Breaking news from architecture and design magazine Dezeen

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New exhibition of Soviet art and architecture "deserves to be stampeded"- The Independent

Dezeen Wire: architecture critic Jay Merrick lauds the forthcoming exhibition Building the Revolution: Soviet Art and Architecture 1915-35 at the Royal Academy in London and explains how the bold, fragmented imagery of this period has influenced contemporary architects from Zaha Hadid to Rem Koolhaas - The Independent

Merrick delves into the historical circumstances that informed the revolutionary approach to creativity of artists and architects such as El Lissitzky, Alexandr Rodchenko and Vladimir Tatlin, stating that "in a world awash with 'iconic' architecture, nothing comes even close to radiating the raw potency of this truly revolutionary form."
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Alyn Griffiths | 21 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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Outrage at gardens for Aberdeen by Snøhetta, Foster + Partners and Diller Scofidio + Renfro

Dezeen Wire: architects including Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Foster + Partners and Snøhetta have submitted plans to a controversial competition that proposes the transformation of a Victorian public gardens in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Models of the six shortlisted entries were unveiled at a public exhibition yesterday but Andrew MacGregor, secretary of the protest group Friends of Union Terrace Gardens, condemned the designs as an “absolute abomination” and said there would be rolling public protests by supporters who want to keep the gardens as they are - The Scotsman
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Alyn Griffiths | 20 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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Design Museum building for sale

Dezeen Wire: the Design Museum has announced that the building at Butler's Wharf in London, which has been its home since 1989, is up for sale. More about Design Museum building for sale

Alyn Griffiths | 20 October 2011 | 1 comment
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Gehry admits criticism of proposed Eisenhower Memorial has been "mostly fair"

Dezeen Wire: American architect Frank Gehry has said that "people are asking good questions" about his divisive design for a memorial to America's 34th president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The proposal features large metal tapestries hung from 80-foot-tall columns and set in a landscaped park. At a presentation to fellow architects at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington on Tuesday evening, Gehry insisted that concerns voiced by the public and Eisenhower's grandchildren about the concept and scale of the project would be taken on board ahead of a planning application on 1 December - The Associated Press
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Alyn Griffiths | 19 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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Critics' reactions to Pylon Design Competition winner

Dezeen Wire: here is a roundup of reports following the announcement that Danish company Bystrup have won the UK Pylon Design Competition, organised by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the National Grid, and the Royal Institute of British Architects. More about Critics' reactions to Pylon Design Competition winner

Alyn Griffiths | 19 October 2011 | Leave a comment
News

Owners of world's most expensive house choose to live elsewhere

Dezeen Wire: The New York Times claims that Antilia, the 27-storey house in Mumbai owned by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, is still acting as a pricey pied-à-terre, with Ambani's family choosing to spend their time in a more modest 14-storey converted apartment block in the south of the city - The New York Times
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Alyn Griffiths | 19 October 2011 | Leave a comment
News

Design Council review recommends networked system of design support

Dezeen Wire: a report commissioned by the Design Council has recommended a more localised approach to supporting design and architecture across England. More about Design Council review recommends networked system of design support

Alyn Griffiths | 19 October 2011 | Leave a comment
News

"Stephen Bayley delivers Pomo its death blow" - The Architect's Newspaper

Dezeen Wire: author and curator Stephen Bayley has written a savage review of the Victoria & Albert museum's current exhibition of Postmodern design and architecture, which he describes as "a revived chamber of horrors." - The Architect's Newspaper More about "Stephen Bayley delivers Pomo its death blow" - The Architect's Newspaper

Alyn Griffiths | 19 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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Frank Gehry creates strategic alliance of leading architects

Dezeen Wire: architect Frank Gehry has invited some of the world's leading architects and designers to join an advisory board that aims to identify ways to achieve a higher quality of built environment through intelligent design. More about Frank Gehry creates strategic alliance of leading architects

Alyn Griffiths | 18 October 2011 | 1 comment
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High Line appoints new curator to bring art to New York landmark

Dezeen Wire: Friends of the High Line has announced that curator Cecilia Alemani is to be placed in charge of the public art programme for the popular High Line urban park in New York. More about High Line appoints new curator to bring art to New York landmark

Alyn Griffiths | 18 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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Developers build 35-metre model of controversial London River Park

Dezeen Wire: developers seeking planning permission for a river park that will float on the Thames River in London have built a 1:100 scale model to test its impact on the river's flow. More about Developers build 35-metre model of controversial London River Park

Alyn Griffiths | 18 October 2011 | 1 comment
News

New York Times dubs new Central Saint Martins building "Campus Cool"

Dezeen Wire: in a review of the new Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in London by Stanton Williams Architects, Suzy Menkes of the New York Times admires the combination of glass, open spaces and reuse of the exiting building, claiming they make the campus "seem inviting and all-embracing," and adding that "the meld of heritage and modernity seems a particularly British combo." - The New York Times

See our story about the new campus on Dezeen here.
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Alyn Griffiths | 17 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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Programme for 2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong architecture biennale announced

Dezeen Wire: the organisers of the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture have announced the programme for the fourth edition of the fair, which begins on 11 December. More about Programme for 2011 Shenzhen & Hong Kong architecture biennale announced

Alyn Griffiths | 17 October 2011 | Leave a comment
Architecture

Bystrup win Pylon for the Future competition

Dezeen Wire: Copenhagen studio Bystrup have won the RIBA competition to design new electricity pylons for the UK with their T-shaped proposals. More about Bystrup win Pylon for the Future competition

Amy Frearson | 14 October 2011 | 3 comments
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Ai Weiwei is art world's most powerful figure - Art Review Power 100

Dezeen Wire: Chinese artist Ai Weiwei is the most powerful figure in the art world according to Art Review magazine's annual Power 100 list, published today. More about Ai Weiwei is art world's most powerful figure - Art Review Power 100

Rose Etherington | 13 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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"Bank of England builder goes into administration"- The Guardian

Dezeen Wire: Holloway White Allom, the construction firm responsible for many of London's landmarks including the remodelling of the Bank of England prior the second world war and the recent refurbishment of the Victoria & Albert museum has been put into the hands of administrators - The Guardian
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Alyn Griffiths | 12 October 2011 | Leave a comment
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"New York’s Public Architecture Gets a Face-Lift"- The New York Times

Dezeen Wire: New York Times architecture reporter Michael Kimmelman gives a glowing account of the efforts being made by New York City's Department of Design and Construction to revitalise degraded public buildings and infrastructure.

He points to "a quiet revolution reshaping the city’s public architecture," adding that careful investment is having a positive impact on neighbourhoods that are often overlooked - The New York Times
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Alyn Griffiths | 11 October 2011 | Leave a comment
News

Justin McGuirk urges governments to get designers on board

Dezeen Wire: in his latest article in The Guardian, design critic Justin McGuirk explains how the Finnish government's use of design thinking offers an exemplar for other states and big businesses who need to generate creative solutions to large social problems.
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Alyn Griffiths | 11 October 2011 | Leave a comment
News

Critics review OMA/Progress at the Barbican

Dezeen Wire: last week Dezeen reported on the opening of a new exhibition examining the creative processes of architecture practice OMA at the Barbican. Here's what the critics have been saying about the show. More about Critics review OMA/Progress at the Barbican

Alyn Griffiths | 11 October 2011 | Leave a comment
News

Future of London's Olympic stadium uncertain as legacy deal collapses

Dezeen Wire: plans by football club West Ham United to move into London's Olympic Stadium after next year's Games have collapsed amid concerns over ongoing legal disputes. The stadium will now remain in public ownership, with prospective tenants paying an annual rent to the Olympic Park Legacy Company - BBC News

See all of our stories about the London Olympics here.
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Alyn Griffiths | 11 October 2011 | Leave a comment