Saturday, October 25, 2008

VOTE

Less than 2 weeks to go for the most exciting US election in the past 3 decades

Friday, October 24, 2008

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The World Architecture Festival


The World Architecture Festival began today in Barcelona. The Festival aims to "celebrate the work, concerns and aspirations of the international architectural community, during a three-day event".
From the international nature of architecture to its regional roots: different approaches to the design of 96 building types in the 16 categories through the exhibition of awards entries.
More to come.

Monday, October 20, 2008

It's the economy, stupid!


Santiago Calatrava office has stopped working on the Chicago Spire, and filed a lien for missing payments up to $11.34 million against Shelbourne Development Ltd.
The lien against the Ireland based developer came with another for $4.85 million by architecture firm Perkins & Will.

Meanwhile GOOD released one of its supercool sheets... #006 on Economy.
Apparently available at any Starbucks from the 16th to 22nd of october: craving for a printed copy.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Domino city

I just got to see the new ad for the Sony Bravia (not released in Europe yet) and i did not like it much! Disappointment! :[


Domino City on Vimeo

On our TVs we still get only Play Doh (also known as Bunnies ): I love it..i just cant help it!
I love Rolling Stones' "She is like a rainbow", i love the colorful NY...i love the faces of people like the animation was happening for real around them!
Play Doh is the third Bravia spot (after Balls and Paint) for the European Market. It has been realized in 3 weeks: 40 animators and 2.5 tons of plasticine!
Hopefully it will stay on for another bit!


"Play-Doh" on Vimeo.


Sony Bravia 'Play-doh' Making Of on Vimeo.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Redesign Cities From Scratch


Mitchell Joachim has been listed by the Wired among the 15 persons the next U.S. president should listen to.
In his piece, Joachim explains how it is important to rethink our cities.
Mitchell Joachim is one of the founders of Terreform ONE [Open Network Ecology], a nonprofit organization and philanthropic design collaborative that integrates ecological principles in the urban realm. Among his projects the Fab Hab Tree and the City car, listed by the Time as the invention of the year in 2007.
City Car

Listen carefully, Mr President!








Terreform[ONE]
Wired Magazine

Simply Renzo Piano



Open to the public from September 27th in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, Renzo Piano Building Workshop's new piece, the California Academy of Science is simply a stunning example of beautiful and environment oriented architecture.

from the Academy's website:

The new Academy is a single structure but contains multiple venues, including the aquarium, the planetarium, the natural history museum and the 4-story rainforest. In addition, there's a new 3D theater, a lecture hall, a Naturalist Center, two restaurants, an adjacent garden and aviary, a roof terrace, and an Academy store.






a series of pics of the living roof


From the basement to the roof of the Academy's new building, the choices behind each element of construction reflect a commitment to energy efficiency, reducing the carbon footprint, and preserving the natural world.
The Academy is believed to be the greenest museum in the world, and is on course to earn the highest rating possible for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Some numbers:
- 90% of all demolition materials were recycled
32,000 tons of sand from foundation excavation applied to dune restoration projects in San Francisco
- 95% of all steel from recycled sources
- 15% fly ash (a recycled coal by-product), 35% slag in concrete
- 50% of lumber harvested from sustainable-yield forests
- 68% of insulation comes from recycled blue jeans
- 90% of office space will have natural light and ventilation
- 60,000 photovoltaic cells; 213,000 kilowatt-hours; 5% to 10% savings of electricity
- 30% less energy consumption than federal code requirement

Well, simply Renzo Piano!
more info on the building and the Academy program here

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Bodies in Urban Space




Austrian choreographer Willi Dorner has realized Bodies in Urban Space also in Stockholm, with the collaboration of and the students from the Swedish Royal Ballet and the College of Dance of Stockholm University.
The students have performed installations in several locations and the public visited the exhibition while taking a walk through the city.

via "La Repubblica"

Sunday, September 28, 2008

...it's legend




Valentino Rossi - 8 times world champion

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Soccer city

It was presented yesterday the new project for the soccer city of Florence.
Sponsored by Della Valle family, which owns the Fiorentina team, the new soccer park is signed by Fuksas' office.

A 50,000 seats stadium is the core of this project that requires an area of approx 750,000 sqmt.
The complete package includes also a contemporary art museum, a megamall exclusively devoted to the Made in Italy, hotels and a soccer amusement park.







The Della Valles have not identified any particular area in the city for building their project, but they promise it will be realized in 3 years.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

City beats

 
Aug 30 
Stuttgart Electronic Music festival starts @ 2PM at the Freilichtbühne in Killesberg Park. After the spinning, a party will take place into the Congresszentrum B of the old Fair building...
Tickets cost 24 euro.

Timetable:
14:00-14:30: Ralph Burkhardt
14:30-14:45: Dundu
14:40-15:10: Beats Unlimited
15:10-15:30: Modenschau" 2nd Chance"
15:30-16:00: Ralph Burkhardt
16:00-17:00: Pupkulies & Rebecca live
17:00-19:00: DJ Karotte
19:00-20:00: Booka Shade live
20:00-22:00: Turntablerocker

Aftershowparty from 22h:
Body Movin' - Gregor Tresher
Johnny D live - Round Table Knights
Eric Walker -     Daniel Schoengeist
kriZe - Steve Nash -
Salvatore Donnarumma
Joe Direct - Ralph Burkhardt

 

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Someone stop Zaha Hadid!!



The futuristic, plastic shoes that star architect Zaha Hadid designed for Melissa will be presented on the 18th of September, during the fashion week of London.
Now, i am not surprised if a shoes company calls a star architect for the job, plus Melissa counts collaborations with designers like Vivienne Westwood and Karim Rashid.
I can't just stop being surprised with why a star architect can't just say "Sorry i can't do this" but decides to sit down and transport his/her brand (because that's what we're talking about, right?!) into plastic shoes or who knows what else..
Beautiful animation, produced by Neutral (one of my favorites british architectural video makers) for a very nice design and a fashionable outcome..unfortunately only in the animation..the real ones are ugly!




Produced in limited edition, your new plastic shoes will cost approx 200 pounds (for you ONLY 255,95 euros)!
If you're worried about not being enviroment friendly, London Times Online reassures that "all products are created from sustainable sources and that the shoes can be disassembled and recycled too, making them ideal for vegans, environmentalists - and architects". [ha-ha, ok we deserved the subtle joke]
Meanwhile, since we make shoes like we make buildings, a huge mock-up model has being moved across Sao Paulo and placed into Melissa's showroom for an exhibition. As for massive trusses due on construction sites, traffic has being diverted or slowed down because of the building Zaha Hadid has just designed for your feet.
Speaking of which, are those who get their hands dirty Melissa's interns or Zaha's interns?




If this was a happy ending movie, a superhero would show up to save our feet from sweating and suffering into the malefic architect's shoes.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

It's bikes time

Chicago Bicycle Film Festival is currently taking place at the Columbia City College..
The past year i had a lot of fun..and shorts were great! I wish i could attend!

Enjoy your bikes time... today in Chicago, in other 11 cities across the globe within the end of the year


Bicycle Film Festival








Tuesday, July 29, 2008

That white, sexy thing

In 2005, Wien-based Delugan Meissl won the competition for the new Porsche Museum on Porscheplatz in Stuttgart.
Today "that white sexy thing" - as a non architect friend referred to - is taking shape in Zuffenhausen, Porsche's headquarters area.
Here is a quick check!

















:) this reflection can't be an just a coincidence, right??

"With our concept we wanted to translate the dynamism of Porsche into architecture. Our objective is to create a place in which sensory experiences can be felt by everybody - those qualities typical of Porsche such as power and passion." Roman Delugan
The opening of the new Porsche Museum is scheduled for the end of 2008.