The launch of architect Hugh Hardy’s new book, Theater of Architecture from Princeton Architectural Press, comes with a film trailer, which is fitting given Hardy’s work in civic architecture. He began his career under the celebrated scenic designer Jo Mielziener and has designed and restored celebrated New York City locations like The Lincoln Center Beaumont Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, the cafe in Bryant Park, the New York Botanical Garden Visitor Center and Radio City. According to Hardy, architecture is itself a theatrical experience, a form of showmanship with which the audience can readily interact. Here are videos of his work that are featured in the book.
Tag: architecture
Kyung Hee Roofscape
You wouldn’t think you’d be able to find a replica of St. John the Divine’s nestled in the foothills of Seoul – or City College, or Columbia University for that matter. And yet you can, all arranged around each other at Kyung Hee University. This extraordinary college was the brainchild of an equally extraordinary man, Young Seek Choue, who founded the institution in 1951.
Here, in a country divided by war and a world divided by ideology, Choue sought to establish a place of learning that would be devoted to the study of peace on an individual, societal, and global level. Today Kyung Hee is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea, and attracts scholars from around the world to its international studies programs. And yet…what’s up with these buildings?!
Photo Source: woodenddesigner
The round-up of our favorite links this week curated by the Untapped Cities’ staff includes the fate of 5Pointz in Long Island City and a park modeled after a city.
NEW YORK
Happy 100th anniversary to the Woolworth building. Did you know this historic building includes a pool in the sub-basement? [NY Historical Society]
The fate of 5Pointz in Long Island City has been decided. Take a look at the new redevelopment plans. [Curbed]
PARIS
In his series SkyArt, French artist Thomas Lamadieu is inspired by the empty spaces of sky that form between city buildings. [Good]
EuropaCity, one of the largest developments between Paris and Roissy in France, is to be modeled after a city. [Atlantic Cities]
GLOBAL
In Mont-St.Michel, a $285 million restoration project is causing confusion and anger among locals. [NY Times]
Europe is incredibly diverse and expansive. When planning your next trip, consider incorporating one of these seven notable walks. [NY Times]
While the New York Public Library’s landmark building near Bryant Park will undergo extensive remodeling in the near future, let’s go over some fun facts of this prominent Beaux-Arts architecture.
The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building was built on the site of the old Croton Reservoir at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. The Reservoir was completed in 1842 to hold water from the Croton River and torn down by the 1890s, and by 1902 the cornerstone was laid for the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Now you can still see the remains of the reservoir from the lower levels of the South Court (the red, rough bricks under the staircases.)
When the building completed construction in 1911, it was the largest marble building ever built in the U.S. at the time. With exterior marble facing 12 inches thick and cornerstone weighting 7.5 tons, the building uses 530,000 cubic feet of white Vermont marble, which was more than six times the marble used in the New York Stock Exchange and the New York Chamber of Commerce combined.
The Main Hall of the Library
Some of the most exciting cities are those that have their own unique aesthetic, adopting a feel at odds with the rest of their country. Barcelona for us is such a place, wildly individual and almost visually overwhelming. Famously inspired by Antoni Gaudí’s creations as well as influenced by its Catalan history, it walks its own pioneering path.
If you stroll down the Rue Mallet-Stevens in Paris’ 16th arrondissement, you’ll discover five exquisite examples of modernist architecture from the early 20th century. The architect Robert Mallet-Stevens died at a young age and asked that his personal archive be burned; as a result, his name is relatively unknown compared to that of his contemporary, Le Corbusier. However, the houses on Rue Mallet-Stevens–just a few blocks north of the Fondation Le Corbusier–are well worth a visit. The architect’s style is unassuming, with plain lines and a spare use of color, but a closer look reveals a masterful elegance and grace.
According to Curbed National, the most famous house on Rue Mallet-Stevens can be yours for $3.9 million. Mallet-Stevens originally built the house for the sculptors Jan and Joel Martel, twin brothers who lived and worked in Paris in the early 20th century. Mallet-Stevens’ building is beautifully designed, down to the Martel brothers’ mailbox (see slideshow). The style of their home-cum-studio is both heavy and playful; bright splashes of yellow paint enliven its looming concrete walls.
Be sure to read our article about the Rue Mallet-Stevens to learn more about the architect and his work.
