About Architecture

Really Odd Houses

2009-11-24T13:25:16Z

I never get tired of looking at pictures of really weird architecture and the Chicago Tribune has served up a feast with a gallery of some sixty-three photos. Have you seen a really weird building? Share Your Photos!

This ODD House in the Chicago Tribune
Funny Pictures of Weird Buildings

_{_{Above: A Weird House in the Alps. Photo by Flickr Member Nicolas Nova, creative commons license 2.0}}

Really Odd Houses originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Tuesday, November 24th, 2009 at 13:25:16.

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Remembering Jeanne-Claude

2009-11-22T10:45:36Z

It's hard to imagine a world without artist Jeanne-Claude, who with her husband Christo, created the 16-day, $21 million "Gates" installation in New York City's Central Park. The Gates was just one of many dramatic public art projects that the team created during a partnership that spanned fifty years.

The Gates in Central Park
Tribute to Jeanne-Claude, About Art History
Jeanne-Claude Obituary, The Guardian
Artist Jeanne-Claude, CNN
Part of a Creative Powerhouse Behind Ephemeral Artworks, Wall Street Journal

_{Above: The Gates in Central Park by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Photo � Jackie Craven}

Remembering Jeanne-Claude originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 10:45:36.

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Ever Seen a 13th Floor?

2009-11-20T10:00:07Z

Funny how superstition can influence the way we build and the names we use for our buildings. A reader in our Discussion Forum wonders whether any tall buildings in the USA have a floor that is actually designated as the 13th floor. Somehow, American skyscrapers skip the unlucky number and floors jump magically from 12 to 14.

Can you name a building with a 13th floor? Tell us!

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Ever Seen a 13th Floor? originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 10:00:07.

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Celebrate Saarinen!

2009-11-17T11:00:24Z

Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen only lived to 51, and yet he created a dramatic body of work, from furniture designs to airport terminals. An amazing collection of his sketches, working drawings, models, photographs, furnishings, and other items are on display at the Museum of the City of New York through January 31.

The exhibition, Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future, then moves to Yale University, which houses the world's largest archives of Saarinen papers.

Making the Face of Modernism Familiar in the New York Times
The Purpose-Driven Wife in Newsweek
Exhibition Catalog: Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future (compare prices)

_{Above: David S. Ingalls Hockey Rink at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Sketch, 1953. Building opened 1958. Courtesy Eero Saarinen Collection. Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University. Photo: Michael Marsland.}

Celebrate Saarinen! originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 11:00:24.

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What Else Do Architects Do?

2009-11-15T00:00:16Z

We all know that architects design buildings, but how about all that other stuff they do? From teapots to lunar cities, great minds have taken on some pretty far flung projects. What else? How about shoes?

Architects Tread in New Territory: Shoe Design in Architectural Record

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What Else Do Architects Do? originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Sunday, November 15th, 2009 at 00:00:16.

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High Design For Your Car

2009-11-13T00:00:09Z

Frank Lloyd Wright had the right idea when he drew plans for the Gordon Strong Automobile Objective and Planetarium. That tourist destination never got built, but nowadays architects are designing all sorts of structures that put cars in fancy places.

Exhibit: House of Cars, Innovation and the Parking Garage at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. through July 11, 2010.
Book: The Parking Garage: Design and Evolution of a Modern Urban Form by Shannon Sanders McDonald (compare prices)
Photos: Parking Outside the Box in Metropolis Magazine.

_{Images:

Above: "Pez-dispenser" design for a Zipcar garage, 2004. Image Courtesy Moskow Linn Architects Inc.

Right: Gordon Strong Automobile Objective and Planetarium by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1924-25. FLLW FDN # 2505.039 � 2009 The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, Scottsdale, Arizona

High Design For Your Car originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 00:00:09.
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Rise and Fall of a Gilded Age Giant

2009-11-12T01:00:00Z

Philadelphia architect Frank Furness was born on November 12, 1839. Known for his bold and oversized Victorian buildings, Furness became one of the greats of the Gilded Age. However, his dramatic buildings faded in popularity and many have been remodeled or destroyed.

Wonderful photos of Furness's works are housed in the Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania.

Rise and Fall of a Gilded Age Giant originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 01:00:00.

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Have You Rescued a House?

2009-11-10T00:00:38Z

Have you brought new life to an old house? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your old-house renovation project and show us a photo. And, go ahead - brag a little. You have a lot to be proud of.

Submit Your Story

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Have You Rescued a House? originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 at 00:00:38.

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Born November 9: Stanford White

2009-11-09T02:00:00Z

American architect Stanford White was born on November 9, 1853. His Italian Renaissance Revival buildings and Shingle Style homes made Stanford White one of the most prominent architects of the Gilded Age.

In addition to elaborate summer homes for the Vanderbilts and other wealthy families, Stanford White designed the New York Herald Building, Madison Square Garden, and New York's Washington Square Park Arch.

Like his buildings, Stanford White's personal life was lavish. A red velvet swing hung from the gold leaf ceiling in his Madison Square Garden apartment where he entertained many beautiful young women. Eventually, Stanford White was shot in Madison Square Garden; he died in the building he created.

Born November 9: Stanford White originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 02:00:00.

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Celebrating the Louvre

2009-11-08T01:00:28Z

November 8, 1793 marks the date that the French revolutionary government turned the posh royal palace in Paris into what became one of the world's most famous museums: The Louvre.

But what's with that odd glass pyramid out front?

^{Louvre Photo � Alexei Nabarro / iStockPhoto}

Celebrating the Louvre originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 01:00:28.

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