March 11 marked the groundbreaking celebration at the historic Beverly Hills Post Office for the new Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, designed by Studio Pali Fekete architects (SPF:a).  The historic building will be restored and adapted, and the spaces that were once used for mail sorting and postage purchases will be redesigned to become a theater school, a flexible studio theater, sculpture garden, café, gift shop and more. Complimenting the historic building will be the 500-seat contemporary Goldsmith Theater.

At one point, prior to SPF:a’s involvement in the project, conventional wisdom was to place the new performing arts venue within the walls of the historic post office building, and to create a small annex on the site to house the educational components of the program.  SPF:a did the reverse – instead, the studio took the smaller programmatic elements such as the rehearsal hall, classrooms, and administrative offices and located them into the three level historic building, where they fit nicely and snuggly.  This preserves and celebrates the historic architecture, as well as affords the Center the opportunity to create a new, state-of-the-art, flexible performing arts facility with ample back-of-house amenities.

The plan diagram of the new theater is a “T”, as is the historic building.  By turning the new “T” so that it fits on the site adjacent the existing one, a dynamic site diagram evolves.  The interplay between buildings also forms a series of serene outdoor gardens and courtyards that allow for a variety of activities and landscapes, including a pathway that will allow visitors to walk from City Hall through the site towards the shopping areas.  Each interior space of the complex has a corresponding exterior plaza or garden that extends the space into the public domain and takes advantage of the southern California climate. 

Rather than imitate or pay homage to the existing architecture, the new interventions on the site celebrate the history of the site itself, and the activity that took place there: the processing, sorting, and delivery of mail.  Thus the project is essentially a collection of wrappers, envelopes, and surfaces that weave together a diverse set of functions and itineraries.

The skin of the new Goldsmith Theater is an abstraction of the millions of letters and envelopes that once defined this historic site – formed in copper-colored concrete panels.  A 4 foot by 9 foot envelope-shaped panel is repeated across the façade. The result is a beautiful abstract textural pattern, engraved into a copper skin.  Each envelope is slightly different; some flat, some closed, some open, some turned front side out, and some turned to their backs.  The direction not only creates symbolism in its architecture, but an abstract composition and a piece of art.

The skin folds in response to the street and existing building on the site.  The skin also conceals the mechanical equipment of the building.  As it wraps around the building it modulates its construction to create a cohesive figure out of the building masses that otherwise would be perceived as separate elements. 

What was once a hub of private personal communication becomes a center for art and education.  In doing so, the Center embodies the invisible monumentality of the process of mail distribution, creating a resonance with its new function as a center for the processing and distribution of culture.

“We have a stunning design from Zoltan Pali,” said Wallis Annenberg Center’s Executive Director Lou Moore. “Our Board of Directors has been working very closely with Pali throughout each phase. We applaud the team’s efforts and diligence in insuring that this design meets the expectations of our donors, neighbors and the entire community.”

The site is rich with lush greenery and serene gardens designed by Ron Lutsko and Associates. The expansive Promenade Terrace will be perfect for casual dining and special events. It will transition dramatically into the Sculpture Garden via a cascade of terraced steps, bringing audiences into the Goldsmith Theater.

A City of Beverly Hills three-level subterranean parking garage is being built underneath the adjacent Crescent Drive, to provide additional parking for the City and serve Annenberg patrons.

Only steps away from the “Golden Triangle” of Beverly Hills, patrons will be able to combine their theater experience with world class dining and shopping at the soon-to-be built Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

Images: SPF:a

Earlier this March, the 2010 recipients of the AIA New York Chapter’s Design Awards were publicly announced. The thirty-four selected projects and the architecture firms behind them represented exceptional work by AIA New York members in four categories: interiors, architecture, unbuilt work, and new for 2010, urban design. Each winning project, granted either an “honor” or “merit” award, was chosen for its exemplary originality.

The criteria used by the juries included design quality, program resolution, innovation, thoughtfulness and technique. Jurors included San Diego professor Teddy Cruz and Los Angeles luminary Craig Hodgetts, FAIA, and Canadian architects Brigette Shim, Hon. FAIA, and Gilles Saucier. There were 425 entries in four categories, including close to two hundred submissions in the architecture category alone.

“We want the world to appreciate New York architecture and New York architects,” said Anthony Schirripa, FAIA, IIDA, the 2010 AIA New York Chapter President. “The design that comes out of New York is important, and the Design Awards celebrate the great work of architects, planners, clients and consultants who are inspired by and constantly inspiring our great city. Design matters—especially here and now.”

The symposium was moderated by William Menking, editor-in-chief of the Architect’s Newspaper. Menking led the jurors in a lively discussion of the winning projects, which were selected from hundreds of submissions for work located around the globe. “The juries brought fresh perspectives on New York’s architecture and design,” said Menking. “Jurors understood the importance of the client-architect relationship, and picked projects that highlighted that good architecture is more than luxury—it’s what works best for the end user, be it a government agency, a nonprofit organization, or a private business.”

“This year’s awards prove that good design isn’t just expensive design,” said Rick Bell, FAIA, Executive Director of AIA New York Chapter. “The recession has hurt our industry, but it hasn’t damaged our sense of what makes a successful project: environmental consciousness, a socially responsible program, and aesthetic delight.”

This is the first year that the Design Awards program has included an Urban Design Award. Teddy Cruz, Maurice Cox, and Julie Eizenberg, AIA, reviewed the entries, and picked four projects. “The public is really key,” said Julie Eizenberg, AIA, of Koning Eizenberg Architecture. The winning designs shared “a generosity of spirit, a clarity in communication, and a joy in what design can bring to communities.”

In addition to the symposium, winning projects will be recognized at the Design Awards Luncheon, April 14 at Cipriani Wall Street. All winning work will be exhibited at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, beginning April 15. The Design Awards Exhibition will remain on view through July 3. The winners’ symposia are scheduled for April 27 and June 17, 2010.

Winners of the 2010 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards:

ARCHITECTURE

Architecture Honor Award Winners:

Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Project: Knut Hamsun Center
Location: Hamarøy, Norway

Architect: Steven Holl Architects
Project: Vanke Center / Horizontal Skyscraper
Location: Shenzen, China

Architect: Peter Gluck and Partners
Project: East Harlem School
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Marble Fairbanks
Project: Toni Stabile Student Center
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Thomas Phifer and Partners
Project: Fishers Island House
Location: Fishers Island, NY

Architect: Morphosis Architects and Gruzen Samton, LLP
Project: 41 Cooper Square
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Toshiko Mori Architect PLLC
Project: The Eleanor and Wilson Greatbatch Pavilion
Location: Buffalo, NY

Architecture Merit Award Winners:

Architect: STUDIOS Architecture
Project: 200 Fifth Avenue
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Handel Architects LLP (Architect of Record) and UNStudio (Design Architect)
Project: New Amsterdam Plein & Pavilion
Location: New York, NY

Architect: SAA/Stan Allen Architect
Project: Salim Publishing House
Location: Paju Book City, Korea

Architect: Phillip Wu Architect
Project: 39 East 13th Street
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Garrison Architects
Project: Koby
Location: Albion, MI

Architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects PC
Project: Carrasco International Airport New Terminal
Location: Montevideo, Uruguay

INTERIORS

Interiors Honor Award Winners:

Architect: Peter Marino Architect
Project: Chanel Robertson Blvd.
Location: Los Angeles, CA

Architect: Butler Rogers Baskett
Project: Trinity School - Johnson Chapel
Location: New York, NY

Interiors Merit Award Winners:

Architect: Lyn Rice Architects (Design Architect) and Cooper, Robertson & Partners (Architect of Record)
Project: The New School Welcome Center
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Garrison Architects
Project: Slocum Hall
Location: Syracuse, NY

Architect: STUDIOS Architecture
Project: Dow Jones Offices
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Shelton, Mindel & Associates
Project: Manhattan Rooftop Duplex
Location: New York, NY

UNBUILT WORK

Unbuilt Work Merit Award Winners:

Architect: Della Valle Bernheimer and Architecture Research Office
Project: R-House
Location: Syracuse, NY

Architect: Ginseng Chicken Architecture P.C.
Project: Open Paradox
Location: Seoul, South Korea

Architect: EASTON+COMBS
Project: Lux Nova
Location: Queens, NY

Architect: OBRA Architects
Project: Korean Cultural Center New York
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
Project: Transbay Transit Center
Location: San Francisco, CA

Architect: H Associates and Haeahn Architecture
Project: Chungnam Government Complex
Location: Hongsung, South Korea

Architect: konyk
Project: Urban Aeration
Location: Dallas, TX

Architect: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC
Project: Tianjin Hang Lung Plaza
Location: Tianjin, China

Architect: Guy Nordenson and Associates with Catherine Seavitt Studio and Architecture Research Office
Project: On the Water: Palisade Bay
Location: New York – New Jersey Upper Bay

Architect: OBRA Architects
Project: The Great Hall at Grace Farms
Location: New Canaan, CT

Architect: Audrey Matlock Architect
Project: Medeu Sports Center
Location: Medeu, Kazakhstan

URBAN DESIGN

Urban Design Honor Award Winner:

Architect: James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro
Project: The High Line
Location: New York, NY

Urban Design Merit Award Winners:

Architect: Architecture Research Office
Project: Five Principles for Greenwich South
Location: New York, NY

Architect: Rogers Marvel Architects, PLLC (Design Architect) and di Domenico + Partners, LLP (Architect of Record)
Project: MTA Flood Mitigation Streetscape Design
Location: New York, NY

Architect: dlandstudio llc
Project: BQE Trench: Reconnection Strategies for Brooklyn
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Jurors for the 2010 AIA New York Chapter Design Awards

ARCHITECTURE
Stanley Saitowitz, Emeritus Professor of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley and principal of Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects Inc. in San Francisco
Gilles Saucier, principal at Saucier + Perrotte Architectes in Montréal
Julie Snow, FAIA, founder of Julie Snow Architects, in Minneapolis, Minnesota

INTERIORS
Brian MacKay Lyons, Hon. FAIA, cofounder of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Ltd, and full professor of Architecture at Dalhousie University in Halifax
Glenn Pushelberg, cofounder of Yabu Pushelberg, with design offices in New York
and Toronto
Brigitte Shim, Hon. FAIA, principal at Shim-Sutcliffe Architects and professor at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design, University of Toronto

UNBUILT WORK
Craig Hodgetts, FAIA, principal and co-founder of Hodgetts + Fung Design and Architecture and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles
Quinyun Ma, Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California and founder of MADA s.p.a.m.
Karen Van Lengen, FAIA, Kenan Professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia and former dean of the school

URBAN DESIGN
Maurice Cox, urban designer, architectural educator at the University of Virginia School of Architecture and former mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, who recently served as Director of Design for the National Endowment for the Arts
Teddy Cruz, professor of public culture and urbanism in the Visual Arts Department at the University of California, San Diego
Julie Eizenberg, AIA, founding principal of Koning Eizenberg Architecture in Santa Monica

Our friends over at GOOD magazine invite you to cast your vote on their “Design the Gas Station of the Future” project. The submissions are in, and now it’s up to the public vote who will be the lucky winner. Cast your vote here through Tuesday, March 23. The winners will be announced shortly after.

Here are some of our favorite submissions (see the complete list at GOOD):

See the complete list of entries at GOOD and vote now!

Just one week after winning the design of the new permanent premises for the International Criminal Court in The Hague (previously on Bustler), schmidt hammer lassen architects (SHL) wins the architectural competition to design an approx. 40,000 m2 5-star hotel complex in Munich, in the southern part of Germany. This competition is the third large international competition won by schmidt hammer lassen architects in the first quarter of 2010.

The hotel complex is situated in the newly developed Schwabinger Tor area, along the northern part of the Leopoldstraβe. The challenge in the competition was to bring the architectural characteristics of Munich into this new and modern part of the city. SHL’ design concept has its origin in three themes: the analysis of the historical city with its arches, vaults and arcades; a close relation to the master plan with its boulevards, plazas and narrow streets; and a focus on human beings as well as the overall experience offered to the hotel guests.

“The arcade motif is well known in Munich and emphasizes the passage from a public plaza to the more private urban spaces. The arcade creates a semi-public space where people can sit and observe the urban life. We want to integrate this architectural feature into the ground floor level of the hotel,” says partner at schmidt hammer lassen architects Kim Holst Jensen.

North and south of the building complex, two new urban plazas form natural entry points to the hotel and the conference center. The entrances are accentuated in the building design by two impressive, golden vaults. “For the hotel guests and the passers-by these very unique spaces offer a feeling of being part of something special. The vaults are fascinating, spacious and luxurious,” says Kim Holst Jensen. 

The hotel rooms have been designed to become one-of-a-kind. By integrating large and luxurious bathrooms – as a kind of private spa-rooms – with daylight and visual connection to the outside greenery, the atmosphere in the hotel rooms becomes relaxing and impressive. According to Kim Holst Jensen, the use of daylight is a general theme throughout the building complex. It offers the hotel guests a unique experience and sets a whole new standard for high-end hotels in general.

The building facades with their poetic rhythm of vertical lamella and the open ground floor level add something to the urban spaces of the city. With reference to the Scandinavian architectural tradition of working with daylight, transparency and simplicity, SHL has created an outstanding and expressive building complex. The classic values are combined with a modern design and the result is a unique and exclusive hotel with its very own style.

Project Details:
Client: Jost Hurler Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungsgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG
Area: approx. 40,000m2
Number of hotel rooms: approx. 300
Competition: 2009-2010, 1st prize winner in a restricted international competition
Status: construction 2012-2014

The Chicago Chapter of Architecture for Humanity announced that the entry “Cut.Join.Play” by Chicago/Barcelona-based firm MAS Studio is the winner of the Street Furniture Competition. The MAS Studio team includes Iker Gil, Andrew Obendorf, Julie Michiels, and Andrew Clark.

For the competition, designers were asked to create one or more pieces of “street furniture” that can be easily distributed to vacant sites and parks throughout the city for two months during the summer with the goal to initiate a dialogue about how we use our space and encourage community participation in the decisions that affect our civic life. The competition requested these installations to be temporary and inexpensive. Designers also had to consider what will happen to the materials at the end of the two month time period.

Here’s a mini project description of “Cut.Join.Play” from MAS Studio’s website:

01. Start with a flat, lifeless lot and some plywood of similar quality.
02. Select the size of the desired installation, from XS to XL, the possibilities are endless.
03. Cut plywood into simple geometric shapes according to the patterns provided.
04. Join the pieces together with a metal angle after matching up the edges with equal dimensions. As the volumes aggregate, a landscape begins to form.
05. Fill the volumes with grass, herbs, flowers, recycling containers, light - life!
06. When summer fades, don’t be disappointed. We’ll take the plants to a deserving home or community garden. We’ll make sure your recyclables move on to serve new purposes. And we’ll clean up and package up the boards to bring it all back to life next summer.

Honorable Mentions were given to Brenna Martin with “Rocking Stable” and Ross Atkin and Isabel Lizardi with “Seeded”.

 

 

Some of the biggest names in architecture are among the shortlisted firms for the planned expansion for the Mario Botta-designed home of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The museum announced in early February to have raised $250 Million for the ambitious project that is going to house the renowned art collection of Donald Fisher, founder of the GAP clothing company who died in September 2009.

Although SFMOMA officials haven’t formally released a list yet, the leaked list of considered architects includes Renzo Piano, Foster and Partners, Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA), Diller, Scofidio & Renfro, Peter Zumthor, David Adjaye, TEN Arquitectos, Steven Holl, and also Snøhetta.

The museum had engaged David Meckel, FAIA, director of research and planning at California College of the Arts, to advise the committee and serve as a resource in the process. The final selection will be ratified by the full Board of Trustees. Meckel said: “You have the luxury of time here. What the committee is doing is keeping an open mind and not assuming that people who have not built six museums don’t know what they are doing. I think this is in good hands. This is a deliberative process with people who are not under the gun. They are going to do the right thing.”

SFMOMA’s expansion will provide an additional 100,000 square feet of gallery and public space, greatly enhancing and expanding both the presentation of art in all areas of its collections—painting and sculpture, photography, architecture and design, media arts—and its educational programs. The expansion will also include 40,000 square feet of support space, including larger and more advanced conservation facilities and an expanded library.

Following selection of the architect, additional site planning, and approval from local agencies, SFMOMA will develop a new wing on Howard Street (between Third and New Montgomery streets) extending north across Natoma Street, which will connect to the rear of the museum along the southern facade—creating galleries that will merge seamlessly with the existing museum.

The museum plans to relocate administrative support space from the current buildings into the new facility, providing more than 13,000 square feet of new gallery and public space in its original building, while consolidating all staff offices to one on-site location. In addition, the expansion will include a new entry on Minna Street (which runs along the museum’s northern facade) to improve access for school groups and for visitors to the museum’s Phyllis Wattis Theater for public programming.

SFMOMA’s current Mario Botta-designed building is 225,000 square feet with nearly 65,000 square feet of galleries, including the 14,400-square-foot Rooftop Garden.

The museum will announce the architect selected to design the expansion in fall 2010.

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.‘s (ABI) Board of Directors has recently selected Perkins+Will and James Corner Field Operations to lead the design of the 22-mile BeltLine Corridor. Perkins+Will’s team is led by Leo Alvarez, John Threadgill and Ryan Gravel, the urban designer whose graduate thesis is the basis of the BeltLine project. James Corner Field Operations recently completed the design of The High Line in New York City, one of the most innovative urban park projects in the United States.

“The eyes of the nation are on Atlanta’s BeltLine as a model for smart growth and urban redevelopment,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “The selection of this world-class team to design the BeltLine corridor is a great step forward for one of the most significant projects in our city’s history.”

“The BeltLine vision has expanded considerably since its inception, and now stands as a model for sustainable infrastructure strategies and public space throughout the country,” according to Ryan Gravel of Perkins+Will. “First-rate design is critical to the success of the BeltLine, and Perkins+Will is honored to help Atlanta carry its vision forward as lead of the corridor design team. For me personally, clearly the BeltLine has been a passion over the last 10 years, so I am particularly excited to be a part of this process.”

Progress on the BeltLine is actually already visible in many parts of Atlanta. Four new parks, two permanent trail segments and nearly eight miles of temporary hiking trails are set to open in 2010. A 1-mile hiking trail in the West End neighborhood was completed in October, 2008. There are events scheduled for the spring and summer celebrating the BeltLine through temporary public art, as well as a number of groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings.

Longbridge in Birmingham, England once the site of the largest manufacturing plant in the world, could be transformed into a new place for young people through the MyPlace initiative, a multi-million pound government program.

The aim of MyPlace is to design, in partnership with the young people who will use them, world class facilities to help them make the most of their free time and to deliver them throughout the UK.

The Factory design concept was developed by Steven Chilton of Marks Barfield Architects (MBA), creators of the London Eye.

Supported by The Sorrell Foundation, MBA worked on the MyPlace bid alongside Pete Dewar and Jonathan Hubbard of international branding consultancy Interbrand. Together, they engaged with a dynamic group of nine local young people aged 13-17 in the Birmingham area who were given the role of the client on the project. In the course of a series of workshops, inspirational visits and meetings, the ‘client’ identified and agreed the priorities for the architecture and branding of their center before presenting the final concepts to their bid teams and stakeholders.

Project Architect and designer Steven Chilton said: “Working on MyPlace with the young people of Longbridge was a truly inspirational experience. At Longbridge we have created a vision that celebrates their creative spirit whilst recognizing and building upon the iconic achievements of the area’s remarkable manufacturing heritage.”

The history of Longbridge is dominated by its industrial past. It is most notable for the production of cars, perhaps the most celebrated being the iconic Austin Mini.

The similarities between manufacturing plants and the client’s aspirations for the building became apparent early on in the development process. As a result, there was a consensus to develop a concept for the 2,000 sqm space based around the factory’s historical associations.