Tempelhof
On German Unity Day, a tour of Tempelhof Airport proved to be a powerful act of remembrance.
Categories
architecture
Death of a clone town
What does the future hold for small towns like Walsall?
Concrete on the Tyne
Exploring Newcastle’s former ambition to become “Brasília Of The North”.
What goes up, must come down
From its Roman walls to a series of modern carbuncles, Exeter has a curious mix of architecture, but not nearly as much as it once did.
A summer in Le Havre
Finding the unexpected in Le Havre, the French seaside city that’s full of surprises.
Paradise lost
I had braced myself for its eventual fate, but seeing footage of Birmingham Central Library being demolished still brought a tear to my eye.
Designing systems, part 1: theory, practice, and the unfortunate in-between
In the first part of a three-part essay about design systems, I review two approaches for the creation of something equally as complex: a city.
“It’s a bonkers, outsized flagpole”: Brighton greets the world’s tallest moving observation tower
Leo Benedictus writes about Brighton’s new “vertical pier” in the Guardian:
About once a century, Brighton builds something mad. Between 1786 and 1823, it was the Royal Pavilion, an Asian fusion fantasy fun palace where the Prince Regent could eat, drink, gamble and fornicate more ostentatiously than would be polite in London. Between 1866 and 1916, with mass pleasure-seeking now enabled by the railways, it was the West Pier, the great masterpiece of the architect Eugenius Birch, featuring a pavilion (later a theatre) and eventually a concert hall. Next summer, right on time, it will be something new. Most of Britain doesn’t know about it yet, but pretty soon it will be one of the country’s most famous buildings.
My friend James referred to the i360 as a “self–indulgent, grossly–oversized phallus complete with champagne bar cock–ring”. I’m reserving judgement.
London’s Olympic Stadium: A legacy lost
Having undergone a £272m conversion, London’s Olympic Stadium is ready to host Premier League football and world-class athletics. With its future secured, what hopes remain for its legacy?
Next larger context
Eliel Saarinen:
Always design a thing by considering it in its next larger context – a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan.
The architecture of Brasília
Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, Brasília’s distinctive buildings feature a number of recurring design patterns and motifs.
The Brasília Palace Hotel
For anyone coming to Brasília for its modernist architecture, no visit would be complete without a stay at this hotel. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer and opened in 1958, it hosted dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth and Che Guevara before being devastated by fire in 1978. After facing decades of abandonment and neglect, it was modernised and reopened in 2006.
A new library for Birmingham
Architecture has never been kind to Birmingham, but then Birmingham has never been kind to its architecture.
Absolutely, Positively, Wellington
Wellington will remain the most memorable stop on my brief tour of New Zealand, although perhaps not entirely for the right reasons.
Le Corbusier - The Art of Architecture
Yesterday I went to see the Le Corbusier exhibition, currently showing at the Barbican Art Gallery in London.
Washington, DC: A monumental city
The final stop in my four-city tour of the US in October was Washington, D.C.
Chicago: A city apart
I briefly encountered Chicago in March, relaxing there for two nights after three long days aboard the California Zephyr. At that time it was a snow covered, cold and blustery city, but I saw enough to want to come back.
Seattle: Finding gems in the Emerald City
The first stop in my four city tour of America was Seattle in the north-western state of Washington. Best known for its iconic Space Needle, it’s perhaps no surprise that I spent most of my time fixated on this slender looking tower.