Bora Architecture & Interiors’ Post

Nir Mualam an I are delighted to announce the release of our new book “Murals and the City - A Comparative Study of Mural and Street Art Practices, Policies and Regulations,” now available from Routledge Press. The book provides a cross-urban account on murals, street art, and public art in cities around the globe. It examines the rules, policies, and regulations that govern the management of murals and street art in various cities and contexts. Murals and street art act as vibrant platforms for communities and individuals who embody diverse and often conflicting identities, carrying the potential to provoke disruption and tension. The book explores the difficulties posed by these issues to cities and their governing bodies, along with the strategies and measures developed to tackle them. The current global landscape of mural policies is analysed through a comparative lens across various cities, focusing on how written regulations, informal practices, and institutional frameworks influence urban spaces, walls, and surfaces. An important contribution to this growing field, the book will appeal to students, practitioners, and scholars with an interest in public art, municipal governance, public space management, cultural policy and urban design. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the creation of this book. The book is set to begin distribution on November 19th, on the Routledge website, where you can also preview the book: https://lnkd.in/diEUFW8K You can use the promo code - AFLY04 to get a 20% discount (until March 31, 2025). We look forward to being in conversation with many of you about this book.

Public art often misses the mark in urban spaces. Often one randomly encounters a piece of art that feels utterly out of place. This isn't just an isolated incident; it's a widespread issue in urban planning. The core of the problem? A glaring disconnect between the art, the space, and the community it resides in. Art in urban spaces often fails because it's designed in isolation. Architects and urban planners meticulously craft the fabric of our cities, yet when it comes to integrating public art, the process is frequently an afterthought. The result? Artworks that clash with their surroundings, failing to resonate with the public or enhance the urban landscape. Moreover, the essence of public art gets lost when it doesn't engage the community. True, impactful art stems from understanding the cultural, historical, and social context of its location. Without this connection, art becomes a mere object, not an experience. It's time to rethink our approach to public art and move towards a collaborative model where artists, architects, and the community co-create, ensuring that art enriches the urban experience, not detracts from it. Engagement is key. Share your experiences with public art that truly enhanced its environment? . Let's start a conversation on how we can bridge the gap between art and architecture in our urban spaces.

The fundamental message of the poem "Walls" by ~Ernestine Northover is that Walls can represent barriers, protection, separation, or even oppression. Regardless of the interpretation. Walls are physical and metaphorical structures that have been a part of human history for centuries. The poetess is talking about the architectural aspect of the Walls and how they have become integral part of humans. Walls, By ~Ernestine Northover Walls of stone and walls of brick, Some walls thin and some walls thick, Walls so high and walls so low, Walls to hide and walls to show. Walls quite short and walls quite tall, Some walls, last well, some walls fall, Walls for comfort, walls of hate, Walls for security, walls ornate. Some as a barricade, some to support, Walls of wood and walls of iron wrought, Walls as a barrier, walls to enclose, Some are to sit on, some to lean and doze. Walls we build ourselves, these aren't good, Walls for privacy, walls that have stood, So many years through weather foul or fine, Walls, that are yours, walls that are mine. Brick by brick they are built to last, Whether built now or in the past, They shelter us from so many things, And shield us from whatever this life brings.

Postmodern Betrayal: The Loss of Sanctuary and Truth There’s a window on the stark elevation of the Clore Gallery by Stirling, hiding a serene circular enclave for quiet seating after immersing in Turner’s works. This space and the foyer were my lunchtime retreats when I worked at Millbank Tower for Skidmore Owings & Merrill in the noughties. I’d escape there, absorbing texts on alchemy from the Scottish publisher Banton, bought from Watkins in Cecil Court, seeking solace from the corporate grind. It was on the 24th floor, during a mundane meeting about door handles, that 9/11 exploded on our screens. We were evacuated, descending endless stairs in chaos. Now, that Clore Gallery sanctuary is obliterated, perhaps by Palumbo’s influence from across the river. Similarly, the phone kiosks in Poultry’s basement, reminiscent of Soane’s knowledge, have vanished. Postmodernism has turned vicious, betraying those who embraced it. It’s no philosophical debate on space and time; it’s a deceiver, flaunting its falsehoods. If style dictates truth, then Postmodernism is a brazen liar, shameless and unapologetic. Shame on you. #Postmodernism #Architecture #CloreGallery #MillbankTower #SkidmoreOwingsMerrill #ArtSanctuary #TurnerWorks #CorporateEscape #911Memory #UrbanDecay #ArchitecturalLoss #CulturalReflection #ArchitecturalBetrayal #ModernismDebate

The Hollow Tooth Led by books made stone, we walked, To where the hollow tooth still stands— A spire shattered by the sky’s wrath, Now rooted deep in Berlin’s hands. A librarian, a guide in grey, Showed us this place, this silent scar, Where history’s echoes fill the air, And architecture wears its war. We cut our teeth on tales like these, On T-squares and on triangles— Instruments of a vanished craft, Now symbols where old wounds still tingle. The spire, they say, was meant to fall, Yet voices rose to keep it there— A monument to what was lost, A prayer suspended in the air. But not just steel and stone alone, This place, a canvas for the pain, Of wars that burn within our bones, And battles fought within the brain. In blue stained glass, the light refracts, A resurrection in the dark— And there, the Christ, of tombak made, Reminds us all of fire’s spark. Yet deeper still, this place resounds, With memories of ash and flame— Of architects who shaped the world, And wars that would not say their name. So here we stand, with minds ablaze, In Berlin’s heart, where scars align— And see the hollow tooth, the wound, As a testament to time. Deo Dante Dedi, we say, To build with hands and hearts anew— For every war that’s fought and lost, Leaves a place for something true. #KaiserWilhelmMemorial #HollowTooth #BerlinArchitecture #ArchitecturalHistory #WarAndMemory #ModernistDesign #BerlinLandmarks #ResilienceThroughDesign #ArchitecturalSymbolism #HistoryInStone

For the second anniversary of Elizabeth Blasius’s monthly column, she shares a history of preservation in Chicago, beginning with its origins in the stewardship of historic buildings by Black Chicagoans during the Great Migration, and looking to the future through the lens of a parking garage designed by Stanley Tigerman. "Preservation in Chicago has a complicated, multidimensional nature. Preservation is a field of practice, a function of government, and an activist movement. In Chicago, each of these components have come together to determine how the built environment expresses the city’s history, culture, and growth. That history is then used to determine what’s worth saving—and what is not. These components often work imperfectly or unevenly, are deployed differently across individuals and institutions, and have changed in conception over time. Preservation has empowered Chicago to see its unique position within the scope of architecture worldwide, but has also formed the feeling of individual blocks at the neighborhood level. While much study has gone into uncovering and interpreting the history of architecture in Chicago, the history of preservation in the third most populated city in the US, and relatively one of the nation’s youngest at just 187 years old, has been given considerably less attention. This is due in part to the fact that preservation is oriented around the development of historical narratives about structures and places as a means to prove that those structures and places are worth preserving. Once that case is made, the need to understand what happens after becomes less urgent. Yet, as preservation reaches toward the future now more than ever before, and as it works to integrate itself into broader social and environmental goals related to the built environment, the efforts of preservation as a form of practice, of government, and of activism, require a historical perspective all their own." https://lnkd.in/gaynzHz5

IMPORTANT ARTICLE BY ARTIST-ARCHITECT CHRIS FOX: “TRANSFORMING URBAN PLACES THROUGH ARTWORK INTERVENTION” The author presents three exciting examples in Sydney of the integration of public art as part of urban design, together with the underpinning philosophy of approach and methodology.  These works come from the integrated and innovative practice of Studio Chris Fox. https://lnkd.in/gxQQxMZd HOW TO SUBMIT AN ARTICLE TO URBAN DESIGN REVIEW Please email me first at [email protected] with your idea or the article so we can discuss. Once we are ready to proceed, go to the URBAN DESIGN REVIEW Home Page on www.urbandesignreview.com and: 1)     Download and read GUIDE FOR SUBMITTING ARTICLES 2)     Click SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE, scroll down and follow the instructions.

Just explored an intriguing article on Huntsville, Alabama's hidden architectural gems, revealing stories that sound almost fictional but are deeply rooted in real history. From the high-ceilinged Spite House, crafted to disrupt a view out of sheer rivalry, to the accidental architectural comedy of the Backward House, and the haunting attraction to the Salem Witch Trials leading to the creation of a replica Witch House in Huntsville. These narratives showcase the uncanny ability of buildings to capture and tell stories, offering a unique insight into the past that shapes a city's character. Huntsville is more than rocket science; it's a place where history's whispers can be heard through its quirky and fascinating architecture. A true testament to the city's rich cultural tapestry and a reminder of how history, intent, and sometimes a hint of spite can culminate in some of the most intriguing architectural landmarks. A stroll through Huntsville promises a journey through time, filled with tales of intrigue and architectural anomalies. #Huntsville #Architecture #History #IntriguingHomes https://lnkd.in/eHk48Mrj

Mid-century modern design may meet our needs even more now than when it first appeared, but that doesn't mean we should idolise the style, writes John Jervis. https://lnkd.in/eXQVKgCn