Interview with Álvaro Siza: “Beauty Is the Peak of Functionality!”

Throughout the 60-year career of Álvaro Siza, his work has continuously defied categorization--having variously been described as “critical regionalism” and “poetic modernism,” with neither quite capturing the true essence of Siza's intuitive architecture. In this interview, the latest in Vladimir Belogolovsky's “City of Ideas” series, Siza discusses those attempts to categorize his work, his design approach and the role of beauty in his designs.

Vladimir Belogolovsky: Your student, Eduardo Souto de Moura said, “Siza’s houses are just like cats sleeping in the sun.”

Álvaro Siza: [Laughs.] Yes, he meant that my buildings assume the most natural postures on the site. There is also a reference in that to the human body.

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Tetuán-Amaliach Square / Héctor Navarro + ARKHITEKTON

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Santander, Spain
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  2432
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  iGuzzini, KOMPAN, UrbanPlay, Urbes21

Los Angeles Selected as New Site for MAD's Lucas Museum

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has finally found a home. Following nearly a decade of searching, the museum’s board has announced that Los Angeles’ Exposition Park will serve as the site for the MAD Architects-designed building housing the life’s work and expansive art and media collection of one of history’s most celebrated filmmakers, George Lucas.

Architect-US: How to Work in the U.S. and Not Die in The Process

As a young architect, there are crucial moments and decisions that begin to define your professional career. What type of architecture do I relate to? Who or what inspires me to create and design? Where do I form my architectural references and context? Should I stay or should I look for a professional experience abroad? At this point, most of us have dreamed of living and working in New York, Chicago, San Francisco... but we often have no clue where to start and immigration bureaucracy seems so obscure, expensive and complicated that we easily get discouraged and give up on our American Dream.

Learn About Santiago Calatrava's WTC Hub and More In This Short Documentary

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In its latest installment of the Private View series, Nowness has released a short documentary by New-York based filmmaker Alexandra Liveris profiling Santiago Calatrava. In the film, Calatrava discusses his perspective as an artist and an architect, as well as his creative process, mainly within the scope of the World Trade Center Transit Hub.

"You see, the first goal in this place was to deliver something beautiful where such an ugliness was there before,” says Calatrava in the film. “To deliver something optimistic looking to the future where so much sadness and depression was there.”

“Permanently Unfinished”: The Evolution of Architecture in the Galapagos Islands

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Most visitors to the Galapagos Islands point their cameras towards the exotic animals and away from the local people. They direct their full attention to the natural landscape, as if to intentionally deny the existence of the urban space of the city, since the presence of any form of architecture would seem in logical conflict with the islands’ identity as a protected wildlife reserve.

The architecture of the Galapagos is both a conceptual and physical contradiction. Like a Piranesian joke, the San Cristobal typology of the proto-ruin falls somewhere on a spectrum between construction and dismantlement. With their “permanently unfinished” construction state seemingly in flux, it is unclear whether many of these buildings display a common optimism for vertical expansion or are instead symptoms of a process of urban decay.

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Zalando / Bruzkus Greenberg + Batek Architekten

Zalando / Bruzkus Greenberg + Batek Architekten - Exterior Photography, Hospitality Architecture, FacadeZalando / Bruzkus Greenberg + Batek Architekten - Hospitality ArchitectureZalando / Bruzkus Greenberg + Batek Architekten - Interior Photography, Hospitality Architecture, Table, ChairZalando / Bruzkus Greenberg + Batek Architekten - Interior Photography, Hospitality Architecture, Table, ChairZalando / Bruzkus Greenberg + Batek Architekten - More Images+ 35

  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1000
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2016
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  LOTTE CHEMICAL, CE.SI. Ceramica, HAY

Belarusian Memorial Chapel / Spheron Architects

Belarusian Memorial Chapel / Spheron Architects - Chapel, Facade, Beam, Arch, Column, LightingBelarusian Memorial Chapel / Spheron Architects - Chapel, Garden, Facade, DoorBelarusian Memorial Chapel / Spheron Architects - Chapel, Facade, FenceBelarusian Memorial Chapel / Spheron Architects - Chapel, Fence, Facade, ColumnBelarusian Memorial Chapel / Spheron Architects - More Images+ 33

Greater London, United Kingdom

Headquarter Mitsubishi Electric Europe / Kresings

Headquarter Mitsubishi Electric Europe / Kresings - Office Buildings, FacadeHeadquarter Mitsubishi Electric Europe / Kresings - Office Buildings, Facade, CityscapeHeadquarter Mitsubishi Electric Europe / Kresings - Office Buildings, Facade, Handrail, StairsHeadquarter Mitsubishi Electric Europe / Kresings - Office Buildings, FacadeHeadquarter Mitsubishi Electric Europe / Kresings - More Images+ 29

[In]Exterior, Falahatian Yard-House / [SHIFT] Process Practice

[In]Exterior, Falahatian Yard-House / [SHIFT] Process Practice - Houses, Courtyard, Facade[In]Exterior, Falahatian Yard-House / [SHIFT] Process Practice - Houses, Facade, Handrail, Beam[In]Exterior, Falahatian Yard-House / [SHIFT] Process Practice - Houses, Facade, Beam, Handrail[In]Exterior, Falahatian Yard-House / [SHIFT] Process Practice - Houses, Facade[In]Exterior, Falahatian Yard-House / [SHIFT] Process Practice - More Images+ 25

Pir Bakran, Iran

Chetian Tourist Center / West-line studio

Chetian Tourist Center / West-line studio - Tourism, FacadeChetian Tourist Center / West-line studio - Tourism, FacadeChetian Tourist Center / West-line studio - Tourism, Facade, ColumnChetian Tourist Center / West-line studio - Tourism, Facade, Arch, DoorChetian Tourist Center / West-line studio - More Images+ 27

Guiyang Shi, China
  • Architects: West-line studio
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  6620
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2015

Residence S-91 / Design Buro Architects

Residence S-91 / Design Buro Architects - Houses, Kitchen, Facade, Handrail, Table, ChairResidence S-91 / Design Buro Architects - Houses, Facade, Door, Handrail, Table, ChairResidence S-91 / Design Buro Architects - Houses, Door, Facade, TableResidence S-91 / Design Buro Architects - Houses, Garden, Facade, ChairResidence S-91 / Design Buro Architects - More Images+ 20

Indore, India
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  270
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2014
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Saint-Gobain, Armstrong Ceilings, Formica
  • Professionals: Pyramid Consultants

12-249 Laurentians Home / BONE Structure®

12-249 Laurentians Home / BONE Structure® - Houses, Kitchen, Door, Beam, Table, Chair12-249 Laurentians Home / BONE Structure® - Houses, Door, Table, Chair12-249 Laurentians Home / BONE Structure® - Houses, Bedroom12-249 Laurentians Home / BONE Structure® - Houses, Facade, Door, Forest12-249 Laurentians Home / BONE Structure® - More Images+ 10

Wentworth, Canada
  • Architects: BONE Structure®
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  3000 ft²
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2013
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  Caesarstone, Maibec, Shalwin

Aedas Releases Plans for Blooming Bamboo-Inspired Tower in China

Aedas has released its design for Gmond International Building, a representative regeneration project located in the old town area of Shenzhen, China. The 200-meter super high-rise building is inspired by the traditional form of Chinese totem bamboo, which symbolizes prosperity and moral integrity.

With nearly 60,000 square meters of gross floor area, the building will house the headquarters for Tellus-Gmond, Grade 5A lettable office spaces, and a jewelry-trading center.

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Prendre Place / MG-AU / Michel Guthmann Architecture et Urbanisme

Prendre Place  / MG-AU / Michel Guthmann Architecture et Urbanisme - Apartments, FacadePrendre Place  / MG-AU / Michel Guthmann Architecture et Urbanisme - Apartments, Facade, CityscapePrendre Place  / MG-AU / Michel Guthmann Architecture et Urbanisme - Apartments, FacadePrendre Place  / MG-AU / Michel Guthmann Architecture et Urbanisme - Apartments, FacadePrendre Place  / MG-AU / Michel Guthmann Architecture et Urbanisme - More Images+ 23

Mecanoo Unveils Design for Experimental Garden and Palace Restoration in The Netherlands

Mecanoo has unveiled its design to transform The Soestdijk Estate into Eden Soestdijk, “an experimental garden for a sustainable society and a paradise destination for all” in The Netherlands. In an effort to become an educational tool for environmental awareness, the project aims to make a significant contribution to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“The world is facing pressure from increasingly larger and more complex problems when it comes to water, food, climate and energy,” said Anton Valk, chairman of the Eden Soestdijk foundation. “Eden Soestdijk wants to tackle these problems and contribute to a more sustainable society by stimulating and inspiring visitors to change their behaviour in a positive way.”

An architectural greenhouse behind the palace gardens will be the centerpiece of the project, and will house an interactive exhibition focusing on topics like circularity, ecological balance, and social aspects of sustainability.

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Three-Gable Roof House / Arrokabe Arquitectos

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A Coruña, Spain

Daniel Valle Architects Unveils Winning Kindergarten Design for Seoul

Daniel Valle Architects has been awarded first prize in the public competition to design a kindergarten and senior welfare center in Seoul, South Korea, with its project, Maebong Daycare Center.

Located in the neighborhood of Oksu-dong, the 700-square-meter Center is designed around the idea of shifting the scale of the building, so that children feel more comfortable. For example, the massing of the space is broken down into five units that utilize various colors, geometries, and materials to emphasize smaller units within the whole.

“Interior spaces are designed considering both the adult and the children size.  Classrooms and other spaces are provided with smart storage solutions to maximize the usage of space and flexibility. A 'thick wall' will contain most of the items needed in the classroom as well as provide exercise and fun features.”

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