by Hicks Stone. New York: Rizzoli, 2011, 336 pages, $85 This biography of Ed Stone by his architect son Hicks is a highly personal story of the rather melodramatic life of an architect who came to exemplify the best and worst of the 1950s. Like his fellow Arkansan, Bill Clinton, Ed Stone's rural roots engendered a Southern charm that propelled him to the center of Washington's inner circle and helped him win the commissions to design the U.S. Embassy in India (1954), the U.S. Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels Worlds fair, and the Kennedy Center (1962). Like Clinton, he had
by Charles Bloszies. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, November 2011, 144 pages, $25 Architectural hybrids are all around us. Most historic buildings are now, in fact, examples of additive architecture. But after the schism of modern architecture, making a claim for additions as valid contemporary architecture amounts to a manifesto. A book on this subject, and about the exciting work being produced right now, is sorely needed. This is not that book. Aiming to “explore the union of new and old architecture,” Old Buildings, New Designs is one of a number or recent publications on the question of re-use. But
Is landmarking a shield or a sword in the fight against overdevelopment? Among urbanists in America, the advent of landmark-preservation laws in the 1960s is usually viewed as an inspiring time in urban planning: Concerned communities, academics, and fans of architecture banded together to protect beloved old buildings from the grand plans of rich developers and powerful politicians. And, remarkably enough, the Davids usually defeated the Goliaths. But have they acquired too much power? So say a growing contingent of critics who believe preservation has gotten out of hand. They include left-leaning economic policy wonks, architects, and architectural critics. Photo:
by Richard Weston. London:, Laurence King, 2011, 216 pages, $29.95 Architect, historian, editor, landscape architect, and fashion designer Richard Weston is one of those indefatigable, suavely literate English polymaths who, among other accomplishments, has written studies of Alvar Aalto and Jørn Utzon. He also crafts books on impossibly broad topics like materials or the 20th-century house. Now, following Key Buildings in the Twentieth Century, he has tackled 100 Ideas That Changed Architecture. Click the image above for details about this book mentioned in this review. Unlike another maddeningly useless book of lists or slickly packaged architecture lite, Weston's 100 Ideas
The reversal of the Chicago River has been celebrated as an engineering marvel for more than a century—evidence that modern civilization could use its might and know-how to fix anything—even reorder nature itself.
by Jane Burry and Mark Burry. Thames and Hudson, 2010, 272 pages, $55 Technological advances have transformed mathematics from a loyal handmaiden to architects to a muse, largely because of the advent of accelerated desktop computing and advanced design software. Sophisticated software frees today’s architects from endless calculations, making complex forms like Mobius strips and water bubbles almost as easily achievable as conventional rectilinear forms—a phenomenon that was unimaginable a decade ago. This book—about the increased role of mathematics as a driving force in design—by husband and wife Jane and Mark Burry, is thoughtful, engaging, and richly-illustrated. Most of their
When a small project grows, you may face compensatory and consequential damages. Like poison ivy on a job site in the summer, an architect’s legal obligations to the owner can sometimes grow overnight. This phenomenon is well known as “scope-creep” to us lawyers who solve problems for design professionals. A classic example is the kitchen/bathroom renovation that grows and grows when the owner decides he or she wants to do a gut renovation of the entire house with you running the show. What a boost to the ego, (and one’s bank account). But wait. You probably documented your scope of
Three new books by thoughtful architect-urbanists, usefully read together, explore the current state of urban design. Each author investigates historic and current trends in the evolution of specific American locations, and posits approaches for responding to local character and shaping future growth. Click the image above for details about each book mentioned in this review. Lars Lerup left his native Sweden to come to America in 1966, and has lived in Houston for over 20 years, serving as dean at the Rice School of Architecture from 1993 to 2009. In One Million Acres and No Zoning, he notes the implications
Edited by Ricky Burdett and Devan Sudjic. London: Phaidon Press, 2011, 432 pages, $69. Seldom does a book make me actively angry, but Living in the Endless City did. When it arrived with the heft and size of a concrete block, I thought it was an architectural sample. Actually, it is a collection of essays by 38 contributors from conferences on world cities held by the London School of Economics and Deutsche Bank‘s Alfred Herrhausen Society. The book focuses on Mumbai, Sao Paolo and Istanbul. As such, it is a companion piece to an earlier effort published by the same sponsors called The
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