Articles by Niall Patrick Walsh

Foster + Partners has unveiled their design for the House of Wisdom, an iconic library and cultural center for Sharjah, this year’s UNESCO World Book Capital. Located on the Sharjah International Airport Road, ten kilometers from the city center, the two-story scheme “embodies a sense of clarity and lightness, with a large floating roof cantilevering on all sides of a transparent rectilinear volume.”

In the aftermath of the blaze that destroyed the roof of Paris’ iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral, Studio NAB has envisioned a replacement “greenhouse roof.” Described as a cathedral “in green for all,” the project would see the creation of rooftop greenhouse that embraces the reintroduction of biodiversity, education, and solidarity.

The 2015 Serpentine Pavilion, designed by SelgasCano, is to be relocated to Los Angeles where it will offer free public programs throughout the summer. Organized by Second Home, a London-based social business supporting creativity in cities, and the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC), the initiative will use the structure as a flexible, multi-purpose social space hosting programs intersecting art, design, science, and nature.

The SHoP Architects-designed 111 West 57th Street has witnessed a major milestone with the topping out of its reinforced concrete superstructure, as reported by New York YIMBY. The supertall scheme, measuring 1428-feet-tall, will be the second-tallest building in New York City by roof height, and the most slender tall building in the world.

Louisiana Channel has released a video interview conducted with world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, where he advises young architects to follow their dreams, take risks, and expose themselves to the possibilities of short term sacrifice for long term gain. Reflecting on the pace of change, Libeskind says “the world is always changing, but not very slowly. It changes just suddenly. It doesn’t change by evolution, it changes suddenly. If a young architect realizes this, it is a big help. It took me a while to realize that.”

Louisiana Channel has released a video interview conducted with world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, where he advises young architects to follow their dreams, take risks, and expose themselves to the possibilities of short term sacrifice for long term gain. Reflecting on the pace of change, Libeskind says “the world is always changing, but not very slowly. It changes just suddenly. It doesn’t change by evolution, it changes suddenly. If a young architect realizes this, it is a big help. It took me a while to realize that.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced plans to introduce a bill banning the construction of glass skyscrapers, forming part of efforts to reduce citywide greenhouse emissions by 30 percent. Unveiling the plans, he described all-glass façade skyscrapers as “incredibly inefficient” because of heat loss, according to NBC New York.

Steven Holl Architects has won a competition for the design of the headquarters for iCarbonX, a genome machine intelligence company in Shenzhen. The scheme comprises of two towers, with the first tower “Body A” forming a residential component, and the second tower, “Body B” containing offices, labs, and public reception spaces. The form of the towers is inspired by the study of genes and DNA.

As the world recognizes Earth Day 2019, the public discourse is increasingly dominated by citizen action across the world manifesting a widespread fear and frustration at a perceived lack of action by governments and officials to confront the issue forthrightly. From the Extinction Rebellion protests that have gripped London, to school student strikes across 125 countries, global cities are increasingly finding themselves on the front line of a battle to limit the effects of global warming.

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has used Earth Day, April 22nd, 2019, to launch a new initiative focused on educating the public about how sustainable practices are used in the conservation of National Historic Landmark sites, including the renowned architect’s Taliesin (Wisconsin) and Taliesin West (Arizona) residences. Taking place throughout the year, the Foundation’s efforts will aim to show how these practices can serve as examples for other facets of society.