A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

GGG House in Mexico City, Mexico by Kalach and Alvarez, 2000 The following text, and accompanying images, are by Alberto Kalach and Daniel Alvarez for their design of Casa GGG, featured in Oz Volume 21 . See the house completed here . The house could be seen as the most simple and yet the most complex and exciting architectural theme. I understand it as a passage that transports inhabitants from everyday life of the street to an inner world of intimacy. The succession of spaces is discovered indirectly, diagonally, or at a turn. Spaces are not seen until you enter them individually. They make a scenario to compel human life, while they also form a plot unto themselves. The house's spatial idea, inspired by the work of the sculptor Jorge Yazpik, starts with a basic accommodation of the program that allows afterwards a f...

ACROS Building in Fukuoka, Japan by Emilio Ambasz & Associates, 1995 Attempting to achieve a balance between environmental and artistic aims, International Hall (aka ACROS Building) in Fukuoka Japan exhibits Emilio Ambasz & Associates' continued search for a widely accepted "green architecture". Sited on the last piece of green space in the city center, Ambasz's approach of terracing the south facade as an extension of the adjacent existing park, while continuing the street wall on the north, illustrates his attempt at balancing two, often incompatible ideas. In a country where land is a precious commodity the ACROS Building acts as both building and park, giving back what it takes from the land. In that simple gesture it redefines what an urban park can be. The unpopularity of so-called "gre...

Racine Art Museum in Racine, Wisconsin by Brininstool + Lynch, 2000 The following text and images are by Chicago firm Brininstool + Lynch for their Racine Art Musuem project, to be located in Racine, Wisconsin. The design for the new museum redefines the existing structure with contemporary materials, fine detailing and spatial composition, creating an elegant, well-crafted environment for the display of two and three-dimensional art. The new facility will have nearly 40,000 square feet of usable space, including 8,500 square feet of exhibition galleries, with the remaining space being used for museum store, library and research, art storage and preparation, museum offices and various support operations. Translucent acrylic panels will form the facade, separated from the exterior surface, allowing natural light to subtly illuminate ...