About.com Architecture

Remembering Jeanne-Claude

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:45:36 +0000

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?

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:00:07 +0000

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!

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:24 +0000

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?

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:00:16 +0000

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

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:09 +0000

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

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:00:00 +0000

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?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:38 +0000

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

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:00:00 +0000

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

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:00:28 +0000

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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Russian Evolution

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:00:12 +0000

November 7, 1917 marks the second stage of the Russian Revolution when Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky lead Communist revolutionaries in a violent overthrow and captured the Winter Palace. You may have seen slightly different dates for these events - Russia still used the Julian calendar. But by any records, Russia's political upheaval brought dramatic changes, including a transformation in the visual arts.

Join us for a photo tour of Architecture in Russia. And, to learn more about the Russian Revolution, see this history timeline, from About European History.

^{Shown here: Hermitage Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo from ArtToday.com.}

Russian Evolution originally appeared on About.com Architecture on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 01:00:12.

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