A quick walk in Washington DC tonight revealed an absurd sight with preparations taking place by the convention center for imminent demolition and construction. The two story structure is braced externally by steel, and the windows and doors are boarded up with plywood, plywood that has been pasted over with images of pristine wooden doors... Continue Reading →
editor's note: this post is third of four written in December 2011 about In Sidi Bouzid the location of protests was determined by two factors. One, where Bouazizi decided to set himself on fire (the local seat of government) and two, where the local seat of government decided to situate itself within the urban fabric.... Continue Reading →
The five cities in four countries mentioned in yesterday's post find themselves with the Dar-al-Islam, within the historic boundaries of the Islamic Empire of the middle ages and later the Ottoman Empire. As a result of this shared history, certain urban structures and organization patterns can be seen as shared amongst the five cities. Stephano Bianca outlines... Continue Reading →
The Tunisian Revolution started in the town of Sidi Bouzid, the seat of governance for a rural province of the same name in central Tunisia. By January 21, Time magazine summarized the catalyst of the unrest with the following record of one Mohamed Bouazizi: ...on Dec. 17 his livelihood was threatened when a policewoman confiscated his... Continue Reading →
I few pictures from the NYC Subway system and from Tipaza, an extensive Roman ruin in North Africa.
I visited the World Trade Center site today, which is still mostly under construction. The PATH station looks like post-war London Brutalism, a crude version of something Alison and Peter Smithson might have designed in the scarcity of the late 1940s and 1950s. The Calatrava Station, which will replace the existing temporary structure, is looking as... Continue Reading →
During late August 2011 there was a small band of barges along the banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. They were the Miss Rockaway Armada, hosting a festival along the river. I missed the festival but enjoyed walking past the boats every chance I could. The group has done other flotillas, but their website... Continue Reading →
A few articles this week took note of the struggles to get potential host cities to commit to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The investment in infrastructure and event facilities often fall into disuse and disrepair soon after the games end. I visited Montreal a few years back and enjoyed the site of Buckminster Fuller's... Continue Reading →
Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a Federal holiday dedicated to the memory of armed forces who lost their lives while serving the country. The holiday started out as Decoration Day, to celebrate soldiers killed during the Civil War (both Union and Confederate soldiers). Veterans' Day, November 11th, began as Armistice day to... Continue Reading →
In 1930 the French government celebrated the French Algerian Centennial, marking 100 years of colonial occupation. As part of the event, architect Leon Claro designed the Indigenous House of the Centennial based on a standardized version of the courtyard house found in the Casbah of Algiers. This description is from Dr. Zeynep Celik from her... Continue Reading →
Adam Achrati 