1. In A Fog.
Philip Johnson completed his near-lifelong residence, the Glass House in New Canaan, Conn., 65 years ago. But it was never just about one iconic home. His 49-acre property evolved to include more than a dozen other structures that he designed over half a century as well as three existing vernacular buildings that Johnson and his partner, David Whitney, adapted. To visit, then, is to enter a singular work of landscape urbanism that, like any good “city,” thrives on the friction between old and new. From May 1 to Nov. 30, the artist Fujiko Nakaya will present “Veil,” an engulfing fog that morphs according to the microclimate. It’s Nakaya’s take on transparency and opacity, sure, but it’s also a way to explore environmental causality.
Learn more at theglasshouse.org.
2. Big Cities, Big Ideas.
Look, if you’re going to call your conference “Big Cities, Big Ideas,” you should probably hold it in New York, the biggest U.S. city. Join the AIA Committee on Design, May 15–18, for its annual conference, which will cover the Big Apple’s economic and architectural transformation over the last decade. Special attention will be paid to resilience in proposed waterfront development plans and the city’s long-term strategies for rising water levels. While you’re there, look into the AIA Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community’s special event on May 15 (see below).
Learn more at aia.org/cod.
3. In With the Finns.
Finnish immigration to the United States historically centered on a few cities, none more intensely than Minneapolis. It’s fitting, then, that from May 10 through Aug. 17 the Minneapolis Institute of Arts hosts “Finland: Designed Environments,” which correlates commercial activities and social rituals with specific design strategies and forms in architecture and planning. In addition to that legacy, the exhibition will focus on objects and projects completed over the last 15 years and highlight Finland’s emerging firms, including K2S Architects, Hollmén Reuter Sandman, and Verstas.
Learn more at artsmia.org.
4. Next Chapters.
One of the Bloomberg-era success stories in New York City is the 42nd Street Theater District corridor, which, in a decade’s time, architects have transformed from a derelict and depressed economic zone into a vital and vibrant entertainment district and international tourism draw. Join the AIA Retail and Entertainment Knowledge Community for a full report on May 15 at the historic New Amsterdam Theatre, completed in 1903 by Herts & Tallant and restored in 1997 by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer.
Learn more at aia.org/rekc.
5. Knowing No Bounds.
American architects are perceived in the global marketplace as capable of adding value to projects. And international projects are often ideal vehicles for American architects to drive positive change in developing economies. One of several pre-convention workshops at the 2014 AIA National Convention, “When Change Means Going International,” will highlight the cultural and practical transactions that happen all the time across (and beyond) U.S. borders through policy and practice as well as in eight specific international markets.
Join the AIA International Committee on June 25 by registering at convention.aia.org.
