A Desire Named Streetcars
What's missing? Us! (Infrastructurist)
Yesterday, our friends over at Infrastructurist put together this nifty map illustrating the return of the streetcar to American pavement. One thing was conspicuously missing–or rather three things: “our” fair cities New York, LA, and San Francisco. Read More
Dislocation, Dislocation, Dislocation
Twilight in the financial district. The view from the cupola at 48 Wall Street. (Photos: Douglas Back/Lower Manhattan Cultural Council)
The mood was decidedly anti-Wall Street among the crowd who gathered on April 28 for the final lecture in Access Restricted, a series sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council exploring the relationship between finance and city design. We were packed into one of the Street’s oldest strongholds: 48 Wall St., the site where Alexander Hamilton established the country’s first bank in 1789, though the current building dates from 1928. As the sun set, we were told we would be taken up to the cupola for a rare view of “twilight on Wall Street,” prompting one audience member to call out, “Is that metaphorical?” to widespread titters.
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Getting Smarter By The Day
Siemens' Sitraffic Scala traffic management system
The New York Times last week reported on “Smart Infrastructure,” or computer-controlled systems (energy grids, highways, trains, food distribution, health records, water systems, etc) that could increase efficiency and save millions of dollars. I.B.M, for instance, has had success monitoring congestion pricing in places like Stockholm and London, it’s improving management for bus and train systems worldwide, and it’s working with food producers to limit the billions worth of food that are thrown away every year. So the U.S. is creating much of the innovative technology, but other countries have been first to implement it. Well one for two isn’t bad.. The good news: On April 30 IBM announced $2 billion in financing to make such systems more easily available for stimulus-related projects in the U.S.
Escape From Moscone Center
Sand Studio's South Park Residence
One of the highlights of visiting the AIA Convention has been leaving the convention hall to see some of the wonderful new architecture in San Francisco. We got to see favorites like Daniel Libeskind’s new Jewish Museum, Herzog & De Meuron’s De Young, and Renzo Piano’s Academy of Sciences. But perhaps more unique were the AIA SF Home tours, where we could step inside homes otherwised closed to the public. Two highlights were in the lovely South Park Neighborhood: the Gallery House, by Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects and the South Park Residence + Studio by Sand Studios. Both are studies in contrast. The first, which boasts a world class art collection and a visually interconnected series of vertical spaces, contrasts huge exposed steel beams with pristine white art-ready walls. The second combines the exposed concrete and wood of an old warehouse space with sophisticated, and layered modern finishes.
Wish You Were Here?
The AIA Annual Convention, coming to you live from the Moscone Center... and online. (Sam Lubell)
If you couldn’t make it out San Francisco for the AIA Convention this weekend (if you did, be sure to say hi to Sam and the rest of the gang), don’t fret. The Institute has been kind enough to set up streaming video of many of the lectures and events, and you can even earn credits for it. Sure, you’ll miss all the fun after-parties, like our own, but it also beats flying coach.
Illusions at the AIA Convention
Another strange day at the AIA Convention in San Francisco. And perhaps the weirdest place of all is the Expo floor, where you can examine products ranging from stainless steel bathroom stalls to impact resistant drywall to powder coatings for steel systems (actually not a bad idea). But perhaps the strangest, and perhaps most intriguing product award goes to a company called Sky Factory, which manufactures “virtual windows” and “sky ceilings” which create the illusion that you have a beautiful waterfall or an ocean view outside your building. Read More
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