Metro-Net. Capturing Globalization.

transportable subway entrance, 1997, Madulain, image from artpublicplaiv.ch

Metro-Net is about constructing a global metro network, composed of fake subway entrances, ventilation shafts, subway-sounds and generated air flow. The first station of Kippenberger’s Metro-Net was built at the Greek island Syros in 1993. Additional entrances were erected in Dawson City West (Canada), at the documenta X 1997 in Kassel and at the “Sculpture Project” in Münster. A “transportable subway entrances” (Transportabler U-Bahn-Eingang) is located in Madulain, Switzerland. Metro-Net is part of Kippenberger’s absurd building projects. For theoretical background read "Romantic Globalization: Martin Kippenberger's Metro-Net".

metro-net, Syros, Greek, image from CENTRE FOR THE AESTHETIC REVOLUTION

Recently, Kippenberger's painting “Paris Bar” ( a painting, ironically only commissioned by Kippenberger) was sold at Christie’s London for two million pound.

Brick-Wheel.

Alternative uses - via today and tomorrow.

Change Paradigms in Building Culture - Blog Action Day 2009.

Can technology bridge the gap between our lifestyle and its resource consumption? What when technology fails to deliver a simple solutions for the world’s population energy demands? We (collectively) would need 1.3 planets to sustain today's world average per capita consumption (for Europe about three planets and the US even five). What is when 1.3 billion Chinese achieve Europe’s consumption level (and hopefully they do)? Shouldn’t we better change our consumption habits? An impossible demand of course – the more so as (economic) growth is still the most important task we face.

Maybe there is no need to sacrifice our living standards – we only have to adapt to a green-lifestyle; architecturally spoken “change paradigms in building culture”, as architect Wilfried Wang demands: to contribute creatively to the development of the existing built environment, to rediscover local building materials and traditions, to react on topographic and climate conditions and more.

The freestanding architectural masterpiece – however - may soon be less common. Happy Blog Action Day!

Dirty Old Loos.

Adolf Loos, 1905, source: wikipedia

Can we separate the artist from his art? By implication we assume that outstanding personalities are supposed to have a high moral integrity. If the artist is outstanding we might take the personallity for granted.

Surely not for Adolf Loos (1870 - 1933). In 1928, architect Loos was accused of sexual child abuse. The court acquitted Loos in the absence of credible evidence to prove his guilt. However, Adolf Loos was convicted of seducing a minor and was sentenced to four month in prison. (for german speaking readers see "Pyjama und Verbrechen", by Andreas Weigel, or the german article in wikipedia).

I will always think that Adolf Loos has been a great architect, but maybe I will never be able to see his buildings without thinking about his misdoings.

Simple Minimalism.

Umspannwerk / transformerstation Kenlderstraße, Wien / Vienna

What a façade!

Lexikon der gesamten Technik.

The encyclopedia of architectural, engineering and manufacturing technology ("Lexikon der gesamten Technik."), by Otto Lueger, first published in 1894, now public domain because its copyright has expired. See parts of the great collection on the wikipedia.

Remembering the Plattenbau.

36 x 12 m sculpture of Plattenbau Housing, photo on flickr, by gynti_46

Concrete sculpture of a 'Plattenbau' (building made with precast concrete slabs, mostly built in eastern Europe before 89) by Dagmar Schmidt, in Halle, Germany: Public privacy.

Color - Kuler.

Without color? Adobe's online service 'Kuler' does make color picking easy. Intended for print and web it assists designers in creating color schemes. "No matter what you're creating, with Kuler you can experiment quickly with color variations and browse thousands of themes from the Kuler community." So, no reason to be afraid of colors.

The International (Style).

From Wikipedia ("The International", by Tom Tykwer, best known for "Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt"):

"Architecture is central to the meaning of The International. The villains inhabit impersonal buildings, built of glass and steel, which reflects Owen's discovery that anonymous forces operated by readily replaceable people run this world and there's nothing an ordinary citizen can do about it". (Philip French, in his review for The Observer)

The Phaeno Centre Wolfsburg, by Zaha Hadid, as stage setting, image: screenshot from DVD

The Phaeno Centre Wolfsburg, by Zaha Hadid, as stage setting, image: screenshot from DVD

Dutch Profiles: NL Architects

NL Architects. A great architectural practice I've had the pleasure to work. (thanks for the link Sören). More infos about NL Architects at their fabulous blog or website. Video found at dutchprofiles.com

I love Jubiläumswarte.

image by anarchitecture

The Jubiläumswarte, an observation tower in the western outskirts of Vienna (Austria), designed by the Austrian architect Hermann Kutschera in 1955.

image by Ute Bauer

Open Source Architecture.

There's a thin line between inspiration and copying.

For Sale/TVs From Craigslist

For Sale/TVs From Craigslist - by Penelope Umbrico

from the artist (Penelope Umbrico):

"For Sale / TVs From Craigslist, are images of the screens of TVs for sale I found on Craigslist. With hints of the seller’s interior space reflected in them, they offer inadvertent glimpses of intimacy and function as self-portraits of the sellers (the camera’s flash announcing the seller’s presence in the image)."

What a subversive image of space.

New Tools. Rhonda Forever.

Design tools are evolving. The next generation will laugh at us for using CAD. How will it be in the near future?

The hands on the screen belong to James Paterson. He is using "Rhonda", a 3D drawing tool developed by Amit Pitaru circa 2003. They have just started the beta testing.

Plattenbau in Wien.

Seen on my trip to work - a Plattenbau from 1967 (by Georg Linser and Emil Kapeller). With some adjustments, the front facade would fit in an architecture magazine, the backside however, looks nasty!