The Dutch firm WHIM Architecture first pitched a memorial building for Nelson Mandela shaped like his head to honor his 95th birthday. The gesture was to serve in part as recognition of the fact that Apartheid, the racist political structure that Mandela spent his life battling, was a Dutch invention. The nearly 200-foot-tall head-shaped building would rise from a cliffside and house a statue of Mandela. Nobody liked the proposal. This Indiegogo campaign mustered just $150 toward the $100,000 goal. The architect described the reception of the idea since July as "brutal," saying that "we received so much negative input that there was no discussion." South Africans will no doubt consider and shelve many more ideas before a proper memorial is completed. [Bdonline]
The "Chrysalis" pavilion.
The Inner Arbor Trust proposes transforming Symphony Woods into Merriweather Park in Columbia, Md., with lessons from public parks like New York's Central Park, Chicago's Millennium Park, or London's Kew Gardens. The trust assembled a team of architects, landscape architects, and engineers that designed the proposal, which follows an insect theme: "Chrysalis" pavilion, "Caterpillar" gateways, and the "Butterfly" guest center. All the improvements in the park could total over $30 million. [The Washington Post]
Parsons The New School for Design is saying goodbye to 560 Seventh Avenue, as the building was recently sold to real estate developers. Come January, students will take classes in the new University Center building at 65 Fifth Avenue. [Women's Wear Daily]
Artist Jose Davila removes buildings and sculptures from photographs, leaving only the structure's silhouette against the skyline. [Designboom]
What do you think ranks among the ugliest buildings in the nation's capital? Washington Business Journal editor-in-chief Douglas Fruehling gives his picks for the biggest D.C. eye-sores. [Washington Business Journal]
Regarding the proposed "Ark Encounter" Kentucky theme park, Gwen Pearson writes that "not until after the design plans are set will anyone involved in animal care or with knowledge of what it would take to maintain a zoo inside a multi-story wooden structure have input." (Bold emphasis from original story.) [Wired]
The latest in preservation battles: Queens 1964 World's Fair Pavilion. Last month, officials determined it would cost $53 million to restore the pavilion. Gizmodo editors Alissa Walker and Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan list the pros and cons of preserving the deteriorating structure. [Gizmodo]
Dallas firm HKS will experience two big changes in leadership in 2014. After serving as CEO, president, and chairman of Dallas firm HKS, Ralph Hawkins is handing over the reins to Dan Noble, FAIA. Jeff Stouffer, AIA, will take over as head of the company's healthcare group, after Craig Beale steps down from the position. [Dallas Business Journal]
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