#27 May/June 2009

News and observations

• M Fuksas D's shopping centre in Frankfurt (DE)
• Graz (AT) has its Van Berkel after all
• Partial collapse of Sniezka weather observatory (PL)
• Architectural competition for Vilnius' Lukiskiu Square reveals different approaches to collective memory (LT)
• GiArch: to protect and to represent (IT)
• Reality check: BBI Centre, Sarajevo (BA)
• and more…

New projects

• Islamic cultural centre, Paris (FR) by Ateliers Lion
• Museum extension, Hódmezovásárhely (HU ) by Tér és Forma
• Community centre, Ghetari (RO) by ABRUPTARHITECTURA
• Cultural centre, Oslo (NO) by MAPT and Alliance Arkitekter
• Courthouse, Riga (LV) by MARK Arhitekti
• University building, Coventry (UK) by Arup Associates

Siiri Vallner: The slow art of creating a space

Siiri Vallner reveals a relativistic view of architecture's significance: 'I would like architecture to become simpler – something that is easier to build and that also looks simpler. At least in Estonia it should be like this, considering our limited resources. In theory, our office has already chosen this path, but we still lack courage and skill.'

New buildings

• Housing complex, Paris (FR) by Édouard François
• Production studios, Ghent (BE) by Jan De Vylder Architecten
• House, Suffolk (UK) by dRMM
• Health centre, Vélez-Rubio (ES) by ELAP
• Apartment tower and hotel, Amsterdam (NL) by de Architekten Cie.
• Museum, Stuttgart (DE) by heinisch lembach huber
• Theatre, Brussels (BE) by Martinede Maeseneer Architecten (MDMA)
• Suburban development, Moscow (RU) by Anton Mossine
• Arts centre, Bucharest (RO) by Adriana Mereuta
• Church, Bilbao (ES) by IMB Arquitectos
• Events centre, Bad Radkersburg (AT) by Gangoly & Kristiner

Natural stone

Natural stone is the Ur-material of architecture. You might not think so to look at one of today's architecture magazines, for most of the buildings featured will be in concrete, steel and glass. You could also object that building with wood and clay goes at least as far back as building with stone, if not further. But they are organic materials; over the centuries most of them have rotted away, burned down or been washed away and have eventually been reabsorbed into the cycle of nature.

Focusing on European countries, cities and regions

• Container architecture in Europe
• Ismae'l Sheikh Hassan reports on his Bakema Fellowship research on the rebuilding of a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon
• A tale of three cities: an architectural tour guide of Helsinki (FI)
• Profile: Anouk Vogel Landscape Architecture (NL)
• Home: Petr Hajek's attic flat, Prague (CZ)

Buildings from the margins of modern history

Anton Eguerev Silva went to Yalta to take a look at Drujba, the Soviet-era boarding house built by architect-engineer Nodar Kancheli, who is reputed to have spent his life building impossible buildings, of which Drujba is a prime example.