Marginalia: Little Libraries in the Urban Margins

Like so many civic institutions in our recessionary era, the public library is struggling. Yet even as budgets dwindle and services contract, the library remains popular and beloved — and lately its ongoing vitality is being underscored by the rise of the little library, what Shannon Mattern calls "the emergence of myriad mini, pop-up, guerrilla and ad-hoc libraries." Mattern sees the movement, with its DIY energy and political edge, as an effort "to reclaim a small corner of public space in our hyper-commercialized cities, cities that might no longer reflect the civic aspirations of a diverse public."
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ERIC WILLIAM CARROLL

Plato's Home Movies

Deep among the eucalyptus groves of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, joggers and dog walkers discovered Eric William Carroll setting up a projection screen to observe shadows on the wall of “Plato's Cave.” On the sidewalks of Brooklyn, he laid out blueprint paper to capture ephemeral portraits of sidewalk trees. Here we present a portfolio drawn from his investigations of frame, shadow, time and the “essential form” of the tree.
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KEITH EGGENER

The Uses of Daylight

Earlier this year Keith Eggener assessed the career of the now forgotten early 20th-century Kansas City architect Louis Curtiss, and argued that Curtiss's obscurity has less to do with intrinsic merit than with the politics of professional reputation. Here — with an analysis of the Boley Building, which featured one of the first glass curtain walls in America — he makes good on his claim that Curtiss's legacy deserves new attention.
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NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS

Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism.
Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >>
The D-Crit Program >>
SVA Website >>

Sappi created Ideas that Matter to recognize and support designers who generously donate their time and talent to charitable activities. Since 1999, the grant program has contributed million, funding over 500 projects. Sappi believes that creative ideas can be a powerful force for social good. 2012 grant applications are due July 20.
More information >>
Apply for an Ideas that Matter grant >>
Find out more about Sappi here >>

PLACES EDITORS

Going Viral: AIANY Global Dialogues

A lecture and panel discussion on May 21 at the New York Center for Architecture will explore the impact that social media, technology and device culture are having on design process and practice. Places is among the journals featured in the accompanying exhibition, Voices Going Viral.
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ZHANG XIAO & AARON ROTHMAN

The Last Days of Kaixian

On November 4, 2008, water rose over Kaixian, China — the final chapter in a history that dated back two millennia. Located on the Yangtze River, 180 miles upstream from the Three Gorges Dam — the largest water control project on earth — Kaixian was the final town submerged by the dam’s reservoir. Zhang Xiao, a photographer then working for a newspaper in nearby Chongqing, documented the town’s final dismantling. We are pleased to present a portfolio of his images.
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D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre.
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A quarterly magazine of art and culture
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Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare.
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PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2009

Reclaiming the Ruin

PARTNER SCHOOL

Woodbury University, School of Architecture
Woodbury School of Architecture is a network of hubs strategically sited within the larger Southern California megalopolis: Los Angeles, Burbank and San Diego. Together, these sites form a critical infrastructure for architectural investigations. The school’s undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture and interior architecture train students as entrepreneurs, architect citizens and cultural builders. Our Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture, Master of Architecture and post-professional graduate programs in architecture and real estate prepare students to effect positive change in the built environment, to tackle theoretical debates and to take on architecture as a critical practice. Our faculty is composed of active and prolific architects, designers and academics practicing in Los Angeles, San Diego and Tijuana. Internationally recognized and award winning, the faculty works closely with students, teaching the skills required to expand the limits of practice and debate the possibilities of our disciplines.


WEEKLY EMAIL: MAY 23, 2012
FEATURED THIS WEEK : SHANNON MATTERN Marginalia: Little Libraries in the Urban Margins Like so many civic institutions in our recessionary era, the public library is struggling. Yet even as budgets dwindle and services contract, the library remains popular and beloved — and lately its ongoing vitality is being underscored by the rise of the little library, what Shannon Mattern calls "the emergence of myriad mini, pop-up, guerrilla and ad-hoc libraries." Mattern sees the movement, with its DIY energy and political edge, as an effort "to reclaim a small corner of public space in our hyper-commercialized cities, cities that might no longer reflect the civic aspirations of a diverse public." READ MORE
ERIC WILLIAM CARROLL Plato's Home Movies Deep among the eucalyptus groves of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, joggers and dog walkers discovered Eric William Carroll setting up a projection screen to observe shadows on the wall of “Plato's Cave.” On the sidewalks of Brooklyn, he laid out blueprint paper to capture ephemeral portraits of sidewalk trees. Here we present a portfolio drawn from his investigations of frame, shadow, time and the “essential form” of the tree. READ MORE KEITH EGGENER The Uses of Daylight Earlier this year Keith Eggener assessed the career of the now forgotten early 20th-century Kansas City architect Louis Curtiss, and argued that Curtiss's obscurity has less to do with intrinsic merit than with the politics of professional reputation. Here — with an analysis of the Boley Building, which featured one of the first glass curtain walls in America — he makes good on his claim that Curtiss's legacy deserves new attention. READ MORE NEWS FROM DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP SPONSORS Learn to be a design critic through SVA's D-Crit program. Design as subject matter, criticism as a literary genre and the range of tools with which to practice design criticism. Watch videos of presentations by the Class of 2011 >> The D-Crit Program >> SVA Website >> Sappi created Ideas that Matter to recognize and support designers who generously donate their time and talent to charitable activities. Since 1999, the grant program has contributed million, funding over 500 projects. Sappi believes that creative ideas can be a powerful force for social good. 2012 grant applications are due July 20. More information >> Apply for an Ideas that Matter grant >> Find out more about Sappi here >> PLACES EDITORS Going Viral: AIANY Global Dialogues A lecture and panel discussion on May 21 at the New York Center for Architecture will explore the impact that social media, technology and device culture are having on design process and practice. Places is among the journals featured in the accompanying exhibition, Voices Going Viral. READ MORE ZHANG XIAO & AARON ROTHMAN The Last Days of Kaixian On November 4, 2008, water rose over Kaixian, China — the final chapter in a history that dated back two millennia. Located on the Yangtze River, 180 miles upstream from the Three Gorges Dam — the largest water control project on earth — Kaixian was the final town submerged by the dam’s reservoir. Zhang Xiao, a photographer then working for a newspaper in nearby Chongqing, documented the town’s final dismantling. We are pleased to present a portfolio of his images. READ MORE		JOIN PLACES ON FACEBOOK \| TWITTER JOIN DESIGN OBSERVER GROUP ON FACEBOOK \| TWITTER Meaningful work is creating impact. A positive future is taking shape. Submit your proposal >> D-Crit: Design as subject matter. Criticism as literary genre. Learn at SVA >> A quarterly magazine of art and culture Read more >> Designers and leaders talk innovation in healthcare. Join us >> PLACES ARCHIVE: WINTER 2009 Reclaiming the Ruin READ MORE PARTNER SCHOOL Woodbury University, School of Architecture Woodbury School of Architecture is a network of hubs strategically sited within the larger Southern California megalopolis: Los Angeles, Burbank and San Diego. Together, these sites form a critical infrastructure for architectural investigations. The school’s undergraduate and graduate programs in architecture and interior architecture train students as entrepreneurs, architect citizens and cultural builders. Our Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture, Master of Architecture and post-professional graduate programs in architecture and real estate prepare students to effect positive change in the built environment, to tackle theoretical debates and to take on architecture as a critical practice. Our faculty is composed of active and prolific architects, designers and academics practicing in Los Angeles, San Diego and Tijuana. Internationally recognized and award winning, the faculty works closely with students, teaching the skills required to expand the limits of practice and debate the possibilities of our disciplines.
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