Category: In The News

The AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) selected four recipients to receive the 2009 Jason Pettigrew Memorial ARE Scholarship, including Venesa Alicea, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP…

The 2009 winners of the Municipal Art Society’s MASterworks Awards are, in the following categories: Best New Building, The Standard Hotel by Polshek Partnership; Best Restoration, The Lion House at The Bronx Zoo by FXFOWLE Architects; Best Renovation/Adaptive Re-use, The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center at Parsons, The New School for Design by Lyn Rice Architects; Best Neighborhood Catalyst, TKTS Booth by Perkins Eastman (based on a design by Choi Ropiha); Best Neighborhood Catalyst: Honorable Mention, Melrose Commons by Magnusson Architecture and Planning…

Illustrations from McGraw-Hill Construction’s Architectural Record were recently honored in the American Illustration competition…

The Visionaire by Pelli Clarke Pelli (design architect) and SLCE (project architect), has received LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), marking it as the greenest residential condominium in the U.S. and the only LEED Platinum condominium on the east coast…

Finalists in the America’s Best Restroom VIII contest include Radio City Music Hall; through 07.31.09 the public can vote for the winner at http://www.bestrestroom.com…

Adi Shamir will step down from her position as Executive Director of the Van Alen Institute in June 2009…

Callison acquired RYA Design Consultancy, a Dallas-based architecture and design firm with an office in NYC…

2009 Oculus Editorial Calendar
If you are an architect by training or see yourself as an astute observer of New York’s architectural and planning scene, note that OCULUS editors want to hear from you! Projects/topics may be anywhere, but architects must be New York-based. The themes:

Winter Issue: Health & Architecture. Architecture designed to promote fitness, health, and wellness will be profiled. Projects selected from within this growing field will demonstrate sensitivity to generational and demographic issues, sustainability, and technology.
08.01.09: Suggestion Deadline

If you have suggestions, please contact OCULUS editor-in-chief Kristen Richards.

06.25.09 Request for Proposals: Dudley Square Municipal Office Facility

09.28.09 Call for Entries: The Self Sufficient City: Envisioning the Habitat of the Future

05.27.09

Now that the weather is nice, the city is enhancing its public spaces. The revamped Washington Square Park is fully open, and Broadway at Times Square and Herald Square are open to pedestrians. Be sure to check them out.

– Jessica Sheridan, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP

Event: Conference on SUSTAINABLE URBANIZATION IN THE INFORMATION AGE: Role of Infrastructure in Metropolitan Development
Location: United Nations Headquarters, 05.13.09
Speakers: For full list of speakers, click here
Organizers: The United Nations Human Settlements Programme; Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (GAID); AIA NY Chapter; Regional Plan Association
Sponsors: The Building and Social Housing Foundation; Forum for Urban Design; Novartis Corporation; The Levin Graduate Institute

The second edition of the Conference on Sustainable Urbanization in the Information Age: The Role of Infrastructure in Metropolis Development, once again created a forum for a dialogue both among nations and between public and private spheres to achieve a more sustainable future.

Speakers from all corners of the world not only addressed the problems of rapid urbanization, but also attempted to vindicate the urban condition: “Urban centers are the ticking hearts of civilization” was the opening remark of Sarbuland Khan, executive coordinator of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Division for Public Administration and Development Management Global Alliance for Information and Communication Technologies and Development (UN DESA DPADM GAID). This was later stressed by Alexandros Washburn, AIA, chief urban designer for the NYC Department of City Planning, in quoting Aristotle: “In a village you can live, but in a city you live well.” AIANY Executive Director Rick Bell, FAIA, added, “Living well is the only sustainability.”

Keynote speaker Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, UN Under-Secretary General and executive director of the UN Human Settlements Programme, noted that the common ground among those present is the way their cities are managed and infrastructure is built. In these times when infrastructure is supposed to save the world from the falling economy, she urged cities to consider this an opportunity to install sustainability principles in infrastructure development processes. “The challenge,” she said, “is to integrate economic, environmental, and social policies to make our cities economically more competitive, ecologically more sustainable, and socially more inclusive and gender responsive…. We need local action if we are going to achieve global goals.”

Continues…

Event: NYPL Live: Frank Gehry and Esa-Pekka Salonen in conversation with Barbara Isenberg and Alex Ross
Location: New York Public Library, 05.11.09
Speakers: Frank O. Gehry, FAIA — Principal, Gehry Partners; Barbara Isenberg — Associate Director, Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities, & Author, Conversations with Frank Gehry (Random House, 2009); Alex Ross — Music Critic, The New Yorker; Paul Holdengräber — Director of Public Programs, Research Libraries of the New York Public Library (substituting for Salonen, composer and former conductor, Los Angeles Philharmonic)
Organizers: New York Public Library

Gehry Partners’ Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Photo by Mathew Imaging, courtesy LA Philharmonic

Listeners anticipated a breathtaking game of brain tennis between Frank Gehry, FAIA, designer of LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Esa-Pekka Salonen, the innovative conductor who has made it the home base for his orchestra’s experiments. Due to a back injury forcing a last-minute cancellation by Salonen, the speakers, instead, improvised on a range of topics — the importance of play in composition, the emigrant community in Los Angeles, the phenomenal tone achieved in Disney Hall by acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, the limits of “faceless” museum design despite many artists’ preference for it, and the oddity of the inquiries Gehry has received from neuroscientists about the nature of inspiration, including whether it’s more likely to occur in round or square rooms.

Music has long commanded and focused Gehry’s attention, and his remarks took on particular animation during interchanges with music writer Alex Ross about Salonen’s mission to strengthen audiences’ understanding of 20th-century modernist music, particularly its continuities with earlier tonal forms. (The precision and logic of Bach’s Goldberg Variations appeals strongly to Gehry.) Paul Holdengräber, director of public programs at the NY Public Library’s research libraries, elicited several remarks on process: though his firm’s use of digital design technology has revolutionized the field, Gehry favors hand sketching and fears that computers are eroding that skill among younger architects. He explained his tendency to revise sketches extensively, or nearly indefinitely, to incorporate evolving program, site, and budget information into an initial idea (“It’s like a crystal; I keep it liquid as long as I can”). He also addressed the local-interest question raised by several audience members, the status of his contribution to the stalled Atlantic Yards complex in Brooklyn — he maintains a glass-half-full position.

Gehry differs from several of his Pritzker-laureate peers in being reluctant to offer general theories. His public statements reveal a lively intellect, and he is relaxed enough to play along with self-effacing anecdotes such as his cartoon-mediated appearance on The Simpsons, turning a discarded sheet of crumpled paper into a concert-hall design for Springfield and pronouncing himself a genius. Ross played an excerpt from Salonen’s Wing on Wing, a site-specific composition that references the sail and fish shapes that inspired Disney Hall and includes samples of Gehry’s voice (including the phrase “Why the fish?” — to which orchestra members invariably reply in rehearsal, “Because there’s no beef”). About Gehry’s imagination, there’s nothing fishy at all, and there’s plenty of beef.

Bill Millard is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in OCULUS, Icon, Content, The Architect’s Newspaper, and other publications.

Event: Now What Architecture?
Location: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 05.14-15.09
Speakers: Urban Spaces: Anthony Vidler — Dean, School of Architecture, Cooper Union School of Architecture (Moderator), Amale Andraos — Principal, WORKac, Adriaan Geuze — Principal, West 8; Thomas Krens — Senior Advisor for International Affairs, Guggenheim Foundation; Personal Spaces: David van der Leer — Assistant Curator of Architecture and Design, Guggenheim Museum (Moderator); Phil Allsopp — President & CEO, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation; David Adjaye, Hon. FAIA — Principal, Adjaye Associates; Toshiko Mori, FAIA — Principal, Toshiko Mori Architect; Shared Spaces: Julie Iovine — Executive Editor, The Architect’s Newspaper (Moderator); Beatriz Colomina — Director of Graduate Studies, Ph.D. Program & Director, Program in Media and Modernity, Princeton University; Stan Allen, AIA — Principal, Stan Allen Architect; Reinhold Martin — Associate Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation
Organizers: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in collaboration with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation on the occasion of “Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward”

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, NY. 1943-59.

2009 The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona.

In conjunction with the Guggenheim’s 50th anniversary and exhibition, “Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward,” this symposium sought to answer Wright’s seminal question, “Now what architecture?” Depending where emphasis is placed, this statement can take on several meanings. Likewise, the panelists expressed diverse perspectives while examining Wright’s influence in defining urban, personal, and shared spaces.

Wright’s approach to urban space is often contrasted with Le Corbusier’s, but Amale Andraos, principal of WORKac, finds several similarities. The designs for Wright’s Broadacre City and Le Corbusier’s Radiant City both combine infrastructure with public space, a similar concept applied in recent projects such as the High Line. Additionally, Wright and Le Corbusier each provided shared farm space for inhabitants — a solution that is practical today in urban environments. Andraos cited the Red Hook Farm and WORKac’s design for Public Farm for P.S.1 as examples.

Most evident in his residential designs, Wright sought to “create architecture that resonates with the human spirit,” said Phil Allsopp, president and CEO of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Like Wright, David Adjaye, Hon. FAIA, principal of Adjaye Associates, proposes that home designs should be “bespoke” rather than industrialized. He advocates re-using the existing fabric and invites the challenge of transforming an imperfect lot into a luxurious repose for his client.

Before Toshiko Mori, FAIA, became familiar with Wright’s work, she was surprised to find that her residential plans were similar to his designs. Since Wright designed for modern life, his layouts are still relevant, she believes. Mori recently designed a visitor’s center for Wright’s Darwin D. Martin House in Buffalo. Rather than emulate the house, she sought to contrast it by creating a simple glass pavilion that provides uninterrupted views.

Stan Allen, AIA, explained that Wright found freedom in horizontality: he even considered the Guggenheim to be a one-story building. However, contemporary trends for defining shared space, Allen believes, have shifted to the reconsideration of the vertical surface. “There is an emerging trend towards ‘landscape buildings,'” Allen noted, referring to recent projects including MVRDV’s Hannover Pavilion Expo and SANAA’s EPFL Learning Center.

Wright designed spaces to accommodate and enhance the lives of inhabitants — from small-scale residences to vast urban planning. Now, what architecture!

Murrye Bernard, LEED AP, is a freelance writer and a contributing editor to eOculus.

This past weekend marked a major decongestion experiment in the city. Times Square and Herald Square opened Broadway to pedestrians, re-routing all traffic. As I could only imagine as kid, I went to Times Square to see what it felt like to stand in the middle of the avenue. Maybe because it was Memorial Day, what I found was that it did not feel much different from a weekend street festival.

Lounge chairs were strewn about, street performers tap danced and played instruments, and throngs of people moved through in a lazy daze. All in all, the experience was novel, but it seemed temporary. If the city is going to determine the experiment’s staying power, more needs to be done to make it feel permanent.

Despite the chairs and performers, the street still felt like a street. Painting it green, like other pedestrian-designated lanes carved out of the city’s avenues, is not enough. I think there should be a design competition for street furniture; artists should be commissioned to paint or tile the street. Broadway is so wide it should be divided into paths designated for different speeds of movement. There could be zones designated for slow shoppers, halted loungers, flexible space for performers, and express lanes for people passing through.

It is about time that something is being done to alleviate overcrowding in Times Square and Herald Square. Pedestrians no longer have to fight with taxis over space. I hope that traffic patterns adjust as Mayor Bloomberg predicts — a 30% reduction in congestion. And I hope this experiment endures so its potential can be fully realized.

In this issue:
· Broadway Will Be Green With Envy
· Justice — and a New Office — for All
· Westchester School Adds Classrooms, New Sports Field
· Korea Will Have a Park Dedicated to Taekwondo

Broadway Will Be Green With Envy

Henry Miller Theater.

Cook + Fox

The Henry Miller Theater will open its doors to the public in September with a revival of “Bye Bye Birdie.” The theater, which is incorporated into the Cook + Fox-designed Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, is the first newly built Broadway house in more than 20 years, as well as the first to be LEED certified. The approximately 50,000-square-foot, 1,055-seat theater, also designed by the firm, preserves Henry Miller’s vision for a new American theater in its intimate scale and emphasis on the direct relationship between audience and actors. The building’s landmarked 1918 Neo-Georgian façade by Allen, Ingalls & Hoffman was fully restored, and the new theater was constructed behind it. The theater now meets technical requirements of modern Broadway productions, with a fully functional fly-tower, deeper stage, and updated stage lighting. In addition, the theater is structurally separated from office tower above and below to maintain acoustic isolation. The theater was designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, and with its use of sustainable materials, water conservation measures, and energy efficiency, provide the best possible environmental quality for patrons and staff.

Justice — and a New Office — for All

New space for The Bronx Defenders.

Levien & Company

Project management firm Levien & Company has completed a 20,000-square-foot renovation project for The Bronx Defenders, a group of not-for-profit attorneys, social workers, investigators, parent advocates, and support staff. Designer Alta Indleman designed a new office space in what was once a restaurant, including the installation of a spiral staircase and the integration of glass blocks throughout to create better lighting. The lobby features murals painted by elementary school students from nearby P.S. 29, a participant in The Bronx Defenders’ Community Arts Exchange program. The artwork reflects the perspectives of neighborhood youth on the richness and diversity of their community, embodying the long-time motto of the organization’s youth programs: “In defense of justice in our community.” Jack Green & Associates, engineer, and Excel Contracting completed the team.

Westchester School Adds Classrooms, New Sports Field

Tuckahoe Middle and High School.

Peter Gisolfi Associates

Construction was recently completed on a new addition to the Tuckahoe Middle and High School in Westchester County, NY. The three-story addition, designed by Peter Gisolfi Associates, blends with the existing building to reflect the structure’s Art Deco exterior. The new interior space and renovations maintain the building’s original stylistic language. The 21,000-square-foot addition contains 10 new classrooms and a lobby entrance with an elevator, and connects to the three wings of the existing building, enclosing two new exterior courtyards. A series of changes to the existing structure aims to clarify the organization of the entire building. Also included in the project is a new sports field with bleacher seating, synthetic turf, a press box, and a sub-surface drainage system to retain storm water on the site.

Korea Will Have a Park Dedicated to Taekwondo

Taekwondo Park World Headquarters.

Samoo Architecture

NY-based Samoo Architecture with project lead Samsung C & T and Samoo Architects & Engineers in Seoul, Korea, has won the commission to construct the new Taekwondo Park World Headquarters in Muju, Korea. Located on 570 acres of mature woodlands, natural streams, and valleys, the park and associated building complexes will become a world cultural heritage site emphasizing the spirit, beauty, and sport of Taekwondo. In addition to housing the headquarters of various Taekwondo organizations, the park will contain a sports arena, visitor and exhibition centers, and training and lodging facilities.

In celebration of National Preservation Month, which is in May, the U.S. General Services Administration has launched a new website and poster series highlighting its historically and architecturally significant inventory of federal buildings. The site features interactive exhibits on the history, geography, and architectural style of GSA public buildings in the U.S. Virtual visitors can also browse through images, films, and architectural descriptions for more than 200 GSA buildings. GSA also offers the 2009 Historic Building Poster and Brochure Series online. The series highlights more than 100 of GSA’s most significant historic buildings.