"Epidemics aren't an opportunity for you to do a quick napkin sketch"

In this week's comments update, readers are baffled by a shield that uses UV light to sterilise itself and protect against coronavirus. 

An idea to get behind: readers are unimpressed by Chinese architect Sun Dayong's concept for the shield.

"Fantastic! Very practical design, efficient, discreet, elegant," joked Archiplain. "Made me laugh, thank you."

"Where are you actually supposed to go and what are you supposed to do in this?" asked Keith Dougal. "It would obstruct pretty much every single function of your daily life. The world does not need this, no matter how bad it gets."

Vincent LP had a different concern: "You will get cancer before you get infected by the virus. Nice!"

"Designers just need to stop," concluded Ian Nairn. "Epidemics aren't an opportunity for you to do a quick napkin sketch, pump out a press release and hook on to the news cycle. We have effective technologies to prevent us from airborne illnesses that don't involve donning a shield."

This reader was worried about travel restrictions:

Would you wear the coronavirus shield? Join the discussion ›

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Wey aye man: BIG has unveiled visuals for No 1 Quayside, an office in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and readers have given it the thumbs up.

"Ooh, I really like this building!" said Spadestick. "Well done BIG, finally something very nice."

British Card agreed: "Well done, this is really good. Reminds me of BIG's early Lego step models which are magic."

"I'm always the first to pile on BIG, but this actually has some nice qualities," added Heywood Floyd. "The spiral form works well with the sloped site, as does the variation in cladding on the different elevations. Is Bjarke getting wiser in his old age or did he just hire some people more talented than he is?"

"It's nice to see a northern city get a serious project for once," replied Jack Exe.

Not all commenters were overwhelmed though:

What do you think of the project? Join the discussion ›

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In deep water: commenters are unsure why Clavel Arquitectos felt the need to build "Europe's longest overhanging pool", a 42-metre-structure that cantilevers from the Odiseo casino in Murcia, Spain.

"That's an epic amount of wasted energy," said Heywood Floyd.

"The pool looks seriously drab – I'm not surprised nobody else wanted to get in," continued Jonathan HB. "The main point however is that it is a slap in the face to anyone who cares about responsible building in a climate-change aware world. Saddened."

Idracula agreed: "Ill-conceived mess of a structure. Needs a lot more lipstick."

"The question is, what kind of architecture are we building for the next generation?" asked Geof Bob. "The longest cantilevered swimming pool in Europe, atop a casino and leisure complex. The Romans would have been proud."

This reader was also disappointed:

Are readers being harsh? Join the discussion ›

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Dans Le Noir: a shadowy restaurant in Shenzhen designed to emulate the experience of traversing a mountain valley has confused readers.

"Why would you want to eat a meal to 'emulate the experience of traversing a mountain valley?' wondered Geof Bob. "The gloomy interior seems more designed to prevent diners seeing clearly what they're eating – for reasons only the proprietors and chefs know."

"Great idea," replied Miles Teg sarcastically. "It is impossible to find the fly in your soup in here. Is it a soup, though?"

"Gives new meaning to 'bat soup'," joked Spadestick.

DCINDC also wasn't sure about the project: "Looks depressing. I'm sure it's a totally different experience once inside though. Hearing some minimal ambient music – maybe a chill-out room at a club."

This reader had a different venue in mind:

Would you enjoy eating here? Join the discussion ›

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Membership Update: Colossal is Now Ad-Free for Members

“A Moment of Self Reflection” by Romain Laurent

In the four months since we launched our membership program, hundreds have joined Colossal’s global community of readers who are passionate about visual culture and independent publishing. Since November, we’ve offered our members insight into the creative lives of some of the most interesting voices in contemporary arts, like Susanna Bauer, Brooke DiDonato, and Rob Woodcox.

We’re on track to meet our goal of 1,000 members by the end of 2020, which is also our 10th year publishing. Because of this support, we’re able to offer a new perk: Colossal Members will no longer see banner ads—meaning the site will load faster and with less distraction, letting readers focus on what matters most.

Colossal Members also receive a special monthly newsletter and occasional discounts and early access to events, in addition to perks from our partners at 20×2000, Super Superficial, Create! Magazine, and the Booooooom Shop. Plus, memberships are available as gifts and at a discounted rate for students and educators. Join today to support Colossal and become part of this burgeoning arts community.

 

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Searl Lamaster Howe tucks Lawless Retreat into Michigan woods

Architecture studio Searl Lamaster Howe has used charred cedar and slate to create this holiday home for a Chicago couple.

The clients spent years searching for a perfect property to build a weekend home. They decided on a forested property about two hours drive east from the city in Michigan that sits on the edge of a nature preserve, called Lawless Park.

The couple hired Chicago studio Searl Lamaster Howe to create a modern-style retreat with a high level of transparency and craftmanship.

The clients also desired a home that would help them slow down and feel a sense of serenity.

Lawless Retreat is designed as a quiet, rectilinear dwelling that is tucked into the woods. Roughly T-shaped in plan with a flat roof, the house totals 2,425 square feet (225 square metres).

"While spacious in feel, the house is quite compact, leaving not a square inch of wasted space," the studio said.

Perched on a ridge, the home is surrounded by a canopy of leaves. In the winter, when the leaves have fallen, the clients are afforded views of a valley down below.

Environmental concerns influenced the project's design. Passive features, such as ample glazing and broad roof overhangs, help with heating and cooling, as does a geothermal system. The home was carefully positioned so that no mature trees were harmed.

The exterior is wrapped in durable materials such as charred cedar and cement-board lap siding. Dark hues are intended to help the dwelling take second stage to the "lush mix of maple, oak, cedar, aspen and ash trees that envelope the site".

The home is entered on the north, where the architects placed a front porch. Upon entering, one passes by a bedroom and moves toward an open-plan kitchen, dining area and living room.

"The progression – both in scale and in transparency – from the shaded and low-slung front porch through the structure, terminating with the living room's expansive view into the woods beyond is this home's defining feature," the team said.

The ground level is terraced to accommodate the site's slope. From the northern entrance to the living room on the south, the floor drops a total of five feet (1.5 metres).

"A pair of glulam beams running the length of the house reinforces a sense of movement and order, as the interior floor levels terrace down," the team said.

"The effect is dramatic, arguably to a far greater degree than if the floor remained level and the ceiling was the stepped element."

The kitchen is flanked by a screened-in porch and terrace on the east side, and a stairwell on the west.

The stairs, which are lined with an oak screen, lead to a master suite on the second storey. They also connect to a basement level, which holds a den and more sleeping space.

Earthy materials and neutral colours are used throughout the dwelling. Floors are covered with slate tiles and the ceilings are sheathed in warm-toned cedar – the same material used for the underside of deep roof overhangs.

Cedar and oak are used for the home's millwork, some of which is stained a deep shade of green.

The living area features tan sofas and a leather armchair, which are arranged around a wide, tufted ottoman. The room's fireplace surround is made of burnt cedar and blackened steel. A fireplace was also incorporated into the basement-level den.

In the master bedroom, large windows bring in sunlight and offer a connection to the trees. In the adjoining bathroom, a skylight was incorporated into the shower, where walls are clad in variegated tiles.

Other holiday homes in Michigan include a lakefront dwelling by John Ronan, which features charred wood cladding and a square plan, and a house by Desai Chia that features a cantilevering roof that extends six metres over a patio.

Photography is by Tony Soluri.

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Project credits:

Architect: Searl Lamaster Howe
Interiors and landscape: Client
General contractor: Estkowski Construction

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Undulating Kinetic Sculpture by Julia Nizamutdinova Mimics Intertwined Infinity Signs

Artist and designer Julia Nizamutdinova has created a kinetic sculpture that rotates, twists, and turns in a mesmerizing and hypnotic fashion. Made of plastic, aluminum, and steel, INFI is modeled after the infinity sign in its form and movement, constantly crisscrossing and repeating. When illuminated with an LED light, the edges stand out against the sculpture’s fish-shaped body, and the rhythmic, undulating movements become more clear.

Nizamutdinova tells Colossal that her creation is part of a larger project she calls Cyberflora. “They contain a meditative therapeutic effect from the contemplation of smooth hypnotic movements and the beauty of futuristic forms,” she writes. To see more of Nizamutdinova’s work that falls at the intersection of technology, art, and design, head to YouTube and Instagram.

 

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Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara win Pritzker Architecture Prize 2020

Breaking news: Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara, co-founders of Grafton Architects, have been named the 2020 laureates of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Farrell and McNamara were awarded the prize "for their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice," said the Pritzker Architecture Prize jury.

The Irish architects are the fourth and fifth women to be named winners of the prestigious award. This follows Zaha Hadid, won was the sole winner in 2004, Kazuyo Sejima who won alongside Ryue Nishizawa in 2010, and Carme Pigem who won alongside Rafael Aranda and Ramón Vilalta in 2017.

Farrell and McNamara were also named the 2020 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for Architecture winners at the end of last year. The pair co-founded Grafton Architects in Dublin in 1978, and have completed buildings around the world.

Grafton Architects won the World Building of the Year award in 2008 for the Universita Luigi Bocconi in Milan and won the RIBA International Prize for its University Campus UTEC Lima building in Peru. Its campus for the University of Limerick Medical School was shortlisted for the 2013 Stirling Prize.

The Pritzker Architecture Prize was established in 1979 to honour the work of a living architect, and is considered one of architecture's most significant life-time achievement awards.

In 2019 the prize was awarded to Arata Isozaki, who is regarded as Japan's most influential postwar architect, while Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was the winner in 2018. The award has previously bene won by Alejandro Aravena, Frei Otto, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid and Toyo Ito.

Photography is by Alice Clancy.

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Pritzker Architecture Prize jury citation

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara have practiced architecture together for forty years in a way that clearly reflects the objectives of the Pritzker Prize: to recognize the art of architecture and consistent service to humanity as evidenced through a body of built work.
Co-founding their professional practice, called Grafton Architects, in Dublin, Ireland in 1978, they have consistently and unhesitatingly pursued the highest quality of architecture for the specific location in which it was to be built, the functions it would house and especially for the people who would inhabit and use their buildings and spaces.

They have an oeuvre that includes numerous educational buildings, housing and cultural and civic institutions . Pioneers in a field that has traditionally been and still is a male-dominated profession, they are also beacons to others as they forge their exemplary professional path.

Many of their buildings are located in their home country of Ireland, but through competitions, they have won major commissions for other places around the world, such as Italy, France and Peru . With a profound understanding of place gained through their research, keen powers of observation, open and ever curious explorations and deep respect for culture and context, Farrell and McNamara are able to make their buildings respond to a setting and city most appropriately, while still being fresh and modern.

This deep understanding of “spirit of place” means that their works enhance and improve the local community. Their buildings are "good neighbors" that seek to make a contribution beyond the boundaries of the building and to make a city work better. Their North King Street Housing in Dublin (2000) is one example of this: it creates an inner courtyard and a welcome respite from the adjacent busy streets.

Their approach to architecture is always honest, revealing an understanding of the processes of design and construction from large scale structures to the smallest details . It is often in these details, especially in buildings with modest budgets, where a big impact can be felt . For example, the Urban Institute of Ireland (Dublin, 2002) employs what the architects call a “crafted skin” to create a visually interesting building through changes in materials responding to openings, folds, needs for shade and other concerns.

At the same time, it employs common sense, good-practice environmental control methodologies for an efficient, sustainable building . On a particularly sensitive site in Dublin, the masterful Offices for the Department of Finance (2009) attests to their knowledge and care in the selection of materials and construction techniques with a carefully handcrafted bronze railing and gate and sanded limestone on the facades.

The architects are skilled and successful working at many scales—from large institutional buildings to a house of only a little more than 100 square meters . Without grand or frivolous gestures, they have managed to create buildings that are monumental institutional presences when appropriate, but even so they are zoned and detailed in such a way as to produce more intimate spaces that create community within . In their large buildings such as the University Campus UTEC (2015) in Lima, Peru or the School of Economics Building (2008) at Universita Luigi Bocconi, they have achieved a human scale through the composition of spaces and volumes of different sizes . The dialogues they create between buildings and surroundings demonstrate a new appreciation of both their works and place.

A constant in their approach, the architects have an understanding of how to design complex sections of buildings in such a way that views connect deep interior spaces with the larger exterior realm and allow natural light to penetrate and animate spaces deep inside a building . Often light streams from skylights or upper story windows throughout the interiors of their buildings, providing warmth and visual interest, helping the inhabitants easily orient themselves in the spaces, and providing the ever necessary connection to the exterior.

For their integrity in their approach to both their buildings, as well as the way they conduct their practice, their belief in collaboration, their generosity towards their colleagues, especially as evidenced in such events as the 2018 Venice Biennale, their unceasing commitment to excellence in architecture, their responsible attitude toward the environment, their ability to be cosmopolitan while embracing the uniqueness of each place in which they work, for all these reasons and more, Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara are awarded the 2020 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

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