Pat Finn
Zürich has a special relationship with the avant garde. Dada— the first modernist movement to define itself as “anti art,” a radical insurgency against the status quo — was born here. Beginning in 1916, renegades like Tristan Tzara and Hugo Ball published manifestoes, put on inscrutable performances, and basically did everything they could to shock…
MVRDV is not known to create buildings that blend into the background, but the Dutch firm’s latest p roject — a library in Tianjin, China — is one of its most mesmerizing creations yet. Nearing completion and scheduled to open in mid-2017, this rectangular glass building has an almost gravitational visual pull. Tianjin Library is articulated…
With the end of Barack Obama’s presidency fast upon us, many Americans are scratching their heads, w ondering how eight years could have possibly gone by so fast. One group that is not feeling caught off guard, however, is the Obama Foundation, which has been laying the groundwork for the 44th’s post-presidency for some time now.…
It is said that great art should provoke fierce responses, both positive and negative. By this crite ria, few architects would have a stronger claim to greatness than Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926), the idiosyncratic Catalan master known widely as “God’s architect.” His best-known work, the still-incomplete cathedral La Sagrada Familia, was described by the modernist architect Louis…
The Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo is known to pull out all the stops to ensure that its projects f it the needs of the surrounding environment. The front page of its official website clearly states the firm’s mission to “combine architecture, interior design, urbanism and landscape to create unforgettable spaces.” Mecanoo has brought this integrative approach…
On Tuesday morning, Bjarke Ingels’ Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens was officially unveiled to the press, but architecture fans active on social media had already been granted a sneak preview of the building beforehand thanks to snapshots posted on Instagram. Many of these great shots came from visitors and passersby, but a few were…
Last month, Dezeen — working in collaboration with Architizer — sat down with Norman Foster at Foste r + Partners’ London office to discuss his memories of the late Zaha Hadid. What followed was an illuminating conversation about an individual Foster considered to be not only a great architect, but a close friend. “Everybody knows that…
New York City residents have long been aware of the trend toward “skinny” skyscrapers. Buildings lik e Rafael Viñoly’s432 Park Avenue and SHoP’s 111 West 57th Street are noted for their high height-to-footprint ratios and even higher rents. Herzog & de Meuron’s sleek new luxury tower at 56 Leonard Street in TriBeCa certainly fits the skinny…
“It’s ridiculous that we have these hundred-year-old buildings that everyone loves, and none of them ‘should’ be the way they are.”