Architecture

A rendering of the John and Jill Ker Conway Residence in Washington, D.C.

Sanctuary, Not Just Shelter: A New Type Of Housing For The Homeless

2:49pm November 04, 2015

Combating homelessness isn't just about shelter. Lately, some affordable housing projects are getting decidedly upscale — to help residents heal, adjust and build bonds with their new neighbors.

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The entrance to the main building of Japan's iconic Hotel Okura in Tokyo. An outcry from architectural preservationists couldn't stop the demolition to make way for a high-rise tower.

Workers Are Tearing Down Tokyo's Hotel Okura, And History's Going With It

12:21pm October 12, 2015

by Elise Hu

The landmark Hotel Okura's design didn't meet the need for more rooms for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Now, an icon of Japanese mid-century modern architecture will disappear.

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It took volunteers 25 hours to move 750,000 plastic balls from the National Building Museum's "Beach" installation to Dupont Underground, a creative arts institution in Washington, D.C.

Doomsday For The Dunes Of Plastic Balls: The End Comes For 'The Beach'

11:17pm September 11, 2015

by Mallory Yu

Dozens of volunteers moved more than 750,000 plastic balls this week from the National Building Museum's Beach installation to Dupont Underground, a creative arts institution in Washington, D.C.

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Frank Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. "I love going to Bilbao. ... People come out and hug me," he says. "We all need love."

Arts

Frank Gehry's Lifelong Challenge: To Create Buildings That Move

2:35pm September 10, 2015

by Susan Stamberg

With sculptural swoops and sweeps, Gehry, now 86, changed the course of architecture. Paul Goldberger, who has known the architect for 40 years, has written a new biography called Building Art.

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Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring stares back at cellphones at the Frick Collection in New York City. "The art museum used to offer objects, works of art, the finest that we have," Lewis says. "And it's gone from offering objects to offering an experien

Arts

People Love Art Museums — But Has The Art Itself Become Irrelevant?

9:39am August 17, 2015

by NPR Staff

Don't be fooled by museums' strong attendance numbers, says professor Michael Lewis. He argues today's art world is a Potemkin village, whose gleaming facades mask an indifference for the art itself.

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The Tulane City Center helped design and build New Orleans' Grow Dat Youth Farm, which employs local, disadvantaged high school students and teaches them about urban agriculture.

After Katrina, Tulane's Architecture School Became A Community Builder

12:37pm August 12, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

The storm marked a turning point for the school. Now, instead of focusing on historic preservation, it encourages students to design spaces with and for New Orleans' low-income neighborhoods.

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Renzo Piano won the 1998 Pritzker Prize, the most prestigious international award for work in architecture. Presumably, his sandcastles were not considered in the decision.

Arts

Blueprints Before High Tide: An Architect Explains The Perfect Sandcastle

4:04pm August 02, 2015

by NPR Staff

Famed architect Renzo Piano is best known for his massive skyscrapers and innovative designs. But the sandcastle enthusiast also has thoughts on how to plan a building that's a bit more ephemeral.

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A town in California's Central Valley plans to transform farmland into an eco-friendly residential community. An artist's rendering shows plans for Kings River Village in Reedley, Calif.

California's Drought Spurs Unexpected Effect: Eco-Friendly Development

7:56pm July 29, 2015

by Ezra David Romero

In the state's agricultural Central Valley, planning is under way to transform peach and plum fields into Kings River Village, a solar-powered community that will send wastewater back into an aquifer.

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Museumgoers play in the 10,000-square-foot exhibition called "The Beach" at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.

Arts

Take A Trip To D.C.'s Indoor Beach, Where It's Always 75 And Sunny

5:24pm July 09, 2015

by NPR Staff

The National Building Museum has created an unusual oasis — an ocean of 700,000 plastic balls — where D.C. locals and tourists can take refuge from the city's sweltering heat.

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Architects Say Beyonce Inspired Australian Skyscraper

7:36am July 08, 2015

The architects of an office tower planned for Melbourne say its silvery curves pay homage to Beyonce. The design has an uncanny resemblance to the star's body.

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