mister buckminster

JOBS

2011-09-25T18:42:00.002+02:00

Princeton Architectural Press is looking for a full time editor. For more details click here.

Buckminster Knows 074

2011-06-04T14:41:00.003+02:00

(pics by RUAMPS on flickr)

Immeuble d'appartements de Maurice Lange (1929-1932) in Paris by the brothers Auguste and Gustave Perret.

Buckminster Knows 073

2011-04-25T11:48:00.005+02:00

Il Palazzo dei Cogressi in Rome (1954) by Adalberto Libera (1903-1963)

When I think of repetition, I think less of standardisation and more about music and art, I think of the city and of the everyday. Repetition implies the replication of an element, over and over, and while I experience intensity in this sameness, brought about by the repetition of pattern, I also see the potential in the variation within sameness. Nature shows us replicas are never identical but rather a repertoire of subtle differences with regard to a given type.

more pics here

When I think of repetition in terms of architecture and urbanism, I regard it as a strategic concept that may be explored in formal, social and emotinal terms. This strategy is experiential, rigorous in expression, yet loose and adaptable, as it can be modified to suit a place, use or way of life.

excerpt from Sameness by Stephen Bates

Buckminster Knows 072

2011-04-21T22:15:00.003+02:00

Tomba Brion-Vega (1970-72) by Carlo Scarpa.

"I would like to explain the Tomba Brion...I consider this work, if you permit me, to be rather good and which will get better over time. I have tried to put some poetic imagination into it, though not in order to create poetic architecture but to make a certain kind of architecture that could emanate a sense of formal poetry....The place for the dead is a garden....I wanted to show some ways in which you could approach death in a social and civic way; and further what meaning there was in death, in the ephemerality of life—other than these shoe-boxes."

Carlo Scarpa in Can Architecture Be Poetry from Peter Nover

Pics by Mario Gagliardi

Buckminster Knows 071

2011-04-17T12:45:00.005+02:00

pics by www.ioanamarinescu.com

Upper Lawn Pavillion (1959-62) by Alison and Peter Smithson

'It would be an understatement to say we feel indebted to Alison and Peter Smithson. Their example has helped us understand the relationship of modern architecture to a northern European situation and they consistently demonstrated that it is possible to combine a practice that is committed to building with teaching and writing. By attending to these three disciplines simultaneously they were able to adopt a forceful critical position: an architecture of ideas based on acute observation.

I cannot precisely recall when I first encountered the work of the Smithsons. As a student of architecture I was intrigued by the reaction the mere mention of their names provoked. It was never neutral. references to the Smithsons made in conversation among architects and teachers who were then in their fifties generated either displays of reverence or a form of dismissal that suggested underlying respect.'

-Jonathan Sergison in Lessons learnt from Alison and Peter Smithson-

Buckminster Books

2010-07-17T22:33:00.004+02:00

As architects tend to easily forget Rem Koolhaas is not the only contemporary architect who is still writing, A. Krista Sykes has bundled some of the most influential architectural essays of the last 15 years to refresh our memory.

This follow-up to Kate Nesbitt's best-selling anthology Theorizing a New Agenda collects twenty-eight essays that address architecture theory from the mid-1990's, where Nesbitt left off, through the present. Krista Sykes offers an overview of the myriad approaches and attitudes adopted by architects and architectural theorists during this era. Multiple themes-including the impact of digital technologies on processes of architectural design, production, materiality, and representation; the implications of globalization and networks of information; the growing emphasis on sustainable and green architecture; and the phenomenon of "starchitect" and iconic architecture-appear against a background colored by architectural theory, as it existed from the 1960's on, in a period of transition (if not crisis) that centers around the perceived abyss between theory and practice. Theory's transitional state persists today, rendering its immediate history particularly relevant to contemporary thought and practice.

While other collections of recent theoretical writings exist none attempt to address the situation as a whole, providing in one place key theoretical texts of the past decade and a half. This book provides a foundation for ongoing discussions surrounding contemporary architectural thought and practice, with iconic essays by Greg Lynn, Deborah Berke, Sanford Kwinter, Samuel Mockbee, Stan Allen, Rem Koolhaas, William Mitchell, Anthony Vidler, Reinhold Martin, Reiser+Umemoto, Glenn Murcutt, William McDonough, Michael Speaks, and many more.

buy book here

Buckminster Knows 070

2010-07-15T17:39:00.005+02:00

Today, I experienced a rare feeling. A feeling I only get once every couple of years. While flipping through Louis I. Kahn by Robert McCarter, I came across a plan so graphically perfect, it instantaneously and without need for further examination made sense. Something about the lay-out, composition and proportions I really can't explain.

I have to admit my knowledge of North-American architecture is embarrassingly limited. I've always been more Mies than FLW and more Corbu than Kahn, but I really wonder why I didn't think this plan before?

By the way, it's the Dominican Motherhouse by the great Louis Isadore

Masterclass Georgia 2010

2010-07-13T21:21:00.007+02:00

Stadslab European Urban Design Laboratory is offering an international Master Class on the regeneration of Georgia's Black Sea coast and the transformations of Batumi and Poti as its main port cities. During the Master Class a number of architects and planners will develop strategies and design solutions for two strategic corridors in the Western part of Georgia: a tourism corridor along the subtropical Black Sea coast, connecting Batumi with Poti, and an industrial corridor connecting Poti harbor with Tbilisi and further to Central Asia.

The Master Class consists of three one-week design workshops (1 week/month in September, October and November) under the supervision of Ruurd Gietema (partner at KCAP Architects and Planners) and Stadslab Staff. The program includes lectures and seminars with internationally renowned planners and architects. The Master Class will further include design workshops, site visits to Batumi, Kobuleti, Poti, a visit of the INTA Conference in San Sebastian-Pasaia (Basque Country) and a final presentation and conference in Georgia.

Scheduled dates for the Master Class program:

September 19-26 (Tilburg, Netherlands and Batumi, Kobuleti, Poti Georgia)
October 23-30 (Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain)
November 21-27 (Batumi, Kobuleti, Tbilisi Georgia)

Detailed Course Information and Enrolment Form

Application procedure has started. Deadline for applications is September 1st 2010.

The first 6 applicants receive a free copy of Han Meyer's classic book 'City and Port: Transformation of Port Cities - London, Barcelona, New York and Rotterdam

Buckminster Knows 070

2010-07-05T11:57:00.005+02:00

I have never had the audacity to post Mies, maybe because I think I still don't understand Him or maybe because I am absolutely positive I will never be able to post something better. Today, for some reason, felt like the right moment... I reckon you all know the project.

more pics here

ENOF IS ENOF-Enofstudio expo in Brussels

2010-01-09T10:41:00.004+01:00

Enofstudio exhibition in Brussels. Interesting work by young up-and-coming Belgian studio.

January 16, 2010 at 6:30pm at laxess, tour et taxis avenue du port 86C 1000 Bruxelles (Belgium)

enofstudio is a young architectural firm founded by luis m. zamorano garrote (°1981) and najiw zemmouri (°1980) in 2007 and based in antwerp, belgium. since 2007 enofstudio has been engaged in a wide variety of national and international competitions and architectural commissions.

[image credits enostudio]

enof is enof
The architectural projects conceived by enofstudio do not - like most of their contemporaries - follow the dogmas of modernism, since modernism is considered not as the truth but merely as one truth. They rather arise from the idea of architectural history as generator. No new words are invented, but instead existing words are assembled into sentences with new meanings. Design is replaced by composition and the result is called 'collage architecture'.

Buckminster Knows 69

2009-10-04T20:29:00.006+02:00

Haas House (1990) in Vienna, by Hans Hollein (1934), I said it once and I'll say it a million times...don't mock post-modernism...embrace it...

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 69

2009-10-04T20:29:00.001+02:00

Buckminster Knows 068

2009-09-01T20:27:00.002+02:00

Byker Wall (1978) by Ralph Erskine (1914-2005) is not an ordinary building. Read the story here.

[more pics here]

Buckminster Knows 067

2009-08-27T21:09:00.003+02:00

Not very inspired today, but I still managed to find (thanks to John) a charming little project to share with you. The Fiat Tagliero building (1938) in Eritrea by architect Giuseppe Petazzi.

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 066

2009-08-25T21:22:00.005+02:00

Adolf Loos' (1870-1933) house for entertainer Josephine Baker (1906-1975) never made it past the drawing the drawing board. Still, it seems to have become basic architectural info (partly) due to its explicit black-white facade.

The closest we'll ever get to seeing it built is b0b van Reeth's (b.1943) Van Roosmalen House (1985-1988) in Antwerp (Belgium), which I might even like more then the real deal.

Buckminster's true architectural stories 1

2009-08-23T20:07:00.004+02:00

CD=Cedric Buckminster SOAB= snobby and overpriced art and architecture bookshop.

CD: Hi, can I have a copy of Camillo Sitte's City planning according to artistic principles? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

SOAB: I have never heard of it, sir, but I'll see if I can order a copy.

CD: Thank you.

SOAB: [after a 10-minute search on the database computer] Sir, are you mocking me? That book has been out of print since 1965.

CD: :-⎢

Could this be one of the causes of the architectural malaise in the 21st century? Is maybe the wrong literature being sent into the world? While crappy architectural magazines featuring beautiful pictures of horrible buildings by even worse architects seem to effortlessly sell thousands of copies, a must-read classic like Camillo Sitte's City planning hasn't been printed in more than 40 years?!

Publishers, professors, writers...please. Protect the future of architecture. Bring back Camillo!

[review by John Hill at archidose here]

Buckminster Knows 065

2009-08-20T23:06:00.003+02:00

The Rue Franklin Apartmets in Paris (1902-1904) is hands down Auguste Perret's (1874-1954) masterpiece. I've been told (it could also be a rumour) that Corbu lived here for a while. Strinkigly beautiful facade, too bad the interiors are off limits for visitors.

Buckminster Knows 064

2009-08-19T21:52:00.004+02:00

Where does history end and where does contemporary begin? When Rem finished the Maison à Bordeaux in 1998 the revolutionary concept hit the architectural scene like an atomic bomb. Even though it's only 10 years old, those are the projects that make history...

I have been in Bordeaux but sadly (and embarrassingly) I have not been able to find it.

Buckminster Knows 063

2009-08-18T21:48:00.006+02:00

Somebody stop Charles! The preservation of tomorrow's architectural heritage is at stake! I truly am not a fan of Jean Nouvel, but I sincerely think Prince Charles should go fox hunting, or whatever he does with our tax money, instead of interfering with architectural competitions.

By the way, this is the crap he likes, and whoever said it reminds him of Schinkel obviously knows as much about architecture as Dear Charles himself.

[fantastic picture found here]

Buckminster Knows 062

2009-08-11T22:19:00.004+02:00

This may well be one of the best ecclesiastical facades I've seen yet. Incredible. La Catedral de Santiago de Compostela. I'd happily tell you all about it but everything you want to know is right here.

[image credits here]

Back in London

2009-08-10T22:30:00.003+02:00

Worry not!! I am dead nor injured. I am dealing with an architectural overdose. The trainride through Europe was just too exhausting, but I am back in my beloved London in one piece.

Starting tomorrow I'll post some of the buildings I've visited which were wonderful and some which were a big disappointment. For those of you who got to travel this summer, don't hesitate to send me your latest architectural discoveries at misterbuckminster@gmail.com

Buckminster On The Road

2009-07-15T23:01:00.005+02:00

This summer I'm doing London to Porto and back by train . I have no plan or reservations, only a interrail trainpass for Europe. I left yesterday and arrived in Brussels today, but way too tired to post the pictures I took this far. I think I'll stay tomorrow and then head to Paris...very excited about visiting the Sainte Chappelle. I'll keep you up to date on my architectural adventures through Europe...

Buckminster Knows 061

2009-07-12T10:54:00.004+02:00

I've had it with Modernism for a while!

The Santa Maria dei Miracoli (1489) by Renaissance Master Pietro Lombardo (1435-1515) is one of the finest examples of Venetian Renaissance architecture.

The facade is lavishly decorated with polychrome marbles and the interior is dominated by an ornamental marble stair which features exquisite reliefs, mostly also by Lombardo and his sons.

For those who are going to Venice this summer, The Miracoli is located at Campo Santa Maria Nova, not far from Rialto Bridge.

Buckminster Knows 060

2009-07-08T23:31:00.006+02:00

Casa Rotunda a Stabio (1982) by Mario Botta (1943)

All the pics you want are here

[image here]

Buckminster Knows 059

2009-07-06T20:34:00.004+02:00

I once applied for a job at the Taller de Arquitectura and Mr. Ricardo Bofill (1939) never even bothered to answer my letter. I am still a bit pissed off at him about that, but I can not deny that I am a sucker for his (especially early) works. If I were to choose one, I'd go with Xanadu (1968-1971).

Buckminster Knows 058

2009-07-04T13:42:00.005+02:00

Been away for a while because of doctorate research, but I'm back.

Josep Lluis Sert's (1902-83) Miró Foundation (1975) in Barcelona. I visited this building when I was about 15 years old and its one of the main reasons I went on to become an architect.

The picture above shows Miro and Sert discussing the building in Barcelona in 1977.

[image credits at architectureweek.com and here]

Buckminster Knows 057

2009-06-21T21:25:00.003+02:00

Ernö Goldfinger's (1902-1987) Trellick Tower (1972). Greatly influenced by Le Corbusier, it is simultaneously cherished as a pure example of Brutalist excellence and rejected as ugly and unfriendly, epitomizing the downfall of Modernism.

I am with the former.

[images here and here]

Buckminster Knows 056

2009-06-17T20:38:00.003+02:00

Competition completed. I reckon you will agree this is a more-than-worthy come-back project.

Berthold Lubetkin's (1901-1990) Penguin Pool at London Zoo (1934).

[image credits here and here]

competition

2009-06-08T23:10:00.006+02:00

I will not be able to post this week due to a competition deadline (I'm not very good at time management). In the meantime I leave you with this overview which was put together at USC.

The painting is Pope Julius II ordering Bramante, Michelangelo and Raphael to construct the Vatican and St. Peters (1827) by Horace Vernet (1789-1863).It seemed quite appropriate for the occasion.

Buckminster Bookstore

2009-06-06T23:37:00.005+02:00

I know it took a while but FINALLY, the long-awaited Mister Buckminster Bookstore is online!! Look for the link on the sidebar for our favorite books on architecture and urbanism. Enjoy and feel free to contact us to suggest additions.

Greets, Cedric.

Buckminster Knows 055

2009-06-04T20:24:00.004+02:00

I tend to easily forget how much I enjoy Gothic Cathedrals. Lincoln Cathedral (1280).

I have always held and am prepared against all evidence to maintain that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have. -- John Ruskin

[Image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 054

2009-06-03T20:46:00.004+02:00

The Hadrinaeum (139) or Castel Sant'Angelo was commissioned and designed by Emperor Hadrian (76-138) as his mausoleum, but wasn't completed until one year after his death by Antonius Pius (86-161). After the sixth century the Castel Sant'Angelo became a Papal fortress, which was linked to the Vatican through a passetto or corridor in the thirteenth century.

The imperial mortuary chamber lies at the heart of the monument and can be reached by a spiral ramp.

This massive fortress has played an important role in the history of Rome, guarding its most distinguished inhabitants in times of war.

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 053

2009-06-02T20:54:00.006+02:00

Back from Germany a day later than expected, got great Mies pics but i'm saving them for Buckminster Knows # 100.

For today I have something else in mind, Konstantin Melnikov's (1890-1974) Melnikov House (1929). I'm sure you've seen it before, as it has been published numerously. The house/atelier consists of two interlocking white cylinders, with walls pierced by dozens of hexagonal windows. The two volumes are linked by a spiral staircase, resulting in some wedge-shaped rooms.

Melnikov lived here until his death, and it is only by chance that this building has survived, since it is located in one of the most wanted real estate areas in Moscow.

The Melnikov House was restored to its original state by Konstantin's son in the 1980's.

[image credits here]

Trip

2009-05-28T21:39:00.002+02:00

I'll be in Germany for the week-end to check out Mies, but no worries!! Back on monday with lots of new stuff...

Buckminster Knows 052

2009-05-26T22:02:00.006+02:00

The Rothko Chapel (1971), which is (in Europe at least), virtually unknown to the average architect, was designed by Philip Johnson (1906-2005) and was meant as a spiritual place of worship and reflection for all denominations. The artist Mark Rothko (1903-1970), who was commissioned a series of canvases for the new chapel, was to work closely with Johnson to create a space that was both spiritual haven and art gallery. The chapel features an octogonal plan echoing Early Christian and Orthodox chapels and is lit in a theatrical way through skylights.

Mark Rothko, who was suffering from depression, took his own life before the chapel was finished.

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 051

2009-05-25T20:45:00.004+02:00

A masterpiece of 18th century urbanism. John Wood the Younger's (1728-82) Royal Crescent (1774) in Bath. Everything you need to know and see here.

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 050

2009-05-24T09:13:00.004+02:00

50th Buckminster Knows, we made it this far!! A big THANK YOU to all the loyal readers and to the Mister Buckminster-team who have assisted me with their sharp contributions... Three months have passed since we first started this project -blood, sweat and tears- and, now more than ever, we believe many (young) architects still lack the knowledge to understand the current position of architecture and therefore to produce relevant architecture themselves. Neo-Modernism is not THE truth, but merely ONE truth. As a wise man once said: You don't know where you are going until you know where you come from. We hope you enjoy our 50th.

-Cedric Buckminster and the Mister Buckminster Team-

The Basilica of San Vitale (548) in Ravenna gained importance and fame in in the 6th century due to its strategic position at a commercial crossroads between East and West and most probably served as a model for the church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople (726), the Palatine Chapel of Charlemagne at Aachen (792) and Brunelleschi's dome for the duomo in Florence (1436).

The charming Basilica features a remarkable double octogonal plan in which inner and outer shell create a number of identical trapezoidal spaces. The mosaics on floor, ceiling vault and choir are amogst the best-preserved of their kind.

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 049

2009-05-19T20:30:00.006+02:00

I reckon the pics speak for themselves, John Lautner's (1911-1994) Arango house (1973)...

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 048

2009-05-17T19:17:00.004+02:00

Jefferson's Monticello (1782) (little mountain in Italian) is one of the great presidential residences even though it was built before Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was elected the third president of the United States of America.

Monticello was built and remodeled over 58 years, starting in 1768.

This residence is situated on top of a grassy peak and Jefferson, who was a self-taught architect and a great admirer of Palladio, based the plan on a cross-axial plan with emphasized horizontal wings. He also incorporated numerous gadgets like sliding doors, hidden closets and mechanical clocks.

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 047

2009-05-14T19:24:00.005+02:00

The Denver Art Museum (1971) is the only North-American building by Gio Ponti (1891-1979). It is wrongly dubbed The Castle on the assumption that it's modeled after a medieval fortress. Actually, the building takes its cue from Italian churches such as the thirteenth-century basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. The tiles on the façade, also designed by Ponti, give the odd but charming building a semiliquid glaze effect.

Of course, this intriguing structure was later ruined by its expansion. Thank

you, Daniel Liebeskind.

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 046

2009-05-12T22:11:00.005+02:00

Short on time today, but I leave you in good hands... Wells Coates' (1895-1958) Isokon building (1934) in London. Enjoy.

[image credits here here and here]

Buckminster Knows 045

2009-05-11T22:59:00.006+02:00

Arguably the most beautiful living room in the world... ladies and gentlemen: The Elrod House (1968) by John Lautner (1911-1994).

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 044

2009-05-10T17:26:00.004+02:00

I was going to post a nice little Loos today, but it seems since 'Angels and Demons' was released, all of a sudden everyone is interested in Bernini. So here you go...

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), one of the most outstanding architects of his time, was first and foremost a sculptor and Sant'Andrea al Quirinale (1661) was his first complete church.

Perhaps odd for an architect so associated with Baroque, Bernini's façades are remarkably orthodox. Despite their occasional curves, they rarely break the rules laid down by Vitruvius in his Ten Books of Architecture. The outside clearly contrasts with the highly original interior, which features an oval plan with the short axis leading to the altar flanked by four square and four oval-shaped apses. The highlight of the church is the golden dome with oculus and putti swinging over the smaller windows, adding a highly theatrical effect to the interior while showing Bernini's remarkable talent as a sculptor.

[image credits]

Buckminster Knows 043

2009-05-07T23:16:00.005+02:00

The Temple Street Parking Garage (1963) by Paul Rudolph (1918-1997) in New Haven, Connecticut. This multistory parking garage is perhaps the perfect brutalist building thanks to its ramps, columns and structural decks in suggestive concrete forms. The prominent architectural historian Elizabeth Mills Brown (1916-2008)once wrote about this structure: "[...]at the top a wonderful airy world of roof-buildings and concrete lights suggesting fantastic flora", I couldn't agree more. Even though the materials, scale and repetition are brutal, there's something about the detailing that makes it human and even delicate.

Buckminster Knows 042

2009-05-05T22:23:00.006+02:00

I know, the third cylindrical building in a row (it' s actually octagonal). I promise to post something else tomorrow.

The Malin Residence (or Chemosphere), John Lautner's (1911-1994) masterpiece, was built in West-Hollywood for Leonard Malin, an aerospace engineer, in 1960.

The impressive structure consists of a wood-beam skeleton-cage tied to a steel compression ring mounted on a 1,5 m wide cast-concrete column with eight steel supports to each vertices, while the entrance is solved by a skybridge. The house was renovated in 2001 for its new owner, publisher Bernard Taschen and Features dropped in 1960 because technologically impossible or too or too costly were reintroduced.

Dymaxion House, anyone?

[image credits at susi-a.blogspot.com]

Buckminster Knows 041

2009-05-05T00:10:00.004+02:00

The Kresge Chapel (1955) by Eero Saarinen (1910-1961) was part of a plan to include more facilities and to landscape the open spaces at the MIT campus in the early 1950's. The plan was never completed and the chapel, together with the nearby Kresge Auditorium (1953-1955) (also by Saarinen), have as a result a slightly odd relationship to each other and to the surroundings.

The structure is a simple cylinder from the outside, while the inside features a curved plan with highly theatrical lighting reminiscent of a great Baroque church like Borromini's San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane(1634).

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 040

2009-05-03T12:07:00.007+02:00

The Tempietto Di San Pietro-a-Montorio (1504) by Donato Bramante (1444-1514) is a beautiful little Martyrium hidden in the cloister of San Pietro-a-Montorio. Modeled after the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli (100BC) the proportions of the structure are designed to Doric-order specifications. For the entablature Bramante was obviously inspired by the Theater of Marcellus (13BC). Altough very small-scaled, The Tempietto is arguably Bramante's Masterpieces and one of the most remarkable works of the High Renaissance.

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 039

2009-04-30T21:08:00.007+02:00

I truly am a sucker for brutalism, especially South-American brutalism and this structure is without a doubt one of its finest examples. The National Library of Argentina(1972) was designed by Clorindo Testa (1923) Francisco Bullrich (1932) and Alicia Cazzaniga de Bullrich (1928-1968) after winning a national design competition in 1961.

The library is situated on top of a slope on the edge of an urban development and it was split in two to accomodate the large-scale programmatic demands. While the reading rooms are raised above the public plaza in a suspended concrete box and the administration area and auditorium are hanging just below; the book repositories are underground to protect the books from the sunlight and to make future extensions possible.

[image credits here]

Buckminster Knows 038

2009-04-28T23:36:00.004+02:00

I'm in a bit of a hurry today, so here's a building which needs no explanation. The Lingotto Fiat factory in Torino (1923) by Giacomo Mattè-Trucco (1869-1934).

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 037

2009-04-26T20:09:00.006+02:00

Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), arguably the most gifted engraver ever, always described himself as an architect though only one building was ever put up from his designs. The Santa Maria del Priorato on the Aventine Hill in Rome (1764-66), of which David Watkin writes: 'Rather overloaded with crisp symbolical ornament, its façade ends up looking more like an engraving than a building'. (D. Watkin, The Forum Romanum , London 2009, p. 33)

Even though considering the quality of Piranesi's engravings, it's quite safe to assume it's meant more as a compliment then a reproach, I'm not really a fan of the Santa Maria. I would have preferred a story where Piranesi is only a brilliant engraver and we could only have guessed what his genius would have accomplished had he ever decided to build.

Still, it never hurts to take one more look at his beautiful engravings. Enjoy.

Buckminster Knows 036

2009-04-22T22:16:00.003+02:00

Do not, I repeat, do not mock post-modernism, embrace it.

Charles W. Moore's (1925-1993) Piazza d' Italia (1978) in New Orleans, and here is a great review by Charles Jencks (1939).

Buckminster Knows 035

2009-04-21T23:58:00.005+02:00

The Walhalla Hall of Fame and Honor (1830-1842) is a neo-classical Germanic hall of fame located near Regensburg (Germany) and conceived by the architect/artist Leo von Klenze (1784-1864). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those who gloriously died on the battlefields, Leo's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors and soldiers but also for Germanic scientists, writers and musicians. On the Walhalla's inauguration, there were 160 plaques and busts and only 31 have been added since for a total of 191 (of which only 12 are women).

Located on top of a hill, the building has a mysterious monumentalism which clearly echoes the Parthenon in Athens and even though it is not really my cup architectural tea, it's a very relevant project which more or less marks the birth of Germany as a nation.

[image credits here here and here]

Buckminster Knows 034

2009-04-20T20:50:00.006+02:00

The George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal is, in Europe at least, one of Pier luigi Nervi's(1891-1979)less known works(maybe because it is one of the only, or even the only structure he did outside Italy?). Finished in 1963, the commuter bus terminal is built over the Trans-Manhattan Expressway between 178th/179th Streets and Fort Washington/Wadsworth Avenues and features direct bus ramps on and off the upper level of the bridge. The genius of the Italian engineer is manifested in the huge steel-reinforced concrete trusses, fourteen of which are cantilevered from supports in the median of the Trans-Manhattan Expressway, which it straddles. The building contains murals as well as busts of George Washington (1732-1799) and Othmar Amman (1879-1965), the civil engineer who designed the bridge. Even tough Nervi is especially known for his infamous concrete 'domes' such as the one covering The Palazzetto (1958), The G.W. Bridge Bus Terminal is a marvelous piece of engineering which offers a very beautiful and simple solution for a very complex task.

[image credits here here and here]

Buckminster Knows 033

2009-04-19T21:20:00.006+02:00

I've posted too many 20th-century buildings lately, so today we do something else...Il Cisternone

(1829-1842), constructed to the design of Pasquale Poccianti (1774-1858), is situated on what were the outskirts of 19th-century Livorno and is the largest and best known of the city's covered cisterns. While the facade of the Cisternone was completed by 1833, the water system was not fully operational until 1842.

The building appears almost surreal in its design, due to its impressive half-dome which, inspired by the Pantheon in Rome , resembles more a section than a façade. It is an enormous niche — open to the elements — thus it seemingly showing the interior from the exterior. A similar, but less theatrical, construction can be seen crowning the classical temple front of Alberti's Basilica of Sant'Andrea in Mantua.

[image credits here and here]

Buckminster Knows 032

2009-04-17T10:10:00.010+02:00

[image credits here here here ]

I'm quite sure you all know this one, but I post it anyway because it has intrigued me since I first saw it years ago. Peter Eisenman (1932) once said: "I can not judge students whose work I don't understand"...well the same goes for me, after all these years I am still not sure I quite understand Peter's architecture, so who am I to judge him? (btw Peter is the first living architect I ever posted)

The following description was written by some professor at OregonU.

House VI (1972-1975) represents and efficient method of construction. This house is constructed using primarily a post and beam system, with box beams and large dimension timbers forming the major elements of the structural system. The building is a study in the relationships between the actual structure and the architectural theory. Many of the forms that appear structural are actually included to reinforce the concepts behind the design. In his critique of the house, Robert Gutman wrote, "most of these columns have no role in supporting the building plan es, but are there, like the planes and the slits in the walls and ceilings that represent planes, to mark the geometry and rhythm of Eisenman's notational system." It was not Eisenman's intent to convey the actual structure, but rat her to allow the system to define a module, which is augmented by additional space defining forms.

Buckminster Knows 031

2009-04-15T21:04:00.010+02:00

[image credits here]

In 1940, the Hungarian-born American architect Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) designed (in collaboration with his mentor Walter Gropius (1883-1969)) a small vacation house for Henry C. Chamberlain in Wayland, MA. Here the austere shapes of the Bauhaus style were modified by the use of a wood-frame exterior, a variation in keeping with native New England building tradition. The façade of this tiny structure has become an icon of the modern house, it demonstrates Marcel's uncanny eye for shape and was immortalized in the now-famous photograph above by Ezra Stoller (1915-2004).

I'm currently reading Robert F. Gatje's Marcel Breuer: A Memoir (2000, New York), so I will probably post a couple more Breuer's soon.

Buckminster Knows 030

2009-04-14T20:36:00.005+02:00

In 1965 the Dutch architect Aldo Van Eyck (1918-1999) was invited to design an exhibition pavillion in Arnhem's Sonsbeek Park and for the duration of one summer modern sculptures of artists such as Brancusi, Arp, Giacometti, Zadkin and Tajiri were acommodated in it.

The pavillion consists of six parallel placed walls in simple concrete blocks covered by a transparent floating plane. The complex spatial system created by the famous plan is quite exciting.

pictures at archined.nl

2009-04-13T13:39:00.004+02:00

Peter Zumthor (1943), the teacher of teachers, was announced yesterday as the 2009 Pritzker Prize laureate, FINALLY.

I don't think anyone else deserves it more at this point. He probably should have been awarded with the Pritzker in 2005...I mean, Thom Mayne?? You have got to be joking...

picture at bdnoline.co.uk

Buckminster Links 001

2009-04-12T15:46:00.003+02:00

Beautiful interview of I.M. Pei talking about the works of his friend Louis Kahn.

Buckminster Knows 029

2009-04-09T23:45:00.004+02:00

The temple of Apollo at Bassae (429-400 BC)

pictures here here here and here

Buckminster Knows 028

2009-04-08T21:44:00.004+02:00

This is my church, Arne Jacobsen's (1902-1971) Danish National Bank in Copenhagen (1966-1978). In my opinion, the most remarkable feature of the structure is the delicacy with which Jacobsen handles the brutal stereometry, especially noticeable in the perfect (and I don't like to use this word) staircase in the massive central hall and also in the impressive control of light and masses.

Do not, I repeat, do not go to Copenhagen without visiting the National Bank!

pictures found at e-architect.co.uk and at weareprivate.com

Buckminster Knows 027

2009-04-07T23:45:00.007+02:00

The Porta Pia (1560-1565) by Michelangelo (1475-1564) was one of the gates in the Aurelian Walls and one of many contributions to Roman urbanism by Pope Pius VI, meant to serve as a replacement for the Porta Nomentana which was closed up at about the same time.

Michelangelo's original design (which differs quite clearly from the existing structure ) can be seen on a commemorative plate on the façade.

pictures found here, here and here

Buckminster Knows 026

2009-04-06T23:03:00.005+02:00

Short on time today because of book presentation, so enjoy... Hans Scharoun's (1893-1972) State Library (1964-1978) in Berlin.

pictures found here and here

Buckminster Knows 025

2009-04-05T15:04:00.004+02:00

The great ziggurat of Ur (2200BC), located in present-day Iraq, is one of the most powerful structures ever built. This vast ziggurat was dedicated to Nanna, the Mesopotamian moon God, and was part of a temple complex which served as an administrative center for the city.

The upper stage of the impressive Great Ziggurat is over 30m high while its base measures 46m by 64m.

pictures here here and here

Buckminster Knows 024

2009-04-03T20:20:00.003+02:00

La Sainte Chapelle of 1248 was built by Louis IX inside the Royal Palace on Cité Isle to house the relics of the crucifixion.

This Gothic hall church, which became a reference for future similar projects, was damaged by two fires, one flood and also the French Revolution.

The latter caused an important deterioration of the outside ornamentation, which included symbols of the French monarchy such as fleurs-de-lis.

The Holy Chapel may have been designed by Pierre de Montreuil (1200-1266), but no indisputable evidence has ever been found.

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 023

2009-04-02T23:18:00.003+02:00

The Montreal Biosphere by Mister Buckminster (1895-1983) is an enclosed structure of steel and acrylic built for the 67 Montreal Expo in which a complex system of shades was used to control the internal temperature. The interior of the dome comprises four platforms divided into seven levels and a 37-meter-long escalator, the largest ever built.

Th Montreal Biosphere is one of Fuller's geodesic domes, a particular type of structure shaped like a part of a sphere of a ball, consisting of small triangles.

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 022

2009-04-02T00:04:00.007+02:00

The Basilica di Sant'Ambrogio, one of Milan's most ancient churches, was built by St Ambrose in an area known as burial place for martyrs of the Roman persecutions. It was rebuilt in Romanesque style in 1099 but the original basilica plan was left untouched.

The austerity and flatness of the facades and the differentiation of the two towers give the basilica an odd contemporary air.

Couldn't find a plan right away, my apologies for this inconvenience, if you can find one please feel free...

picture here

Buckminster Knows 021

2009-03-31T21:11:00.004+02:00

The Palazzo Spada of 1540 in Rome, originally built by Bartolomeo Baromini, was purchased by Cardinal Spada who commisioned the Baroque master Francesco Borromini to modify it for him.

It was Borromini who created the famous trompe l'oeil in the arcaded courtyard. Through gradually diminishing the columns flanking the entrance, the perspective is dramatized. A feature also used by Bernini in his Scala Regia.

pictures found here and here

Buckminster Knows 020

2009-03-29T13:31:00.003+02:00

The Gallaratese Housing Complex (1967-1973) by Aldo Rossi (1931-1997) was conceived as the second of several new communities planned in the Milan area to cover housing needs after WWII. This project was an instant success, the public and the critics embraced it and Aldo Rossi gained immediate worldwide fame thanks to a massive amount of publications. Gallaratese turned out to be a careful introduction to Post-Modernism, a return to an architecture heavily rooted in architectural history.

Rossi's infamous writings critized the lack of understanding of the city in current architectural practices, and held that the city remembers our past through monuments, which give structure to the city.

Aldo Rossi died in a car crash in Milan in 1997.

Pictures found at housingprototypes.org

Buckminster Knows 019

2009-03-22T16:43:00.009+01:00

The Scala Regia (1663-66) by Gianlorenzo Bernini (1598-1680) is the ceremonial staircase between the papal apartments and the colonnade. The two rows of ionic columns which flank the staircase gradually diminish in height as they rise, thus dramatizing the perspective effect. The Scala is one of Bernini's most brilliant concepts, exploiting the fact that the existing walls within which it had to be inserted where not parallel.

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 018

2009-03-22T16:31:00.012+01:00

Santa Maria de Naranco was built by Ramiro I in 848. It's a somewhat odd monument originally comprising a palace hall, church and a belvedere, but nevertheless a remarkable exhibition of the striking austerity characteristic of medieval church buildings. The stone tunnel vaults with transverse arches are amongst the earliest of their kind.

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 017

2009-03-22T16:04:00.014+01:00

Caffé Pedrocchi by Giuseppe Jappelli ( 1783-1852). Striking and bizarre juxtaposition of a venetian Gothic wing (1837-42) and a Greek Doric wing (1826-31). I'm not sure if it's in Venturi's 'contradiction and complexity' but it ought to be...

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 016

2009-03-22T15:51:00.006+01:00

The Theatre of Marcellus (13BC) was, even though planned by Julius, dedicated by Augustus to the memory of his grandson. Being one of the principal monuments of the late Roman republic it demonstrates clearly the differences between Greek and Roman theaters: it's built on a structure instead of on a hill, it has a semicircular (not circular) orchestra and comprises a scaena frons (back scene).

A perfect early statement of the combination of a structural arch and a decorative column (later also used in The Colosseum).

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 015

2009-03-22T14:39:00.005+01:00

Domus Aurea (64-68 AD), begun by Nero after the great fire of 64 AD, it consists of a series of pavillions and a long wing comprising living and reception rooms, all set in a marvelous piece of nature.

The 'Golden House' also contains the famous 'octagonal room', roofed by a concrete dome and open to all sides thus connecting with the surrounding smaller rooms and with the garden.

This concept of interior space was used here for the first time and became later a substantial inspiration for renaissance architects and artists.

images here, here and here

Buckminster Knows 014

2009-03-19T20:11:00.008+01:00

Beautiful...for a brief moment imagine Giuseppe Terragni (1904-1943) would not have passed away at the age of 39...

pictures at vitruvio.ch

Buckminster Knows 013

2009-03-18T19:10:00.007+01:00

Francisco Javier Saenz de Oiza's (1918-2000) BBVA building in downtown Madrid played an important role in the history of Spanish modernism, but is barely known beyond Spain's boarders.

Very intelligent structural concept, the detailing and control of the scale are impressive. A true masterpiece and second to none in its category.

pictures at flickr

Buckminster Knows 012

2009-03-17T20:15:00.008+01:00

No time today because of competition deadline tomorrow... so here ya go, National Theatre (1973-1976) by Sir Denys Lasdun !! (1914-2001) in London.

pictures at flickr and at jamd.com

Buckminster Knows 011

2009-03-16T20:27:00.010+01:00

As an architect, you can only have deep respect for Alison and Peter Smithson (1928-1993/1923-2003), not only because of this project but for their entire oeuvre. The most revolutionary English architects of their generation, they raised the bar for all future generations and are still today as influential and relevant as they ever were.

A short version of everything you need to know is here, if you are serious about architecture this is essential information.

Buckminster Knows 010

2009-03-12T22:57:00.009+01:00

The Cathedral of Monreale (1174-82), on the heights of Palermo is a striking piece of architecture, the plan is part basilican and part byzantine and the interior obtains a certain grandness from a combination of a severe design and a rich and eclectic iconography and use of materials,which contrasts beautifully with the austerity of the facades.

In my eyes one of the most under appreciated ecclesiastical buildings in Italy.

pictures found at classicalmosaics.com and at chauffeurs-italy.com

Buckminster Knows 009

2009-03-11T21:06:00.006+01:00

The Palazzo Barberini is the most important domestic building of the Baroque period. With contributions by all the leading Baroque architects: Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), Francesco Borromini (1599-1667), Carlo Maderno (1556-1629), Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669)... The building differs from other town palaces in its gardens and H-shaped plan, making it almost look like a villa. Novel features are the square staircase, ground-floor atrium (resembling a stoa) and the now destroyed transversed sala, an element implemented by Bernini (to whom the Palazzo is normally attributed) which would later become frequent in his architectural repertoire.

pictures found at usc.edu and at euexco.com

Buckminster Knows 008

2009-03-10T20:34:00.005+01:00

The Cathedral of Santa Sophia in Kiev (1037-61) was founded by Jaroslav as the 'Mother of all Russian churches'. Beautifully composed (grown) plan makes a beautiful building. Today the structure is heavily overlayed with Baroque ornaments. This project is marks a before-after in Early-Russian architecture. Also worth checking out is The Cathedral of Santa Sophia in Novgorod.

pictures here and here

Buckminster Knows 007

2009-03-09T23:21:00.005+01:00

The school of urbanism and architecture of Sao Paulo (1958) is the most significant brutalist building in Brazil. This powerful concrete structure by Joao Vilanova Artigas (1915-1984) and especially known for the block suspended by two massive concrete beams never made it to most history books (except for Sir Banister Fletcher's A History of Architecture), but is nevertheless a beautiful piece of architecture.

It reminds you of a similar project, but you do not know which one? Right...Paulo Mendes Da Rocha's much more published Museum of Sculpture of Sao Paulo or maybe even his iconic own house . I really have to admit I am a sucker for South American concrete architecture...

pictures at panoramio.com, here and flickr.com

Buckminster Knows 006

2009-03-06T19:36:00.007+01:00

Diocletian's Palace at Spalato (300-306 AD), probably one of the last great palaces of the pagan Empire, was built by Emperor Diocletian (244-311 AD; reigned 284-305 AD) in preparation for his retirement.

The vast plan (180 x 216m) echoes that of the castrum, the traditional Roman camp (or fort) crossed by two streets at right angles.

The palace was virtually unknown until the publication by Neo-Classical architect Robert Adam (1728-1792) of Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatio in Dalmatia

(London, 1764).

pictures found here, here and here

Buckminster Knows 005

2009-03-05T18:59:00.006+01:00

Sant'Andrea di Mantova (1462-1790) is one of the most influential designs by Renaissance master Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472). Because of the 328 year-span it took to finish the church (changes and expansions included), the result differs noticeably from Alberti's original design.

The spectacular dome (1732-1782) over the crossing of the nave and transept was designed by Filippo Juvarra (1678-1738).

images found here, here and here

Buckminster Knows 004

2009-03-04T23:36:00.005+01:00

Casa Elettrica (1930) by rationalists Luigi Figini(1903-1984) and Gino Pollini(1903-1991), everything you need to know and see you can find here. I hope you will notice a couple of modernists "borrowed" ideas from this project.

Buckminster Knows 003

2009-03-03T19:55:00.008+01:00

Paul Engelmann and the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889- 1951) designed and built this villa from 1926 to 1928 for Margarethe Stonborough-Wittgenstein, the philosopher's sister. In its austerity and simplicity, the structure reflects the logical clarity of Wittgenstein's thinking. Fourty years ago, the government of Bulgaria purchased the building. After careful restoration, the building now houses the Bulgarian Cultural Institute. This is the only building Wittgenstein ever built. Absolute perfection.

pictures here and here and here

Buckminster Knows 002

2009-03-02T19:33:00.013+01:00

Pierre-Francois-Henri Labrouste's(1801-75) most celebrated projects: Ste Geneviève Library (1842-50) (picture above) and the reading room of The Bibliothèque Nationale (1859-68) (two pictures below). Both situated in Paris are early examples of use of cast-iron in public buildings and both considered masterpieces of the nineteenth-century. McKim, Mead, and White took the former as a model for their Boston Public Library but were not able to match Henri's radical novelty.

If you never heard of these projects, I suggest you look them up!

picture of Ste Geneviève here

picture of Salle Labrouste here and here

Buckminster Knows 001

2009-03-01T11:53:00.010+01:00

Let us start with one of the most influential churches of the last millennium and one of my all-time favorite buildings, San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane (1634) by Francesco Borromini (1599-1667). If you are an architect and you do not know it, you should probably consider a career change.

According to David Watkin ' the remarkable plan is based on two equilateral triangles forming a lozenge within which are inscribed two circles joined by arcs so as to create an oval'. The form was so innovative that Francesco refused to colour the interior so as not to distract our attention and chose to make it perdominantly grey. Needless to say this was not characteristic of Baroque architecture.

In its time, this church struck contemporaries so much that copies were asked all over Europe.

pictures found at wikipedia

2009-02-28T20:27:00.003+01:00

This blog is supposed to become an architectural archive for a generation of architects with no clue of the great men who came before them and paved the way for today's architectural exploits.

A relevant project will be posted daily, in no particular order.

No renders, no photoshop...nothing but hardcore architectural history.