At 1,322 feet, the St. Petersburg skyscraper would be Europe's tallest building. UNESCO is threatening to revoke the city's heritage status if the tower gets built. November 23, 2010 A skyscraper that would be Europe’s tallest is one step closer to reality, even if controversy continues to dog it. The Okhta Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia, which is being designed by London-based RMJM, received a key approval last month from Glavgosekspertiza, the federal building agency, according to news reports. That approval was required because the steel-and-glass tower, which is to stretch to 1,322 feet, will be three times taller than

« Return to Recession & Recovery In the past two years, the recession has taken its toll on the profession, leaving many hunting for work. Exactly how many architects are unemployed, however, can be the subject of debate. Assessing the jobless rate for the design profession can produce wildly disparate results—and architects, economists, and recruiters aren’t precisely sure how bad things are. Part of the problem, they say, stems from the fact that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lumps architects under its sweeping “Architecture and Engineering Occupations” category, which is tilted heavily toward engineers. In fact, of the 20

Photo courtesy University of Iowa The Max Abramowitz-designed Hancher Auditorium, which suffered severe damage during the 2008 flood, likely will be torn down. Photo courtesy University of Iowa Related Links: Midwest Flood Wreaks Havoc on Landmarks As it continues to rebuild and fortify after the devastating flood of 2008, the University of Iowa has chosen Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects to design its new main theater. On September 15, the school announced that the New Haven firm had won a competition to create a replacement for Hancher Auditorium, a performing-arts facility by architect Max Abramowitz that was significantly damaged when the

For two years, AIA NY and city officials have studied and discussed how design can encourage physical activity and good health. Their findings are presented in the new book, Active Design Guidelines, which serves up practical advice to architects in NYC and beyond. Photo © Rachel Rabhan Top: Urban Movement Design, a New York-based firm, designed bus shelters for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The structure was designed to be easily accessible and to encourage proper body alignment, says Robyne Kassen, firm co-founder. To combat obesity and related illnesses, New York City rolled out a first-of-its-kind guide this year

While the country’s economic future is looking a bit brighter, architects are still enduring the pains of a prolonged recession. The overall economy may be experiencing the stirrings of a recovery, but the design industry is still reeling from the effects of a punishing and enduring downturn. Layoffs and closures continue to wrack the profession, while firms scramble for work and struggle to get paid for buildings already designed, according to a sampling of architects around the country. Although there have been signs of stabilization in the past few months, including a slight uptick in the summer’s billing numbers, even

Image courtesy NYC Dept. of Housing, Preservation & Development In Queens, an industrial area is being transformed into the Hunters Point mixed-use district. Steven Holl has been commissioned to design a new library for the neighborhood. Photo courtesy Steven Holl Architects Foster to Renovate NYC Library Holl Prevails in Global Competitions Holl’s Glasgow Commission Rankles Scots Linked Hybrid by Holl Herning Museum by Holl Public libraries across the country are cutting employees and closing facilities, but the one that serves the borough of Queens, New York, is taking an opposite tack: It’s planning to open one of its largest branches

The project’s second phase, which starts in 2013, will focus on the slope-roofed General Assembly building (1952). The architecture firm Einhorn Yaffee Prescott will oversee the renovation. As diplomats from around the world gather this week at the United Nations headquarters in New York City for the annual General Assembly meeting, they are encountering a rare sight: scaffolding hung from buildings’ exteriors. After years of intense preparation, the 17-acre U.N. campus is undergoing its first major renovation since it was erected along the East River shortly after World War Two. The sweeping renovation won’t come cheap, at $1.87 billion, with

Nine years after the September 11 attacks, the long-delayed redevelopment of Ground Zero finally has gained momentum. Redevelopment of Lower Manhattan’s World Trade Center site has been beset with problems: design changes, funding problems, and political squabbling. And, there wasn’t even much to see at the site for nearly a decade, save for the tops of cranes and a few rumbling trucks, as a tall fence wrapped the perimeter. But nine years after the September 11 attacks, there finally are tangible signs of progress. A memorial and a tree-filled plaza will be completed next year, in time for the 10th

A plan to enlarge the only surviving synagogue by Louis Kahn has sparked opposition among some preservationists, who call the alterations insensitive. Completed in 1972, the 20,000-square-foot spruce-and-concrete home of Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, in Chappaqua, New York, was intended to host services and classes for 400 families. But in recent years the congregation had swelled to more than 700 families, meaning it needed more space, says senior rabbi Joshua M. Davidson. Photo © Scott Benedict (top); Image courtesy www.bethelnw.org (above). Construction has begun on an expansion to the Kahn-designed Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester. To see

Construction is scheduled to begin this fall on a center conceived by the late Senator Edward Kennedy to teach students about the inner workings of government. On July 28, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate finally unveiled the design of its forthcoming home, to be built on the Boston waterfront alongside the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The $60 million project, designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, is slated to be finished in 2013. Image courtesy Edward M. Kennedy Institute Click on the slide show icon to see additional photos. Viñoly won a competition to