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ARM pay respect
Ashton Raggatt McDougall won the About Face award this evening at the Think Brick awards in Myer’s Mural Hall. In a generous move, ARM director Ian McDougall immediately donated the $20,000 bounty to the trust fund set up for Nick Murcutt and Rachel Neeson’s children.
12.08.11 in awards
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Tribute
Some very sad news. On Sunday Lena Yali (Troppo Darwin) and Kevin Taylor (Taylor Cullity Lethlean) died in a car accident near Darwin. Last night Greg McNamara (Troppo Darwin) also died. Here is an ABC interview from this morning, an interview with Richard Layton from AIA NT, and a written tribute from Phil Harris, who was able to walk away from the crash.
11.08.11 in architects
Flight of fancy
Australia’s ABC TV will be showing a four-part series on airports, starting on Sunday 14th August at 4.30pm.
08.08.11 in television
Callum Morton bus tour
Not sure how many artists in Melbourne would warrant a bus tour. Meadmore? King? The bus tour organised by Heide on Saturday coincides with Morton’s exhibition at Heide III, which is by his own admission a bit of a theme-park. He jokes in a recent ABC interview that he’d like some moneybags to help him set up Callum’s World, where all his unwieldy old works can go to roost. Valhalla is currently packed into two shipping containers in Melbourne’s East.
08.08.11 in tours
John likes squares
University of Melbourne students of architecture made this oddball piece in 1965. There are probably a few familiar faces floating through it. The short contains appearances by the brand new architecture building (soon to be demolished), an unfenced Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and a chicken.
26.07.11 in weird-wonderful video-clips
Why does land cost the earth?
That’s the subtitle of a new documentary to be previewed at Melbourne’s ACMI on August 10th, Real Estate for Ran$om. Looking into the economics of property speculation, the film’s researchers uncovered a little secret. While the REIV’s housing vacancy rate for Melbourne stands at 1.7%, the “speculative” vacancy rate, which includes housing not for rent, is 4.94%. That’s 46,220 of the 935,305 properties for which they inspected water bills – a tell tale sign of whether a house is occupied.
25.07.11 in planning real-estate
How Now and When
OBJECT speaks to Ivan Rijavec, John Gollings and Daniel Flood about how they achieved stereo images of the city at night for their Venice Biennale exhibit. Turns out to be a tricky procedure requiring a chopper to be flown twice along a path, but the second time 66 metres to the side. I suppose that’s cheaper than hiring a 747 and using two cameras.
25.07.11 in visualisations video-clips
Pop-up pirate
Students from the VCA & RMIT & Swinburne have conspired to put together a pop-up “pirate” radio tower in Southbank, Melbourne. Designed by U.S. architect of things containerised, Adam Kalkin, with possible allusions to Sydney Nolan’s Ned Kelly, the tower is made from several old shipping containers. It’s covered in a camouflage design, but I think the authorities will spot it. It’s all part of the Ian Potter Museum’s Mis-design exhibition. “Mis-Design conceives of and affirms a future for art, outside of the art world, as a parasite in the complex machinery of consumer culture.”
22.07.11 in exhibition
Stirling ideas
This year’s Stirling shortlist is of buildings most modest. The Guardian calls it “austerity architecture”. I have read here and there that the GFC has apparently made exclamatory buildings a little bitter on the palate up on the topside, though Zaha did get a listing for the speedlining Evelyn Grace academy in Lambeth, which the Guardian calls, “one of the most expensive city academy schools ever built”. Two of the shortlisted buildings are extensive renovations to existing buildings, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, and the Angel Centre in Islington, London. The Angel Centre was not even 30 years old when it was considered outmoded. Rather than a bowl’n‘build, Allford Hall Monaghan Morris stripped the building, threw out the mirror glass, and gave it a jolly good £72m white-washing. That’s 15% less than a complete rebuild, with 30% less carbon dioxide emitted.
21.07.11 in sustainability
Adelaide vox pop
The Plan radio show and a video vox pop in the streets of Adelaide in February. Very… energetically presented by comedian Mark Trenwith, it suggests that architects have a bit of work to do in that city to boost their reputation. Few interviewees could name any architect, and few thought architects were at all important. Still, they had plenty to say when asked what their least favourite buildings were.
20.07.11 in video-clips
Architect / protaganist:
Cate the architect
Cate Blanchett going on like she’s at Pecha Kucha. I think she (and creator Nathan Coley) might be trying to take the piss out of us!
19.07.11 in weird-wonderful video-clips
Round Up
This post is not sponsored by Monsanto. This blog is currently being sponsored by Melbourne School of Design’s Incubator, if you hadn’t noticed. Please check out their new and very generous competition for relocatable schools.
18.07.11 in random-debris
Compilation
NZ award entries should go in before August 3rd. Awards Site
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05.07.11 in random-debris
Black clad
The faces of Melbourne architecture. Wonder what the buildings look like.
VICTORIAN AWARDS 2011
28.06.11 in awards
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Catch up time
It’s been another busy week about the land, and in my office. And I’m way behind. So here are a few bits and bobs that I have accumulated. If you want to see what is accumulating, the facebook page is where a lot of it seems to land. Post something there yourself).
26.06.11 in random-debris
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ARM TV
ARM’s self-made video, part 1. Walk into the offices, and a chat with the directors. They are all looking a little jaundiced. Fond memories of the ‘trials of fire’ of the Half Time club.
22.06.11 in video-clips
Architect / protaganist:
green maths
Extracts from an HIA Press Release 2011 dutifully relayed by many news services in late May.
18.06.11 in sustainability housing
Comment [1]
Windsor shrinks
Halim group has submitted an ever so slightly lower version of their Windsor Hotel development to Heritage Victoria for approval. Two floors have disappeared, cutting the number of rooms from 332 to 300.
16.06.11 in heritage
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