An opening in the SOM-designed canopy over the train platform has am opening that frames the historic Denver Union Station. The neon sign on top of Denver’s historic Union Station says “Travel by Train,” a reminder of the bygone era when up to 80 trains a day would stop at the busy depot. In recent years, however, the building’s grand waiting room has sat empty except for the few Amtrak passengers waiting to catch the California Zephyr to Chicago or San Francisco.
A new television series airing on PBS will help viewers develop an appreciation for the creativity, ingenuity, and expertise that went into popular buildings. “Cool” is one of those words that has been so overused to be almost meaningless. So when a television show comes along called Cool Spaces!—with an exclamation point no less!—you’d be excused for any apprehension. But the program, a four-part series that focuses on the best new architecture in the U.S. and premieres on PBS affiliates across the country early this month, is considerably better than its title. The goal of the show, says architect/teacher/host Stephen
Though all the images on display in Photographs 1984-2014 by Peter Arnell at Manhattan's Milk Gallery are black and white, their contents couldn’t be more different. Outtakes from erotic fashion campaigns hang next to blurred New York City skylines. There are high-contrast photos of city crosswalks; a series of geishas in repose; close-ups of clothing out of context; the World Trade Center before and after tragedy; and a large selection dedicated to showcasing women’s feet. (In fact, Arnell’s fascination with feet has its own book.) But then, Arnell’s show at Milk isn’t your typical retrospective. The artist is better known
Kengo Kuma's bamboo installation is infused with the scent of Hinoki wood and Tatami mats. "The decisions we make are not all conscious," reflects Álvaro Siza, one of seven architects invited by curator Kate Goodwin to design and install an immersive installation within the galleries of London’s Royal Academy of Arts. “What we do depends much on our experiences.” It is these subconscious memories and instinctive reactions to light, material, and space that visitors to Sensing Spaces are invited to experience first hand. The installations, with varying degrees of success, go beyond the functional and visual to explore the physical
In July 2012, Dominique Perrault Architecture won a competition to transform France's biggest post office into a mixed-use municipal and commercial facility. The Poste Centrale du Louvre (Central Post Office of the Louvre) in Paris was built between 1880 and 1888. For French architect Dominique Perrault, 2014 is off to an impressive start. Last month, he inaugurated two new projects—DC Tower 1 in Vienna and a Grand Theater for the small town of Albi in southern France. At the same time that his Paris-based firm is designing tall buildings and large developments throughout Europe and Asia, he’s taken on several
Surrounded by history but bereft of innovative work from the past four decades, Cuban architects hope for the future. National School of Ballet (1961-5), by Vittorio Garatti. Making a living as an architect is tough anywhere. But in Cuba it is essentially impossible. Although Raúl Castro has loosened state control of the economy a bit, the private sector still barely exists. All legally-sanctioned construction is done by the government. And everyone agrees that a government salary doesn’t cover anyone’s monthly expenses. Cubans, though, are resourceful and somehow find ways to make ends meet. Over coffee at the Habana Libre Hotel
An artist's rendering of possibilities for the planned 11th Street Bridge Park in Washington, D.C. A Washington, D.C., nonprofit will launch a national design competition tomorrow to turn the remains of a highway bridge that spans the Anacostia River into a public park. The proposed 11th Street Bridge Park would connect the Washington Navy Yard, where there has been a recent explosion of growth and development, and the Anacostia neighborhood to the east. Built on top of piers left over from the bridge, it will cost about $25 million. The bridge as it looks today. The competition is being organized
Caret 6, by architect Kory Bieg of OTA+ and his UTSOA design studio, was inspired by the lines of ribbed Gothic vaults and made of thousands of diamond-shaped, CNC-fabricated pieces of sheet steel. Austin’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival—a week or so of music, film, and interactive events that draws thousands of visitors—has experienced ever-expanding scope creep since its small, loud beginnings in 1987. This year, architects got in the game, engaging the high-energy crowds with two noteworthy installations and one pop-up. One, Waller Wall, was installed on the outdoor terrace of SXSW Create—a portion of the SXSW Interactive festival
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