So long.
