A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Herbert's back. And up to his old tricks, spewing ruminations on - of all things - Art Nouveau and the 1960's. Not to mention old favorites like Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid. A sampling: Art Nouveau was a protean style. Those tendrils made for excellent shape shifting: flower stems, flowing tresses, sea grass, drapery, smoke, snakes, sonic reverberations, aroma, the emanations of lost souls. . . . . . . There were real snakes in Art Nouveau's imaginary gardens. Some of them wanted to be petted. Others could swallow you whole. . . . But how great it was to be young and neurotic in the 1960's! Nowadays, just about everyone is an uncontrollable misfit, but around 1960 it was just you, Montgomery Clift and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Those were the days. Oh, Herbert!

Great Buildings Of the World by Time Inc , 2004. Paperback, 176 pages. ( Amazon ) Subtitled, "The World's Most Influential, Inspiring And Astonishing Structures," this special issue of Time capitalizes on the popularity of architecture since Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. In addition to featuring portfolios of Gehry and his contemporaries Santiago Calatrava and Norman Foster, the $11, 170-ad-free-page special is also a decent primer on architectural history, from the Pyramids to the present. Breaking buildings down into easily digestible categories - Where We Worship, Where We Live, Where We Work, etc. - each chapter traces the evolution of structures...

White Noise / White Light in Athens, Greece by J. Meejin Yoon, 2004 One of 9 internationally selected projects as part of ATHENS 2004: Catch the Light Olympic program, White Noise / White Light is an interactive sound and light installation which creates a luminous sound-scape within an urban plaza. Sited at the entry to the archaeological sites at the base of the Acropolis, visitors are encouraged to walk through and interact with the sonic field of chest high end-emitting fiber optic strands. The semi-flexible fiber optic strands, arranged in a fading grid, respond to touch and the movement of people through the field. The bending of the fiber optic strands is used to activate a localized light source and hidden speaker. When activated by the passerb...

On Thursday, September 20 and Friday, October 1, a two-day conference will be held at HUB-Center of the Illinois Institute of Technology (3300 South Federal Street in Chicago). Sustainable Communities, Learning from the Dutch Experience , will highlight innovations in green design; environmental safety; public policy; economic incentives in building sustainable communities; architecture and design. World-renowned speakers from the Netherlands and Chicago will present their views and vision at this groundbreaking symposium. Additional information and registration is available via the above link.

Chicago Public Radio features an audio piece on Josef Paul Kleihues, architect of the Museum of Contemporary Art 's home, who died recently at the age of 71. From its August 22 arts show, Hello Beautiful! , host Edward Lifson ends the piece by playing the kid's song "Can We Fix It?", from a Bob The Builder album, with the repeated chorus "Can we build it? Yes we can!" In my opinion a better tune would be Stereolab's "Crest", that has the repeated words, "If there’'s been a way to build it, there’'ll be a way to destroy it." The band is more likely singing metaphorically about political structures, but it comes close to summing up a lot of people's feelings about Kleihues's only Chicago building. But that would be far too negative a commentary on such a sad occasion.

After Blair Kamin reported (registration req'd) that Deerfield - a suburb located about 25 miles north of Chicago - is pursuing Frank Gehry to design their public library, Pioneer Press's Deerfield Review announces that, "Voters in Deerfield will be able to vote this November in a non-binding referendum on whether to increase their property taxes to pay for a library expansion that could be designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry." Although the vote is advisory and a dollar amount won't be known until Gehry submits a proposal - which is promised soon - a positive vote would be a step towards building the library, with further approval by the Deerfield Village Board. If approved, "the village's plan commission, village center development commission and appearance review commission would also have to review any plans." I witnessed a similar vote in another northern Chicago suburb, Northbrook. With the old, Miesian library in need of e...

NY Arts Magazine features a page of architecture book reviews , including Radical Landscapes: Reinventing Outdoor Space by Jane Amidon, Sprawl by Dolores Hayden with aerial photographs by Jim Wark, and Structures of Utility by David Stark Wilson.

To follow up on a previous post , the Chicago Tribune reports (registration req'd) that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed a civil complaint against Dave Matthews Band Inc and Stefan A. Wohl, the bus driver who, "polluted the river by illegally dumping "liquid waste'' from the septic tank of the bus. Madigan said Wohl flicked a switch behind his seat and unleashed up to 800 pounds of human waste as he drove one of the band's buses over the Kinzie Street bridge."

Yesterday, Archinect posted a sneak peek of the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale, METAMORPH , running from September 12 - November 7. Check it out.

FARK.com is featuring a contest to redesign the Crown Fountain via Photoshop. Entries range from clever to just plain bad. See for yourself . via Chicagoist

A Special Edition of Time magazine has hit the newsstands, titled Great Buildings of the World: The World's Most Influential, Inspiring and Astonishing Structures . Capitalizing on architecture's popularity since Frank Gehry's Guggenheim in Bilbao, the ad-free, $11 magazine is also a good - albeit admittedly limited - primer for the general public on a wide range of buildings, from the pyramids to present day. I'll have a more in-depth review on my weekly page early next week.

If you've picked up this month's Architecture magazine, you've probably seen this design for the North Air Terminal Traffic Control Tower at O'Hare International Airport by behemoth DMJM . From Architecture magazine: The [tower]—a stooped figure inspired by freeway light posts, says lead designer José Palacios—is no exercise in whimsy: it is highly efficient in its use of space, and it maximizes occupant visibility. The bend in the unusual form occurs at the "junction floor," where controllers' break rooms and restrooms are located, creating larger floor plates without much widening of the overall volume. As with most such towers, the structure includes a concrete shaft to damp wind loads and a steel-framed crown. A panelized ceramic-metal composite clads the form, opening at glazed "zippers" that admit daylight into both sides. At the top, the controller's cab is wrapped in 1.5-inch-thick laminated low-iron glass, tilted 30 degrees to min...

The Book of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo, published by  Tuttle Publishing. Hardcover, 160 pages. ( Amazon ) Japanese art scholar Okakura Kakuzo, aka Tenshin, wrote The Book of Tea at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries for the intellectual elite of Boston - the city where he worked and spent most of his time outside native Japan - as a way to remedy the spiritual misunderstandings of East and West. Since its first publication in 1906, though, the book has received immense popularity amongst many people all over the world, being translated into numerous languages. But its popularity isn't due so much to its discussion of tea and the tea ceremony, but for giving a greater understan...

Canyon View in Los Angeles, California by Kanner Architects Housing a psychologist's office, the Canyon View office by Kanner Architects also acts as a guesthouse. Situated on a lushly-vegetated hillside behind the main residence, the small structure is a wood-wrapped oasis, built to alleviate a long commute for the psychologist, but definitely more than a functional working space. Before ascending the steps to the entry, the most notable aspect of the house is its cladding and the angular walls that make up the exterior. The architects designed the office/guesthouse to blend into the natural environment, the angled wall planes and corner windows eroding parts of the building while also framing generous view...

Got back from the Lake of the Ozarks just in time for Chicago's 46th Annual Air & Water Show . Before I head out the door to catch the action, here's some images from a cave I visited last week in Missouri with absolutely amazing features. Gaudi would be proud.

I'll be on vacation for a week, away from computers and other distractions, where my view will be I'll resume posts next weekend. Until then, check out spa.uk's [Vacation] Tips for Architects , including my favorite: 19. Do not arrive too early when catching a train/plane/coach/boat. Remember, you are an architect. It will not leave without you.

LOS ANGELES -- Six nails embedded in the skull of construction worker Isidro Mejia, 39, after an industrial incident caused a nail gun to shoot nails into his head and brain on April 19, 2004, are seen in this X-ray image. Five of the six nails were removed in surgery that day and the sixth was removed from his face on April 23, after the swelling went down. (05/05/04 AP photo) More interesting pictures here .

As reported in a previous post , the High Line RFQ yielded four finalists for the abandoned, elevated railway's masterplan. Nicholas Ouroussoff reports (registration req'd) in his new post at The New York Times that the team led by Field Operations and Diller + Scofidio + Renfro is the winner. This is the first article I have seen of Ouroussoff since he replaced Muschamp as The Times 's architecture critic. It is an intelligent critique of the winning design, with a concise history of the High Line project, insight into its politics, and words of caution as the project advances. A snippet: The idea is to create a virtually seamless flow between past and future realities, a blend of urban grit and cosmopolitan sophistication. But it is also to slow the process of change, to focus the eye on the colliding forces - both natural and man-made - that give cities their particular beauty. That vision has a more subversive, social dimension: to offer a more measured alternative to...

Earlier today I stumbled across a project by local firm Valerio Dewalt Train , an office building in Madison, Wisconsin for developer Urban Land Interests , where my friend Brandon works, after a stint in Chicago. 33 East Main Street (pdf link) is part of Block 89, a multi-phase development near the Capitol, Lake Monona and Monona Terrace , a relatively cutting-edge development with architectural designs by VDT. 33 East Main is a cube of cubes, sitting within a regular frame that is randomly expressed with exterior masonry, in a manner similar to the smaller glass cubes. It makes for a design that will definitely rely on good detailing and materials, especially the glass skin and masonry frame. It should also make for an exciting addition to the area when it is completed next year.

If you're an architect, you probably read books with lots of pretty pictures. And if you read books with pictures, you probably love comics, too. No, not Archie , Jughead and the Gang, but the comics of Art Spiegelman , Chris Ware , and others. The growing appeal of comics, graphic novels, and the like is witnessed in the recently published McSweeney's Issue 13 , devoted to comics in all shapes and sizes, and edited by Chicago's own Chris Ware; and the new exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, " Raw, Boiled and Cooked: Comics on the Verge ". Inspired by Raw , the 1980's magazine, the exhibit includes co-founder Spiegelman, and about 40 other comic artists, pushing the boundaries of the comic medium. The exhibition will be on display at the Cultural Center until October 3, with various programs along the way, including a concert by local musician/cartoonist Archer Prewitt (with Mark Greenberg) and screenings of "Hooked on Comix". Thanks to Brandon P...

On the disgusting side of the news: An architecture tour along the Chicago River turned ugly as 120 passengers aboard a yacht were bombarded with human waste. The waste was released from a "large black coach bus," as it crossed the bridge at 430 W. Grand Av. and "kept on driving" around 1:20 p.m. Sunday, police News Affairs Officer Alice Casanova said. Read the whole story here . Update: Here's a pic from the Chicago Tribune : And more goodies at Archinect . Update 08.11: According to NBC5.com , Mayor Daley "wants answers about bus's falling gunk," and he is urging anybody with any information to come forward.

Japan Towards Totalscape: Contemporary Japanese Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape   edited by Moriko Kira and Mariko Terada, published by  NAi Publishers , 2001. Paperback, 332 pages. ( Amazon ) To prepare for an upcoming trip to Japan, a friend recommended this book for contemporary architecture in the island nation. As much a theoretical investigation into the Japanese landscape and its current context and a guide to recent buildings, the book is ultimately another companion to an exhibition, held at the Netherlands Architecture Institute in late 2000, early 2001. What makes the exhibition and the book unique is it viewpoint: Dutch architects looking at the landscape of Japan. While ...

Beekpark Building in Apeldoorn, Netherlands by Meyer & Van Schooten, 2002   The Beekpark, a multi-purpose building in the cultural district of Apeldoorn, is comprised of office space, apartments and a car park. Designed by Amsterdam's Meyer & Van Schooten the exterior wall unifies the different parts, via a common glass façade system. Subtle changes in the wall system, as well as the massing of the parts, helps to differentiate the functions, while keeping the building's expression as a single entity. At the car park, the glass panels give way to black metal panels, perforated to allow for ventilation. The metal panels follow the rhythm and section of the glass, reminiscent of Herzog & De Meuron's Ricola ...

With five days until the Athens 2004 Olympic Games , it's time to take a look at some of the venues and see how they're shaping up. The official page features slide shows of the Olympic venues , including the following: Olympic Velodrome , by Santiago Calatrava Olympic Tennis Center Olympic Stadium , by Calatrava The area surrounding the Olympics Sports Complex, including the Agora by Caltrava Aerial views of the Athens Olympics Sports Complex and the Ancient Olympia Stadium .

This weekend is the 23rd Annual Northalsted Market Days , one of the most popular block parties in the city of Chicago. A mention is warranted since donations will be accepted for the Center on Halsted , which will "offer a gym, resource library, performance space, meeting space, voicemail and mailbox services for smaller organizations, as well as a home for Horizons Community Services and their health services, GLBT helpline, Anti-Violence Project, and support programs. ( link )" Designed by Gensler , the $20 million design is scheduled to break ground later this year.

I've only been to San Francisco once, about five years ago to visit some friends. I remember it as one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, a graceful balance of the natural and the man-made. I was even fortunate enough to experience an earthquake without injury or damage, though Napa Valley wasn't so lucky. San Francisco 3958 Picture Virtual Tour is a well-done site with over 60 virtual tours, from the Embarcadero to the Pacific Ocean coast. Check it out. Thanks to Igor for the link.

Earlier today when I took a train into the Loop I looked down after exiting through the turnstiles to see a large, colored circle on the floor with the words "kyocera" inside. I've never seen the word before, but I figured it was an advertisement for some product. Mainly I was wondering to what extent is the CTA willing to go for advertising, and is advertising going to help avoid another fare increase, one that has been mentioned by the CTA, even though earlier this year the fare climbed to $1.75 with a $.25 transfer, the same price as New York City which has free transfers on a $2.00 fare. Later, as I sat on the "L" platform outside the James Thompson Center, I looked up and across the tracks to see billboard after billboard of kyocera ads. Typically advertising on train platforms is limited to designated displays, the ads rotating every month or so. So it was quite a surprise to see about twenty ads extending to the left and the right of the picture below:...

This month's Architectural Record features hotels in their Building Types Study , including the Hard Rock Hotel (registration req'd) in Chicago by Lucien Lagrange Architects with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg . The Hard Rock Hotel is a renovation of the 1929 Carbide and Carbon Building by Daniel Burnham's sons, a dark green and gold leaf, art-deco tower. I always thought the building was clad in black stone, but that impression was due to years of dirt build-up, now restored to its original finish. Located on Michigan Avenue about halfway between the Chicago River and Millennium Park, the hotel sits in an area once reserved for offices but now the growing domain of hotels and residences. A four-story addition north of the hotel tower contains a restaurant, ballroom and other amenities. Here, the architects contrasted the existing tower design with a clean and contemporary, mainly glass design. The interiors by Yabu Pushelberg seem to be a continuation of the exterior, i...

Over the weekend I saw one of the great silent films, " Sunrise " by F.W. Murnau, playing at the Music Box in Chicago. In fact, it may be one of the greatest films of the 20th century. Roger Ebert rightly includes this film in his list of " Great Movies " for its camera movement, special effects and other achievements of cinematography. It's not so much the simple story of a man and his wife falling in love again that impresses, but the way the camera tells the story. Ebert talks about audio commentary on the yet-to-be released DVD of the film, facts that illuminate the otherwise hard-to-believe effects on the screen, considering the film was made in 1928, well before optical printers and other contemporary methods of special effects. Watching the film, one sort of special effect or camera trick comes after another, but none are superfluous; each helps to tell the story and illuminate the psychological struggles of the characters, especially the man. Images ar...

Forgotten Chicago , by John Paulett and Ron Gordon, published by  Arcadia Publishing, 2004. Paperback, 128 pages. ( Amazon ) Part of Arcadia Publishing's "Images of America" series, Forgotten Chicago is a visual account of Chicago buildings and neighborhoods that are gone forever or have been altered beyond their original look or function. Written by Paulett, and with black-and-white photographs by Gordon, the book five chapters look at train stations, sports and entertainment centers, diners and SRO hotels, Soldier Field , Cook County Hospital, Tree Studios , and Maxwell Street. The variety of projects presented is refreshing, pointing to the realization that ...

Ferrari Headquarters in Maranello, Italy by Massimiliano Fuksas, 2004 The new Management Headquarters for Ferrari in Maranello, Italy by Massimiliano Fuksas is one part of a redevelopment project that also includes a paint technologies building by Marco Visconti. Close to this building and Renzo Piano's Wind Tunnel of 1998, the new office building attempts to bring nature into the employees' work lives. This is accomplished via a simple plan that creates generous courtyards full of bamboo and the use of water that further dematerializes the ephemeral building. The most dramatic feature of the 150,000 s.m. (1.6 million s.f.) project is the cantilever of the second floor 7m (23 ft) beyond the first floor, above ...

One of the most unique voices in experimental architecture, Lebbeus Woods has a show of his projects at the Carnegie Museum of Art's Heinz Architectural Center. Naturally titled " Lebbeus Woods: Experimental Architecture ", the exhibit is the largest domestic show on Woods and will feature a site-specific installation described as drawing in space. I remember Woods being a highly influential architect and delineator when I was in college, though his drawings and projects were so unique that replication was near impossible. An old classmate, Dwayne Oyler , actually worked for him after graduation, with the difficult task of transcribing Woods's drawings and ideas into model form.  The exhibition runs until January 16. ( via Archinect )