John Hejduk-drawing-building

John Hejduk’s A.E. Bye House (1971), included in the League’s exhibition 200 Years of American Architectural Drawing

“The subject of architectural drawings has enjoyed a highly varied history in our century. The modernists of the 1920s and the 1930s, with their uneasiness with history, argued that architectural drawings should be looked upon as documents whose sole purpose is to aid in realizing a built building. Completely opposite that concept is the admiration these same modernist architects and others felt for the drawings of the late 18th-century French Visionary architects–Etienne-Louis Boullée, Claude-Nicholas Ledoux, and Jean-Jacques Lequeu. These designs were almost exclusively projects for buildings that could never have been realized (structurally or economically) at the time. Here the drawings constitute not a means but an end in themselves.” David Gebhard, catalogue introduction.

Wall House 2, Groningen, The Netherlands, John Hejduk, 2001

John Hejduk, who died in 2000, was the well-known dean of architecture at Cooper Union in New York where he designed a major renovation of the historic building. He is best known for is "Wall Houses" of which more than 40 were designed between 1967 and 1973, but only one was built, Wall House 2 in Groningen, The Netherlands, and it was completed the year after his death. Mr. Jodidio explains that Niek Verdonk, a Dutch architect and former chief planer of Groningen, and Thomas Muller, a former student of Hejduk's, completed the project, which was originally planned for Ridgefield, Connecticut. The project, Mr. Jodidio observes, was increased 20 percent in size to comply with local building codes.

Perth Waterfront 2011

The long over-due Perth foreshore project get on with a huge anticipation from The Premier Colin Barnett.

Premier Colin Barnett announced Cabinet has approved $270 million funding for the project.

Detailed design plans for the much anticipated redevelopment of Perth Waterfront were released.

The construction timeframe is a tight 30 months, with total development costs to the Government of $440 million.

The Government, which will not develop the commercial buildings but sell lots to the private sector, expects to recoup about $170 million in land sales, leaving a net project cost to taxpayers of $270 million.

Eclipse By Campion Design

Eclipse is an 18 storey, mixed-use, high rise development near to the Burswood Casino. The project will deliver 118 high end apartments with 3500m2 of flexible commercial space, studios and a café on the park.

CDG had already gained DA approval for 12 storeys prior to the Causeway Precinct Review and subsequent TPS amendment, permitting 18 storeys in mid 2009.

This landmark project features a distinctive sculptural form, designed to take full advantage of views to the CBD, City and Swan River. The project incorporates a pool, gym, landscaped deck and secure parking.

The Eclipse, Burswood, Perth.

Everything about this remarkable new development defies comparison. Its location is brilliant. Its views, breathtaking. And its design - Iconic. With its cutting edge architectural style, and environmentally friendly design, these magnificent apartments will showcase an era of prosperity in near city living.

 

The Causeway Precinct presents a rare opportunity to achieve a sustainable, mixed use urban environment with its own distinctive identity on the City’s doorstep. This location has the potential to provide significant employment and housing and offers scope for people to live and work locally. Many amenities and facilities will be within easy walking distance including: workplaces, local retail, the Albany Highway shopping strip, two train stations, the Bus Port, river and parks, and Burswood Peninsula leisure activities.

China to create biggest megacity

Industrial centres Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Zhuhai, Jiangmenm, Huizhou and Zhaoqing are to be merged in a six year plan to create the world’s largest metropolis. 42million of China’s 1.3bn population are currently located within the boundaries set out for the ‘Turn The Pearl River Delta Into One’ scheme, in cities that comprise approximately 10% of the country’s economy.

The immense project aims to link the nine cities via water, energy, telecommunications and transport networks, with 29 new rail lines planned for the 16,000 sq mile site. Ma Xiangming, senior consultant on the project explains: “It will not be like Greater London or Greater Tokyo because there is no one city at the heart of this megalopolis...It will help spread industry and jobs more evenly across the region and public services will also be distributed more fairly.”

The area targeted is so vast that were it considered a country rather than a city, it would rank as the 32nd largest country in the world. New transport links will ensure that travel between the cities will not take more than one hour, and it has been suggested that the price of gasoline and electricity will be standardised. Xiangming continued: “The idea is that when the cities are integrated, the residents can travel around freely and use the healthcare and other facilities in the different areas.”