Architecture and interior design thread

Here's the latest development wheeze:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/27/proposed-designs-revealed-for-msg-sphere-uk-largest-concert-arena-east-london

There's probably not too much scope for messing Stratford up any more, and I'm not sure this scores.

"covered in LED panels that can display high-definition concert footage or advertising images"

I assume mostly the latter...

Oh, undoubtedly it will mostly be public service announcements.

Either way, it sounds unbelievably intrusive.

I'm going to be working round the corner from there in 4-5 years time, in the New Stratford 'cultural quarter' which is situated right next to West Hams ground.

Thank fuck I'll be cycling to and from work instead of using the tube.

Does anyone have personal recommendations for someone who could build a mezzanine bed and staircase? I have a room with a high ceiling and return that would lend itself to this. Just exploring at the moment.

Formica kitchen project edges towards reality:

Spent some quality time measuring up for the birch ply and formica overhaul. Going to be replacing around 20 doors, 8 uprights, kickboards and the worktops plus a few additional shelves.

The current island is two regular Magnet kitchen units back to back with a granite top. Plan is to keep one unit with new formica doors, get rid of the other but add get new longer uprights at either end to to support the top and create an overhang to tuck stools under on one side. The old granite is going and we're going to use our existing ply & formica dining table as the new island worktop. Have sketched the shape I want the new ends to be... am disproportionately excited at the prospect of making it real.

Must admit that having measured it all up I have a better appreciation of just how much relatively pricey raw material is involved. I'm wondering what we can do to avoid having expensive materials in places where surfaces won't be visible. For example, the two big uprights either side of the fridge freezer are over 2m high and 0.65 m deep but only the edges will be visible. Feels cheaty to stick a strip of ply on the exposed edge but what's the point in having all that material hidden?

Anyone done anything similar?

As expected, this was approved (planning committees generally follow officer recommendations).

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/controversial-tulip-skyscraper-gets-green-light-a4107301.html

Now we can only hope that the Mayor of London overrules the Corporation, but I'm not up to speed on the London Plan, so don't know which of its policies are relevant to this. I certainly hope no dodgy deals have been done.

Urgh

.

https://www.ostermann.eu/en_GB/product/solid-wood-veneer-edging-tigerwood-sanded-birch-24x265mm-3000mm

Gutted. 🤮🤢😬

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2019-04-02/billionaire-safra-wins-approval-for-tower-by-london-s-gherkin?__twitter_impression=true

Why not use a strip on the edge if it's all you need. It's usually quite time consuming to do so most professionals would have to balance the cost of doing it against the cost of just using the ply.

The birch ply is definitely a consideration on cost these days, I would use it a more but I end up specifying very expensive pieces of furniture.

If it were me doing it I'd probably join a 2-3 inch strip of birch ply to Mdf using a system similar to biscuit joints, just because I find it easier than glueing veneer to a board edge. Unless you pin the veneer on with an air nail gun.

We did a plywood kitchen at our last place which included phenolic faced plywood doors onto basic units and a through colour formica laminated plywood worktop to avoid visible knife marks etc.

Plykea and the like are all masisvely overpriced and you can get a much better result with a decent joiner and raw materials. In regards to visible end panels it all depends on your existing kitchen (assuming you are retaining the carcasses) and whether the doors are overlay type or sit within a frame. In our instance they were overlay and our joiner made the end doors 12-18mm wider to sit over the end panel. Hopefully that makes sense, feel free to send me any questions and I'll try to help. I can also dig out where I bought the material from including the worktop should you wish.

Here's another reason to dislike tall buildings, especially glass-covered ones:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/07/how-many-birds-killed-by-skyscrapers-american-cities-report

Similar-ish. Can't give much advice as was done by the builder's chippy, but some of our uprights are full depth, some are only about 10cm around the carcasses (ikea).

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Hey that sounds like exactly what I need. Would be grateful if you could send me over yr contacts. Tbh, now i’ve Done all the measurements and spec, you’re right, any decent joiner could do it.

That looks great too! Thanks dudes.

I have to say I don't care that much about sloppily executed details--it's obviously a concern, but I think the big picture here is much worse:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/apr/09/hudson-yards-new-york-25bn-architectural-fiasco

What is the point of this stupid shit?

I sometimes think that people are desperate to conjure up artificial 'sights', but this invariably always ends up as pointless gimmicks.

Architect 1; 'I bet you can't get an Escher past the Client'
Architect 2; 'Hold my beer'.

Heatherwick, famously, isn't an architect...

Making things instagrammable these days is king... loads of bollocks going on in the culinary world too.

I suspect it is also a consequence of the ‘starchitect’ whose only job is to dream up a grand gesture, a tulip shape for example, and then jet off to the next conference whilst they leave an army of anonymous and underpaid minions to work out the practical details.
It seems that contemporary large scale architecture is very much about building inwards from the outside shell.

https://www.euronews.com/2019/04/15/fire-underway-at-notre-dame-cathedral-in-paris-firefighters-say

Well that was quick...

Hopefully, it won't be shit.

And five years, Monsieur Macron??? Bwahahahahaha!

Yes, that 'grand gesture' thing is something that gets my goat the most.

I talked to someone once who worked in a large practice, and she said that on some things, most of which weren't built, the starchitect's main contribution, upon returning from a boozy lunch, was a drawing on a napkin ... it should be mentioned that she was quite disgruntled, so may have exaggerated.

Those 14 remaining pencil towers mentioned up thread, are located in San Gimignano, Tuscany a UNESCO world heritage site, stood since the mid 14th century, definately worth a visit / climb if you don’t suffer with vertigo like my ex wife did. Ice cream in the town also excellent. What is remarkable about this town and I suspect like many others across Europe that were abandoned after the plague, is how well they have been preserved. Construction techniques that not only survive but continue to be maintained.

The vessel in New York is not a building, it is however a bronze public structure, my only question would be is this structure accessible to all. If not then I would have a problem with that. Next time I’m in New York I will visit the highline

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Line