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Archive for the 'urbanism' Category

Parlez-vous Francais? Don’t miss Métropolitains.

szacka, Thu 13 Mar 2008
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architecture, art + media and urbanism

I recently discovered a radio program that is broadcast by Radio France Culture every Wednesday from 10 to 11 am. Called Métropolitains, this show existed since 1999 and is hosted by the architectural critic François Chaslin. Métropolitans is a program about architecture and the city. With a smooth voice, François Chaslin and his guests talks about several subjects from landscape architecture to design, lighting, scenography, exhibitions, the city and - of course - its buildings. For example the show of February 27 was entirely dedicated to the British architect Richard Rogers, who is presently presenting a monographic show at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Also have a look at the 5th of March show, which was dedicated to the philosopher and architect Wittgenstein. Celine Poisson, specialist of the Wittgenstein house and professor of design at the Université du Québec à Montréal, was guest of the show. On the 20th of February the roles were reversed: various architects and historians challenged François Chaslin on issues regarding the actual status of architecture.

You can download Podcasts and archives of the show at the Métropolitains site.

The Dawn of Contemporary Dutch Architects

Darrel, Thu 15 Nov 2007
3 comments …
amsterdam, architecture and urbanism

Y-Oevers-06

Y-Oevers Collage ( © unknown)

Back in 1992, the young and aggressive Dutch architects that we know so well today, came together to work on a large project in Amsterdam. The Ruimtelijk Scenario Y-Oevers Amsterdam (Translation: Spatial Scenarios for the Y-Waterfront Amsterdam) shows a long list of heavy-hitting architects and urbanists that now largely control the European architecture debate.

The project was carried out by the teams of: OMA, Neutelings, van Berkel & Bos (now UN Studio), Christiaanse (now KCAP) and West8. The model was built by De Rijk Parthesius (including Vincent de Rijk). Even more impressive was the line-up of the teams and to see where each of the members went on to. At times, they started their own offices, as with the case of Alejandro Zaera (Foreign Office Architects), Winy Maas (MVRDV) and Rients Dijkstra (Maxwan). The final booklet for the project reads as a whos-who of contemporary Dutch architecture, and the designs and presentation methods within are absolute precursors to the styles developed by each of the offices throughout the rest of the 1990s until today. You can almost tell which architects worked on which drawings, it’s an amazing period just prior to the launch of the many offices we see today in Rotterdam.

Continue reading ‘The Dawn of Contemporary Dutch Architects’

Sudapan Competition Launched

Martin, Mon 8 Oct 2007
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architecture, competition + tender, theory + strategy and urbanism

sudapan

sudapan flyer

Supersudaca, a befriended south-american think-tank has launched Sudapan – Endless(s)trips, an international competition about the urban potentials of mass-tourism in the Caribbean. The competition focuses on the 140km resorts-strip of Riviera Maya, on the Mexican coast.

The competition tries to put forward of the key territorial issues of Latin America and the Caribbean for their inclusion in the contemporary global agenda. Endless(s)trips is a competition of ideas about the urbanism potential of the massive beach tourism in the Caribbean.

Endless(s)trips is a space of reflection an proposals for rethinking the relation between the local elements, the tourists, the environment, tourism managers, the State, the infrastructure and the landscape. It is an opportunity to imagine other cities, other territories and other ways of tourism management.

Due to its size, dynamism and complexity, the Mayan Riviera is an intense and urgent case of great potential, an urbanism laboratory in the Caribbean coast.

Endless(s)trips is supported of the IAAC (Advanced Architecture Institute of Catalunya) and sponsored by Prins Claus Fonds.

* Tourist strips are the mono functional strips of tourism activity developed along the coast line.

Jury

Vicente Guallart (Valencia, Spain, 1963)
Winy Maas (Schijndel, The Netherlands, 1959)
Prof. Carel Weeber (Nijmegen,The Netherlands, 1937)
José Castillo (Mexico)
Bruno Stagno (Santiago, Chile)

Full explanation is available at www.sudapan.org. Feel free to contact info@supersudaca.org for more information. Anyway, make sure you check out their slideshow on the type of ‘urbanism’, created by all-inclusive tourism.

Rotterdam’s Skyscrapers

Thomas, Tue 2 Oct 2007
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rotterdam and urbanism

 
 Golden Tulip Hotel [0:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 Euromast [0:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 
 Montevideo [0:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For those who’ve missed the recent day of open doors, here are views from some of the highest of Rotterdam’s rooftops (all courtesy of dakvanrotterdam.nl, © 2006 - Roelof de Vries). Click on the images to get started (quicktime required, ctrl and shift to zoom). The overview map and more panoramic views can be found here.

Plan 07 - City as Readymade

claudia, Wed 19 Sep 2007
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events + super design fun and urbanism

Painting action of ASTOC at the Buchheimer Weg

Painting action of ASTOC at the Buchheimer Weg (photo: Christian Diekmann)

From 21st to 28th September the Forum for current architecture is launching the PLAN 07 in Cologne, Germany. It is the 9th architecture festival with venues all over the city featuring diverse exhibitions, lectures and more. With public realm as a theme the city will become a stage for projects done by architects, urban & landscape designers, institutions, artists and scientists.

For the full program and further information please take a look under plan-project.com.

Al Manakh - Listen to the Koolhaas, Wigley & Bouman Debate @ NAi

Darrel, Fri 14 Sep 2007
9 comments …
architecture, books + mags, lecture + review, movies, recordings, and more and urbanism

Wigley-Bouman-Koolhaas

Left to right: Mark Wigley, Ole Bouman, Rem Koolhaas (all photos: Darrel Ronald)

The NAi (new website) hosted the book launch and discussion featuring Rem Koolhaas, Mark Wigley and Ole Bouman Monday night in Rotterdam (10-09-2007).

The three presenters first outlined their positions about the gulf region context, before sitting down to take questions about the book. As a possible strategy to diffuse the potential early judgments and criticisms of the crowd, Bouman asked the question, “Who has been to Dubai [or gulf] and seen it first hand?” Roughly not even 10% of the crowd raised their hands, and only half-heartedly at that. It reflects one of the weaker themes of the evening that ‘we should not judge’ the situation in the gulf region, especially in the UAE. When it came to the questions at the end of the evening, the presenters were at times defensive, and repeated numerous times that the books aims to suspend judgment and rather present a detached overview/reading of the situation. But this is not to say the evening wasn’t full of great ideas, polemics galore, and of course, the exciting subject of Dubai and the Gulf Region itself.

 
 al manakh presentation [1:57:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

More Photos can be found in our photo section.

Continue reading ‘Al Manakh - Listen to the Koolhaas, Wigley & Bouman Debate @ NAi’

The Future of European Urbanism? Part 2

Darrel, Sat 8 Sep 2007
1 comment …
events + super design fun, theory + strategy and urbanism

Permacity

The Delft School of Design at TU Delft will hold another conference on urbanism following on the heels of the first. Permacity is an international conference on the 27th and 28th November in Delft. The conference theme concerns “the sustainability of urban environments and urban societies under the conditions of globalization and ongoing urbanization.”

The conference applies Permaculture to urbanism and urban design as a position for creating sustainable cities. It should be great for anyone interested in Landscape Urbanism and who feels that designers share responsibility for the future of civilization.

Competition: van Nelle & Spangen

Thomas, Mon 3 Sep 2007
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competition + tender, rotterdam and urbanism

Spangen Aerial

Spangen Aerial

Stichting Spangmaker announced a small open competition to link the Rotterdam neighbourhood of Spangen better to the van Nelle ‘Design Factory’ (a gem of modernism, worth a closer look anyhow!). 1st prize: 10.000€, deadline 18th october.

The Future of European Urbanism?

Darrel, Thu 30 Aug 2007
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events + super design fun, theory + strategy and urbanism

ISUU Poster

The TU Delft Faculty of Architecture will soon host the 4th International Seminar on Urbanism and Urbanization, with professors from around the the world discussing the theme of: The European Tradition in Urbanism -and its Future. From the 24th to 26th September, many participants will be at the school addressing issues of permanence and change, and conformitites and differences within urban practices within both a European and non-European context.

The main speakers will be: Bernardo Secchi, Joaquim Sabate, Marcel Smets, Zdenek Zavrel, Heng Chye Kiang, Jurgen Rosemann, Christine Boyer and Han Meyer. This is mainly a conference for PhD students, other scientists, and professionals in the field of urbanism; and is jointly organized with KU Leuven, UPC Barcelona and IUAV Venice.

One of the main events will be a round table discussion concerning Urbanism after the Welfare State, and is probably quite important for contexts such as the Netherlands, which has over the past 10 years totally shifted public policy concerning the housing corporations. I know, it sounds quite dry, but this is urban planning-speak. I can imagine that the heart of the matter can be good content. As for the future of (European) Urbanism, the task of urbanists in general is to make the profession much more user-friendly, ugh.

Al Manakh - A First Look

Darrel, Mon 27 Aug 2007
4 comments …
architecture, books + mags, lecture + review, marketing + pimping, theory + strategy and urbanism

Al Manakh 01

Cover, photo: Darrel Ronald

Since first seeing the AMO Gulf Cities study presented at the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale, most of us have been anxious to hear more about the region, and get an in-depth look at the economic processes at work. And so the wait is over with the release of Al Manakh, released throughout the Netherlands this past week, and is widely available, including at the NAi.

While the book was first released for the attendants at the May 2007 International Design Forum (IDF) conference in Dubai, it has been notoriously hard to get ahold of until now. The 495 page book was largely organised by Moutamarat, a recently-established private body that aims to “create business knowledge for the Arab world.”

Al Manakh serves as a barometer for the changes taking place in the region, and translated, the title means “the climate”. As Koolhaas writes in the opening, the book is a form of “critical participation”. But when he writes that “The Gulf is not just reconfiguring itself; it’s reconfiguring the world”, I find it hard to believe this is entirely special. Can we not say this about China? How about New York and London?

If you have already heard, both Koolhaas and Bouman will present the book at the NAi on September 10th at 20.00. If you haven’t reserved tickets yet, you are probably out-of-luck, since it has been sold out for some time. I don’t usually see scalpers at the doors either.

Continue reading ‘Al Manakh - A First Look’

AIR Foundation Conference

Thomas, Wed 15 Aug 2007
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architecture, events + super design fun, rotterdam, theory + strategy and urbanism

On Thursday, 11 Oct 2007, the AIR (Architecture Institute Rotterdam) hosts a conference about the state of Rotterdam’s architecture in an international context. Three young panelists have been invited to review 25 buildings of the city.

Jaime Salazar :

Why can’t Rotterdam return to the forefront in applying imagination to design and production, and lay the ground work for a truly sustainable architecture?

Angelika Schnell:

No doubt Rotterdam’s wish is to be shameless, modern, radical and metropolitan – the ‘city of architecture’. But the reality is more modest, yet more complex.”

Michael Speaks :

Lloyd Quarter is the result of an approach to city development that treats architecture and the city more like products than producers.”

The Dutch Flyer after the break. Admission for the conference (13:00-18:00, De Doelen, Jurriaanse Zaal, Kruisplein 30, 3012 CC Rotterdam) is 175€, and a more friendly 20€ for students. Continue reading ‘AIR Foundation Conference’

Claudia Strahl at the TU Munich

claudia, Wed 15 Aug 2007
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lecture + review, theory + strategy and urbanism

I recently held a lecture at the TU MUNICH, Department for Landscape Architecture and Public Space, on the topic of public space in London, presenting some of the work at maxwan architects in Rotterdam. Here’s is an excerpt of it:

Cross River Park, UK

Cross River Park in its final stage

“Cross River Park in its final stage”

Continue reading ‘Claudia Strahl at the TU Munich’

documenta interview marathon

Martin, Thu 9 Aug 2007
1 comment …
architecture, art + media, books + mags, events + super design fun, lecture + review, theory + strategy and urbanism

mini-marathon.jpg

german architecture & theory magazine arch+ put the first three videos or their interview marathon at the documenta online.

yes, its the same format as the serpentine gallery event and yes, its also Koolhaas and Obrist who are interviewing.
The first online videos are with Marie-Luise Scherer, former ‘der spiegel’ reporter (on journalism and writing), Karl Schloegel, historian (on bottom-up europe) and Thomas Schütte, sculptor (on his archi-scultures, life as an artist and many things more).

Unfortunately the interviews are almost completely in german. I didn’t know RK speaks such good german…

Looking forward for many more to come. The complete list should include:

Thomas Bayrle (*1937, Künstler, Frankfurt/Main)
Gottfried Böhm (*1920, Architekt, Köln)
Hannes Böhringer (*1948, Philosoph, Berlin/Braunschweig) Continue reading ‘documenta interview marathon’

Associative Design @ Berlage

Thomas, Fri 13 Jul 2007
19 comments …
architecture, movies, recordings, and more, process + technique, rotterdam, school tracker, theory + strategy and urbanism

 
 associative design III [48:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
associative design III - berlage institute second year studio (requires quicktime, turn sound on)

Last week I attended the presentations of the associative design 2nd year at the Berlage research studio synthetic vernacular. Led by Peter Trummer and assisted by our fellow dysturb evangelist Martin Sobota, the class investigated traditional chinese building typologies. The principles found in the analysis were used to create a set of rules to create a framework to parametrically derive urban structure and architecture of an exemplary plot in Shanghai: Deus ex Machina.

The research group divided up into for teams, each focussing on different base parameters as FAR, degrees of privacy, climate, internal room organisation, sun trajectories. The formal decisions of the teams also led to varying urban fabrics, from low-rise high-density urban mass not unsimilar to south-american favelas to a styled courtyard & slab network. The results are cutting edge and and visualisations of the process are breath-takingly beautiful. But watch the movie first, then proceed to the review.

Continue reading ‘Associative Design @ Berlage’

Now Published: Power to the House - Powerhouse Company

Darrel, Fri 13 Jul 2007
1 comment …
architecture, books + mags and urbanism

Power To The House
Power To the House cover, source: Powerhouse Company

The emerging Rotterdam architecture and urbanism office, The Powerhouse Company, has just published their first “autobiographical magazine”, Power to the House. The magazine is an exciting overview of their work over the past couple years, and features architectural and urban projects, buildings under construction, competitions, and research.

The Powerhouse Company is run by Nanne de Ru in Rotterdam, and Charles Bessard in Copenhagen. The two-year old office is off to a good start with their strategy of working across Europe. The young architects have split their office in two cities from the start and exploit free online tools and cheap long-distance networking tools such as Skype, Gmail, You Send It, Lulu and Transavia. They represent a new generation of ambitious architects that know how to exploit the tools of globalisation to get things done.

The magazine is self-published, and can be either downloaded digitally for free, or bought and delivered to you in print form, from Lulu online publishing.

Continue reading ‘Now Published: Power to the House - Powerhouse Company’

Hiroki Matsuura at the chocolate factory

claudia, Mon 2 Jul 2007
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architecture, lecture + review, rotterdam and urbanism

From May 30th to June 5th 2007 Hiroki Matsuura (maxwan a+u) held a workshop on “public space” in the famous chocolate factory “Red October” in Moscow. The workshop was accompanied by a lecture featuring some of the office’s projects. A summary follows.

De Gasperi Housing development, Italy
Masterplan “De Gasperi Housing development”

“Masterplan “De Gasperi Housing development”

The “De Gasperi housing development” was a competition held in 2005 by the city of Naples. After the 2nd phase of the competition, we were awarded first prize and are expecting the start of construction next year. The location of the site is about 6km to the east from Naples city centre, in an adjacent outskirt of Mt. Vesvio. The size of the site is about 5ha and the aim of this project is to regenerate the area, which was built as a high-density post-war residential area in 1950.

Continue reading ‘Hiroki Matsuura at the chocolate factory’

skating zaha

Martin, Wed 13 Jun 2007
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architecture, process + technique and urbanism

skate phaeno

a friend of mine just pointed me to one of the latest events in the AccessAllAreas program: skating Zaha’s Phaeno in Wolfsburg. Unfortunately the video of a

50-50 down a 15 stair rail with a mean kink at the end which reminds of that Pat Duffy kinkrail in SF by Mack McKelton from Berlin.

is pretty unspectacular from an architects point of view. …. apart from the six-pack closeup for the girls maybe… There will be more coverage soon under accessallareas

via DRMTM and skateboard.de and nillomatic

Al Manakh published by OMA

Thomas, Tue 29 May 2007
2 comments …
architecture and urbanism

Al Manakh Cover

Al Manakh, a architectural guide for the Gulf area, has been published by OMA during the IDF. Read more at the IDF blog. If you don’t get the title of the book, read it again aloud.