Fifty years after the opening of the acclaimed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao celebrates this iconic building’s golden anniversary by presenting Frank Lloyd Wright, the largest and most comprehensive exhibition that Europe has ever dedicated to one of the greatest architectural geniuses of the 20th century.
Built in 2004, Haus Bold is made of prefabricated concrete. 
The industrial looking cube-shaped house carefully uses glass walls and anodized aluminum facades. The site, equally minimalistic.
Concrete walls too. However, radiused walls and window treatments, textured, polished stone tiles, and a sunny day breathes warmth.
Concrete stairways and steel handrails take us to the second floor. Skylights, yes.
The stone tile is used on the wall in the bath. Stone sink. The mirror, the geometric lines play pleasant tricks.
All black kitchen. Stainless steel powder room. Very cool in every manner of speaking. Noticing the small planted trees via the large windows, these photos might have been taken right after move-in. Curious to know if large expansive walls now display art. Definitely a bold house.
Designer: thomas bendel architekt
Nearly seven weeks late, Zaha Hadid’s pavilion for the Burnham Plan centennial was worth the wait.
Thomas Gray’s film “Chicago: Past, Present and Future,” plays inside architect Zaha Hadid’s pavilion during the public opening that is part of the centennial celebration of Daniel Burnham’s 1909 Plan of Chicago in Millennium Park.
Co-design challenge winner Aston Martin and architecture super-firm Foster + Partners have teamed up to give the famed double-decker Routemaster a makeover.
Designed in collaboration with Aston Martin in response to Transport for London’s competition to design a new bus for the city. There are two first place winning design challenges pre-opinions with a vehicle that is environmentally sensitive, accessible and reinvents a much-loved symbol of London for the modern era. After an intense period of research which included canvassing opinion from passengers, drivers and conductors, the team worked to design a new bus from the inside-out. In doing so, consideration was given to a wide range of issues including layout, use of materials, motive power, passenger experience and the impact of the bus on the environment of the city.
The bus is designed to navigate the dense and varied streets of London, employing innovative technologies to allow for greater maneuverability and energy conservation. Optimizing safety, the driver’s cabin provides panoramic views as well as incorporating screens to supervise CCTV images and radio communications with the on-board conductor. Much like a car or a building, the design evolved in response to the needs of its users. The layout, lighting and wooden floors are conceived to encourage a spirit of warmth and community. The arrangement of the decks is driven by comfort and particular consideration is given to the selection of reconstituted leather upholstery to create a tactile ‘living room’ feel, especially in the saloon-like lower deck.
The new bus is zero emissions ready, accessible for all and will set new standards for sustainable public service vehicles. Passengers benefit from views from the top of the deck through a glazed roof which incorporates solar cells to absorb sunlight and generate energy. By filtering daylight the internal temperature is well controlled. The bus design re-introduces the rear open access platform that made London’s Routemaster bus so popular up until its withdrawal from general service. This is supplemented by a side door to facilitate access for those with impaired mobility as well as families with young children.
Below: Co-winner and alternate bus concept by capoco design
Chicago architecture critic, Blair Kamin reports that the Zaha Hadid pavillion is not up and running yet and a new contractor has been hired. There is an August 1 deadline to complete fabrication or delay penalties kick in. What may come out of this is simply the initial contractor was not up to the task. Or the architect’s concept is just that.
See feature article for more details on the Burnham Plan Centennial events.
Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for the New York Times, expresses an opinion we agree with.
above: a 2006 version of frank gehry’s design for the nets arena and atlantic yards in brooklyn.
above: the new design for the nets arena by ellerbe becket, an architectural firm based in kansas city.
The decision to scrap a Frank Gehry design takes away an opportunity to build a significant structure in Brooklyn for Nets basketball, is viewed as a major blow to architecture and the public trust.
“Like all great architecture, it challenged our assumptions of what a building of its type can do.” “Clearly, the city would be better off with nothing.” Buildings do last a long, long time.
via curated magazine & RT @curbed
If you guessed 1956 you’d be right. Hosted by John Daly. [ what’s my line? ]
Frank Gehry out as the architect for the Barclays Center, an exotic, $1 billion glass-walled arena. In is Ellerbe Becket, an architectural firm based in Kansas City, Mo., with $800 million arena. Well, $200M is $200M. We know it won’t look the same. via nyt [PR]
NeoCon® World’s Trade Fair, the National Exposition of Contract Furnishings, is the largest exhibition of contract furnishings for the design and management of the built environment in North America. NeoCon features the latest trends, products, and concepts in office, healthcare, hospitality, residential, institutional and government environments, all under one roof at Chicago’s famous Merchandise Mart.
above: a question I never really thought about until now. an interesting video.
Designer: Bernardo Rudofsky
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