Still from “koolhaas houselife” (1998, BekaFilms)
I just stumbled over the website of koolhaas houselife, a movie about OMA’s villa Floriac in Boredaux (flickr images):
This is realized through the stories and daily chores of Guadalupe Acedo, the home’s caretaker and housekeeper, and the other people who look after the building. Following and interacting with Guadalupe, blooms an unusual and unpredictable look at the spaces and structure of the building.
This approach is in stark contrast to the usual clinical clutter-free and people-less depiction of architecture on the one hand. On the other hand it shows us a building not in it’s new (idealised) state, but after some years of use, when small adaptations have been made, some details proved to work well and others fail: the design is confronted with human use, the structure became a home. In Koolhaas words (video after the break): Continue reading ‘Koolhaas Houselife’
the ‘Architecture 10′
The Dutch Government proves again that they see Architecture as one of NL’s marketing-worthy assets. The Royal Dutch Mint has released 10 and 5 Euro coins displaying the names of important contemporary and historic architects, as well as some of their publications. Not buildings, these seem to be reserved for bills. The decision to focus on theory, not practice, ties in with the generous funding Netherlands supports architecture publications with. The ease to shell out books contributed to the ‘Super-Dutch’ era in the 90ies.
The mill about the coin design:
he Architecture five-euro coin was designed by artist Stani Michiels (b. 1973). The design on the obverse of the coin pays tribute to the history of Dutch architecture, with the portrait of Queen Beatrix being distinctively constructed using the names of important architects from Dutch history. The artist used the internet as a popularity-meter to determine the names’ order of appearance.
The reverse of the Architecture five-euro coin draws attention to the striking fact that many Dutch architects have also included publishing books on architecture in their professional activities. To illustrate this phenomenon, recent books on architecture rise up from the sides of the coin like buildings. Through their careful placement they combine to outline the Netherlands, while birds’ silhouettes suggest the capitals of all the provinces.
You can buy it in the Mint’s coin store.
MovingCities.org has published the fith and last part of a wonderful documentary on China. Each part is about 6 minutes and covers different themes.
The documentary is a mix of very quiet, long shots of remarkable sites and thoughts of five local architects to the respective theme.
‘China According to China’ is initiated, developed and shot by Diego Grass Puga from 0300TV, a web channel for architectural broadcasting. It was completely filmed before 2008’s Beijing Olympics and edited right after its ending.
Continue reading ‘China According to China’
Model photography of the coking plant with new western part, photo: Claudia Strahl / ASTOC
Once a gigantic high-performance machinery, daily output of 8,500 tons of coke, as well as ammoniac, bitumen, and benzene, workplace for 1,000 people. Since 1999 open to the public. Today development area for the next building stage on the World Heritage Site.
The coking plant development concept has been presented by ASTOC , the cologne based office for which I am working. It is the basis for future land-use plan. Tenor: The coking plant should become an animated area, whilst maintaining its industrial structures. An urban space for culture and work. Varied, self-dynamic, but easily comprehensible and generating an identity.
Continue reading ‘Area with Development Potential >>> Zollverein Coking Plant’
Montréal’s Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), in collaboration with the Cities Programme of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), will host this year’s James Stirling Memorial Lecture on The City this coming Thursday, 13 Nov. 2008 (7pm) at the museum; admission is free. In it’s 3rd year, the international competition intends to “promote innovative approaches to urban phenomena, and to reposition architecture at the centre of debates on the city of the 21st century.”
This year’s lecture is by Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray of Studio Works (Los Angeles) and will present Beijing Inside Out: Caochangdi.
Continue reading ‘James Stirling Lecture at the CCA’
MVRDV / ADEPT Architects design for mix-use high-rise ‘Sky Village’ for Copenhagen
MVRDV and co-architect ADEPT have just released images of their winning entry for the Rødovre Skyscraper Competition in Denmark. The tower reaches to 116m and is a mixed-use programme of appartments, hotel, retail and offices. We are aiming for more images very soon.
Continue reading ‘MVRDV’s Sky Village - Winning Skyscraper Competition Entry - Updated’
