Arch Daily |
- Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta Named 2017 Pritzker Prize Laureates
- Haus am Stürcherwald / Bernardo Bader Architekten
- Rural House / RCR Arquitectes
- FACH / Martin Skoček + Ilja Skoček
- Three Gardens House / AGi architects
- The Library of Shandong Normal University / UAD
- Apartment in Hanoi / Kây Architecture JSC
- ETON / Stanisic Architects
- 2017 Pritzker Prize Winners RCR Arquitectes' Work in 20 Images
- "New Khmer Architecture and Japan" Explores the Link Between Cambodian and Japanese Modernism
- House ML+M+R / Caprioglio Associati Architects
- New Renderings Revealed of Google's Mountain View Campus
- Mill Valley Guesthouse / Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects
- Jean Nouvel, Foster + Partners Among 7 Architects to Design Towers for Paris' La Défense District
- Tossols Basil Athletics Stadium / RCR Arquitectes
- Who Are RCR Arquitectes? 9 Things to Know About the New Pritzker Prize Winners
- Walnut Tree, House and Terrace / PRO-S
- Denver Art Museum Receives $12 Million to Revitalize Ponti North Building
- The Story of the 1960s Mass-Produced Modular Design That Actually Went into Production
- 3 Success Stories Show How to Apply Road Safety Through Public Health Plans
| Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta Named 2017 Pritzker Prize Laureates Posted: 01 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PST  Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta have been named as the laureates of the 2017 Pritzker Prize. Their projects emphasize materiality and craft – considered use of color, transparency (and thereby light) define an oeuvre which ranges from public buildings to houses, a kindergarten and a winery. The three architects—all of whom are Spanish Catalan and originate from Olot, Girona (where they are all presently based)—have worked collaboratively together as RCR Arquitectes since 1988; they simultaneously graduated in Architecture from ETSAV, the School of Architecture in Valles (Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura del Vallès) a year prior. This 39th incarnation of the Prize represents the first instance in which three architects have been recognized at once, and only the second time—following Rafael Moneo in 1996—that Spanish practitioners have been honored.
Their near three-decade-long professional relationship has demonstrated "an unyielding commitment to place and its narrative" in order to create spaces that are in discourse with their respective contexts. By "harmonizing materiality with transparency, Aranda, Pigem and Vilalta seek connections between the exterior and interior" resulting in an architecture which is "both emotional and experiential."  Row House (2012). Olot, Girona, Spain © Hisao Suzuki. Image Courtesy of Pritzker Architecture Prize Aranda, Pigem and Vilalta have spent their respective careers developing, for the most part, projects with a profound local focus and influence; the large majority of their built work has been in Europe with a dominant focus on the Iberian peninsula and Spain in particular. Within this framework they have sought to evoke a universal identity by employing a material palette including the likes of recycled steel and plastic. "They've demonstrated," according to Glenn Murcutt, Chair of this year's Jury, "that unity of a material can lend such incredible strength and simplicity to a building." He continued:
It is clear that this thread—the value of locally-produced architecture in a globalized world—has been a key concern in relation to their selection. "More and more people fear that because of [...] international influence," the Jury's Citation states, "we will lose our local values, our local art, and our local customs." The jury believe that the laureates "help us to see, in a most beautiful and poetic way, that the answer to the question is not 'either/or' and that we can, at least in architecture, aspire to have both; our roots firmly in place and our arms outstretched to the rest of the world."  Bell–Lloc Winery (2007). Palamós, Girona, Spain. © Hisao Suzuki. Image Courtesy of Pritzker Architecture Prize Speaking exclusively to ArchDaily in relation to this prize Ramon Vilalta asserted that "by being 'isolated' we haven't been distracted by professional problems, such as jealousy. We have not wasted our time on criticism. When you're distracted," they argue, "you can't go into depth." They contend that, in "a world that moves very quickly and is very restless, [...] the word 'uncertainty' goes hand in hand with 'complexity'" – "you can't confront uncertainty with simplicity." The contemporary world, they maintain, "can be disorienting." As practitioners, they have spent a career focusing their passion on their architecture with a "great intensity."
 Soulages Museum. (2014) Rodez, France. © Hisao Suzuki. Image Courtesy of Pritzker Architecture Prize In 2013, the three architects founded the RCR BUNKA Foundation to "support architecture, landscape, arts and culture throughout society." They have also participated in, among others, exhibitions including the III Salon International de l'Architecture in Paris in 1990 and the Venice Biennale of Architecture (2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016). They have received the National Award for Culture in Architecture 2005 granted by the Catalonian government; the French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2008 and 2014; been named Honorary Fellows of the American Institute of Architecture (AIA) in 2010; granted International Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2012; and were awardees of the Gold Medal by the French Académie d'Architecture in 2015.  Barberí Laboratory (2008). Olot, Girona, Spain. © Hisao Suzuki. Image Courtesy of Pritzker Architecture Prize 2017 Pritzker Prize Jury
 Les Cols Restaurant Marquee. (2011) Olot, Girona, Spain. © Hisao Suzuki. Image Courtesy of Pritzker Architecture Prize  Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta Photo by Javier Lorenzo Domínguez This Pritzker Prize ceremony will take place at the State Guest House of the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, on May 20, 2017.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Haus am Stürcherwald / Bernardo Bader Architekten Posted: 01 Mar 2017 09:00 PM PST  © Gustav Willeit Guworld
 © Gustav Willeit Guworld From the architect. 1000 meters above sea level in the Vorarlberger village Laterns is the solitarily Haus am Stürcherwald situated. The plot of land was considered as unsuitable land since it is a remaining area in between a street section. To profit from the fantastic view and reduce the impact to the land to a minimum the building is positioned at the very edge of the site and drafted in a compact, elongated form.  © Gustav Willeit Guworld The design of the house is based on the traditional archetype agricultural houses and the typical Walserhouse. The gabled roof and the strict structured wooden facade are representing elements of the present.  © Gustav Willeit Guworld The space allocation plan is organized by two floors. At the entrance level there is an open kitchen – living area. The tight layout and the strict organisation of the floor plan enable to get a maximum of natural light at the main floor. The movement of the sun from the east loggia to the one in the west makes living in the mountains to a true experience. The private rooms like bedrooms and bathrooms are situated at the top floor. These rooms are defined by white coated walls with a fine grained loam rendering.  Section  Section Interesting in spite of the easy cubing is the spatial sculptural linking between both floors. Some parts of the living area are reaching out to the roof top where open galleries correlate main floor with top floor. The outer skin of the building is made of rough sawn larch slats in different widths. The inner construction is built out of the same wood but in a planed and sanded implementation.  © Gustav Willeit Guworld On first sight Haus am Stürcherwald seems to be unspectacular but it is a convincing proof of reactivating the traditional building types without using any clichés of a classical Land- and Forest houses. It is a cultural achievement that also shows the context of the present time. On a closer inspection it disclose the subtly intervention.  © Gustav Willeit Guworld  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 01 Mar 2017 07:00 PM PST  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes
 Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes From the architect. The brief calls for a large home for a couple, and for a discovery of a balance between nature, independence and a communal living for the inhabitants. The site lies between two fields, between two views (Romanic church and the Pyrenees), between two aspects, two levels: on the edge of an embankment.  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes The house takes up a position on the site to enhance the landscape values, like the emergence of cracks caused by water as it runs down the slope in search of transversal flows, giving rise to the longitudinal flow that unites the worlds of the kitchen and the orchad (a colonised footprint), of a living room with ponds and bedrooms with courtyards.  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes The longitudinal level is 1.5 metres below the field above, which drops by as much as three metres in the private spaces that can open or close to permit intimacy or meetings. The entrance is at the same level as the lower field.  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| FACH / Martin Skoček + Ilja Skoček Posted: 01 Mar 2017 06:00 PM PST  © Peter Jurkovič
 © Peter Jurkovič From the architect. Fach is a restaurant, café, bar and juice shop housed in a series of spaces situated in Pálffy Palace in the centre of Bratislava. The palace is cantered around two inner courtyards and has been rebuilt several times. Fach is located on the ground floor along Ventúrska Street and Zelená Street around the palace courtyard which is covered by a glass roof. It is a very inconsistent and complex array of spaces marked by five centuries of various conversions. Todays' palatial three-storey baroque form dates to 18th century when the building was converted by Count Pálffy. However, the ground floor shows signs of Gothic and Renaissance stone walls and vaults and it is clear the palace is a combination of several separate buildings. During the last reconstruction in 2012-2016 the palace was renovated as an administrative building, opening the originally closed frontage to create public use in form of shops and restaurants. The space has not been divided into independent business units.  © Peter Jurkovič  Floor Plan  © Peter Jurkovič Fach is presented as a continuous space with a series of thematic parts. Bread and Coffee café and a restaurant with wine cellar are connected through a shared kitchen, linking to the Bar and Juice shop. Each part is independent with different opening hours, but all four together create a whole under the common name Fach. The open kitchen, restaurant and wine bar are facing the covered courtyard, which has its unique character. The courtyard with trees and resin bound gravel floor serves as all year terrace for occasional events. The biggest challenge in developing the concept for Fach interior was to find an element which would be a common denominator of all spaces, while achieving different atmosphere in each of them. It was also difficult to handle a diverse and disparate array of spaces with very limited possibilities for layout changes. The ground floor of the building lacks any palace characteristics as it consists of original farm building and stalls, combined with preserved structures of Gothic and Renaissance buildings. We developed a uniform colour and material palette as the common denominator to define the new space. This meant that everything - floors, walls, vaults and ceiling became a seamless surface which needed to satisfy the required aesthetic and technical criteria. A finish was selected akin to the typical medieval scratched plaster, which was perhaps once here. This unified background is accentuated by solitary features in form of built-in elements and free standing furniture.  © Peter Jurkovič These are different in colour or material in each unit in order to give the individual parts different character. The Juice shop is complemented by bleached wood to accentuate colours of fruit and vegetables. The café Bread and Coffee is based on the natural colour of oak as a distinctive backdrop for Fach home bakery products. The bar and restaurant were first proposed in smoked dark oak veneer finish. With the gradual development of the concept this has been replaced by patinated steel. Atypical features of built-in furniture and tables were complemented by seating and lighting with emphasis on maintaining integrity of the material and colour concept. As the name Fach refers to craftsmanship, one of the brief requirements was to reflect the name in the expression of the interior.  © Peter Jurkovič As a functional metaphor to Fach with minimal decorative effect we have chosen an archetype shelf and perforated hardboard wall for storage of "vercajch" (tools). These are used mainly in the Juice Bar and Bread and Coffee, the restaurant and bar have shelves only. Fach is characteristic for its high quality standard in all aspects without any compromise. Therefore, in the creation of Fach attention to detail was reflected not only in the design of the interior but also in other solutions. A comprehensive graphic manual from the brand logo through to the information system and labelling of escape lighting was developed by the graphic studio Milk, Fach costumes were designed by Buffet and dinnerware for the restaurant was tailored to the requirements of the chef. Thanks to the unique consensus between the architects, the designers, the client and the owner of Fach it was possible to achieve a very clean and minimalist concept all the way to completion.  © Peter Jurkovič  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Three Gardens House / AGi architects Posted: 01 Mar 2017 02:00 PM PST  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
 © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG From the architect. It all started with a question: Are you able to design an outside space that can be used 365 days a year?  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG For moderate climates such as the Spanish it seems quite simple, but in the case of an extreme weather like that of Kuwait it was necessary to think about new strategies. So we asked the client: Could you live in an outer space located at different levels? Could you classify your outdoor activities in evening and daytime actions, summer and winter events?  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG These enquiries may be very difficult to answer for a Mediterranean family, but definitely not for those who are used to living in adverse weather conditions and who easily know what can -and cannot- be done during the summer outdoors.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG We decided to stratify the external uses according to the period of the year and the hours of the day in which these activities could be developed, and accordingly we designed three gardens.  Axonometric The first one is a Wet Garden on ground floor, which allows us to activate related spaces during the hottest periods. The pool and some fountains are located in this garden, which is surrounded by the main social spaces of the house.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The Summer Garden stands in the coldest layer, 4 meters below street level. Protected by the soil's thermal mass and the projected shadows of the housing volume, a large sheet of water is placed to catalyze the evapotranspiration that -through convection- rises and refreshes the air towards upper spaces.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The third one lies on the roof, an ideal place for winter days and hot summer nights. A perforated skin covers the Winter Garden, avoiding direct solar radiation and raising the privacy of its inhabitants.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG These three gardens become unified as a single outer space and are connected -visually and physically- through exterior stairs; we begin to develop the rest of the home from the generation of the aforementioned voids, articulating the program of required uses around them.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG Another important aspect to understand is the internal circulation of the dwelling, strongly linked to the concept of "family" assumed by the clients. From the main entrance, the separation of spaces and levels acts as a filter with guests; therefore, those who circulate through it are only the ones closest to the family (including service staff and workers of the house). The circulation inside the building -both vertical and horizontal- is conceived in a fluid way, creating multiple routes and possibilities for the inhabitants to reach the rooms in a more or less direct way. The routes can be interior or exterior, offering differently qualified views and experiences. In this sense, all "public" areas are visually connected, leaving the most private rooms more intimate and looking outwards. Opposite to the closed volume towards the outside -emphasized by the uniform stone cladding- is the total transparency of the spaces facing the interior courtyard -covered in white ceramic tile-, which reflect the light and help to illuminate the rooms in a natural way.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG The same perforated skin that serves as a filter on the roof -a "deployé" metal mesh of anodized aluminum- has been used to maintain the privacy of the inhabitants from the neighbors' eyes and to filter direct sunlight, serving as a shelter for the vegetation inside the aggressive Kuwaiti climate.  © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Library of Shandong Normal University / UAD Posted: 01 Mar 2017 12:00 PM PST  © Yong Zhang
 © Yong Zhang From the architect. Located in the center of the college, the Library of Shandong Normal University is the most important building. The new library connects the educational facilities in the west and student residences in the east. The 46.7-meter-tall, 9-story tower collects 1 million books, including a large number of special collections.  © Yong Zhang The form of library was required to be concise and solemn. We use cheap local granite which is called Shandong White Pearlto reveal the purity of the concise form. The basic panel is 1500 mm (length) x 600mm (width).  © Yong Zhang In order to dispel the negative influence on the view sight from the entrance of the university, we separate the architecture into two parts and connect them with entrance lobby and sky cafeteria which are wrapped with glasses, making the campus landscape axis continuity. No wonder that the students will enjoy a good view of the college when they were studying in this new library. In addition, the v-shape of the plan enables the building to gain more sunlight. It also helps to dispel the giant volume of this tower from the perspective view.  © Yong Zhang  Section  © Yong Zhang  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apartment in Hanoi / Kây Architecture JSC Posted: 01 Mar 2017 11:00 AM PST  © Thien Thach
 © Thien Thach From the architect. Designed in a modern style, minimalist, open space and maximum usability of the home. Overall the apartment include the main space: Open space (including kitchen, multipurpose room, living room, dining room); master bedroom and bathroom for the living room area.  Plan Apartments are opened with the family's own logo right in the lobby. This was followed by an open space with functional zones separate space: kitchen, living room + dining, multipurpose room. Locker system at the center extends from the living room to the multipurpose room, features oak wood grain, high capacity. A special thing is the door of the bathroom at the livingroom area is hidden behind the locker system. Versatile areas are separated by fabric curtains, with the cabinet system, combines a roll-away bed which will be sometime by the guest. The livingroom area is combined with the dining area have 2 large sofa and some small modules for layout flexibility.  © Thien Thach  © Thien Thach The master bedroom separate from the open space outside by glass wall and elevation. This makes the apartment space feel larger, natural light from the bedroom's windows and living room are fully utilized, helping apartments have better ventilation. The master bedroom has minimalist design, gently accompanied by large bathrooms enough for both husband and wife.  © Thien Thach Cats are special members of this family. Here, four cats with have their own toilet area designed inside the hidden toilet behind the locker system. The toilet area for cats has an extractor fan, cabinets for hanging cats's clothes and for some cats's special items such as sand , food, medicine ... They also have their own entrance to the master bedroom with the owner and some more stuff designed for them to play.  © Thien Thach The borderline between the master bedroom and social area, are defined by a glass panel with the objective of allowing in maximum light. Comes with paths for cats, they are free to access every single corner of the house. Cats also have water closet and built-in locker of their own with private entrance  © Thien Thach Walls were removed to merge the old living room, kitchen and dining room into one single, open space. Used to be a '4 walls bedroom', now it becomes a multipurpose room with a folding bed built-in. Dividing by a curtain and a million eyes-ceiling, the room is easier to breath than ever. The house was originally made up of small individual spaces, meaning it received little natural light. To counteract this issue, walls in master bedroom were swapped for glass.  © Thien Thach  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 01 Mar 2017 09:00 AM PST  © Brett Boardman
 © Brett Boardman From the architect. This multi-unit project in Zetland, aka 'Eton', is Stage 2 of the Emerald Park masterplan of the former Email industrial site that is situated on the western side of Joynton Avenue, between O'Dea Avenue and McPherson Lane. Emerald Park encapsulates the essence of Green Square – sustainability, diversity and affordability – principles derived from the seminal Masterplan for the area. The central communal courtyard is a calm and serene space that provides outlook from apartments, sociability and cross-site pedestrian pathways, complementing the magnificent and iconic fig trees on Joynton Avenue and the generous, project-funded public park - an expansion of Mary O'Brien Reserve at the south end of the site.  Site Plan The L-shaped building has a modern aesthetic that expresses the aspirations of the project and its spirit of innovation and environmental excellence. The expression of the facades responds to the site, sun control, construction, technology, apartment amenity and mix. The project has 174 dwellings, a dwelling density equivalent to 262 dwellings per hectare; and 16,509sqm floor area and 2:1 FAR on a site area of 6,650sqm.  © Brett Boardman The project is a unique opportunity to create an architectural aesthetic based on environmental and abstract principles, untainted by sentimentality and overworked contextual gestures. The appearance of the building avoids the overused expression of cellular, crate-like elements. Special attention hasbeen given to the composition of building elements and materiality, and adjusting facades to maximise solar access.  © Brett Boardman The 9 storey building has clearly expressed built forms with strong volumetric components defined by clear material expression and connected by aerial bridges along the western boundary that span across the public pedestrian through-site way, contributing to the building's social network and public engagement. The building is composed of active and free-styled wall planes that are contrasted with the metal screens and glazing that wrap around precast forms at higher and lower levels and into vertical slots. The interplay of the two predominant materials, solid and lightweight, masonry and metal provides a distinct andunifying expression to the building forms.  North Elevation The 'dancing' balconies to the east and north facades, and 'suncatchers' to the west facade add a dynamic to the facades that contrasts with the restrainedappearance of the perforated, sun screens and cladding. The southern façade is marked by simple and restrained volumes with a vertical emphasis. The building colours are black and midtone greys with yellow accents in the body of the building and mid-tone silver in the metal screens and cladding at higher levels, andcorresponding gunmetal grey and metallic silver glazing and balustrade frames.  © Brett Boardman The accommodation is 174 dwellings suited to a variety of lifestyles. The dwelling mix is 44 x 1 beds (25%), 123 x 2 beds (71%) and 7 x 3 beds (4%), all in single or double level plans including 27 (15%) adaptable dwellings. The post-GFC dwelling layouts are diverse, comprising 2-bed 'snorkels', 2-bed 'cross-overs', 2-bed 'dual-aspect' and 1-bed 'compacts'. SOHO units with home offices are located at ground level along the pedestrian way to encourage smallscale, home-based, business activity.  © Richard Glover  Axonometric  © Brett Boardman  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2017 Pritzker Prize Winners RCR Arquitectes' Work in 20 Images Posted: 01 Mar 2017 08:30 AM PST  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki Today, Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta were named the laureates of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, becoming the first trio of architects to be bestowed the profession's highest accolade. Working together since 1988 as RCR Arquitectes, the team has tackled a wide range of project types, from libraries to wineries to park designs – many of which are located in their home region of Catalonia, Spain. Continue to see 20 images from their work that exemplify the firm's outstanding attention to detail and considered use of materiality.  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  © Eugeni Pons  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki Tossols Basil Athletics Stadium  © Simon Garcia  © Ramon Prat Sant Antoni - Joan Oliver Library  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki  Courtesy of RCR Arquitectes  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize. Image © Hisao Suzuki Barberi Space - RCR Arquitectes Office  Courtesy of Pritzker Prize  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| "New Khmer Architecture and Japan" Explores the Link Between Cambodian and Japanese Modernism Posted: 01 Mar 2017 08:00 AM PST  Picture of the Chaktomuk Conference Hall taken by Japanese expert Masao Ishihara (ca. 1964). Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto "New Khmer Architecture and Japan" is the first show in Cambodian History to focus on the architectural drawings of its modern movement. Cambodia is a country with mature architectural culture, not only of the great Angkorian heritage and vernacular timber temples, but also of modern buildings from the 1950s and 60s known as New Khmer Architecture. Since the 1990s, in the context of the post-war redefinition of the national identity as well as the recent expansion of environmental consciousness, this Cambodian modern movement, with their sensibility to the traditional culture and tropical climate, is being re-evaluated; though the drawings and documents of the movement were believed to be destroyed and lost in the turmoil of the Civil War.  Elevation of an alternative plan of the Olympic Stadium, designed by UNDP experts at the Ministry of Public Works and Telecommunications, from Nobuo Goto Archive. Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto Against this backdrop, researchers recently discovered original drawings and documents which survived in Japan, including but not limited to the drawings of the masterpieces of Vann Molyvann, the central figure in the movement. Based on these drawings, the exhibition is aiming to showcase Cambodian-Japanese architectural collaboration in the 1950s and 60s. Cambodia and Japan have a lot in common, from Buddhist culture to a belief in Animism; and from the Monsoon climate to a tradition of timber construction. Cambodian modernists could adopt Japanese architectural culture, with the assistance of Japanese experts, to blend them with own architectural style. This Cambodian-Japanese connection is a key to open a new understanding and interpretation of New Khmer Architecture.  Picture of Vann Molyvann and Japanese experts at the construction site of the Agricultural Center in Battambang, taken by engineer Hiroshi Yamasaki (ca. 1964). Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto In addition to the reproduction of the original drawings, two new works are prepared for the exhibition: a special edition of the film "Beyond the Bridge" by Sotho Kulikar on the so-called "Japan Bridge" over the Tonle Sap River; and a 1/2 scaled model of the columns of the unbuilt Cambodian Parliament, designed by Vann Molyvann in 1958, reproduced through the interpretation of newly-discovered drawings.  Plan of the National Theater designed by Vann Molyvann, 1958, from Obayashi Corporation Archive. Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto The show is organized by the Environmental Design Global Hub, the new research and educational center at Kyushu University in Japan; co-organized by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the National Museum of Cambodia and The Japan Foundation; and assisted by the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. Exhibits are from the Archives of: Obayashi Coprporation, Fuji-car, EXPO'70 Commemorative Park and Nobuo Goto.  Structural drawing of the unbuilt Cambodian Parliament designed by Vann Molyvann, 1959, from Obayashi Corporation Archive. Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto A lecture by the curator and open discussion are scheduled on 4th March 2017, 4:30-6:00 pm.  Picture of the Olympic Stadium under construction taken by Japanese expert Masao Ishihara (ca. 1964). Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto Curator: Masaaki Iwamoto  Drawing of the Tonle Sap Bridge (so-called Japan Bridge), designed by Fuji-Car. From the Fuji-Car archive. Image Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto
 Courtesy of Masaaki Iwamoto  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| House ML+M+R / Caprioglio Associati Architects Posted: 01 Mar 2017 07:00 AM PST  © Paolo Belvedere
 © Paolo Belvedere From the architect. The project House ML + M + R in Pordenone, in the north east of Italy, involves the expansion and recomposition of all four facades without altering the current outline of the previous building except for the south elevation, where the facade is conceived an extrusion through a bow window façade on three levels.  © Paolo Belvedere The project is the result of the completed changed idea of internal distribution; the reorganization and reconstruction of residential units while maintaining its type, reassembling through a formal and compositional cleaning the substantive aspect of the building.  © Paolo Belvedere This operation of the façades redistribution and internal partition lets reorganize spaces that best suit the needs and functionality of contemporary daily living.  Section The desire of the client of a sustainable building and which would guarantee the high level of living comfort parameters, have oriented design choices towards the technology of wooden prefabrication so as to ensure that the quality parameters, conjugated to different plant technological applications, leading to the consequent saving energy at the highest level, plus the advantages of a lightweight structure that does not involve burden on foundations.  © Paolo Belvedere  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| New Renderings Revealed of Google's Mountain View Campus Posted: 01 Mar 2017 06:00 AM PST  Courtesy of City of Mountain View New images of BIG and Heatherwick Studio's proposed Google campus in Mountain View California have been revealed in planning documents presented to the city last month. Initially announced in 2015, the project has seen several revisions after first running into difficulty with the city planning board, and then after swapping sites with fellow tech giant LinkedIn. The latest iteration, the 18.6-acre Charleston East campus, features a 2-story, 595,000-square-foot building topped with a flowing, tent-like canopy.  Courtesy of City of Mountain View The submitted renderings show a square plan of alternating building and open space, brought together under the massive roof structure that regulates climate, air quality and sound. During business hours, the ground floor of the building will be publicly accessible, and will feature restaurants and shops intended for employees, residents and visitors.  Courtesy of City of Mountain View  Courtesy of City of Mountain View Open spaces have been designed at a variety of scales, including a large public plaza and more intimate spaces for collaboration and private conversation. Around the perimeter, pedestrian and bicycle paths will connect the complex to the surrounding parks and larger Google campus.  Courtesy of City of Mountain View  Courtesy of City of Mountain View Construction is expected to last 30 months following approval by the Mountain View City Council. News via City of Mountain View.  Courtesy of City of Mountain View  Courtesy of City of Mountain View  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Mill Valley Guesthouse / Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects Posted: 01 Mar 2017 05:00 AM PST  © David Wakely
 © David Wakely From the architect. Sited in an existing small level clearing at the top of a steeply sloping Mill Valley lot surrounded by mature cedar and redwood trees, this 640 square foot guest house is designed to serve multiple generations and functions; a guest room for visiting parents and friends, a media room, and a hangout space for teenage children. The porch and media room are situated on the more open side of the site and the guest room is tucked into the trees.  © David Wakely  Section  © David Wakely The flat roof punctuated by round skylights extends the dappled light of the surrounding tree canopies over the expansive porch and indoor spaces. Wood siding lets the walls blend in with the trees while the porch ceiling and skylight pattern become a playful façade as seen from the house and backyard below.  © David Wakely The porch, cool roof, closed cell insulation, LED lighting and a high efficiency boiler keep the energy loads minimal exceeding Title 24 by 33%.  © David Wakely  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jean Nouvel, Foster + Partners Among 7 Architects to Design Towers for Paris' La Défense District Posted: 01 Mar 2017 04:00 AM PST  Courtesy of Paris La Défense The La Défense district of Paris has announced the proposal of seven new skyscrapers by top architects including Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Foster + Partners and Christian de Portzamparc in an attempt to lure business to the city during a time of economic upheaval in the European markets. All planned for completion no later than 2022, the new buildings would target international businessmen and researchers, especially those displaced following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union. The project is being organized by Defacto: Établissement Public de Gestion du Quartier d'Affaires de La Défense (Public Building of Management of the Business District of La Défense), which was founded in 2007 to manage the needs of Paris' leading business district. Check out the 7 proposed towers below: Hekla / Ateliers Jean Nouvel Hekla / Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 200 meters  Hekla / Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Hermitage Plaza / Foster + Partners Hermitage Plaza / Foster + Partners. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 320 meters Tours Sisters / Christian de Portzamparc Tours Sisters / Christian de Portzamparc. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 200 meters (taller tower), 100 meters (shorter tower)  Tours Sisters / Christian de Portzamparc. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Trinity / Crochon-Brullmann + Associés Trinity / Crochon-Brullmann + Associés. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 140 meters Alto / IF Architectes Alto / IF Architectes. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 150 meters M2 / Valode and Pistre Architects M2 / Valode and Pistre Architects. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 165 meters  M2 / Valode and Pistre Architects. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Air 2 / Agence Arquitectonica Air 2 / Agence Arquitectonica. Image Courtesy of Paris La Défense Height: 202 meters Other towers currently in the works for the area include Ateliers 2/3/4's Tour de Jardins de l'Arche. To learn more about the initiative visit the district's website, here. News via La Défense, Defacto. Images courtesy of Defacto and La Défense facebook. Ateliers 2/3/4/ Unveils Paris Garden Tower  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Tossols Basil Athletics Stadium / RCR Arquitectes Posted: 01 Mar 2017 02:55 AM PST  © Simon Garcia
 © Simon Garcia The athletics track presents the act of running in the middle of nature, in the spirit of the first Olympic Games in Greece.  Plan  Elevations The area called Tossols-Basil, which is designated for leisure activities, is located at the edge of both a city and a natural park along a river. When contemplating adding sports facilities here, the architects faced a dilemma of either clearing large amounts of slow-growing oak trees or succumbing to environmentalists who wanted no change at all.  © Simon Garcia  © Simon Garcia The solution was to site the athletic track in a forest clearing, previously used for cultivation. Nature and sport are united and runners appear and disappear as they make their way around the track. The project highlights the beauty of the landscape and preserves the vegetation as a filter that changes with the seasons.  Sketch  Sketch The seating for observing the athletes is developed as small terraces or embankments between the clearings, often using the natural topography. The slender lighting towers become points of reference in the landscape.  © Simon Garcia  Sections  © Ramon Prat After completing the track in 2001, other facilities have been added; a soccer field and an entrance pavilion with changing facilities, that RCR calls the 2x1 pavilion. This structure that acts as a gateway to the area has a thin roof supported by two volumes allowing multiple views through.  Plan Once again, RCR employs only one material – Cor-Ten steel – and the structure settles easily into its natural setting.  © Simon Garcia  © Simon Garcia  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Who Are RCR Arquitectes? 9 Things to Know About the New Pritzker Prize Winners Posted: 01 Mar 2017 02:00 AM PST  Soulages Museum (2014). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize Today, the Pritzker announced Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta, the three founders of Catalan firm RCR Arquitectes, as the recipients of the 2017 Pritzker Prize. As designers of an architecture that is both stylistically and physically local—RCR Arquitectes' work is mostly found in Catalonia, although recent projects have taken them to France and Belgium—the firm has established a strong profile in north-eastern Spain and a cult following among academic circles around the world. However, other members of the architectural community might find themselves forced to reach for the nearest search engine. For those people, the following 9 facts will provide the information you need to understand architecture's newest Pritzker Prize laureates.  La Lira Theater Public Open Space (2011). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 1. RCR Arquitectes was established in 1988 in Olot, Catalonia, Spain Shortly after graduating from Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura del Vallès (ETSAV), Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta returned to their home town of Olot, which today has a population of 34,000. The city is known for its landscape, and is surrounded by 4 volcanoes within the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. The firm's proximity to nature has had a key influence on their design sensibilities.  El Petit Comte Kindergarten (2010). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 2. The trio attributes their early success to winning a competition to design the Punta Aldea Lighthouse in 1989 [1] In their design for the lighthouse, RCR Arquitectes attempted to rethink the building typography entirely: as Carme Pigem explained to architecture historian William JR Curtis a lighthouse "is not necessarily a tower but a light at a certain height," [2] and as a result RCR Arquitectes' design bears no resemblance to what we normally think of as a lighthouse.  La Cuisine Art Center (2014). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 3. The firm has been recognized by numerous awards and institutions RCR Arquitectes are recipients of the 2005 National Award for Culture in Architecture granted by the government of Catalonia, the French Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in both 2008 and 2014, and the Gold Medal by the French Académie d'Architecture in 2015. They are also Honorary Fellows of the American Institute of Architecture (2010) and International Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects (2012).  Bell–Lloc Winery (2007). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 4. They turned down their first offer for a major commission Speaking at an event in the Czech Republic, Carme Pigem explained how the firm turned down an offer to design a 300-apartment complex based on advice from a professor, saying: "you have to turn down the first large customer. When you, beginning architects, are approached by someone offering you a gigantic project in an immensely attractive place, turn them down. It is a trap. Many talented architects spent the first years of their careers chasing a chimera. The result was only an enormous amount of wasted energy, which they could have invested into small but meaningful projects." [3]  Barberí Laboratory (2008). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 5. The firm's own studio was converted from an early 20th century foundry The Barberi Laboratory, which was renovated by the architects between 2005 and 2008. The renovated makes a point to show off many of the original structure's industrial components, and features an office for the founders, another workspace for the firm's staff, and a separate pavilion in which they deliberate on designs which is described as "like a teahouse… surrounded by the stark walls of the ruins." [4]  Les Cols Restaurant Marquee (2011). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 6. Aranda, Pigem, and Vilalta have founded 2 institutions which work alongside their firm in order to further their architectural aims In 2008, the trio founded the RCR Lab A, an "open architecture laboratory" designed to provide "a space to develop research and creative transversality." Then, in 2013, they founded the RCR Bunka Foundation, which aims to "stimulate socially the assessment of architecture and landscape and implicitly, arts and culture in general" through exhibitions and events. The foundation is also tasked with cataloging and preserving the firm's architectural output such as drawings and models.  Sant Antoni – Joan Oliver Library, Senior Citizens Center and Cándida Pérez Gardens (2007). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 7. Despite being lauded for architecture grounded in its local surroundings, RCR Arquitectes' influences are global Among the influences cited by the firm are Alvar Aalto, [2] Richard Serra, Pierre Soulages, and Japanese architecture, particularly SANAA. [5]  Row House (2012). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 8. Key themes of their work include the connections between indoor and outdoor spaces, acknowledging the passing of time, structure and materiality, and the dematerialization of their spaces. According to Josep Maria Montaner, the firm are "masters at creating indoor and outdoor spaces, to the extent that they have tenaciously continued the line of modern architecture, breaking the boundaries between interior and exterior. They have perfected an ability to create filters and in-between that to not respond to the classic inside-outside duality." [4] Meanwhile, a 2015 exhibition about the firm at the Palau Robert in Barcelona was organized around 7 themes of RCR's work: Mediation with the landscape, Space, The presence of time, Public and social function, Structure and materiality, The system, and Dematerialisation. [6]  Bell–Lloc Winery (2007). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize 9. One of their most commonly used materials is Cor-ten steel Cor-ten steel, or in some cases simply rusted recycled steel, is used in a number of RCR Arquitectes' most recognizable projects, including the Bell-Lloc winery, the Soulages Museum, and the La Lira Theater. Their preference for the material seems to be related to their desire to show the passage of time with their projects. "For RCR steel is a modern industrial material which nonetheless suggests the archaic," explains William JR Curtis, "and which of course weathers over time." [5]  Tossols-Basil Athletics Track (2000). Image © Hisao Suzuki courtesy of the Pritzker Prize References:
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| Walnut Tree, House and Terrace / PRO-S Posted: 01 Mar 2017 01:00 AM PST  © Jure Živković
 © Jure Živković From the architect. The genesis of this house might have a somewhat peculiar narrative. The possibly reversed but certainly not unwanted process of conceiving and designing the space where the foremost sensory role has the nature itself.  © Jure Živković Initially, before everything else, there was a walnut tree, providing perfect natural shade and representing the first outdoor residing space. Over time, a terrace was gradually shaped around the tree, and eventually the idea of building the house emerged.  Section  Floor Plan  Section The sloped terrain with its panoramic view overlooking the nearby forest and mountainscape together with the position of the existing terrace were the only determining elements in the process of designing this country house.  © Jure Živković Without any need for flirting with or referring to existing and traditional in its surrounding, with no need for appropriation or approval, this was simply about to be a house on a hill, a terrace extension and enclosed belvedere. The pitched roof, the compact layout design and the usage of wood in facade cladding were the only distinctive functional elements of the region accepted and implemented into the design.  © Jure Živković With the gross floor area of 100m2 the house consists of a small storage on basement level, a living room with an open kitchen and a bathroom unit on the ground floor, and a sleeping area on mezzanine level.  © Jure Živković The intention to obtain a spatial flow between the exterior and interior, notably in terms of connecting the indoor kitchen area, the summer outdoor kitchen and the terrace, was equally sought to be achieved in the interior design itself in the form of an open space plan.  © Jure Živković Accordingly, the entire house is perceived as a single volume, greatly reflecting the surrounding nature from its every single point, whereas the kitchen and the bathroom area form a small compact box-like core set within the larger house volume.  © Jure Živković Apart from the concrete basement and foundations, the house was entirely made of aerated concrete blocks which significantly accelerated construction at the given location. The 30cm thick exterior walls, also made of aerated concrete blocks, met all building physics requirements with no additional thermal insulation needed. The thermal efficiency in terms of unwanted overheating during summer and heat loss in winter time was enhanced by a ventilated facade made of Siberian larch cladding. The facade is painted with two layers of black wood tar, a natural genuine product which penetrates deep into the wood giving it protection and lasting for a long period of time.  © Jure Živković The appearance of daytime black compact and seemingly monolithic structure is altered in the evening by switching the lights on. The house becomes a delicate almost lantern like object, casting light on its surroundings through the shutter slots imitating the sun rays that illuminate the interior during the day.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Denver Art Museum Receives $12 Million to Revitalize Ponti North Building Posted: 01 Mar 2017 12:00 AM PST  Proposed architectural rendering of an aerial view of the North Building at dusk. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti The Denver Art Museum (DAM) has announced that a $12 million gift from Anna and John J. Sie will support the construction of a new welcome center at the museum's Gio Ponti-designed North Building. Paying homage to the shapes and volumes of the existing building, the new construction—by Machado Silvetti and Fentress Architects—aims to enhance the museum campus' connection to the Golden Triangle neighborhood, as well as to improve visitor navigation and amenities.  Proposed architectural rendering of North Building from the Cultural Center Complex Garage. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti  The Denver Art Museum's North Building, designed by Gio Ponti in collaboration with James Sudler Associates of Denver. Image Courtesy of Denver Art Museum  The Denver Art Museum's North Building, designed by Gio Ponti in collaboration with James Sudler Associates of Denver. Image © James Florio The original North Building, which opened in 1971, was the second of three major expansions to the DAM. The building—considered by many to resemble a castle—stands at seven stories high and features 24 sides, all of which are covered with over one million reflective, gray, glass tiles that reflect the sky around the site, changing the building's appearance according to the weather.  Proposed North Building Project Model 2016. Jason A. Knowles. Image © Fentress Architects  Proposed architectural rendering of view of the North Building from 14th Ave. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti  Proposed North Building Project Model 2016. Jason A. Knowles. Image © Fentress Architects Announced in 2016, the project will revitalize Ponti's only construction ever completed in North America and realize elements of his original design vision, such as access to the 7th floor—which offers sweeping views of the Rocky Mountains. Moreover, the project will create expanded gallery space, additional areas for educational programming, and will update the building's systems in accordance with new technology.  Denver Art Museum North Building entryway and welcome desk. 1971. Image © Wayne Thom  Proposed architectural rendering of Silber Hall, creative hub entrance and North Building elevator lobby. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti  Proposed architectural rendering of North Building event space and Just for Fun Center on Level 2. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti  Denver Art Museum North Building galleries. 1971. Image © Wayne Thom  Proposed architectural rendering of North Building creative hub. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti  Proposed architectural rendering of the North Building from Kemper Courtyard. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti Construction on the new welcome center is slated to begin in late 2017, with a completion goal set for DAM's 50th anniversary in 2021.  Proposed North Building Project Model 2016. Jason A. Knowles. Image © Fentress Architects  Original 1966 North Building model. Image Courtesy of Tryba Architects  Proposed architectural rendering of terrace on Level 7 of the North Building. Image Courtesy of Fentress Architects and Machado Silvetti  Denver Art Museum North Building constructed by Italian architect Gio Ponti. 1971. Image © Wayne Thom News via: the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and Gio Ponti.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Story of the 1960s Mass-Produced Modular Design That Actually Went into Production Posted: 28 Feb 2017 11:00 PM PST  Slovenian designer Saša J. Mächtig conceived the concept for the Kiosk K67 project half a century ago, but its ideas of indeterminacy and open-endedness remain relevant. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana This article was originally published by Metropolis Magazine as "The Enduring Lives of Saša Machtig's Modular Creations." Even in relative old age, the Kiosk K67—a shape-shifting system of modular fiberglass structures—keeps active. A kiosk in Kromberk, Slovenia, in the former Yugoslavia has become a beehive. Another, used by a Bosnia and Herzegovina food vendor, has received a masonry addition. In Ljubljana, a kiosk that formerly sheltered parking lot attendants now supports an automated ticket machine. These may not have been adaptations the Slovenian designer Saša J. Mächtig had in mind when he first conceived the K67 50 years ago. But accounting for all of them would have been impossible. In theory, the system permitted unlimited configurations and variations. By the time production stopped in 1999, around 7,500 units of the K67 had been manufactured. While most remained in Yugoslavia, some were exported abroad—among other places, to Poland, Japan, New Zealand, Kenya, Iraq, the former Soviet Union, and the United States. Around the world, they were adapted to uses ranging from border patrol stations and ski lift ticket booths to retail and fast-food stands. No one is really sure how many are still in use today, or what other kinds of folksy, improvised alterations have been made to them, but among the greatest pleasures of the kiosks is their endless capacity to surprise. The K67, a recent retrospective of Mächtig's work at the Museum of Architecture and Design in Ljubljana managed to restore its original brilliance. And it did so without suppressing the deviations. As the show's curator Maja Vardjan writes in her catalogue essay, what distinguishes the K67 is "its position between architecture and industrial design, embeddedness in the framework of a modern city and society, the rituals of daily life, and, last but not least, its persistent capacity to reinvent itself." While the visionary architectural schemes of the 1960s and 1970s may inspire wistful longing (What could have been!), the K67 kiosks, even as they disappear from view, provoke a question: Why have they persisted for so long?  Kiosk K67 as Tobacco and Newspaper Stand. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana The 75-year-old Mächtig's life and work are bound up in the transformations of Yugoslavia, from its status as a nonaligned nation with a system of self-governing socialism after 1948 to its breakup and the subsequent Balkan wars during the 1990s. Born in Ljubljana in 1941, he entered the design profession as a first wave of modernization—marked by processes of mass production, industrialization, and urbanization—was concluding. At the same time, features of the market were being integrated into a planned economy. These changes presented opportunities that Mächtig was well prepared to tap.  Kiosk K67 as Box-office. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana Studying at the Ljubljana School of Architecture in the early '60s, Mächtig enrolled in Course B, an interdisciplinary program that, in its brief, two-year existence, would influence a generation not only of architects but also industrial and graphic designers. Orchestrated by Edvard Ravnikar—the leading Slovenian architect of the postwar period—and modeled on the Bauhaus and the Ulm School of Design, the curriculum consisted of what are today pedagogical commonplaces: a combination of theoretical inquiry and concrete projects, with an emphasis on analysis, research, and experimentation. Updating Ernesto Rogers' famous statement about an architect's activity extending "from the spoon to the city," Ravnikar urged students to consider "the smallest consumables to regional spatial solutions." Mächtig would make this philosophy his own. Rather than design, say, products one week and master plans the next, he used the K67 to bridge different scales and disciplines, from industrial to urban design, simultaneously.  The K67 was produced in the thousands and installed in cities all over the world—mostly in the former Communist countries of Eastern Europe—serving as news, tobacco, and food stands, as well as flower shops (above), information kiosks, and traffic stations, among many other functions. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana It was by chance, while securing approval for his first independent project—a translucent reinforced-polyester canopy for a café in Ljubljana—that Mächtig learned of city planning officials' desire for new kiosks. On his own initiative, he prepared a design, embracing new industrial materials and the logic of mass production. By his assessment, the existing structures (used as tobacco shops and newsstands) were treated too much like small houses in their conceptualization and construction. Presenting the K67 project for the first time, Mächtig offered a revised set of precedents: "In its modern interpretation the kiosk allows the possibility of growth and change, in purpose perhaps similar to Scandinavian cupboard systems and in terms of design to automotive bodywork."  Over the decades, the existing kiosks have been adapted for additional uses, like this café in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana Mächtig's initial scheme consisted of five primary load-bearing elements, plus accessory equipment: two types of canopies, and interior design elements like shelving systems, light fixtures, and window blinds. A full-scale prototype— colored bright red for shock value—was completed in 1969. The following year, after the K67 was featured in Design magazine, Emilio Ambasz, then a MoMA design curator, inquired about adding it to the collection. A delay in shipment foiled a plan to hoist the bulky units into the museum through a window, so when Mächtig arrived for the opening of a show of recent acquisitions in December 1970, he found the two-unit K67 not in the gallery but in a more public setting—outdoors, on the 53rd Street sidewalk.  Exploded axonometric drawing of the second generation of the K67 from 1972. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana Had it been a second-generation model, produced after 1971, the kiosk would have been whisked through the museum doors. Unlike the original monolithic units, the newer cross-shaped structure, composed of separate ceiling and floor shells and four corner posts, could be disassembled. The structure, measuring eight feet in all directions, supported secondary elements like doors, vending and convex windows, and blind I-panels. Occasionally, Mächtig even developed special customizations for particular functions, such as fast-food preparation.  System Kiosk K67, expansion options and combinations. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana A restless designer and deft businessman, he believed the K67 system, if it was to remain commercially viable, needed to evolve with changes in user habits and notions of comfort, as well as advances in industrial processes. Exhaustive prototyping was therefore imperative. "That was the message I got from General Motors," Mächtig recalled recently of his encounter with the automobile company's important Technical Center in Michigan, which he toured following the MoMA exhibition. "I saw how they developed certain parts of the car, then tested, and then put things together."  Kiosk K67 as fruit and vegetable stand. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana Mächtig would eventually extend ideas of the K67 to designs for waste bins, public telephone booths and hoods, information display cabinets, a bus stop shelter system, and recyclable-waste containers (except for the phone booths, all were mass-produced to varying extents). According to Vardjan, this street equipment, together with the kiosks, "shapes an intangible infrastructure through small scale and number." Remarkable as individual works of industrial design, they reached their full potential only in context, as participants in their environments. Influenced by Christopher Alexander and Kevin Lynch—whose writings were introduced to Mächtig by Ravnikar—he considered how the street equipment shaped human perception. "A regular waste bin is more than an element that serves to keep the city clean; it is a means to design public space," Mächtig wrote in 1977. "A well-placed bin can conclude a journey, mark a change of direction, demarcate two areas through a rhythm of identical elements and more." In Lynchian terms, the kiosks were nodes, consolidating and generating activity.  In the early '70s, Mächtig produced the TD 1 telephone hood, which was made of curved Plexiglas. He developed the design further in conjunction with several other objects intended for public squares and sidewalks—Mächtig dubbed them "street equipment"—such as this square in Ljubljana, in which a K67 unit, a Žaba 1, and an EKOS recyclable-waste bin cohabitate. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana But can design that thrives on sensitive siting survive the whims of urban change, inevitable and unceasing as it is? Mächtig's designs maintain a paradox at their heart—they pursue regulation and indeterminacy in equal measure—but also a unique durability. While the K67 kiosks were not intended to exist in isolation, the qualities of their design on the level of the single, self-contained unit are a hedge against rapid extinction. Observing the K67's current status in postcommunist countries, the critic Owen Hatherley remarked that it suggests "some possible ways around the dichotomy of desperate vs. corporate." Indeed, the K67—by averring the opposition between objects and systems, hardware and software, the part and the whole, the top-down and the bottom-up—is a model for engaging abstract processes by precise, concrete means.  Telephone Hood. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana Compared with the fantastical plug- ins of Archigram and the Metabolists, the K67 may seem mundane. But today, now that impermanence, open-endedness, and interactivity inform solution- oriented endeavors from incremental housing to small-scale "tactical" interventions to emergency shelters, the pragmatism of the K67 is particularly relevant. In his career-long devotion to, and continual reassessment of, extremely focused problems, Mächtig offers another, more patient way to be a designer. Since 2003 he has been developing a new generation of kiosks, and soon user testing will begin. As Mächtig knows well, "you always have to listen."  A portrait of Mächtig with a model for his Žaba (Frog) 1 garbage bin, one of the many designs he executed soon after the first K67. Image Courtesy of Museum of Architecture & Design, Ljubljana  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 3 Success Stories Show How to Apply Road Safety Through Public Health Plans Posted: 28 Feb 2017 10:00 PM PST  © Flickr User: NYCDOT. Licence CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Vision Zero is an initiative that started in Sweden in 1997 when the country began implementing a series of road safety measures to reach their goal of zero deaths from traffic accidents. As a result, the country managed to reduce the number of deaths to 3 people per 100 thousand inhabitants. Since then the plan has been adopted by different cities and has inspired the creation of various organizations that are looking to make our streets a safer places. One of them being the Vision Zero Network that brings together traffic engineers, health professionals, local leaders, and policy makers.
Recently, the Vision Zero Network conducted a study entitled "The central role of public health in Vision Zero" where it assessed efforts in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco to implement the Vision Zero plan using tools and strategies associated with public health. What does that mean? The idea of linking Vision Zero and public health came about because according to US standards if 30,000 people died each year from a curable disease, that would be considered a public health crisis. However, when there are the same number of deaths in avoidable traffic accidents, they’re treated very differently. Because of this, the network states that an "urgent health framing and a public response" are necessary for these deaths to be dealt with accordingly. Chicago Healthy Chicago 2.0 is a plan developed by the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and more than 130 local organizations that seek to guide the work of the institution until 2020. The decision to include the other organizations was made because organizers believe that doctors and healthcare professionals alone cannot affect how safe people feel in relation to their neighborhoods and surroundings, despite recognizing it as an important factor for mental health. With the cooperation of the Chicago Department of Transportation they tried to identify the elements that contributed to this situation. They determined violence, poor street maintenance, violence, and street designs that aren’t user focused do not encourage feelings of safety within communities. They decided to establish the Vision Zero plan as a core strategy of the Healthy Chicago 2.0 plan to correct that. New York In 2000, New York adopted its first Vision Zero policy. That year there were 381 deaths in traffic accidents, compared to 701 people in the 1990’s. While the initial results were positive, maintaining and improving them over time was not an easy task if implementing the plan wasn’t viewed as a priority. A decision was made to survey the workers of different departments of the city and the result was a series of questions that allow further comprehension based on the premise that traffic collisions are not accidents, but events that can be avoided. San Francisco The San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) saw that after a collision, police didn’t always record the details of where an incident occurred or what caused it. Likewise, they noticed that a quarter of the patients who suffered injuries as pedestrians or cyclists were not included in the database. As a result, the city was losing valuable information that would help determine how often accidents occurred, the most dangerous intersections, and the severity of people’s injuries. In response to this, the people in charge of Vision Zero created a new card to use in hospitals to collect data pertaining to traffic accidents. The full case study can be downloaded here (PDF).  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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