Category Archives: architecture
the loci blog
How Should NYU Expand?
NYU recently announced that it would reduce the size of its proposed expansion by almost 20% in an attempt to overcome the surrounding community’s strong opposition to the plan. By reducing the development’s size, it hopes to win approval of the Community Board and the Department of City Planning who will determine if a zoning variance should be granted. NYU faces a unique challenge in traditional campus planning since its campus is spread around Greenwich Village, occupies a short stretch of First Avenue, has an outpost in Abu Dhabi, and has recently taken over Polytechnic University in Brooklyn. I first … Continue reading
Posted in architecture, urban planning
Tagged Greenwich Village, NYU, Washington Square, zoning
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the loci blog
Happy Birthday, Mies!
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German-American architect. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of modern architecture. His work can be seen in Europe as well as in the United States where he emigrated to in 1938. One of his early projects is a multi-family apartment house at the Weissenhofsiedlung in Stuttgart, Germany. The Weissenhofsiedlung (Weissenhof Settlement) is a housing estate built for an exhibition in 1927. Besides Mies van der Rohe, other internationally renowned architects such as Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius, Peter Behrens contributed projects to the exhibition. The architectural style that was seen at … Continue reading
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the loci blog
The ‘White Elephant’ Problem: Unused Public Architecture
Besides my penchant for architecture and anything of the sort, I have always had a fascination with aviation. Civil aviation to be more precise. I like to fly, and it is often the best part of any trip that I take. Whether it is the plane, the view at 36,000 feet or the bustle of an airport, I enjoy this facet of our society. For anyone who knows me, these experiences become the more tranquil parts of my life. More recently, I began to have a curiosity about the economic dystopia occurring in the European Union. I like to keep … Continue reading
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the loci blog
Francis Kéré: A Thought About Complexity
The Francis Kéré lecture hosted by the Architectural League of New York on February 9th gave me a thought about the complexity of architecture. Francis Kéré’s work in Burkina Faso is extraordinary for its social impact, use of local resources and pureness of aesthetic. It is also extraordinary how simple and transparent his work is. Mainly centered in his home village of Gando, he provides new school facilities and teacher housing for the community. Born to a father who was chief of the village and given the opportunity to study in Germany, Kéré is able to blend Western architectural thought … Continue reading
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