Life Without Buildings

Banksy in New Orleans?

2008-08-27T19:23:00.001-07:00

banksy - gas brass band
Originally uploaded by anthonyturducken

"[Dubai is] a collection of mutually competing theme parks where there exists a monotony of the exceptional,"

2008-05-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

says Reinier de Graaf, of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture. So what does that say about the OMA-designed Death Star out-spectacle the other "exceptional" buildings of the Dubai skyline or is it just another generic thread in the tapestry of the Middle-Eastern Metropolis? Will this be a never-ending game of one-upmanship, or will there be some sort of reaction against this new high-tech architecture? A return to The Average. [Arts Journal]

Google Wishes Walter Gropius a Happy Birthday

2008-05-19T07:39:00.000-07:00

Founder of the Bauhaus, Walter Gropius would have turned 125 this past Sunday and Google celebrated by classing up their home page with an homage to the architect. Happy Birthday Walt!

3rd URBANbuild House Almost Complete

2008-05-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

Just last January, The Tulane School of Architecture broke ground on their 3rd URBANbuild house. Now, barely 5 months—5 months!—later, the new home is almost complete and it's their best one yet. Designed by students over the course of a semester, each URBANbuild house has been an investigation into a new building technique, with this most recent home utilizing Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs).

Besides gaining experience in construction and a more practical sense of materials, students are also learning what it's like to leave the computer and their own private, design headspace and actually work together as an office. And yes, that means there's a client. In this case, it's the Neighborhood Housing Services, who obtain the lots, set the size and budget restrictions, and eventually find familes to occupy the complete homes.

Students were given the difficult task of fitting a comfortable 3 bedroom home in only 1200 sq ft of space. In the above photo, an interior stairwell is programmed for both circulation and storage while it also separates the living space from the kitchen.

In a city that's still very much suffering in the aftermath of Katrina, the URBANbuild program truly serving an important purpose in the community by creating in-fill housing in neighborhoods where it sometimes seems like every other home is still abandoned. It's helping to bringing back a density and sense of community while teaching students and introducing contemporary architecture (informed, of course, by the vernacular) to an area that's never really seen anything like it. This is really just a terrific program that keeps getting better every year.

· The Tulane School of Architecture [website]
· URBANbuild Breaks Ground on New House [Life Without Buildings]

An Architecture School Bathroom Wall

2008-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

A Tulane School of Architecture student voices a popular opinion above the men's room urinal. The note on the anti-graffiti device (i.e. legal pad) reads "Reed Kroloff left us as bastard children of his curriculum." The writing, as they say, is on the wall. For those not in the know, Kroloff was the short lived Dean at the Tulane School of Arch. before he left for the greener pastures of Cranbrook — after frequently seeing his name published as a supporter of post-storm New Orleans and becoming the public face of the School of Architecture. And yeah...some people are still a bit bitter about the whole thing.

Rem Koolhaas, Tunisia, and Sandcrawlers

2008-04-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

It would appear that the Star Wars Universe owes another debt to architecture. A reader sent in the above image with a note saying that the Hotel du Lac in Tunisia may have served as the inspiration for the Sancrawlers used by the Jawas to travel across Tatooine. Another visit to Wookiepedia (an increasingly important Life Without Buildings resource) tells us that filming for A New Hope largely took place in Tunisia, so it's entirely possible that this building did, in fact, have an influence on the production design. BONUS: a little trivia for you Extended Universe fans — "du Lac" was the origin of the "Dulok," the natural enemies of the Ewoks. Obvs.

The form of the Sandcrawler also brought to mind a more contemporary building — the Casa da Musica. Admittedly, this one is a bit of a stretch, as the Rem Koolhaas-designed building, really only resembles the dessert-planet vehicle from one angle. Plus, we know that it was based on an unbuilt design for a private residence — hence the name. But is it possible that somewhere in the inner workings of Koolhaas' mind, there exists some subconscious collection pond of sci-fi culture that gets channeled into his designs? Surely, the origins of Louisville's Museum Plaza must be extra-terrestrial in nature.

And finally, just for good measure, Life Without Buildings would like to present the second in a series of architects thinking about spaceships: Koolhaas considers the Sandcrawler.

· Otto Wagner and the Millenium Falcon [Life Without Buildings]
· What's Up With All The Death Stars? [Life Without Buildings]

Art From Disaster

2008-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Almost 3 years after Hurricane Katrina, many New Orleans homes still bear the spray-paint markings used by rescue workers who were searching for survivors. On the facade of their house in the Bywater neighborhood, some residents have installed a metal sculpture permanently memorializing these new urban hieroglyphics.

In New Orleans

2008-04-26T04:37:00.000-07:00

Back in New Orleans for 10 days of a little business and probably a lot of pleasure. If I see Brad Pitt, I'm tell him you say hello.

[image via Make It Right 9

· Holy Cross Project Show House Now a Reality [NOLA] [Jetson Green]
· Make It Right 9 [website]
· Local Architects Shaping The New New Orleans [Life Without Buildings]
· The New Orleans Riverfront [LWB]

American Cities That Almost Got It Wright

2008-04-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

[image via wired]

Middle Eastern cities reaching higher into the skies every week and continue to turn pre-dysopic set-pieces from Bladerunner or the Jetsons. In times such as these, Wired thought it'd be a good idea to look at some earlier ambitious plans — the enormous "what-ifs" of modern architecture. The above example, for instance, is Frank Lloyd Wright's effort to poke out the eyes of god, a Chicago tower known as The Illinois. To set the stage for this Midwestern retro-futurescape, Wired whipped up a fictious sci-fi inspired narrative

Almost everything below the 50th floor is an elevator lobby, and almost everything above the 300th floor is perpetually covered in vomit due to the skyscraper's oscillations -- it moves in 40-foot circles at its tip. It's such a chore getting from one end of it to the other that we didn't even evacuate on 9/11. After all, how could anyone hit a skyscraper that wiggles back and forth like that?

The article reminded me of a previous post on Life Without Buildings — Unbuilt Works Find Life in Art. Specifically, FLW's unbuilt complex of Ellis Island Key project, a complex of space-age looking apartment buildings for New York's (in)famous island.

[image via NYT]

The project found life in The Manhattan Guardian, a comic book written by Grant Morrison and published by DC. As you can see in the above image, in the Guardian's Manhattan, Wright's design became the home to Century Hollow, "the city's most unusual science park" in that it is a scaled-down robotic model of Earth—complete with a population of 100—designed to demonstrate global demographics.

· Mile-High Skyscrapers and Floating Cities That Never Were [Wired]
· Unbuilt Works Find Life in Art [Life Without Buildings]

Tutti Frutti Brings A Democratic Development Derangment

2008-04-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

More than just an absurdly annoying Little Richard song, Tutti Frutti is a competition that gives anyone—developer, architect, investor, or average Joe—the chance to build their dream home on a canal in New Isliginton, Manchester. Competition organizers were inspired by the Borneo Sporenburg canal housing in Holland, but wanted to raise the bar by "making sure only the fruitiest (designs) are selected," Located near FAT's Islington Square social housing development, 26 canal-side plots were available, each one 15 meters deep with a cost between £160,000 - £200,000. Entrants had to show not only a promising design, but also the ability to pay for the lots, which severely vetted the field. The winning designs, as well as the arrangement of said designs, were decided by the incredibly adept and appropriate lineup of judges — Architect Will Alsop, Graphic Designer and Manchester's official creative consultant, Peter Saville, BD Editor Ellis Woodman, and comedian Grif Rhys Jones.

The first six tutti-frutty houses to begin the construction process went in for approval last week and the UK's telegraph took a closer look at three of the chosen designs.

1) In designing their home, "Perpetual Heights," Peter Gunning and Paul Ingrouille took advantage of the full six-story height limit and included a custom elevator and stairway.

2) Designed by engineer Julian Broster and architect Rupert Goddard, this home features a treehouse-like lookout tower clad in willow branches, a ground floor living space, 3 stacked bedrooms, and a home office.

3) The most notable element in the design from Gary Cripps and Stuart Frost (who worked with architects Glen Ombler and Sarah Campbell) is the central atrium — complete with tree and retractable glass roof.

What structures will bookend this whimsical socio-architectural experiment? A pub and a vestry, of course.

· Tutti Frutti [website]
· Design your own home: Tutti Frutti awards [Telegraph]
· Alsop’s 20-flavour housing [BD Online]

Otto Wagner and the Millenium Falcon

2008-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Millennium Falcon. As Han Solo's ship, it played a crucial role in the victory of The Rebellion over the Empire in the Star Wars films. Imagine my shock when that infamous smuggling vessel lept off the pages of an architecture book about...banks. A quick visit to "Wookieepedia" tells us that prop designer Ralph McQuarrie based the design of the Millennium Falcon on a "half-eaten hamburger next to an olive on a toothpick held by George Lucas." However, I'm more inclined to believe he was flipping through the pages of an Otto Wagner book and came across his 1880 design for the central offices of the Vienna Giro und Kassenverein competition. Behold, the first and only piece of evidence to support this theory:

On the left, Wagner's plan and on the right, a line drawing of the Millennium Falcon. Sure, it could just be a coincidence that a prop designer, inspired by a random grouping of hamburger, olives, and George Lucas' fingers, recreated an unbuilt design by one of the fathers of the Vienna Secession, but the damning evidence that surely proves otherwise is the off-center cockpit (to the right in the Wagner scheme and on the left of the MF). The rounded-off appendage is just too quirky a design anomaly in both schemes — and so similarly located. Whereas the Falcon consists of multiple hidden compartments and complex passages for a network of hacked-together electrical wiring, Wagner's design consists of a circular lobby leading to a grand processional route that culminates in a semi-circular bank of tellers' desks and bank offices. The plan's unique form was a response to the awkward site, and although the proposal did NOT win, Wagner was able to adapt the plan for use at the Landerbank, also in Vienna:

[image via Great Buildings Online]

So now two questions remain: 1) What other proto-modern buildings have inspired starship schematics? 2) If Wagner's bank was built, could it have made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs?

· What's Up With All the Death Stars? [Life Without Buildings]

Protest Urbanism and the Art of Misdirection

2008-04-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

Thousands of people descended on San Francisco's SoMa and Mission Bay neighborhoods today to protest against/for China/Tibet, see the Olympic torch, skip work, or just plain people watch. 3 of those 4 groups weren't disappointed. The torch route was announced earlier this week, with the caveat that it may "slightly" change. Well, as you can see in the above map, the route more than "slightly" changed due to the fear of another London or Paris-like protest. In the above map, blue is the announced route and red is the ACTUAL route. The air was thick with anticipation, tension, and excitement as everyone gathered to gawk at or attempt to extinguish the Olympic torch. However, unbeknownst to many of the patient observers and impatient protests, it had long passed-by in a boat or a bus or a secret underground tunnel. Cadres of riot police contributed to the misdirection and either encouraged people to stay put or herded them back and forth into different areas — god knows why, as the torch didn't even come close to where anyone was waiting.

“We’re getting every barricade known to man and hauling it in from everywhere," quote SF Mayor Gavin Newsom. Today, the streets and sidewalks of San Francisco are redirected. No one. Gets. Anywhere.

Jetskis in Mission Creek. On any other occasion, this would be completely awesome. As it stands, Giant's stadium (and hopefully the foundations of the bridge I'm standing on) will be safe from aquatic attack, deep-sea protestors, and agitated Atlanteans.

On the other side of the bridge, cops kept forming up into different shapes. Here, their military training permits the creation of an ersatz plaza in the middle of 3rd St. It's like there's going to be a performance or something. Surely this is the torch route? Nope. Just defending a small portion of SF asphalt from the confused masses.

It seems like every cop in San Francisco is completely occupied with making shapes and lines in Mission Bay. There's gotta be a crime spree going on in the opposite corner of the city.

More photos at the Life Without Buildings flickr page.

Derivé

2008-04-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

It's another contribution to Giant Statue Fridays, as Giant Lenin takes a cruise through Budapest.
A Daily Dose of Architecture takes a look at habitable bridges and we realize that Steven Holl is having way too much fun in China.
Where's Blogedanken entries reimagine the urban landscape. Favorite idea: "Wireless capable crosswalks." That's it. Now if only there was no explanation, that simple phrase could be read so many ways.
"Urbexing" may sound vaguely sexual, but Space & Culture assures us of its legitimacy as an urban subculture:
At the core of the subculture lies a special relationship that participants experience with physical spaces and the material infrastructure left behind by the waxes and wanes of a capitalist industrialized economy.
· The Magazine On Urbanism, otherwise known as MONU, is looking for submissions for their next issue, "Exotic Urbanism." The increasingly ambiguous definition of "exotic" should be embraced, as both mind-stretching speculation and speculative mind-stretching are welcome.

The Photographs of Katherine Westerhout

2008-04-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

In San Francisco this Thursday? Come on by and check out an encore presentation of Katherine Westerhout's Detroit.

Thursday, 3 April, 6 - 9 pm
3A GALLERY
101 South Park
San Francisco, CA 94107

As a great American city bows under the impossible weight of time, Katherine Westerhout freezes the passing of Detroit and invites us to really look, and to consider the physical manifestions of the temporal world. Within the empty spaces of abandoned buildings, light and color fall across the architecture as it slowly deteriorates to reveal structure and to create new implications of space. These mysterious spaces, although devoid of human presence, are full of possibility.

Like Piranesi's etchings captured the beauty of Roman Architecture through its ruins, so do Westerhout's photographs present our own modern ruins. Her lens transforms these crumbling Midwestern interiors -often filled with reflective puddles of stagnant water and carved through by beams of sunlight -into picturesque landscapes of rich surfaces that are almost baroque with the excessive ornamentation of decay. The Ruin has been a part of the western visual art canon since the 17th century, and Katherine Westerhout's large-scale images meaningfully continue this dialogue into our own time.

Previous photography posts:
· Camera Obscura [Life Without Buildings]
· Artful Project Documentation [Life Without Buildings]

[Images via Katherine Westerhout's website]

Sex Architect

2008-03-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

For the above reason, and many many more, I will reiterate that How I Met Your Mother is my favorite television show.

· Ted Mosby is a porn Star [Ted Mosby is a Jerk]
· Ted Mosby, Architect [Life Without Buildings]

Nouvel Wins Pritzker

2008-03-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

"The jury acknowledged the 'persistence, imagination, exuberance, and, above all, an insatiable urge for creative experimentation' as qualities abundant in Nouvel's work."

· French Architect Wins Pritzker Prize [New York Times]
· Nouvel's 'Exuberance' Rewarded with Pritzker [NPR.org]
· Nouveau Nouvel [Life Without Buildings]
[images via NPR.org and NYTimes photo galleries]

Fashion, Architecture, Tastefully

2008-03-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Giant globes float over the runway for a Yves Saint Laurent show in Paris' cavernous Grand Palais and my mind is completely blown. These images will haunt me all weekend. I had no idea fashion shows could be so... sublime.

And this Alexander McQueen show featured an enormous web of fluorescent lighting spun menacingly around his models - who apparently need to protect themselves with fantastical headgear that remind me of Bladerunner...if it were written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

And in non-architectural fashion news, Thom Browne's pants have finally gotten too short.

· B&W images by Paolo Pellegrin for New York Magazine
· Found over at 2 or 3 Things

Local Architects Shaping the New New Orleans

2008-03-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

Contemporary architecture is making some welcome headway in post-Katrina New Orleans — at least if we look at the top four winners of this year's New Orleans AIA Awards.

[Image via studiowta.com]

The Rebuild Center at St. Joseph Church, designed by Wayne Troyer Architects is a community resource center built from six trailers, organized around a courtyard and joined together by wood canopies & decking, as well as translucent polycarbonate screens. Compared to a "zen fishing camp" by the architect, The Rebuild Center was intended to stay open for 5 years, but with the slow reconstruction of New Orleans, it looks like it might be around just a bit longer than that...

[Image via Make it Right]

The above winning entry comes courtesy of Eskew+Dumez+Ripple, and is one of the local contributions to Brad Pitt's "Make it Right" housing program. The energy-efficient design is a riff on the classic New Orleans shotgun, and can be somewhat customized to fit the tastes/needs of the owner.

[image via bildit.com]

Bild Design's Lowerline residence is another twist on New Orleans vernacular -- this time it's the Camelback house that gets a thoughtful, contemporary update. The two-family home makes maximum use of its height in providing additional living space and river views.

[Image via Eskew+Dumez+Ripple]

Eskew+Dumez+Ripple also won the Urban Design category with their entry for the "Reinventing the Crescent" competition. When complete in 2016, their masterplan will be the largest continuous waterfront park in the city. Developers will work closely with the planners and architects to ensure that public are granted easy access to The River. The plan also includes the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, to help merge any new construction with the existing fabric of the city.

Preservation in New Orleans will always be necessary, but it's nice to see that the city seems to be growing more open-minded about contemporary architecture. Perhaps EDR partner Steven Dumez put it best: “we are a city of architectural diversity and people love that diversity and sense that as 'New Orleans.' What is being designed now is a contemporary design for the city as it is now...and there is room for a new interpretation of New Orleans.”

· N.O. architects lean to edgier, modern designs [New Orleans City Business]
· Modern in New Orleans [Life Without Buildings]
· The New New Orleans Riverfront [Life Without Buildings]

Sneak Peak Inside Libeskind's New Jewish Museum

2008-03-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

Over at Curbed SF this week, a sneak peek into the recently finished Contemporary Jewish Museum. Designed by Daniel Libeskind, the museum doesn't officially open until this summer so there were no crowds or installations to detract from the space. Whether or not that's a good thing is subjective, but this CJM is thankfully one of the more...shall we say "retrained" Libeskind designs. For more info, check out the Plans, Photos, and earlier construction shots.

[image courtesy of the Contemporary Jewish Museum, via Curbed SF]

· Curbed Inside Update: The Contemporary Jewish Museum Full Reveal [Curbed SF]
· Putting the Damn in DAM [Life Without Buildings]
· "The Elephant Man of Museums" [Life Without Buildings]

What's Up With All The Death Stars?

2008-03-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

It's a case of life imitating art as Death Stars sprout around the globe and the inevitable looms as competing Galactic Empires will surely annihilate the planet. Rem Koolhaas strikes first with a new scheme for Dubai. It's like Manhattan...but way more futuristic and in the desert:

[Image via NYT]

The 44-story sphere is actually a "a self-contained three-dimensional urban neighborhood" containing smaller spheres joined together by a series of tubes. As is their nature, OMA seem to be establishing a new intra-office archetype (quick, call the patent office!), as this scheme is not entirely dissimilar from the one they visited with the RAK Convention and Exhibition Centre.

[Image via OMA]

The RAK is a scheme so original, it's actually Original - as in primoridal. In the architect's words: "the sphere and the bar explicitly abandon claims to formal invention or 'originality'. (The sphere even existed before man itself...) Yet both geometries still continue to feed the architectural imagination: perfectly autonomous shapes, within their bounds the promise of a perfect world."

Moving on, it's time to forget about 5-star hotels, because Heerim Architects have designed what appears to be a Death Star Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijain:

[Image via Inhabitat]

The rendering is a bit misleading though, as this isn't a sphere at all. It's more of a disk - a Death Palette if you will. Way less terrifying, and way less likely to engineer a complete takeover of the universe.

And just for good measure, let's include the original piece of interstellar architecture that inspired these bold new designs:

[Image via George Lucas' brain]

Oh, and just so this post isn't ENTIRELY without academic reference, consider this sentence the obligatory Boullee reference.

· City on the Gulf: Koolhaas Lays Out a Grand Urban Experiment in Dubai [NY Times]
· Death Star Lunar Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan [Inhabitat]
· Otto Wagner and The Millennium Falcon [Life Without Buildings]
· OMA will Eat Itself [Life Without Buildings]

Andrei Codrescu's Innovative Infrastructure

2008-02-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

In a recent Architect Magazine article, a diverse group of professionals were asked how they would change infrastructure if they had $1.6 Trillion to play with. Most of the response were what you'd expect -- get rid of cars, more greenspace, light rail systems -- but a couple stood out from the rest. By far, the best (well, at least most original) response was from writer, NPR correspondent, and New Orleans resident Andrei Codrescu:

A dense network of hydrogen-fueled magnetic fast trains with rainmaking devices is the immediate answer. Light rail should feed into the magnetic network from every community. Both interstate rail and light rail should multitask to seed clouds (for the upcoming water crisis) and to power windmills when they swoosh by.

Commuter vans and clean-fuel motorbikes, hydrofoils, bicycles, and canoes should be freely available at stations run by the National Park Service. There should be hitchhiking shelters equipped with showers and beds at all the stations.

Within every municipality there should be a tax-exempt 24-hour zone where everything is legal: drugs, sex, and music.

Following this immediate infrastructural change, emanating at the national level and integrated locally, we should mobilize a huge national will to make teleportation available to everyone.

Incidentally, New Orleans should float and become the first of our many future coastal Venices.

Somebody give this man $1.6 trilllion, stat.

· Infrastructure: How Would You Spend $1.6 Trillion? [Architect Magazine]

Bunker Bustin' in the Headlands

2008-02-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

Apropos yesterday's post on French architecture firm Block and their reuse of military bunkers, some photos from last weekend's cloudy hike through the Marin Headlands.

Once occupied by the military, the National Park is now a haven for artists and military ruins - and a damn fun place to ~~play war~~ explore. Check out the LWB Flickr page for more photos.

· New To Me: BLOCK [LWB]

New To Me: BLOCK

2008-02-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

Why do I like French architecture firm BLOCK? 2 reasons: clever adaptive reuse projects and because they live up to their name, dammit. "BLOCK." The name provokes images of solid mass -- even the letters somehow read heavy -- and I like a certain weight in architecture. It seems difficult to find a successful contemporary work of architecture that just allows itself to be heavy. Without resorting to outdated "styles," BLOCK's projects manage to merge the gravitas associated with scale & mass with a contemporary design aesthetic. The weight, however, manages to avoid becoming unweildy or awkward, as it is often balanced with a lightness to offset the heft and a thinness that balances the thickness. Take the folowing (proposed?) project for example:

Blockhouse is a one-time WWII bunker that has been repurposed as an experimental arts facility. A ghosted image of the original structure elegantly floats above the thick, concrete bunker. This thickness helps shape the program of the new form, as the 2nd story circulation width parallels the thickness of the original bunker's outer walls. Passage is derived through what was designed to prevent just that. Form follows function follows irony follows poetry.

Similar ideas can be seen in this sports complex in Brest:

The structure sits like on the site like a well-formed boulder, but it's exterior belies the open space within. In their own words, "The design appears as a hybrid form that lies somewhere between an industrial hangar, the generic image of sports graphics and a bunker. "

And just for good measure, let's round out the project lineup with a housing design:

Again, an adaptive reuse of a concrete structure; and again, a response with a light touch -- this time with a natural element added to soften the somewhat intimidating existing building.

Thoughtful work from another great French office. I might even be inspired to brush up on my français to keep up with these guys.

· BLOCK
· BLOCK Architects [Wallpaper]

[all images via BLOCK]

Less Hadid, More Giant Women

2008-02-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

The Architecture Foundation recently announced that they've called off plans for construction of a permanent London address. Program development will continue, but due to the current economic slump, their new Zaha Hadid-designed home was scrapped -- and Life Without Buildings couldn't be happier. Nothing against the AF or Ms. Hadid, but the aggressive design left us wanting, and paled in comparison to the sexy simplicity of Lacaton Vassal's proposal.

Yes, it's another Giant Woman Friday. To get started, I'll let the architects introduce the project:

The building is at home, almost ordinary, on its site: transparent, open, evolutive, undemonstrative. Inside, a statue twenty times bigger than life-size occupies the entire volume. It creates a second, unexpected architecture that is out of sync with its context, which detourns and transforms normality and creates the exceptional, as called for in the program.

Why so much love for this proposal (besides the obvs)? Well, by presenting the human body at an unfamiliar scale their giant woman creates an awareness of how our bodies occupy space -- how anything occupies space, really. This concept seems to be missing from a lot of architecture. It's not necessarily about the building -- a simple, almost miesian glass shell -- it's about what it contains. And I like to think that the statue comes across as a bit of a wink at Corbu's Modulor. Love it. There's actually humor here! Humor in architecture! My god what would the Modernists think? What would almost any contemporary architect (excluding Will Alsop, FAT, and too few others) think ?

Pretty great section, eh? And now some closing words from Lacaton Vassal, who inspire hope for the future of the industry.

Contemporary architecture acquires meaning in its ability to blend realism and the imaginary , to transform the ordinary, to generously permit of different usage, to create the unexpected.

· The Architecture Foundation
· James and the Peach Giant [Life Without Buildings]
· New to Me: Lacaton Vassal [Life Without Bulidings]

[images via the excellent 2G book on Lacaton Vassal]

Folk Football and Baseball Urbanism

2008-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

[images via strange harvest]
In a fascinating revisiting of his Folk history of football, Strange Harvest describes the 15th century game as a picturesque divertissement played across villages and into the surrounding landscapes, with loosely defined "players" essentially turning their environment into a gamefield.

The whole landscape became transformed into game-space. Houses, agriculture, sites of worship lost their everyday meaning and became an abstract terrain whose qualities impact the possibilities of game play.

With this idea freshly imprinted on my brain, it was through fresh eyes that I recently saw a commercial for a new Gatorade product.

In the commercial, as New York Yankees shortstop, Derek Jeter, walks through NYC, a baseball field grows around him, covering the city like some sort of beautiful athletic infection. As grass grows and lines are painted throughout New York, the result is a near infinite "game space" with somewhat puzzling mercurial boundaries.

Whereas the Strange Harvest article points to the strict contrast between the "landscape of folk football" -- ie a village or town -- and the streamlined modern athletic field (or pitch, as it were) as an abstraction of that landscape, the gatorade commercial opts for a unification of the two -- a direct overlay of modern sport and urban landscape -- in order to pitch (or advertise, as it were) their new "off-field hydrator."

The transformation of urban landmarks into the abstract terrain of a life-field is indeed a clever advertising ploy for a non-sport athletic drink. The New York is reorganized as a playing field, defined here by the presence of the athlete, who in turn is redefined as the modern urbanite. Regressing the concept of "sport" from the "essentialized urbanism" of football back into a loosely defined environment, the modern city becomes a place where everyone is a potential player.

· Folk Football: Landscape, Space and Abstraction [Strange Harvest]
· Truck Commercial Architecture [Life WIthout Buildings]

Over 1,321,453 Served

2008-02-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Fresh off a loss in Arch Duel, New York architects FXFOWLE will have to console themselves with their winning entry for a new bridge in everyone's favorite future distopia, Dubai. At 1 mile long and 673 ft high, the "multi-modal" bridge will the longest and tallest arch bridge in the world, the 6th crossing across the Dubai Creek ("Creek?" Really?), and the most famous pair of arches since McDonalds went global.

[image via io9]
This may be the World's longest AND tallest arch bridge, but Life Without Buildings is still partial to the Millau Viaduct --the perfect marriage of elegance and practicality which never quite looks real in photographs.

· Dubai to Build the World's Largest Arch Bridge in 2012 [io9]
· Millau Bridge Opens [Life Without Buildings]

LVHRD Duel: Scotch + Lumberjacks Edition

2008-02-11T00:31:00.000-08:00

Once again, Life Without Buildings turns to erstwhile London correspondent, present New York correspondent, and all-around art-world darling, Veronica Kavass, who attended LVHRD's recent architecture duel -- the results of which were announced today.

LVHRD's motto is "build ghettos out of cheese". This rather lively organization exists to gather imaginative, stylish NYC geeks -- with the generous help of their bibulous sponsor Dewars, of course -- under the bright lights and against the backdrop of hot women to promote a competitive camaraderie that borders on the maudlin. One activity LVHRD gets very excited about is the Architecture Duel. Last year's event, ARCH DL III, involved all female architects, a comedy club, and twenty pounds of cheese. Replacing the literal cheese with the figurative, ARCH DL IV, held on January 28th, took place at the Williamsburg Music Hall and involved a dress code -- come furry or come plaid-y. Isn't that how hipsters always come?

Local architecture firms Konyk and FXFOWLE were asked to respond to a challenge: It is 2029 and oil is no more. Dismantle the Trans-Alaska Pipeline to build a wildlife research center, "a monument to mankind's commitment to preserving earth's natural resources." The two firms were hardly briefed prior to the event. If I am not mistaken, they were emailed one word as a hint: caribou. [Ed. note: 24 hours before the event, the firms were also informed that secret building material would be straws] They arrived, were attacked by journalists, Konyk was represented by a Dash Snowish lumberjack and FXFOWLE by a giant, flirty bear. Divided by a wall, the two teams were provided with Alaskan wilderness mock-ups and countless straws.

Watching an architecture duel is like attaching your pair of eyes to a ruler and a marker -- more specifically, it is like one eye is holding a ruler and the other is holding a marker. Being an active viewer consists of analyzing two teams of two architects, each bent over big pieces of paper with markers, come up with a draft and model in a ninety-minute span. One of them pulls out the marker and slashes across the page like a swordsman. Your eyeball holding the marker likes this, wants more, and makes bold strokes with architect. You are rooting for that team, the one that seems to just go for it. The other team is very close to their piece of paper making close calculations and measurements. Depending on your personality this may either give you a sense of calm or make you antsy. Your eyeball holding the ruler empathizes with the obsessive-compulsive desire for exactitude and safety measures. Lets throw something else at the eyeballs -- some alcohol. Namely Dewars scotch. Ginger Dewars, Sour Dewars, Dewars and water, Dewars straight up, Dewars on the rocks, a double of Dewars, an endless supply of GDMN Dewars! The eyeball holding the marker pokes little playful dots into the ruler. The eyeball holding the ruler giggles and rolls around. At the end, drunkards dutifully handed in their votes for the favorite team. This spectacle championed Konyk. A week of online voting ensued.

On February 8, LVHRD gathered the DL IV architects and press friends in their hot pink office for the final voting results and more Dewars. Konyk won. The losing team swallowed this news, grabbed ping-pong paddles, and bounced balls back and forth until they realized no one was really losing or winning. As a voter for the losing team, I spent most of the evening talking to Paul Kim of FXFOWLE (a conversation which only confirmed to me that they should have won). Not that I think a great injustice had been done. I, too, am a sucker for height. I thought that Konyk appealed to the inebriated appetite for dramatic effect. They treated their markers like swords, chopped up the land, incorporated it into their leaning tower, and moved like ninjas. For the sake of performance, bravo. For the sake of Alaska's wild life future, their model was problematic. Wouldn't the elevated chunks of permafrost melt all over the place until the tower toppled over on to the precious caribou? FXFOWLE's research center at least appeared sturdier. The structure was clever looking. When I think of 2029, I picture humans spending more time in the air -- maybe even in outer space. Aerial views will make up most of our future postcards and a smiley face made out of pipeline may appear more impressive than a giant tower. During our conversation, Kim discussed about other uses for the empty pipeline -- an information highway of sorts.

[FXFOWLE's smiley-face in progress]
[Konyk's finished tower]

Speaking of information highways, this one is turning off at the next exit. I see a gas station on the horizon and it is in the shape of a bed. From the city that never sleeps, this is LWB's NY correspondent signing off!

Thanks Veronica!

· LVHRD.org
[images via LVHRD Flickr pool]

PS1: And Now for Something Completely Different...

2008-02-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

[image via the NYT]
Under the pavement...the farm? By Turning a situationist slogan on its head, the dynamic duo of Work Architecture Company have won this year's PS1 Young Architects Program with a design for an urban farm. (Is it just me or are "urban farms" making a big comeback this year?) Work - made up of Dan Wood, previously of AMO, and his wife Amale Andraos - won over the competition jury with their presentation, proving that a little showmanship can go a long way. "The two of them looked like stock actors from the background of a Mozart troupe where they needed some rustic peasants," said Barry Bergdoll, chief curator of arch. + design at MoMa.

Theatrics aside, the design stands on its own just fine. Built from a series of large cardboard tubes bolted together, their Urban Farm will undulate throughout the courtyard, creating several smaller spaces for more specific functions. While some tubes will be open-ended, others will contain various edible plantings - ideally designed to provide ingredients for cocktails and the brewing of beer. What better program for a space designated for drinking and dancing?

[images via work.ac]

From the Architect's webite:

Leaving behind the Urban Beach, our project becomes the 'Urban Farm' a magical plot of rural delights inserted within the city grid that resonates with our generations' preoccupations and hopes for a better and different future. In our post-industrial age of information, customization and individual expression, the most exciting and promising developments are no longer those of mass production but of local interventions. As cities have finally proven their superiority to their suburban counterparts in everything from quality of life to environmental impact - they should again become our much needed laboratories of experimentation: opening our minds and senses towards better living with each other and the world.

· Betting a Farm Would Work in Queens [New York Times]
· Work Architecture Company
· PS12005: Invasion! [Life Without Buildings]

What if NYC... Winners Announced!

2008-02-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

"What if New York City...?"

117 design teams representing 52 countries ventured to answer that ominously vague competition question and now ten winners have risen to the top with their solutions for post-disaster NYC emergency shelters. The unranked finalists will be awarded $10,000 to further develop their projects, with the possibility that one or more of the designs will be selected for prototyping. Jurors based their selection on criteria including flexibility, deployment, security, and sustainability. In brief, the winners:

For a lot more information on the winning projects, as well as over 100 additional selected entries, see the competition gallery. Life Without Buildings is torn between the Lego-based entry and the airship city.

UPDATE: With dramatic prose and some incredible images, BLDGBLOG waxes fantastic on the aforementioned airship city submittal, designed by NYC-based Studio Lindfors.

...a part of me thinks that there's no real reason to wait till disaster strikes; we could simply migrate into the sky. We will renew ourselves -- literally airborne -- in a vertical migration that evacuates the earth.

· What if New York City... [Competition website]
· We will migrate into the sky [BLDGBLOG]

Truck Commercial Architecture pt 2

2008-02-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

Truck commercials and football go together like...well, truck commercials and football. Therefore, it was no surprise to see a few more choice examples of my favorite new absurb architectural ephemera, "Truck Commercial Architecture," during Superbowl Sunday. First up is the truck centrifuge, where a truck (For you car guys, I believe it's a "red one") is swung around by its bumper in a monumental industrial centrifuge:

Both completely sublime and completely ridiculous, it's like these car companies have hired Etienne Boullee to art-direct their commercials. Notice how it says "closed centrifuge" at the bottom of the screen? This is no "dramatized testing demonstration" like the truck coliseum in last week's post. This is real. And this truck has some serious bumpers.

Next up, in a Nissan Testing Facility hidden away in some deep underground bunker (probably below the desert), two giant robot arms shake the hell out of a couple of trucks.

Although I know it's probably too good to be true, I'm hoping this one's real because the idea of Nissan building an enormous underground chamber for the explicit purpose of holding two giant robot arms completely amazes me and fills me with hope. I've had enough of commercial storefronts and residential remodels; its time to design some Nissan testing facilities or Gundam prototype bunkers, dammit.

· Truck Commercial Architecture pt 1 [Life Without Buildings]

San Francisco 2108: The Discussion

2008-02-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight at CCA, listen to local San Francisco firms discuss their proposals for The History Channel's City of the Future competition. For more info and images of the competing entries, check out Curbed. Seeya there.

URBANbuild Breaks Ground on New House

2008-02-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

Last Month students at Tulane University School of Architecture broke ground on their fourth URBANbuild house. Each house explores a different structural systems, with this newest design utilizing structural insulated panels. Says program director Byron Mouton, “It is about giving students the opportunity to learn while giving neighborhoods other examples for living.” URBANbuild has partnered with local nonprofit, Neighborhood Housing Services, to find a homeowner for the new house, which is scheduled to be completed this May. As a design and construction program geared towards building affordable homes in inner city neighborhoods, URBANbuild is becoming the urban analogue to Auburn University's Rural Studio. And with so many people still in need of homes, it couldn't come at a better time.

Previous URBANbuild homes:
[GREENbuild studio - prefabricated modules]

[1930 Dumaine - wood frame construction]

[2826 Dryades - metal frame construction]

· House No. 3 Rises for URBANbuild [New Wave]
· Architecture School: as seen on TV [Life Without Buildings]
· Modern in New Orleans [Old School LWB]

James and the Peach Giant

2008-02-01T15:51:00.000-08:00

Because it's been way too long since we've shown any giant statues on Life Without Buildings:

[image via The Cool Hunter]
"Ella" can be found lounging in the middle of Sydney, Australia. Made from 24,000 peaches, she is the delicous embodiment of Ella Baché's motto, "skin good enough to eat" and the best way I can think of to launch into the weekend.

· Ella Bache - Peaches [The Cool Hunter]
· Gigantor Protects Kobe [LWB]

The Once and Future KFCs

2008-01-27T13:35:00.000-08:00

Last week, Architecture.mnp posted a few images of what might possibly be the nicest Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant ever built. Ever.

[above images via architecture.mnp]
The contemporary building looks like it was appropriated by the fast-food giant, but no — it was apparently designed for no other reason. Looking at this thing, I was immediately reminded of a restaurant here in San Francisco, Spork, that expresses the exact opposite condition: a building that looks like, and in fact, used to actually be a KFC, but now serves contemporary cuisine.

Approaching Spork in San Francisco's Mission District can be a bit of a disorienting experience — almost like walking past a James Turrell piece. It feels like a fast food restaurant, yet the modern, slate grey exterior is a confusing giveaway. Named after KFC's signature utensil, Spork retains just enough of it's predecessor's, uh..distinctive charm to disrupt and de-familiarize the fast-food typology.

[interior image via Metropolis]
In many ways, the owner's decision to maintain the KFC building gives the visitor a greater appreciation for what good design can do. Check out the interior — fast food booths, but in a cool contemporary space. A subversive space at that, as Spork reverses the typical 25% dining, 75% kitchen, spatial division of the KFC. And that lighting fixture? A repurposed component of a fast food oven. Had enough yet? Well, there's one more thing...

For an extra disruption of fast-food familiarity, Life Without Buildings recommends trying Spork's "in-side-out burger."

· World's nicest KFC? (Architecture? My Ninja, Please!)

[ed. note: KFC images originally via Eye Candy]

Artful Project Documentation

2008-01-23T22:04:00.000-08:00

The architectural photography of Kurt & Walter Photographies:

Amazing compositions and almost surreal environments.

Merzbau in the Hizz-ouse

2008-01-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

Last week while cruising the internets (or "surfing the web," if you like), I couldn't help but notice a few Merzbau-like projects making the rounds on the blogsphere. First, let's take a look at Kurt Schwitters' original live/work environment. As photos were prohibited, this first shot was discreetly the Sprengel Musuem in Hannover, where a portion of the Merzbau has been reconstructed.

[Merzbau money shot via]

This next project, El fin del Muundo al techo, was designed and built by Adriàn Villa & Carolina Pinzon. Found via one of my fav blogs, Le Territoire Des Sens. More photos can be found on the artists' flickr page.

And found via Computerlove is this 1996 installation by Australian artist/architect Horst Kiechle. Check out his flickr page for many more of these incredible "archisculptures."

As this merzbau blogslaught was in the back of my mind during a Paul Auster lecture last week, I was reminded of a story told in his short novel "The Locked Room." Recounted by one of the characters is an amazing (and true?) story about arctic explorer Peter Freuchen and a reduction of space through an unintentional personifcation of sorts.

Trapped by a blizzard in northern Greenland. alone, his supplies dwindling, he decided to build an igloo and wait out the storm. Many days passed. Afraid, above all, that he would be attacked by wolves - for he heard them prowling hungrily on the roof of his igloo - he would periodically step outside and sing at the top of his lungs in order to frighten them away. but the wind was blowing fiercely, and no matter how hard he sang, the only thing he could hear was the wind. If this was a serious problem, however the problem of the igloo itself was much greater. for Freuchen began to notice that the walls of his little shelter were gradually closing in on him. Because of the particular weather conditions outside, his breath was literally freezing to the walls, and with each breath the walls became that much thicker, the igloo became that much smaller, until eventually there was almost no room left for his body. It is surely a frightening thing, to imagine breathing yourself into a coffin of ice, and to my mind ...For in this case, it is the man himself who is the agent of his own destruction, and further, the instrument of that destruction is the very thing he needs to keep himself alive.

Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. But the idea of breath-space or breath architecture is amazing and beautiful.

Truck Commercial Architecture, pt 1

2008-01-14T12:59:00.000-08:00

While watching football this weekend, I realized two things. 1) I hate the Dallas Cowboys (well, I already knew that, really) and 2) Truck commercials are CRAZY. More and more commercials are featuring insane testing facilities and truck torture devices. Usually this stuff is somewhere in the desert. This first example is like some sort of truck-testing trebuchet:

What the hell?

And here we have a seatless nightmare stadium, also in the desert, where a train engine attempts to tear apart the frame of a Nissan.

I'm hoping they use this arena in future commericals. Pitting truck against truck or an army of robot gladiators against truck, Coliseum style.

Now I've realized something new: The desert is awesome. I hope some of these are real. Or become real. And they start letting people watch. Maybe they could lease out cabins nearby where art patrons and NASCAR fans join together to spend the weekend watching Ford imagineers think of totally extreme new ways to show how well their trucks' brakes work. I know there's more of these out there, and I'm hoping document each and every one. This shit is crazy.

Kicked to the Curbed

2008-01-07T11:54:00.000-08:00

Hi readers. It's been while since we've talked. How are things? Did you have a nice holiday? Good. Well, you may have noticed the drop off in posting lately. Sorry about that, but there's a good reason this time. Over the last few weeks, I've been trying to get my sea legs as the new contributing editor over at Curbed SF. Eventually posting will continue here, I promise. Until then, check out Curbed to stay up to date with all your SF related urban goodness. Why not start with a tour of Daniel Libeskind's new Contemporary Jewish Museum?

Life Without Buildings will resume when I figure out how to juggle 15 things at once. So...let's say another week or so.

Magazines, Announcements, and Awards

2007-12-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

Catching up with a bit of inbox overload this week. Some announcements from your favorite magazines. First up, the winners of the AR Awards for Emerging Architecture were recently announced:

Wall House. by FAR: Frohn & Rojas, of Santiago.

Vegetation Installation, by Taketo Simohigoshi/AAE of Tokyo.

Ecoboulevard, by the Madrid-based Ecosistema Urbano Arquitectos.

Next up, Metropolis is currently accepting entries for the eleventh annual EDRA/Places Awards for Place Design, Planning and Research.

They're also looking for submissions for the 2008 Next Generation Design Competition. This year's theme is WATER:

We call on your innovative design solutions at all scales and sizes—products, interiors, buildings, landscapes, communication systems, or anything else you’ve dreamed up—for handling this most precious and most threatened natural resource. The time for new thinking on water is now.

The deadline for this one is January 4th, so quit reading blogs and get designin'.

And last but most certainly not least, Wallpaper Magazine has launched another new feature to their website, which has drastically improved in both quality and content during this past year. With an interface very similar to their 101 Architects Directory, The Wallpaper Graduate Directory features 110 recent graduates in the fields of design, fashion, photography, art, and graphics. Below, the "Theatre for Magicians," designed by Sara Shafei of the Bartlett School of Architecture, London.

Life Without Buildings is inspired to champion a new cause: More Architecture for Magicicans!

David Adjaye's Whitechapel Idea Store

2007-12-08T08:58:00.000-08:00

As an unabashed fan of David Adjaye's work, I was very much looking forward to visiting his Whitechapel Idea Store during my recent visit to London. My expectations were high, and I'm glad to say that the building most definitely did not disappoint.

The Idea Store – Adjaye's work in general, really – show's an incredible awareness of context. Although not as subtle as much of his work, the use of colored glass, drawn from vendor's tents of the adjacent market, not only animates the exterior of the building, but also casts brilliant dynamic shadows on the interior.

The entrance to the building – or what should be the entrance to the building – projects out prominently over the sidewalk; further integrating the building within the neighborhood. An entry escalator slips between the sidewalk and the building - a liminal threshold from interior to exterior, that was closed, I was told, for "safety reasons." No further explanations were offered.

Ample space is provided for the classrooms, studios, and workshops, but each programatic component isn't necessarily relegated to a separate part of the building. Successfully integrating program elements in this manner seems like it will ensure that all floors are used, while prevent the manifestation of dead spaces.

Shelves and desks are integrated into the the building's structural system and facade. Every component of the building seems to be supporting another. There is a definite sense of cohesion and coherence within the Whitechapel Idea Store that unfortunately, this seems to be lacking all to often in contemporary architecture.

As always, more photos can be found on the Life Without Buildings flickr page.

The Bat House Project

2007-12-04T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Bat House Project is the brainchild of Turner Prize winning artist Jeremy Deller. Deller's film "Memory Bucket," for which he was awarded the prestigious British Prize, features eight minutes of footage of bats flying from a cave in Texas. After winning, Deller announced that he intended to build a bat habitat that "would be a piece of architecture, a sculpture and a living, working object.” In collaboration with the Arts Council of England and the Bat Conservation Trust, he launched Bat House Competition in 2006, inviting entrants to "imagine, design and build a home for bats in London"

Open to all ages, the competition was divided into 3 categories: 1) architects and design professionals, 2) students and the general public, and 3) school kids. Currently, many of the top submissions are on display at the RIBA building in London, and they've confirmed what many of us have long since believe - kids are geniuses:

The overall winner was the team of Jorgen Tandberg and Yo Murata, who submitted their entry in the student / general public category. Their design is a simple wood and concrete structure enclosing a series of what looks like laser-cut plywood fabricated and placed to create a habitat uniquely suited to accommodate bats. Judges called the design "beautiful, poetic and unexpected, combining state-of-the-art technology with a rural and romantic aesthetic."

Just for fun, let's take a look at a couple more entries.

The category 1 winning entry, designed by Andrew Brown, Gareth Jones, and James Falconer included multiple types of habitats for different climates and species of bats. Although Buckminster Fuller would be proud, the judges questioned the practicality of airlifting bat habitats.

And a Category 2 entry designed by Alexander Bartscher & Elisabeth Deutschmann, who separated out the "batspace" of a house from the typical humanspace:

The bat house exhibition will be on display at RIBA until January 26th. For more information, and to see other entries, visit the Bat House Project website.

Close Your Eyes and Think of England

2007-11-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

London London London! Perhaps Oscar Wilde put it best: "I love London society! It is entirely composed now of beautiful idiots and brilliant lunatics. Just what Society should be!"

I have to admit, after last week's vacation, London's dark and rainy days are tempting me from the fair skies of San Francisco. Guided by brilliant lunatics well-traveled through the forests of galleries and brick alleyways, I was led to the East, where crumbling buildings occasionaly part to reveal hidden contemporary gems. East! Where I spent my days peering through the windows of David Adjaye's buildings and my nights peeping through the windows of Gilbert & George's flat. When I was previously in London, I must admit that I never ventured too far from center of the city or the comfort of a well-established museum. So it was a true pleasure to see some different parts of the city, where beautiful decay, hidden galleries, and closed tube stations were follies in picturesque gardens of brick.

The skyline bursting with cranes, London looks like a postwar city. I had no idea there was so much construction! The booming economy and approaching Olympics are changing the face of London and it seems like an incredible time to be working there.

I think I'll be digesting everything I saw (and drank) for quite some time. A couple more London posts are surely forthcoming, but for now, a 7-photo summary of my trip:

The Berlin / New York Dialogues

2007-11-16T21:12:00.000-08:00

(Still recovering somewhat from the trip. Things were so busy before I left a couple weeks ago and I neglected to get this posted...)

Life Without Buildings' New York correspondent and all-around bon vivant, Jac Currie attended the Berlin / New York dialogues last week at the New York Center for Architecture.

The 10-week long exhibition aims to compare and contrast the architecture, culture, and lifestyle of the two ciites. It is presented as part of the Center for Architecture's "Global City Dialogues" series.

The tour began in a busy Center for Architecture. It was two hours before the VIP reception, and people were still getting ready - running around with mounted photos and stretched canvas. A twenty-foot, spiraling installation by Brooklyn designers, Made, bridged two of the floors, and the staircase walls were printed with various urban statistics - density of people, amount of public space by area, number of dogs, length of bike trails, how many cinemas in each city:

"Two of the world's most dynamic urban centers, Berlin and New York City, are making radical transformations in their streets and neighborhoods," says Rick Bell, Director of AIA New York. "The purpose of Berlin / New York Dialogues is to discover the similarities and differences in what drives our architecture and urban design."

The primary themes of the exhibition include artist as a pioneer/culture as a catalyst, community-based activism, greening of open-space, and social engineering/government based interventions. To make the exhibition accessible to the general public, displays consisted of layers of information portrayed through various easy-to-understand media - charts, photos, text, and illustrations. Facts and testimonials about successful art school programs, snapshots of public art projects, photos of a development sites, and floor to ceiling landscapes printed on stretched canvas tracked urban development throughout the two cultural capitals over the last couple decades.

While the overall exhibition, designed by New York design firm Project Projects came across as well researched and smartly displayed, the actual density of information and tightness of space made it difficult to a take in. Having lived in both cities, I could really appreciate the variety of information and comprehensive presentation. It was interesting to see squatters, warehouse clubs, and illegal urban farmers given as much credit as politicians, large-scale developments and social programs.

My favorite features of the show were the agencies that went beyond architecture in attempting to affect their surroundings. Berlin-based design groups, Platoon and Deadline Architects. With public art, innovative media, and networking, Platoon's projects use cultural activities to change lives in Berlin. Deadline Architects are perhaps best known for their project, Bender Berlin. Their first building, it was entirely self-financed by the architects, who raised the money over a period of three years. Now complete, it houses their office, apartment, art gallery, and 14 rentable mini-lofts. (ed. note: more on these offices soonish!)

Despite all the careful comparisons and meticulously presented facts, I felt there was something missing, some strong, intangible difference between the two cities. Maybe it's the uniquely American pursuit of wealth, fame, and "the Dream." Or perhaps it's New York's status as hub of industry, media, and real estate versus Berlin's economically bankrupt reality. It's hard to say really, but perhaps Anders Lepik phrased the question best in his introductory speech: "What is the reason that NY dreams of Berlin, and Berlin dreams of NY?"

And then there was the reception. It started quietly enough with just a few VIPs, a DJ bleeping and blooping his way through Minimal Techno records, and, of course, German beer. I took the opportunity to catch up with former schoolmate-- and current Berlin / New York Dialogues researcher, Anthony Acciavatti. (ed note: what's up Anthony!) Soon though, the place began to fill up with a serious crowd. A lot of black jackets, tall people, hip glasses, and hipper haircuts. The music kept getting better, a serious Techno set by Berlin pop act 2raumwohnung, and people were seriously getting their dance on. It really did feel like a party in Berlin, and New York loved it.

Stay longer next time, Berlin.

Berlin - New York Dialogues: Building in Context runs through 26 January at the Center for Architecture.

Jac Currie is an artist and designer based in New York City and New Orleans. He is the founder of Defend New Orleans and Jaguar Jaguar.

Across the Pond

2007-11-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

Because nothing says Thanksgiving like a trip to England, I'm heading to London for a bit of a vacation. I'm sure my charming hostess has prepared an impecable itinerary, but if anyone knows of any can't-miss exhibitions or new buildings, please pass it along!

To get myself in the mood, I'll be reading Alan Moore's latest opus, and I recommend you do the same.

New Uses for Ceramics

2007-11-11T10:02:00.000-08:00

French architecture firm and Life Without Buildings favorite, Lacaton Vassal, were invited by CRAFT (Centre de Recherche sur les Arts du Feu et de la Terra a Limoges) to propose new uses for Limoges porcelain.

Their solution is nothing less than inspired: a procelain overlay for structural steel. Designed for steel profiles H, I, and U, the ceramic tiles add both fireproofing and a decorative element to the steel columns.

Great idea, right? I'd love to see this go into production, although I do have one suggestion. For the first run, let's appropriate the world's largest ceramic - Jeff Koons' Michael Jackson and Bubbles.

Sure, it may have sold at Sotheby's for $5,600,000, but I think melting down this travesty of art and applying it to a steel column might really give it some integrity; an extra layer of meaning reminiscent of Robert Rauschenberg's Erased de Kooning.

Plus...you know, we get the added benefit of MELTING A HIDEOUS CERAMIC STATUE OF MICHAEL JACKSON AND HIS MONKEY.

Devil in the Details - A Question

2007-11-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

I'm intrigued by the facade of this building - most likely a shop for ultra hip clothing or cell phone charms - in the Harajuku district of Tokyo.

The colors in the dyed concrete align perfectly with what I'm assuming is the formwork. Does anybody know how this striping was done? I'm guessing that the formwork was painted? But could the color really have transferred while the concrete was drying?

Anyone wanna back me up or hazard a different guess?

976 sq. ft.

2007-11-03T12:02:00.001-07:00

Published in the Fall 2007 issue of Fantagraphics' Mome, is a story entitled 976 sq. ft. Written and illustrated by Tom Kaczynski, 976 sq. ft. tells the tale of a modern residential tower rising in a quickly gentrying neighborhood. The physical and psychological impact of this new structure is presented through the perspective of a young couple who live just across the street. An excerpt:

[ click the image for a larger version ]

It's a very well told story. Notice in the above image how in the center panel, the depiction of the tower expands to dominate the page as it begins to dominate her consciousness. And that last line...well, that's just incredible.

"uh...I need an ambulance... or an architect."

If you have any interest in comics or cartooning, I definitely recommend check out Mome, or almost anything else published by Fantagraphics.

Words of Wisdom from the AIA

2007-10-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Who knew that Autumn was AIA recruitment season? This gem of an advertisement landed in a coworkers mailbox this week:

If you join the AIA, essential wisdom like this is at your disposal. Please click the above image for even more sage words of wisdom from the dominant organization of the profession, who, judging from these new advertisements, will mostly just teach you how to pick up chicks.

Erwin Wurm

2007-10-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend, a friend introduced me to the work of Austrian artist Erwin Wurm, whom I suppose could best be described as a conceptual sculptor. His medium varies - from drawings to photography to foam to performance - but regardless of form and material, there are common themes throughout the work. Most notably, a sort of demystifying of art and it's related fields - a figurative, and sometimes literal, deflation.

The following examples aren't particularly representative of his work as a whole, but since this is supposed to be an architecture blog, they're probably the most interesting to you, dear reader. Plus, the field of architecture can always use a little deflating.

Guggenheim

Fat House Moller/adolf Loos

Am I a House?

House Attack, MUMOK, Wien

More of Wurm's work can be seen at Artnet.

FLW in FLA

2007-10-09T22:56:00.001-07:00

NPR reports on an often overlooked collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Florida on the campus of Florida Southern College. Wright designed the master plan for the campus, as well as 18 unique buildings, 12 of which were built. Unfortuately, In the grand tradition of FLW Buildings, the campus buildings are crumbling apart. In fact, they're degrading so quickly that they have been included on the list of the 100 most endangered sites by the World Monument Fund. Phase one of the restoration project will be completed later this month, and the university is hoping to raise the 50 million dollars required to completely restore, and in some cases improve, the remaining Wright structures.

The buildings may owe their degradation to Wright's experimental designs, but their construction probably has something to do with it as well. Many of the campus structures were building by actual Florida students who paid off their tuition by serving as construction laborers. Students actually building. It's a great idea that more architecture schools seem to be embracing today.

For more photos, information on the specific campus buildings, and a little gossip, check out the article at NPR.org.

There's a gleaming corridor...

2007-10-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

The highest outdoor elevator in the world climbing up the cliffs of Zhangjiajie, China:

Check out the links for a video from the inside.
via gizmodo via deputy dog

San Francisco's Wright

2007-10-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Xanadu Gallery is the only existing Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building in San Francisco.

Originally constructed in 1912, the building was the home of the V.C. Morris Gift Shop, and it was the Morrises who commsioned Wright to expand and remodel their store. Considering that the commission was for a retail space, it seems odd that there are no display windows, aside for a small terrarium-like entry structure. A little web research yielded the answer to this puzzler. When asked by the owners about the lack of exterior display, Wright replied "We are not going to dump your beautiful merchandise on the street, but create an arch-tunnel of glass, into which the passers-by may look and be enticed. As they penetrate further into the entrance, seeing the shop inside with its spiral ramp and tables set with fine china and crystal, they will suddenly push open the door, and you've got them!"

All built-in furniture, shelves, and tables are original. The most notable feature, however, has to be the large sprial ramp that leads to the second floor gallery. Although the gift shop was designed 5 years after the Guggenheim, it was actually constructed before the iconic New York museum, allowing Wright to use the gift shop as a sort of testing lab for the Guggenheim's famous spiral.

The massive brick exterior definitely has the Wright look, but with its simple facade and ornate entry, it also brings to mind the work of his mentor, Louis Sullivan. Particulary his late-career Midwestern banks, aka "jewel boxes."

The V.C. Morris Gift Shop has the distinction of being one of only seventeen Wright buildings that the AIA has deemed "essential for preservation" due to its contribution to American culture.

photo by Carol M. Highsmith

More Parkin(ing)

2007-09-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of plotting and scheming (working and relaxing) going on at Life Without Buildings' secret headquarters (my bedroom), but real posts will hopefully resume soon. In the meantime, here are a few more photos from last week's Park(ing) Day.

...and still more on the flickr page.

Happy Park(ing) Day!

2007-09-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

Some Park(ing) spaces in SOMA, visited during lunch today:

More info on Park(ing) Day can be found here, here, and here.

Park(ing) Day is Tomorrow!

2007-09-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the above map, this is the biggest year yet for Rebar's Park(ing) Day. Check out the website for all the info you'll need to spend the day Park(ing) around San Francisco or one of the many other cities that are participating in this year's event. Gotta work? What better place to lunch than in the street? Make it a long one and explore as many parks as you can. You deserve it.

previously: Park(ing) Day 2007: A Call to Action!

Dwell on Design - A Visit from the Mayor

2007-09-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

That's right, San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom came by the Dwell on Design conference to end the day with a surprise speech. He lead off by saying that he's proud of his city and of the fact that when visitor's leave here, they're thinking "why can't it be like that everywhere else?" He's proud that it's the greenest city in America, but interrupts his applause to tell us that's not enough. We can be better. We NEED to be better.

To hear it from the Mayor, the future really looks bright for San Francisco. By 2010, they entire fleet of taxis will converted into green vehicles. The city has instituted new policies, such as faster, cheaper permitting, to make it easier for people to integrate green design features into their homes and buildings. 69% of our waste is recyclable, but, he says, want zero waste by 2020. He lists off other new policies, geared towards a green San Franicsco: No plastic bags. No bottled water in city hall. Harvesting power from the tides below the Golden Gate Bridge. Greening street mediums, new lighting, new benches, new sidewalks.

Then the mayor starts name-dropping architects who are building in the area, an impressive list to say the least - Libeskind, Pelli, Piano, Calatrava, Herzog & deMeuron, and yes, even Gehry. He follows this with a warning to all builders: starting in 2008, the city will have incredibly aggressive green building regulations, requiring at least silver certification for all new construction - even residential remodels. "You want to do business in San Francisco, that's fine. Here are the rules."

He closes by telling everyone that he (honestly) is a subscriber to Dwell and, he says, "I hope you have fun and I hope you learn something."

Dwell on Design - Dan Maginn

2007-09-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

This morning's most entertaining presentation was given by from Dan Maginn, principle of the Kansas City-based architecture firm el dorado inc.

Speaking as a representative of the Counterintuitive Comparison Institute of America ("like you - only more so"), Maginn's presentation, "The Big Chart: Recent Developments in Counter-Intuitive Comparison" was a hilarious look at a unique design classification system. (Is it just me or is Borges' The Analytical Language of John Wilkins an incredibly popular reference right now?) Described in the schedule as "A highly idiosyncratic ratings systems for all things designed," The Big Chart is a near-infinite NCAA-like bracket. By utilizing highly scientific factors such as the astonishment index and fascination coefficients, it is able to determine important truisms - like the fact that Justin Timberlake and Maria Sharapova reading Encyclopedia Brown paperbacks in their underwear is a good thing. Clearly, this is incredibly valuable research.

More of Maginn's writings can be seen @ the el dorado website, as well as Dwell Magazine

Dwell on Design: San Francisco

2007-09-14T11:30:00.001-07:00

This morning didn't start well. I woke up to find that someone had knocked over my scooter. A potential disaster, but thankfully it only suffered minor damage and a flooded engine. After a short wait a quick fix, I was sputtering and chainsawing my way to Dwell on Design. Alas, another problem. I got lost in the shuffle and somehow didn't get registered as an attendee. A great start to this Friday, to be sure.

Soon enough, I had my credentials and the minute the conference started, things dramatically improved. Anyway, I thought I'd type up a brief summary in the break before the next session starts. Link updates and more detailed posts will follow.

Mark Lakeman, Co-Founder, CityRepair Project and Design Principal Communitecture, was the morning's first speaker, and spoke about city repair, specifically in relation to his home town, Portland Oregon. Using monopoly as metaphor, Lakeman spoke of the american attitude towards construction and community. Gentrification as a game where the goal is to build houses, only to raze them and replace them with hotels, and the only shared space is a parking lot and a jail. Most of his presentation focused on Street intersection in Portland where the communities are beginning to reclaim space and (re)create true interstions - places where people come together.

whoops, out of time! more to come!

Dwell on Design: This Weekend

2007-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Dwell on Design is this weekend, and Life Without Buildings will be there. Check back often on Friday for updates, lecture reviews, and photos. Maybe I'll even seeya there.

And speaking of magazines, there's an article in this month's Architect Magazine about the state of the architectural blogosphere. "Meet The Bloggers: With an Unorthodox Mix of Reporting, Commentary, and Activism, a new Generation of Architectural Pundits is Making its Voice Heard - Online."

The New New Orleans Riverfront

2007-09-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

An article in last week's New York Times focused on some of the more ambitious projects planned for New Orleans, including Thom Mayne's proposed Jazz Center, and a scheme for the river-front designed by TEN Arquitectos.

image of the jazz center via the new york times

Located in the Bywater, a neighborhood that was very much up-and-coming before Hurricane Katrina, The Press Street Landing by TEN Arquitectos is a small part of the larger six-mile-long park and mixed-use development planned along the Mississippi. You can read all about Mayne's building and the Press Street project in the Times Article, but I'd actually like to draw your attention to the project that's next door, as noted by the yellow arrow:

image via The New York Times

photo via studiowta.com

The existing building was once the largest Rice Mill in North America, and an impressive renovation has been proposed by local New Orleans firm, Wayne Troyer Architect. The adaptive reuse includes new commercial spaces and a variety of residential units. If built as designed, the Rice Mill would become the first multi-family LEED gold certified building in Louisiana. From their website:

The project raises the architectural design bar by implementing such building technologies as: solar energy power; wind power; passive cooling by introduction of a solar chimney and a series of open-air courtyards, excavated from the building's central core; utilization of insulated, low-E glazing at openings; establishment of a cistern for reclamation and recycling of rainwater for irrigation; landscaping with native and indigenous species; interiors that capitalize on exposed wood/masonry structure while incorporating recycled and low or non-emitting VOC materials, and mechanical systems that provide the most efficient means of energy.

image via studiowta.com

At the rear of the building, a cantilevered glass addition was inspired the the ubiquitous gantry cranes scattered along the Mississippi. A clever solution that acknowledges the surrounding context without resorting to a simple one-liner.
image via studiowta.com

Troyer is no stranger to adaptive reuse projects like this. Many of WTA's projects have involved modern interventions into historic New Orleans structures. The firm has developed a adroitness at balancing these potentially conflicting elements, an idea perhaps best summed up by another statement from the Rice Mill project page, "The notion driving the project is a promotion of revitalization and the acknowledgment of a key industrial, historical site, while interjecting innovation and quality design in the form of a mixed-use community."

Shinjuku: 35 years in 10 seconds

2007-09-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

Incredible growth.

via Fresh Creation

Beautiful Land

2007-09-05T07:53:00.000-07:00

Still recovering from an amazing weekend in Milwaukee. Congrats to newlyweds Graham and Katie! I was a little surprised by how much I liked the city, and I didn't get to see nearly as much of it as I would have liked. I did, however, get a couple cups of Alterra Coffee, and that alone is enough reason for me to go back.

Posts will resume when I feel like a human again, so until then, here are some shots of industrial Milwaukee from the back of a convertible.

"Architectural Soul of the City at Stake"

2007-08-30T11:05:00.000-07:00

A fantastic article @ NOLA.com about the preservation of homes and the slow, confused reconstruction of the city.

Campanella believes that at the two-year mark, the struggle to preserve Crescent City architecture is most pitched not in the historic sliver by the river or in the ghostly post-war neighborhoods that bore the brunt of the flood, but in what he calls "the back of town": intermediate zones in Gentilly, Treme, Central City and Broadmoor, below the city's wealthier neighborhoods, where the working-class houses were old but not ancient, damaged but not devastated.

"The shotguns and cottages in the back of town are typical of New Orleans and rare throughout the rest of the nation," he said. "You're not going to find them in Long Beach and Denver."

Long before Katrina and the failed levees, New Orleans' architectural fabric was already showing signs of wear. Termites, leaking roofs, cat's claw vines and the pull of poverty had dragged a large percentage of the city's housing stock to the brink of the architectural abyss.

Reed Kroloff, the former director of the Tulane School of Architecture who accepted the directorship of Cranbrook Academy of Art in May and last week left wilted New Orleans for the crisper climes of lower Michigan (ed note: bitter?), estimates that 30,000 properties were already in jeopardy to one degree or another before Katrina.

Now bureaucracy can be added to the list of dangers. The city has during the past several months compiled lists of structures so badly damaged or dilapidated that they are in need of architectural euthanasia.

...Mexican rising star Enrique Norten headlines a team of planners who may eventually convert New Orleans' sadly dilapidated industrial riverfront into a serpentine urban park, studded with futuristic structures. The as-yet-unfinanced $1 billion Reinventing the Crescent project, as it's known, is envisioned for completion in 2018.

Los Angeles architect Thom Mayne, winner of the Pritzker Prize, architecture's Oscar, has conceived a $100 million National Jazz Center performance hall that he envisions on Loyola Avenue in the next five years. Mayne's earlier post-K dream of a blocks-long modernist municipal mall has withered on the vine, leaving him a bit bewildered and bitter.

"I have to tell you, the outsiders are more interested in your town than the insiders -- not counting certain people," Mayne said.

Mayne lays the blame for the demise of his park project squarely on a lack of city leadership.

"No one wants to pick up the ball and run with it," he said. "I don't know how long before the whole city atrophies."

He's not alone in his impatience. Eskew, who has a hand in Mayne's National Jazz Center project and the Reinventing the Crescent riverfront redevelopment, also is worried that the time for decisive government action is slipping away.

"We have a city of global significance," he said. "We've had it destroyed by a federal flood. The perpetrator of that flood has not stepped forward and taken responsibility. What they've done is put a city of global significance at risk."

The complete article is a depressing yet compelling read. More about Mayne's project next week.

my old apt. although I'm sure it looks much better now and is renting for twice as much.

Katrina Memories

2007-08-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of Hurrican Katrina. I was going through some old notes and photos I had at the time and thought I might reproduce a couple excerpts. Most of these scratchings were written in the back of a Honda Accord, so it's not exactly Hemmingway.

--

300 miles in 12 hours (and we're the lucky ones). I-10 and most other interstates have been closed for hours. contraflow is working, but the evacuation is just too enormous. We're taking the state routes and for the most part, it's a smooth ride. Unfortunately, every small, state-route town has a police force whom want nothing more than to play a role in al this; to be important, if for only 24 hours. Their attempts to direct traffice have proved disastrous, successful only in creating traffic james that could have been prevented by a single, blinking yellow light. We stay motivated, stay together. frustrations only strengthening our friendships; a traffic crucible.

We left town on Saturday night for the Northshore. Evacuations are pretty common and like many others, I was planning on staying. "Been there, drank through it." This time, things looked different. the city felt off. The pit in my stomach, the proverbial "bad feeling," told me to leave, so I called up some friends, threw a tarp over my books, grabbed a t-shirt and a my laptop and hopped in a car.

11pm. We arrive in Houston. Aunt Sandy takes us in, with tears in her eyes and maternal hugs for people she's never met. Still no reception on our cell phones but text-messaging sometimes works. We're slowly able to get in touch with some of our friends and family. Some people are still unheard from but we think the worst is over.

Monday morning. the roof of the Superdome is peeling off. thousands of refugees scramble for shelter in the rain-soaked stadium. Levees are beginning to leak and the water is slowly rising throughout the city. It might be a couple more days before we can go back. Houston's opened its arms. People are sleeping in mattress stores. Text messaging is the only reliable form of communication. It's frustrating, but at least it's something. Unsure of when we can return, we've decide to head west in a day or two and just play it by ear.

We stop in Target, buy clothes and change into them in the dressing room. Also bought a cheap camera.

Day 4. drove all night across Texas. Never again.

Rumors abound. Fires? looting? militias? martial law? Friends stuck in the city? Friends getting airlifted out? It's impossible to know what's ACTUALLY happening. Over the next few days, we seemed to take turns breaking down, everyone in their own way. This is a frustration I've never known. Never imagined.

Day 6, somewhere in Arizona. I hate the desert.

3 wks later, South Bend. Back in the midwest. Friends try and lighten my mood with jokes; "Jimmy! Jimmy, call FEMA and have them help us with this bar tab! Why are we waiting for a cab? Call FEMA and have them airlift us home!"

Chicago. Hanging out with some old friends at the L&L Lounge in Wrigleyville. I see some familiar-looking kids and overhear their conversations. "Molly's is still open..." and "...still in the Faubourg." Molly's would be Molly's at the Market and now I realize I've met these people at that Decatur St. bar. It was strangely comforting to see these dive-bar-friends in another bar across the country, people who know the New Orleans of dirty bars that never close, backyard rock & roll parties, the worlds of Quintron and MC tracheotomy (reportedly last seen dressed as a pirate riding his motorcycle into oblivion, laughing and shooting a handgun into the air). They don't know when or if they're going back. Neither do I. The New Orleans diaspora is in full effect.

--

It was a very strange, very uncertain time, but in the end, we were extremely fortunate. I was very lucky to evacuate with 2 of the most amazing people I've ever met (hey jake! hey miriam!) and I'm incredibly grateful to all the caring, compassionate people who took us in, fed us, and sometimes even clothed us. I'd also like to thank all the readers of this site who checked in with me, sent their warm wishes, and even offered me a job or two.

I'm off to Milwaukee for a wedding, but there'll be a couple more New Orleans posts next week. In the meantime, check out NPRs continuing coverage of post-Katrina life.

PARK(ing) Day 2007: A Call To Action!

2007-08-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

THE MISSION: To rethink the way streets are used, call attention to the need for urban parks, and improve the quality of urban human habitat....at least until the meter runs out!

original photo from last year's event. PARK by David Baker + Partners

September 21st marks this year's PARK(ing) Day, the "one-day, global event centered in San Francisco where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks."

2 PARK(ing) spaces: a garden & a park (complete with ukele players)

PARK(ing) Day, the brainchild of San Francisco artists/activists Rebar, started humbly enough, with 1 single parking space in 2005. Last Year, that number grew to 17, with other parks scattered around the world, and this year is shaping up to be even bigger. Rebar has partnered with both The Trust for Public Land and Public Architecture, and they're inviting any individuals or organizations who are interested to help out with this fantastic detournement. Check out their website for the brand new How-to Manual and a ton of other information on how you can help out.

This year's PARK(ing) Day will also feature the debut of Public Architecture's first Sidewalk Plaza, a pedestrian-oriented rethinking of the Folsom Street public space.

Public Architecture's Folsom St. proposal. Click image for a larger version.

The incremental installation of diverse public amenities, keyed to the particular conditions of SoMA's varying uses, makes for a responsive, rather than prescriptive, urban plan. This plan quickly earned support from the San Francisco Planning Department, Redevelopment Agency, and Transportation Authority, and funds are being sought to implement a series of sidewalk plazas along Folsom Street.

I believe the first Sidewalk Plaza will be located in front of Brain Wash laundrymat/cafe on Folsom Street. The area definitely has a lot of potential but it could be more pedestrian friendly. As you can see in the above photo, Public Architecture's long-term plan for the area is incredibly ambitious, which makes it even more exciting that municipal organizations have already started supporting it.

previously:

The God of Thunder visits The Big Easy

2007-08-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from Thor #3, written by J. Michael Straczynski and due out in September:

...but the god of storms was not here when the hurricane came, and the knowledge that he could have tamed the winds and turned back the sea burns him to the core.

That, and the questions.

If he was not here...then where were the other heroes?

Why were not force fields erected? Why were tides not evaporated by heat and blast? why were buildings not supported by strength of arms and steel?

why this?

Despite the fact that all forms of media can potentially be used as instruments of social change, more often than not, our real-world tragedies aren't directly reflected in our entertainment media - Friends for example, was a 9/11 free world, and many would say thankfully so. These are supposed to be our escape from the trials of the real world. But it's a relief to see something like this; a mainstream comic that addresses, even in passing, the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina and the disorganization which continues to delay the city's reconstruction. Sure, his visit to New Orleans quickly devolves into a beautifully illustrated knock-down-drag-out fight with Iron Man, but for a couple pages, we see the city's struggle and see some regular guys stand up to those who were supposed to protect them. And it doesn't hurt that it's also provoked political discussion (albeit sometimes immature and uninformed) on a comic book forum.

And in an unrelated but interesting bit of comic book urban planning, upon his return to Earth, Thor relocated Asgard to Oklahoma, paying for the land with Norse Treasure. Flyover country no more (at least in the Marvel Universe), the middle of America is now home to the Norse Gods.

The Swipe File

2007-08-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

On the left, this week's New York Times Magazine cover. On the right, Lead Pencil Studio's Stairway.

Elsewhere in this week's magazine, an article on urban revenge thrillers reminded me of an old LWB review of Death Wish 2, the tale of a vigilante architect. An excerpt from that post:

Shortly into the film, after his daughter is murdered, Bronson's client kindly informs him that "the building can wait," and our hero seeks solace in the mountains. Plotting revenge while chopping wood, we see him for who he truly is - the Howard Roark of ass kicking. Although, as I would soon learn, that veiled complement might be a bit too generous, because soon enough, we're shown renderings of his design - an unfortunately proportioned office park monstrosity complete with "sculpted angels blowing horns." No! Bronson! Surely your tortured soul can create an edifice to provoke fear and inspiration! A building so potent in its heart-felt purity, it can reform any criminal who walks through its doors! ...Alas, it is not to be, and I suppose I can forgive him this indiscretion. His mind is, of course, on other things. It's like the old saying goes, "mediocre architect, gifted vigilante."

Really, I just wanted another excuse to use this image:

Architecture School: as seen on TV

2007-08-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

It was only a matter of time, really.

Remember those frantic late night studio sessions when you rambled on about what a great reality show this would be? Well now, it looks like someone finally agrees. Someone with a network. The Sundance Channel has ordered a new documentary series that will follow Tulane University Architecture students as they design and building a home for a low-income New Orleans family.

I'm thinking "The Hills" but with heavier drama and more recreational drug use.

The six-part series is scheduled to premier during the third-quarter of 2008.
For more information on the excellent Tulane University School of Architecture and their URBANbuild program, please check out the following links:

Tulane School of Architecture
Tulane URBANbuild
Project New Orleans
Two articles and a video on the URBANbuild project

Thanks for the heads up Serge!

A Mission Story

2007-08-20T21:53:00.001-07:00

The Mission Stencil Story,"Why Does She Love the Moon?"
I can't believe I missed this. Sadly, a lot of it is gone now.
For more info, click here or here.

City as story or story as city? If something like this were ever appropriated by more official civic-oriented forces, it could be an amazing device for tourism. Follow an elaborate narrative through the city while your choices determine what you see and where you go. It could even be integrated with local businesses - order a double americano at an out-of-the-way cafe and get another clue.

Such a beautiful, inspiring idea. And a great way to spend a sunny afternoon in San Francisco.

Wallpaper @ 100

2007-08-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, before I had stepped on foreign soil or entered an IKEA, Wallpaper was the magazine I either loved to hate or hated to love. Although well aware that I, a midwestern transplant to the South, probably wasn't their target audience, I couldn't help but lust after the artfully designed products and the articles that spoke with an intimate familiarity of places I've never seen. Design out of reach; but hell, it was always good for a collage or mood board. But now things have changed. I'm a little more worldly wise, I have a little more cash in my pocket, and I've stepped into not one, but several IKEA. And yes, I've been enjoying Wallpaper without malice for quite some time now (when I want to be humbled, I pick up an issue of Monocle), especially in its online form, where a few cool features have recently popped up in honor of the magazine's 100th issue.

First up, the 101 architect's directory, a great resource for discovering "the world's most exciting new offices." Office's like France's BLOCK and Dubai-based dxb.lab architecture, or Britain's interdiscipinary Designkommander - the best name for an architecture firm since F.A.T. The interface isn't as intuitive as it could be, but the abstracted world map is still a great concept. Although it'd be nice to know a little more about their selection process, if you've got some time to kill and want to explore the work of a new firm or see what's going on on the other side of the world, I recommend checking out the directory.

Next up is EcoEdit, an exhibition of 101 innovative, eco-friendly projects that asks the question "can environmentally friendly design be good design?" Much like the magazine it springs from, EcoEdit represents the entire spectrum of what we can understand "design" to be - from completely self-sufficient homes to hybrid motorcycles to fair-trade, organic clothing.

Appropriately, and in true service to the zeitgeist, EcoEdit eschews the gallery in favor of a zero-carbon online exhibition. While virtual galleries won't be replacing our beloved white boxes any time soon, the online exhibition is a pleasure to stroll, I mean scroll (eh? see what i did there?), through. The projects and products have been stunningly rendered in illustrations reminiscent of a strealined IKEA catalog as published by El Lissitzky.

Both articles/exhibitions, although not perfect, are great uses of the online medium and definitely worth spending some time with.

Reel World: China

2007-08-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this would be much better served by a BLDGBLOG post, but I'll take my shot. A few days ago, I posted the newly unveiled images of what will be one of the largest movie studios in North America. I thought it was big; at least it sounded big. Well, Toronto and Hollywood have nothing on Hendigan, the southern Chinese film studio that has the dubious honor of being the world's largest. NPR reports:

In just 10 years, Hengdian has transformed itself from a poverty-stricken farming village to a collection of replica palaces, temples and historical streets, open to film crews, often for free.

These aren't just replicas, they're full-size reproductions. The Forbidden City in Beijing, for example:

Forbidden City, Beijing

Forbidden City, Henigan (the mountains are kind of a giveaway)

It's an amazing and terrifying verisimilitude. Even more so because China's very real history is being projected onto the structures themselves -- really just facades and empty shells -- outside the context of the in-film world.

In China - where old buildings are torn down in the blink of an eye - many visitors say they haven't come for the movie glamour, but to learn about their country's past - from the fake buildings.

...and somewhere, Alanis Morrissette just wrote another verse. This ironic historicism seems like a very American idea to me, and there's a big New Orleans-centric tangent I could go off on here but I think I'll save that for a later addendum. For now, let's just enjoy more images.

Another view of the Forbidden City, Beijing...

and the ersatz Forbidden City, Hendigan.

Finally, I'm once again reminded of Charlie Kauffman's new film, Synechdoche, New York; the absurdity of which I waxed on a few weeks ago. After seeing these images though, I have to say that the idea seems a lot less irrational...

Bay Bridge Repairs, Labor Day Weekend

2007-08-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

Bay area residents may have noticed signs everywhere kindly informing us that the entire Bay Bridge will be closed on labor day weekend. "What's going on?" you might be wondering. "Didn't they do this last year?" Well yes, yes they did do it last year, and it was such a success that they're decided to go for a repeat. Only this time the stakes are higher; in an impressive display of engineering prowess, a football-field sized portion of the bridge will be demolished, then replaced with the help of a computer-controlled hydraulic system. All in the span (pun fully intended) of just three days.

To help you understand the scope of the work, this helpful graphic has been prepared by Caltrans, the Bay Area Toll Authority, and the California Transportation Commission:

Pretty cool, eh?
More info on the Bay Bridge can, appropriately, be found at Baybridgeinfo.org

Alsop Reveals Filmport Design

2007-08-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

Every time a new Will Alsop building is announced, I can't help but get excited. The man's designs are so original and just so damn fun, they always seem to send a jolt through the industry. The recently unveiled Filmport Tower will serve as a mxed-use gateway structure / flagship building for the new Filmport Port Land complex in Toronto, which if all goes according to plan, will become the largest film studio in North America....outside of California, of course.

At first I thought that exterior cladding was red painted whatever but it's actually Cor-Ten steel. Alot of Cor-Ten steel. Not sure how I feel about that yet.

Opinions?

via Architectural Record dot com

Dwell on Design San Francisco

2007-08-13T00:39:00.000-07:00

It's almost that time of the year again. From September 14th - September 16th, "nice modernists" will descend on San Francisco for Dwell on Design 2007.

Last year's conference was inspiring, informative, and incredibly entertaining, yet this year's, themed Building Community in the Modern World, is promising to be even better. Can't miss events include the San Francisco Living: Home tours, featuring the Ocean Beach Residence by Aidlin Darling Design (recently featured in the New York Times), and the real-time construction of InstaHouse, a 12x12 modular house designed by Zack/de Vito Architecture.

For those of you have yet to register, Life Without Buildings readers are invited to use the following promo codes for a discounted registration fee:

lwbblogp - promo code for the Passport package
lwbblogb - promo code for the Basic package

Thanks to Dwell for setting that up.
This event is still a month away, so look for updates as the date draws closer. Seeya there!

Something Interesting

2007-08-10T16:26:00.001-07:00

This is step 6. For the complete instructions, other helpful how-to guides, and DIY art projects, see Something Interesting Kit.

Transbay Terminal: The Movie

2007-08-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

Appealing to the nameless masses, SOM has posted the videos for their San Francisco Transbay Terminal competition entry onto YouTube.

It worked on my office, and I might be a little more convinced, but the scheme is a just too cold and lifeless for my tastes. However, the video is incredibly successfull in communicating the scale of the space. This place is going to huge, and if everything goes according to plan, San Francisco will finally have it's own Grand Central.

All seven of the SOM YouTube videos can be seen here.

via Curbed SF

San Francisco Transbay Terminal

2007-08-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday saw the unveiling of three competing proposals for the San Francisco Transbay Terminal. All schemes are striving for at least a Gold LEED rating and feature a way-too-big-for-San Francisco glass tower crowned with wind turbines. Oh, and they're all sort of "meh."

Now, it should be noted that 1) there is no guarantee that any of these schemes will actually be built and 2) Life Without Buildings in no way condones gambling. With that in mind, if you're a compulsive gambler or your office has already started an high-rise competition pool, you need to be informed. So here's the breakdown:

Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Height: 82 stories @ 1100 feet. Another 125 feet to the top of the steel wind turbine enclosure.
Program: housing, a hotel, a transit center, fresh food markets and "cultural facilities."
Key Features: exposed elevators, photovoltaic cladding.
Choice Quote: "Our design for the Transbay Tower is one of optimistic grace, a transparent, mixed-use icon of futuristic elegance..."

For the completists out there, way too many images of this project can be found here.

Skidmore Owings and Merrill

Height: 1200 feet, plus a 125 foot high photovoltaic crown.
Program: retail, cultural, office space, a boutique hotel, condominiums.
Key Features: torqued form, publicly accessible "sky room," large public plaza with 100 ft. tall passage through tower, double-deck bus platform.
Choice Quote: "the new Transbay Transit Center will preserve and enhance the exceptional qualities of the City - the beauty of the light, climate, topography, bay, and City - as well as its people (what?), while embodying a potent belief in the region's future."

Pelli Clark Pelli

Height: 1200 feet.
Program: commercial-use tower
Key Features: 5.4-acre rooftop park, sexified obelisk shape
Choice Quote: "The timeless form of the Tower balances the richness of design of the Transit Center. The perimeter structure of the Center is sculpted like branches of a tree, covered with glass that waves like the petals of a flower."

Although I like the aesthetic / structural unity between the vertical and horizontal elements in SOM's scheme, the San Francisco skyline could really use a kick in the ass (although maybe not such a tall kick in the ass) and that tower just doesn't do it for me. Of course I definitely don't think the project should be judged solely on that merit, but I've gotta go with Rogers Stirk Harbours or Pelli Clark Pelli on this one. Reading through their brief, RSH has some great ideas on circulation and communter dispersal, but the civic plaza idea is a hard sell in America. More often than not, they just seem to become dead spaces. As for the Pelli scheme, it's a little hard to get a read on it from the images I've seen. I'd definitely like to see a couple more presentation drawings, but there's a lot of potential for a 5.4 acre elevated park in the middle of downtown San Francisco. I'm just not exactly sure what's under it.

For more information, check out this article from Tuesday's Chronicle or the offical Transbay Terminal website.

Eliasson Pavilions

2007-08-06T21:59:00.000-07:00

The design of this year's Serpentine Gallery Pavilion is a collaboration between artist Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen of Scandinavian architecture firm Snohetta. After looking through the incredibly thorough documentation of the construction process at 0lll, I'm starting to get pretty excited about this thing. Open from August until November, this years pavilion will play host to artists, architects, academics and scientists as they lead a series of public experiments, culminating in "an extraordinary, two-part, 48-hour marathon laboratory event exploring the architecture of the senses." Life Without Buildings loves exploring the architecture of the senses and will probably get a bit of head start on the pavilion...say, as soon as this post is finished.

photo via 0III

This is by no means Elasson's first collaboration with an architect. In fact, as a sort-of spatial researcher, architecture is integral to his work. One of my favorite of his collaborations is the 2005 Thyssen-Bornemisza Limited Edition Art Pavilion in Venice, designed by David Adjaye.

The pavilion was specifically designed to present Eliasson's piece, Your Black Horizon. The project, as described in David Adjaye: Making Public Buildings:

"In the windowless main space, a horizontal line at eye level serves as the primary light source. Located in a slot in the construction of each wall, the light slowly changes colour every 15 minutes and moves through the spectrum of the Venetian sky as filmed on a single day."

Eliasson's piece is complemented by near-total darkness, which has the well-designed side effect of concealing construction details, resulting in a space where one can only orient themselves in relation to the art work.

A view of the interior.

The elegant 3-material palette has been very carefully selected. Black bituminous fiber board cladding reflects the darkness of the interior, framing and sun screen are built from heat-treated timber and the interior is clad is OSB. It's that simple. And it works.

Adjaye is a poet, there's no other word for what he does. I think this is architecture at it's finest. A clear concept, simple design, a thoughtful yet limited palette, and a startling sensitivity to both the site and the art.

All images taken from David Adjaye: Making Public Buildings

Fashion, Architecture, Taste?

2007-07-31T00:03:00.000-07:00

No, not them. Today we're looking at two recent fashion shoots that use high-profile, recently restored architectural works as set pieces.

On the left, a fashion shoot from last Sunday's New York Times Magazine. The photographs were taken at FLW's recently restored Hollyhock House in Los Angeles. And in case you're wondering: Alexander McQueen (Life Without Buildings loves Alexander McQueen) cashmere coat, $2,165, dress shirt, $565, Prince of Wales check pants, $695, and tie. At Alexander McQueen, Neil Barrett gloves.

On the right, a Men's Vogue photoshoot that surprisingly features real architects. The photos accompany a brief article featured in the July/August issue describing a visit to the house with several of the countries top architects, then the pretty ones are photographed on the property. In the above photo, Hani Rashid and Anner Couture, the glossy principles of Asymptote, strikingly ponder the contemporary significance of Philip Johnson's newly-opened Glass House. On Rashid: Prada suit, $2,350, and shirt, $385. Fratelli Rossetti shoes. On Couture: Lanvin dress. Pierre Hardy shoes. Roger Vivier bracelet.

Even though it can sometimes be glossy and superficial, I've recently become increasingly interested it he relationship between fashion and architecture. A lot of this has to do with the absolutely incredible, Skin + Bones, an exhibition that i recently saw in Tokyo, but was previously shown at the MOCA, Los Angeles. Alas, those thoughts will have to wait for another post.

Wesley Meuris's Gilded Cages

2007-07-26T19:44:00.000-07:00

The work of artist Wesley Meuris expands our definition of "architecture" to include "cage" and our definition of "cage" to include "art."

Cage for Alopex lagopus (Arctic Fox), 2006

The incredible nightlife in the tropical forest, 2007

Obviously, these cages (can they even be called cages?) aren't meant to duplicate the natural environment of their intended habitants. Instead, their design is derived from a carefully conceived and painstakingly documented zoological classification created by the artist. This custom classification seems to recall Borges' The Analytical Language of John Wilkins, where the author recalls elaborate classification systems, most notably, the 'Celestial Empire of benevolent Knowledge', a system that divides animals into categories such as (a) belonging to the emperor, (b) embalmed, (g) stray dogs, (m) having just broken the water pitcher, and so on. Also important in the design, and perhaps more intuitive that quantifiable, is the relationship between the cage and viewer. It is this factor that enables Meuris' work to sit so comfortably in a gallery space.

Cage for Galago crassicaudata, sketch

Cage for Galago crassicaudata (African lemur), 2005

From the artist's statement:

Beginning with an interest in the interaction between architecture and human conditioned-behaviour, I became intrigued by the conditions that coalesced around the making of cages for animals. The implicit requisite is, of course, that the cages be 'liveable' with respect to a particular animal, so that it may survive outside its usual habitat. But more important still in the construction of such cages, is the comfort that we (viewers) generally experience when we look at animals in captivity, most often in zoos. I consider the zoo as a control-domain in terms of the viewers vis-a-vis the observed animals, but the viewing public too is led into a controlled architecture.

These spaces will never be occupied by the animals they are named for, bringing the intent of the work and its form into question. By all technical and spatial accounts, each piece in the series was designed to accommodate a very specific species, yet the excellent craftsmanship and the finest of materials belie its true purpose - It may have been patterened after an analysis of Galago crassicaudata, but it was truly designed for Homo Sapien.

First spotted in this Month's Surface Magazine

Wesley Meuris

Feathers and Stones

2007-07-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

I know Steven Holl reads Knut Hamsun, but is he also a Paul Auster fan?
From an Auster-centric post earlier this week, emphasis added:

The plot summary of the play reminded me of Paul Auster's The Music of Chance. It's the story of two incredibly eccentric billionaires, Feather and Stone (who are so rich that at times they feel immortal), who have decided to use their money to pursue some very peculiar passions.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum Extension Book:

Stone & Feather: Steven Holl Architects / Nelson-Atkins Museum Expansion.

Conicidence? Common metaphors? Or literary homage?

San Francisco from the Bay Bridge

2007-07-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Circa 1971:

click the image for a GINORMOUS version.

Did you see Zodiac? That movie does an incredible job of channeling 1970's San Francisco, and there's a particular scene that has to be one of the coolest uses of a building as set-piece in film (after Cremaster 3 and King Kong). In order to illustrate the passage of time and the prolonged duration of the Zodiac case, a camera pans over a sped-up, historically accurate, San Francisco until we see the extremely sped-up construction of the Transamerica Building. Awesome. Well, this image reminds me of that except that it's real, which is arguably cooler. The color, the era, the scene, everything.

via Telstar Logistics

Cities Within Cities Within Cities Within...

2007-07-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Last week, A Daily Dose of Architecture reported on a new movie written and directed by Charlie Kauffman, he of Adaptation and Eternal Sunshine fame. Synechdoche, New York, is about "a stage director who ambitiously attempts to put on a play by creating a life-size (!) replica of New York inside a warehouse." A synecdoche, for those non-English majors out there, is a figure of speech in which a part of something is made to represent the whole; e.g. "all hands on deck."

The plot summary of the play reminded me of Paul Auster's The Music of Chance. It's the story of two incredibly eccentric billionaires, Feather and Stone (who are so rich that at times they feel immortal), who have decided to use their money to pursue some very peculiar passions. Feather collects what can only be described as byproducts of history. Almost irrelevant artifacts that I suppose he sees as a synecdoche of that particular historical event (see what i did there?). Feather, however is not the more compelling of the bizarre duo. This honor falls to William Stone, who is not a collector, but a builder. He modestly refers to his passion-project as "The City of the World" - an enormous scale-model of Stone's ideal city. As he says "It's the way I'd like the world to look." It's also a quasi-autobiographical asynchronic temporal utopia. Within the City of the World, Stone has included representations of himself at various important moments of life - his childhood, his wedding, the day he won the lottery, and most notably, the portion of his life he has spent working on The City of the World.

When asked what will be built in a large blank area on the massive table, Stone replies "I'm thinking about doing a separate model of this room. I'd have to be in it, or course, which means that I would also have to build another City of World. A smaller one, a second city to fit inside the room within the room."

A model of the model. Of course, following Stone's logic, there would have to be another model and another and another ad infinitum. The idea of this perpetual model -- surely any architecture student's vision of hell -- does not disturb Stone in the least. He has been working on The City of the World for five years and he fully intends, in fact he embraces the fact that he will indeed be working on it until his death.

This brings us back to Kauffman's film. Will his director survive his ambition? Unlike The City of the World, there is (presumably) no reduction of scale in the New York synecdoche, so what happens if we discover that the full-size portion of New York he is building includes the very warehouse within which the model is being constructed? Must then, the play include an actor hired to play the director, who then hires an actor to play himself? Will this create some sort of infinite spacial vortex, like two face-to-face mirrors, the land-o-lakes butter label, or some sort of spatial Tristram Shandy?

I guess we won't know for sure until the as-yet-unannouned release date. Let's hope Kauffman doesn't disappoint with his directorial debut.

Yet Another Redesign

2007-07-23T22:28:00.000-07:00

Life Without Buildings has seen more redesigns than actual posts lately, but there's a good reason for this one! Well...as good a reason as any, I guess. I've recently upgraded both my hardware and software (I'm now using the excellent Flock as my default browser/blogging client, among other changes) and I felt it was now a good time to update the site with some additional content and hopefully make it a little easier to read as well.

Besides cleaning up what had become an impossibly tangled style sheet and template, the biggest visible change is the additional of the third column. In my mind, this is where all the "live" content will be going. As you can see, right now The third column consists of Twitter updates, del.icio.us links, and current flickr photos. Other web 2.0-ish stuff will be added as it becomes novel and interesting to me (maybe a last.fm link so you can listen along with Life Without Buildings?). Some of these items might stay, others might quietly disappear, but this has always been an fluid project, so we'll see how it goes.

If anyone has any suggestions or problems viewing the site, please let me know! Otherwise, Enjoy!

Stepping into The Simpsons

2007-07-22T18:22:00.001-07:00

The line between The Simpsons and reality continues to blur. First, Frank Gehry designs a concert hall-cum-prison in Springfield, and now Kwik-E-Marts have started to appear across the country. This weekend, my roommates and I (Simpsons fans all of us) took a trip down to Mountain View to check out one such erstwhile 7-11.

A beautiful day for a Squishee.

At first I thought it might be thin plywood, but the Kwik-E-Mart facade is actually made from a coated, dense foam. It looks pretty good and has weathered well so far, but as you can see in the photo, it's a relatively soft material.

The intersection of cartoon and reality. Building systems and egress clash with the animated brick facade.

This is a fanastic way to promote a movie. Much preferable to gluing posters and bills to every bare surface and piece of scaffolding in the city. The stores were packed and everyone was smiling, laughing, and taking pictures. In the future, I'd love to see more temporary building transformations like this. McDonald's as Krusty Burger for the Simpsons sequel? Or better yet, maybe all Applebee's could be transformed into Mos Eisley Cantinas for the inevitable Star Wars re-release in 10 years.

Vending machine and product photos can be found on the Flickr page.

Blogged with Flock

Pecha Kucha San Francisco

2007-07-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Come on by 330 Ritch St. this Wednesday.

Seeya there!

Super Colossal is Go

2007-07-19T10:15:00.000-07:00

...and the world will never be the same.

check out the evolution of gravestmor : Super Colossal.
Congrats Marcus!

The 'Oh...' in Ohio and the 'Damn' in DAM

2007-07-17T00:31:00.000-07:00

In more Ohio news, this week saw the opening of the Akron Museum of Art expansion, designed by Vienna-based firm Coop Himmelb(l)au. (Where have those guys been, by the way?) The museum addition has opened to mixed reviews from both the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, with the most common criticism being directed towards the interior gallery spaces - an elegantly versatile, yet ultimately banal space. Since the opening of the Bilbao Guggenheim, the gallery interior has been an especially contentious issue among architects, curators, and critics. In hopes of pulling in more visitors and revitalizing a museum, architects are often encouraged to create visually striking temples to art. However, those striking formal gestures all-too-often create interior curatorial nightmares.

Image from The New York Times

Coincidentally, I was in Denver this past weekend and I had a chance to visit the new addition to the Denver Art Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind, an architect whose museums are maligned as often as praised. The exact opposite criticisms can be and have been made of the Libeskind-helmed addition. Angles jutted in inappropriate places, oddly-shaped spaces collected dust and distracted from the art - in some cases making in impossible to display - and the poorly placed windows and low light did nothing to complement the work. There was a tension in the space that, although arguably appropriate in a space like that of the Jewish Museum Berlin, is entirely inappropriate and off-putting in the Denver Museum.

Sitting awkwardly in the middle of downtown Denver, the new DAM is an intimidating presence, clad in dull and tired-looking titanium panels with a surrounding landscape that was apparently treated as an afterthought. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I find myself agreeing with James Howard Kunstler's statement that the building is "designed like an instrument for proctological surgery," looking at either makes one incredibly uncomfortable.

Interior water damage

Then there was the water damage. Yes, the DENVER Art Museum didn't make it unscathed through its first winter. Ceilings were being fixed, floors and walls repaired, and the exterior cladding replaced. Tarps and temporary walls guarded the repair areas, at times making the museum interior a veritable labyrinth.

Instead of a minotaur at the center, I was please to find an amazing piece by British Sculptor Antony Gormley. Quantum Cloud XXXIII is the rare piece that actually seemed appropriate in the fractured space. Maybe that's because I couldn't help but see a darkly humorous parallel between my experience in the DAM and Gormley's figure, struggling against a space formed by jagged lines and broken segments.

Quantum Cloud XXXIII

As usual, more photos can be found on the Life Without Buildings flickr page.

Columbus Re-Wired

2007-07-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

Some news this week from and about my home state. First, there's the AIA Columbus, who, in partnership with AIA National, is sponsoring an international design competition focusing on the current and future state of public transportation in the state's captial.

This IDEAS competition is intended to solicit innovative design solutions and dialogue about the possibilities for the role of public transportation in Columbus, OH focusing on the passenger facilities and transit modes that will re-connect citizens, renew neighborhoods and spark economic development.

August 17th 2007 - Registration Deadline
August 31st 2007 - Submission Deadline

INTERNATIONAL JURY ● CASH PRIZES

Entries will be published in book form and presented at the 2007 AIA Ohio Convention. For more information, see the Columbus Re-Wired website.

Gigantor Protects Kobe

2007-07-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

Gigantor, Gigantor, Gigantor.

Gigantor the space aged robot,
Is at your command.
Gigantor the space aged robot,
His power is in your hand.

He's bigger than big, taller than tall,
Quicker than quick, stronger than strong.
Ready to fight for right, against wrong.

Gigantor, Gigantor, Gigantor.

Is it wrong that I remember the entire theme song?

Newsarama reports that Kobe, Japan will soon be the proud home Gigantor. The 18-metre high statue will serve double duty as both a memorial marking the birthplace of Gigantor creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama, and a massive, MASSIVE tourist attraction. Rest assured, the Kobe Koban will be on the highest alert to ensure that Gigantor's remote doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

For testing purposes and zoning review, the nation's top robotic experts and giant-statue-ophiles have created this highly technological, precisely-scaled approximation of the Gigantor Statue:
Locations have yet to be announced for Voltron and Mecha-Godzilla statues.

Making the Band(shell)

2007-07-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

Some detail shots of The Panhandle Bandshell, a temporary venue for acoustical performances, located in the San Francisco Panhandle. (Just a couple blocks from my house, for all you stalkers whom I like to pretend are out there.) The Bandshell, a collaboration between The Finch Mob and ReBAR, is completely built from reclaimed, recycled and repurposed materials.

More shots on the flickr page.

Blogged with Flock

Hope for Les Halles? Or Just Another Empty Belly?

2007-07-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

Once called "Le Ventre de Paris (The Belly of Paris)," Les Halles was the central market of Paris until the 1970's, when economic pressures forced local merchants to evacuate for the suburbs. It's been struggling to find an identity ever since. Things started looking up in 2004 when, despite a failure to choose an architect for the Forum, David Mangin's "banally tasteful vision of Modernity" was selected as the Masterplan for the new Les Halles - over riskier proposals from Rem Koolhaas, Jean Nouvel, and MVRDV.

Now, 3 years later, a new scheme has been selected. Design by French architects Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti, The Les Halles Forum will take the shape of an underwhelming glass canopy. In a brief article, The New York times makes it clear that doubt continues to hover around Les Halles:

The so-called Forum and the gardens that replaced the 12 pavilions have never been popular...

...failure has been the zone's leitmotif.

If it really is built, the design by Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti...

The structure, which in a model has a greenish-yellow color supposedly inspired by vegetation...

The principal novelty will be a so-called patio...

...the patience of the nearly 300 million people who go through Les Halles each year will no doubt be sorely tested.

In that sense, (Mayor) Delanoe's own image may not be safe for another five years.

Despite a history of failed designs, will this new Les Halles satiate Paris? We'll find out in 2012, when the project is slated for completion.

For Paris, the Newest Look Is a Canopy [The New York Times]

Better Late than Never: The SF Federal Building Opens

2007-07-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today marks the official opening of the much-ballyhooed and somewhat maligned San Francisco Federal Building. While the fanfare has been reserved for today, many people have been working in the building for months and San Francisco Chronicle architecture critic John King is there with the man-on-the-street, or in this case, the man-in-the-building interviews.

"Everything is so gray. I just don't find it appealing," countered Yeung, who works at the same agency. She has an umbrella propped above her computer to reduce the glare from the 13-foot-tall, south-facing window next to her cubicle.

Lest you think this building an impractical failure, there are those who enjoy their futuristic office tower.

"I think it's fabulous," Olvarado said. She keeps her window open, and she loves the skip-stop elevators. She walks to work ("I don't feel threatened at all") and once inside "I feel like I'm still outside. There are no impediments blocking my view."

Despite near universal praise throughout the design world, some concessions had to be made to the original building scheme to allow for the unusual San Francisco climate.

There also are changes along the plaza, where the mesh panels stop above a grass berm. Derelicts have scaled the berm at night, slid under the panels and dropped down into an area that will serve an about-to-open day care center.

Whoops. Anyway...Will the forward-looking federal building stand the test of time? Will it rejuvenate the down-on-its-luck neighborhood? What building will the derelicts scale next? Time will tell, my friends, time will tell.

Check out John King's article for more interviews and building stats, as well as some gorgeous photographs and illustrations.

Link Update

2007-07-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

OK, I've been neglecting my links. The follow new and new-to-me sites have been added to the sidebar.

MIMOA - "Europe's Modern Architecture published, mapped, tagged, rated and reviewed." This is a site with a lot of potential. MIMOA.eu is still in beta, but it's already an incredibly useful source of information on European Architecture - and fun to use! Find information on your favorite projects or upload your own. The full site officially launches in September. Tune in to their blog for updates.

Candyland - "On the sweet little game of architecture. amateur notes & clippings."

Architectook - This brief posts on this page are deceiving. Click the "read more" links for extensive project reviews, drawings, and photos.

East Coast Architecture Review - " Providing Commentary, Discourse & Insight into Architecture & Allied Design from the Southeastern United States" - Currently featuring a lot of great videos. And be sure to check out their catalog of "Earth Architecture."

Arkitectrue"dedicated to architecture and encourages the exchange of information between professional designers.' - I really enjoyed the Alcatraz post. Great photos and a great articles.

LE TERRITOIRE DES SENS - Art, Architecture, Design, Nature Science. Beautiful Images can be found on this French / English weblog.

Any other recommendations?

Oooosaka. Ooooosaka Desu...

2007-07-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

On my recent trip to Japan, I stumbled upon the National Museum of Art, Osaka. Designed by ~~Cesar Pelli~~ Pelli Clarke Pelli, this museum has the distinct privilege of being mentioned in one of the earliest posts here on Life Without Buildings. I can't believe that was almost 3 years ago...
That's a little depressing.

Pelli's building is in the foreground. Behind it, if I remember correctly is the National Science Museum. Due to the nature of the small site, the National Museum is completely underground.

The sculptural metal form acts as entry lobby/civic icon, leading down into the main museum.

A view from the interior.

See arcspace for more information on the National Museum of Art, Osaka.
More shots can be found on the Life Without Buildings flickr page.

San Diego Concrete Pour

2007-06-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to reader Katica who sent in this photo of a concrete pour in San Diego. Notice the trucks lined up at the top of the photo.

From her email: "This was a 258 truck-ballet in which the contractor placed 11,500 yards of concrete in one monolithic pour that got started at five in the morning and finished by three in the afternoon."

Did you do the math? That's 258 trucks in 10 hours. 26 trucks per hour. Or if you like, 1 truck every 2 minutes 20 seconds.

Le'go my Lego...Sculpture

2007-05-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

If Antony Gormley was locked in a toy store for a month with nothing but Existentialist texts, he might produce something akin to the work of New York sculptor Nathan Sawaya. Inspiring, yet with decidedly disturbing undertones, his work his the perfect sythesis of my childhood and quasi-adult interests. Yes, I proudly admit to being the cliche architect (ok, ok...designer) who was obsessed with Legos as a child.

"The Art of the Brick," an exhibition of Saway's work, is currently touring the country. From an interview on cnn.com:

CNN: What does LEGO capture that other media do not?

SAWAYA: LEGO is something that almost everyone has played with at some point in their lives. I notice a lot of times when people go to my shows they want to touch the sculptures.

I receive many e-mails from people who have seen my work and are then inspired to get down on the floor with their kids and build. In fact, the museum show also has a building area for kids who are inspired to build their own artwork after seeing my pieces.

See more of the interview, as well as a gallery of Sawaya's work at cnn.com.

Ridgemont Typologies

2007-05-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

With his new series, the Ridgemont Typologies, photographer Mark Luthringer presents to us a reflection of our own subconscious filing system; an uncanny catalog of the American suburban landscape.

From the Artist's Statement:

The typological array's inherent ability to depict prevalence and repetition make it the perfect technique for examining the excess, redundancy, and meaningless freedom of our current age of
consumption. My underlying intent with this work can be summed up in the notion implied by the
title of Robert Adams's book What We Bought: If there is some kind of big sellout occuring, what
are we getting in the deal?

The typological form acheives an uncanny synergy and resonance with this subject matter because
it mimics the mental images I suspect many of us form as way ordering the chaos of abundance that
surrounds us. We can't help but form in our heads lists, groups and categories based on product,
brand, price point, style, market segment, country of origin, etc. To see one of these groups turned
into a printed grid of images, though, is to be confronted by it in a way never possible when it's just
in our heads. We are presented with order, and while it is often an absurd, seemingly pointless order,
it is one that we recognize immediately.

Ridgemont Typologies opens Thursday May 31st at the 3A gallery in San Franicso. Come by and say hello. I'll be the guy in red sneakers.

Big In Japan

2007-05-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

In less than one month's time, I'll be leaving for a much-anticipated vacation to Japan! Planning for the trip is well underway, but if anyone has any hot tips or recomendations - architectural or otherwise - please leave a comment or email me! We'll be spending most of our time in/around Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

Alice Tully Hall Expansion

2007-05-03T07:53:00.001-07:00

The New York Times Online have been producing some impressive interactive infographics lately. First, a map of the new Greek and Roman galleries at the Met - providing panoramic photos, audio commentary, and a history of the building, all in a sleek web2.0 package - and now an informative breakdown of Diller Scofidio & Renfro's exciting renovation of Alice Tully Hall and the Julliard Building. The graphic concisely and elegantly explains the renovation and points out its key components.

Nice job New York Times.