The design genius of Charles & Ray Eames

The legendary design team Charles and Ray Eames made films, houses, books and classic midcentury modern furniture. Eames Demetrios, their grandson, shows rarely seen films and archival footage in a lively, loving tribute to their creative process. Enjoy!

Weekend Links!

• Amazing Ceilings!
• Cool Zipper Pond in the Juming Museum in Taiwan
• 32 meter-high sculpture for Audi @ the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex.
• First Photos of Spence Dock Bridge in Dublin.
• 30 Emerging architecture practices create their Ideal Model Home
• Julius Shulman, Celebrated photographer of modernist architecture has died.
  

Serpentine Gallery Pavilion

The Serpentine Gallery Pavilion by Olafur Eliasson and Kjetil Thorsen
Location: London



This timber clad structure resembles a spinning top and brings a dramatic vertical dimension to the traditional single-level pavilion. A wide spiralling ramp makes two complete turns, allowing visitors to ascend from the Gallery lawn to the highest point for views across Kensington Gardens as well as a bird’s eye view of the chamber below.





*Photo's curiosity of Iwan Baan Photography

Palais Ideal

A degree in architecture takes years of study. Even then, there's only a one in a million chance you'll design a work of art that will be declared a national monument. But Ferdinand Cheval aka Facteur Cheval (1836-1924) built the Palais Ideal in Hauterives, France, out of stones he collected on his route as a postman, with no architectural or engineering training. It took 33 years to construct this amateur fairy tale palace by hand. Cheval, who wished to be buried inside, was forced to go even further and build his own ornate mausoleum at 78-years-old, since local officials wouldn't grant him the permissions to be buried within without one.
(Regis Duvignau/Reuters)

Bartlett School of Architecture features one year in 10 minutes

The students at the Bartlett School of Architecure, London, have made a film about their first year studying architecture. A great opportunity to see what you will be doing if you choose to become an architect.

Hadid will continue construction despite a court ruling

Zaha Hadid will continue construction of the controversial Seville library despite public opposition and a court ruling against the firm.

The 5.6 million dollar library at the city’s university, described by Hadid as ‘a sculpted bar of stone with a great contrast between solidity and transparency’, has fallen foul of local residents, who claim the library will occupy 8% of the Prado de San Sebastian, a green area that provides welcome sanctuary in the summer months for residents.

However, following the court ruling in the residents favour, AJ has been informed by Hadid the practice will continue construction during the appeal process - in direct contravention of the resident association’s demands.

The statement said: ‘The Government of Andalucía, the Seville City Council and the University of Seville will be appealing the ruling. All construction works continue as normal throughout the appeal process.’

The three-storey building will cover 8,000 m2 and house reading rooms, cafes, auditoriums, computer rooms and parking.

In a statement to the court, the residents said: ‘The specifications regarding the new library clearly violate the protection measures derived from the fact that the Prado de San Sebastian is part of Seville’s historic city centre.’

London Olympic Stadium faces drastic redesign

Despite being nearly a third built, Populous’ ‘temporary’ stadium for the London 2012 Olympics may be redesigned as a permanent, 80,000-capacity venue in latest legacy u-turn

Legacy chief Baroness Ford said she was looking to retain the Olympic stadium as a permanent large-scale venue and a possible host ground for a 2018 World Cup.

The move signals a drastic u-turn on the original legacy plan for the Olympics, which envisaged the stadium as a semi-temporary venue which would be converted into a smaller, 25,000-capacity sports school and athletic ground in ‘legacy mode’.

According to the Evening Standard, Ford said she was convinced the ‘beautiful’ stadium could pay its way as an all-year ‘visitor attraction’ and become part of London’s ‘iconic offer’.

As a result, stadium designers Populous - formerly HOK Sport - could be asked to rework the scheme which is already well under construction.

A spokesman for the London Development Agency, which is currently handling the legacy plans until a special post-Games vehicle is officially set up, said: ‘These issues have to be looked at. [A redesign is a] possibility at this stage.’

Another source close to the project said: ‘The implications of keeping the stadium would be considerable, but…not impossible. There was already an idea being floated to keep the roof structure.. to provide a big visitor focus.’

It is understood the main area requiring a rethink would be the stadium’s outer skin which would have to be made to last much longer - a move which would undoubtedly mean further costs.

The £525 million stadium, which features a demountable upper tier, was hailed as a ‘cheap’ alternative to the grandiose stadiums built for other Games such as Herzog & de Meuron’s Bird's Nest in Beijing, China.