Walmart admits defeat. After several efforts to open Walmart stores in NYC, Walmart has abandoned its campaign citing “I don’t think it’s worth the effort.”

NYTimes Article

DON'T CLICK.IT

In the competitive world of architecture, it seems to become further difficult after you physically cease to exist in this world. Recently, Paul Rudolph's work have been in danger of demolition. Currently, the renowned American modernist has several works under debate for destruction. Like many architects of his time, he has decided to design with inspiration rather than practicality. Many of his roofs leak and some of his designs disorient its users. Although Rudolph's work may seem unruly at times he defined a generation of architecture that is important to America's culture. He identified American modernism and shared it with the rest of the world.

NYTimes Article

The problem with critical architecture and sustainable architecture is the laws that regulate the morphology of each. Architecture can surely be a form of expression and this is evident in Tom Mayne's work, but when an architect whose expression leads his design tries to design a sustainable building, many issues and shortcomings may arise. The new Morphosis' structure has encountered this problem, Mayne is inexperienced in sustainable architecture, but concerned and required to build with this intent, must realize how creativity and sustainable design reside together.

LATimes Article

After more than 30 years of civil war, ending in 1998, the Cambodian government destroyed 125,000 weapons across the country. In this time Neil Wilford, a small arms specialist with the European Union, and British artist Sasha Constable, saw an opportunity, and decided to create The Peace Art Project Cambodia (PAPC) in November 2003. The Peace Art Project Cambodia was a sculpture project turning weapons into art as expressions of peace. In Cambodia this is the most beautiful way to get rid of weapons - transform them in furniture.

Frank Gehry's first building in NYC is winding down to its opening day. The IAC head headquarters reminds us of flowing sails in the middle of the Atlantic. Genhry seems to be holding back in his design of the building, as he had forgotten his deconstructed, curvilinear forms. Although his younger days are over and his designs seem to cater to higher end clients, his spirit of uncertainty and last minute resolutions are prevalent in the building.

NYTimes Article

The long anticipated Second Avenue subway line has hit more bumps along the road. It has been released that the project will have an increased budget forecast due to the increase of New York City real estate prices. The revised estimate of the project will be around $350 million if completed on schedule. THE MTA must also purchase five Upper East Side buildings to be removed for utilities and station entrances. The first phase of the project will be built from 96th Street to 63rd.

NYTimes Article

Far East Organization, Singapore’s largest private development company, has commissioned the Office for Metropolitan Architecture for OMA’s first architectural project in Singapore – a 36-story residential high-rise.

The 153 meter tall tower will be located at the intersection of Scotts Road and Cairnhill Road, in close proximity to Orchard Road, Singapore’s famous shopping and lifestyle street.

Dezeen

In Tejon Valley, developers are playing an enigmatic game of Sim City. There is 270,000 acres, 60 miles north of Los Angeles, that the developers have allocated to create into a thriving community. Population increases have created overbearing pressures on communities near LA, leading to higher real estate prices. LA has tried to mitigate these problems by creating a denser downtown and have re-invited their citizens to inhabit LA. Tejon Valley is another solution, which was and is popular in California; sprawl out and build unclaimed land. A good example of this is Irvine, CA, which has currently become a self sustainable community in which workers enter the neighborhood to work and return to outer ring neighborhoods where they reside. Tejon Valley will take about 20+ years to build and most of the developers involved in the project will not even see the fruition of their work.

NYTimes Article

In Chicago a notoriously famous housing project, Cabrini Green, is slowly being torn down. The problems of a decade ago are still present and Chicago's Housing Authority is trying to destroy the blemish, which has made it a mockery in the nation. But where will the residents go? They are currently being displaced into other segregated communities in the west and south of Chicago. Will these public housing mistakes ever end or will Chicago forever be known as the city with the worst Housing Authority.

NYTimes Article

Many nations have no tradition of free speech, and in those contexts, blogging can be extremely dangerous. How can those bloggers protect themselves, and how can we help them?

World Changing

Only in China do things like this happen. A development company decided to dig around a resident after he refused to leave. The tenant will not leave until the company pays the asking price [$1.3 million]. The development company wants to build a £40 million project including apartments and a mall.

Ananova


Another image of a building owner refusing to move.

HoopChina

Something I have talking about for a while has come into development. Harnessing energy from elliptical machines is finally being used at California Fitness a gym in hong Kong. The owner has set up elliptical machines so that the energy produced by from the workout would power the lighting within the room. Further developments have been made with energy collecting floors, in which the striking of the heel produces energy to be conserved for later use.

WSJ Article