Hornitos Hotel / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
Video: Thom Mayne Talks With Toyo Ito
At 71, the 2013 Pritzker Prize winner Toyo Ito is not content with settling down just yet, at least not architecturally-speaking. Where many architects have established distinct styles, Ito is known for constantly shifting, experimenting, questioning and developing his approach to architecture. As one member of the Prtizker jury put it "he has been working on one project all along - to push the boundaries of architecture. And to achieve that goal, he is not afraid of letting go what he has accomplished before.”
In this video entitled Learning from Laureates - which comes courtesy of the good folks at ARCHITECT magazine - fellow experimentalist and Pritzker Prize recipient (not to mention 2013 AIA Gold Medalist) Thom Mayne gets to grips with Ito's motivation. The pair of laureates converse via Skype examining the drive behind Ito's evolutionary approach, before getting down to discussing how they think architecture is being affected by society's biggest change yet - the advent of the post-digital age.
See more of Ito's work along with some of our previous coverage after the break...
Manquehue Clinical Center of Clínica Alemana / Marcela Quilodran B + Gustavo Greene W
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Architects: Marcela Quilodrán B + Gustavo Greene W
- Area: 35458 m²
- Year: 2012
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Professionals: Mónica Pérez & Asociados, Salfa S.A.
Call for Projects: Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good
Spontaneous Interventions: Design Actions for the Common Good, the official U.S. representation at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale (2012), will travel to Chicago in May 2013, and is seeking new projects—urban interventions realized in U.S. cities in the past two years—with an emphasis on those based in Chicago and the Midwest region. The exhibition will be on view through Summer 2013. The exhibition in Chicago will feature a site-specific adaptation of the original exhibition design and will include many of the projects featured in Venice alongside dozens of new projects selected as a result of this open call for submissions. Submissions are due no later than March 6th. For more information, please visit here.
Non-Design: Architecture's (Counter-Intuitive) Future
Global architecture underwent a seismic shift in the 20th Century. Governments, keen to mitigate the impoverishing effects of rapid urbanization and two world wars embarked on ambitious social housing programs, pairing with modernists who promised that design could be the solution to social inequality and poverty. Today, the problems inherent in these mid-century tower blocks are well documented and well known, and these modernist solutions to poverty are often seen as ill-conceived failures.
If the 20th century was all about designing to solve social problems, then the 21st century has been about the exact opposite – not designing to solve social problems. These days, it is much more common to see architects praising the social order and even aesthetic of illegal slums, which in many cases provide their residents with a stronger community and higher quality of life than did many formal social housing projects of the past. The task of architects (both today's and tomorrow's) is to develop this construction logic: to use design and, rather counter-intuitively, non-design to lift these urban residents out of their impoverished conditions.
More on the social potential of non-design after the break...
Icon selects San Rocco as Emerging Architect of the Year
San Rocco have been announced as the recipients of the inaugural Icon Award for Emerging Architectural Practice of the Year.
However, San Rocco is not your typical architectural practice. Departing from the traditional model, San Rocco is a collaboration of firms with different disciplines; Instead of buildings, they are known for their publishing projects.
Álvaro Siza Pavilion Will Remain at Venice Bienniale Until 2016
“Recognized by all for its efficiency,” the pavilion that Álvaro Siza designed for last year’s Venice Bienniale of Architecture will remain on display and be utilized as “additional space” by the new curators in 2014 and 2016.
Casa Maitencillo / Mas y Fernández Arquitectos Asociados
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Architects: Mas y Fernández Arquitectos Asociados
- Area: 177 m²
- Year: 2011
The 7 Things You Need To Know Before Going Abroad
“The word ‘Crisis,’ etymologically speaking, comes from Greek, and means a change of direction, or a new opportunity. That’s the semantic meaning. A change of direction, new opportunities. For me, that’s what crisis means.”
For Xavier Rodriguez, the Crisis wasn’t a stopping point - it was the beginning.
At the first sight of economic trouble, the Catalonian architect decided to pursue a long-time dream and expand abroad. Markets in Europe and the United States were (and remain) decidedly sluggish; by now, almost all architecture firms in Spain have cut down their staff, and about half have closed their doors. Meanwhile, the developing world has seen a surge of growth - and an increasing need for experienced, knowledgeable workers.
Rodriguez, like many architects today, has taken advantage of that need - to considerable success. However, the road hasn’t been easy. While many entertain the idea of pursuing opportunities abroad, there are a few things Rodriguez told us that every architect should know before taking the leap.
Find out what you need to know to be successful abroad, after the break...
Cumarú Restaurant / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
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Architects: Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
- Area: 1296 m²
- Year: 2012
Los Españoles Hotel / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
- Year: 2012
Ferreteria O´Higgins / GH+A | Guillermo Hevia
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Architects: GH+A | Guillermo Hevia
- Area: 7170 m²
- Year: 2011
Ignacia Apartments / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
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Architects: Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
- Year: 2011
Office Building in Los Militares Street / Mobil Arquitectos + Cruz & Browne Arquitectos
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Architects: Cruz & Browne Arquitectos, Mobil Arquitectos
- Area: 12100 m²
- Year: 2013
AD Classics: Muuratsalo Experimental House / Alvar Aalto
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Architects: Alvar Aalto
- Year: 1953
AD Classics: Jyvaskyla University / Alvar Aalto
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Architects: Alvar Aalto
- Year: 1959
Costanera Lyon / Eugenio Simonetti + Renato Stewart
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Architects: Eugenio Simonetti + Renato Stewart
- Area: 42000 m²
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Manufacturers: Duromarmol
Miele Light Box / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
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Architects: Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos
- Area: 120 m²
- Year: 2011