Previously while watching news on CNN, they aired a piece of the Daily Show's Jon Stewart on the Iranian Hostage Crisis:
"Hey Iran, what are you doing? Hey Iran do you know how hard we're working to keep President Bombs-A-Lot from throwing down on you?..."
Via: iFilm
Related: news
In dem Buch von Avenir Suisse und Angelus Eisinger Stadtland Schweiz konnte man 2003 einige interessante Visionen formuliert von MVRDV finden. Darunter eine über die Stadt Olten als erweiterten Infrastruktur Hub für die Schweiz mit einem riesigen Autobahnkreuz und integriertem Konglomerat von Hochhäusern, in der Mitte der Schweiz, mit bestem Anschluss nach Bern, Basel und Zürich. Nun scheinen gewisse Leute dies durchaus ernst zunehmen und planen gemäss Pressekonferenz von heute tatsächlich ein Hochhaus in Olten und zwar über 32 STockwerke und 110 Meter. Der Nutzungsmix enthält Wohnungen und Dienstleistung über 17'000m2. Die oben erwähnte Immobilienfirma spannt hierfür mit dem ortsansässigen Architekten Massimo Hauswirth und der Wirtschaftsförderung zusammen, es solle "zukunftsweisend sein für die Stadtentwicklung" (...) in Olten.
Nun nachdem Zürich einen neuen Turm erhalten wird von Gigon Guyer und Basel von Herzog & De Meuron und nach letzterem wäre der Oltener Turm auch der zweit höchste der Schweiz. Städtebaulich mag das ganze durchaus interesant sein, doch architektonisch kann das Oltener Projekt kaum mithalten, ja ich würde sogar sagen, dass es sich um einen völligen fehlgriff handelt. Das Gebäude erscheint als ein zu kurz geratener Verschnitt vonI. M. Pei's Bank of China.
Schade eigentlich, denn in der Schweiz sind Landreserven rar und vielerorts ist eine Nachverdichtung von städtischem Gefüge äusserst angebracht. Doch man solle nicht den Fehler wie in den USA machen und solche Projekte als reine Spekulationsobjekte ohne architektonischen Mehrwert verwirklichen.
Deswegen hoffe ich sehr, falls das Projekt grünes Licht erhalten sollte, dass ein gewisse Überarbeitung durchgeführt wird.
via: NZZ Online, Pressemitteilung Giroud Olma (PDF)
Three weeks ago I visited a friend of mine who works as an intern at BMW, inside the four-cylinder building - right. While there we took some time and visited three exhibitions, two at the Pinakothek der Moderne and one at the Haus der Kunst.
The latter is exhibiting the work of Andreas Gursky, probably one of the most important living photographers, in the first big presentation of his work after the famous show at the MOMA in New York 2001. Gurski's composed and digitally often altered photographs depict profane objects or places sometimes absolutely deserted or cramped with people. His Diptychon of the 99-Cent-Store got auctioned in November 2006 for $2.4M. His ocumentary style is presented on large-scale prints where one can observe some elements of his photograph form a larger structure, like the formula 1 track of Bahrain (pictured above) that looks like a painting rather then a photograph. At the same time you can emerge yourself into the richness of details, like small F1-race cars or the faces of the actors in the immense parades in Pyongyang. These images from North Korea of the parades for it's dictator are some of Gursky's most recent work. They do show the orchestrated grand imagery as the result of the (probably forced) obedience of the people that participate at those large parades, but on a second look one recognizes faces. The anonymity fades and you witness single fates of the opressed. Gursky mostly photogrpahs from an hightened place, even helicopter, to create a view that is challenging in it's originality and form.
Andreas Gursky at the "Haus der Kunst", until May 13th, further info.
The second Exhibtion I visited is a retrospective on Dan Flavin (1933-1996), which is the first of it's kind in Germany. Flavin who concentrated himself on developing and creating artistic representation with and on light, became one of the leading figures of modern minimal and conceptual art. The retrospective features 24 of his "monuments for V. Tatlin" and his initial work of the eight "icons", his earliest experiments with artificial light. Another highlight is the reconstruction of a show from 1968 that was exhibited at the gallery of Heiner Friedrich. The "untitled (to you, Heiner, with admiration and affection)" (pictured above) from 1973 on Flavin's barrier subject is dedicated to that gallerist who was a supporter and friend of Flavin. That piece is formed by small modules, adapting itself to the exhibition room and radiate a stark greenish colour. This barrier thematizes the relation of the space of the observer and the observed space, although one might seem immersed into the art, there is still a part one cannot reach to.
This retrospective was organized by the Dia Art Foundation and the National Gallery in Washington DC and Munich is the last stop of a tour through various museums.
Dan Flavin | Retrospective at the "Pinakothek der Moderne", the show is extended until April 8th, further info.
The third exhibition, also at the Pinakothek der Moderne, is unfortunately already over. It was called "Architektur wie sie im Buche steht" (Architecture as it is written in books) and displayed various representations of Architecture in books, comic magazines or fairytales. Some utopian creations of cities from "Wir" by Jewgeni Samjatin to Italo Calvino's cities were interpreted by architecture students in some small models that accopany the exhibition. The image above is the work from Andi Gerber, an architect in Zurich and PhD candidate at the ETH. This model, which was produced along his PhD thesis on textual representation of cities and the city as text, is a layering of such representations along one of his poems merging to a rhizomatic whole.
The catalog, which is rather a book, on the subject is a profound collection of texts reffering to the exhibition and thouroughly extending it. A fine reader that is unfortunately only available in German.
Just at the gates to Zurich next to the train tracks to Winterthur in Leutschenbach a new public school is under construction. Christian Kerez participated at a competition 2003 for this school building and got a second place, after the revision his proposal was recommended for realization. Probably the most daring part of the project is the gymnasium (Trunhalle) on the fifth floor, not where you usually think you would find one. Each level host a corresponding grades and the outside balconies and stairs can be used as emergency routes allows the interior hallways be used for school purposes and related functions.
The jury apparently applauded the buildings strong presence and signal-like effect, at night the gym shines like a signal above Zurich North.
Further reading:
An article just after the competition, Tec21.pdf.
A newsletter from the City of Zurich about the development in Leutschenbach, dated March 2006, Leutschenbach Development.pdf.
More images in my Swiss Architects flickr-set.
Just recently I went to Geneva and visited en route Vacheron Constatin, a luxury watch manufacturer. Pictured you see their new headquarter that was finished 2004, after Bernard Tschumi won the competition 2001.
It's basically a single-surface metal (probably steel) envelope that wraps around the head-offices and the production parts in one single gesture.
What is interesting, the parking of either side is connected below the thinner production part of the building, which bridges it actually. I wasn't able to see whether delivery docks are situated below (tucked away notably) since the security got a little nervous about me taking pictures of the building.
However, check out some further exterior shots in my new Geneva set.
