Intriguing Earth Architecture 74

Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Gehry Partners, LLP
via web: Hello Beautiful!

If you have not visited already, we highly recommend Hello Beautiful! by Edward Lifson which provided the article and inspiration for the photo shared here.

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Intriguing Earth Architecture 73

Alumni Hall Parking Structure (Lehigh University), Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA - Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
via flickr: alish863psu

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VotW 06: Carolyn Steel Speaks At TED

Here is a description of the lecture given by Steel from the TED website:

Every day, in a city the size of London, 30 million meals are served. But where does all the food come from? Architect Carolyn Steel discusses the daily miracle of feeding a city, and shows how ancient food routes shaped the modern world.

Cullum and Nightingale Architects
Review of "Hungry City" by Steel

Intriguing Earth Architecture 72

Cite' de la Musique, Paris, France - Atelier Christian de Portzamparc

via flickr: laurenatclemson

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Intriguing Earth Architecture 71

Community Boathouse, Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Anmahian Winton Architects
via flickr: Chris Devers

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VotW 05: Daniel Libeskind Speaks At TED

Here is a description of the lecture given by Libeskind from the TED website:

Daniel Libeskind builds on very big ideas. Here, he shares 17 words that underlie his vision for architecture -- raw, risky, emotional, radical -- and that offer inspiration for any bold creative pursuit.

Studio Daniel Libeskind
TED bio

Intriguing Earth Architecture 70

Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany - Renzo Piano Building Workshop
via flickr: Luigi Rosa

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Posta Aerea 08

We are sifting through the virtual mailbag again and would like to share a few newsworthy items with our readers. So without further ado here are the selections that we have filtered for your enjoyment. The urbanSHED International Design Competition has launched its inaugural event. Here is an excerpt from the press release provided to us:

The American Institute of Architects New York Chapter and the New York City Buildings Department are thrilled to announce the launch of urbanSHED, an international design competition that challenges the global design community to rethink the current sidewalk shed standard and create a prototype worthy of today’s New York City. Details on this exciting competition are in the press release pasted below, and the website is now live: urbanSHED.

The Urban Land Institute has awarded BIG Architects its 2009 Award of excellence. The project has also won the 2008 Forum Aid Award, 2008 World Architecture Festival Best Housing Award, and the 2009 MIPIM Award. The Mountain is the result of a collaboration with Høpfner A/S, Danish Oil Company JDS, Moe & Brødsgaard, and By & Havn. The ULI had this to say about the winning design proposal:

The Mountain is wonderful example of success that showcases creativity, innovation, and long-term thinking. Perhaps now more than ever, the ULI Awards for Excellence program reminds us of the key difference that responsible design and development can make in terms of longevity and overall community sustainability.

Image courtesy of Peter Aaron/Esto

This striking image arrived in our inbox promoting the work of photographer Peter Aaron. the quality of the images rival that of the renown architectural photographer Iwan Baan. Once again here is a description of the work in the author's own words:

When Peter Aaron was in Chicago recently, he made a series of exciting images of the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago and of the city’s Millennium Park. Aaron, who was awarded an AIA Collaborative Achievement Award, created images that capture the luminous quality of natural light, Renzo Piano’s trademark. Peter’s images locate the Art Institute in relation to the landscape, the park, the city and the lake. The adjacent garden was designed by Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel. In Millennium Park, the Cloud Gate is by Anish Kapoor; the Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the bandshell, pavilion and bridge by Frank Gehry. The new museum building and the park are well known, have been often photographed and frequently published. You are surely familiar with the structures and the spaces…but they never looked as energetic and lively as in Peter Aaron’s images. I hope you’ll take a look: esto flickr slideshow to see a slide show of these recent photographs.

Firm Focus: Asymptote

Today we feature the architecture firm, Asymptote. The second in our long promised five part series stemming from our earlier Young Architects Poll post. The New York City based firm is headed by the two principals, Hani Rashid and Lise Anne Couture and currently lists a 65 person staff.

Since its inception in 1989, the firm has long been known as a predominately theoretical based practice. Using amorphous forms and high powered three-dimensional modeling computer software and captivating models, the firm has been featured in a number of magazine articles, architectural monographs and design school lectures. Asymptote were (are) regular participants in many world competitions and exhibitions to include the Venice Architecture Biennale. Its first realized commissions came through explorations in interior architecture for esteemed Italian design firm Alessi and the New York Stock Exchange.

Since 2000 more projects have come to realization for the firm especially in southeast Asia, eastern Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Recently completed and current projects include: 166 Perry Street, NYC; World Business Center Busan, Busan, South Korea; Strata Tower, Abu Dhabi, UAE; and the Yas Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE among others. What seems to separate Asymptote from others is its particular fusion of structure, materials and design aesthetic. All of which seem to be the source of intrigue for the firm's projects. Additionally, their introduction of refreshingly different forms differentiates how their architecture is perceived, in terms of space, rather than that of the orthogonal norm.

Asymptote Architects
designboom article

Intriguing Earth Architecture 69

Espacial Habitat, Epinay-sur-Seine, France - ecdm
via email: Matthieu Roggwiller

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VotW 04: Jalisco Library By LOT-EK

Guadalajara Library - LOT-EK from arquiNETWORK on Vimeo.

Ever wonder what could be done with all those left airplane fuselages when they have flown their last miles? Apparently, LOT-EK has given it a lot of thought and has proposed a design for a library in Mexico as an example. You might recall that this New York based firm has been a strong proponent of using/reusing everyday cargo containers in a creative and arguably sustainable way.

An excerpt from noticias arquitectura follows regarding the design:

Over 200 Boeing 727 and 737 fuselages are stacked in a north-south slant in relation to sun exposure for energy efficiency. Two shifts in the direction of the main axis of the fuselages generate two large open spaces within the stack.

The building utilizes the space inside the fuselages to contain and organize functions that require enclosed spaces - such as book collections, meeting rooms and administration offices, - while the 2 large open spaces house a large atrium with all the reading areas on one side and two auditoriums on the other...

noticias arquitectura article
BLDGBLOG article

Intriguing Earth Architecture 68

St Ignatius Chapel, Seattle, Washington, USA - Steven Holl
via flickr: 2:19

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VotW 03: Hauz29 on the Caltrans HQ

Hauz29: Morphosis, Caltrans, Los Angeles from Hauz on Vimeo.

A well crafted video from Hauz29 who also produces some excellent podcasts on architecture that have been featured in our sidebar for some time now. In case you were not aware, the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters was produced by Morphosis and was designed to meet the LEED Silver Certification standard.

Arup Journal entry

Intriguing Earth Architecture 67

MAC, Niteroi, Brazil - Oscar Niemeyer
via flickr: c.alberto

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VotW 02: Niels Diffrient Speaks At TED

Here is a description of the lecture given by Diffrient from the TED website:

Design legend Niels Diffrient talks about his life in industrial design (and the reason he became a designer instead of a jet pilot). He details his quest to completely rethink the office chair starting from one fundamental data set: the human body.

Humanscale Corporation Site
DWR Profile

Intriguing Earth Architecture 66

Safari Drive, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA - Miller Hull Partnership
via flickr pool: hellothomas

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