Posts for 'Classic Architectures' Category

The brilliant bristling structure you see above is not the world’s largest pincushion – it’s Thomas Heatherwick’s recently completed UK Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Dubbed the “Seed Cathedral”, the six-story high structure is studded with 60,000 translucent rods that act as fiber-optic filaments that channel sunlight  into the pavilion’s interior. The densely-packed forest of filaments also contains the impetus to create living forests in the future — each 7.5 meter long “branch” contains seeds from the Millenium Seed Bank that will be given to China one the expo has run its course.

Nicknamed the “Dandelion”, Thomas Heatherwick’s UK Pavilion bristles with a dynamic facade that gently flexes and shimmers with each passing breeze. The beautiful building envelope blurs the boundaries between architecture and animated sculpture, while the area surrounding the pavilion features a network of pedestrian walkways and a landscaped park area.Nestled within the sprouting facade of seeds is an otherworldly interior that unfolds like a shimmering network of stars. During the day the interior is completely lit by daylight  channeled through the structure’s transparent rods. At night the interior is illuminated by minute lighting elements contained within each rod for an amazing effect.

This May, the Royal Institute of British Architects mounted a remarkable exhibition, Three Classicists. It would have been unthinkable only a decade ago for several reasons: it showed designs that were exclusively classical; the designs were not pipe dreams, but had either been built or were under construction; and the projects were not just country houses for the superrich but a wide range of buildings, including a theater, an infirmary, cottages, row houses, and offices for a London art dealer.

The British architectural establishment either ignores or ridicules traditional and classical architecture of this kind. The establishment’s leaders are afraid, or they should be afraid, of classical architecture’s popularity with the general public, whose preference for it over modernist design comes through in every poll. Their fear is justified: they would be unable to satisfy public taste by designing in the classical language themselves, for they have abolished the teaching of classicism in every school of architecture in Britain over the last 50 years.

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The history of art appreciation shows that each generation has been unsuccessful in forecasting which current styles will eventually become admired. Many new works – be they ballet, opera, music, architecture, sculpture or painting – have been subject to ridicule from experts and amateurs, only to achieve the admired acclaim of subsequent generations.

The prolonged ridicule and rejection of the Impressionists, the vociferous objections of the Parisian artistic elite to the Eiffel Tower and Christopher Wren's belief that the architecture of the pointed arch, the flying buttress and soaring fan-vaulting was.

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Already making the rounds and stirring up some noise is one of Roger Ebert's latest posts for the Sun Times, "The Image of a Man You Do Not See," which if you're either a Chicago architecture or Louis Sullivan buff, you'll recognize as a quote from the famous architect (in full, as Ebert prints it: "Every building you see is the image of a man you do not see."). As you've guessed, the post is about architecture.

In between history lessons, from his own to Chicago's great buildings and the architects who designed them, Ebert branches out a bit to wonder if/complain that Mies van der Rohe giving popular rise to modernism in the US led to "an architecture that is totalitarian in its severe economy." He appreciates van der Rohe (and even Frank Gehry!), but mourns the loss of ornamentation, the kind Sullivan earned his legacy for.

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The architecture of the United States has included a wide variety of styles throughout its history. Home styles in the U.S. are regionally diverse and the shapes they have taken on have been influenced by many other types of architecture. The result is an eclectic mix of different home styles can often be found within the same neighborhood, even on the same block. Here are some of the most popular types of houses that can be found in most parts of America.

The Cape Cod style home originated in colonial New England and they were built as early as the 1600s through the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. In colonial days, a Cape Cod house was a simple, one-story structure made of wood with a single chimney in the center and a symmetrical appearance. Cape Cod houses have a steep roof with side gables, dormers for light, shutters, and little exterior ornamentation.

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There are lots of gorgeous drawings in “Palladio and His Legacy: A Transatlantic Journey,” which opened last week at the Morgan Library & Museum  just enough to whet the appetites of die-hard Palladio fans. The exhibition offers fleeting glimpses into what made Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) such a radical figure: his creation of
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An architecture that adapted ancient Roman forms to the houses of the gentry and that would eventually serve as an imprimatur of legitimacy for monarchs and revolutionaries. But despite its title, the show never conveys the sweep of Palladio’s influence, which at its height extended from Constantinople to Madrid, London and Washington, and which continues to resonate today, more than 500 years after his death.

This is not entirely the fault of the show’s organizer, Charles Hind. A curator at the Royal Institute of British Architecture, Mr. Hind had planned a much bigger show at the British Museum, but that was abandoned for financial reasons.

Because of the comparatively small size of the Morgan galleries, Mr. Hind was forced to cut a key section on Palladio’s influence on British architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, an omission that severely disrupts the narrative flow of the show.

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Wooden architecture is a rare sight in present-day urban spaces packed with concrete skyscrapers and apartments. However, there is no denying the significant role of wood in architectural development.

The National Museum of Korea is holding an exhibition of 44 wooden miniatures of traditional architecture, showing historical changes of traditional construction from dugouts of the New Stone Age and Bronze Age found in Amsa-dong to Sungnyemun, National Treasure No. 1 of the Joseon Kingdom ).

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In the short and long run architects can save you money. They are in investment into the efficiency, functionality and value of your project. A well-conceived project can be built more efficiently and economically.

Architects plan your project with you and as your idea evolves, changes can be made in the plans for your project which can be considerably less expensive then realizing these changes need to be made during construction.

A good set of plans from your architect also make it much easier for the contract to correctly and accurately price and build the project. Architects also have the expertise and knowledge to provide solutions.

If energy conservation is of concern, an architect can design an energy-efficient building that will save money on fuel bills down the road.  For example, an architect can design a building to maximize heating from the sun which would let natural light in and reduce the heating, cooling, and electric bills over time. Architects can also try and help you stay in your budget.  They can do this by selecting the correct materials and workmanship.

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The awards celebrate design excellence in the county and were first staged in 2003 and are usually held every two years. This year 30 projects were shortlisted in seven categories from more than 60 entries.

Darnley Mausoleum in Cobham won Project of the Year as well as the Conservation & Craftsmanship Category. The shared space scheme in Ashford, which received mixed reviews on its completion, won the Town & Village Renaissance category. The shared space aims to restrict vehicles to 20 miles an hour and give pedestrians and vehicles equal priority.

The awards champion some of the ground-breaking design in residential homes, public buildings including schools, and offices. They also show how fine design can transform people's experience of a building and leave them with a good impression.

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In the late 1960s, Amelie Edgü bought a house in the southwestern holiday resort town of Bodrum. Following the purchase, she had a chance to visit the many villages and historic ruins surrounding Bodrum and Milas Edgü, the curator of the İstanbul-based Milli Reasürans Art Gallery, had realized back then that the region’s ancient architecture and ornamentation.

On the modern buildings in neighboring villages were very special and deserved a special project that would show them to the world. As soon as she observed the area, she knew that a project on the region -- known as Labraunda during ancient times -- would be very special and could reveal the ongoing effects of the region’s history.

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