Coney Island

Ever since reading through Rem Koolhaas’ “Delirious New York” I’ve always wanted to visit Coney Island. Being the middle of February, the place was relatively subdued, but the latent weirdness was nevertheless present. I’m thinking of you oh crazy one feeding the seagulls, or you the looney urinating on the beach. It did not disappoint…     ...

Dior

If you’re drawn to over-priced luxury you’ll love the Dior flagship store designed by Pritzker prize winners SANAA. If you’re interested in architecture that delivers a spatial experience in a beautifully designed package, you’ll probably be somewhat disappointed. As far as beautiful packages go, the building certainly delivers. Unfortunately, a quick wander inside reveals yet ...

Encapsulate

Kisho Kurokawa‘s Capsule Tower, located in the Ginza District in Tokyo defies gravity on many levels. In terms of physical gravity, it’s attached rather precariously to a support core that frankly appears to the untrained eye somewhat under-engineered. Another ode to the building’s persistance is its ability to push back redevelopment efforts in what is ...

Big In Japan

After many years of dreaming to visit Japan I had the good fortune of visiting for the first time this past October. In addition to constantly experimenting with the fine food on offer I took every chance I could get to visit renowned buildings that have been an inspiration over the years. I have many ...

Seattle

It’s been over 5 years since I last went to Seattle – the Seattle Central Library by OMA/Rem Koolhaas continues to feel very contemporary. It was also literally swarming with patrons, and appeared to be a very popular place for the general public to congregate. Truly an icon of a building…

Portugal And Back

I was recently back in Portugal to visit my family, and had the chance to visit some projects that have been on my radar for a while now. The range and diversity of architectural practice coming out of this small country continues to be a valuable resource for me, and seeing these buildings in person ...

Taking Stock

Magic Trick

Exit A

Busy

It’s been a very busy and productive few weeks. San Francisco continues to charm the heart, more now than ever. I recently started a new job that has completely taken over my time (hence my sporadic posting of late). One of the benefits of the new job is the 10 minute (walking) commute, which includes ...

OMA

Huddled Masses

Packing District

So Close

Clouds With Chance

Babylon

On Hubris

Mid Term

Mid term goals: stay afloat, build up while there is downtime, look for the right job even when these are scarce, produce daily, stay mentally active, engage, keep focused, don’t stagnate. Long term

Cacophony

Contemporary New York is all about the shiny skyscrapers, the sanitized Times Square and the glitz of Madison Avenue. Wandering around for a few days, I came across myriad examples of the New York I love; the jumbled juxtaposition of shapes, colours, forms and materials that I still believe reflects more of the city’s character ...

Barragan

The Luis Barragan house, located in Mexico City, is deservedly appreciated but somewhat underwhelming. I wasn’t very enamored with the low freestanding bookshelves organizing the large open living/work area of the house; these furniture elements were quite reduced in relation to the very tall ceilings, yet oddly claustrophobic. Secondary areas, such as a central stairwell and studio, ...

Cubism

Daniel Libeskind’s Contemporary Jewish Museum, located in the heart of the budding gallery district of Yerba Buena in downtown San Francisco, has enjoyed a remarkably smooth transition into the urban fabric. In a city that tends to be relatively conservative when it comes to architecture on the edge of mainstream design, the museum has not ...

Damned, They Are

Dams have come under ever increasing scrutiny; critics routinely weigh in with arguments about the negative environmental impacts of such endeavours. These include premature silting, altered erosion patterns up and downstream, and the interruption of animal migration with its subsequent damage to ecosystems. Closer to home, the debate over one of San Francisco’s major sources ...

Up.Down.

Noah Should Have Been An Architect

Part of an ongoing series of images of Noah Purifoy’s work, I expect to regularly post examples of this artist’s fascinating collection of sculptures and architecture made out of found debris. I’m certain that had he had the opportunity to train as an architect he would have produced more interesting work than 99% of the ...

The High Line, Again

The High Line is well published, and overly exposed at this point. After visiting it myself I was intrigued by how it intersects buildings along its route, something which was not quite so obvious to me in all the reporting about what now has quickly become a New York City icon. This large Modernism-inspired building ...

Earth House

Further expanding on a recent post describing the house made out of sandbags, some additional images for your viewing pleasure. .

Stacks And Stacks

Like many other cities around the world, San Francisco’s port area is undergoing radical change, in both zoning and new construction. I have yet to see any reference to plans of how to use these large silos, but there is a precedent for radical and interesting interventions for end-of-life use of industrial architecture. San Francisco ...

Mental Physics, Redux

Another wall, same building. .

Hell Yes

Akin to “Yes We Can”, but with more New York attitude. Designed by Japanese minimal masters SANAA, the New Museum strikes the pose of the dame in the midst of the rough and tumble boogie-woogie cityscape that is the Bowery. Fine Art and used furniture stores – go see it because it won’t be that ...

Light Is King

A series of benign and mundane concrete columns illuminated by an exciting palette of vertical color planes.