Tag Archives: architecture

Zaha Hadid 1950-2016

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Swim Center at the 2012 London Olympics

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Guangzhou Opera House

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Riverside Museum in Glasgow

Zaha Hadid became the first female recipient of the Pritzker architecture prize in 2004 and twice won the UK’s most prestigious architecture award, the RIBA Stirling prize. Other awards included the Republic of France’s Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale.

Hadid won acclaim in Scotland for designing the popular Riverside Museum in Glasgow, known for its distinctive roof structure. Muriel Gray, chair of the board of governors at the Glasgow School of Art, tweeted a picture of the Riverside museum with the message: “Horrible shocking news that Zaha Hadid, incredible architectural trailblazer has just died. Huge loss to design.”

Hadid was recently awarded the RIBA’s 2016 royal gold medal, the first woman to be awarded the honour in her own right.

Architect Sir Peter Cook wrote in his citation at the time: “In our current culture of ticking every box, surely Zaha Hadid succeeds, since, to quote the royal gold medal criteria, she is someone who ‘has made a significant contribution to the theory or practice of architecture … for a substantial body of work rather than for work which is currently fashionable’.

“For three decades now she has ventured where few would dare … Such self confidence is easily accepted in film-makers and football managers, but causes some architects to feel uncomfortable. Maybe they’re secretly jealous of her unquestionable talent. Let’s face it, we might have awarded the medal to a worthy comfortable character. We didn’t. We awarded it to Zaha: larger than life, bold as brass and certainly on the case.”

The World Trade Center in NYC

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Talk about construction! I was just in New York and walked by the World Trade Center building site. I couldn’t help but gasp at the enormous task for all involved.  The complex of buildings will replace the earlier complex of 7 buildings on the same site with the same name. The site is being rebuilt with six new skyscrapers,a memorial to those killed in the attacks(the 2 beautiful reflecting pools with granite edging with the names carved into it-so thoughtful in that you can place a flower in the name itself)) and a transportation hub.

In August 2012, One World Trade Center’s steel officially topped out at the nominal 104th floor, at a total height of 1,368 feet. The tower’s antenna was shipped to New York in November 2012; the first antenna section was hoisted to the top of the tower on December 12, 2012, and installed on January 15, 2013.

By March 2013, two sections of the antenna had been installed. The spire was expected to be completed on April 29, 2013, but weather delayed the delivery of the final pieces.On May 10, 2013, the final piece of the spire was lifted to the top of One World Trade Center, bringing it to its full height of 1,776 feet, and making it the fourth tallest building in the world. Port Authority Vice Chairman Scott Rechler said on September 9, 2014 that it will open this November.

The Four World Trade Center is on track for completion and occupancy by  the end of 2014. The Museum opened on May 21, 2014.The Three World Trade Center and the Transportation Center are also making progress and are set to be finished by around 2015. Two World Trade Center’s full construction has been placed on hold until tenants are found, but it is still expected to be completed before 2020.

 

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Getting Stoned??!

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THAT got your attention!

Back to the building of the house in Concord. One of the things that the client really wanted to think about was using stone on the house-especially the front elevation. We had seen a house that we loved done by architect Gil Schafer III in NY State. What became very clear as we googled,researched and discovered was that stone is not prevalent in Massachusetts. You see beautiful stone houses in Pennnsylvania,New York ,New Jersey and even some in Connecticut but definitely NOT in Massachusetts.Ironically, there IS one stone house here in Concord right on Lexington Road (pictured above) .It was built by Cyrus Pierce in 1850 but I am not certain how it came to be made of stone.

On a google search this is what came up in Massachusetts:

Stone’s Public House in Ashland(the fact that  it is called “The Stone House” might make you realize that it is rare!),Stone House Properties(Real Estate),Nason’s Stone House Farm Store in West Boxford(famous for “awesome chicken pies!”) and that is about it. There were a few new houses but they really looked new and that is not what we want. There were definitely no federal style farmhouses, and that is the way we are all leaning.