News Junkie

A shiny shortlist and fast-tracking the registration process in Japan and New Zealand

If only all competitions made the shortlist public… the entries for the Calgary National Music Centre tell you nearly everything you need to know about the practices on the shortlist.

In other news,  the UAE struggles to produce innovative architects says a local tutor (not really news, but nice to see it being discussed), the Philippines is churning them out and New Zealand and Japan strike up a fast track registration deal.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in General, International news round up, Recession, Stararchitects | No Comments »

An Obamy urban policy?

It has finally happened; Obama has remembered that Urban regeneration was a key part of his pre-election policies. You can watch the video of his speech on the White House website, but cynics like News Junkie will want actions rather than words.

Elsewhere, Murcutt blames fusty planning officials for lacklustre architecture in Australia, SOM’s  Sears Tower gets renamed and Jean Nouvel transforms the Ile Seguin.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in General, Heritage, International news round up, Recession, Stararchitects | No Comments »

Ennis House hits the market and Dubai is down but not out

Despite the best efforts of the Ennis House Foundation, Frank Lloyd Wright’s house has hit the market and is being sold as a private property for a cool $15 million. Seems that keeping the house in good working order was just too expensive for the Foundation to keep paying out.

Also in the US, Hadid and van Berkel’s Burnham Pavilions open to the public. And despite construction activity grinding to a halt in Dubai and investors holding their heads in their hands in despair, all is not over for the Dubai approach to development, says the LA Times.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in General, International news round up | No Comments »

Elitism in Australia and Renzo Piano on working through the recession

Renzo says his studio isn’t really feeling the effects of the recession, which is nice for him if a little galling for everyone that is. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t empathetic. Apparently, after the Pompidou, Renzo got no work for years and he now sees leaner times as an opportunity to work on the projects you usually only have time to dream about.

And the Australians follow up BD’s report on exclusivity in the profession with a stroy on how the profile of the profession is cahnging down under.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in International news round up, Recession, Stararchitects | No Comments »

New York New York plus Graft’s Russian Jewish Museum

It’s a pretty New York heavy news round up today, with more rumblings from Atlantic Yards, the opening of the High Line and New York University’s new building proposal.

Thom Mayne has been announced as artist in residence for the LA film festival, and SanDiegoans (is that right?) are protesting against a jail expansion using twitter.

Outside of the States, nineteen pro-bono designs have been unveiled to rebuild the burnt homes in Victoria, Australia and Graft unveils its plans for the Russian Jewish Museum.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in International news round up, Stararchitects | No Comments »