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"The international war over exit signs"The (US) big, red "EXIT" sign vs. the nicely designed little green man running for the door (rest of the world). In case you were wondering, yes, we really are an island...
Economy Is Down, but Dubai Tower Tops All"For all the towers that give shape to Dubai’s skyline, the city-state still hails the addition of each new one as a reaffirmation of its reach-for-the-skies spirit..." Vegas, baby!
Metropolitan Home, RIPBefore there was Dwell, there was Met Home. The December issue will be the last.
The Bourne Constructability Review"The Architect" by Charles Bancroft "...Providing a rare insight into the world of architecture through the eyes of a modern day architect, the story weaves through the many layers and cultures of London, across Europe, to the Middle East and beyond, all viewed through a haze of alcohol and distorted by sexual intrigue..." Oh brotha! - Thanks, Alex!
Architect Charles Gwathmey passes away at 71The Modernist architect is the second of the "New York Five" to die--he succumbed to cancer yesterday.
Prairie Avenue Bookshop to CLOSE?!?Forty-eight years after the Hasbroucks started the business from their suburban Park Forest home, they say the bookshop will likely close on September 1st. I'm in shock, it's not only a Chicago institution, its a national institution in the architecture and design community.
Julius Shulman passes???In an apparent scoop (or false report?), Archinect says that the great architectural photographer has died.
Mama took the Kodachrome away"The Eastman Kodak Co. announced Monday it's retiring its most senior film because of declining customer demand in an increasingly digital age." Good-bye, old friend.
Recycled Rubber Revisited"EPA scientists are worried that they don't have enough information about potential health risks from chemicals in the rubber material, which is popular because it decreases playground injuries and is low maintenance and weatherproof."
Arts and the Stimulus Package$50 million in US stimulus money has been designated to the creative community, or .006% of the total stimulus package. But news about available money is better than news of budget cuts.
This Haus is getting OLD..."The legendary Bauhaus movement turns 90 this year and the anniversary is being marked by exhibitions from Tokyo to New York. The school was founded by a young architect, Walter Gropius, who wanted to shape products for the future and create a more just society." The official celebrations are taking place on April 1st in Dessau, Weimar, and throughout the rest of Germany.
The Empty Nest SyndromThe Bird's Nest, CCTV Headquarters, the National Center for the Performing Arts... apparently just building it and spending a gazillion in the process does not automatically mean they will come?
Marvin Rand dies at 84A photographer whose images captured more than five decades of Los Angeles' architectural history, including landmark works by Irving Gill, Charles and Henry Greene and Watts Towers creator Simon Rodia, died Saturday. Sad news. The images in my memory of many Southern Californian buildings are actually photos made by Marvin Rand. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago; a generous soul, excitedly recounting tales of photographic assignments from decades past.
Architect Lord Foster to lay off 350 workersLord Foster is a part of the world economy afterall. Bummer...
VIDEO: Fire rips through Beijing hotel designed by KoolhaasHoly smokes! A real live towering inferno... yikes. The hotel is part of the new China Central Television’s headquarters complex designed by Rem Koolhaas/OMA.
Defriending is THE trend for 2009!"It is very easy to end a friendship on the internet. You simply click on ‘remove from friends’ - and you’re done. And according to trend watchers, this defriending will be the trend for 2009." Good thing we are not friends... you can keep us on your list that way.
Free work devalues profession, says RIBA"The RIBA has issued a warning against architects offering work for free during the recession, an approach it claims will devalue the entire profession." So free work = BAD?! Quick, someone cover the interns' ears!!
Another one bites the dustDomino Magazine is packing it in. Rumor has it the downhill slide began with their endorsement of L+L...
Architects Express Concern Over Economic Stimulus PlanBlah blah blah, waah. Blah blah blah blah blah, waah.
Jorn Utzon dies at 90"Jorn Utzon, the Danish architect whose eye-catching, nautically inspired design for the Sydney Opera House overcame a series of controversies surrounding its budget and acoustics to become one of the most recognizable landmarks of the 20th century, helping to usher in the current era of buildings beloved for their daring and photogenic forms, has died. He was 90."
AIA confirms: "Economic Downturn Stalling Design Activity""The AIA’s Architecture Billings Index (ABI) recorded its ninth straight monthly decline in October. However, the October drop to 36.2 was the steepest decline in its history, surpassing the weakness reported last February and March as the broader economy was just beginning to decelerate." - Hey, I thought architecture was immune?! Gotta tell Santa all about this one...
Architects rank high in "Happiness"According to a University of Chicago study, architects rank #4 on the happiness scale when broken down based on profession. Now we just have to let the architects know that they are happy...