Posted Mon Dec 22 14:41:00 UTC 2008

Are buildings by those famous architects the new ‘Case Study Houses’ of the 21st century, but just on another scale?

For me, architecture can be very fascinating, but also very odious and unfortunately, that’s to often the case. However, New York is a pulsing metropolis with lots of good architecture, but more likely in a much more urban environment than other places. The challenges are more complex because of the spacing and many other building codes and restrictions. Nevertheless, very cool projects are on its way and a few of them just got noted by the New York Magazine’s list of top building designs for 2008. Beside my favorite, the “Bird’s Nest” by “Herzog & De Meuron”, what is looking like a rotating camshaft creating new looks from each angle you are looking at, there got also featured a dangerous looking and almost appearing toppling apartment building designed by OMA. Another noted one is a great development in Chelsea called HL23 by Neil Denari, situated right next to the “high line” – New York’s most innovative park project.

What I like the most is that more and more architects start to re-think their designs to meet energy saving standards and environmental friendly requirements. There is also an endeavor to smoothly integrate such new buildings in existing urban environments and neighborhoods, but with a context to the 21st century and that’s what it is referring them to be the “Case Study Houses” of the 21st century – at least in my opinion.

Posted By: Peter Rabitz