Amazing Architecture

[pawpaw]

Sorry, couldn't resist

Hell yeah, that is most definitely an amazing piece of architectre! Have you ever been to the top?

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

Here's a building in Boston, on the MIT campus that Frank Gehry did. Gehry is probably the most acclaimed modern architect, known for the Guggenheim Bilbao, and the Disney Concert Hall in LA, but he also has this one in his portfolio. MIT filed a lawsuit against Gehry (and the General Contractor), claiming that his design caused leaks to spring, masonry to crack, mold to grow, drainage to back up, and falling ice and debris to block emergency exits. It's still pretty cool looking though

i had actually just visited that Gehry building right before the lawsuit was announced. His buildings are so fun to look at, externally, but inside I feel like something is amiss. I love that they had to sandblast the Disney Concert Hall because of the extreme glare. Gehry seems like a pretty funny guy.

[pawpaw]

hey peoples, only here briefly... having the crappest of crap days but i had to say... just cried at work, which is not like me. :(

love this thread... welcome to my world!!! (now registered architect)

i'll have some time soon to put up some of my favourite buildings... hopefully

dorothy - those stairs are called castle stairs - they are left-over from medieval times, so knights in armour could climb up to the battlements (too hard & takes too long to try and manage normal stairs carrying all that iron around...) - one step per foot. i tried some in a former castle in verona 2 years ago, they feel weird but oddly easy to use!

enjoy the geekness!

I'm sorry to hear about the tough day...but congrats on passing your licensing exam(s). I know what that's like, I went through it as an engineer last Spring...I've never felt more relief than the day that I got the letter saying I'd passed! That's a great achievement, you should be proud! I know in the US, there are 10 TESTS that the architects need to pass to get their AIA licenses.

Looking forward to seeing your favorite buildings!

[thatswhatshesaid]

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. the picture doesnt really do it justice. one needs to take the tour. its absolutely stunning.

[pawpaw]

Here's a building in Boston, on the MIT campus that Frank Gehry did. Gehry is probably the most acclaimed modern architect, known for the Guggenheim Bilbao, and the Disney Concert Hall in LA, but he also has this one in his portfolio. MIT filed a lawsuit against Gehry (and the General Contractor), claiming that his design caused leaks to spring, masonry to crack, mold to grow, drainage to back up, and falling ice and debris to block emergency exits. It's still pretty cool looking though

i had actually just visited that Gehry building right before the lawsuit was announced. His buildings are so fun to look at, externally, but inside I feel like something is amiss. I love that they had to sandblast the Disney Concert Hall because of the extreme glare. Gehry seems like a pretty funny guy.

There's a really good doc on him that Sydney Pollack made...if you haven't seen it already, and are interested in him and his work, I highly recommend it. He is a pretty funny guy....

http://www.sonyclassics.com/sketchesoffrankgehry/

[mjkoehler]

Sorry, couldn't resist

Hell yeah, that is most definitely an amazing piece of architectre! Have you ever been to the top?

Yep, several times. It's a requirement for people who move here from out of town I think. The Tram ride up is a bit, errrr, claustrophobic

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. the picture doesnt really do it justice. one needs to take the tour. its absolutely stunning.

That place is awesome. Did a quick drive by once many years ago in a former job when I was visiting the fine folks at Ingles Markets. In laws gave me some wine from there also which was good.

[vespachick]

I forgot how much I love this one too:

Ah, that's a nice one, if only for the lore: "One of the popular New York City myths is that the slang term "twenty-three skidoo" comes from the Flatiron Building at Twenty-Third Street and Broadway/Fifth Avenue. Tourist buses pass by this spot; they have to talk about something.

The area has high winds, lifting women's skirts up. Allegedly, an Officer Kane told some naughty boys to "twenty-three skidoo" from the scene. Scram! Beat it! Go away!

The problem here is that I've found articles about "twenty-three" in 1899. The Flatiron Building was completed in 1902. One theory is that "23" is the number of the last victim in the then-popular play version of Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities, titled The Only Way."

[The DARK]

of course let's not forget the tennis court on top of the Burj Al Arab



If your ball goes out of bounds, you're screwed.

:o That's nuts!

[Dorothy_Mantooth]

There's a really good doc on him that Sydney Pollack made...if you haven't seen it already, and are interested in him and his work, I highly recommend it. He is a pretty funny guy....

I watched that doc recently. Back in design school, we watched quite a few documentaries about Gehry. Whether or not you like his product, his process is inspiring. Of course there's nothing better than the Simpsons episode where he was asked to design Springfield's new Concert Hall/eventual prison.

[dragonboy]

Not sure how many people have access to the channel but BBC World has a good show on architecture called Skylines. This months theme is Bionic Buildings:
http://www.bbcworld.com/Pages/Programme.aspx?id=162

[Jaimoe]

And then the world's greatest living architect, Toronto's very own Frank Gehry, was asked to design the actual cup for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey tournament (formally called The Canada Cup, played by the world's best teams with NHL rules and referees). Here's what he came up with, and Frank was alarmed at the hostile response his "ice surrounding a cup" creation received by players and media alike:

[red]

Ah, that's a nice one, if only for the lore: "One of the popular New York City myths is that the slang term "twenty-three skidoo" comes from the Flatiron Building at Twenty-Third Street and Broadway/Fifth Avenue. Tourist buses pass by this spot; they have to talk about something.

The area has high winds, lifting women's skirts up. Allegedly, an Officer Kane told some naughty boys to "twenty-three skidoo" from the scene. Scram! Beat it! Go away!

The problem here is that I've found articles about "twenty-three" in 1899. The Flatiron Building was completed in 1902. One theory is that "23" is the number of the last victim in the then-popular play version of Charles Dickens's novel A Tale of Two Cities, titled The Only Way."

Thanks for that great read!  When I was in NYC last year I just stopped and was transfixed by that place - I probably stood on the sidewalk for a good few moments.  (That happened a lot there, can't wait to go back)

[ali]

And then the world's greatest living architect, Toronto's very own Frank Gehry,

hm. i like frank as much as the next architect, but world's greatest is probably pushing just a tad. liked sketches of frank gehry, but i have to say - the it got a bit cloying after a while. some of the interviewees were speaking as if frank is the only architect who has ever designed a building that ACTUALLY WORKS for what the purpose is. i mean, that is the point of architecture, and there are a lot of us out there doing just that

a few of my favourites:
alvar aalto
saynatsalo town hall, finland

carlo scarpa
my favourite building of all time. its absolutely gorgeous - castelvecchio, verona, italy

jorn utzon

a bit of a cliche, but its a lovely building, perfect siting, and has become the icon of australia

le corbusier

notre dame du haut, ronchamp, france
i know appearances can be deceiving, but for me (when i finally got there) this is actually a movingly beautiful building, and internal space. sounds wanky architect speak, but it was seriously beautiful

steven holl

Kiasmaa (art gallery, finland)

if you're interested: tadao ando, flw (obviously), adolf loos, peter eisenmann, daniel liebeskind, OMA (and rem koolhaas), MVRDV, norman foster, .... the list goes on. i could waffle about this stuff for ever, but i won't  ;)

[MarkW]

The famous Midland Hotel has just re-opened in Morecambe, in the north of England.  Even being kind, one wouldn't describe Morecambe as a cultural centre, but the restoration of this art deco hotel is breathtaking:

From this:





to this:





Website here: http://www.midlandmorecambe.co.uk/the-hotel/design.aspx#

[pawpaw]

Here are some buildings and event facilities that were built for the Olympics in Beijing:



Beijing National Stadium


Beijing Olympic Aquatic Center


Olympic Media Center

[BH]

[pawpaw]

That shot from above of the Burj Dubai is awesome. Dubai is like a comic book of a city, unbelievable stuff being built. Cool pics...

[pawpaw]

2008 Pritzker Prize Laureate - Jean Nouvel

[pawpaw]

Newly re-opened Academy of Sciences Museum in San Francisco

[Ruckus]

Well I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to appreciating architecture.  I just know what I like and what I don't and I found this thread to be fascinating.

Couple of places I visited over the past 2 years.


The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul - Not bad for early 5th century

and



The highly controversial Scottish Parliament Building