Downtown Houston Central Station Design Competition Shortlist
Downtown Houston has exploded over the past few years with development targeted specifically toward attracting citizens into its downtown center beyond work hours. Some of these efforts have been a huge success; others have yet to justify themselves. But none so far have reached the architectural caliber that Houston’s latest competition has. The current light rail system in Houston is looking to expand rapidly in the near future to keep up with growing downtown attractions, most notably of which being the new and much anticipated Houston Dynamo Stadium by Populous.
The original scheme called for two new separate stations on Main Street – one at the 600 block, and one at the 800 block. The resolution was then made to create a larger, combined light rail hub in between the two at the 700 block of Main Street, and hold a competition led by Dean Patricia Oliver of the University of Houston Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Dean Sarah Whiting of the Rice University School of Architecture. A short list was created composed of internationally renowned architecture firms, and the competition winner is to be announced in the upcoming weeks. More to come once the finalist is announced.
Architecture City Guide: Austin
For this week the Architecture City Guide series headed to the city of Austin, Texas. Already our third stop in the Lone State, it is easy to see why Texans take such pride in their state, even when the Cowboys go 6 and 10. Both the capital of Texas and Live Music, Austin is a vibrant city that takes pride in being far from ordinary. Austin also plays host to South By Southwest (SXSW) which is being held this week, March 11th – 20th. Its eclectic and liberal lifestyle have led many Austinites to adopt the slogan “Keep Austin Weird.” In this context its architecture is as diverse as its people. This short exposé of a few contemporary and modern buildings hardly tells the story of Austin, so we ask you, the readers, to add to the list. Please share your favorites with us in the comment section below.
The Architecture City Guide: Austin list and corresponding map after the break!
Donghia Designer-In Residence Lecture: Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis
Architecture/Landscape/Interiors presents the 2009 Donghia Designer-in-Residence Lecture by David J. Lewis and Marc Tsurumaki, Principals of Lewis Tsurumaki Lewis (LTL). LTL is an innovative, award-winning architecture partnership founded in 1997 by Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki and David J. Lewis, located in New York City.
LTL actively pursues a diverse range of work, from large-scale academic and cultural buildings to interior architecture to competitions. LTL’s approach is to realize inventive solutions that turn the very constraints of each project into the design trajectory, exploring overlaps between space, program, form, budget and materials.
Founding partners Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki and David J. Lewis are also widely respected for their contributions to design education. Paul Lewis is an Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at Princeton University School of Architecture. Marc Tsurumaki is an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at Columbia University. David J. Lewis is an Associate Professor at Parsons The New School for Design, where he directed the Master of Architecture Program from 2002-2007.
The lecture and reception will take place next 24 September and are free and open to the public, at The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) 250 S.Grand Ave, L.A 90012. From 7:00pm till 9:30om. Seating is first-come, first-served. Please call (310) 665-6867 for more information on the lecture, or Architecture/Landscape/Interiors Department.
