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BROAD CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has traditionally been known for two things: its status as the largest encyclopedic art museum in the western United States, and its schizophrenic campus.
Bolstering the former and addressing the latter, LACMA has unveiled a long-awaited free-standing addition to its collection: the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM), designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in conjunction with executive architect Gensler. Published 2008.0507
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A BLOCK IN TEMPLE BAR
O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects spent ten years working on one block in Temple Bar, the cultural quarter of Dublin, Ireland.
We started on conversion of the former Quaker Meeting House into the Irish Film Centre in 1986. Meeting House Square, with the National Photographic Archive and the Gallery of Photography, was opened to the public in 1996. Published 2008.0130
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THE SUSTAINABILITY OF NINA MARITZ
Architects practicing in wealthy countries are becoming increasingly aware that our resources are finite and that if climate change goes unchecked, we could face a much warmer, harsher environment. Scientists present us with images of expanding deserts, sinking water tables, and material scarcity.
For Namibian architect Nina Maritz, the challenges of working in a harsh environment with limited means are already an everyday reality. Her work presents a model for making compelling buildings despite "a poverty of resources." Published 2007.0613
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ART DEPOT
Museum franchising seems to be a growing trend. The Guggenheim is a well established worldwide franchise, and The Louvre is on its way. The New York-based Museum of Modern Art and Dia Art Foundation each have two sites, while the London-based Tate has four. Published 2007.0530
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HEARST TOWER
Pritzker Prize laureate Norman Foster is a master of levitating buildings of dubious design, treatment, or association to the pantheon of architectural icons. The Hearst Tower in Manhattan, which he designed in collaboration with architects Adamson Associates and Gensler, is the most recent example of this resuscitation.
The 42-story glass- and metal-skinned tower is characterized by a large diagonal grid, emphasized by vertically alternating recessed and projecting multistory corner triangles. Published 2007.0523
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HOUSING TANGO
Eight vibrantly colored steel and glass towers dance around a landscaped courtyard, exposing most of the living rooms to the outdoors, with a wall of bedrooms wrapped around three sides of the block. Each of the 27 apartments has a unique character, the block is self-sufficient in energy, and many functions — from heating to door locks — can be individually controlled by personal computer. Published 2007.0425
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WORKING LIGHT
Imagine rushing through an underground subway station and suddenly looking up into the sky to realize that the earth has turned a few degrees and the weather has changed. This is the reaction that architect and artist James Carpenter wants to create with his daylight-bending projects. Published 2007.0418
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GREEN SCHOOL ECONOMICS
When architects are asked to articulate the economic benefits of "green" buildings, they may say something like: "they may cost more in construction than conventional buildings but will more than make up the difference in the long run." This claim seems reasonable, but how do we know it's accurate? Published 2007.0314
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TEACHING CLIMATE
On February 20, 2007, architects and students worldwide demonstrated en masse that they are ready to go to work to stop global climate change. Their "gathering" was virtual, however, as schools, firms, and individuals from 47 countries tuned in to the 2010 Imperative Teach-In webcast.
During several hours, a panel of three experts from different disciplines discussed the building sector's impact on global warming. Their presentations are available online. Published 2007.0314
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REMODELING NATURALLY
Many people start a home remodeling project by designing an addition and selecting finish materials. But if your goal is to live in harmony with nature, you need to begin with something more basic: a personal strategy for weaving your needs together with the natural elements available at your site. Published 2007.0214
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