Alcatraz Island

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei's highly anticipated takeover of the San Francisco Bay's Alcatraz Island opens to the public on Saturday. The exhibition, @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, is a joint project between For-Site Foundation, the National Park Service, and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. As ARCHITECT reported in June, the exhibition will open up the former prison's hospital, New Industries Building, and A Block section of the cellhouse, which are typically closed to visitors.

Source: www.architectmagazine.com

Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition

A preview of the Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition, an international architectural contest to design a new museum in Finland’s capital, will announce the launch of the online gallery of submissions. Joel Sanders, AIA, will moderate the discussion, which includes speakers Cara Cragan; Jeanne Gang, FAIA; Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen, and Nancy Spector. The conversation will revolve around reshaping the future of the contemporary art museum and the discipline of architecture.

Source: https://designguggenheimhelsinki.org
 

Neuroscience in Architecture

The human response to architecture is usually based on subjective emotions: I like that building, I hate this space; this room is so open, this office is oppressive. But something more nuanced is happening to elicit these responses. Neuroscientists have found that distinctive processes occur in our brains—consciously and subconsciously, cognitively and physiologically—from the moment we step into a space. These processes affect our emotions, our health, and even the development of memory.

Source: www.architectmagazine.com

With elegant poise and dignity

There are just three weeks left to soak up all the amazing photography in Decisive Moments: Photographs from the Collection of Cherye R. and James F. Pierce. It has been an honor and a thrill to have these work on view at the museum. We hope newbies have learned a little about photography, and that photography experts have enjoyed leisurely experiencing these works both incredibly famous and little known.
One of the incredibly famous works in the show is Irving Penn’s Cuzco Children, pictured above. Here is what James Jensen, our curator of contemporary art, has written about it¨...

Source: http://blog.honoluluacademy.org

Simplified Wall Construction

Last week, Nemetschek Vectorworks announced its 2015 line of products, which includes Vectorworks Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals, and Renderworks.

Source: www.architectmagazine.comwww.architectmagazine.com