Tonight and maybe tomorrow I'll be migrating this blog to one of Blogger's upgraded templates. (This is different than the migration I previously mentioned.) This change should make browsing the blog better, among other things, and it will take away some of the headaches I've had from using the old templates, modified by me beyond recognition (part of the problem).
The upgrade will look different but will have basically the same three-column layout. I'll need to research on keeping a few of the bells and whistles I've grown to like, namely the collapsing comments and sidebar truncation on individual posts. I'm also going to look into making "v2" work with mobile devices.
That said, bear with me over the weekend as this change happens.
Update, 45 minutes later: Flipped the switch and copied over the sidebar information. I'm digging the background image (corresponds with "this week's dose"), but it's not static on iPad (I like it static, with the content scrolling in front of it). Nevertheless the transparent boxes and background image are more readable on iPad than a laptop with Firefox.
Update, 2 hours 45 minutes later: Fixed the sidebar so the long list of links and recommended books don't show up on individual post pages. Another thing I noticed that could be improved is the differentiation between posts on the main and archive pages. Right now the posts bleed together, so it is hard to see, at least at a quick glance or scroll, where one post ends and the next begins.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Trenton Bath House Photos
I've uploaded photos from yesterday's "hard-hat" tour of the Trenton Bath House to my flickr account. I'll be posting about the restoration of the Louis I. Kahn-designed building in a few days, but check out the photo set (slideshow) in the meantime.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Firm Faces #15
ARCHIPELAGOS is one of the New Practices New York 2010 (NPNY) winners. Their web page features this humorous image of a few members of the office:
Are they moving? Hauling their presentation to the Center for Architecture for the NPNY exhibition? Paying homage to Mr. Bean?
Those interested can ask them on Thursday when they take part in the NYPNY2010 Winner's Panel Discussion.
Are they moving? Hauling their presentation to the Center for Architecture for the NPNY exhibition? Paying homage to Mr. Bean?
Those interested can ask them on Thursday when they take part in the NYPNY2010 Winner's Panel Discussion.
Book Review: New Directions in Contemporary Architecture
New Directions in Contemporary Architecture: Evolutions and Revolutions in Building Design Since 1988 by Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi
Wiley, 2008
Paperback, 240 pages
The year 1988 marks the beginning of Italian writer and critic Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi’s exploration of architecture in the last two decades. This date at first glance seems questionable, arbitrarily based on the book’s publication date, but it coincides with the Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), curated by Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley. That show compiled primarily unbuilt work by the now household names Coop Himmelb(l)au, Peter Eisenman, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind, and Bernard Tschumi. Like Johnson’s much earlier International Style exhibition at the same venue, Deconstructivist Architecture was style over substance, image masquerading as shared values. Nevertheless it denotes a shift from postmodern architecture’s ersatz classicism towards a chaotic dynamism supposedly representative of its time. The following twenty years saw an unbridled expansion of architectural expression and diversity, an “unruly architectural landscape” that Puglisi attempts to make sense of here.
In four chapters the author traces the new directions, masterpieces and current trends that followed Deconstructivism. Like the book’s starting point, each chapter break coincides primarily with an event internal to architecture: 1993’s publication of Architectural Design’s “Folding in Architecture” issue; the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain by Frank Gehry four years later. Only the attacks of September 11, 2001 are external to architecture, though the master plan competition for Ground Zero comprises the start of the last chapter. These architecture mileposts exhibit a tendency by Puglisi to stay confined to the world of architectural theory and media, especially European magazines. This tendency means the formal aspects of architecture are of the utmost, at the expense of any exploration of the social, the political, or other influences on building.
But as somebody in undergraduate architectural school in the heyday of Deconstructivism, I was more than willing to be swept away on Puglisi’s ride through the movement and beyond. His writing is a readable mix of description and critique, where the latter is subtle yet sharp, and the former is accompanied by numerous illustrations and even more footnotes; the last could be described as half the book, occupying a third or more of each page’s space and highlighting more than just references. The hindsight afforded Puglisi is used to his advantage when describing and critiquing the theories of the time, but without being dismissive of original intentions. His solid critique of Deconstructivism takes aim at its parallels with postmodernism and modernism before it—as just another Capitalist style—yet without extinguishing his obvious excitement over the shaping of space in the architectural production of this period.
The second chapter focuses on the new directions of “Blobitecture” and Minimalism, two very different yet coincidental styles. The first is most intimately linked with Greg Lynn’s editing of “Folding in Architecture” and his integration of computers into the architectural process, while the second can be seen as a response to Deconstructivism and the explosive buildings of Zaha Hadid and her contemporaries. While not overt, Puglisi takes a stand on his style of preference, clear in his dismissal of Minimalism as generic and skin-deep and explicit in his chagrin for Yoshio Taniguchi’s winning design for the MoMA expansion.
The third and fourth chapters deal respectively with a “season of masterpieces” and post-9/11 trends in architecture. The former adds buildings by fellow Deconstructivists Koolhaas and Libeskind to Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, as well as ones by Jean Nouvel, UNStudio and a spate of Dutch architects. Landscape is the key word in this chapter, as various lines of thought influence the relationship between architecture and the environment. After a discussion of the WTC proposals at the start of the last chapter, Puglisi focuses on the role of media in the production of “starchitects” and the accompanying crisis of architectural criticism. A subsequent exploration of ten notable projects and their stylish strands leads Puglisi to ask, “What direction will architecture take in the near future?” He develops three new directions, but their brevity and general nature make them incomplete thoughts. It is the immediate history of contemporary architecture that takes precedent in Puglisi's text, not predictions about its future.
US:
CA: 
UK: 
Wiley, 2008
Paperback, 240 pages
The year 1988 marks the beginning of Italian writer and critic Luigi Prestinenza Puglisi’s exploration of architecture in the last two decades. This date at first glance seems questionable, arbitrarily based on the book’s publication date, but it coincides with the Deconstructivist Architecture exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), curated by Philip Johnson and Mark Wigley. That show compiled primarily unbuilt work by the now household names Coop Himmelb(l)au, Peter Eisenman, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind, and Bernard Tschumi. Like Johnson’s much earlier International Style exhibition at the same venue, Deconstructivist Architecture was style over substance, image masquerading as shared values. Nevertheless it denotes a shift from postmodern architecture’s ersatz classicism towards a chaotic dynamism supposedly representative of its time. The following twenty years saw an unbridled expansion of architectural expression and diversity, an “unruly architectural landscape” that Puglisi attempts to make sense of here.
In four chapters the author traces the new directions, masterpieces and current trends that followed Deconstructivism. Like the book’s starting point, each chapter break coincides primarily with an event internal to architecture: 1993’s publication of Architectural Design’s “Folding in Architecture” issue; the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain by Frank Gehry four years later. Only the attacks of September 11, 2001 are external to architecture, though the master plan competition for Ground Zero comprises the start of the last chapter. These architecture mileposts exhibit a tendency by Puglisi to stay confined to the world of architectural theory and media, especially European magazines. This tendency means the formal aspects of architecture are of the utmost, at the expense of any exploration of the social, the political, or other influences on building.
But as somebody in undergraduate architectural school in the heyday of Deconstructivism, I was more than willing to be swept away on Puglisi’s ride through the movement and beyond. His writing is a readable mix of description and critique, where the latter is subtle yet sharp, and the former is accompanied by numerous illustrations and even more footnotes; the last could be described as half the book, occupying a third or more of each page’s space and highlighting more than just references. The hindsight afforded Puglisi is used to his advantage when describing and critiquing the theories of the time, but without being dismissive of original intentions. His solid critique of Deconstructivism takes aim at its parallels with postmodernism and modernism before it—as just another Capitalist style—yet without extinguishing his obvious excitement over the shaping of space in the architectural production of this period.
The second chapter focuses on the new directions of “Blobitecture” and Minimalism, two very different yet coincidental styles. The first is most intimately linked with Greg Lynn’s editing of “Folding in Architecture” and his integration of computers into the architectural process, while the second can be seen as a response to Deconstructivism and the explosive buildings of Zaha Hadid and her contemporaries. While not overt, Puglisi takes a stand on his style of preference, clear in his dismissal of Minimalism as generic and skin-deep and explicit in his chagrin for Yoshio Taniguchi’s winning design for the MoMA expansion.
The third and fourth chapters deal respectively with a “season of masterpieces” and post-9/11 trends in architecture. The former adds buildings by fellow Deconstructivists Koolhaas and Libeskind to Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, as well as ones by Jean Nouvel, UNStudio and a spate of Dutch architects. Landscape is the key word in this chapter, as various lines of thought influence the relationship between architecture and the environment. After a discussion of the WTC proposals at the start of the last chapter, Puglisi focuses on the role of media in the production of “starchitects” and the accompanying crisis of architectural criticism. A subsequent exploration of ten notable projects and their stylish strands leads Puglisi to ask, “What direction will architecture take in the near future?” He develops three new directions, but their brevity and general nature make them incomplete thoughts. It is the immediate history of contemporary architecture that takes precedent in Puglisi's text, not predictions about its future.
US:
CA: UK:
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, Monday
My weekly page update:
This week's dose features House 6 in São Paulo, Brazil by StudioMK27 - Marcio Kogan:
The featured past dose is Marrom House in São Paulo, Brazil by Isay Weinfeld:
This week's book review is Territory: Architecture Beyond Environment: Architectural Design edited by David Gissen:
Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:
This week's dose features House 6 in São Paulo, Brazil by StudioMK27 - Marcio Kogan:
The featured past dose is Marrom House in São Paulo, Brazil by Isay Weinfeld:
This week's book review is Territory: Architecture Beyond Environment: Architectural Design edited by David Gissen:
Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:
ArchitectureFeed
""The first news aggregator about Architecture and Design." (added to sidebar under blogs::aggregate)
Korean Architecture
"The first English website to discuss Korean architecture and related issues." (added to sidebar under architectural links::online journals)
new-territories
Blog of R&Sie(n). (added to sidebar under blogs::offices/architects)
Studioplex
"The site collects and displays architectural design projects of students created within a studio context and directed by an educator." (added to sidebar under architectural links::online journals)
word servents
A new blog featuring reviews, criticism. (added to sidebar under blogs::architecture)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
+ Pool
"+ Pool is an initiative by a group of architects and designers to build a floating pool in the rivers of New York City ... The project was launched with the ambition to improve the use of the city's natural resources by providing a clean and safe way for the public to swim in New York's waters. ... [W]e are looking to build a team of interested organizations and professionals to continue the development of the project into a buildable proposal. "
[image description | image source]
Many readers may know that a floating pool in the waters of New York City has been done already, to a design by Jonathan Kirschenfeld that is still used today. So what does + Pool offer that the floating pool now being used doesn't? Looking at the images and explanation on the web page, it uses the + shape to offer more room for different uses: laps, sports, kids play area, and a "lounge." And unlike the floating pool, + Pool actually uses the river water it sits in. Yes, that's right: "+ Pool filters bacteria, pollutants and odors through concentric layers of water-cleansing materials integrated directly into the pool walls, leaving only safe and swimmable water that meets the CDC and EPA's standards of quality. " Like a "giant strainer dropped into the river."
While I kind of like the idea, especially the giant strainer, I'm a little perturbed by the anonymity of the proposal. Sure, it is a lot more feasible than last year's Manhattan Airport "proposal", but without a single name and only an info@ e-mail address, I'm wondering if this is also a hoax. The web page does not read like a critique of planning/design, like the Central Park airport one, but its anonymity doesn't help it towards being taken seriously. Nevertheless I think it wants to be built. I didn't contact them via the e-mail address, but a Whois Lookup may point to the people responsible.
(via Curbed)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Today's archidose #432
Here are some photos of 7800 Çeşme Residences and Hotel in Izmir, Turkey by Emre Arolat Architects, 2007. Photographs are by asli_aydin.
To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:
:: Join and add photos to the archidose pool, and/or
:: Tag your photos archidose
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Downing Unveiled
A project under construction that I've been keeping an eye on for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture is the Townhomes of Downing Street in Greenwich Village by 1100: Architect. The three townhouses have been under scaffolding for a while now, so I was pleased to see some of the facade revealed when I passed by yesterday.
According to the architects, "The unique sandstone facade reinterprets the traditional arrangement of transparent windows perforated into a solid facade." At first glance I thought the stone was travertine, though the appearance lacks travertine's consistency. As well, travertine does not make the most sense for facades, as it is one of the most porous stones. Regardless, the appearance is quite smooth and monolithic, owing not just to the choice of stone but also the matching mortar. The sandstone runs vertically, so it does not read like stacked pieces.
The windows and (slightly) projecting frames are very elegant, working together with the stone to create a very minimal expression. Even the coping disappears, as the stone cladding just stops a few feet above the fourth-floor windows. I'd love to see the parapet detail.
Separation between the three townhouses is a narrow vertical line that matches the windows. An overall reading is of one project with three distinct pieces. I'm curious to see if the individuality of the residents will break through the homogeneous expression.
What is not apparent from the street is just how big these townhouses are; a building section reveals a fifth-floor "observatory" and a cellar-level "atelier" in addition to the other four floors. Each tops out at over 6,000 sf plus 1,300-2,200-sf of outdoor space (by SCAPE). These are BIG urban houses (more than twice the suburban average) for a few RICH families. Well, at least the rest of us have a nice view.
According to the architects, "The unique sandstone facade reinterprets the traditional arrangement of transparent windows perforated into a solid facade." At first glance I thought the stone was travertine, though the appearance lacks travertine's consistency. As well, travertine does not make the most sense for facades, as it is one of the most porous stones. Regardless, the appearance is quite smooth and monolithic, owing not just to the choice of stone but also the matching mortar. The sandstone runs vertically, so it does not read like stacked pieces.
The windows and (slightly) projecting frames are very elegant, working together with the stone to create a very minimal expression. Even the coping disappears, as the stone cladding just stops a few feet above the fourth-floor windows. I'd love to see the parapet detail.
Separation between the three townhouses is a narrow vertical line that matches the windows. An overall reading is of one project with three distinct pieces. I'm curious to see if the individuality of the residents will break through the homogeneous expression.
What is not apparent from the street is just how big these townhouses are; a building section reveals a fifth-floor "observatory" and a cellar-level "atelier" in addition to the other four floors. Each tops out at over 6,000 sf plus 1,300-2,200-sf of outdoor space (by SCAPE). These are BIG urban houses (more than twice the suburban average) for a few RICH families. Well, at least the rest of us have a nice view.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
WTC Aerial Update
The last time I posted an update of construction progress at the World Trade Center site was, appropriately, last September. Seeing an aerial of the site (taken July 7, 2010) in a denverpost.com collection of NYC aerial images prompted me to do another quick progress update.
[labels by archidose | photo by Daniel Acker/Bloomberg | image source]
The most recognizable progress is the ever-growing Freedom Tower, set to be over 500-feet high by the end of the year. Tower 4 trails behind, but at least it's out of the ground. The sites for towers 2 and 3 are now just a big hole in the ground. Also noticeable is the deconstruction of the former Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street, slowly revealing the recently completed W Hotel. Not visible is the WTC Hub by Calatrava (behind 7 WTC), though the work to date has primarily been below grade. Also below sidewalk level are the pools for the National September 11 Memorial, set to open on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
[labels by archidose | photo by Daniel Acker/Bloomberg | image source]
The most recognizable progress is the ever-growing Freedom Tower, set to be over 500-feet high by the end of the year. Tower 4 trails behind, but at least it's out of the ground. The sites for towers 2 and 3 are now just a big hole in the ground. Also noticeable is the deconstruction of the former Deutsche Bank Building at 130 Liberty Street, slowly revealing the recently completed W Hotel. Not visible is the WTC Hub by Calatrava (behind 7 WTC), though the work to date has primarily been below grade. Also below sidewalk level are the pools for the National September 11 Memorial, set to open on the 10th anniversary of the attacks.
NPNY2010
[photos by archidose]
Last week was the opening of the New Practices New York 2010 exhibition at the Center for Architecture. 'Twas a fun and crowded opening party.
Winners of the AIA New York Chapters's biannual competition include:
Archipelagos
EASTON + COMBS (highest honor winner)
LEONG LEONG
MANIFOLD
SOFTlab
SO-IL (Solid Objectives - Idenburg Liu)
TACKLEBOX
The exhibition in the Center's lowest level was designed by LEVENBETTS, and it is unique for splitting the contents of each firm's presentation into three areas. A grouping of videos is along one wall; opposite are black and white supergraphics; the room in the back includes table and wall space for models. Below are a some shots from the last.
[SO-IL]
[TACKLEBOX]
[SOFTlab]
[LEONG LEONG]
The above smattering of models shows a predilection for fields, atypical projects and presentation, and architecture as an armature for an expanded oeuvre. A comparison with this year's Architectural League Prize is apt: Both target young architects and both are featuring projects that veer from the traditional realm of architecture: buildings. This isn't to say that the seven NPNY and six archleague offices don't or wouldn't undertake building projects, but buildings are not the defining characteristic of most or even all of the offices. This reflects the diversification of young practices today (towards being recession-proof), the broadening scope of architecture and education explored by Rem Koolhaas and others, and the networking of practices and individuals that departs from the traditional office/studio setup. In particular I appreciate the emphasis on the small-scale, the tangible interactive pieces of environments, be it an installation, interior renovation or even--dare I say--a building.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Michel Varisco
Last week's news about BP's eventual stoppage of the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico may be the first good news in the 90-odd days of the disaster, but it's only one piece in the much bigger and longer process of remediation. The news also threatens to overshadow the scale of the disaster; even with the bombardment of images and news around the spill, it's far too easy to forget as the next important event displaces what came before. Photographs from the series "Shifting Lands" by Michel Varisco do a good job of conveying the scope of the spill in the Gulf, since many of them are taken from above.
["Shifting Lands" by Michel Varisco | image source | spill photos are found at the end of the series]
Her images--in the above series and others focused on the area--straddle the realms of nature, documentary, and art photography. The beauty of Gulf-coast Louisiana certainly comes through in the images, but so does the interaction of humans and nature, a less-than-symbiotic situation that seems to be coming to a head just as we are told things are under control.
["Shifting Lands" by Michel Varisco | image source | spill photos are found at the end of the series]
Her images--in the above series and others focused on the area--straddle the realms of nature, documentary, and art photography. The beauty of Gulf-coast Louisiana certainly comes through in the images, but so does the interaction of humans and nature, a less-than-symbiotic situation that seems to be coming to a head just as we are told things are under control.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Got $$?
Then why not donate some of it to one or more of these worthwhile undertakings?
CHROMAtex.me: a site specific installation on Manhattan's Lower East Side, starting August 26:
Vertical Urban Factory exhibition, coming to the Skyscraper Museum in the fall:
SIDAREC Technology and Media Lab, under construction in Nairobi, Kenya:
CHROMAtex.me: a site specific installation on Manhattan's Lower East Side, starting August 26:
Vertical Urban Factory exhibition, coming to the Skyscraper Museum in the fall:
SIDAREC Technology and Media Lab, under construction in Nairobi, Kenya:
Monday, Monday
My weekly page update:
This week's dose features Pedestrian Bridge over the river Carpinteira, Covilhã, Portugal by João Luís Carrilho da Graça:
The featured past dose is Two Footbridges by Miró Rivera Architects and Xavier Font:
This week's book review is Buildings Without Architects by John May:
american-architects.com Building of the Week:
Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center in Chicago, Illinois by Studio Gang Architects:
Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:
This week's dose features Pedestrian Bridge over the river Carpinteira, Covilhã, Portugal by João Luís Carrilho da Graça:
The featured past dose is Two Footbridges by Miró Rivera Architects and Xavier Font:
This week's book review is Buildings Without Architects by John May:
american-architects.com Building of the Week:
Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center in Chicago, Illinois by Studio Gang Architects:
Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:
Archi Alternative
" Radical architectural analytics." (added to sidebar under blogs::architecture)
archidose (tumblr)
An unrelated blog (i.e., not mine) that features architectural drawings and models. (thanks to V.T. for inadvertently pointing me here; added to sidebar under blogs::architecture)
SUBTILITAS
"SUBTĪLITĀS (latin; noun f., 3rd): fineness of texture, logic, detail; slenderness, exactness, acuteness; sharpness : precision" (added to sidebar under blogs::architecture)
UrbanTick
"Research on cycles and rhythms [of everyday life] will be embedded in the most recent developments in technology, covering a range of areas with a focus on space-time related technologies." (added to sidebar under blogs::urban)
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Reprint of the Moment
Writing a review of a book on vernacular architecture, I came across a soon-to-be-released reprint of the sequel to Lloyd Kahn's classic large-format book Shelter, logically called Shelter II and published by the aptly named Shelter Publications.
Shelter II (1978) is the second in a series of books about people building their own homes in different parts of the world. The principles outlined in Shelter, published almost 40 years ago, seem even more important today: relearning the still-usable skills of the past and doing more hand work in providing life's necessities. Shelter II provides a basic manual of design and construction for the first time house-builder.The book begins with simple shelters still being built and lived in by people with minimal resources. They can be viewed for historical or anthropological interest, or as sensible, instructive examples of efficient construction by those who lack the choices available in industrialized societies. There are also personal accounts and seasoned advice from builders in different climates, with a variety of design approaches, construction techniques, and building materials. A home is still a place for working, resting, sharing, healing, dreaming…some things haven't changed that much. [source]
Saturday, July 17, 2010
13 Hours in < 10 Minutes
Last year I posted the Bartlett School of Architecture's ten-minute summation of the Year 1 program. This summer we are treated to more Year 1 videos, including the below 9:30 "sketch" by Brook Lin.
More 2009-2010 Year 1 Bartlett vids can be found here and here.
(Thanks to Patrick for the heads up!)
More 2009-2010 Year 1 Bartlett vids can be found here and here.
(Thanks to Patrick for the heads up!)
Trenton Bath House Tour
If you're like me, you've never been to Trenton, New Jersey. Well, now you have a good reason to visit: Wednesday, July 28 is a hard-hat tour of Louis I. Kahn's Trenton Bath House, a building I featured previously in a review of Louis I. Kahn's Trenton Jewish Community Center by Susan G. Solomon. Kahn famously said of the small building, "If the world discovered me after I designed the Richards [Medical Research Building], I discovered myself after designing that little concrete block bathhouse in Trenton."
[Click photo for larger image with tour details | photo: Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC]
[Click photo for larger image with tour details | photo: Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC]
These landmark buildings, designed by the renowned Modernist architect Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974) for the Jewish Community Center of the Delaware Valley, opened in 1955. The project was carried out by Princeton, NJ-based architecture firm Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC (FMG) with landscape architecture by Heritage Landscapes. It restores Kahn’s buildings, makes needed improvements, and adds elements in the spirit of Kahn’s design intentions.
Time: 12-6pm
Cost: $50 for the general public, free for members of the press
Sponsored by: Ewing Township, Mercer County, Farewell Mills Gatsch Architects, LLC, and DOCOMOMO US New York/Tri-State
For general registration, contact John Arbuckle, rsvp[at]docomomo-nytri[dot]org
For press registration, contact Jocelyne Koach, 646-742-1700, koach[at]hausmanllc[dot]com
Friday, July 16, 2010
Today's archidose #431
Here are some photos of Vallecas 51 in Madrid, Spain by Somos Arquitectos, 2009. See #430 for more Vallecas architecture. Photographs are by z.z.
To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:
:: Join and add photos to the archidose pool, and/or
:: Tag your photos archidose
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Book of the Moment
More often than not, Amazon's recommendations are a bit off, but every now and then they are spot on. That is the case with Cities for People by Jan Gehl, to be released in a couple weeks by Island Press. Previously I read and reviewed his classic Life Between Buildings. Most recently the Danish planning guru has been pivotal in New York City's piece-by-piece transformations of its thoroughfares. In his latest book, I think the title says it all.
The publisher's description:
The publisher's description:
For more than forty years Jan Gehl has helped to transform urban environments around the world based on his research into the ways people actually use—or could use—the spaces where they live and work. In this revolutionary book, Gehl presents his latest work creating (or recreating) cityscapes on a human scale. He clearly explains the methods and tools he uses to reconfigure unworkable cityscapes into the landscapes he believes they should be: cities for people.
Taking into account changing demographics and changing lifestyles, Gehl emphasizes four human issues that he sees as essential to successful city planning. He explains how to develop cities that are Lively, Safe, Sustainable, and Healthy. Focusing on these issues leads Gehl to think of even the largest city on a very small scale. For Gehl, the urban landscape must be considered through the five human senses and experienced at the speed of walking rather than at the speed of riding in a car or bus or train. This small-scale view, he argues, is too frequently neglected in contemporary projects.
In a final chapter, Gehl makes a plea for city planning on a human scale in the fast- growing cities of developing countries. A “Toolbox,” presenting key principles, overviews of methods, and keyword lists, concludes the book.
The book is extensively illustrated with over 700 photos and drawings of examples from Gehl’s work around the globe.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Musashino Art University Library
One of my favorite projects in Yuki Sumner and Naomi Pollock's new book New Architecture in Japan is Sou Fujimoto's design for the Musashino Art University Library in Kodaira, Tokyo. Under construction at the time of publication, it is one of the few buildings in the book presented in project form.
[click image for larger view]
In the design the bookshelves are the walls, spiralling in from the perimeter and providing views and access across the different spaces via cutouts in the walls/shelves. Searching the internet for more information on the design, I came across this photo of the completed building.
bookshelf library #2/4, originally uploaded by guen-k.
I'm itching to see some interior shots once the library is stocked with books, but in the meantime take a look at a few other photos by guen_k; they are all best viewed large.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Firm Faces #14
LOT-EK features a bunch of "firm faces" in their LOT-EK ALBUM:
[LOT-EK ABOUT >> LOT-EK ALBUM]
But very little is found when clicking LOT-EK STAFF:
[LOT-EK ABOUT >> LOT-EK STAFF]
Let's hope this doesn't mean what I think it means (no staff!).
[LOT-EK ABOUT >> LOT-EK ALBUM]
But very little is found when clicking LOT-EK STAFF:
[LOT-EK ABOUT >> LOT-EK STAFF]
Let's hope this doesn't mean what I think it means (no staff!).
Today's archidose #430
Here are some photos of "132 VPP ensanche de Vallecas" in Madrid, Spain by Estudio.Entresitio. Photographs are by z.z.
To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just:
:: Join and add photos to the archidose pool, and/or
:: Tag your photos archidose
Widgets Galore
Those who actually visit this site -- as opposed to reading it via a feed-reader of some sort -- may notice some changes to the sidebar:
:: Delicious Links have been added just below my weekly page links. I'm showing the last ten, and you can visit my Delicious page by clicking the heading.
:: Facebook and twitter icons have been added to "My Other Stuff":
I'm trying to use these social tools for more than just linking to posts on this blog and my weekly page. Bear with me as I figure out what to do with those sites.
:: The far right sidebar now features four random books from my library, powered by LibraryThing. Clicking a title brings up a lightbox with more information and links to Amazon, LibraryThing, etc. Titles may look familiar, as they are books I've reviewed here and on my weekly page.
So, any comments on the above additions? Are the first and last slowing down the site considerably? Are they all taking up too much space? Or are they just s'wonderful additions, making your visit that much more pleasurable?
:: Delicious Links have been added just below my weekly page links. I'm showing the last ten, and you can visit my Delicious page by clicking the heading.
:: Facebook and twitter icons have been added to "My Other Stuff":
I'm trying to use these social tools for more than just linking to posts on this blog and my weekly page. Bear with me as I figure out what to do with those sites.
:: The far right sidebar now features four random books from my library, powered by LibraryThing. Clicking a title brings up a lightbox with more information and links to Amazon, LibraryThing, etc. Titles may look familiar, as they are books I've reviewed here and on my weekly page.
So, any comments on the above additions? Are the first and last slowing down the site considerably? Are they all taking up too much space? Or are they just s'wonderful additions, making your visit that much more pleasurable?
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday, Monday
My weekly page update:
This week's dose features UTS Podium Competition in Syndey, Australia by Lacoste + Stevenson:
The featured past dose is Melbourne Grammar School in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia by John Wardle Architects:
This week's book review is AIA Guide to New York City by Norval White, Elliot Willensky and Fran Leadon:
american-architects.com Building of the Week:
Hidden House in Los Angeles, California by Standard:
Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:
This week's dose features UTS Podium Competition in Syndey, Australia by Lacoste + Stevenson:
The featured past dose is Melbourne Grammar School in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia by John Wardle Architects:
This week's book review is AIA Guide to New York City by Norval White, Elliot Willensky and Fran Leadon:
american-architects.com Building of the Week:
Hidden House in Los Angeles, California by Standard:
Some unrelated links for your enjoyment:
Architects 2Zebras
A "repository for All Things Architect - thinking, innovation, design, ideas, and education." (added to sidebar under blogs::architecture)
Footprint
"Hattie Hartman's sustainability blog, part of the AJ blog network." (added to sidebar under blogs::sustainability)
Junk Jet
"A zine-jet, a collaborative format set up to discuss speculative works on topics of architectures, media, aesthetics, and on electronics." (added to sidebar under architectural links::publications)
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