Mark Wigley steps down as Dean of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia

A source from Columbia University has shared with Archinect that Mark Wigley, the Dean of Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, will step down from his position at the end of the academic year. Wigley has been a formidable presence as dean for nearly the past ten years, and his successor will no doubt have some very large shoes to fill. The announcement was made in an email (excerpted below) from Columbia's president, Lee C. Bollinger: After nearly a decade of innovative leadership, Dean of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Mark Wigley has shared the news that this will be his final academic year as the School's dean. Let me just say now that Mark has been an extraordinary dean, a University citizen of the first order, and a friend I, and I know we, cherish. In every context, he has represented the School and the institution in ways that make us all proud to be part of such a vibrant place. And to all of it he has brought his...

James Corner Field Operations selected for Nicollet Mall redesign in Minneapolis

The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Downtown Council announced on Sept. 19 that New York firm James Corner Field Operations and its team have been selected to carry out the $40 million redesign of Nicollet Mall, a major cultural and commercial center in Downtown Minneapolis. The winning proposal, called the "Nicollet Walk", is a 12-block stretch that divides the Nicollet Mall into three sections: Live, Work, and Play.

Remembering Architect Ross Langdon, partner and unborn child - victims of Nairobi terrorist attack

It is with great sadness that we report that Australian/British architect and public interest designer Ross Langdon, 32, was among those killed in the terrorist attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in recent days. He was killed alongside his partner, Elif Yavuz, who worked for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Kenya, and was just two weeks from her due date to give birth to their first child.

PIXY HALL by Moriyuki Ochiai Architects

PIXY HALL by Moriyuki Ochiai Architects is an engaging multi-purpose space in Kanagawa, Japan for kindergarteners to play and learn. The project won the Japan Kids Design Award in 2010. The playground's brightly colored shapes and tiny spaces to climb under and over look like plenty of fun for the little ones, while its overall clean and simple aesthetic would probably look cool to anyone at any age.

Frank Havermans + Rietveld Landscape Unveil "Secret Operation 610" Thinkspace

When aircraft Shelter 610 opens its ruthless doors, a monstrous black behemoth slowly comes driving out. The object revives the mysterious atmosphere of the Cold War and its accompanying terrifying weaponry. At an almost excruciatingly slow pace, the artwork uses its caterpillar tracks to cross the seemingly infinite runway. Lending a new meaning to "think tank", the formidable Secret Operation 610 is now slinking its way across Airbase Soesterberg in the Netherlands. Both art piece and educational practice, the structure is designed by Studio Frank Havermans and Reitveld Landscape for SKOR | Foundation for Art and Public Domain. While the aesthetic is inspired by a Cold War military atmosphere, its interior serves as a research space -- conducted while Secret Operation 610 crawls across the landscape. The "mobile sculpture" will first be home to students from Delft University of Technology, studying carbon-free and silent flight technology, but will ultimately be open to researchers from any discipline.

“Beyond the Assignment” public panel discussion and exhibition opening

Make your way to the upcoming "Beyond the Assignment: Defining Photographs of Architecture and Design" panel discussion and exhibition opening on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) and WUHO Gallery (Woodbury University Hollywood Gallery) in Los Angeles. The Woodbury School of Architecture/Julius Shulman Institute will be presenting this free public panel discussing and exploring the relationship between photographer+architect as well as photographer+media in the past, present, and the future. For a headstart on the topic, you can read the Archinect feature here. (Be on the lookout for Part 2 of the feature after the event!)

"Box" by Bot & Dolly explores the synthesis of real and digital space through projection-mapping on moving surfaces.

The short film documents a live performance, captured entirely in camera. Bot & Dolly produced this work to serve as both an artistic statement and technical demonstration. It is the culmination of multiple technologies, including large scale robotics, projection mapping, and software engineering. We believe this methodology has tremendous potential to radically transform theatrical presentations, and define new genres of expression.