Latest news with #Brutalist
Otago Daily Times
5 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Architectural diversity a fine thing
Tastes change but the Archway lecture theatres remain a heritage building Mark Baxter writes. Remember the ceremonial bridge the University of Otago wanted to spend $1 million on (back when $1m was a lot), simply to increase the university's "prestige"? They are at it again and wanting to demolish teaching space simply in order to create a faux Oxbridge-like lawn. To compound this poor decision, the teaching space they want to demolish is the wonderfully Brutalist Archway lecture theatres. Now I love Brutalism. But some people hate Brutalism. And that's OK. Neither opinion is right or wrong; aesthetics are subjective. But love it or hate it, it needs to be protected. Indeed, it is the hate part of that spectrum of opinion towards significant buildings that is an important part of exactly why some of such buildings need protected. Destroying character buildings simply because some people dislike them, will leave us with just characterless bland cookie-cutter buildings. Tastes change and many heroic or iconic buildings have gone from widespread praise to being hated within a generation and are destroyed because of this. In the 1950s Otago's now iconic, historic clock-tower building was proposed to be demolished as a dowdy old unsafe building. Luckily university management disagreed and preserved it, or the Otago campus could have looked like the Cadbury factory buildings. Literally a cookie-cutter vista. Brutalism is a significant architectural form, especially for public buildings, and it is strongly symbolic of the post-war consensus and cradle-to-grave welfare-state era — a great era of New Zealand, where we were world leaders in many things. That is important and comforting heritage to me, and a massively important part of the country's history. The Archway theatres are the only strongly Brutalist buildings left on the campus. While much is made of the protected Richardson building, that is more of a modernist building that has some elements of Brutalism, notably the raw concrete finish. Archway is more faithful to Brutalism by being a more minimalist construction and clearly showcasing structural elements over decorative design. In the words of NZ Institute of Architects, the Archway theatres are "architecture that is different and special", and "speak to a moment in our architectural history" and "remains an accomplished work of significant merit". Some see a building with a strong architectural style like Brutalism being close to the historic Gothic-revival "Clock-tower" precinct as a problem. And that is a fair concern. But like the original architects, planners and university management of the time, I disagree it's a problem. The Archway theatres are separate to the Gothic-revival precinct, and they do not affect the very vast majority of views of the Gothic-revival precinct's vistas. The Gothic-revival precinct can be viewed from most directions without seeing the Archway theatres at all. Further, the Archway theatres are not of a size or scale that they impact on the Gothic-revival precinct, and they no way overwhelm the Gothic-revival buildings by scale. Heritage is not simply just about very old things. The separate precinct area south of the historic Gothic-revival precinct (i.e. which contains the Archway theatres), also contains a selection of various aged and various styled buildings. This architectural diversity makes a fine narrative of the university's, and indeed of the country's, public architectural development history, and all in close proximity. There are layers of history and heritage, and it would be a mistake to erase this piece of strong Brutalism from this narrative. The university is justifying the proposed demolition by pointing out that "flat-floor" teaching space is the way of future education and that lecture theatre style teaching will decline. While this is indeed the current speculation and trend, firstly, we are far from that future. And nor does this changing trend mean that lecture theatre style teaching will ever stop entirely. The university relies heavily on them and often has no spare theatres of this size to use as an emergency substitute if a theatre is made unavailable (this situation will be much worse with the loss of the four Archway theatres). If it was proposed to replace Archway Theatres with a new teaching space, the shift to increased "flat-floor" teaching might be relevant here. But it is not. The proposed replacement is a lawn. Replacing usable teaching space with a lawn seems poor use of taxpayers' money. While traditionally Archway 1-4 are not the most comfortable lecture theatres, they have been refitted over the years and have better acoustics than when I was a student. They are well-equipped with up-to-date as modern audiovisual facilities as good as the other of the university's theatres. Yes, the passageways are narrow and dark and can indeed have a maze effect (though I personally thought this effect was part of the charm; never knowing quite where you'd exit the building after having your brain's battery drained by either a boring or interesting lecture). However, both these issues could be relatively easily fixed by gutting the centre of the building and creating a lobby with a clear roof. Any plant that is needed relocated could be relocated under the voids under the building's seating areas, and appropriately visually screened off with a dark material so as to not affect the aesthetic. You can't save every old building, but this one has significant heritage values in its context and still has a much-needed use — hence making it into a lawn is a waste of resources. — Mark Baxter is a life member of the Otago University Students Association.
San Francisco Chronicle
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. fountain's 95-year-old creator returns: ‘I'm here to save that piece of art'
The creator of the giant Vaillancourt Fountain at San Francisco's Embarcadero Plaza is aware that he may never see it restored to its former glory with water gushing through its white concrete pipes and channels. But dry and dingy as it is, the monumental artwork has been there for nearly 55 controversial years, and Armand Vaillancourt says it can last another 55 at least. That is why Vaillancourt, 95, made the six-hour flight from Montreal to San Francisco this week. 'I'm here to save that piece of art,' he said in a thick Quebecois accent while sitting in the sun Tuesday admiring his work. The 40-foot-tall, 710-ton fountain, installed in 1971 next to the Embarcadero Freeway, has survived a legion of critics over the decades who decried its blocky Brutalist aesthetic. It also survived the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which damaged the freeway beyond repair. But its supporters, including Vaillancourt, fear it may not survive the pending transformation of the park that surrounds it. An ambitious $30 million project is underway to dramatically redesign Embarcadero Plaza, formerly known as Justin Herman Plaza, and link it to the adjacent Sue Bierman Park. The effort was announced last November by then-Mayor London Breed, and endorsed by the Board of Supervisors in March. A preliminary rendering published with the announcement did not show the fountain. That got the attention of Vaillancourt's daughter Oceania, who informed her father. The project is still in the planning phase. No design decisions have been made, no public hearings have been held, and Vaillancourt said no representative of the city has reached out to him. But he did not like what he did not see on the renderings. So he booked his own flight and booked his own preemptive hearing this week with the staff of the San Francisco Arts Commission, which owns the sculpture as part of the Civic Art Collection. 'They made the new plan and my monumental sculpture is not there,' said Vaillancourt. He described his message to city staff as, 'Be reasonable. Let that artwork live forever.' 'This survived a 7.1 earthquake with no damage, not a scratch, but they never took care of it,' he said. 'There's nothing wrong with it except the dirt.' San Francisco Recreation and Park Department officials told the Chronicle that they had met with Vaillancourt on Wednesday. 'It was an initial conversation focused on listening and exploring ways we might work together going forward,' said spokesperson Tamara Aparton. She said the park department spent an average of $100,000 per year on maintenance of the fountain, which includes repairing persistent leaks and clogged drains, servicing the pumps, removing debris and cleaning graffiti. But the only recent sign of attention Vaillancourt said he could see was a high fence on the Embarcadero side, an apparent attempt by the city to keep people from sleeping on the sculpture. While he was there Tuesday, a security guard came and rousted people who seemed to be setting up camp. He had not visited the fountain in eight years, and his first reaction upon seeing it was to utter: 'Wow.' 'The joy,' he said. 'It is so powerful.' The fountain's sheer size is part of its artistic power — and a major issue in deciding its fate. Part of the civic discussion is whether it can be moved to another location in the city, or put into storage. Vallaincourt laughed at that idea. The fountain, which took him four years to build, is anchored to a foundation 40 feet deep and has steel cables running throughout. It was intended to shift and sway but never break, and did not even burst a pipe during the Loma Prieta quake. However, it eventually blew a pump, and last summer the water was turned off. It would cost millions to repair, but Vaillancourt said it would cost millions more to demolish the fountain and backfill the huge crater that would leave behind. He endorses whatever plan the city has for the plaza, which is likely to remove the brick and replace it with grass and trees or other natural elements. He said the fountain will go perfectly amid all of this, provided it is sandblasted to return it to its original white luster, and the water is turned back on. (When it was installed, the flow at 30,000 gallons a minute was intended in part to drown out the traffic noise from the adjacent freeway.) 'If you keep the sculpture like it is, people cannot enjoy it,' he said. 'When the water is on, the kids run through it. It's a big toy in a sense.' The redesign and renovation is a partnership between the Recreation and Park Department, the Downtown SF Partnership and BXP (formerly Boston Properties), the commercial real estate firm that owns the four Embarcadero Center office buildings east of the plaza. One community outreach meeting has been held by the park department, and a second one is to be scheduled sometime this spring or summer. Vaillancourt said he has done his own community outreach and claimed that 'all of the people we talk to, engineers and architects and all that, they say do anything in the park but don't touch Vaillancourt Fountain.' Skateboarders, who like to thrash up the concrete benches, don't want it touched. Neither do the members of the Northern California chapter of Docomomo US, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the architecture of the modern movement. They will host an informal picnic at 4 p.m. Friday at the fountain, with Vaillancourt promising to attend and engage in any form of conversation or debate. With his distinctive flowing white hair and beard, he describes himself as a 'small tiger,' and though he will be 96 in September, 'all my life I've never said I'm tired,' he said. Then he leaned back to admire his creation and started singing a song that was popular when he was building it, with his wife, Joanne, and son Alexis looking on. 'All we are saying, is give peace a chance.'
Business Journals
23-05-2025
- Health
- Business Journals
Accelerating innovation is in the DNA at South San Francisco's Gateway of Pacific
What if innovation were as simple as putting a bunch of smart people in a room and knocking down some walls? If cancer researcher Reuben Shaw's story is any indication, you shouldn't rule out the possibility. Shaw, whose research on the metabolism of cancer has led to the discovery of multiple therapies for cancer and metabolic disease, leads the influential National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a leading independent nonprofit research organization located in San Diego. He was recently invited to speak on the craft of innovation at a gathering of CEOs and other executives at BioMed Realty's Gateway of Pacific life science campus in South San Francisco. Shaw's talk examined, among other topics, the building blocks of innovation — literally. expand 'The physical space where people work influences their attitudes and the discoveries that are possible within them,' Shaw told the audience of scientists, technologists and business leaders. 'This is particularly true for engineers and computer scientists and for pure bench lab researchers.' Shaw pointed to his own lab at the Salk Institute as evidence. 'There are no walls between the labs,' he said. 'It's an extremely flexible infrastructure.' Designed by architect Louis Kahn in close collaboration with Jonas Salk, the American virologist who developed a vaccine for polio before going on to found the Salk Institute, the concrete-and-teak Brutalist masterpiece consists of 29 separate structures centered around a courtyard. Its large, open laboratory spaces were designed to adapt to the evolving needs of biological science. 'It is really an open, magnificent structure that was built with incredible foresight,' said Shaw. Joining Shaw to talk about the craft of innovation was JoAnn Garbin, co-author of 'The Insider's Guide to Innovation @ Microsoft,' which goes behind the scenes of one of the world's most valuable companies to show how teams can unlock their creative and collaborative potential. A serial entrepreneur and four-time founder herself, Garbin served as director of innovation for the Regenerative Datacenter of the Future program at Microsoft from 2019-2024. Among Garbin's anecdotes about innovation at Microsoft were the development of the original Xbox, which was released in 2001. 'Twenty years ago, all Microsoft did was operating systems and productivity tools,' Garbin recounted. 'So when they decided to spin off a gaming business, they said 'we're not putting Microsoft on the box,' which is why so many people don't even know Xbox is a Microsoft product.' expand But the Xbox team took it a step further, Garbin revealed. 'They said, 'We're going to move down the street and build our own office, and we're going to work down there for the next five to 15 years, so that we're big enough and secure enough in our own industry before we reintegrate with the mothership, so that you don't swallow us whole.' Once again, it was people in that innovation space recognizing the impact of our environments on our creativity.' Garbin's and Shaw's talks reaffirmed the architectural philosophy behind host BioMed Realty's Gateway of Pacific campus. As Garbin put it: 'Physical spaces that we inhabit are never neutral. They either facilitate something or they inhibit something.' Developed over five phases, BioMed Realty's Gateway of Pacific campus consists of 2.2 million square feet of state-of-the-art life science and office space. One of the largest and most amenitized life science campuses in the Bay Area, Gateway of Pacific supports growing and established life science companies. The campus's central courtyard is a Zen-like environment designed to foster connection and collaboration outside of the office or laboratory. Flowing seamlessly into the central courtyard via retractable window-walls is Forum, a premier 20,000-square-foot conference center equipped with cutting-edge audio-visual systems. Its adaptable layouts mean it can flex as a destination for collaboration, presentations or celebrations. Health and wellness are at the heart of the Gateway of Pacific building design. Traverse, Gateway's LEED Platinum- and Fitwel-certified central amenity building, offers an array of culinary, fitness and community experiences, including dining options, a fitness center and meeting spaces for tenants. Open to the public and surrounding businesses, Traverse has become a popular destination for dining and special events in the 'East of 101' South San Francisco biotech cluster. Also at the campus, BioMed Realty hosts over 80 Discover Here tenant exclusive experiences each year, ranging from karaoke nights to symposiums, that help promote collaboration and connection among employees. In March 2025, Proper Food opened a new location in Gateway of Pacific III, energizing the property's lobby with a vibrant café and lounge. The latest phase of the campus to be delivered is Gateway of Pacific V. Consisting of 320,000 square feet of world-class lab and office space across five levels, the property features a sports court, a sculpture garden, curated lobby design and several open landscaped areas. Located in a vibrant research community within one of the world's premier life science ecosystems, BioMed Realty's Gateway of Pacific is a true landmark. The fully integrated campus is designed to the highest institutional standards, featuring distinct and robust buildings within an active, urban park setting. Floor plates for our latest phase, Gateway of Pacific V, range from 21,000-38,000 square feet, with an opportunity for full-building users. To learn more about leasing opportunities at Gateway of Pacific, visit its website. Aaron Welch is a freelance writer.
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Architectural icon and one of the UK's top 20 cultural attractions unveils plans for £240million makeover
CULTURAL icon the Barbican arts centre has unveiled its hugely ambitious plans for a £240 million makeover – complete with "theatrical planting". New images of the stunning renewal of 9 CGI images have been unveiled showing plans for the Barbican arts centre 9 The Barbican will have its own lakeside terrace Credit: Alamy 9 The attraction was opened in 1982 and is now in need of a major upgrade Credit: Alamy 9 The Barbican attracted more than 1.5 million visitors in 2024 And it's certainly impressive – with a lakeside terrace another of its stunning new features. The newly released images show what the 43-year-old Barbican's conservatory, foyers and lakeside areas could look like after the restoration work has been completed. And that includes an urban oasis, a lakeside terrace, and dynamic new civic spaces. The Barbican's management team said the vision had received strong support in the initial phase of consultation with 90% of respondents reacting positively. Philippa Simpson, director of buildings and renewal, said: 'We've been incredibly encouraged by the public's enthusiasm for our plans. "These new images reflect a vision for the Barbican Centre that stays true to our unique heritage and bold character while making us an inclusive, sustainable and meaningful place for everyone.' As part of the design process, the architects and Barbican project team worked with two codesign groups made up of people aged 18-30 years old. Most read in News Travel Their insights and suggestions also helped inform the ambitious plans. The Grade II-listed Brutalist architectural icon was constructed on London's biggest post-war bombsite. It was hailed by Queen Elizabeth II at its 1982 opening, as 'one of the wonders of the modern world'. 9 The cultural icon has been open for more than 40 years and the first phase of the upgrade is expected to be completed in 2032 One of the UK's top 20 cultural attractions, it attracted 1.54 million visitors last year alone. 'Utopian' English housing estate used to film Star Wars and James Bond – and it's free to visit However, after 40 years , the centre is starting to show its age and is in urgent need of upgrade. The first phase of the renewal plan from 2025-30 will deliver: A fully accessible conservatory which will remain open to the public almost every day. It will also have a new water feature, and 'theatrical' planting. There will also be a rejuvenated lakeside terrace, with fully functioning fountains, new landscaping, climate-friendly planting, improved seating and lighting. Also in place will be flexible foyers, that will' bring the arts out into the heart of the centre'. The design team delivering the programme are led by architects Allies and Morrison working with Asif Khan Studio and engineers Buro Happold, lighting designers les éclaireurs, inclusive design advisors, Arup, circular economy experts, Reusefully, and landscapers Harris Bugg Studio. 9 A major fundraising drive is planned to secure the funding of the full programme 9 The first phase of the project is expected to be completed ahead of the Barbican's 50th anniversary Credit: The Times 9 The music stage at the Barbican centre 9 The Barbican is an example of Brutalist architecture The City of London Corporation has committed £191 million to fund 80% of the first phase of works. Read more on the Irish Sun A major fundraising drive is planned to secure the remaining support needed to fund the full programme. Subject to planning approval, construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first phase due for completion in 2030, just ahead of the Barbican's 50th anniversary in 2032. There's another tropical forest here in the UK Here's a rainforest in the UK with more than 800 types of plants and animals... The Run by the Trust for Sustainable Living, as many as 100,000 people visit a year. Inside are three glasshouses, with more than 800 types of plants and animals - many of which are free-roaming. This includes the blue poison dart frog as well as pythons and toucans. The larger mammals include the two-toed sloth which is free-roaming and a six-banded armadillo.
The Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Architectural icon and one of the UK's top 20 cultural attractions unveils plans for £240million makeover
CULTURAL icon the Barbican arts centre has unveiled its hugely ambitious plans for a £240 million makeover – complete with "theatrical planting". New images of the stunning renewal of one of the UK's top cultural attractions have been revealed as consultation on the proposals enter its second stage. 9 9 9 9 And it's certainly impressive – with a lakeside terrace another of its stunning new features. The newly released images show what the 43-year-old Barbican's conservatory, foyers and lakeside areas could look like after the restoration work has been completed. And that includes an urban oasis, a lakeside terrace, and dynamic new civic spaces. The Barbican's management team said the vision had received strong support in the initial phase of consultation with 90% of respondents reacting positively. Philippa Simpson, director of buildings and renewal, said: 'We've been incredibly encouraged by the public's enthusiasm for our plans. "These new images reflect a vision for the Barbican Centre that stays true to our unique heritage and bold character while making us an inclusive, sustainable and meaningful place for everyone.' As part of the design process, the architects and Barbican project team worked with two codesign groups made up of people aged 18-30 years old. Their insights and suggestions also helped inform the ambitious plans. The Grade II-listed Brutalist architectural icon was constructed on London's biggest post-war bombsite. It was hailed by Queen Elizabeth II at its 1982 opening, as 'one of the wonders of the modern world'. 9 One of the UK's top 20 cultural attractions, it attracted 1.54 million visitors last year alone. 'Utopian' English housing estate used to film Star Wars and James Bond – and it's free to visit However, after 40 years , the centre is starting to show its age and is in urgent need of upgrade. The first phase of the renewal plan from 2025-30 will deliver: A fully accessible conservatory which will remain open to the public almost every day. It will also have a new water feature, and 'theatrical' planting. There will also be a rejuvenated lakeside terrace, with fully functioning fountains, new landscaping, climate-friendly planting, improved seating and lighting. Also in place will be flexible foyers, that will' bring the arts out into the heart of the centre'. The design team delivering the programme are led by architects Allies and Morrison working with Asif Khan Studio and engineers Buro Happold, lighting designers les éclaireurs, inclusive design advisors, Arup, circular economy experts, Reusefully, and landscapers Harris Bugg Studio. 9 9 9 9 The City of London Corporation has committed £191 million to fund 80% of the first phase of works. A major fundraising drive is planned to secure the remaining support needed to fund the full programme. Subject to planning approval, construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first phase due for completion in 2030, just ahead of the Barbican's 50th anniversary in 2032. Here's a rainforest in the UK with more than 800 types of plants and animals... The Living Rainforest is in the tiny village of Hampstead Norreys in Berkshire. Run by the Trust for Sustainable Living, as many as 100,000 people visit a year. Inside are three glasshouses, with more than 800 types of plants and animals - many of which are free-roaming. This includes the blue poison dart frog as well as pythons and toucans. The larger mammals include the two-toed sloth which is free-roaming and a six-banded armadillo.
