After The Meltdown: Where Does Architecture Go From Here?
By Vanessa Quirk (click here for original article) © Megan Jett You can get into Architecture for one of two reasons: good architecture or bad. For Cameron Sinclair, the co-founder of Architecture for Humanity, it was the latter. As a kid, Sinclair would wander his rough-and-tumble South London neighborhood, contemplating how it could be improved (and creating elaborate Lego models to that effect). But that’s not Architecture. Architecture Schools have created curriculums based on a profession that, by and large, doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, however, the Recession has made perfectly clear that there isn’t much need for Guggenheims – certainly not as many as there are architects. So what needs to change? We’ve been trained to think, to envision and design. 2010 Yale Building Project. The Powder-keg in the Academy The effect of the First-year Building Project on Yale students was one of empowerment. But, after the revolutionary spirit of the ‘60s passed, the spark somewhat subsided. 1993.
Is This Hidden Architectural Gem Another &Blade Runner& Building?
Each day, thousands of people walk by 5 Beekman, a pretty yet unassuming building in Lower Manhattan, never guessing what could be found within. Scouting New York, a blog written by a location scout that's a must-read for local history freaks, got invited inside for an incredible peek at an architectural gem that's hidden in plain sight. As you enter the building it's nothing special, says Scouting NY. "And then you look up…" For nine stories, the ornate cast-iron railings twirl up and up through a light-filled atrium. The ninth floor is ringed with arched windows and topped with a gorgeous glassed-in skylight, with some pretty remarkable views of the neighboring skyscrapers. The atrium, and this entire portion of the building, has been boarded up since 1940 due to fire code violations. The use of brick, wood, wrought iron, and glass bears an uncanny resemblance to one of Los Angeles's most beautiful structures, the Bradbury Building (above). [Scouting NY]
dubaiisnuts
Dubai in 1990 prior to the craziness The same street in 2003 Last year The madness. The Dubai Waterfront. All of this was built in the last 5 years, including that island that looks like a palm tree. The Palm Islands in Dubai. Upon completion, the resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. The World Islands. 300 artificially created islands in the shape of the world. The Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai. Hydropolis, the world's first underwater hotel. The Burj Dubai. This is what downtown Dubai will look like around 2008-2009. The Al Burj. Recently it was announced that the final height of this tower will be 1200 meters. Theres still more of this craziness. Onto page 2
A Cathedral Made from 55,000 LED Lights
The Luminarie De Cagna is an imposing cathedral-like structure that was recently on display at the 2012 Light Festival in Ghent, Belgium. The festival was host to almost 30 exhibitions including plenty of 3D projection mapping, fields of luminous flowers, and a glowing phone booth aquarium, however with 55,000 LEDs and towering 28 meters high the Luminarie De Cagna seems to have stolen the show. ( via stijn coppens, sacha vanhecke, sector271)
The Gravity of Illusion: Dyson's Mysterious Garden Fountain
A simple water feature can take an ordinary deck and turn it into something magnificent. But a water feature fashioned by celebrated industrial designer James Dyson (of Dyson vacuums fame) is bound to be the most unforgettable water feature ever. This fountain, part of an overall garden design dubbed “The Wrong Garden,” was created by Dyson for the Royal Horticultural Society’s 2003 Chelsea Flower Show. Like everything else designed by Dyson, it accomplishes a seemingly impossible task with highly astonishing style: in this case, it makes water flow uphill. Dyson’s inspiration for the highly unusual outdoor fountain was M.C. The secret is deceptively simple: the water is actually flowing inside and through the tanks and being propelled through small openings at the highest corner of the tanks.
La Forma Moderna en Latinoamérica
Mr. Hermann's Opus: The Glass Pavilion in Montecito, California
“This house is my opus. It’s my greatest achievement of a 20-year career” – Steve Hermann Set within a 3.5 acre estate of oak groves, the Glass Pavilion in Montecito, California envelops you in the natural beauty of its surroundings. There is so much glass, that if you are the ‘stone-throwing’ type, you probably shouldn’t live here… - List price: $35 million USD - Location: Montecito, California - Lot: 3.5 acres - Size: 13,875 square feet (1,290 sq meters) - 5 Bedrooms - 5.5 Bathrooms - Project duration: 6 years How incredible is that couch and fireplace! Love the shower and closet on the other side - Kitchen with wine room attached, capable of holding several thousand bottles - A walnut covered art gallery large enough to prominently display 32 cars - All of the large glass panels are Star Fire glass, an incredibly clear glass usually reserved for jewelery displays The Glass Pavilion is a redefining structure within modernism.
The Moses Bridge is Invisible to The Eye Sinbadesign
A series of moats and fortresses were built over the West Brabant Water Line region of the Netherlands during the 17th century in order to provide protection from invasion by France and Spain. Fort de Roovere was surrounded with a shallow moat that was too deep to march across, and too shallow for boats. In turn the earthen fort had remained protected –until now. From afar, the Moses Bridge is invisible to the eye. First lying flush with the earth, the bridge then descends deeper into the ground. The bridge can’t be seen from a distance because the ground and the water come all the way up to its edge. According to the designers, virtually no water spills over the edge because the height of the water is controlled by two small adjustable ‘dams’ at both sides of the moat. The Moses Bridge was built in about 2 months in the middle of the moat waters by first dredging around the bridge site and then driving sheet piles into the ground. Ro&Ad-Architects Ad Kil & Ro Koster Via RO&AD Architecten
