CityVision magazine recently announced their CityVision New York competition, which invites architects, designers, students, artists and creatives to develop urban and visionary proposals with the aim of stimulating new ideas for the contemporary city. Globalization, environmental concerns, new economic and cultural politics, adaptability to the existing context combined with the use of vibrant ideas, original technologies and new softwares for representation are some of the key elements that should be taken into account to formulate the most original project proposal. The submission deadline is June 11. For more information, please visit here.

This June 3, 1956 clip of the Long-running CBS game show What’s My Line? has been making its rounds on the internet for quite sometime now. As it just recently popped up on Dwell’s twitter feed, we knew it must be featured on ArchDaily for our readers who may have not seen it yet, as it is a classic and features the 89-year-old “World Famous Architect” Frank Lloyd Wright. Just as any good architect would do, Wright critiques the poor acoustical qualities of the space as a blindfolded all-star panel (such as Arlene Francis and Peter Lawford) attempts to guess his professional title.

Tent London is holding a competition to offer 4 free feature spaces in their show, ‘Design Feature at Tent London’, to architects and designers who have a design or concept they would like to present to their 20,000 visitors. Their intent is to punctuate the halls with engaging installations that are also three-dimensional environments which clearly demonstrate the chosen concept; whether it be colour, material, light, human interaction, diversity etc. Concepts can be complex or simple, but must be clearly evident in the installation. The deadline for applications is March 16. For more information, please visit their website here.

Taking place March 1 – March 23, Made in USA—German Architects in New York exhibition, curated by Matthias Neumann, features the work of seven architects from Germany based in New York City. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, highlights excellence in design and architecture, and celebrates the contribution that German architects have made to the city’s vibrant architecture scene. The exhibition will showcase a recent building by each of the architects and provide an overview of their practices. More information on the event after the break.

We just received the lastest edition of MARK Magazine, one of our favorite publications. There are some absolutely arresting projects and articles in this issue. A personal favorite is a piece on Jean-Francois Rauzier’s art work. Rauzier builds unique worlds out of thousands of photographs. (If you are not familiar with his work visit website, no seriously go.) On a more practical note this issue has a piece on the advantages of smart phones and why and how they can help architects increase their workflow or procrastinate in style. If you want to know what Bjarke Ingels’ reads there is an article on that too, pretty interesting. Among his favorites is Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars and he is currently reading Matt Ridley’s The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves; I love knowing what architects are reading for some reason, what are you, our readers, reading? As always MARK’s project selection is great; some we have and others we don’t. Those we do have are shown in greater depth or from a different angle.

If you want to check out 14 projects featured in this issue you can view our articles on them, click here.

Get a peak inside the issue after the break.

By now you’ve probably already heard and read about James Ramsey and Dan Barasch’s radical proposal to bring an underground park to the Lower East Side via Essex Street Trolley Terminal below Delancey Street. What you may not know is that the LowLine, as it has become known, has just launched a KickStarter Campaign with a goal of raising $100,000 by April 6th. Here you can pledge money and receive prizes for your donations if funding succeeds. The masterminds behind the projects are not slowing down. Conversations about this project and its possibilities are spreading. Just last week, the Tenement Museum invited Ramsey and Barasch, along with historian Stuart Blumin to discuss the project and some of its social and political consequences.

In this interview, between Australian Architect Glenn Murcutt and Peter Thompson for ABC TV’s Talking Heads program, Murcutt reveals his three rules in life: simplicity, simplicity, and “of course, simplicity”. He speaks openly about his upbringing and childhood, about his inspirations and how he has grown and developed his passions as an architect. He has recieved the 2002 Pritzker Prize and 2009 AIA Gold Medal.

Follow us after the break for the rest of the interview.

If you are a fan of Hans Hollein then we have the book for you. Edited by Peter Weibel, this large format book gives you a vivid and detailed look at the 1985 Pritzker Prize recipient’s work. Hollein, an Austrian trained architect, did everything from architecture to design and art. Hollein said, “architects have to stop thinking in terms of buildings only.” The book describes Hollein as the universal artist who “has transposed the machine-based architecture and art of modernity into the era of media-based communication and information technology.” The large photographs featured in this publication make for a great for a coffee table book, and yet the depth and breadth of his work can spur much more interesting conversation than the average coffee table book.

The shortlisted proposal for the Swedish Pavilion at the upcoming 2012 World Expo by Stockholm Field Office, in collaboration with Fieldwork, is based on the idea of gradients; the gradual shifts in Swedish landscape and relatively smooth changes in Swedish society. This idea is interpreted into different spatial elements, gradually fading between different points in space. They create the physical environment of the exhibition space, showcasing information and objects as well as guiding the flows of visitors through the space. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The proposal for Rethinking Khan Market by Vandana Sehgal animates a typical model town type market into an experience of ultimate recreation. It will not consume energy as much as a regular shopping mall, but will have the ambiance and synergy of one, hybridized with the openness of an Indian bazaar. More images and architects’ description after the break.

3XN Architects shared with us their competition winning proposal for the new university building in Uppsala, Sweden. Their design concept bridges the past and the future by extending the lines from the historical surroundings into an innovative structure. Pointing towards future through its flexible and open spaces, it encourages new ways of working, studying and collaborating. More architects’ description after the break.

President Obama attended the official ground breaking ceremony of the National Museum for African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) on February 22, commemorating this milestone for the Smithsonian Institution’s new museum on Washington’s National Mall. The Tanzanian-born, London-based architect David Adjaye serves as Lead Designer for the Freelon Adjaye Bond/SmithGroup (FAB) team that was selected by the Smithsonian Institute back in 2009 in the international competition for the design of the nation’s new prestigious building.

The President began his brief remarks by stating, “As others have mentioned, this day has been a long time coming. The idea for a museum dedicated to African Americans was first put forward by black veterans of the Civil War. And years later, the call was picked up by members of the civil rights generation -– by men and women who knew how to fight for what was right and strive for what is just. This is their day. This is your day. It’s an honor to be here to see the fruit of your labor.”

Continue reading for more information on the project and a video of President Obama’s speech.

Construction on soma‘s “One Ocean” thematic pavilion is currently well underway and scheduled for completion in May 2012. Selected as the first prize winner of an open international competition in Yeosu, South Korea, the thematic pavilion was designed to embody the Expo’s theme “The Living Ocean and Coast” and transform it into a three-dimensional “multi-layered” architectural experience. The goal of the Expo is to portray the responsible use of natural materials, which has been embedded into the sustainable climate design and the biomimetic aspects of the facade of “One Ocean”.

Read on for more after the break.

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The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) chapter at Washington State University will proudly host the Spring 2012 West Quad Regional Conference in Spokane at the end of March 2012. The conference will take place March 29th – April 1st on the WSU Spokane campus under the theme of “Preserving Identities,” welcoming in attendees from across the Western United States. More images and information on the event after the break.

In association with Jean-Baptiste Ferrari et Associes SA, gmp Architekten recently won the competition for a sports complex and urban re-design in Lausanne, Switzerland. The design manages to create an urban link between the diverse structure of the neighboring quarters, the new proposed residential quarter and the shores of Lake Geneva. Situated on a triangular lot, the site is defined in the south by the motorway and in the west and north by large arterial roads. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The Museum of Architecture and Design is proud to announce the international Call for Entries for the 23rd Biennial of Design – the international exhibition and BIO Design Awards competition. Through its selection of well-designed works and emphasis on quality, originality, and innovation, the exhibit presents current trends in contemporary design. The exhibited works are eligible to receive the Biennial’s awards for the best designs of the past two years.

The Europan 11 proposal for the science park in Ingolstadt, Germany received an honorable mention in the competition. Dominated by technology and science, the intent of YanKang Wang, ShuYan Wang, Yuan Lin, and JingRong Zhong is to create a fresh urban development concept for this city, which is based on the cooperation of industry and academia. Under the theme of innovative living and working, environmentally friendly technology and renewable energy will be applied by creating a new settlement model. However, in this way the city inhabitants will be initiated simultaneously how to live in a future way with the existing resources. More images and architects’ description after the break.

We are super excited about receiving the next magazine in the a+t strategy series. The series as a whole “analyzes the strategies undertaken in the projects of urban landscaping in order to achieve the set objectives.” This issue specifically deals with Tactical Urbanism. The topic takes on how to address the conflict and fog created in many of the occupy protests, making the issue relevant to the larger discussion taking place among society all over the world. Many of the ideas trend toward an open-ended approach of what Rem Koolhaas might have called, “specific indeterminacy.” The common denominators of the eight collectives this issue covers are “the criticism of the consumerism present in modern society, the instigation of individual participation in collective and spontaneous projects to transform the city, non-recognition of intellectual property, the inclination towards libertarian and hedonistic projects, the struggle against alienating work and in particular merging daily activity, leisure and fun into one workload with the aim that each person might construct their own life differently and according to their desires and personal preferences.”

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat ( CTBUH) has launched The Skyscraper Center – a comprehensive resource for data and information on all buildings taller than 200 meters, whether they are completed or currently being developed. Detailed profiles and images reveal each towers global and regional size-ranking, as well as the projects latest updates and data. For example, recently completed Al Hamra Firdous Tower by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill ranks first in its city and national ranking, second in its regional ranking and is the thirteenth tallest building in the world.

“The new site builds on our database compiled through 40 years of research and adds valuable new functions, new information and extensive assets for both professionals and non-professionals exploring the world of skyscrapers,” said Timothy Johnson, chairman of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

LivingHomes has just announced the launch of their first well-designed, affordable and sustainable prefabricated home known as C6. Starting at $179,000, the home is nearly half the cost of most other LivingHomes models and includes 34 tons of carbon offsets. It is the first to achieve LEED® Platinum and feature Cradle-to-Cradle inspired materials.

C6 was designed by the architects of LivingHomes in collaboration with Make It Right, a nonprofit founded by Brad Pitt and renowned architect William McDonough to build 150 Cradle to Cradle inspired LEED Platinum homes in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. A portion of the proceeds from each C6 will help support the efforts of Make It Right. Continue reading for more.

In conjunction with our recent coverage of the Xi’an International Horticultural Expo, we would like to share Aidan Flaherty’s interview with Holger Kehne, co-principle of Plasma Studio and GroundLab. Plasma Studio, GroundLab and LAUR Studio worked together to win this international competition with a 37-hectare master plan for the International Horticultural Expo, a 5,000SM Exhibition Hall, a 4,000SM Greenhouse, and a 3,500SM Gate Building. The project initiated the re-development of a large area between the airport and the center of the ancient city of Xi’an – known as the home of the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty.

The Expo opened in the spring of 2011 and welcomed more than 16 million visitors before it closed in the fall of 2011. The Expo park will remain as a new contemporary addition to the Xi’an region. The particularities of this legacy plan are currently underway. Holger Kehne discusses his firms’ unique design methodologies and multidisciplinary approach while working on this large-scale project. Read the interview after the break.

The strategy by FangCheng Architects for the affordable housing design in Shenzhen involves bringing the apartments outside the urban core. Their concept is to build as many affordable houses as possible in the urban center, which can decrease residents’ travelling time and increase usage and sharing of urban facilities. This strategy aims to improve social housing integration in the urban core which is done through building 6200 affordable housing units in the urban center. More images and architects’ description after the break.

The Architecture Billings Index (ABI) has clocked in at a positive 50.9 for January. Although the score brings the ABI into positive territories for the past three months, 50.9 is slightly over the positive measuring marker and actually, just under December’s mark of 51.0. Regional averages place the Midwest as the leading area with 53.7; followed by the South (51.6), Northeast (50.7), and West (45.6). AIA Chief Economist, Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA explained that even though the index is showing a similar upturn in design billings to the late 2010 and early 2011, firms are still having a hard time staying on their feet. “We still continue to hear about struggling firms and some continued uncertainly in the market, we expect that overall economic improvements in the design and construction sector to be modest in the coming months.”

The Emerging New York Architects Competition proposal, ‘The Greenhouse Transformer’, which received an honorable mention, is a typology for urban farming with the purpose of creating environments for learning year round within the community of West Harlem. PRAUD‘s main goal is to integrate life cycle components of food production into a building that is also a catalyst for activity in the area and allows visitors to engage in the program in a more efficient way. More images and architects’ description after the break.