The Tragedy of Valencia: Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava is in hot water for issues with the design of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. The latest problem is the removal of mosaic tiles in high winds, causing a panel of experts to confirm last week that all tiles must be removed. The removal will cost the cash-strapped city around €3 million (nearly $4.1 million) and must be completed before opera season begins in late February. Valencia is suing Calatrava for his flawed design—and that isn’t the only lawsuit the architect has faced in recent months. [The New York Times]
More News:
Around 70 percent of all offices today are open floor plan, a design conceived to increase communication and job performance. However, recent studies show that open offices hinder creativity, productivity, and employee health, among other negative effects. [The New Yorker]
Denise Scott Brown opens up about growing up in South Africa, a subject on which she's been quiet her whole career. Brown recalls the day she met former presidents Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk. [Huffington Post]
Daniel Libeskind reveals designs for the new $16 million Durham University physics building. [The Northern Echo]
Kelly Killoren Bensimon of amNewYork interviews Richard Meier, FAIA. On why he keeps building models: “Someone else keeps the buildings.” [amNewYork]
Martha Stewart reportedly is “currently on the market to buy a 3D printer for prototyping her own products.” Stay tuned on that one. [TechCrunch]
Wallpaper* magazine announces the winners of their 2014 Design Awards, which includes a tie for “best city” and a “life enhancer of the year” category. [Wallpaper*]
Photos of D.C. from the 1960s. [Curbed DC]
Construction slated to begin soon on Arizona’s Scottsdale Museum of the West. [East Valley Tribune]
Urban green spaces deliver lasting benefits for mental health, according to the University of Exeter Medical School. [Huffington Post]
Los Angeles–based architect Kevin Tsai redesigns his dream house for another family. When asked if it was difficult to leave behind his dream house, Tsai replied, “Rather than having any sentiment toward the house, it was more gratifying to finish the second story and find the right owners for the house I designed.” [Los Angeles Times]
For more news and views, sign up for the ARCHITECT Newswire, the best daily newsletter on architecture and architects.
