A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

This is a series for August 2010 which documents my on-the-ground -- and on-the-webs -- research for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture (to be released next year by W. W. Norton ). Archives can be found at the bottom of the post and via the 31 in 31 label . [Before and After | image source ] New York City may be home to numerous stalled projects in the residential realm, but universities seem to be booming. Columbia University is moving ahead with its Manhattanville expansion ; The New School is planning its biggest building ever ; and F.I.T. will squeeze a sliver of a building into its cramped quarters. Not to be outdone, NYU is moving ahead with NYU 2031 , its plan for growth and sustainability in Greenwich Village and in expanded quarters elsewhere. They recently announced plans for a fourth Silver Tower and other new buildings. Under construction are the Center for Academic and Spiritual Life by Machado and Silvetti and Wilf Hall by Morris Adjmi Architects . The...

This is a series for August 2010 which documents my on-the-ground -- and on-the-webs -- research for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture (to be released next year by W. W. Norton ). Archives can be found at the bottom of the post and via the 31 in 31 label . When I took the above photo, these pieces of street furniture by Rogers Marvel Architects were only installed on Hillside Avenue in Jamaica, Queens. Since then I've also seen them on Steinway Street in my 'hood, Astoria. Given that the Rogers Marvel web page indicates 800 locations for the pieces, many more are sure to follow. These stainless steel undulating blocks sit atop the ventilation grates for subways running below the street. They are designed to deter the below from happening during rainstorms; their height is based on a 100-year storm event. The undulations refer to their purpose without explaining what they do. I'm sure many people will look at them and wonder what purpose they serve. I'v...

This is a series for August 2010 which documents my on-the-ground -- and on-the-webs -- research for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture (to be released next year by W. W. Norton ). Archives can be found at the bottom of the post and via the 31 in 31 label . Many people are familiar with Renzo Piano 's design of the Morgan Library & Museum , notable--and controversial--for its contrast to the early 20th-century and the skylit atrium that internally connects the various structures. Piano's expansion fronts Madison Avenue , where the main entry is located. Pierpont Morgan's study and library faces 36th Street , where the new building is set back from it and the gallery building. So what is on 37th Street , next to the Morgan House (now bookstore for the Library & Museum)? A service walkway, loading, and a dumpster, of course. Sure, just like the human body, every building needs to deal with how things go in and out, but spending a few minutes glancing...

This is a series for August 2010 which documents my on-the-ground -- and on-the-webs -- research for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture (to be released next year by W. W. Norton ). Archives can be found at the bottom of the post and via the 31 in 31 label . On the maps in my guidebook to contemporary architecture, I'm going to include landmarks (designated or not) of Modernism. One such contender that I hadn't seen until recently is William Lescaze's house at 211 East 48th Street. Completed in 1934, I'm sure the house stood out then even more than it does now, its 19th-century neighbors sitting on both sides at that time. The glass blocks look like the could use some work, but overall the house has been cared for on the exterior. See the Critical Cities post on the house and the architect for some very good background information. Previously: #1 - Phyto Universe #2 - One Bryant Park #3 - Pier 62 Carousel #4 - Bronx River Art Center #5 - The Pe...

This is a series for August 2010 which documents my on-the-ground -- and on-the-webs -- research for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture (to be released next year by W. W. Norton ). Archives can be found at the bottom of the post and via the 31 in 31 label . One consequence of the building boom that transpired in New York City in the last decade is a wave of unbuilt residential developments. Many projects tried to one-up their competitors with flashy designs and the accompanying renderings, like the sampling above, all produced by one architecture office, Gilman Architects . Yet one of those buildings is being realized: The Prism (now known as Murano ), located on Borden Avenue in Long Island City. The top is kinked and cantilevered, a band of light amplifying the design gesture. Nearing completion, the design might look better than it actually is thanks to its neighbor, a less flashy appearance that is basically the norm in mid-rise residential. Murano's location is...

20100610-DSC_0273 , originally uploaded by sina.bear . Landmarke Lausitzer Seenland in Senftenberg, Germany by Stefan Giers , 2008. According to Detail , "By 2010, as part of an international building exhibition, the largest lakeland landscape in Europe is to be created in eastern Germany, using former lignite mining excavations. ... this 30-meter-high steel viewing tower has been erected as a symbol of the transformation of the region. ... a staircase sculpture ... [leads] up to a viewing platform at the top." To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

This is a series for August 2010 which documents my on-the-ground -- and on-the-webs -- research for my guidebook to contemporary NYC architecture (to be released next year by W. W. Norton ). Archives can be found at the bottom of the post and via the 31 in 31 label . [#13 - 15 East 26th Street] Event Horizon--not the stinker of a movie from 1997--is " a boundary in spacetime , most often an area surrounding a black hole, beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer." This basic Wikipedia definition helps a little in understanding Antony Gormley's summer installation for Madison Square Art , titled Event Horizon . By locating the "indexical copies" of the artist atop buildings ringing Madison Square Park, the figures give a sense of scale otherwise missing when people scan the city and its buildings; windows may be sized to the use of occupants, but they shield those within. Or in other words, the silhouettes make that distance closer because we ...