A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Merry Xmas and Happy New Year! See you back here in 2016!

Here are some photos of the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald (2014) in Bad Wildbad, Black Forest, Germany, by Josef Stöger , photographed by Frank Stahl . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the  archidose pool To contribute your Instagram images for consideration, just: :: Tag your photos  #archidose

A Genealogy of Modern Architecture: Comparative Critical Analysis of Built Form by Kenneth Frampton, edited by Ashley Simone, published by  Lars Müller Publishers , 2015. Hardcover, 304 pages. ( Amazon ) Amazon's "Author Page" for Kenneth Frampton features, as of today, 66 books the prolific architectural historian has authored, edited or contributed to. I have a good chunk of those books, or at least of that number – 14 as of today, when I found an issue of Architectural Design from 1982 by and about Kenneth Frampton and his then (and now) influential book, Modern Architecture: A Critical History , which was the first book of his I ever purchased. He is one of those writers whose books I have a hard time passing up. Even though his take on architectural history is consistent – some might say rigid or even inflexible – I like to read more of his books for the nuance of his arguments and for the new ways of (re)telling the same histories. This new book from Lars ...

Here are some photos of the German School (2015) in Madrid, Spain, by Grüntuch-Ernst Architects , photographed by Ximo Michavila . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the  archidose pool To contribute your Instagram images for consideration, just: :: Tag your photos  #archidose

Blair Kamin's article of December 5th, "Doctored photo raises questions about ethics in architecture contests," is like one of those catchy, yet slightly annoying pop songs – it has stayed with me for the last week and a half, even though I have issues with his conclusion. The main point of the article is that architects and architectural photographers should honestly portray buildings that are being judged for awards on the basis of those photos. An AIA Chicago Award given to JGMA's El Centro project was the basis for Kamin's critique. The building is striking for the way it curves to follow the Kennedy Expressway and articulates the facade with angled fins that are blue on one side and yellow on the other. It's as if the building was designed to please the motorists zipping by on the expressway. With this in mind, it's obvious to know which of these two photos from the article is the doctored one and why it was: Yes, those rooftop mechanical units ...

The Architectural Review presents "Uncomfortable Spaces," a discussion with Richard Sennett, who speaks "on cities, the golden thread that runs through all of his work." I've been partial to Sennett's takes on urbanism ever since I saw him speak eight or nine years ago about the direction New York City was heading, particularly in regards to the super-rich buying up properties and then-Mayor Bloomberg's ideas on trickle-down economics. Perhaps the fact Sennett also grew up in Chicago (though in Cabrini-Green, not the suburbs like me) draws me to his writings and talks. Whatever the case, the eleven-minute film is worth watching, particularly for Architectural Review's graphic treatment that livens up the conversation.

Here are some photos of the Philharmonie de Paris (2015) at Cité de la Musicque by Ateliers Jean Nouvel , photographed by Michelle Courteau . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the  archidose pool To contribute your Instagram images for consideration, just: :: Tag your photos  #archidose

The Pritzker Architecture Prize website  indicates that the announcement of the 2016 recipient will happen on Wednesday, January 13 at 10am EST, much earlier than normal. So with just over a month until the announcement, who do you think should win the Pritzker? I've set up a poll in the right column (mirrored at the bottom of this post) to see how well this blog's readers know their stuff. I've expanded the list over previous years, so now it's packed with 30 names, but it allows multiple votes, so you don't have to just pick one – you can pick your top 5 choices, for example. If you disagree with my choices vote "other" and please comment on this post with your pick. Check back here on January 13th to see who won – both the real Pritzker and this poll. For reference,  the Pritzker Prize jury  is made up of: - Lord Peter Palumbo (Chair) - Stephen Breyer - Yung Ho Chang - Kristin Feireiss - Glenn Murcutt - Richard Rogers - Benedetta Tagliabue ...

Modern Architecture in Latin America: Art, Technology, and Utopia by Luis E. Carranza and Fernando Luiz Lara, published by  University of Texas Press , 2015. Paperback, 406 pages. ( Amazon ) Like many people in the northern hemisphere, I have a big hole in my architectural education when it comes to Latin America. From recollection, history classes in undergraduate architecture school focused on the work of European architects, such as Le Corbusier, developing plans for the South American continent and Brasilia, which was presented as a playground of architectural forms but an urban planning nightmare. Grad school a decade later changed things for me, since I spent two semesters with my classmates on a project located in Ecuador, with a one-week trip that was my first to visit to the continent. Since then I've tried to fill this void as much as possible, something that isn't so hard given websites like ArchDaily promoting South American contemporary architecture, and sho...

Here are some of my photos of the "Luminaries" installation at Brookfield Place (formerly the World Financial Center) in New York City by the Lab at Rockwell Group , on display until 10 January 2016. See also my coverage of the installation at World-Architects . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the  archidose pool To contribute your Instagram images for consideration, just: :: Tag your photos  #archidose

Last week I ventured up to New Haven to see "Pedagogy and Place: Celebrating 100 Years of Architecture Education at Yale" , on display December 3, 2015 to May 7, 2016 at the Yale School of Architecture. The exhibition, curated by outgoing Dean Robert A.M. Stern with Jimmy "Life Without Buildings" Stamp, is made up of two halves: "100 Years of Architecture Education at Yale" and "The Architecture of Architecture Schools," with the first focusing on Yale School of Architecture and the latter emphasizing the relationship between architectural education and the places where it takes place, both at Yale and more than thirty other schools of architecture around the world. Over at World-Architects I wrote mainly about the "100 Years of Architecture Education at Yale" half, so here I'll ramble on a little bit about the latter, particularly Paul Rudolph's 1963 building, where the exhibition is located. [All photos by John Hill, unle...

Here are some photos of the Four Domes Pavilion - Museum of Contemporary Art in Wroclaw, Poland, designed by Hans Poelzig in 1913 and renovated by BeMM Architekci in 2015 ( official opening is set for 2016 ), photographed by Maciek Lulko . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the  archidose pool To contribute your Instagram images for consideration, just: :: Tag your photos  #archidose