Moving target

This morning, easing myself into the shifted “daytime saving” hour, I lazily browsed my LinkedIn Home screen.

One of the posts was by a notable international architectural firm who declared they exited from all their Russian projects as a political gesture of solidarity with Ukraine. From more than 2 thousand comments at the time half were from members with muslim names, writing in indignation of purported double standard of the West, since “nobody cut their projects in Israel in solidarity with the oppressed and genocided palestinian people! or with the US for being a colonialist power and aggressor in wars in iraq, afghanistan and bangladesh(?)!” The other half were either “good job!”s, or appreciative notes by Ukrainians all over the word, or more sober comments, asking if the terms of the firm’s contracts with their Russian clients allow that and how much money the firm is willing to loose by unilaterally ending their obligations.

The night before I was reading a book about the Rothschild clan, stopping at this precise quote

…After spending some intensive months nursing the wounded (in WWI-ETat) in a hospital carrying her name, Baroness Maurice de Rothschild took a few days’ leave. She called one of her favorite hotels, the Palace at St. Moritz, to ask if there were any Germans there. The manager swore that nothing Teutonic would offend her eyes. Yet the first sight that greeted the Baroness was a well-known German champagne manufacturer. Mme. la Baronne turned on her heel. When the Rothschilds are disappointed with a resort, they do not simply patronize another; they create their own. Baroness Maurice embraced a cause with a determination recalling her father-in-law, Edmond, in Palestine. Single-handedly she developed the village of Megève into the most chic French winter playground. (Today her son, Edmond de Rothschild, is the principal owner and controlling power in the resort; it admits very rich champagne manufacturers of any nationality.)

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Яков Чернихов

Перепощу свой коммент с внезапным воспоминанием.

…в пушкинском я, кажется, была только однажды, в те мои единственные зимние институтские каникулы, когда сама решилась и уехала в москву. ночевала там у всей дальней родни, по ночи-две, а днём разгуливала по собственной программе – или просто бродила куда глаза приведут. так наткнулась на пушкинский, не зная, что это и что там.

внутри ничего не помню, кроме одного открытия: чернихов.
до того я никогда не видела архитектурные перспективы. тем более фантастические. меня прямо ударило: что, так можно?!

в полном потрясении выпала потом в пельменную забегаловку где-то рядом с пушкинским. какие-то два чудака ко мне там клеились: смотри, синеглазка! небось прямиком из музея, искусством ударенная? и я смогла только кивнуть, совершенно серьёзно.

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Теремок

Oсобенно умиляет жестяная крыша над выступами – как базарные вёдра. И решётки за окнами, ромбиками и квадратиками. И ни в дугу- распорки  для тряпичного навеса от солнца над окнами верхнего этажа.  Да всё, в общем, впечатляет, куда ни кинь.

 

 

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City worldwide

Western cities historically, until now, have been centers of commerce, business, law, science, art and education; all these industries require architectural spaces in the cities to support them. Wave of covid-19 around the globe resulted in transition to work from home (WFH)  mode – at companies that can afford it and are still operating, among universal lockdowns. Commercial R.E. experience deep losses, number of new office leases took a sharp dive, and workplace design and facilities industry leaders increasingly use term “new normal” to describe expectations of the future.

On this background there is talk, already, about decline of the cities in general. How can a center of business operate without people at its heart? How much office space needed for 20% of human resource of a company, with the rest operating WFH? How many office floors is worth it for a developer to build if their tenants’ needs fell 80%? Are we experiencing an end to the structure of our cities as we know it?

While contemplating these and related questions, take a look at an online event by Open House Worldwide – a first collaborative effort of many cities to share their problems and ways they approach them. From now to November 15 you can access it for free; see the program here.

Personally, I will filter out glaringly political entries promoting lefty agenda. At first glance, several livestreams look interesting: cinema in Melbourne, urban residences in Osaka, a tour of Palma’s harbour, 3 buildings in Prague.

Enjoy your virtual travels!

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Рука рока/ Fate’s fatuity

Был у меня престарелый родственник, предварявший важные сообщения© фразой: «Ну что, гусятки?»

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Retail apocalypse

I just learned the horrible news: Lord & Taylor is no more!

With all those professional (equal to personal, for me) turbulences I had no time nor interest in shopping –  and voila! I’m not just behind the times, I’m behind in “closing this store” bargains.

On the other hand, I’ve avoided the [semi-sweet] sorrow I experienced when shopping at Daffy’s during their last breathing days.

What a sad, sad world!

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Должок!

Обещала картинки из венгерско-словенской поездки, да так и не нашла времени за полгода с гаком. Спешу пока год не кончился, вот смотрите!

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Link-surfing

It is amazing what one can learn by idle link-surfing in Wiki.

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Sway me more

[ as promised]

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Во дни волнений, во дни тягостной хмари на сердце

случается найти чудесные весёлые картинки.

и отступает на время.

“О Консуэло, ты Утешение!”

 

 

Никто не знает, как присобачить ЛЖ-сообщество к ленте в Dreamwidth?

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Colorful past

How, do you think, this happened? When, where, in what alternative universe?

In April, “45 hungry and desperate Russian laborers descended upon the office of the Tujunga Valley Rock Company and demanded money with which to get something to eat,” according to the Los Angeles Times. These men had been building a roadway for six weeks in the Big Tujunga Wash and had been given checks that turned out to be worthless. They camped out in the rock company’s office and refused to leave until they had been paid.”

Still in America, but universe is alternative indeed: CA, LA. What happened next? Read the whole thing. That building has a fascinating personality – see, now, why I like them buildings?

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Suddenly, Spring

…and so is my cry di jure: Where to go on vacation?

Actually, I do know this time: Magyar! But will be appreciative of recs, suggestions, tips and advice. Have any?

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Notes on a drawing set margin. N-1.16: Morgulis, шерстяной волчара

Пришёлся  к слову старый тред в жуже Часовщика. Перечитала – и помещаю здесь как урок себе: трать время с толком, не вступай в беседы господами моргулисами!

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They write from Haifa

“[Arsonists] were cruising the city and throwing explosive packages from the car windows – at people, gas stations, neighborhood electrical transformer stations and natural gas lines...”

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Картинок прибавилось

Next installment of hazy phone pictures see here

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Miami: Brickell House

I will write about it just as soon as new year begins. In a meanwhile, just look at this beauty. How can anyone who lives there be unhappy?!

[See more @ the Flickr album]

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Плямба

Photo: Laurent Ruamps
“Wyspianski pavilion [2007]- Architect: Krzysztof Ingarden [1957-] Krakow, Poland”

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OHNY’15: The Renwick Hotel

This was my volunteer’ assignment site on Saturday afternoon, and proved to be the best in the last 2-3 years’ batch.

Not only because this witty boutique hotel was just open, everything looked fresh and squeaky-clean and only 3 floors were operational with staying guests; this time the architectural firm responsible for the project (Stonehill&Taylor) sent an interior designer to lead the tours (few years ago, at Hotel Americano, I had to improvise the tour myself, since architects didn’t show up).

And not just any designer – Elaine (not her real name: privacy rules) was part of the designing team, and could answer numerous questions in meticulous detail.

She was even kind enough to give me pages of actual presentation, Renwick/Steinbeck Suite/Lobby , which I linked here, with gratitude.

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OHNY’15: Salvation Army Temple

You might ask: “you, an atheist – and “temple” of any sort? why, or why?” And I’ll tell you, flashing my lashes over curvy shoulder: Art Deco, baby!

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OHNY-15: TWA

Open to the public last time before big renovation, TWA terminal in John.F.Kennedy airport was THE destination this past OpenHouse weekend.

The OHNY site description reads:

Architect: Eero Saarinen, 1962; Restoration, Beyer Blinder Belle, 2015

One of the most famous icons of mid-century modernism, the TWA Flight Center, beautifully restored over the last six years, is on the National Register of Historic Places. MCR Development, the firm selected by the Port Authority to celebrate Saarinen’s masterpiece and reopen it to the public, is advancing a privately-funded $265 million plan to rehabilitate the national landmark to its original splendor and deliver the first on-site, world-class airport hotel at JFK International Airport. Through a $65 million investment, MCR Development will preserve the iconic terminal for the public to enjoy. Expected to be complete in 2018, the redevelopment plan will include a museum focusing on New York City as the birthplace of the Jet Age, the storied history of TWA Airlines, and the Midcentury Modern design movement.

Sounds tempting? You bet, for you and me and, apparently, 10,000 more people! (or more – I just ballparked the #)

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Notes on a drawing set margins. N-1.15: Computerized

The worst kind of supervisor is one with zero knowledge of the software you use. (S)he knows it’s something subordinates do with their computers, and it irritates them – why it takes so long? A quote – I’m not kidding you: “I can draw a line with pencil quicker than you on CAD! Why it takes so long to do an RCP*?”
Another favorite quote: “You have a computer, it’s doing drafting for you, why it takes so long?”
Today my collection was enriched by new gem.
Isabel, one of our PMs, came from the meeting with the Owner/ Developer. One of the points on agenda was discussion of operational strategy for the building we are helping to design, which will be aspiring for LEED cerification. Various trades, consultants, Architect of Record, CM and PM are present. The Owner listens to the lively discussion and lets out: ” I don’t see why you want me to employ a super or a maintenance company after construction. This building should be operating itself!”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Reflected Ceiling Plan. Should include, at a min: acoustic grid and/or various shape sheetrock ceiling, light fixtures in intelligent pattern following furniture placement underneath, HVAC branching, sprinkler branching, smoke detectors, exit signage, other fire-detection and safety fixtures, indicated headers of door openings, ceiling heights and all applicable dimensions

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Globalized Emptiness

Упал в почту email из LinkedIn-группы Design&Construction, я от них получаю новости в профессии. Мельком глянула – и глаза протёрла: сплю ли я, грежу ли?

Член группы, уважаемый человек с множеством солидных аббревиатур после имени и блестящим резюме (“worked with a New York City Top 5 Design firm (Perkins Eastman Architects PC) and ENR-Top 100 CM-for-Fee firm”) – постит линк на статью в – опять же, солидном – архитектурном журнале.
И там мелькают слова, которые не могут, никак не могут, не должны быть связаны:
Гейдар Алиев, Заха Хадид, Культурный Центр, “nimble two-layer space frame”, “supportive bridesmaid to double envelope”, “Nureyev moment”, “planned subway line”, Патрик Шумахер (ко-партнер под вывеской Захи) – и некий project architect Saffet Kaya Bekiroglu, “series of terraces interlaced with reflecting pools and waterfalls”…
И среди них – единственно понятные:
-Cost: Withheld
-“the client, DIA Holding, also served as the design/build contractor”

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Laurent Ruamps

Ancienne Soufflerie Hispano-Suiza (école la Cigogne) [1937]- Bois-Colombes

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Ступеньки, contd.

Продолжая ступенчатую тему,
вот вам НЙкий пример лестничного идиотизма

Видите какие длинные, изматывающе-длинные лестничные пролёты наружу из нашего сабвея? Теперь представьте мам с колясками и малышами в охапку, преодолевающих эти скачки с барьерами. Какого чёрта надо НА ПОВЕРХНОСТИ добвлять ещё пару ступенек?
Специалисты-социалисты. И вот всё у них так.

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The Hand of the Architect

Joined Flickr group Hand of the Architect. Browsing through, got encouraged by not-so-great entries to post my own humble effort, started looking for one particular sketch to scan…and realized that I threw it away 2.5yrs ago when packing boxes before the move to my new apartment. Argh! Let it be a stimuli for me to cut procrastinating and just sketch.
In a meanwhile, here’s a great perspective by someone signed Flaf: you can see the “nuts-n-bolts” with vanishing point (even two) and the lines. Shades and shadows, watercolor tints, cannons, motorcycle, flora and urban corner:

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