5 Robots Revolutionizing Architecture’s Future
Robots fascinate us. Their ability to move and act autonomously is visually and intellectually seductive. We write about them, put them in movies, and watch them elevate menial tasks like turning a doorknob into an act of technological genius. For years, they have been employed by industrial manufacturers, but until recently, never quite considered seriously by architects. Sure, some architects might have let their imaginations wander, like Archigram did for their “Walking City”, but not many thought to actually make architecture with robots. Now, in our age of digitalization, virtualization, and automation, the relationship between architects and robots seems to be blooming…check it out.
Keep reading to see five new robots making architecture.
Telecom Central / Architecture +
Architects: Architecture +
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Design Team: Stuart Gardyne, Stephen Poulopoulos, Michael Bennett, Andrew Camberis, Iain Hibbard, Arnie Makan, Nick Whiting, Claudio Holzer, Mervyn Rothwell, Ben Crichton, Lucy McAuliffe, Bridget White, Kim Manford, Rachel Logie, Kirsty Chamberlain, Craig Thomson
Area: 35,000 sqm
Year: 2011
Photographs: Paul McCredie
Batman & Architecture: The Dark Knight Rises and Gotham’s Buildings Fall
There is no other comic saga more influenced by architecture than Batman. Gotham, and the fictional architects that built the city, have been main characters since the first plots. Writer and architect Jimmy Stamp describes in these essay the fascinating architectural references and metaphors that have filled Batman stories for the last 60 years.
Batman, Gotham City, and an Overzealous Architecture Historian With a Working Knowledge of Explosives
By Jimmy Stamp
New York, Dubai, Tokyo, Moscow, Gotham. Every city in every atlas—real and fictional— has a unique character shaped by history and geography. More than a mere sense of place derived from architecture and planning, cities have a feeling that pervades the consciousness of those who live there until themselves become a a piece of the urban fabric, a fractional embodiment of the city itself. Perhaps more than any other person—real or fictional—Batman is integrally linked to his city, the city he has sworn to protect. In every sense of the word, he is a true avatar of Gotham. And Gotham City itself is an avatar, not only of the dreams of its fictional architects, but of our collective urban paranoia.
Read the full post after the break
Te Wharewaka / architecture +
Architects: architecture +
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Design Team: Stuart Gardyne, Michael Bennett, Chris Hay, Damon Peachey, Erini Kaldelis, Nick Whiting, Kirsty Chamberlain, Todd Allen, Belinda Tuohy, Iain Hibbard, Janie Morris, Craig Thompson, Andrew Camberis
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: sqm
Photographs: Paul McCredie, Grant Sheehan
City Gallery / architecture +
Architects: architecture +
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Design Team: Stuart Gardyne, Michael Bennett, Arnie Makan, Damon Peachey, Belinda Tuohy, Nick Whiting, Chloe Phelps, Rachel Logie
Proyect Year: 2009
Photographs: Patrick Reynolds
Explore Chicago’s Best Architecture
Ever wanted to get a behind the scenes look at some of the most interesting buildings in Chicago? If you are an architecture enthusiast, student, or just curious about what all the hype is about, this weekend is your opportunity to experience the best that Chicago has to offer. From October 15-16, 2011, the Chicago Architecture Foundation will be hosting openhousechicago 2011 – which is free and open to the public. The primary themes for OHC are sustainability and community, with an emphasis on how buildings can achieve energy efficiency, and how design brings people and places together in a holistic manner.
Click here for a complete mapping of all the buildings available to explore.
References: www.openhousechicago.org
Video: Monty Python Architecture Comedy Sketch
This sketch comedy by Monty Python is sure to produce some laughs. For all the architects and students out there, you will undoubtedly be able to relate to this situation. Whether it is when you are presenting to crits for studio review or as architects pitching your idea to developers.
