The xx's Temporary Performance Space in the Park Avenue Armory

London-based band xx is doing a series of shows in a temporary installation in New York's Park Avenue Armory.  This video describes the design as well as past installations in the building.  It also describes the building itself, parts of which recently were renovated by Herzog and deMeuron.

Chthonic churches at Lalibela

Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia that is famous for its monolithic rock-cutchurches. This rural town is known around the world for its churches carved from the living rock, which play an important part in the history of rock-cut architecture. Though the dating of the churches is not well established, most are thought to have been built during the reign of Lalibela, namely during the 12th and 13th centuries.

Thanks to 2nd year critic Quynh Vantu for bringing up this reference during Monday's crit.

'The Dictionary of Details' Lecture by Wayne Head

The Dictionary of Details

When: Thursday 20th March 18.00

Where: University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS

Architect and director of BDP, Wayne Head has produced a Dictionary of Details and will give a lecture at the University of Westminster prior to its forthcoming publication by Routledge. The book looks in depth at details in architecture and explores whether they are mere ornaments or structural ideals representing larger principles. Illustrated examples range from the simplest to the most innovative through drawings, diagrams, photographs and text.

David Rockwell's temporary bespoke theater for TED 2014

"TED, the nonprofit enthusiastic to ‘ideas worth spreading’, has invited the rockwell group to build the stage for the 30th anniversary of the conference, in vancouver. set in the vancouver convention centre, the portable and temporary theater is constructed with 600 pieces and assembled onsite for the five day festival. the intimacy of the space is realized by instilling a sense of community while having singularity in form. the individual and the collective are showcased in unison as the arena becomes a manifestation of the organization’s core principles. in addition to david rockwell’s observations, from being an attendee over the years, further inspiration for the theater was gathered from historic organizational spaces such as campfires and other non permanent commons. comprised mostly from locally harvested douglas fir wood sourced from the pacific northwest, the seating ‘bowl’ also includes a walkway along the perimeter with lattice-like platforms and handrails. 16 different seating options are present, and vary from lounge groupings, rows of benches, and beanbags. a standing room area in the back allows viewers to access personal electronic devices, without disturbing the rest of the audience. aided by an electronic cutting machine, the event construction company, nussli, fashioned the structure (along with the custom furniture and steelcase fabrication) to be easily disassembled back into 8’ x 10’ x 12’ boxes, and possibly reused for upcoming events."

from designboom

Models by Naomi Kasahara

Naomi Kasahara is a set designer based in Long Beach, California.  Her excellent models, especially when photographed well as they are above, show materiality, equipment, structure, lights, and people (including actors and audience).

new issue of a+t Reclaim: Domestic Actions

The new issue  of a+t Reclaim, "Domestic Actions", contains 54 actions that strip and boil down the home to its most basic roots. They have lightened the load, made up for previous mistakes and taken away the aesthetic preconceptions that until now had put strain on these type of interventions.

Reclaim - Domestic Actions classifies these actions into three Re- processes: Reduce, Retrieve and Remove. The recent additions refer to refusal and relinquishment options about the current living environment. After having undergone a series of material, formal, technical and economical adjustments, the role of inhabiting a space is viewed with a fresh perspective. Lastly, the issue adds a fourth process: Simulate, a valuable partner for times of crisis.

The volume forms part of the RECLAIM series.

You can read a sample here and see more here.

​Matina Kousidi Lecture on March 11th at 1PM

"Architecture sur Mesure. Habitat | Abito"

Matina attained her Ph.D. in Architecture (2013) from Sapienza University of Rome, after a one year research stay at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. Currently, she is developing her individual research on the role of dress and textiles in early modern architecture, jointly at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Dessau Institute of Architecture, and the Bauhaus archives. Matina is a registered architect, peeking into the world of dress through the act of building.

The lecture will take place in the Marylebone building, room to be announced.

Sections by Antoine Desgodetz (drawn in 1682)

Antoine Desgodetz studied under François Blondel at the Academy of Architecture in Paris between 1672 and 1674, and was then dispatched to Rome by Louis XIV’s minister, Colbert, in order to study ancient buildings. The result was a book, Ancient Edifices of Rome, dedicated to Colbert and published at the king’s expense. Composed of accurate drawings of Rome’s main ancient buildings (as well as the amphitheater in Verona) accompanied by commentaries, the goal of the book was to provide the first precise description of ancient Roman architecture, thereby correcting errors committed by the likes of Andrea Palladio, Sebastiano Serlio, and Antonio Labacco. It remained an authoritative reference work on ancient architecture until the end of the 18th century.

'Material Imagination' Lecture by Dean David Dernie March 12th 6PM

"As we move towards a digital age of building, where we design, model, procure and even build digitally, architecture is inevitably propelled into a virtual realm. At the same time, we all know that the material conditions of our environment still matter and this lecture will argue that the architecture is first and foremost a physical thing: an architect’s palette comprises of material forms and light. In foregrounding shape and surface, design software promotes a technical (or otherwise fragmentary) knowledge of material."

When: Wednesday 12 March at 6pm
Where: Fyvie Hall, 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW


Find out more and book your place

+ FARM Summer Design Workshops in the US

JUNE STUDIO: PERFORMANCE PAVILION

Perrysburg, New York

The project for this year’s week-long intensive design, fabrication, and construction studio is a lightweight, self-supporting Performance Pavilion. +FARM brings together a wide range of professionals to work directly with the participants during the studio. Ten Participants will progress from introductory to more advanced working sessions with technical content to address issues of: materiality, interiority, component types, and self-supporting architecture. Dates: June 7-14th, for more information please visit: +FARM Perrysburg Studio 

AUGUST STUDIO: TACTICAL TECTONICS

Silo City + Rigidized Metals Corporation: Buffalo, New York

+FARM is excited to announce our 2014 August Studio at Silo City: Buffalo, NY working directly with Rigidized Metals Corporation and the Rigidized Fab-Team to design, fabricate, and construct a multi-level Culture Shelter within an existing grain silo. Ten applicants selected from an open call will work directly with professional craftsmen, fabricators, architects, digital specialists, educators, and Rigidized Metals Fab-Team exposing the participants to emerging design, computation, fabrication, material and construction practices in the field of architecture. Dates: August 6-16th, for more information please visit: +FARM Silo City Studio

Interested in applying to one or both summer studios visit: www.plusfarm.org

Potential Architecture Symposium - 4th April 2014, University of Westminster

Potential Architecture: Symposium
Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment
Friday, 4 April 2014 from 14:30 to 20:00 (BST)

Featuring Alexander Brodsky of Brodsky and Utkin and Sean Griffiths of FAT (and University of Westminster). 

The event held at the Marylebone campus is free but you must register to attend here.

James Turrell: Recent Works at Pace Gallery

James Turrell: Recent Works
Feb 07, 2014 – Apr 05, 2014


The exhibition will consist of two Tall Glass works and two Wide Glass works in the ground floor and upstairs galleries.

6 Burlington Gardens
London W1S 3ET
Tel: +44 (0)20 3206 7600
Tue - Sat 10 to 6
Monday by appointment