Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'The World of Charles + Ray Eames'

THE WORLD OF CHARLES + RAY EAMES

On show at Barbican Art Gallery, London until 14 February 2016

Charles and Ray Eames are among the most influential designers of the 20th century. Enthusiastic and tireless experimenters, this husband and wife duo moved fluidly between the fields of photography, film, architecture, exhibition-making, and furniture and product design.

The Eames Office was a hub of activity where the Eameses and their collaborators produced an array of pioneering designs, communicating their ideas with a boundless creativity that defined their careers. The Eameses embraced the joy of trial and error and approached design as a way of life.

From personal letters, photographs, drawings and artwork, to their products, models, multi-media installations and furniture, 'The World of Charles + Ray' includes not only the designs for which they are best known, but provides an insight into the lives of the Eameses, the Eames Office and the breadth of their pioneering work, bringing their ideas and playful spirit to life.

Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'RUSKIN / ROCKS'

Ruskin/Rocks: Architecture and the Geology of Morals
Professor Andrew Ballantyne, University of Newcastle upon Tyne

Benzie 403
Manchester School of Art
5.30pm 20 October 2015

Drawing on his new book on JOHN RUSKIN Professor Ballantyne examines a crucial aspect of Ruskin’s thinking: the notion that art and architecture have moral value. Telling the story of Ruskin’s childhood and enduring devotion to his parents—who fostered his career as a writer on art and architecture—he explores the circumstances that led to Ruskin’s greatest works, such as 'Modern Painters', 'The Seven Lamps of Architecture', 'The Stones of Venice', and 'Unto This Last'. He follows Ruskin through his altruistic ventures with the urban poor, to whom he taught drawing, motivated by a profound conviction that art held the key to living a worthwhile life. Ultimately, Ballantyne weaves Ruskin’s story into a larger one about Victorian society, a time when the first great industrial cities took shape and when art could finally reach beyond the wealthy elite and touch the lives of everyday people.

Where are they now? Seen in 'New Light'!

2015 MA A+U graduate David Chandler has been shortlisted to exhibit his close reading of the urban structure of Stockport 'LITTLE UNDERBANK' in the forthcoming 'New Light: Real Northern Art' exhibition which is on show at The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle 17 October 2015 - 7 February 2016. The acrylic on canvas painting (127 x 305 cm) records the view from David's window in the Manchester School of Art Marketplace Studios in Stockport, and represented his research process for his Master's thesis, uncovering hidden aspects of the town, a theme which chimes with the intention of the exhibition. As one of its judges, Laura Gascoigne, commented: “True to its name, New Light is a revelation. None of the open exhibitions I’ve judged in the past has tapped into such a pool of undiscovered talent. There are always a few established artists whose work one recognises, but nearly all the artists here were new to me and there were several I was astonished – and rather ashamed – not to have come across. I hope this exposure will make them more visible in future. The sheer variety of work, at all levels, was heartening – it bolstered my faith in the vigour of British painting.”

Following its run at the Bowes Museum, the exhibition tours to the Mercer Gallery in Harrogate, and finally the Panter and Hall Fine Art Gallery, London.

The exhibition website is http://newlight-art.org.uk/

Architecture + Urbanism recommends 'Teresa Stoppani: Architecture as Paradigm - Notes for a Relational Architecture'

Professor TERESA STOPPANI, Head of Leeds School of Architecture will be talking at Manchester School of Architecture at 5.30pm on 6 October 2015 in Benzie 403, Manchester School of Art.

Teresa Stoppani (DrArch IUAV, Architetto IUAV, PhD Arch & UD Florence) is an architectural theorist and critic. She has taught architectural design and theory at the IUAV in Venice, the Architectural Association in London, the University of Greenwich, RMIT University in Melbourne, the University of Technology of Sydney, and the University of Brighton. She is Professor of Architecture and Head of the Leeds School of Architecture at Leeds Beckett University, and Adjunct Professor of Architectural History and Theory at UTS Sydney.

MA A+U fondly remembers her visit for a seminar in 2010

ALL WELCOME

Where are they now? On track.

Recent MA A+U graduate HONGHAO ZENG has now returned home to China to continue his architectural studies at Central South University in Changsha, where he will be working on a design project for the reconstruction of a district of Tianjin damaged in the recent fatal explosion.

CONGRATULATIONS!

MA A+U is very pleased to announce the results for the 2015 Graduating cohort.

DAVID CHANDLER M.A. with Distinction

CHANG CHEN M.A.

THISVI CHRISTOU M.A. with Distinction

PEIWU FANG M.A.

MEISOON JUMAH M.A.

PREETHI MADHANA KUMAR M.A.

AISSA SABBAGH GOMEZ M.A. with Distinction

HONGHAO ZENG M.A. with Distinction

The Graduation Ceremony will take place in December at the Whitworth Hall, University of Manchester. As the photographs below indicate 2014-15 has been a very special and enjoyable year and, as always, we wish all our new graduates success in their future careers.

The Protection of Hubei Village, Shenzhen

MA A+U student Peiwu Fang has completed his thesis project 'The Protection of Hubei Village'. Peiwu writes

'Hubei Village is a small village in Luohu District, Shenzhen. It has a history of more than 500 years, with a special status in the development of Shenzhen. After research on the houses of the village, including old and new ones, a strategy was developed to reflect the heritage value of the houses. The old houses were divided into four classes for their value for preservation o reconstruction. Many of the old houses are rebuilt or transformed a lot. However, the footprint of the old village, its morphology, was preserved well. In the project, I demolish the new intrusive residential buildings in the whole village and create a big ellipse of residential and social accommodation around the old village, as a strong protective barrier against the encroaching development of the city.'