OECD Better Life Index
OECD is engaged since years to go “beyond GDP” to measure global development trends. A couple of days ago they launched and updated version of the Better Life Index, a well designed infotool that combines and compares statistical data and well being perceptions in the 36 OECD member countries.
Your Better Life Index is designed to let you visualise and compare some of the key factors – like education, housing, environment, and so on – that contribute to well-being in OECD countries. It’s an interactive tool that allows you to see how countries perform according to the importance you give to each of 11 topics that make for a better life.
The fields considered are 11: community, education, environment civic engagement, health, housing, income, jobs, life satisfaction, safety, work-life balance. Although the Index strives at overcoming the equation between richness = quality of life, wealth and jobs still appear to dominate the ranking with Australia, Norway, USA, Switzerland and Sweden at the top, Mexico and Turkey at the bottom.
An interesting feature of this tool is interactivity that allows you to reshape the ranking according to your own priorities. Certainly it is not easy to choose what is more important between Health and Safety, or between Jobs and Education, but at least it underlines that any kind of ranking is largely based on subjective assumptions.
For the record Italy is at 22th place, suffering for economic stagnation, high unemployment, women discrimination and bad expectations for the future.
Blue Crane in front of Marble Cathedral
Much of the interest in living in a large city is about what is going on in public realm, rather than about what is actually there. In a few days His Holiness Benedict XVI will come and stay in Milan for a couple of days. The Cathedral, with its “Candoglia” marble and golden “Madunina” has to be in best shape!
Treasure of San Lorenzo Cathedral in Genoa
Travelling to Genoa you should not miss the opportunity to visit the Museum of the Treasure of San Lorenzo, an hypogeal construction just under the San Lorenzo Cathedral. The Museum was built 1956 based on the Milanese architect Franco Albini’s design and boasts a host of exhibits which bear witness to the art history and religious devotion of centuries past. From the ticket-office and book-shop situated in the sacristy of San Lorenzo Cathedral a short flight of stairs leads to the entrance to the four rooms of the Museum.
The museum is designed around the exhibits. The brick-work, in grey local limestone, the circular shape of the smaller exhibition rooms and the tonal hues in the underground areas recall the architectural history of the past such as the Mycenaean and Etruscan tombs and the sacred crypts in Romanesque cathedrals. The reinforced concrete ceilings do, however, reveal its modernity. These ribbed ceilings, incorporated with glass bricks, are decorated in a series of ray formations producing a very suggestive effect which features this masterpiece of Italian post war architecture.
Following a couple of pictures I took during my visit and the exhibit’s description provided by the museum’s attendant.
This silver statue is the reliquary of St. Lawrence, San Lorenzo, to whom the cathedral is dedicated. The statue, dating back to 1828, illustrates the saint holding a palm and trellis – an instrument of torture-symbolizing his martyrdom. The statue was deliberately chosen as an introduction to the collection since it constitutes a symbolic link between the cathedral and the treasure. Indeed many of the works of art on display are used, even today, during mass and on special religious occasions.
The crucifix, the so-called “Croce degli Zaccaria” was in the possession of the Zaccaria family until the 15th century. This was one of the most important merchant families trading in the eastern Mediterranean sea when the Dominion of Genoa had reached its political and commercial peak. This splendid example of the expertise of Byzantine goldsmiths dates back to the 13th century. The gold, precious gems and natural pearls are in perfect harmony with its function: that of a holy reliquary containing fragments of the True Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The crucifix was later to be used by the archbishops in Genoa in the benediction ceremonies of newly elected Doges.
The Cassa Processionale, a ceremonial casket which is used to hold the ashes of St. John the Baptist during processions, immediately strikes the visitor’s eye. The work, in silver and silver-gilt, dates from between 1438 and 1445 and is attributed to various artists: the ligurian Teramo Danieli, began the work which was completed by Simone Caldera, another ligurian artist who served his apprenticeship in Tuscany and was master of an international workshop which included goldsmiths from the Lombardy region and Burgundy. In this “miniature cathedral”, similar in many ways in the spires of the Duomo in Milan, there are numerous scenes from the life of St. John, ranging from the annunciation to his father Zaccary to his death brought about by the whims of Salome.
The large Statue of the Immaculate Conception dates back to around 1747 and are the work the Genoese sculptor Francesco Maria Schiaffino. This was originally a gift on the part of the people of Genoa to Doge Gio. Francesco II Brignole-Sale, but he preferred to donate in to the Duomo di San Lorenzo as a symbol of the devotion of the Genoese, a witness to the close links binding the city and the cathedral, the very emblem of Genoa. This silver leaf statue represents the Madonna according to the Revelation of St. John with a star tipped crown and the moon beneath her feet.
The Cassa Processionale del Corpus Domini, the ark used during the Corpus Domini procession, was commissioned by the Padri del Comune in the mid 16th century. The original idea belonged to the Milanese artist Francesco de Rocchi, but the work was completed by the joint effort of numerous artists. A group of Flemish goldsmiths who were living and working in Genoa as guards in the service of the Doge were given the task of decorating the lower part with scenes from the Passion of Christ. The upper part is decorated with little statues of the prophets and sibyls who foresaw the coming of the Messiah while the angels represent symbols of the Passion of the Lord. The funds necessary for this work were donated by Genoese abroad. This offering gave them the opportunity to participate in the life of their cathedral. The casket is wooden in structure and finished in silver leaf. It weighs approximately seventy kilograms and is still carried during the Corpus Domini procession bearing the Holy Eucharist in its monstrance.
The Piatto di San Giovanni, the platter of St. John, dates back to the Augustan age. Tradition has it that the severed head of the Baptist was served to Herod on this platter. This rare and high1y refined artefact made of chalcedony – a transparent precious stone – was certainly suitable for a king. The gilt edging and the enamelled head in the middle of the platter were added in France between the 14th and 15th centuries by master craftsmen who were probably in the service of the royal court.
Armani Hotel Roof Extension
Roof extensions are a hot architectural topic for various reasons.
Shifting the focus from new building to renovation and re-use of existing buildings ( eventually trying to make them more efficient from the energetic point of view) means also find ways to make renovation profitable.
Reducing cities environmental footprint by keeping them compact, promoting sustainable public transport, avoiding urban sprawl and soil sealing means having to deal with higher urban density and mixed uses.
Increasing interest towards historic buildings as the most reliable real estate asset, being iconic and sustainable buildings at the same time stimulates a lively architectural discourse their manifold ways of transformation.
Giorgio Armani bought this classic modern building in Milan in the 90es to accomodate some of his flagship stores, restaurants, bars, boutiques, a flower shop, offices, showroom spaces etc.
The opening took place some ten years ago and soon the building became a must on the international shopping tours and glamourous nights.
Later on the building was subject to another extensive renovation including roof extension, to accomodate the first 5 star luxury Armani Hotel in Milan and that’s how it looks like today, seen from via Manzoni.
LUMENHAUS – A Net-Zero-Energy House On The Road
A lot of low- or zero-energy houses have been built around the world in the last decades, but the story of LUMENHAUS is really a special one, for different reasons. This fully prebricated net-zero-energy house was the third one designed and built at the Virginia Tech to participate to the Solar Decathlon Europe Competition and the first to win it.
The design team were students working on the projects for three years lead by prof. Joseph Wheeler coordinating inputs by other Virgina Tech teachers and the expertise of ICT and building sector manufacturers.
According to the rules of Solar Decathlon Europe, the house had to be designed and built by a team of students and comply with predefined energy and budgetary standards that made the competitors comparable. Finally the house had to be built on site by the team and be fully operational (and open to the public) during the “competition week”. That means putting a considerable effort in making it robust, transportable and easy to build, including the open air garden.
The awarding of Solar Decatholn 2010 took place in Madrid, so that Lumenhaus travelled from US Virginia to Spain and then back to the US in an amazing roadshow including Washington D.C. National Mall, New York Times Square, Chicago Millennium Park and at the Farnsworth House in Plano Ill.
One of the issues this Blog is about is the definition of quality indicators for design at all scales: from product to landscape design. The Solar Decathlon Europe competition is very interesting to this extent, being based on a comprehensive multi-criteria assessment procedure in which each competitor gets a combined score subdivided in ten fields:
1. Architecture
2. Engineering & Construction
3. Energy Efficiency
4. Electrical Energy Balance
5. Comfort Conditions
6. House Functioning
7. Communication and Social Awareness
8. Industrialization & Market Viability
9. Innovation
10. Sustainability
The scoring mechanism is further articulated in three types of evaluations:
1. Task Completion Scoring [Measured]
The teams will obtain points for successfully completing the requested tasks. Points will be awarded as a function of “closeness to completion”.2. Monitored performance Scoring [Measured]
During the competition week, the house will be continuously monitored and specific measurements will also be done. The scoring is based on the approach to the goal predetermined in the contests.3. Points awarded by jury
Expert jurors will award points according to the assessment evaluation criteria and guidelines developed by SDE.
As a combination of these evaluation process in 2010 LUMENHAUS became the highest score, resulting particularly excellent in architecture, engineering and construction. After the award in Madrid the LUMENHAUS has travelled back to the US for a roadshow advocating for a durable, comfortable and maybe even affordable version of high-tech net-zero energy houses.
One more aknowledgement came to LUMENHAUS in 2012 with the AIA Institute Honour Award . The Jury commented that
The creative use of materials and the flexibility of its components quickly respond to changes in the environment through automated systems that optimize energy consumption.
The plan and section are orchestrated by light and materials to enhance the perception of a small footprint.
The interior is cleverly designed with comfortable if compact spaces, compatible materials, and a rationale and clear layout.
The project was introduced in several conferences in the US and in Europe, eventually also in Milan where I had the pleasure to introduce Joseph Wheeler at the Architects’ Chamber Foundation. Here is a video including a short interview to and a detailed summary of his presentation.
Bjarke Ingels 8-House in Copenhagen
I went to Copenhagen last March for the first time in my life. I was there two days to attend the Meeting of Directors General in Charge of Urban Development on behalf of ACE, but I managed to have a free afternoon and get the lightrail out to the end of Ørestad to visit “the most photographed building of 2011″: Bjarke Ingels Group’s 8-House. I went there to walk this building in and out, from the bottom to the top as I saw in some internet magazine’s report. As you can see from the pictures below, that was a lot of fun.
Don’t worry, trains are coming every few minutes.
Water plays an important role in the new developments. Nowadays the promenades are still quite meager, but let’s wait and see in a couple of years.
The 8-House is by far not the only piece of ‘daring architecture’ around. Here every building seems to struggle for the most peculiar language and expression. Certainly it is a bit too noisy for my taste, but also for this we have to wait and see untill things settle, residents overtake ownership and time makes some patina on those toy colours.
Same building before and after mounting the facade. Maybe in a couple of years if you are sick of it you can take it away and change it with a new one?
Here we go!
The ramp has the right slope so that you can comfortably walk up. For somebody like me that hates elevators, this way to approach a building makes a real difference.
The free spaces inside and around the block are naturally home for many things: some green areas, bicycles, playgrounds, terrace of a cafè…
310.000 Euro for a 106sqm maisonette. Compared with the very high living standards (and high salaries) of Denmark, it seems to me a rather fair price. In most of the ‘frontyards’ I have seen strollers and toys for kids. According to the Danish housing policies these are flats for young families and in fact it seems a really good place to raise kids.
There is not only the ramp to climb the building. There are also stairs and underpasses in a selfexplaing path, where it is very easy to orientate and find your own way.
My impression was that half of the flats are not yet occupied, nevertheless you don’t feel you are in an empty block, especially thanks to the large office spaces that animate the building during the day. The few people I met in my walkaround were more than friendly.
This is the end.
Temporary Urban Design
The sharp review by David Lepeska on the Atlantic Cities about the new book by Peter Bishop Temporary City makes me think about the Public Design Festival, an initiative driven by the Esterni collective in Milan and abroad, since 1995.
It also makes me think about the Report about Future of Design in the Built Environment published by the same author in November 2011 for the Commission for Architecture and Built Environment (CABE). The new book deals with the hot topic of increasing role of transient phenomena shaping urban space also in its permanent features. A good start to think about what is temporary and what is permanent in cities… definitely more than enough food for thoughts for today.
To Rome With Love
Brilliant video review of the new Woody Allen movie shot in Rome featuring, among others Roberto Benigni. Anton Giulio Onofri (Luiss TV) explains why this might well be the worst movie by the great American director, but nevertheless absolutely a must see. Just like in Richard Meier’s Church in Tor Tre Teste, the Italian movie (or building) industry seems to have a kind of reverse Mida touch, being able to transform gold nuggets in raw concrete.
Richard Meier’s Church @ Tor Tre Teste in Rome
Although they cannot really capture the essence of an architectural work, unprofessional pictures are generally by far more honest than what you normally see on magazines. Andrea Giannone was travelling around Rome for his own business as I asked him to send me some streetviews of Richard Meier’s Church in Tor Tre Teste.
I myself have never visited the place, but heard a lot about it a couple of years ago, as it was completed, and I also listened to a presentation of the projects by engineers involved. Very interesting indeed, but as I received the pictures I thought: “Well… what I am going to write about it?”
The intention of the “client” (CEI, governing body of the Italian Catholic Church) was good: (1) To place a new church in a new city development at the edge of town, investing in the periphery of Rome to create a new social and spiritual center. (2) To call for an architectural competition among famous architects and provide the winner with enough resources to satisfy his creative freedom and maybe spur a little Bilbao effect. (3) Involving a private company (Italcementi) to absorb some of the costs and support the technical challenge envisaged by the architect, bringing technical innovation to the periphery of the Città eterna.
Plenty of good intention were behind this undertaken, but the result is rather sad. At least in terms of architectural expression and contribution to the urban fabric, if there is anything similar around the place, the result is a loose-loose situation. The imaginative church feels uncomfortable in the shabby periferal environment and the everyday life going around it seem not to have established any relationship with the free standing monument.
Good intentions, conspicuous budget and star-architects are no guarantee for good results. Yet I am going to visit the Church myself, sooner or later, hoping to change my opinion.
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Short Trip to Paris
Even if very short and constantly under rain and cloudy weather, a short trip to Paris is always a valuable urban experience. Here are a few pictures taken arriving to Paris, going from one place to another and back to the airport.
Always nice to arrive at Orly, a place that still has some flair of the modernist Airports of the Sixties and Seventies, where you could expect to meet Jacques Tati or Brigitte Bardot.
Leaving the RER at Chatelet Les Halles under the rain, it seems to be the perfect weather to have a coffee on the roof terrace of the Centre Pompidou (and check if it still exists). I haven’t been there for decades and unfortunately I’ll have to wait a little bit longer, since Tuesday Centre Pompidou is off.
The (terrific) labyrintic Forum des Halles shopping complex is undergoing radical renovation works, trying to become more open and human than it was before.
From the very touristic area of Beauburg and Quartier Latin I walk towards the III Arrondissement where many creatives have settled in the last years in Les Marais.
The center of the III Arrondissement is occupied by a ringfenced garden, one of the many that features the image of Paris in everyone’s imagination, with numerous green benches, beautiful plants and flowers, a small biotope around a bonsai-lake, playgrounds, a gazebo for concerts and other leisure facilities.
It is also a place for collective memory. This is the list of jews that was arrested during WWII under the Vichy regime.
Monumentally friendly the administrative building of this neighbourhood has open doors and rather relaxed appearance, waiting for the elections.
Nearby the steel structure of a covered market is in renovation.
A very small triangular square at the confluence of two streets is the place for trees, an ornamental iron spring and the covered café terrace with coloured chairs. In Paris you can have coffee outside even if it’s raining. Culture is more important than comfort.
An empty space between buildings, a rare vacant lot along the densely built street front, is occupied by a multicultural and multiethnic market, Le Marché des Enfants Rouge, unfortunately almost closed by the time I arrive.
Just on the corner some political activist from the Socialist party. This weekend 44 millions French voters will have to choose a candidate in the first round of the presidential elections. Polls say that the socialist average man will beat the husband of Carla Bruni.
For those who come from the province like me, the subway is the landmark of big cities and the Metropolitain in Paris is the most charming in the world.
Contemporary architecture has a difficult task to cope with historic buildings, even when it is an average pompous neoclassic railway station.
Art Nouveau made an attempt to be modern and decorative at the same time, rather convincing actually. Why has it extinguished so fast?
Back in the metro to catch the last flight back home.
A quick view over the Stade de France, building cranes and the rows of trees along the streets of the northern suburbs on the way to Charles De Gaulle Airport.
