This week in the world of architecture and design: New Yorkers protest new super skyscrapers, 3-D printing uses toxic materials, and London's Palace of Westminster is in dire need of repair.
NYT Visits Messner Mountain Museum
Above: The sixth and final Messner Museum in the Dolomite Alps of Italy. Photo via Wallpaper.
The New York Times visits the last of six "eccentric" museums created by mountaineer Reinhold Messner in the mountains of Italy's South Tyrol. The museums have been in the works for more than 30 years, the first having opened in 1995. They are collectively dedicated to the art of mountain climbing, and require some hiking to access. The last museum was designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and opened in July of this year. Read the story at the New York Times. (Subscription may be required.)
3-D Printing Uses Toxic Materials
Above: A table made with 3-D printed joints by Dutch firm Minale-Maeda. Photo via Digital Trends.
3-D printing technology is already being used to make everything from furniture to medical devices, and use of the technology is only expected to grow. But new research suggests that some of the materials used to print in three dimensions are toxic to fish, and therefore may be toxic to other animals. The toxicity research was prompted when a University of California, Riverside researcher used custom 3-D printed disks to hold zebra fish embryos for analysis, and the fish quickly died. The findings raise questions about the possibility of 3-D printing chemicals leeching into waterways, and how to properly dispose of 3-D printing materials. Read more at Newsweek.
London's Parliament Building is Falling Apart
Above: The Palace of Westminster in London. Photo via the Picadilly.
The Wall Street Journal reports that London's Parliament building, officially called the Palace of Westminster, is in desperate need of repairs, noting that none of the building's 3,800 windows closes properly and leaks are causing major damage to the interiors. The Gothic-style structure was built more than 900 years ago and has not undergone renovations since the mid-1800s. Renovation options currently under consideration range in price from $4.5 billion to $10.8 billion, and in duration from six years to 32 years to complete. Lawmakers are expected to vote on renovation proposals next year. Read it at the Wall Street Journal. (Subscription may be required.)
Humanitarian Architecture
Above: Shigeru Ban's Paper Log House in India, installed following the devastating earthquake in 2011. Photo via Apollo Magazine.
The Financial Times explores the imperative for architects to respond to humanitarian crises by helping to house the millions of people displaced by natural disasters and political conflict each year. Lending validation to the concept, the Times argues, was the awarding of the 2014 Pritzker Prize to Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Ban's canon has its share of prestigious buildings—the Centre Pompidou in Paris among them—but his Pritzker was for his work in disaster zones, where he combines local materials with his signature recycled cardboard tubes. The article cites the work of several architects, including Cameron Sinclair, who aim to make their profession more relevant by serving people in need. Says Sinclair, "There are only so many museums that you can build." Read it at the Financial Times. (Subscription may be required.)
Residents Protest New NYC Skyscrapers
Above: A rendering of Nordstrom Tower—slated to be the tallest residential building in the world—in the New York City skyline. Image via Miller Samuel.
A public interest group called Stand Against the Shadows is protesting a new wave of very tall skyscrapers in New York City. On November 8, protestors marched to call attention to the shadows the buildings cast over Central Park—reportedly stretching three-quarters of a mile into the park. The new buildings at issue are mostly residential towers containing luxury apartments. Public approval is not required for such construction, say the protestors, though the buildings' shadows affect public enjoyment of the park. Read more at Dezeen.
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