April Fool 2013

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Zaha Hadid joins call for Pritzker to correct Scott Brown “oversight”

Denise Scott Brown outside Las Vegas in 1966

News: architects including Zaha Hadid, Farshid Moussavi and Hani Rashid have signed a petition calling for Denise Scott Brown (above) to be recognised as a Pritzker Prize laureate alongside her husband, Robert Venturi, who was awarded the prestigious prize in 1991.

The architects are among 1,720 people who have so far backed the petition demanding that “Denise Scott Brown be retroactively acknowledged for her work deserving of a joint Pritzker Prize”.

Denise Scott Brown photo by Frank Hanswijk

Awarding the $100,000 prize only to Venturi in 1991 was “an unfortunate oversight,” according to Women in Design, a student group at Harvard Graduate School of Design, who organised the petition.

Top: Scott Brown outside Las Vegas in 1966; photograph from the Archives of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown. Above: Denise Scott Brown photographed by Frank Hanswijk

Hadid, who became the first woman to win the prize in 2004 and was on the jury in 2012, signed up to the petition on Sunday morning, according to an announcement on the Pritzker Recognition for Denise Scott Brown page on Facebook.

The petition has also been signed by leading figures including architects Moussavi and Rashid, MoMA senior curator of architecture and design Paola Antonelli, architecture photographer Iwan Baan, Rice School of Architecture dean Sarah Whiting, and Berkeley College of Environmental Design dean Jennifer Wolch.

The petition follows an address last week by Scott Brown in which she described her exclusion from the prize as “very sad”. She added: “They owe me not a Pritzker Prize but a Pritzker inclusion ceremony. Let’s salute the notion of joint creativity.”

Scott Brown, 81, had been a partner at the couple’s practice Venturi Scott Brown and Associates (now VSBA) for 22 years when Venturi was awarded the prize, which is considered the most prestigious in architecture. She co-authored their seminal 1977 book Learning From Las Vegas and still works at the practice while Venturi, 87, retired last year.

Below: Robert Venturi photographed by Frank Hanswijk

Robert Venturi photo by Frank Hanswijk

“Women in architecture deserve the same recognition as their male counterparts,” said Women in Design. “Denise Scott Brown’s contributions were seminal to her partner Robert Venturi winning the prize in 1991.”

“Denise has suffered because she was in partnership with her husband,” wrote another signatory, architect Sarah Wigglesworth, on the petition’s website. “She was judged by a jury that overlooks collaborative effort and that recognises the male hero. Such bias needs redressing. Denise’s work has been seminal – as an architect, a planner, a writer and an educator. What more could anyone ask for?”

Jeremy Till, head of Central St Martins, wrote: “I was at a conference in Washington the day the Pritzker for Venturi was announced. Denise Scott-Brown was the keynote. Her answers to the questions at the end about the award were so dignified, furious and loving (all at the same time) that she should be awarded the Pritzker in her own right just for that.”

The Pritzker organisers said Scott Brown’s comments and the petition presented them with an “unusual situation”. Martha Thorne, executive director of the prize’s committee, told Architecture Magazine: “As you may know, the Pritzker Laureate is chosen annually by a panel of independent jurors. Those jurors change over the years, so this matter presents us with an unusual situation. The most that I can say at this point is that I will refer this important matter to the current jury at their next meeting.”

The jury of the 1991 Pritzker Architecture Prize mentioned Scott Brown’s contribution to Venturi’s work in their citation: “[Venturi’s] understanding of the urban context of architecture, complemented by his talented partner, Denise Scott Brown, with whom he has collaborated on both more writings and built works, has resulted in changing the course of architecture in this century, allowing architects and consumers the freedom to accept inconsistencies in form and pattern, to enjoy popular taste.”

In an interview with ArchDaily in 2011, Scott Brown spoke of her frustration at the way her role was perceived. “It’s hard for both of us — but particularly for me because I get obliterated,” she said. “Visitors to our office have tunnel vision toward Bob. I am seen as his assistant, not a professional in my own right, and certainly not a designer. Why that’s anathema would take a book to define.”

Zaha Hadid, who last month spoke out against “misogynist behaviour” in British architecture, became the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize in 2004. The only other woman to have won is Kazuyo Sejima, who shared the prize in 2010 with Ryue Nishizawa, her partner at Japanese architecture studio SANAA.

The row threatens to overshadow this year’s prize, awarded two weeks ago to Toyo Ito. The prizegiving ceremony for the Japanese architect takes place on 29 May at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

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to correct Scott Brown “oversight”
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Hello World

Valentin Ruhry est un artiste contemporain qui a imaginé cette œuvre appelée « Hello World », composée de centaines de commutateurs électriques, proposant d’afficher cette expression. Une installation présentée en 2011 au Austrian Cultural Forum New York, à découvrir en images dans la suite de l’article.

Hello World3
Hello-World-par-Valentin-Ruhry
Hello World2
Hello World

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Japanese architect Jo Nagasaka has stripped an office in south-west Tokyo back to the concrete to create a fashion boutique that looks more like an abandoned warehouse for Japanese brand EEL (+ slideshow).

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Nagasaka, of Schemata Architecture Office, explains that he associates garments with uncomfortable warmth, so wanted to design a cool interior that counteracts this feeling. “I wanted to make the background as calm as possible,” he explains.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Rather than adding new elements to the space, most of the renovation involved peeling away unnecessary layers and sanding down rough surfaces.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

“Our construction process was mostly subtraction,” he says. “We intend to leave this space somewhat incomplete and when clothes are set in place it will be complete.”

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

The architects removed the carpet of the old office and sanded down the exposed floor to create a smooth surface. They also pulled down a suspended ceiling to reveal lighting fixtures, electric cables and ventilation pipes.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Bookshelves and large boxes made from lauan plywood are scattered around the room as display areas for folded garments and accessories. Other hang from welded stainless-steel racks or from cables strung across the ceiling.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

A wall of concrete blocks separates the shop floor from storage areas at the back, while a glass partition creates a small meeting room to one side.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Jo Nagasaka launched Schemata Architecture Office in 1998 and has since worked on a number of shop interiors, as well as residential projects, office interiors and furniture design. Past projects include Paco, a house contained in a three metre cube, and the Tokyo flagship for fashion brand Takeo Kikuchi. See more design by Schemata Architecture Office on Dezeen.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Photography is by Takumi Ota.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Here’s a project description from Jo Nagasaka:


EEL Nakameguro

Creating a sense of ‘incompleteness’ was the key to our design. In my mind clothes are associated with warmth of human body, sometimes that feeling gets too intense and uncomfortably hot. This is why I wanted to make the background as calm as possible.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

We intend to leave this space somewhat incomplete and when clothes are set in place it will be complete. So our construction process was mostly ‘subtraction’, that is, dismantling, peeling, and scraping unnecessary layers, except for a few ‘additional’ elements.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

The site was formerly used as office space. For the floor, we peeled off the existing carpet and sanded exposed mortar undercoat thoroughly to make it perfectly horizontal and ‘super-flat’.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

As a result we created unique random mosaic pattern. In some places aggregates are revealed, and in other places finer particles cover up the surface.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

We also removed all the finishing materials – paint, baseboard, insulation etc. – from walls and ceiling, and hidden surface of concrete that is unfinished and not ready for public viewing is now exposed. By reversing the construction process, a state of ‘incompleteness’ reappears.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Display fixtures are also constructed halfway and left at a state of ‘incompleteness’. Stainless steel mirror and frame are welded for assembly and we left the weld joint unpolished, so it creates interesting patterns on the surface.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Hanging racks are made of anti-corrosive coated steel pipes. Surface coating is removed at joints then they are welded together. And we erase burnt traces of welding but leave steel surface unpainted.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Wooden boxes, used as display base, are made of lauan wood. It is a kind wood usually used for underlay, but we leave it unpainted. These unfinished elements reinforce our design concept of ‘incompleteness’.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Other elements are added to this space: glass partition wall, fitting room, concrete block masonry wall separating shop and back room, and a thick steel tension cable that is used to hang clothes, lighting fixtures and electrical wiring for lighting. When the final design element clothes are displayed, the space is complete.

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Title: EEL Nakameguro
Architects: Jo Nagasaka/Schemata Architects
Address: Higashiyama Meguro, Tokyo
Usage: Apparel shop

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Construction: TANK
Floor area: 123m²
Structure: RC
Completion: 02/2013

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Above: floor plan – click for larger image

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Above: ceiling plan – click for larger image

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Above: section A-A’ – click for larger image

EEL Nakameguro by Schemata Architecture Office

Above: section B-B’ – click for larger image

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Schemata Architecture Office
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ListenUp: Superhumanoids, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Permanent Vacation and more in our weekly music recap

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The Underachievers: Gold Soul Theory We’ve been fans of Brooklyn duo The Underachievers since catching them at Boiler Room’s Flying Lotus Takeover in NYC last September, which was shortly after they released “Gold Soul Theory,” a…

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House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Boxy wooden rooms branch out from a crooked blue spine at this family house in Sayo, Japan, in our second story this week about the work of FujiwaraMuro Architects.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Simply titled House in Sayo, the single-storey residence is located beside a car park in a sparsely populated residential district.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

FujiwaraMuro Architects planned the house around a meandering corridor, contained with the deep blue volume, and it swells in two places to accommodate a living room in the middle and a dining room at the end.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

“A narrow space threads through the center of this house, expanding and shrinking, curving and meandering,” explain architects Shintaro Fujiwara and Yoshio Muro. “This part of the house morphs and transforms to become a space for relaxation, study, reading or tea time.”

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Timber-clad rooms protrude outwards along the sides. One functions as the entrance, while the others contain bedrooms, bathrooms, a kitchen and a traditional Japanese room.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

A seating area is located within the recess cerated by one of the boxes and a small terrace is slotted between two boxes on the south side of the building.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Shintaro Fujiwara and Yoshio Muro founded FujiwaraMuro Architects in 2002. Past projects include a house with a corridor coiling around its floors and the recently completed House in Muko, which features a facade of huge vertical louvres.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

See more Japanese houses on Dezeen, including a converted warehouse with rooms contained inside a white box.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Photography is by Toshiyuki Yano.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Here is a few words from FujiwaraMuro Architects:


House in Sayo

A narrow space threads through the center of this house, expanding and shrinking, curving and meandering. This part of the house morphs and transforms to become a space for relaxation, study, reading, or teatime.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

We built a small room in the middle of this space. As the width of these branches changes, the purpose of this room, along with its relationship with the surrounding space, transforms along with it.

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Location: Sayo, Hyogo, Japan
Principle use: single family house
Site area: 262.53 sqm
Building area: 82.78 sqm
Total floor area: 81.26 sam
Project architect: Shintaro Fujiwara, Yoshio Muro
Project team: fujiwarramuro architects
Structure: timber

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Above: floor plan – click for larger image

House in Sayo by FujiwaraMuro Architects

Above: cross section

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FujiwaraMuro Architects
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True Facts About The Star Nosed Mole by Ze Frank

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“We wanted to bring the family portrait into the next century”

Dezeen and MINI World Tour: in latest video from Design Indaba in Cape Town, Masashi Kawamura of Japanese creative agency PARTY talks about the pop-up 3D photo booth he ran in Tokyo last year. 

"We wanted to bring the family portrait into the next century"

The Omote 3D Shashinkan project, which we featured on Dezeen last year, gave customers the opportunity to buy a 3D-printed model of themselves or their family. “We wanted to find a new way to innovate the form of the family portrait and bring it to the next century,” Kawamura explains. “What happens is, when you come, we take a full 3D scan [of your body] using our portable scanners. People could actually bring back home their miniature figurines, instead of a 2D portrait that you normally get.”

"We wanted to bring the family portrait into the next century"

PARTY used a colour 3D printer to produce the detailed models, which ranged from 10cm to 20cm high, but Kawamura believes there is still a lot of room for the technology to improve. “3D printing for me is a very exciting medium to play around with, but I think it’s still in a very early phase of development,” he says. “After doing this project we’ve learnt a lot of technical difficulties and a lot of things that could be done better in terms of technologies and also the materials that we use.”

"We wanted to bring the family portrait into the next century"

But Kawamura is optimistic about the future possibilities of 3D printing. “Everything, I think, will get better in the next year or two; there’ll be significant improvements,” he says. “Just the idea that anyone could manufacture their own product is very, very interesting.”

"We wanted to bring the family portrait into the next century"

This movie features a MINI Cooper S Countryman.

The music featured is by South African artist Floyd Lavine, who performed as part of the Design Indaba Music Circuit. You can listen to Lavine’s music on Dezeen Music Project.

See all our Dezeen and Mini World Tour reports from Cape Town.

"We wanted to bring the family portrait into the next century"

 

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portrait into the next century”
appeared first on Dezeen.

Floating ripple vases

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