Who Made "an Avant-Garde"?

On Wednesday, November 13, the Cooper Union is screening Diana Agrest's The Making of an Avant-Garde: the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies 1967-1984. If you're like me the IAUS brings to mind the journal Oppositions and Peter Eisenman. He can be found in the below photo as #4, but who are the rest? Who are these "makers of an avant-garde"? Feel free to comment with your guesses.



A couple hints: The graphic below (the bottom half of the film announcement from above, which I added the numbers to) and an Architect's Newspaper piece on an IAUS book, with a captioned photo of a ca. 1974 dinner.



Film screening details:

Wednesday, November 13, 2013
7pm Film Screening
Panel Discussion and Open Reception to follow
The Great Hall: 7 East 7th Street, lower level
Free and open to the public

SHoP DumbPhone-ography

At lunch yesterday I sauntered over to the East River Esplanade, and noticing one of SHoP's little buildings nearing completion (and without my ever-trusty but now broken camera), I took a few shots of it with my dumbphone. The glass pavilion sits underneath FDR Drive and is steps away from SHoP's Pier 15, which opened late 2011 and can be seen reflected in the glass walls of the below photo. 


[North elevation. All dumbphone photos by John Hill.]

According to the NYC Department of City Planning: "These pavilions will serve community and commercial uses with their imaginative architectural expressions that will complement the public open space as well as return the vitality of the city to the water’s edge."


[Northeast corner of the pavilion]

The covered areas on two sides of the pavilion (facing north and east) indicate that the building could be used as a cafe or something that requires waiting in line. New York Harbor Parks indicates "recreational/sports facilities with equipment available for rental." We'll have to wait for a little while to see what moves in.


[North elevation, looking west]

Unlike the abundance of wood at Pier 15, this pavilion limits that material to the L-shaped deck that is propped just a few inches above the surrounding pavement. In addition to the glass, the building is predominantly galvanized metal (aluminum would be my guess), which is used for the overhangs and much of the mainly solid south and west elevations.


[West elevation and north-facing deck]

A nice detail happens at the end of each deck, where the galvanized panels are perforated to allow and views to penetrate. When seeing the pavilion from under the FDR Drive (below photo), these openings give a greater view of the esplanade and shoreline, enticing people to cross the still dark and dingy thoroughfare. When people congregate on these decks, the draw should be even more enticing.

[West elevation]

Today's archidose #713

Here are some photos of the University of Aveiro Water Tank in Aveiro, Portugal, by Alvaro Siza, photographed by José Carlos Melo Dias.









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Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates:

This week's dose features the Clifftop House in Maui, Hawaii, by Dekleva Gregorič Arhitekti:


The featured past dose is the Centro das Artes | Casa das Mudas in Calheta, Madeira by Paulo David:


This week's book review is Discovering Architecture: How the World's Great Buildings Were Designed and Built by Philip Jodidio (L):

(R): The featured past book review is Great Buildings of the World by Time Inc.

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American-Architects Building of the Week:

Blaffer Art Museum in Houston, Texas, by WORK Architecture Company:

Weekend shopping: Artisan Lamp CO

You may have heard me speak of Artisan Lamp Company before, an antique lighting store in the Cleveland Park neighborhood of DC. They recently got in a large container of fixtures from France where they do much of their sourcing and I wanted to share with you some of my new favorites! This old bouillette lamp is a great classic.

One of my favorite things about Artisan is they change their window display every few days - especially as I live a few blocks up the street and pass daily! They have something for everyone from the most classic to funky mid century pieces.

The owner is particular to art deco style and great examples are to be found throughout the shop like this pair of lamps. Can't see see these on 1930s nightclub tables in a Fred Astaire movie?

This cute little arts & crafts bronze lamp would look great on a bookshelf.

I blogged about this interesting peacock lamp before and it's still available!

This aesthetic movement lamp on the right is a stunner. The lit lamp on the left had daisies handpainted on the shade -ideal for a girl's bedroom.

I've been in love with this marble specimen lamp for awhile now (yes, I visit the shop on a near weekly basis!) and can't believe it hasn't yet sold. Now if I could only find the right spot for it in my apartment....

Speaking of marble, this stately lamp is of a red marble with gilt capital and base.

I was obsessed with this fascinating French bronze lamp above but again -no room at the inn.

This very tall chased silver plated candlestick had been turned into a lamp and the detail is just stunning.

This cute little French cherub is a great addition to any traditional interior.

I love this neoclassical orb chandelier; I couldn't tell if the base is metal or stone. Artisan also carries a wide variety of antique decorative arts such as this bronze sculpture and a variety of paintings and glassware.

Don't forget to support your local businesses, especially unique ones such as Artisan Lamp-a real neighborhood treasure. They also sell online through their website and 1stdibs profile.
No payment or sponsorship was received for this post -just sharing an inspirational resource!

Book of the Moment: The SAGE Handbook of Architectural Theory

The SAGE Handbook of Architectural Theory is a 776-page tome that "documents and builds upon some of the most innovative developments in architectural theory over the last two decades." To mark the release of the book, Parsons SCE is hosting a panel discussion (free, no RSVP required) this evening; details are below.

Architectural Theory in an Expanded Field

Monday, October 28, 2013 at 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Wollman Hall (B500), Eugene Lang College
65 West 11th Street, New York, NY

Join Parsons SCE for a panel discussion with the general editors and US-based contributors of the Sage Handbook of Architectural Theory, celebrating the launch of the paperback edition convened by Brian McGrath, Dean of the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons and moderated by Joanna Merwood, associate professor of Architectural History at Parsons.

The panel discussion will explore the handbook’s agenda and consider its significance for architectural research, education and practice. A questions and answer session will follow remarks from the panelists.

General Editors:

• C. Greig Crysler, Associate Professor of Architecture; Arcus Chair, College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
• Hilde Heynen, Professor of Architecture, University of Leuven
• Stephen Cairns, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Edinburgh; Future Cities Lab Coordinator, ETH Singapore

Speakers:

• Stefan Al, Associate Professor of Urban Design, University of Pennsylvania
• M. Christine Boyer, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Architecture and Urbanism, Princeton University
• Brian McGrath, Dean, School of Constructed Environments, Parsons The New School for Design
• Deborah Natsios, Cryptome.org
• Vyjayanthi Rao, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, The New School
• David Solomon, Assistant Professor, Architectural Studies, Ithaca College
• Gwendolyn Wright, Professor of Architecture, Columbia University

The Sage Handbook of Architectural Theory documents and builds upon the most innovative developments in architectural theory over the last two decades.

With over 40 chapters of original material from a roster of contributors from around the world, the handbook connects together issues, institutions, authors and readers in ways that mark a significant departure from other collections of its kind. Eight major sections explore issues in architectural theory today, from new formations of power, difference and embodiment, and questions around science and technology, to the changing conditions in cities and metropolitan territories in the global present.

Nobel Center Matching Game

UPDATE 11/15: Three finalists have been announced. See my new post to find out all of the entries, or see the bottom of this post for the answer key.

Back in April the Nobel Foundation selected twelve architects to vie for the design of the Nobel Center in Stockholm. Eleven of the firms (minus Herzog & de Meuron) submitted designs at the end of September, and each of them can be viewed on the Nobel Center website. Oh, and each entry is anonymous. According to the website: "The jury will not comment on any proposal until 2-5 of them in November 2013 have been selected to proceed to the competitions [sic] second stage. The names of the architects behind each submission will at that point be revealed." Below are the proposals, followed by the list of the architects at bottom. So which architect goes with which proposal?

Design Proposals (in alphabetical order):

A. Archipelago:


B. Beyond 1210:


C. Butterfly:


D. Landing Seagulls:


E. Nobelhuset:


F. Nobel Sphere:


G. P(a)lace to Enjoy, A:


H. PRISM:


I. Room and a Half, A:


J. Space Between, The:


K. "We believe in...":



Participating Architects (in alphabetical order):

1. 3XN
2. BIG
3. David Chipperfield Architects
4. Johan Celsing Arkitektkontor
5. Lacaton and Vassal Architectes
6. Lundgaard and Tranberg Arkitekter
7. Marcel Meili, Markus Peter Architekten
8. OMA
9. SANAA
10. Snøhetta
11. Wingårdhs Arkitekter

If you care to guess, leave a comment below matching the proposals (letters) and architects (numbers), e.g. A1, B2, etc.

(Thanks to Fred B. for the idea!)

UPDATE 11/15: The winning combination:

A6
B8
C1
D7
E3
F9
G11
H2
I4
J10
K5

Invisible (Manchester) Cities 2

Even as I landed in the capital of the North I am filled with expectation, the original metropolis awaits; the real deal. I come with a mind overfilled with ideas of high rise glass temples of the developed West.
I am shocked, and met with a rose-tinted nostalgia for greatness long past rather than architectural greatness of now or of time to come.
I meander through the smaller than expected centre, I start to understand this fondness for the past. The city speaks its history through its buildings, a collection, an almost random mixture of styles, sizes and quality all screaming and vying for attention, all in different ways like money men on the trading floor. Let's not forget this is a city with money and financial speculation in its DNA.
From its buildings its inhabitants spill out, they must be cooped up inside as the city lacks any free space for them. These are the things that tell The Rainy City's present, that make this city. Its people; a city of all peoples. A city of drunks and academics, of workers and families. Everyone is here.
Thats what this place is. A city of mixture. A mixture of styles. A mixture of people. A mixture of culture. A true metropolis. The original. The real deal.

Reece Singleton and Xiao Weng

Today's archidose #712

Here are some of my photos of the PATH - West Concourse (2013) in New York City by Santiago Calatrava. The walkway, which opened on Tuesday, connects the PATH station (still under construction) with the recently completed Brookfield Place at Battery Park City; photos of the latter to follow. For orientation purposes, the marble wall lines the south side of the walkway so, for example, the top photo is looking to the west, toward Brookfield Place.



















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