NMBW Architecture Studio's Kerr Street Apartments is the poster for the Architectural Urbanism Exhibition at the Korean National Museum of the Arts in Seoul.
As well as NMBW's Kerr Street I'm thrilled my photographs of Muir Mendes', iph's and Kerstin Thompson's projects are writ large as floor to ceiling images. Very excited to see!
Architectural Urbanism is an ambition and sensibility for propositions that address the context of the city within the operative scale of the small architectural project. Architectural urbanism represents a tailoring of projects to the local; to the materiality and specificity of the everyday; and to the grain and substance of the location above all else. Architectural urbanism is less about erasure and more about insertion; infill; the weaving of old and new and the dynamics that evolve from subtle and careful manipulation of the city in detail.
Architectural Urbanism/Melbourne Seoul opens March 28 - April 5
I've been busy in Singapore for Kohn Pedersen Fox photographing four crystaline 50-storey towers that make up the iconic Marina Bay waterfront development. Singapore's gloomy haze and humidity made it difficult - the taxi drivers will tell you it's due to the burning rain-forests in Indonesia. But fortune favours the brave and we were always poised for the faintest clearing of the skies!
Commissioned for the latest issue of (inside) magazine #74 I've photographed and written of the highlights from the 13th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. Always a pleasure working with editor Leanne Amodeo and art director Michael Bojkowski. Pictured is the Russian Pavilion, every surface covered by enlarged QR codes.
Commissioned by Piccolo and Cornwall - A view from the clouds is an interpretative art piece by photographer Peter Bennetts. From the heady heights of the clouds we asked Peter to explore the macro view afforded by simply being elevated. Melbourne didn't disappoint. This stunning point of view exposes some of the rich texture of Melbourne - from architecture in development up to icons complete. There is nothing but an upside down outtake when looking down on this beautiful international city.
I'm in hot and sultry Venice for the Architecture Biennale and particularly 'Traces of Centuries & Future Steps' my exhibit with Paul Morgan in the Palazzo Bembo which opens today. I've photographed Morgan's work, process and environment which will be presented as two simultaneous looping videos and a soundscape. Michael Quinlan has edited the fine production. Hope you can see it and let me know what you think! That's the Palazzo pictured.
Brookfield Place Perth is a just completed commercial precinct featuring a new 45-storey tower designed by HASSELL. The tower's anchor tennant is BHP Billiton. The development includes retail and great restaurants in a restored series of heritage buildings that front onto St Georges Terrace. I'm thrilled to be working with good friend and editor Helen Kaiser and the whole team at publisher Hardie Grant on a book of the development.
Last nght was a big one at the AIA 2012 Victorian Chapter Awards held at the house of spin - Melbourrne's Crown Casino. Congratulations to all the winners! Really wonderful to see emerging practice Folk Architects win an Architecture Award in the Comercial Category with Medhurst Winery in the Yarra Valley. I'd photographed a good number of the winners including NMBW's Fitzroy Apartments, Minfie Van Schaik's Edithvale Discovery and Mildura House, Susi Leeton's Treehouse, HASSELL's Dandenong GSO, Edwards and Moore's Artist Car Park Studio, Andrew Maynard's Hill House, BKK and Peter Elliot's Hi-Pod and the aforementioned Medhurst Winery.
I'm looking forward to the OTTO launch party next week, June 13. Let me know if you're in New York and would like to come for a night of fun, celebration and cheers in SOHO! "OTTO represents the best photography of architecture and design, dedicated to licensing the work of preeminent architects and designers from around the world as captured by master contemporary photographers."
in Hong Kong to photograph Gehry Partners Opus Hong Kong at 53 Stubbs Road, The Peak. I thought a great way to experience and photograph the building would be to scale Victoria Peak starting from the harbour...a hell of a climb with a camera bag and tripod through surprisingly tropical and verdant jungle. The building is more easily visited in a chauffer driven Maybach or Rolls Royce!
Stepping out of the 'The Association' in London's Creechurch Lane you're at once confronted by Foster + Partners 'The Gherkin' formerly 'Swiss Re' building which at 30 St Mary's Axe occupy's the site of the former Baltic Exchange building damaged beyond repair by an IRA bomb. There are a lot of 'formers' in The City...
The latest in the European Finance Ministries series - Italy's 'Ministero della Sviluppo Economico'. The crumbling building in Rome's EUR district features roller shutters that read together as bar graphs, potted rubber trees and a mysterious figure on the 4th floor striking a Medici like pose. Meanwhile in the car jammed street Roman youths in tricolore tracksuits practise 'parkour'.
Cover story of the very wonderful relaunch issue of Architecture Australia magazine is Minifie van Schaik's sublime Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Dicovery Centre. Wolf and Magnus and their friend Lily discover the buiding, test the features and view the birds.
Photographing BARstudio's Park Hyatt Sydney last week had us battling torrential rain and 4am starts. My kit now includes a nespresso machine! BARstudio have re-designed Sydney's iconic hotel to give it the feel of a luxurious residence...with views. The Ancher Mortlock and Woolley building has been completely re-worked internally and had a new level added. Sydney sandstone features large in the new interiors...so now there's a nice correspondence between interior and exterior. It's the home you'd like to have away from home!
At the WAF awards ceremony on Friday night Enric Ruiz-Geli of Cloud 9 which designed the Media-TIC building, said it should act as a 'seed for an environmental revolution'. He said, 'If it doesn't happen, we will not succeed with our fight against global warming.'
Ruiz-Geli took to the stage with his entire family, saying, 'This is what happens when you win an award at home.' His nine-year old son, Iago, had chosen the green colour that dominates in the building, he said. Looking at his children, he added, 'These are our clients.'
Big clap Enric, Iago and all at Cloud 9!
I'm leaving Barca now for an super looking little project 'the Illuminami' showroom by Russell + George in Rome's EUR suburb - it's in view of the Square Colosseum.
The AIA National Awards were held this year at the fantastic MONA. From what I hear it was a big-top's worth of fun. Congratulations to all the winners! Great to see two major awards heading west to Perth, including the Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design that was awarded to Hassell's one40william. Congratulations also to Durbach Block Jaggers Architects for the Garden House and to Muir Mendes for the Law Street House, awarded Commendations in the Residential Architecture - Houses and Small Project categories respectively. It was pleasure working with everyone involved in these projects!
Announcing the launch of New York based OTTO, a full-service architectural and design photography agency dedicated to licensing the work of preeminent architects and designers from around the world as captured by master contemporary photographers. OTTO represents the works of leading photographers such as Scott Frances, Peter Aaron, Tim Street-Porter, Michael Moran, Floto + Warner, Richard Barnes,Ty Cole and me!
On 29 June 2011, violent clashes occurred between the riot police and protesters as the Greek parliament voted to accept the EU's austerity requirements. Poignantly marking the violence was this Finance Ministry building in Plaka. I was fascinated by the patina of soot left on the 70's building. Completely burnt out, the building was blacker than black in the harsh light of day. I've been photographing finance ministries Europe over - they are uncannily accurate metaphors for a countries fortunes or lack there of...
Dezeen magazine, one of the world's most popular and influential design blogs has as it's most popular story this week the Holman House by Durbach Block Jaggers. In the last week Dezeen has featured House 20 by Jolson, Law Street House by Muir Mendes and CentralTAFE Perth by Lyons.
For the second week running I've photographed Dezeen's most looked at story - Law Street House by Muir Mendes. And yes, we'll be joining Amy and Bruno in their house in case of a zombie apocalypse.