Archiculture

via: New York Magazine

It’ll be interesting to see where this discussion goes in an economically starved city looking for any form of new development.

“You can see in the renderings above how each side envisions the future of the skyline. In Vornado’s, each tower is clearly visible in all its illuminated splendor. Co-existence, hooray! But in the Empire State Building’s, it’s like 15 Penn Plaza has obliviously and obnoxiously lumbered in front of the Empire State Building while you were taking a photo. “Um, excuse me, sir — sir? — you are right in our way.” - NYmag

Thanks for the tip Sam.

Hurry!  Dennis Hopper’s House just went on the market for a cool $6.245 Million.  The 15,500 sq. ft. complex includes a main house, 3 two-story condominiums a pool house and a guest cottage.  The main home was designed by Brian Murphy and the condominiums by Frank Gehry.  If you can’t afford the entire package, you can buy into the condos separately.  The house is said to have served as a source for artistic creativity and output from both actors and artist.

source: HuffingtonPost

Source: NYDailyNews

Here is this years list of 10 ugliest buildings in New York City according to the New York Daily News.  Note: This list does not represent our top 10, but might inspire us to make one.

10. Former Bear Stearns World Headquarters, 383 Madison Ave.

9. T.G.I. FRIDAY’S, 604 Fifth Ave.

8. The Four Seasons Hotel, 57 E. 57th St.

7. Montefiore Apartments II, 3450 Wayne Ave., the Bronx

6. Training Center, Ironworkers Local 40 & 361, 35-23 36th St., Queens

5. Trump Place, between W. 66th and W. 70th Sts. west of West End Ave.

4. Trump Tower, 725 Fifth Ave. at E. 56th St.

3. 200 Eleventh Ave.

2. 520 W. 27th St.

1. Times Tower, The New York Times Building, Eighth Ave.

Our friends over at The Spirit of Space (fellow architects turned filmmakers) produced this video which highlights the problems and crowd-sourced solutions for reconnecting St. Louis together with its Arch and waterfront. This is a very familiar problem that I grew up with in Cincinnati, another midwestern rustbelt river town, which is only now beginning to be solve its own river connectivity and identity issues with a park design from Sasaki.

Some stunning images of the growth that has occurred in Shanghai over the past 20 years.

Lujiazui 1990

Lujiazui 2010

Source: skyscrapercity.com

Source: Gothamist

The Maloof Flushing Meadows Skate Park opened up just in time for the 2010 Money Cup.  Today is the last day of the event in which more than $250,000 is at stake.  The project cost $1.15 million and was actually built above the old Astral Fountain from the 1964 World’s Fair.  I have always been obsessed with skateparks as a built product and wished that liability didn’t prevent designers from integrating them into the rest of our built environment.

source: Hovied

Tropical storm, Agatha, swept across Guatemala last weekend leaving behind a sinkhole that spans an entire intersection.   Witnesses said they watched the massive hole engulf an entire 3-story building.  The images of the sinkhole reveal the importance of geographical studies on our urban infrastructure.

source: Boston.com

Check out this article on Boston.com about architects turning to residential remodeling during economic downturn.  It’s a great reminder that despite your credentials or desires, that you can’t control the economy, and if you do find yourself out of work, it pays to be flexible and inventive.

Here are some images of Gehry’s latest design in Las Vegas NV, courtesy of World Architecture News.  The building, which cost around 100 million dollars, is a research center for degenerative brain disease.  Take a look at the photos and cast your own judgements.

via: Dezeen

WAM Architecten taking cues from Michael Graves? Could the Dutch be promoting contemporary Post-Modernism?

Thanks for the tip Leslie.