Contest: Revitalization of Oporto River Front

This is a very interesting international contest.
Get further information here: http://www.portovivosru.pt/concursos/

COMPETITION: Design For The New Centre Of Riga

The subject of the Competition is an urban construction and architectural idea which graphically and textually describes integrated development of the Competition Site. The urban construction and architectural idea and the explanatory note should include an urban design for the New Centre of Riga in Tornakalns and an architectural solution for the Riga City Council and the public administrative complex in line with the Assignment of the Competition.

The registration and submission deadline is 3rd September 2007.

Visit the website for further information: http://www.rdpad.lv/en/rcnc/

Rotterdam Architecture Biennale STARTS

We already warn it, but it's always interesting to remind important events.
TODAY starts the Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam, whose main theme for this edition is THE CITY and its future.
Activities will run till 2nd September.
Rotterdam is also the "City of Architecture" in 2007. It seems a scape to The Netherlands is worth. Did you already plan your holidays?

Info:
http://www.biennalerotterdam.nl
http://www.rotterdam2007.nl

3rd International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam

From 24th May till 2nd September and under the theme "Power: Producing the Contemporary City" will take place the 3rd Rotterdam Architecture Biennale.

The programm contais different exhibitions, conferences, a PowerLounge, an international master class and other activities.

"Who and what will define the future of our cities and what role can architects play in this?"

Seems interesting, right?

Get further info: http://www.iabr.nl/page/Home

2010 IMPERATIVE

If you are visiting this weblog you might be a city planner, an architect, a geographer, a designer, or just and interested person on The City.
Even if you are not into any of these fields, surely you have heard about the global warming and the climate change. The question is: Are city planners being trained for the world we will inherit?.
Architecture 2030 (hosted by the New York Academy of Sciences) has arranged a live web-cast for 20 February.
The idea is to reach students, teachers, schools and diferent organizations to change the way of teaching desing and planning. The goal is to prepear ourselves better for the challenges we will face sooner that we thought.
Some schools have already changed the common classes for that day and will participate online in the web-cast. Will you?

http://2010imperative.org/

EUROPAN 9

Here we have the new edition of one of the most important competition in Europe for young architects and city planners. All the information will be ready on next monday, 5th February, at the official web site.

The generic theme of Europan 9 is "European urbanity, sustainable city and new public spaces".

This edition counts with two Estonian cities, Tartu and Tallinn, as proposed sites.

If you cannot wait till next week, visit the website. Basic information is already launched: http://www.europan-europe.com

Good luck to all you!!!

HABITAT5. HOUSING. NEW WAYS OF INHABITING

From 2nd till 3rd of February will take place in Albacete (Spain) the conferences under the title “Habitat5. Housing. New way of inhabitating”. Organized by Foro Civitas Nova, a very interesting initiative in research, knowledge exchange and awareness of housing and urban development.
Experts in different areas will analyze the habitats where we live from several perspectives: space, technology, social behavior, environment or flexibility.
Even if you cannot attend to the conferences, i would have a look on this web site. They have interesting material on urban studies.
Conferences site:
http://www.forocivitasnova.org/jornadahabita5i.htm (english)

Alvar Aalto, through the eyes of Shigeru Ban

Are you planning to visit London?? If you are, then you are lucky to find a very interesting exhibition at the Barbican Center.
There is no need to introduce Alvar Aalto, but maybe you do not know that Shigeru Ban in one of the most important architects in the world. He is japanese and his works are very innovative about the use of materials. He was one of the first in using recycling in architecture.
The exhibition faces again the work of Alvar Aalto but through the personal experience of another architect, who belongs to another generation and was born in a different culture.

The exhibition will be open from 22 February till 13 May at the Barbican Centre of London.

More info: http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=4341

OMA at Latvia

The Latvian Ministry of Culture announced plans to move forward with its first museum of contemporary art, designed by Rem Koolhaas and the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). The 16,000 m2 museum, to be built in the port city of Riga, will be Latvia's first new museum of art in over 100 years. Imagined as a multi-functional centre for contemporary culture, the museum will host seminars, concerts and theatrical performances, in addition to housing international exhibitions and a permanent collection of contemporary Baltic art.

Read more: http://www.artdaily.com/section/news/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=18633

80th Anniversary of the Bauhaus Building in Dessau

From December 2nd 2006 is running an exhibition for celebrating the 80th anniversary of the building designed by Walter Gropius that hosted the Bauhaus school in Dessau. The exhibition will be open till March 11th 2007 and it explores the topic on three levels:
-the restoration of the Bauhaus Building
-the building’s impact on the media
-its interior architecture as a prototype of modern spatial organisation

Official web site:
http://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/
Short article on the building’s restoration:
http://www.bauhaus-dessau.de/images/body/sanierung_7_2006_en.pdf