Why would this building be abandoned when at one point it was such a significant symbol for the country? Buildings such as this that have been left to stand alone are calling out for architects to intervene and come up with well thought out solutions while being sensitive to its historical significance. At one time, the Buzludzha Monument, designed by Gueorguy Stoilov, was the most celebrated monument dedicated to the sociopolitical movement of communism. Now, in the mountains of Buzludzha National Park in Central Stara Planina, Bulgaria, stands an abandoned communist concrete structure right in the middle of the country taking on a “flying saucer” in appearance. What should be done with buildings that have been abandoned all over the globe? Now is the time to think critically and discover the possibilities. More images and after the break.
While in Miami for the 2010 AIA Convention we had the chance to visit Chad Oppenheim, founder of Oppenheim Architecture + Design.
The firm specializes in world class hospitality, residential and mixed-use design, with a focus on sustainability. Some of these works include a villa in Dellis Cay for Mandarin Oriental, Villa Allegra, the COR Tower (featured next in AD), Starwood’s DC 1 Hotel in Washington, the Campus Center, the Enea Headquarters and smaller projects suchas the Simpson Park Hammock Pavilion, among several others. Oppenheim’s designs in the Miami area stand out in a developer-driven market.
In the next few days we are going to feature several of his recent projects so you can have a better idea about the firm. Please find the rest of the interview below:
The Architectural Association is organizing a visiting school in Mexico City titled, “Recovering Waterscapes”, which focuses on the challenges created by the changing city on this scarce resource. The event is scheduled to take place on the 5th-14th of January 2011 at Universidad Iberoamericana. More event description after the break.
This past Tuesday marked the much anticipated 2010 midterm elections in the United States. In a switch of power the Republic party gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives while the Democrats maintained control of the U.S. Senate. You may be asking yourself what do the results of these recent political changes have to do with me? Well here is the scoop:
For the most part lawmakers who have previous backed design-related policies survived. This includes the Congressional High Performance Building Caucus chairpersons, Judy Biggert (R-IL and Russ Carnahan (D-MO).
A supporter for the tax incentive of green buildings, Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) was re-elected. Previously assisting the AIA to expand access to credit, Reps. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and Mike Coffman (R-CO) won their races. Livability champion Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Hon. AIA (D-OR) and Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) – author of the GREEN Act for green affordable housing and the Livable Communities Act – and Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), a leader on green buildings and historic preservation, all won re-election.
A couple weeks ago, we featuredSTL‘s proposal for the Kaohsiung Competition. Now, Sun & Schrempp Associates have shared with us their design for a Marine and Pop Music Center driven by the wave motion of the water experienced at Kaohsiung’s marine port. More images and architect’s description after the break.
Please join the committee and the winning teams at the Center for Architecture (536 LaGuardia Place), November 11 at 6:00 pm, for the opening party to celebrate the competition winners and the launch of the competition publication, HB:BX, Building Cultural Infrastructure. The exhibition will be on view at the Center for Architecture through March 27, 2011.
The International Competition A HOUSE IN LUANDA: PATIO AND PAVILION, promoted by the Lisbon Architecture Triennale together with Luanda Triennale, with the goal of selecting the best proposal for the conception of a family unit house in Luanda, was the most participated International Competition of Ideas ever to take place in Portugal, thus showing that the Lisbon Architecture Triennale completely fulfills its international calling.
The competition received 599 proposals, 588 of which were accepted to the competition, from 44 countries and 5 continents. ArchDaily has recently featured the 2nd prize winner of this competition. 1st prize as well as all others after the break.
While in Chicago earlier this year I had the chance to interview an amazing architect: Michael Graves.
Michael Graves has played an influential role in architecture, often credited as moving the profession in America from abstract modernism to post-modernism. His designs communicate a clear point of view reflecting a sense of playfulness with sophistication. The balance of traditional elements (typically through arches, columns, and pediments) and exploration with color convey the lessons of modern architecture while referring to historical details.
ETB Studio shared with us their proposal for a new guesthouse in in Villafranca de los Barros, Spain. Their complex was awarded with second place in the competition. More images and architect’s description after the break.
The CDR-CDU Master plan by Nabito Arquitecturais directed by the desire to create self-sufficient enclosures in the proposed Blocks in order to fight against the abusive urban texture that has developed over the past 50 years on the site. The architects have tried to create an operational space within each of the Blocks in the master plan in hopes that future development of each individual Block will link with one another.
If you’re in the Los Angeles area, the Architecture + Design Museum is launching its latest exhibition – a retrospective honoring Stephen Kanner. Kanner, in addition to being the founder and president of the A+D, was also a third generation architect and principal of Kanner Architects. Some of his most notable projects include PUMA retail stores worldwide, in addition to his contributions to his native LA environment. The exhibit, which will run from November 4th through January 16th, will display sketches and models of his work. As Sam Lubell reported for the AN Blog, “Many will be surprised by the depth of Kanner’s talents—he could sketch almost any building or neighborhood with exact precision, his cartoons were artful and hilarious, and he excelled at painting, model-making, and even carpet design— or even the breadth of his architecture, so this show is a must-see.” The museum is set to establish a Stephen Kanner Memorial Fundto ensure the future of the museum. A+D explained, “Kanner envisioned a museum dedicated to progressive architecture and design, celebrating not only the design breakthroughs of the city but also the accomplishments of the national and international design scenes.”
Check out Santos, Brazil’s new Museum of Modern Art designed by Metro Arquitetos Associados and Paulo Mendes da Rocha(be sure to check out our interviews with da Rocha here). Officially opened last month, the museum is visually shocking as the gigantic volume seems to be hovering over an open gathering space. Metal trusses measuring 60 m by 20 m support the two all-metal walls of the project. On the exterior, the facade is made with pre-cast slabs of concrete and then on the interior, it is plastered. The museum boasts one exhibit hall of 1,135 m² and one of 1,200 m², a café, ticket office, gift shop, lounge and archive, and is integrated into the existing Benedito Calixto Art gallery by way of the suspended steel beams of the new museum.
Here in Sequoia, after the first snow, my most pressing problem is not shelter, bears, or cougars, but how to write about architecture while being awed by natural wonder.
What architecture there is in these mountains could be considered basic: it protects from the elements, you can build a fire, and it has wi-fi. I am perfectly happy with the minimal design the US Park Service has provided: there is a lodge with a massive stone fireplace and the immediate forest (active bear country) is unobtrusively dotted with tiny clapboard cabins for park personnel.
Kengo Kuma will lead the design team which includes the Scottish firms cre8architecture, Optimised Environments Ltd, and CBA, and the engineering firm Arup.
You can check out our ArchDaily article on all five of the shortlisted designs with photographs and a video here.
Bustler broke the news of Kengo Kuma’s win earlier today.
We had the chance to meet and interview principals Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu at P.S.1 while Pole Dance was open. The interview went great. I highly recommend that you check out their response to our question regarding their experience starting and running a firm, just during the financial crisis.
The firm is currently involved in interesting projects abroad, which we look forward in featuring here at ArchDaily in the future.
Sustainable development typically looks at the “triple bottom line” of economic, ecological and social factors and has become the Zeitgeist of the industry. In the context of the built environment, innovative and contextual impacts must also be factored into any calculation of sustainability. With such broad elements to be considered, it’s no wonder that exemplary projects in sustainable construction are rarely the work of one single person or profession, but combine the expertise of several fields: architecture, engineering, research, biology and sociology.
To bring the concept of broad sustainability for the building industry to life, the 3rd International Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction identify and recognize the cutting-edge of sustainability – propelling more widespread and consequential adoption of approaches to build a more sustainable future. The Holcim Awards competition also includes a category for the “Next Generation” of university students to share their concepts for the sustainable projects of the future.
French architects Malcotti Roussey associated with Thierry Gheza and Territoires (landscapers) shared with us their social and cultural center for Giromagny, a commune in northeastern France. More images and architect’s description after the break.
Ben Walker, of Townsend + Associates Architects, submitted his Pod Market proposal in the 2009 ‘New Push’ competition exhibition for emerging architects in the ACT, Australia. The competition was organized by the Faction group of the ACT Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. The proposal won first prize. Additional images and architects description after the break.
The American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA|Los Angeles) is pleased to announce a call for entries for the 2010 Arch Is competition. Only in its sophomore year, Arch Is is the newest addition to the AIA|Los Angeles’s growing roster of programs.
You won’t believe how many fantastic project we featured back in 2009. Here’s our fourth selection of previously featured refurbishment projects. Check them all after the break.
DogA / JSA The planning and building work was done in approximately 15 months, resulting in an extremely hectic process. The building consisted of a conglomerate of different additions and alterations from around 1860 until 1980. We thought it would be appropriate and interesting to reveal this intense and dramatic history of continuous physical change by uncovering as many as possible of the “voices” from the past (read more…)
At a time when the economic state of the United States is at a point where it is impacting the way students and current architects are going about designing certain building types, Alan Lu, who is currently the Presidential Fellow at MIT is deeply engrained within the realm of form, fabrication and the endless pursuit of luxury through space. His studies and research is demonstrated in his Lechmere Public Library design in Boston, Massachusetts where his hybrid form of institutional and private space combines to exist as a single entity. More images and description after the break.
During the AIA convention in Miami we had the chance to interview Steve Dumez, Design Director at Nola-based firm Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, who received his FAIA during the event.
Steve is the “design guru” at EDR, overseeing the design of all projects from concept to construction documents, and according to the firm “his hand sketches in the early phases of design are invaluable”.
Steve, along side partners Allen Eskew (FAIA) and Mark Ripple (AIA, LEED AP) have been focused their efforts in the NOLA area, not only with their buildings, but also taking part on the initiatives to rebuild NOLA. Steve is also a Past-President of AIA Louisiana and AIA New Orleans.
EDR’s work portfolio includes projects in varies scales, such as the Prospect.1 Welcome Center (AIA Small Project Award 2010) or 930 Poydras Residential Tower, a 462,000 sqf project. On the videos below we discuss with Steve about their experience working on such different scales.
