Dezeen Magazine

"It would have worked better had they demolished Botta's building"

Comments update: the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has reopened with a major extension by Snøhetta, but commenters think simply demolishing Mario Botta's original Postmodern building would have been a better solution.

SF moaner: Snøhetta's SFMoMA extension sits behind Botta's building, which itself proved controversial when it opened in 1995. Despite this, Snøhetta aimed to respect the architectural integrity of the building – a move that some are unsure about.

"Something just doesn't feel right about it," said Kay. "It would've worked better had they demolished Botta's building."

Others disagreed and complemented the way that the extension works in relation to Botta's building.

"I was pretty skeptical when renderings of Snøhetta's proposed design first surfaced, but after seeing photos of the completed building, I actually really like it," wrote Iwall.

"Snøhetta's extension slots in nicely behind Botta's strange squat building," added a commenter calling themselves Skierpage.

What do you think of Snøhetta's extension? Let us know in the comments section »


Architecture news: AIA conference cancelled over LGBT law in North Carolina

Flushed: the American Institute of Architects sparked a debate after it pulled out of hosting a conference in Wilmington, North Carolina, in a protest against the state's new anti-LBGT law. The new law forces transgender people to use single-sex public bathrooms based on the gender on their birth certificate.

"I wonder if the AIA take that 'long-standing' position in all instances of 'human and civil rights'" said Bill Simpson.

"Would you prefer that the AIA not protest for the sake of consistency?" hit back David. "Not every political gesture will be about your issue."

"Our code of ethics clearly calls for our organisation to represent the best aspects of openness, diversity, and inclusivity," explained AIA board member Gregory Walker.

"What made this different is that, frankly, yes, we have not always done the best job taking a stand in the past. We're working to improve." Read the comments on this story »


Wolfgang Tillmans EU Referendum posters

Brexit: German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans waded into the debate over whether Britain should vote to leave the European Union by creating a series of posters highlighting benefits of the political coalition. These didn't go down well with British readers.

"How about some posters in support of the Brexit?" asked regular contributor Spadestick, while a guest commenter suggested the "last person any English person will listen to on this matter is a German."

Many discussed the impact it would have on the architecture and design industries. "Design is political too and [this referendum] will impact the industry significantly whatever the result," wrote Kay.

"The UK was producing world-class architects, designers and inventors centuries before the European Union was a glint in some imperialist's eye and will continue to do so long after," concluded a commenter calling themselves JayJay.

Will a Brexit vote damage the UK's architecture and design industries? Tell us your view in the comments section »


old-oak-common-plp-architecture-the-collective-student-housing-co-living-redevelopment-london_dezeen_sqc

Co-living: commenters discussed the impact of the world's largest co-living block after the entrepreneur behind the London project told Dezeen that its residents will have so many services to hand they may never have to leave the building.

"To me it feels like a slightly more luxurious version of student housing," commented Dikkie Smaber while a reader calling themselves UnderArcadia asked whether people would get too old to reside in a shared living space.

"I certainly see great appeal in big buildings that offer services," added Kay. "What I can't wrap my head around is the communal aspect. There is something fundamentally wrong with being in your 30s and sharing toilets and kitchens with total strangers."

"This stands for everything that is wrong with the housing market," concluded Chris MacDonald. "It will be a huge success, I am sure." Read the comments on this story »