Hasta La Ideas

Dezeen Wire: this week architecture critics have been discussing A Room For London, a boat-like apartment on the roof of the Southbank Centre that will accomodate temporary overnight guests throughout 2012. 

Writing for The New York Times, Elias Redstone declares the project a “wonderfully surreal vision” that “originated from surprisingly practical concerns,” namely the tight budget and challenging location.

An account from The Guardian’s Liz Bird gives an insight into what it is like to stay in the vessel. She writes: ”the pièce de resistance is the snug upper deck, filled with London-themed books, which we quickly rename ‘The Bridge’ and where we write up the ship’s log”.

Observer critic Rowan Moore praises the project as “an enjoyable and well-made jeu d’esprit”, but warns readers not to be disillusioned into thinking of the project as an aid to urban regeneration, stating that “it is not a prototype for future Thames-side development”.

Contrastingly, Edwin Heathcote of the Financial Times discusses the “unheimlich” (uncanny) qualities of the rooftop apartment’s nautical aesthetic, and controversially compares it to the “shocking and visceral images of the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami last year” when fishing boats were “left marooned on roofs after the waters had subsided”.

A few Dezeen readers got caught up in the fun aspects of the project, with one keen to “spend all day interpreting scenes from Jaws” and another imagining images from Mary Poppins – see all our readers’ comments here.

You can see images of the project in our earlier story here, or see more stories about the instigating organisation, Living Architecture, here.

Dezeen Wire: the Board of the Venice Architecture Biennale have confirmed that British architect David Chipperfield will curate the architecture sector of this year’s exhibition, as reported on Dezeen Wire back in November, while Italian film critic Alberto Barbera will direct the cinema sector.

You can read more about David Chipperfield here.

Here’s some more text from the biennale organisers:

The Board appoints new Directors: David Chipperfield for Architecture and Alberto Barbera for Cinema

The new Board of La Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta and composed of Giorgio Orsoni (Vice-President), Luca Zaia, Francesca Zaccariotto and Emmanuele Francesco Maria Emanuele, met for the first time on 27th December 2011 in the Biennale offices at Ca’ Giustinian and proceeded to appoint the Directors of the Architecture and Cinema sectors.

The appointments were decided as follows:

David Chipperfield was named Director of the Architecture Sector with the specific responsibility of curating the 13th International Architecture Exhibition, which will be held in Venice, at the institutional venues of Giardini and Arsenale, from August 29th to November 25th 2012 (preview on August 27th-28th).

Alberto Barbera was named Director of the Cinema Sector for a four-year term. The 69th Venice International Film Festival will be held at the Lido di Venezia from August 29th to September 8th 2012.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of the Biennale Paolo Baratta declared:
“The Board first wished to thank the Minister for the Cultural Heritage and Activities Lorenzo Ornaghi and the Parliamentary Commissions for having expedited the procedures and having thereby been able, just a few days after their designation, to reach a decision on the appointment of the President and the members of the new Board of Administration of la Biennale di Venezia. La Biennale could only reciprocate by proceeding with the same alacrity to take the decisions required to begin operations on the next four-year period, in particular in the fields for which the decisions were most urgent.

For Architecture, the Board of Administration knew that David Chipperfield had already been contacted, and that he had shown great interest in being appointed as Director of the International Architecture Exhibition of the Biennale. We thank him for accepting and for having patiently awaited the official designation. Kazuyo Sejima’s appointment brought this Exhibition back into the hands of an architect, and Chipperfield’s pursues the same course. After a series of Exhibitions that illustrated the many different ways of approaching the theme of architecture in the contemporary era (sociological, technological, urban), it appeared useful to turn to an architect who demonstrates great interest in architecture as a discipline and raises questions about the elements of which it is composed, about the objectives it pursues, about the constraints that affect it, about the tools that it uses to shape places, spaces, buildings. The next Architecture Exhibition will be characterized by the emphasis on a series of relationships that connect great architects and younger generations that refer to them. This Exhibition will represent a major opportunity to bring both the general public and the world of architecture up to date. This is also why it has already begun to organize the program involving Universities from all around the world, entitled Biennale Sessions, successfully tested during the last edition of the Exhibition.

To continue to pursue the growth of the Venice International Film Festival, and to address the rising competition, the Biennale is committed to promoting the program to renovate the venues already begun last year, which will proceed throughout the next four-year period in the perspective of regenerating the entire Lido area.

To achieve this end, it is essential to create an intense harmony between the Biennale and the City of Venice, on which the completion of this project is largely, if not entirely, dependent; a harmonious relationship with the Lido, with its population, with its tourist facilities; a harmonious development with the city of Venice and with its administrative representation.

This commitment is important and must be steadfastly pursued. The Board of Administration has appointed Alberto Barbera as the Director of the Venice Film Festival for the next four-year period. Barbera will assist and advance this evolution with his recognized professional capacity, his intuition and his creativity. Venice’s position in the calendar of international Festivals must be developed to its fullest potential, along with the Venice Film Festival’s capacity to attract the finest international productions, which are actively promoted in the fall and winter that follow. In addition to his ability to attract quality films, Barbera adds the capacity to engage the many different artistic events related to the language of cinema, and the organizational capacity to develop the Industry Office into a ‘Light Market’ with realistic but significant objectives. Alberto Barbera has confirmed that he is willing to cultivate the possibilities of the Biennale College to develop permanent activities in Venice that will involve young artists. His work with the Museum of Cinema in Turin will undoubtedly prove helpful to this endeavour. Following the development of these activities in Dance, Music and Theatre, the Cinema and Architecture Sectors will also contribute to the instrument of the Biennale College, the growth of which will be actively pursued in the years to come. Just as it has acknowledged the extraordinary results of the International Art Exhibition and the other activities of the Biennale, the Board of Administration expressed its gratitude to Marco Mueller for having contributed throughout eight consecutive years to the growth and recognition of the Venice International Film Festival”.

David Chipperfield in particular says about his project that:
“Participants will be encouraged through a declaration of affinities to make connections with other authors and other works. These dialogues and collaborations may involve a common proposal or a dialogue between projects even as a dialogue of provocation. In this way we wish to demonstrate the existence of a rich culture of architectural practice and research, stimulated by the work of other disciplines but defined by shared enthusiasms and concerns at a time when the singular works of architects are celebrated but the role of the profession and our place within society is continuously challenged.”

Dezeen Wire: Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design at Apple, has been awarded a KBE on the 2012 New Year Honours list, published today, for services to design and enterprise.

Australian designer Marc Newson has been awarded a CBE for services to design in the UK and worldwide.

Architect John McAslan and founder of Open-City Victoria Thornton were both awarded an OBE for services to architecture.

See all our stories about Marc Newson ».
See all our stories about Apple »

Norwegian architects Snøhetta have submitted plans for a Maggie’s Centre to provide cancer care facilities in Aberdeen, Scotland.

The single-storey centre would have a curved form, with a hard concrete exterior and a soft timber interior.

The building is proposed beside a field, but would also have its own courtyard garden with a cherry tree at the centre.

Aberdeen City Council are expected to either approve or reject the plans in approximately eight to twelve weeks time.

Maggie’s was founded fifteen years ago to provide support to anyone affected by cancer –  you can see more Maggie’s Centres here.

Here’s some more text from Snøhetta:

First glimpse of Maggie’s Aberdeen

Maggie’s Aberdeen takes a step closer to becoming a reality as initial design concepts are released to coincide with the planning application being submitted to Aberdeen City Council.

The council will now spent 8-12weeks deliberating over the design of the Maggie’s Centre at the Foresterhill site of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary before coming to a decision on granting permission.

This week saw the release of the initial design image of the Centre, as designed by Oslo based architectural firm Snohetta.

Maggie’s Aberdeen will continue Maggie’s legacy of bringing contemplative architectural to hospital sites; providing the all important right environment for Maggie’s to facilitate their programme of emotional and practical support to anyone affected by cancer.

A string of talented architects have now designed Maggie’s Centres, including the likes of Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas. Snohetta will follow in such footsteps to design the latest Maggie’s Centre, and will draw on local expertise to realise the vision of the Centre.

Laura Lee, Maggie’s CEO, said: “We are so pleased that the application is now under consideration by the council. The design for Maggie’s Aberdeen is really striking and encapsulates the Maggie’s brief in providing a space that is homely and full of warmth, whilst sparking curiosity and imagination from its visitors. This is a building that will first and foremost provide the ideal environment for people facing cancer in the region to gain support, whilst also greatly contributing to architecture within the region. Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal has inspired a fantastic response from the community and I look forward to entering 2012 with such a tenacious and supportive team.”

Colin Welsh, Chairman of Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal Committee said: ““This is a real milestone for us and a time to thank all of the donors who have supported the Appeal over the last year when all we had to talk about was the concept of the Centre. I also want to commend all the local companies who are giving services free of charge. We are hoping that being able to see what the building will look like and where it will sit, will give our Appeal further momentum.”

Richard Carey, NHS Grampian Chief Executive, said: “What great progress for Monty’s Maggie’s Appeal to have reached this important stage in development. The initial design manages to be both stunning and modern whilst appearing welcoming at the same time. It will certainly be an exciting and most worthwhile building to have on our Foresterhill site and for the people of Grampian. This is a centre that will be greatly utilised by all in the region affected by cancer and it’s great to take a step closer to that reality.”

Charles Jencks said: “Snohetta, coming from the Norwegian culture, has great insight into the life and landscape of the Scots – particularly Aberdeen, a short hop from Oslo. Their mixture of a warm interior of furnishing embraced by a protective shell strikes just the right balance for Maggie’s.”

Location

The location of the Centre will be at the southern boundary of Foresterhill at the edge of the Westburn field. The enviable location will allow the centre to be connected to the hospital whilst at the same time being set apart and independent.

Building

The building is conceived as a pavilion in its parkland setting. The soft exterior form envelops the whole of the centre, and will be cladded with a hard concrete materiality. Whilst the interior building will be more angular in design but will be constructed from soft timber materials. The centre is primarily on one ground floor level with a smaller mezzanine area devoted to the office functions.

Landscaping

The centre will sit within a grass field, with the existing tree line along the Westburn is to be retained and strengthened by new planting of Maple trees to the western end. To mark the entrance, a group of Beech trees will be planted, contrasting in colour and texture to the existing trees. A courtyard garden will be at the heart of the Centre and will form a secluded outdoor space. The courtyard will be covered with a mix of hard and soft surfaces with a centrally planted Flowering Cherry Tree.

Dezeen Wire: a team of Dutch designers including Hella Jongerius, architect Rem Koolhaas and graphic designer Irma Boom have been selected to re-design the North Delegates’ Lounge at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The interior will mix classic Dutch and international furniture with pieces designed specially for the lounge.

A curtain with 30,000 partly-glazed porcelain beads will be manufactured by Dutch craftsmen while a large knotted curtain will screen windows on the north facade.

Here are some more details from Hella Jongerius:

U.N. North Delegates’ Lounge

RE– captures the content of the re-design of the North Delegates’ Lounge, which is based on a careful ‘editing’ of the history of the lounge. Existing designs alternate with new designs. Monumental architectonic interventions alternate with ample attention for material details, tactility and colors.

The re-design of the Delegates’ Lounge, one of the most prestigious spaces in the United Nations headquarters in New York, has been adopted by the Netherlands. The donation is part of a tradition. The U.N. headquarters were originally completed in 1952 and financed in part by donations from the member states. Between 2009 and 2013 the buildings are being renovated and the U.N. has asked member states to adopt spaces, in return for which they may provide the renovation design.

After a selection process, in which four Dutch design teams competed with each other, the team assembled by Hella Jongerius was selected. The design team is composed of:

● Hella Jongerius, designer
● Rem Koolhaas/OMA, architect
● Irma Boom, graphic designer
● Gabriel Lester, artist
● Louise Schouwenberg, theorist

The North Delegates’ Lounge is used as a meeting place for thousands of policymakers and diplomats of the 192 member states. It has a key role in the way the U.N. works, as it is an unofficial space where conversation is unrecorded, informal. While all major decisions are taken in other spaces, here many ‘deals’ between nations are actually closed. Friendships are born, or renewed, and animosities are assuaged.

The Dutch design team has explicitly taken into account factors that are of great importance in this context, such as the conventions that apply here, functionality, comfort, timelessness, calm, and safeguarding the privacy of the delegates while facilitating encounters. The team has also taken into account the original design and furnishing of the North Delegates’ Lounge and the changes that it has undergone since 1952.

The mezzanine, a 1979 addition to the lounge, is removed, restoring the original design of the North Delegates’ Lounge. The existing artworks are re-located with a contemporary gesture: by placing them slightly apart from an aluminum wall a glimpse on their backsides is offered. Some furniture items have survived, such as the Peacock Chair, and are mixed with new designs that offer solutions for the special conditions of this space, such as the RE-Lounge Chair and the Bubble Desk. Re-interpretations of Dutch design classics, including a design by Rietveld, alternate with re-interpretations of international designs, including a design by Prouvé. In the entrance area a sophisticated digital information device (e-paper) offers a variety of information. A handcrafted curtain (Knots&Grid) is hung tight in front of the slanted windows of the North façade; it carries many references, including Dutch maritime history. The East façade curtain (Knots&Beads) consists of 30.000 partly glazed porcelain beads; the beads are handcrafted by Dutch craftsmen and bring literally a piece of the Netherlands to the U.N.

In 1952 11 architects of the U.N. Headquarters, including Wallace K. Harrison, Le Corbusier, and Oscar Niemeyer, succeeded in creating a superb work, in which their individual wishes merged in a creation of great smoothness. The Dutch team, aware of this tradition, has also worked together on all its plans. The various interventions are linked to specific names, whose voices were prevalent in the final designs. However, until the final moment all interventions have been open to debate and questioning by all the other members of the team. The result is a multidisciplinary Gesamtkunstwerk that puts the Dutch creative industry in the international spotlight, and offers both old and new perspectives on ‘A Workshop For Peace’ (the expression architect Wallace K. Harrison used to describe both the design process of the U.N. buildings and the global organization itself).