The management of the Venice Biennale, once again headed by Paolo Baratta (we previously reported on his possible resignation on the initiative of Silvio Berlusconi), officially confirmed the appointment of David Chipperfield as curator of the XIII International Architectural Exhibition in Venice, which will be held from August 29 to November 25, 2012. The upcoming review is planned to represent the relationship between eminent craftsmen and younger generation architects who are oriented towards them.
A related topic - the complex attitude towards authorities - is evidenced by a whole series of events related to the key structures of modernism and their authors. Lloyd's London building by Richard Rogers, one of the most famous examples of high-tech, received the status of a "first degree" monument from the British government: a very "young" building (it is only 25 years old!) Is now equated to St. Paul's Christopher Wren's Cathedral, Windsor Castle and other time-honored masterpieces of British architecture.
At the same time, "grade II *" was awarded to the "Apollo Pavilion" by artist Victor Pasmore. This 1969 construction adorned a residential area in the city of Peterli, founded in 1948; it got its name in honor of the American spacecraft Apollo 11, which in 1969 brought people to the moon. This is a rare case in England for the protection of buildings in the style of brutalism (more often they try to demolish them as "ugly"); It is of particular interest as a monument to the late modernist social program and hopes for a better future.
The situation is much worse for another "utopian" building - the Nakagin Tower in Tokyo by Kisho Kurokawa. Over the past 40 years since its construction, it has become dilapidated; no one is going to replace the capsule apartments as planned by the architect, so the owners plan to demolish it. Kurokawa tried to save the tower, but after his death in 2007, no one wants to do this. For an exhibition on metabolism at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, the Nakagin Tower capsule was recreated with all the original furnishings, including a built-in TV, bedding, and even a toothbrush. Perhaps the exhibition will draw attention to the unique building and contribute to its preservation.
Philip Johnson's Crystal Cathedral, as well as the buildings of Richard Neutra and Richard Mayer, which belonged to the Protestant "megachurch" in California, were sold for debts to local Catholics. Fortunately, they are not threatened with destruction, nevertheless, the parishioners sincerely mourn their parting with the spectacular ensemble.
The last of the now working masters of "classical" modernism, Oscar Niemeyer, celebrated his 104th birthday this month, but he was presented with a very unpleasant surprise. The Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Center in the Spanish city of Aviles was closed and stripped of his name. The complex of buildings designed by the famous Brazilian opened in March 2011 and functioned quite successfully: 250,000 people visited exhibitions, concerts and film screenings there. But the government of the region of Asturias, where Aviles is located, changed, and the new authorities conducted an audit of the institution created and existing with public money. They found significant irregularities, and the fund manager of the center, which holds the rights to Niemeyer's name, was dismissed. The cultural center is going to be transferred to another manager, but the former managers, who see purely political reasons in the case, plan to go to court.
In the field of modern architecture, the atmosphere is more festive at the end of the year. For example, Frank Gehry created an "official work of art" for the forthcoming Grammy Awards in February 2012. This work is a composition of mock-ups of the architect's typical buildings that form the backdrop for the gramophone statuette, the Grammy Winner …
Another "rewarding" piece of news is the 2012 TED Award for an idea: City 2.0. She usually celebrates the achievements of an outstanding person in the fields of technology, entertainment and design (Technology, Entertainment, Design). But this time it was decided to dedicate it to the city of the future: an environmentally friendly and efficient metropolis that can accommodate the growing population of the Earth. According to the TED jury, it is a center of culture, education, innovation and economic opportunity, it is beautiful and original, there will be a place for everyone, because diversity is one of its features. Many enthusiasts of various specialties in many countries of the world are working on the implementation of the idea of "City 2.0"; this research will receive a prize fund of $ 100,000.
The new model of scaffolding presented by the New York authorities can also be viewed as a step into the future. More precisely, we are talking about a pedestrian corridor; the new version was named Urban Umbrella: this structure made of metal and polymers is more durable and much more attractive than the usual samples; in addition, it has built-in LED luminaires.
The theme of the metropolis of the future also surfaced in Paris: for the exposition in the Arsenal Pavilion, dedicated to the renovation of the French capital, a digital model of Paris in 2020 with an area of almost 40 m2 was created. This huge 3D "map" was developed in collaboration with Google experts using the Liquid Galaxy plug-in for Google Earth. Visitors to the exhibition can navigate the Paris of the future in the same way as they can on Google Maps.
N. F.
