A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

One consequence of being immersed in a full-time Master's program is that news doesn't reach me as quickly as just a few weeks ago. Last night my wife mentioned that three towers were unveiled as part of Libeskind's masterplan at Ground Zero, but it wasn't until checking my e-mail this afternoon after classes that I saw a rendering at World Architecture News , below. With SOM's Freedom Tower on the far left, the three new designs from left to right are by Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, and Fumihiko Maki. Based on Libeskind's winning masterplan it appears that only Foster stayed true to the sloping top that gestures towards the voids of the Twin Towers and the memorial below. This a bit unfortunate, though Libeskind is quoted in the New York Times (which includes a slide show of the designs) as saying, "The silhouette of the buildings does exactly what the master plan called for." He goes on to say that the buildings should not look the same, somethin...

santa caterina by TwOsE Santa Caterina Market in Barcelona, Spain by Enric Miralles Benedetta Tagliabue . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

Well, as shouldn't be a surprise to many, not everything went smoothly with the recent move to New York. In particular, I'm talking about getting hooked up to the internet at home. It turns out that the order for home phone and DSL service before the move did not go through, so it had to be done again after the move, meaning I won't be connected at home for another two weeks. This isn't a particularly big deal for this page or my weekly page even, but it does mean I can't send out my subscription notices for my weekly page. Hopefully those readers will find their way here and bear with the interruption in service. Regardless, I do apologize for the inconvenience; it probably bothers me much more than you. Moving on, I was surprised to see today that my current school has a similar school color to my undergraduate school. This was definitely not intentional, though kinda funny. Take a look. Looks like I'll be purple for the rest of my life.

123_2379 by brywhit Holy Rosary Church Complex in Louisiana by Trahan Architects. To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

Morgan Library Expansion in Manhattan, New York by Renzo Piano Building Workshop Renzo Piano 's addition to the Morgan Library in Manhattan unites three existing buildings via a skylit atrium space. The project is comprised of a main entrance, lobby, cafe, gallery spaces, a small theater, and support spaces. Out of site but totaling the most area is underground storage for the well-known family's collection of manuscripts, marbles, and other historical artifacts. Once the visitor finds the entry -- a well-scaled but sparse facade between two of the historical structures -- and gains access to the atrium, it's apparent the design is all about the interior. Although dictated highly by the location of the existing buildings, Piano's design...

Are you fed up of having other people decide who should be awarded architectural awards? Well, so is Norman Blogster who has set up his own informal poll for the Stirling Prize, as part of his Architectural Antifreeze. So go check it out and cast your vote! Also, new posts will have to wait 'til after the Labor Day holiday this weekend, as setting up the home CPU and DSL is taking a while (this and the last post are via the antiquated computers in the architecture school's library).

Getting aquainted with the architecture/arts building on campus today before my first class, I saw a poster for a competition by the Metal Construction Association for an Ampitheatre/Beach House at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. So even though I'm now in New York, I can't completely escape Chicago ... not that I'd want to, though. Anyways, the 2006 Student Design Competition 's deadline is November 6, 2006 and has cash prizes totalling $7,800, as well as publication in Metalmag and the MCA Newsletter . Below is the "design challenge", though for much more information check out the competition web page . This metal-in-construction competition challenges entrants to address architectural, structural, functional cultural and environmental issues in the design of a beach house and amphitheatre. These facilities should utilize sheet metal and other metal materials as well as metal structural members. This proposed facility will be located adjacent to one of Chicago...