This is a good piece on how, actually, Medieval Cathedrals Used to Be Full of Brilliant Colors. If you imagine them to be dark and dreary and colourless, read the piece. They were likely nothing like that, based on some good detective work by restoration specialists.
Comments Off on On the wonderful colourful world of old churches
Posted in architecture
Tagged architecture, cathedrals, churches, medieval
I am not a fan of supertall towers. They are bland looking, and they add little to a skyline. Therefore I was glad to see this week that they are being exposed for being problematic. First up was this piece in the New York Times on how one of them has been having lots of problems: The Downside to Life in a Supertall Tower: Leaks, Creaks, Breaks. Then there was a more general critique of them here: Why Pencil Towers are Problematic.
It seems to me that there are some problems with the buildings that not even super-engineering can fix. Perhaps this means that this is the beginning of the end of supertall buildings. I can hope.
(Image link to NYtimes.com)
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Posted in architecture
Tagged architecture, newyork, nyc, nytimes
Starchitect Frank Gehry is proposing a new set of towers for Toronto, and BlogTo has the latest on it here: Frank Gehry towers in Toronto updated again and people say they look like cheese graters.
I like it. I like the lack of smoothness to it, a quality so many basic buildings have in the downtown core (though there are many good ones, too). I like how it looks like towers of blocks slightly askew. I also like it has many units: we need more places for people to live in Toronto.
I do wonder, though, if the final version will look anything like that. Or even if it gets built at all. I vaguely recall that Gehry’s designs for his version of the AGO were scaled back due to lack of money. And the ROM designs of another starchitect, Daniel Libeskind, went through transformations as well, though I believe for different reasons It would be good to have more Gehry in Toronto. If we get it and what it will finally look like remains to be seen. It may not looks like a cheese grater at all by the time it appears on King Street.
Comments Off on On Frank Gehry’s latest proposed building for Toronto
Posted in architecture
Tagged architects, architecture, blogTO, buildings, design, starchitect, Toronto
The Annex in Toronto is growing up, literally. First there are the new condos going in on the corner of Bloor and Bathurst. Now the other end of it, at Spadina and Bloor, is getting the same treatment.
A mid-September application submitted to the City of Toronto seeks Zoning By-law Amendments to permit a 35-storey mixed-use condominium tower at 334 Bloor Street West, above Spadina subway station in The Annex.
For more on this, see:
35-Storey Condo Tower Proposed at Bloor and Spadina’s Northwest Corner | UrbanToronto
I think these are good developments. The character of the area remains, but more people can live there and enjoy it. Perhaps some day I will get to as well.
Comments Off on Toronto’s Annex grows up
Posted in architecture, new!, Toronto
Tagged Annex, architecture, Toronto
I came across this place the other day and thought it was fantastic. According to Wikipedia:
Shibam Haḍramawt (Arabic: شِـبَـام حَـضْـرَمَـوْت)[2][3] is a town in Yemen. With about 7,000 inhabitants, it is the seat of the District of Shibam[1] in the Governorate of Hadhramaut. Known for its mudbrick-made high-rise buildings, it is referred to as the “Chicago of the Desert” (Arabic: شِـيـكَاغـو ٱلـصَّـحْـرَاء),[2] or “Manhattan of the Desert” (Arabic: مَـانْـهَـاتَـن ٱلـصَّـحْـرَاء).[4]
Shibam Hadramawt – Wikipedia
Here is just one great shot of it. It’s fascinating:
Check out the Wikipedia page for more information and better sized images of this place.
(Embedded image taken by Jialiang Gao http://www.peace-on-earth.org – Original Photograph, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1450126)
Comments Off on What is Shibam Hadramawt?
Posted in architecture, cities, new!
Tagged architecture, cities, Yemen
There are a fair number of these in Manhattan, but if this is correct, it looks like one is coming to downtown Toronto, at Bay and Bloor: Herzog & de Meuron designs Canada’s tallest skyscraper.
I predict over the next 20-30 years we may have lots of these bean poles in many cities. Including Toronto.
Click on the link for more details.
Comments Off on Skinny skyscrapers are coming to Toronto
June 5, 2020 in architecture, new!
Tagged architecture, Toronto
You can see many more pictures of it here, at Colossal.
Comments Off on Something beautiful to look at: Copenhagen’s Grundtvig’s Church
May 22, 2020 in architecture, new!
Tagged architecture, art, churches, collosal, copenhagen
I love this piece on a rather odd thing: The Spite House, an Architectural Phenomenon Built on Rage and Revenge.
Spite houses can be houses or buildings or any structure built not so much to be lived it as they are the express a very negative emotion. Once you know about them, you will be surprised you know more of them than you thought.
I don’t think I’ve ever been that spiteful that I would go through the trouble of spending all the time and money to get back at someone. But that’s not true of everyone, if you read that article.
Comments Off on What are Spite Houses?
September 22, 2019 in architecture, new!
Tagged architecture, building, houses, interesting
Like many, I am well aware of Pei’s work at the Louvre. I was not aware he designed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I liked this piece, Six of I.M. Pei’s Most Important Buildings – The New York Times, because it showed the diversity of Pei’s work and touched a little on how he approached new projects.
A good way to remember a great architect.
Comments Off on The diversity of I.M. Pei, shown in six buildings
May 19, 2019 in architecture, new!
Tagged architecture, Louvre, paris, Pei
If you want to run away from it all and live in a small (but nice) cabin somewhere in the woods, then you ought to read this: Modern life too much for you? Maybe a tiny box in the woods is the cure. – The Washington Post. I have often thought of it myself. I may have to check this out.
Comments Off on Getaway: a chance to escape with this new real estate company
Sigh.
I love College Park in Toronto. I wish it were more of a destination spot for visitors. Perhaps if it had been built out like this photo, it would have. Instead, it was built out to the area outlined in white. Still a lovely building, but it could have been a phenomenon.
What could have been.
Via The half-built relics of nixed Toronto skyscrapers – Spacing Toronto
Comments Off on The greatness of what College Park in Toronto could have been
November 24, 2018 in architecture, Toronto
Tagged architecture, cities, spacing, Toronto
If you are a fan of Brutalism, you will want to visit this: Attack the blocks: brutalist treasures under threat – in pictures | Cities | The Guardian
You might want to even visit them, because for some of them, their days are numbered.
I imagine that in the next 50 years, the number of Brutalist buildings currently existing will be significantly reduced. That would be a shame. Brutalism gets knocked hard, and I can see why. But worse than Brutalist building are boring buildings from all different architectural styles. I’d like to see those go first. The world could use good Brutalism in their cities. Here’s hoping it doesn’t undergo severe decline.
Comments Off on The crumbling and outright destruction of “brutalist treasures”
October 1, 2018 in architecture, new!
Tagged architecture, Brutalism, buildings, ideas
If you want to build a tiny home, Dwell has a nice list of resources for you here. I particularly like the one above. There is a wide range though, and if you are considering building such a home, see Dwell.
Comments Off on Tiny homes you can build
Posted in architecture
Tagged architecture, buildings, homes, tinyhomes
Two more tiny home stories. First up, Muji also has a tiny prefab home and you can see more pictures (like the one above) here: Muji Hut Launches With 3 New Tiny Prefab Homes Collection of 9 Photos by Aileen Kwun – Dwell.
Second, here is an odd but topical story for a tiny home heated by Bitcoin mining technology!
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Posted in architecture, design, new!
Tagged architecture, Bitcoin, design, homes, tinyhomes
Many tiny homes look nice to visit but the thought of living in something so small seems impossible. An exception to those homes are these MADi houses, featured here: MADi Flat Pack Tiny House – Fast Set Up Eco Friendly | Apartment Therapy.
They seem spacious, thanks to the A frame and all the windows. Better still, they seem very affordable. Tiny home fans (or skeptics), take note.
You can find more about them here.
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Posted in architecture, design, new!
Tagged architecture, design, homes, tinyhomes
Fortunate souls walking along New York’s High Line can catch a glimpse of the magnificent building pictured above. Now, thanks to Design Milk, you can get to see what it looks like inside by going here: 520 West 28th Condominium Residence by Zaha Hadid – Design Milk.
Not surprisingly, it is as gorgeous on the inside as it is on the outside. I would love to live there. Take a peek inside and you’ll see why.
Comments Off on A peek inside the sublime new NYC residence designed by the great Zaha Hadid
Posted in architecture, decor, design
Tagged architecture, buildings, decor, design, designmilk, highline, interiordecorating, newyork, nyc
Some pretty wild cat homes, as you can see here: Inspired Outdoor Cat Shelters by Architects for Animals – Design Milk.
It’s worth checking out the article: some of the things architects build for their cats is really incredible. (Also there is a good chance the cat will just ignore it and go and squeeze into a nearby box).
Comments Off on What do you get when you mix architects and cats?
Posted in architecture
Tagged architecture, cats, design, designmilk
This piece, Worst of McMansions — McMansions 101: What Makes a McMansion Bad…, not only clearly explains why McMansions are so ugly, but it shows why other houses are appealing. A good primer for anyone interested in buildings and architecture, especially for someone looking to build a new home. I
Comments Off on What makes McMansions bad? The opposite of what makes other houses appealing
Posted in architecture
Tagged architecture, buildings, mcmansion
In this piece, Are we killing Yonge Street? from NOW Toronto Magazine, there is a good discussion on what is happening to development on Yonge Street in Toronto. NOW reports that for a lot of development happening on Yonge Street, the facades of the existing building are kept and much of the development is happening behind it. The article argues that this is a bad thing, and they raise some good points.
What I think they don’t touch on are some of the alternatives. Toronto is fortunate in that there is development ongoing. For poor cities, the alternative is boarded up or demolished buildings and vacant neighborhoods. Instead, we have neighborhoods and buildings being improved. That’s good.
Another alternative is the old buildings being torn down and replaced with new storefronts and new buidlings. I think some of that is good, but I also think preservation of old buildings is also good.
When it comes to preservation and improvements of old buildings, I also think that some of them should be preserved outright. However, Toronto is a growing city, and in some cases, we need larger buildings. In that case, facadism is a good compromise.
Now whether or not facadism is effective or not depends on at least two things. The first is how well the new architecture uses the existing architecture. Done well, the marriage of the old and new building results in something that enhances the area and preserves the city while allowing it to grow. The second thing that determines if facadism is effective is how the new building affects the neighborhood. Here, I think, is the root of the problem. It’s not so much facadism as it is gentrification. Old buildings get preserved, but old stores do not. New developments can cause rents to rise, driving out the stores and organizations that made the neighborhood great. You get bank branches and big chain stores replacing old bookshops and cafes.
I hope the next phase of development tries to understand how to preserve not just the existing architecture, but the neighborhood as well. I realize that is a difficult task, but it is one worth trying to accomplish.
Posted in architecture, cities, economics
Tagged architecture, buildings, cities, economics, nowmagazine
My Modern Met has some fantastic images of the Klementinum library for anyone (like myself) that gets excited about such things. Here’s a sample: 
If you haven’t heard of it, here’s what that site has to say about this fantastic place:
Prague’s Klementinum library was opened in 1722 and has easily become one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Aside from housing over 20,000 novels for your reading pleasure, this location showcases absolutely stunning Baroque architecture. As you’re perusing various timeworn bookshelves, you can take a moment to look up and see Jan Hiebl’s heavenly, Renaissance-style ceiling paintings. Amongst his work, there are symbolic designs that represent the importance of education, along with fantastic portraits of Jesuit saints. Hiebl’s paintings actually pay homage to the fact that the library was originally a Jesuit university. Many of the school’s rare, 17th-century books are still amongst its collection today. That would explain why Emperor Joseph II’s portrait is displayed at the head of the hall, since he was the one who arranged for abolished monastic libraries to send their books to Klementinum.
Up against that, TD Centre still retains the purity of a temple. And you don’t put billboards on a temple, unless you want to anger the gods.
It’s worth reading that article to get a viewpoint of someone who thinks of architecture as something pure and museum-like.
To me, the owners of the TD buildings are doing reasonable things with a building that functions as a work environment. You can make the argument that the building should never vary from the original intent of the architect. You can also make a good if not better counter argument that the building should be able to adapt to changes over time, and that the building should allow for the people in it to make adaptions to suit them.
The author seems to be arguing that building should remain fixed and never change, never learn. If that seems like an odd idea — that building should learn — I recommend this book: How Buildings Learn, by Stewart Brand. You can get it here. Also, if you search for it on Google, you will see alot of material derived from it.
Comments Off on On the unnecessary preciousness of architecture
Posted in architecture
Tagged architecture, buildings, design, TD, Toronto
I am a big fan of small spaces, well designed, and the one featured here certainly is a great example of that. What I found especially smart is the bed: instead of folding into the wall, it rises into the ceiling. Very smart, and very beautiful. Well worth a look.
Comments Off on In praise of small spaces, well designed (with an amazing bed)
Posted in architecture
Is the TTC architecture bad? It’s something I have been thinking about after the critical comments from “A.R.” in which he pointed out that: “Toronto has some interesting subway architecture, as well. you know. Maybe you should appreciate some of the creativity in the system” in response to my comment that “Toronto subway stations…look like washrooms without the necessary plumbing”.
I think alof of Toronto subway architecture is, if not bad, then boring. In this blog post I found, David Ahm from the TTC agreed, saying, “The Yonge-line stations are from the ’50s and ’60s and are functional but kind of boring.”
This blog post with Ahm’s comments were interesting, because you see the challenge of designing a subway station, budget being one serious consideration. But that doesn’t mean there can’t be interesting design work done on a subway, and in fact, lots of Toronto subway stations are well designed. And despite limited budgets, the TTC is looking to have better and better stations in the future, which is a good thing indeed.
Of my favourite stations, the ones I most like are Old Mill, Rosedale, Yorkdale and Dupont. I like the openness of Old Mill and Rosedale. They belong to the neighborhood, somehow. I feel like I am in a different city when I am waiting for a train (or a bus) at the Rosedale station. And I love the windows of Old Mill. Perhaps it is no coincidence that they are both above ground subway stations.
I also admire the design of Yorkdale and Dupont. Yorkdale makes the subway system itself seem dynamic, while Dupont is like an experiment in subway station design.
I like other stations too, like Queen’s Quay, Museum and St. Andrew and St Patrick. Of the latter two, I like the “tube” like design of the tunnels. It reminds me of a European subway station.
One thing I really like about the TTC is their choice of artwork. It is a collection of some of the best Canadian artists, from Charles Pachter to Joyce Wieland to Micah Lexier. And the scale of the work is striking, whether it is the 1.5 million one-inch tiles, used by Toronto artist Stacey Spiegel to create Immersion Land or 3000 handwritten samples that Lexier collected over 5 years to create “Ampersand”. Anyone visiting Toronto should stop at various stations just to see it. (You can get a sample of it all by going to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto_subway_and_RT)
Posted in architecture, art, design
This photo essay in TIME, The Remains of Detroit, is haunting. This photo is of the Michigan Central Station, designed by the same architects that did the still vibrant Grand Central Terminal in NYC. It is anything but vibrant, being vacant for 20 years.
In the film Blade Runner, much of “future” Los Angeles is like this: deserted, decrepit, waterlogged. Perhaps Detroit is the future, sadly.
Comments Off on Detroit: the future sadly
Posted in architecture, new!
What ismaterialicious™? As it says, it is “a weblog featuring residential architecture, design, craftsmanship, materials and products. It is edited by Justin Anthony, a New Yorker who is currently residing in Phoenix, AZ., and was a residential restoration specialist for 25 years.” It is chock full of great architecture and design, like the Casa Cachagua featured above. Go see.
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Posted in architecture
There are a number of architects and builders specializing in very small dwellings for people.
Tumbleweed Houses are appropriately named and nicely done. It makes being a nomad seem grand! You should visit the site, just to see what can be packed into such a small space.
Posted in advice, architecture, cool
The blog Your Daily Awesome often has some great posting. A recent one is The World’s Most Beautiful Libraries
The libraries are stunning. You have to go see.
Posted in architecture, culture
I would love one of these spaces myself. Here’s hoping more architects come up with such designs.
Comments Off on Ecospace – smart, ecological, affordable architecture
Posted in architecture, green
Unlike Toronto subway stations, which look like washrooms without the necessary plumbing, the Stockholm subways have a presence to them, the way great architecture should. See Ueba – Stockholm Subway these photos to get an idea of what I mean.
Posted in architecture
..my question is: why? What’s closed about it now? 🙂
For those of you who think about such things as I do, check out Memories of Life and Death in an Architectural Masterwork – New York Times
For such a slight building, it’s also very influential. I think the key to living there is good pajamas. And not scratching your butt. Or scratching your butt but not caring anyone might notice. 🙂
Comments Off on Philip Johnson’s Glass House is officially opening to the public on June 21, ’07…
Posted in architecture, nytimes.com
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