Tips and tricks to help you specify the right building-products and design better buildings.
On the 14th anniversary of 9/11, people around the globe will be taking a moment to look back, remem bering the victims and their loved ones. Just as the lives of many were changed forever that day, the architectural landscape of New York was also irrevocably altered. The task of repairing and rebuilding the heart of…
As every creative type knows, it can be pretty difficult to focus and get things done in the big cit y. With endless distractions — from the perpetual buzz of a smartphone to the tantalizing smell from the nearest Starbucks drifting through the window — we have all had days when we struggle to stick to…
As it approaches the 30th anniversary of its founding, Danish firm Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects is showing no signs of slowing up in its exploration of new material applications. The practice recently published work-in-progress images of a major new project in the Netherlands as it approaches completion: the International Criminal Court at the Hague will…
It’s a fact of life for architects and their clients: major projects rarely progress from conception to completion without facing some design complications along the way. In Los Angeles, famous businessman and art collector Eli Broad knows this better than anyone, having experienced some exceedingly turbulent times during the construction of the iconic Disney Concert…
As the partners of most major firms across the globe will tell you, the business of architecture can often be a very slow moving vehicle. During the economic downturn of 2008, the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel was barely visible for many studios. There were few projects on the drawing board, let…
It is considered by many to be the most important architectural work of the late 20th century. Upon completion in 1997, Frank O. Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao formed the fulcrum of a pivotal moment in architectural history, demonstrating the power of a single building to alter the urban landscape — not just spatially, but…
Dear Mayor de Blasio, A week has passed since New York’s Police Commissioner William J. Bratton sugg ested ripping up the plazas of Times Square in an effort to curb the proliferation of “desnudas” and street performers panhandling in the area. By now, I trust that you have taken the time to consider the terrible effect…
Supposedly coined by Aristotle, the “Wisdom of the Crowd” dictates that the collective judgment of a large group can provide you with the answer to almost any problem (from guessing the weight of a cow to predicting the lottery numbers, no less). The question is: can the same principle be applied to the perceived necessity…
British firm Wilkinson Eyre is officially joining the high-rise party in England’s capital. Its prop osal for Bishopsgate in the heart of the City has been granted planning permission, and the 40-story glass edifice is now due for construction alongside the plethora of novelty silhouettes on London’s burgeoning skyline. Commissioned by Mitsubishi Estate London, the Bishopsgate…