The gaze of the world's starchitects has turned lovingly towards the lowly parking garage. New projects by Zaha Hadid, Herzog & de Meuron, Frank Gehry, and Enrique Norten in Miami give a makeover to the Cinderella of structures.
The world's most revered architects are showing their chops in a showdown in America's southeast. The setting for this virtuoso duel is Miami, Florida and the object of attention is the much maligned parking garage.
"The fact that the parking garage has been a neglected form excites some architects, says Bernardo Fort-Brescia, founding principal of Arquitectonica. "That's precisely the challenge-how to turn that garage into something that people love," he says."
"As star architects descend on Miami Beach, they seem to be goading more of their peers to join. "What's happening now is similar to what happened in the Art Deco period, when the city developed a collaborative of architects who played off each other's designs," says William Cary, assistant director of the Miami Beach planning department."
FULL STORY: Sleek, Chic Hangout ... a Garage
Op-Ed: Starchitecture Fails the Future
An addiction to spectacle and fad, says Peter Buchanan, has set architecture adrift in a sea of meaningless forms. And real design problems go ignored.
Miami's High-Rise Orthodoxy Hides a Better Way
Alastair Gordon lambasts Miami's high-end architectural extremes. A horizontal, nature-inspired urbanism might better address contradictions between breezy luxury and inland poverty.
Buildings Gone Bad: 2014's Worst Architecture
The designs of architecture's most famous practitioners inspire the most public forms of attention and criticism. A recent column in Slate doesn't shy away from the latter.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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