November 2010
18 posts
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How long does it take to build a 15–story hotel?
Apparently 6 days are enough for the chinese. Complete with earthquake-proof steel structure, thermal insulation, full electrical/plumbing infrastructure and windows. Beat that Extreme Makeover. Ark Hotel; Changsha, China.
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How to design an Abu Dhabi museum in 3 easy steps
Step 1. Take Renzo Piano’s New Caledonia Cultural Center.
Step 2. Tilt circa 30º.
Step 3. Done.
Come on Your Lordship, you can do better than that. Zayed National Museum by Foster + Partners; Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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Konstantin Grcic: Designer of the Year
It’s always fun to see your favorites rewarded and Konstantin Grcic is really high up on my list. He’s going to receive the Designer of the Year Award at Design Miami in early December, along with getting to exhibit an installation called Netscape, consisting of 24 swing seats for the visitors of the Show.
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In Memoriam: Luis Barragán
Luis Barragán, the holiest of Mexican architects, second Pritzker Prize laureate and one of the few modernists to manage a successful integration between the dogmatic nature of the movement and the roots of his country’s tradition, passed away at the age of 86 on November 22, 1988. Los Clubes (1966); Atizapan de Zaragoza, Mexico.
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Where does the apple fall?
Architects are fantastic. They are imaginative. They are visionaries. Architects engulf a society’s needs and expound the soul of our culture with their buildings. And most of the time they are full of themselves. And they want their children to be just like them.
Which, if you are a fairly talented and well–known professional, doesn’t seem like the most selfless thing you can do...
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Say hello to the New Routemaster
London’s Routemaster, the iconic double–decker red bus, had served the city since the 50’s, when in 2005 it was finally deemed unsustainable and was swiftly retired from its duties. Its design throughout the years had became a symbol to the city, as well as an important tourist attraction, somewhat as recognizable as the Big Ben. In 2008, the new City mayor Boris Johnson held an...
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The 2010 World Architecture Festival winners
The WAF is the biggest architecture festival around, bringing together every single year the industry’s latest and greatest. They also like to hand out awards to the buildings that have made a particular impact during the past year (the awards ceremony was held on the 5th of November). Here’s the rundown of the ones that stood out:
World Building of the Year MAXXI National Museum of...
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Secondary Landscape by Mount Fuji Architects...
When was the last time you went on your rooftop to enjoy your city’s view from above?I’m guessing it’s been a while, probably due to the fact that said view isn’t quite what you’d call…irresistible. Modernism brought flat rooftops to the masses, inadvertently, creating some of the ugliest urbanscapes known to man. Usually abandoned, filled with defunct objects, A/C...
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