Why are medinas worth exploring? They are some of the most densely populated areas on earth and represent some of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements. Their organization and structure are informed by climate, religion, social structure and transportation modeled after pedestrians and goods-laden animals. Public and private realm are extremely well defined and delineated. In some places these... Continue Reading →
06/04: RCR Barcelona Library
The term 'contextual' can be used in a number of ways to describe a piece of architecture. Material choice, scale, type of program, essentially any shared aspect between two buildings becomes the frame with which they are compared. During a study abroad semester in Barcelona I had to look at a public library designed by... Continue Reading →
06/03: Potemkin Village
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 →
06/02: Places of Protest
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 →
06/01: Islamic City Planning
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 →
05/31: Beginnings of the Arab Spring
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 →
05/30: Mosaic
I few pictures from the NYC Subway system and from Tipaza, an extensive Roman ruin in North Africa.
05/29: Ground Zero
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 →
05/28: Miss Rockaway Armada
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 →
Adam Achrati 