Arch Daily |
- School Group Jean Ferrat / Atelier Didier Dalmas
- Apartment Refurbishment in La Ribera / A53
- Brick Cubes / Design Guild
- Modern Farmhouse / Christopher Architecture & Interiors
- Greycouch / IDEACOUCH
- Las Hojas House / OsArquitectura
- Public Project 1: Murmullos de amor / Benjamín Ossa + Agustín Infante
- Conestoga College Student Recreation Centre / MJMA
- Louvre Abu Dhabi Announces November Grand Opening
- Apple's Steve Jobs Theater Set to Take Center Stage Ahead of New Product Launch
- FSY House / Remy Arquitectos
- The Top 7 Travel Grants for Young Architects
- Franca House / BLOCO Arquitetos
- The Astonishing (Vanishing) Stepwells of India
- Eduardo Souto de Moura: Most Projects Don't Give Me Pleasure
| School Group Jean Ferrat / Atelier Didier Dalmas Posted: 08 Sep 2017 10:00 PM PDT  © Erick Saillet
 © Erick Saillet From the architect. The project is located on a land of 10,235 square meters on the boundary of the ancient center of Belley. It is served by the Chemin de la Rodette and the rue des Ecassaz. The plot has a steep slope.  Level 0 floor plan The project falls within a context of requalification of peripheral public spaces. For example, the creation of a public square on the northern part.  © Erick Saillet On a sloping ground, this was to realize a school equipment and a public space allowing to signify one of the entrances of the city. This project is not a place, it is not a view, it is not a school but it is a set that organizizes the slope and the entrance to the city.  © Erick Saillet The slope is constructed along a north-south axis, thus determining the oppositions of spaces. The public space, forecourt of the school, is distinguished by the distribution of the functions that integrate it: road, parking, and bus station to the East. In the West, a landscaped belvedere esplanade. This esplanade finds its extension inside the school equipment with the position of the recreation courses.  Cross Section The school is an element of composition of this North-South axis. It is organized around and along a central circulation on two levels. This allows you to manage the slope and provide walk-in access to all spaces.  © Erick Saillet This inner street creates large openings on the landscape to the east and on the western courts. It is a varied space with varied sequences. They are clearly identifiable and easy to locate.  Longitudinal Section The two groups of classes are treated as autonomous entities. The school restaurant and the multi-purpose dairy are at the ends of the road. The dirty polyvalente is overhanging the public space and becomes a "showcase" on the plot.  © Erick Saillet  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apartment Refurbishment in La Ribera / A53 Posted: 08 Sep 2017 07:00 PM PDT  © Nicolás Fotografía
 © Nicolás Fotografía From the architect. The project involved the refurbishment of an attic, in one of the oldest neighborhoods of Barcelona, la Ribera.  Kitchen Drawing Located on the corner of two pedestrian streets, the apartment's potential was enhanced by its two terraces, the views towards the city, its numerous windows, its wooden beams, its ceramic tiles and its wooden joinery.  © Nicolás Fotografía The original layout of the apartment consisted of a 42m2 floor plan with a 17m2 terrace on the floor lever and a 40m2 terrace on the upper floor with a 8m2 storage room.  Axonometric This layout generated small spaces downstairs, while the upper level terrace was empty and unformed.  © Nicolás Fotografía The target was to maintain the two bedrooms downstairs, create a wider open space for the kitchen with a dining room and a living room, and transform the storage room into a third bedroom upstairs. We decided to create a smaller and lower volume, as part of the bathroom, and organize the space around it, in order to offer an unobstructed view of the existing wooden beams, while also separating the kitchen/dining room from the living room with a direct access to the small terrace.  Salon Drawing Part of the dividing interior wall between the two bedrooms was demolished to make room for the wardrobes, while also part of the brick wall inside the big bedroom was exposed and restored to its former beauty, to add character to the room.  © Nicolás Fotografía We restored both the wooden beams and the wooden exterior and interior joinery to reveal their charm.  Bathroom Drawing We dismantled the parquet and created a new pavement plan by combining the cement floor with the apartment’s original ceramic tiles which were in good enough condition. The whole surface of the terrace was insulated and the exterior façades were restored. We used a frameless glass railing with no discernible visual joints in order to provide unobstructed views to the city’s skyline and to create the perfect windbreak.  © Nicolás Fotografía  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Sep 2017 03:00 PM PDT  Courtesy of Design Guild
 Courtesy of Design Guild From the architect. Land always gives many clue and guide line for Designing architecture and that is always much more than Designers' expectation.  Brick cubes Diagram There used to be a building for maternity clinic on this site. First impression of this masonry building was high masonry walls around the boundary of the site. That was one of the guide line that the site gives and that was the most strong impression which dominated whole process of designing.  Courtesy of Design Guild During the process of designing, we stayed in the existing building which is about to be demolished after we got building permit for 3 months from winter to spring. We were the future user and current designers of this site. It was absolutely a valuable time for an architect to have the chance to stay on the site for designing architecture. Every morning we experienced all kinds of contexts on the site; view to the site from all the direction, all the impressions that the sun radiation gives throughout the day, how cars and people pass by place, and the floor areas that are most popular and easy to be rented in the real estate market.  Section 04 Through the research and analysis of real estate market. We found out that the most popular and be-loved floor area in the building was between 120m2 and 150m2, otherwise, too small or too big. Looking at the building code, given BCR is 60%, FAR is 200% so if we maximize BCR, it is too big for single floor area. Instead of raising floor area, we made the building higher up to 6 stories and we started to manipulate masses to have our door space on each floor. Since each floor will be occupied by all different tenants, we made each floor to be looked like separated. Hope that people can recognize which part they occupy inside of building easily at once. and also, out door space is not calculated in legal FAR.  Courtesy of Design Guild  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Modern Farmhouse / Christopher Architecture & Interiors Posted: 08 Sep 2017 01:00 PM PDT  © Luker Photography
 © Luker Photography From the architect. The lakefront property came with a lot of topographical challenges. Instead of seeing the rocky terrain and steep cliffs as obstacles, the elements were ingrained into the design. The lot faces north, yielding an unexpected advantage in that it is unaffected by direct sunlight, making the home less costly to cool.  Sketch Perched on the edge of a cliff, the design is centered around uninterrupted views of the water and surrounding mountains. The lake-facing façade is made entirely out of glass, eliminating the need for artwork or busy interiors. No matter where you are in the home, the views are the focal point of every room. Architect Chris Reebals states, "I wanted to do something really dramatic. I wanted to play off the drama of the views and this sheer cliff, like it was rolling off the edge of a mountain. If you're sitting in any of the public places, I wanted it to feel like you're floating on the water. All you can see is water from the sides and front."  © Luker Photography The owners wanted a weekend getaway where daily activities revolved around the water. Numerous outdoor spaces and large windows were added to accommodate the client's desire for multipurpose areas that maximize fun and relaxation. While the glass wall gives the home a contemporary feel, the entry has a more traditional, farmhouse style. The family's bedrooms are located around the entry, allowing for more privacy, while the public spaces are minimal and open. This stylistic balance makes the home practical for the family and their guests.  Floor Plan By embracing the initial topographical challenges, Christopher Architecture & Interiors was able to deliver a unique, thoughtful solution that is just as functional as it is beautiful. With ever changing views, multiple outdoor spaces, and undemanding living quarters, this weekend retreat refreshes the soul — something that can be enjoyed year-round.  © Luker Photography Product Description.The lake-facing wall is made entirely of glass, provided by Nelson Glass (nelsonglass.com). The architects intentionally left out paneling so that the unobstructed views and changing landscape become the artwork for the home.  © Luker Photography  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 08 Sep 2017 12:00 PM PDT  © Taehyun Ryu
 © Taehyun Ryu From the architect. GREYCOUCH is a 4-story building located at the heart of a residential area in Seoul. This rough, gray cement building looks as if unfinished, standing among typical modern Korean buildings finished with reddish bricks.  © Taehyun Ryu The space designer, Taehyun Ryu (chief executive designer of IDEACOUCH) focused on minimizing the formative aesthetics of the building exterior and, instead, utilizing the interior space as well as expressing the lifestyle and personality of the space owner. In South Korea, a country that achieved fast economic development with high population density, there has been an expectation that private spaces need to look as large as possible, rather than that they need to be designed in a way that maximizes the efficiency.  © Taehyun Ryu However, the subsequent cultural and social stabilization led to change of such perception and, now, people are increasingly focusing on pragmatic and practical personal life rather than on the appearance and ostentatious display. Accordingly, the designer attempted to create a new and appropriate partition and composition of the floor plan while ensuring the colors and style reflect the personality of the owner.  Isometric Considering the narrow vertical space inside the building, glass stairs were used to maximize the efficiency of the circulation and partition, and each floor was divided by the stairs for different functions. For efficient use of space, the designer maintained the rectangular floor plan that accommodates the circulation and different functions of the space.  © Taehyun Ryu The living room and kitchen on the third floor are the most significant spot for everyday life of the owner who often enjoys partying with and cooking for his friends. In addition, watching TV, playing video games, and other daily activities take place on this floor.  © Taehyun Ryu The second and fourth floors were designed for rest, especially, sleep, with convenient light control and modest lighting that creates a cozy atmosphere. The terrace on the fourth floor double as a small swimming pool during the summer.  © Taehyun Ryu  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Las Hojas House / OsArquitectura Posted: 08 Sep 2017 10:00 AM PDT  © Fernando Alda
 © Fernando Alda From the architect. This house is located at the edge of a touristic coastal town in Tamarindo beach, Guanacaste. At 3km from the coast, the house nestles on the side of mid sized ridge covered in secondary forest.  © Fernando Alda  Ground Floor Plan  © Fernando Alda This forest and the relationship of the site with its topography makes for an immerse feeling in between the tree canopies which in turn were weaved into a series of roofs that naturally illuminate and ventilate the house as a manner of leaves floating over the landscape.  © Fernando Alda  Section - Model The house is surrounded by forest and thus the entire social area takes advantage of this condition and opens itself on all but one side. All the private areas are on the hillside and establish a more grounded position with less exposure to exterior activity.  © Fernando Alda  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Public Project 1: Murmullos de amor / Benjamín Ossa + Agustín Infante Posted: 08 Sep 2017 08:00 AM PDT  © Sebastián Mejía
 © Sebastián Mejía From the architect. Time and observation are good companions, one nourishes the other, they coexist in a virtuous space, if both are not related, they merge into the immediate. What hangs under the highway is lax in time and observation, surpasses the immediate.  © Sebastián Mejía Installing a device in the public space ignites and activates elements and phenomena that occur there spontaneously even naturally, its nomenclature seems logical even if we do not perceive them at all and we end up seeing the back of a motorway; The limit and infrastructure of its raison d'être. When I face that place, that supposedly residual space, I perceive its intense energy, the high traffic on the highway exert constant vibration on the slabs, the noise at the junction between the suspended road and the meeting with solid ground is established as the instant of shock, the wind that encases and occupies the level step as a transit corridor ends up making the place an active, dynamic and spontaneous space. A new kind of nature.  Plan  Courtesy of Benjamín Ossa + Agustín Infante  Sections 02 The work, this metallic mantle that hangs under the speedway, responds and uses concordantly the vibratory energy, the wind corridor and the architecture of the space to connect and tune with its surroundings. This idea does not distance itself from the place but on the contrary it clings and merges with it.  © Sebastián Mejía  Detail  © Sebastián Mejía  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Conestoga College Student Recreation Centre / MJMA Posted: 08 Sep 2017 06:00 AM PDT  © Shai Gil
 © Shai Gil From the architect. The project renovates and expands an existing aging facility to enhance student-life on campus and promote healthy, active living. The existing facility housed a gymnasium and an underutilized arena. A campus survey indicated only one-percent of students used the ice and a need for more gymnasia, fitness, and social space. The redesign updates the existing gym, adaptively reuses the arena with a new triple-gym and track, and a large student commons and classrooms at the second-level concourse. The new front addition contains a large welcoming reception, wellness centre, therapy rooms, and student rooms, and second-level fitness centre and multipurpose studios.  © Shai Gil The original project brief called for demolition of the existing arena with a new pre-engineered building to house student and fitness space. Planning research determined the existing double parabola roof complex could be repurposed at less cost with the former arena space adaptively reused for additional gymnasia. The main entry is reoriented to the campus, fronted by the new lantern-like addition of fitness and student programming, and a new student plaza connecting the new building to its campus. The new configuration retains the iconic form of the original complex while the expansion presents a new lighter face to the campus.  © Shai Gil Located on Conestoga's Doon Campus in Kitchener, the revitalized recreation centre reorganizes its' position on campus by placing the main entrance at ground level towards the campus rather than to the parking lot as in the existing plan. The fully glazed addition of fitness and multipurpose studios is suspended over the student plaza providing a covered outdoor public space. A green roofed canopy connects the adjacent academic building and replaces a seldom-used open overhead walkway. The new design introduces a ground level campus plan and architecture to replace the existing upper level secondary connections.  Before  Isometric The primary sustainable initiative is retaining and renovating the existing arena shell. This not only saves on capital costs, it retains a very beautiful and useful shell that is successfully repurposed. The existing areas are re-roofed and insulated for increased thermal performance. The renovation introduces natural light throughout the new gymnasium and running track to greatly reduce electrical lighting load. All glazing utilizes frit patterns to manage solar gain and all lighting is replaced or designed with LED. The new plaza is designed with bio-swale planting beds to manage all hard surface runoff without the need for stormwater sewer connections.  © Shai Gil  Floor Plans  © Shai Gil The Student Recreation Centre is a renovation and expansion that restores an aging athletic facility and transforms it into a dynamic hub for student life, activity, and wellness. Working closely with the College and Students Association, the facility is re-imagined as a central hub of campus life, where in addition to fitness, students can congregate, find healthy food options, and receive counseling and therapy. The new expansion flips the main entrance to engage the campus and increase connectivity. A student plaza and covered walkway at the entrance offer improved opportunity for social interaction, pedestrian movement, and help humanize the campus.  © Shai Gil  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Louvre Abu Dhabi Announces November Grand Opening Posted: 08 Sep 2017 05:20 AM PDT  Louvre Abu Dhabi's plaza. Image © Mohamed Somji The Ateliers Jean Nouvel-designed Louvre Abu Dhabi is ready to make its grand first appearance, as the museum announced it will open to the public on November 11th. Opening celebrations will take advantage of the unique structure, with a series of concerts, performances and events planned for a variety of spaces beneath the building's 180-meter geometric dome. Comprised of nearly 8,000 arabic motif stars, the steel pattern will filter sunlight into a dramatic 'rain of light' on the museum's walls and floors that calls to mind shadows created by overlapping palm trees.  Louvre Abu Dhabi's exterior. Image © Mohamed Somji Museum galleries will display a collection of artworks and artifacts from the entirety of humanity, from ancient objects to contemporary art. Other programming includes temporary exhibition space, a museum store and cafe.  Louvre Abu Dhabi's 'rain of light'. Image © Mohamed Somji  View overlooking the sea. Image © Mohamed Somji "After several years of studies and construction, guests will be able to enter this place of light, this revelatory meeting place of a number of planetary cultures beyond the seas and centuries," commented Jean Nouvel on the news. "It is an architecture that is protective of its treasures, it is a homage to the Arab city, to its poetry in geometry and light, and, under the large cupola, it is an evocation of the temporalities which inexorably punctuate the hours, days, and the passing of our lives."  Louvre Abu Dhabi's exterior with Abu Dhabi's skyline (night). Image © Mohamed Somji Learn more about the museum here.
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| Apple's Steve Jobs Theater Set to Take Center Stage Ahead of New Product Launch Posted: 08 Sep 2017 05:00 AM PDT Ahead of the official launch of the Steve Jobs Theater, a 1000-capacity auditorium at the heart of the new Apple Campus in Cupertino, California, new details about its design and construction have been revealed. According to Bloomberg, the entrance to the venue stands beneath "a silver disc," whose supporting—and structural—glazed panels lend it the appearance of floating 20 feet above ground.  Steve Jobs Theater. Image © Duncan Sinfield  Section. Image Courtesy of City of Cupertino (Via MacRumors) Two "custom-made" rotating elevators carry visitors into the subterranean space, which sits a full four stories underground. Passengers will arrive and leave from the same door, as the elevators circle the outer wall of the space. For Apple, Bloomberg comment, "the more elegant single door, with its complex engineering, [has been] preferred to the more obvious double-door solution."  Steve Jobs Theater. Image © Duncan Sinfield On stage, an inside wall "obscures a hollow space below the floating saucer", which will move to reveal the product demonstration space following the official keynote announcement. "One engineer," Bloomberg report, "said back in March that the building's budget meant each leather seat had cost Apple the equivalent of $14,000 apiece."
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| Posted: 08 Sep 2017 04:00 AM PDT  © Alejandro Peral
 © Alejandro Peral From the architect. The FSY house is located within a gated community on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, on a plot overlooking a small lagoon and a golf course. Designed for a couple that privileges the spaces of relaxation and reunion for when their children and grandchildren visit them.  © Alejandro Peral At pedestrian level, the front facade seduces with a set of concrete planes that fuses with the large panels of the gate and main door clad in Neolith, and a passive parasol system of micro perforated sheets that filters and gives privacy to the openings. We get to the entrance door after walking on travertine steps that contrast with the intense foliage of the plants that surround the path. The exterior wall covered in travertine accompanies us to the interior. In front of this, a wall covered from floor to ceiling in lapacho wood hides the doors to the guest bathroom and spa.  © Alejandro Peral  Lower Floor Plan  © Alejandro Peral The axis of circulation of the house is the large central space in double height. An exposed concrete wall, with a handmade cast, emerges from the reflection pool and disappears into the sky through the glazed roof. This meeting point of the house visually links all the rooms of the house. The reflection pool, coated in dark porfido, marks the bottom of the travertine ladder that floats on the water. Separated by a system of solid wooden jambs, the reflecting pool becomes the pool of the spa.  © Alejandro Peral The spa, realized in dark tones and exposed concrete walls, creates an atmosphere of relaxation that invites to enjoy the indoor pool. The spa communicates to the outside through a large glazed pivot door, which allows access to the gallery that extends from the side to the back of the house. Overlooking the garden, a double living, and formal dining room takes shape. All set with minimal furniture of the highest quality. The travertine marble floor extends to the outside, blurring the boundary between the inside and the outside.  © Alejandro Peral The kitchen and casual dining develops longitudinally to the ground and expands in the semi-covered barbecue separated from the main volume of the house. The quincho, like the rest of the house, was designed as a premier space. It stands out for its wooden ceiling that contrasts strongly with the volume of grill and kitchen in black slate. This space and infinity pool towards the lagoon form the space of relaxation for the guests of the house.  © Alejandro Peral On the upper floor, to the front, we have three bedrooms en suite for guests. Each one with different dimensions to accommodate both a couple or a couple with children. To the back of the building, taking advantage of the best visuals, the main suite and office spread.  © Alejandro Peral The office has a direct access from the main circulation. It develops in an L-shape, with a glazed roof sector that fills the place with light, to ensure good natural lighting throughout the day. In this room, the wooden floor is the negative of the exposed concrete ceiling, which copies the drawing of the wooden planks. The master suite consists of the sleeping space, dressing room, and bathroom. Each space was designed to be used independently, without disturbing other sectors.  © Alejandro Peral In the last level, accessible only through the elevator, there is an atelier with access to the terrace. The 360º views are the inspiration for the use of the studio. A home designed to entertain the family and enjoy with company. Working with a finely dosed pallet of materials linking lapacho wood, travertine marble, exposed concrete, and details of black granite and black slate.  © Alejandro Peral  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Top 7 Travel Grants for Young Architects Posted: 08 Sep 2017 02:30 AM PDT  Image <a href='https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-boat-near-brown-concrete-building-227417/'>via Pexels</a> For many young architects, studying abroad is a life-changing event in their development as a designer. It opens their eyes to a different culture, style, and history in a manner that no books or classes could explain. For that reason, architecture schools have been making study abroad easier and more ingrained in their curriculum. In addition to the study abroad opportunities offered by universities, there are many opportunities for students and recent graduates to travel and explore their own topic of study. Below is a list of 7 amazing grants and scholarships open to young architects and students: Rotch Travelling ScholarshipThe Rotch Travelling Scholarship is for individuals who want to travel the world studying architecture. To receive this award, you must compete in a 2-stage architecture competition. The winner is awarded a substantial travel stipend to travel and study abroad for at least 6 months. The study topic and itinerary are at the winner's discretion. Deborah J Norden FundThe Deborah J Norden Fund is offered through the Architectural League of New York. The intention of this $5,000 grant is to support genuinely independent projects that require travel. The grant has supported a wide array of projects all over the world. Preference is given to proposals from applicants who have not had this sort of opportunity before. Build Abroad Travel ScholarshipBuild Abroad is an organization that builds and repairs communities all over the world through construction volunteering programs. The two founders of Build Abroad were architecture graduates, and therefore have decided to host one architecture student or recent graduate to travel internationally through one of their programs. This scholarship is awarded yearly. Gabriel PrizeThe Gabriel Prize is awarded to one person every year to study classical architecture and landscape in France. Prize winners will be able to create their own 3-month itinerary focusing on some aspect of French architecture. The project is put on by the Western European Architecture Foundation and is awarded in the form of a $20,000 grant. RIBA Norman Foster Travelling ScholarshipThe firm Foster + Partners and RIBA jointly offer a yearly grant known as the RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship. The scholarship is only open to students and the prompt changes from year to year. This prestigious scholarship is awarded to one student project after being reviewed by a panel of judges including Norman Foster and the President of the RIBA. Steedman FellowshipThe James Harrison Steedman Fellowship is one of the oldest architecture scholarships in the US. The award is intended to support an emerging architect in 6 months to one year of international travel for architectural research. It is open to anyone who has received an accredited degree in architecture within the last 8 years. SOM Traveling FellowshipSOM is known for being one of the largest architecture firms in the world, but you may not know that they have their own foundation. The SOM Foundation gives out 2 annual awards through a single competition. The awards, $50,000 and $20,000 respectively, are given to students or recent graduates to expand their professionalism in a way that can only be achieved through travel. Patrick McLoughlin is one of the two founders of Build Abroad, a volunteer organization that offers architectural and construction services to developing nations.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Franca House / BLOCO Arquitetos Posted: 08 Sep 2017 02:00 AM PDT  © Haruo Mikami
 © Haruo Mikami From the architect. The Franca House is located in na urban plot in one of the residential areas in Brasília, Brazil, called Lago Norte (North Lake). Here the recent low in the rent prices and the estabilization in the prices of the land have favoured a change in the neighborhood´s dwellers profile. The settlement of young families with children besides the occupation of the houses by new residential programs such as student shared houses have increased the density of inhabitants. In our view this transformation creates a new opportunity to reactivate the idea of the house as an extension of the city and vice-versa, which is a way of seeing the public space that was usual for the families that lived there in decades before. Therefore the fundamental idea of the project was to create a strong possibility of connection between the public space (the street) and the private space (the house).  © Haruo Mikami The sliding access gate is transparent and it is built with a steel mesh attached to a thin steel frame, all painted in black. It can be completely open together with the lateral opening gate, leaving the internal floor completely connected to the street through the ramp. The sanded natural stone that was used in the ramp connects to the concrete floor of the public walkway, creating a continuous surface. Most part of the ground floor is set up in only one space that contains the uses of the living room, dinner table and kitchen. It´s a space that is characterized by the exposed concrete of the structure of the upper floor (which makes the ceiling of the ground floor), its circular columns and the transparent window frames that allow an open visual connection between the public space and the backyard. In this mostly transparent part of the house the exposed structure doesn´t hide the imperfections that are inherent to its construction, leaving behind the marks that were left by the concrete molds in opposition to the uniform surfaces with few openings of the white volumes on the first floor and part of the ground floor. These volumes conform the part of the program that had a bigger need for privacy or solar protection such as: bedrooms, bathrooms and service rooms.  © Haruo Mikami  Axonometry  © Haruo Mikami Two terraces were created on the first floor. One is open to the street and the backyard, besides being visually connected to the living room though a window/bench that opens to a double-height central void. The second one is private and it is directly connected to the bigger bedroom. The stretching of the lateral walls aims to create shade on the terraces and to protect the interiors from unwanted views from the neighboring houses.  © Haruo Mikami  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Astonishing (Vanishing) Stepwells of India Posted: 08 Sep 2017 01:00 AM PDT Thirty years ago, on my first visit to India, I glanced over an ordinary wall. The ground fell away and was replaced by an elaborate, man-made chasm the length and depth of which I couldn't fathom. It was disorienting and even transgressive; we are, after all, conditioned to look up at architecture, not down into it, and I had no clue as to what I was looking at. Descending into the subterranean space only augmented the disorientation, with telescoping views and ornate, towering columns that paraded five stories into the earth. At the bottom, above-ground noises became hushed, harsh light had dimmed, and the intense mid-day heat cooled considerably. It was like stepping into another world.  Sai Nath Baoli: Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Image © Victoria Lautman This was a stepwell – one of thousands that proliferated throughout the subcontinent, predominantly in India, beginning in around 600 C.E. They were first and foremost efficient water-harvesting systems, but that bland label doesn't begin to describe how spectacular these structures are as marvels of architecture, engineering, and craftsmanship. Yet few people outside (and often within) the country have ever heard of stepwells, much less seen one, and millions of visitors flocking to India's forts, palaces, temples, and tombs are completely oblivious to the wonders languishing nearby, often mere steps away and hiding in plain sight.  Van Talab Baoli: Amer, Rajasthan. Image © Victoria Lautman For nearly fifteen-hundred years, stepwells were perhaps the most significant structures in their communities, but their importance didn't guarantee them a secure future. Only a relative handful have been preserved and carefully maintained, one of which—the incomparable Rani ki Vav in Gujarat—was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. Most, however, are in various states of decrepitude and today stepwells are an architectural endangered species.  Mahil Baag Jhalra: Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Image © Victoria Lautman The primary purpose of any stepwell was to provide water for drinking, washing, and irrigation year-round – no simple feat in regions where the precious resource might be buried nine-stories beneath ground. In dry seasons, flights of steps could reach the groundwater when it was a mere trickle, while during India's dramatic monsoons, the steps (which could number well over a hundred) gradually submerged as the water level rose. At those times, the often-vertiginous descents were reduced. (Undoubtedly a relief for women fetching water daily while balancing vessels on their heads.)  Chand Baori: Abhaneri, Rajasthan. Image © Victoria Lautman But stepwells (generally known as "baolis", "baoris", or "vavs" depending on the region and language), served other essential functions. They could be active Hindu temples, for instance, or important shrines or, simply, shady retreats during scorching summers. Stepwells were gathering places for local communities, particularly for women who led otherwise constrained lives. On remote trade routes, stepwells were crucial—not unlike today's highway rest-stops—whereupon travelers could seek refuge for days. Useful "tools" for local rulers and wealthy patrons to show off their munificence, stepwells were pricy acts of charity that demonstrated benevolence to the population at large. It's believed that twenty-five percent of the structures were paid for by women in honor of deceased husbands or sons.  Ambapur Vav: Ambapur, Gujarat. Image © Victoria Lautman The stylistic range of stepwells is mind-boggling: linear, square, L-shaped or round; constructed of masonry, brick, or rubble; intimately-scaled or downright enormous; encrusted with sculpture or minimal and modest. Like fingerprints, no two are exactly alike, but solid information about them is shockingly limited and wildly conflicting. Three seminal books on the topic, written years ago by scholars Jutta Jain-Neubauer, Morna Livingston, and Julia Hegewald, are now out of print and difficult to procure, but even boilerplate facts such as dates and names are debated in all relevant sources. One fact is indisputable: stepwells can be breathtaking, heartbreaking, but most often both.  Indaravali Baoli: Fatehpur Sikri, Rajasthan. Image © Victoria Lautman Despite their prominence for a millennium, stepwells lapsed into obscurity during the British Raj, when they were deemed intolerably unhygienic. Many are thought to have been destroyed, though just how many is anyone's guess. The advent of modern amenities like village pumps and plumbing hastened their decline and, untethered from their original purpose, most stepwells deteriorated, filling with silt, vegetation, and garbage, while bats, bees, snakes, and other critters took up residence. But no matter how dilapidated, encountering a stepwell remains a powerful experience, and one that every visitor to India should have.  Batris Kotha Vav: Kapadvanj, Gujarat. Image © Victoria Lautman Many are easily accessible, while others can be elusive, which is unsurprising considering their introverted nature. Often, a stepwell has so little above-ground presence as to be nearly undetectable. More often, however, they have so little currency in their community that even locals don't know where to find them. Driving in circles, quizzing shopkeepers, walking along footpaths with herders and farmers – it's all part of the hunt and can be alternately frustrating and rewarding. It's no easier in cities, where modern construction has completely surrounded the ancient structures, which are only visible by leaning out windows or climbing onto rooftops.  Adi Kadi Vav: Junagadh, Gujarat. Image © Victoria Lautman Derelict or not, there are plenty of stepwells today that soldier on, performing at least some of the same roles as a thousand years ago. Some are thriving temples, others are used for irrigation, while still others are favored spots for bathing and swimming. A recent groundswell of preservation efforts by the Indian government and assorted NGOs has been breathing new life into the moribund monuments, and the results are heartening. Communities have begun to clear their local stepwell of silt and debris, which has restored water for the first time in generations. And several hotels have lured curious tourists by advertising historic stepwells on their property – one even offers romantic dinners by candlelight.  Panna Meena Ka Kund: Amer, Rajasthan. Image © Victoria Lautman My own stepwell obsession has led me all over India since that first experience thirty years ago, and I've visited roughly two-hundred by now – but only a fraction of those remaining. The only way to ensure the future of these "subterranean ghosts" is to raise awareness, create demand, include them on every tourist itinerary, in every guidebook, in university courses, documentaries, and many more books. It's up to us to spread the word.
 The Vanishing Stepwells of India
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| Eduardo Souto de Moura: Most Projects Don't Give Me Pleasure Posted: 07 Sep 2017 11:00 PM PDT  © Columbia GSAPP via VisualHunt / CC BY During an interview with Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias, Pritzker Prize laureate Eduardo Souto de Moura spoke to Ana Sousa Dias about his path through the Fine Arts School, his work alongside Noé Diniz and Álvaro Siza, and his consolidated international career – which he says has given him projects, but not pleasure. "If I have to do 30 projects, there are three that give me joy and 27 that don't. I'm tired of it. It doesn't annoy me arguing when the assumption is intelligible, but when only time and money matters, it can get ugly. Respecting elections and economically have big profits," said Souto de Moura. When asked if he ever thought he would receive the most prestigious recognition in the architecture field, the architect replies, "No, but that's the golden rule, never think about awards. I'm glad, I'm not falsely modest. [With each new project], architecture becomes more difficult – we are older, it takes more energy, more money to invest, more time, and every time there is less of it all. How long is this going to continue? This has changed so fast that I do not have the energy to catch the train." Read DN page for the full interview.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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