Hasta La Ideas

The process to bestow landmark status on Philip Johnson’s postmodern Midtown Manhattan skyscraper is now underway, a move that could stop Snøhetta’s planned renovation of the building from going ahead.

New York’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted unanimously today to set a date for the public hearing to preserve the tower at 550 Madison, commonly known as the AT&T Building.

The move, called calendaring, marks the first step in the city’s preservation process, which would protect the exterior of the 34-storey masonry skyscraper.

If granted landmark status, Oslo and New York architecture firm Snøhetta‘s controversial plans to replace part of its base with glass will need to be revised.

The hearing is expected to take place at the start of next year, after which the commission will vote on whether to designate the building as a landmark or not.

Despite the process ahead, campaigners are already celebrating today’s announcement as a win against Snøhetta’s proposed overhaul. Filmmaker Nathan Eddy, who organised a petition and protest against the plans earlier this month, said the atmosphere at the meeting was “electric”.

“You could feel the board’s enthralled reaction to the photographs shown and words spoken about the building’s importance, not only to architecture but to the city of New York,” he told Dezeen. “Their vote was unanimous.”

“Make no mistake, they are going to landmark this building. We have won,” Eddy added.

Snøhetta refused to comment but a spokesperson for 550 Madison development partner Chelsfield America said that it welcomed the move by the LPC.

“We support the calendaring decision by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to protect the special architectural aspects of 550 Madison Avenue, which we are as committed to as ever following our conversations with community stakeholders,” Chelsfield America managing director David Laurie told Dezeen.

Laurie also addressed the criticism that the renovation project has received but added that changes were still necessary in order to develop the surrounding area, as well as “breathe new life into the property that has been vacant for the past two years”.

“We recognise that the building has broad appeal and is at various levels an important part of architectural heritage, so we value a constructive dialogue as we develop the plans further,” he said.

“550 Madison plays an important role in reaching the goals of the Midtown East rezoning. To achieve that, the building needs upgrades that will enable us to bring more than 3,000 jobs to the area, generate economic activity, and dramatically improve the adjacent public space.”

It is less than a month since Snøhetta revealed its renovation plans for the postmodern skyscraper, triggering an outcry from the architecture industry.

Among those that attended Eddy’s protest on 3 November 2017 were New York architect Robert A M Stern, while British architect Norman Foster took to Instagram to back the campaign. Architecture and design critics including Olly Wainwright, Alice Rawsthorn, Alan G Brake and Alexandra Lange also all publicly spoke out against the renovation.

All expressed the need to conserve the skyscraper – the first to built in the postmodern architecture style, which emerged in the late 1970s as an ideological reaction against the utopian ideals of modernism.

Johnson and his partner John Burgee completed the 34-storey tower in 1984 for American communications giant AT&T. The building is famed for its ornamental flourishes like the “Chippendale” roof line, and brass and marble finishes inside.

Postmodernism is a controversial style that has often divided opinion, particularly recently, as many examples have been threatened with demolition.

Foster told Dezeen that he didn’t particularly like it, describing it as “cartoonish”. But he argued that some of the buildings like AT&T are worth saving.

Another example of a building from the style that currently under threat in the US is Helmut Jahn‘s James R Thompson Center in Chicago. Eddy has also protested the demolition of by creating a movie about the government building.

Image by Citizen 59, courtesy of Wikipedia.

The post New York commences plans to landmark Philip Johnson’s AT&T building appeared first on Dezeen.

In this week comments update, news that a 228-metre-high skyscraper with Matisse-inspired facade patterns will be built in London’s Croydon is met with heavy criticism.

United by hate: the “spectacularly tall” One Lansdowne Road tower by architecture studio CZWG is set for construction in early 2018, much to the disdain of commenters.

“Spectacularly tasteless, more like. Matisse, my foot. Only if those facade lines are symbolic of how the man is turning over in his grave,” fumed Jon.

HeywoodFloyd also took issue with the design’s apparent nod to the important French artist: “Tasteless, banal, elephantine and sophomoric. And then you get to a Matisse reference. Words fail me.”

“Great example of established political power mixed with a total lack of talent, “added Federico Nassetti.

Geofbob half-managed to find a redeeming element to the design: “It’s an old joke, but the best feature of the viewing platform will be that you can’t see the tower from it.”

“I find it utterly embarrassing. What a terrible design. Croydon needs improving not making worse,” wrote an angry Chris.

Malgorzata was the only commenter to go against the grain: “Everybody is writing that this building is extremely ugly and tasteless. In my opinion, some of Hadid’s skyscrapers are much more ugly and not criticised. Different standards for a star and non-star architects?”

One reader suggested that the project will eventually be named UK’s worst new building:

Were readers too harsh on One Lansdowne Road? Have your say in our comments section ›

Can EU not: British architect Norman Foster annoyed the staunch Brexiteers amongst Dezeen commenters with his decision to highlight the diversity of his firm’s employees in the face of the EU referendum result during a WAF speech.

None felt the architect had no reason to make the point:”Sorry Norman mate, aren’t you still a national of Spain? Why do you even care?”

“It may have something to do with the attitude of architects to analyse problems and then design a solution to that problem,” pointed out Johannes Renken.

“What solution did they design for the excesses of the European bureaucracy, the lack of democracy and transparency, and the rigidity of the Euro?” countered Clunking Fist.

This Guest was tired of the one-way flow when it came to this debate: “It would be so uplifting to hear an eminent architect say they’re behind Brexit and fully up to the challenge of whatever it may bring, but not one of them is daring to break ranks.”

One commenter was mainly happy to see both sides of the argument represented:

Read the comments on this story ›

Letter of the law: the first images of Renzo Piano’s recently completed tiered Tribunal de Paris, set to become the largest law complex in Europe, divided readers opinion this week.

She Grabs The Curtain seemed to think the design was pleasant enough: “I think it will be a nice place to work, with all the natural light and the little rooftop parks.”

Spadestick agreed: “Love the way the solar panels are expressed. Tired of our ilk trying their darndest to hide them. Why not celebrate their intended purpose more?”

But Onboard was not as their username suggested: “What is worse than a soulless building? Stacking four of them on top of each other.”

“This monstrosity should be against the law,” added Claos strongly.

“Isn’t that a direct quote of what they first said about the Eiffel Tower?” fired back Geofbob

One reader felt the Italian architect was treading familiar ground:

Read the comments on this story ›

Many sides: a proposal from creative agency Framlab to house New York’s homeless in hexagonal honeycomb-like pods attached to empty walls was met with mostly horror this week.

“I think the goal is sincere, and the concept is well thought-out, but this project lacks some fundamental human empathy” stated Rob Daurio.

SteveLeo was in agreement: “Designers need to stop thinking of homeless people as parasites, and therefore designing edgy parasitic architecture to house them. They need real, normal homes for real, normal people.”

Redgeweather applauded the proposal, to an extent: “Beautiful project, beautiful renderings, beautiful idea. However, this is pure ignorance. This is an ad for luxury futuristic micro-housing.”

“How are they supposed to go up there?” asked J, bringing up an entirely different problem.

This reader couldn’t help but troll those with serious concerns:

Read the comments on this story ›

The post “Nice to see a new contender for the Carbuncle Cup” appeared first on Dezeen.

A wood-lined cafeteria, black and white stairwells and blue lounges all feature at the Montreal offices for video game company Electronic Arts.

Local firm Sid Lee Architecture designed the interiors of the four floors occupied by Electronic Arts (EA) at 2200 Rue Stanley, in the Downtown area.

The aim was to produce a creative working environment for employees at the global company, which is behind popular game franchises like FIFA and The Sims, and also owns developer Motive Studios.

“Electronic Arts has always believed that game creators are highly qualified artisans and wanted to create a space that reflects that philosophy,” said a statement from Sid Lee Architecture. “A space that could serve as a backdrop where its own people’s art and Motive Studios’ creative-focused culture could grow and take centre stage.”

To do this, work areas were treated as clean, simple and adaptable, while communal leisure spaces were imbued with more character.

In the open-plan offices, black frames are used to partition desk spaces and provide supports for ceiling lights. Mirrors are used to make the floor area look larger and help to bounce natural light around.

Black is the dominant hue in the reception area, which is lined with glossy panels and giant screens. The same materials can be found in conference rooms, stairwells and bathrooms, where white surfaces are also used for a stark contrast.

Next to the reception area, a space for coffee breaks and informal meetings sits under images of leafy trees affixed to the ceiling.

Various breakout rooms each have their own theme, including one that is almost entirely painted blue, and another that looks like a sitting room.

The cafeteria features timber panelling on its wall and ceiling and has long wheelable tables for employees to sit at using mismatched chairs.

Other areas include a library, a gallery, a space for video game testing.

“Among the key drivers of the project was the desire to attract and retain top talent in the gaming industry, and to build and foster a strong creative culture,” Sid Lee Architecture said.

Founded in 2009, the firm recently completed the renovation of Montreal’s iconic Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel and previously designed the Amsterdam headquarters for drinks brand Red Bull.

Photography is by Stéphane Brügger.

The post Video game developers work and play at Electronic Arts offices by Sid Lee Architecture appeared first on Dezeen.

A home referencing the hop-drying towers of the Kent countryside, designed by British architects James Macdonald Wright and Niall Maxwell, has won the RIBA House of the Year 2017 competition.

The House of the Year title – formerly known as the RIBA Manser Medal – is awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects for the best new house or extension in the UK.

Architects James Macdonald Wright of Macdonald Wright Architects and Niall Maxwell of Rural Office for Architecture completed the winning project, Caring Wood, earlier this year.

Described by the jury as a “brave” new prototype for multi-generational living, the house provides a home for three generations of one family. It is divided into four interconnected blocks representing the four units of the family: the owners and their daughters’ husbands and children.

The angular roofs of the blocks are covered in terracotta-toned clay tiles, while the connected base is faced in rag-stone from a nearby quarry. The form and materials refer to the region’s oast houses, used to dry hops in preparation for the brewing process.

“This ambitious house explores new architectural methods, materials and crafts and allows us to question the future of housing and the concept of multi-generational living,” said RIBA president Ben Derbyshire.

“I’ve no doubt many of the ideas displayed at Caring Wood will influence UK housing for many years to come.”

The shortlist for the RIBA House of the Year 2017 has been announced over four episodes of the Channel 4 programme Grand Designs: House of the Year presented by Kevin McCloud. Caring Wood was unveiled as the winner during the final show tonight.

The project was selected by a jury chaired by the director of London studio DSDHA, Deborah Saunt. The winner of last year’s award, Richard Murphy, also sat on the panel, alongside designer Sebastian Cox, Sandra Coppin of Coppin Dockray Architects, and Jenny Eclair, a writer and the client of the 2005 RIBA Manser Medal-winning house.

The judges praised the architects’ ability to lend the 1,400-square-metre dwelling a feeling of homeliness in spite of its scale, saying they “manipulated space and scale to balance the need for grandeur with intimacy”.

They said the design, which sees the extended family share living spaces arranged around a central courtyard, offers solutions for the UK’s housing crisis, allowing families to share the load of childcare and allowing family units to remain together for longer.

“Beyond the impression of sublime craftsmanship and spatial grandeur this house offers, Caring Wood leads us to fundamentally question how we might live together in the future,” said Saunt.

“At a time when we are increasingly atomised, individually preoccupied and lost in personalised digital worlds, designing homes where families come together – in their many permutations – is an increasingly important aim,” she continued.

“Whilst this might seem to be a particular brief for one extended family, it is one taking huge risks in asking how we collectively might live inter-generationally as social structures evolve.”

Macdonald Wright Architects also designed a barn clad in black-stained timber for the grounds of the house, which act as a maintenance base for the some 25,000 native trees planted in its grounds.

Caring Wood was one of 20 properties named on the longlist for this year’s RIBA House of the Year award, when it was first announced in June 2016.

The list was gradually whittled down to a shortlist of seven, across the four week-duration of the television series.

Read on to see the other six houses shortlisted for RIBA House of the Year:

Shawm House, Northumberland, by MawsonKerr Architects

Ness Point, Dover, by Tonkin Liu

6 Wood Lane, London, by Birds Portchmouth Russum

Newhouse of Auchengree, North Ayrshire, by Ann Nisbet Studio

The Quest, Swanage, by Ström Architects

Hidden House, London, by Coffey Architects

The post Caring Wood country home in Kent named UK House of the Year 2017 appeared first on Dezeen.

A roundup of projects currently seeking funding on various crowdfunding platforms for your viewing (and spending!) pleasure. Go ahead, free your disposable income:

Closca Bottle

Remember this bike helmet? Well, Closca is back—this time with a water bottle that compliments the design of their nesting helmet. There’s only a couple days left to pledge, so get on it if you want one of your own. 

Orbitkey Accessories

Our friends at Orbitkey are back with accessories to compliment their original Orbitkey key organizer. We especially dig the simplicity of the Orbitkey Ring (pictured above), and apparently so do a lot of other people—with 45 days left in their campaign, Orbitkey is already around $130,000 above their original goal.  

Looma Hoverbox

Levitate pretty much anything with this small platform. At first we thought this could be gimmick-y, but the campaign photos are so subtle and beautiful we changed our minds.  

Eau Good Duo 

Here’s another water bottle design doing big things on Kickstarter right now. The simple strap around the bottle serves as an easy way to hold it during runs, and the bulge towards the bottom of the bottle keeps charcoal filters in place.

SailTimer Audio Tracking

This one’s a little niche but worth sharing for those who may need it—Audio Tacking for SailTimer charting apps goes to show changing the primary sense activated by a design (in this case hearing instead of sight) can make the experience that much easier.

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