A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

Late last year Pruned shared a news report (well worth watching) on "cell phone towers in elaborate disguises," such as trees, cacti, water towers, and flag poles. That report came to mind the other day when I noticed from afar some bumps on a church bell tower near my apartment, bumps with the distinct size and shape of cell phone towers. Getting closer my suspicion was confirmed, though it also became apparent why I'd never noticed them before: they're treated with a brick patterning . This visual slight-of-hand, though, is just one element in the bell tower's transformation since its completion in 1950. The red lights atop the cross, due to its location near Laguardia Airport, is one example. As are the computer-generated tunes that the tower emits every so often, a modern-day replacement for those archaic bells and the hunchback who rang them.

Skyward by Quod Libertarius [Zakka] . A mysterious detail of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Copenhagen, Denmark. I'm guessing it's a curtain wall/mullion detail. To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

parlamento alemám, Berlín by atwose . Reichstag, New German Parliament in Berlin, Germany by Norman Foster . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

To commemorate the 150-year anniversary of the American Institute of Architects, the organization polled "1,800 Americans naming their 150 favorite structures across the nation based on nominations from AIA member architects." At first glance the results are an odd bunch, ranging from obvious choices like the first place Empire State Building to perhaps the least obvious choice, the Apple Store in SoHo. To approach the list from a unique perspective, I decided to break out the buildings built post-1984, an arbitrary dividing line between Modern and contemporary, encapsulating some -- but not all -- of Postmodernism. 022: Bellagio Hotel and Casino (1998) 033: Rose Center for Earth and Space (2000) 053: Apple Store Fifth Avenu e (2006) 057: Denver International Airport (1995) 059: Milwaukee Art Museum, Quadracci Pavilion (2001) 068: New York Times Building (2006) 069: Salt Lake City Public Library (2003) 070: Dolphin and Swan Hotels, Walt Disney World (1990) 071: Hearst...

Shipping & Transport College* by fdo h . Shipping & Transport College in Rotterdam, Netherlands by Neutelings Riedijk Architects . To contribute your Flickr images for consideration, just: :: Join and add photos to the archidose pool , and/or :: Tag your photos archidose

Here's a series of six panel discussions at the Center for Architecture that I just learned about, called Brandism. The goal is to "examine architecture's role as an identity-generating force in the global market place." One discussion already happened, but click the image for information on the remaining five. For more information .

Like last semester , here's a description of the four classes I have this Spring in the Urban Design Program (PDF link) at City College (part of CUNY). The department is headed by Michael Sorkin and is two semesters in length. Urban Design Studio This semester's studio is a continuation of the Fall studio, with the exception that we're working directly with the graduate students in the Landscape Architecture Program, something that should help greatly in the sustainable nature of the plan. We continue work on the design of a "self-sufficient" town in Ecuador, in particular a design for a post-petroleum economy. After last semester's visit to the town and our intermediate reviews, we have a better handle on the direction we need to take, though we have plenty of research and design work to do to get there. The semester-long effort is split between research, individual design projects, and a group effort on the town's masterplan. The studio is still taug...