I cannot hide it. I am a bit of a magazine junkie. It comes part and parcel with being such a knowledge hound; magazines often simply provide an easy fix. That being said, I do remain a somewhat discriminating magazine reader -- there needs to be quality information or exploration. I don't read everything that comes my way (that's what the 'net is for - well, ok, not really).
Right now I'm collecting or receiving magazines on computer game development, digital art and graphics, digital video, some National Geographic, infotechgeek and, of course, architecture and society. Architectural Record, CA and Architecture are the usual core suspects, but supplemented with Dwell. This latter is often very keen, though I do really need to write them a letter to discuss one or two issues (like their aversion to floor plans).
But today I want to talk about Metropolis.
I have glanced through Metropolis a few times, but only recently have I come to discover that there seems to be some really good calibre articles hiding within. I referenced one earlier already, but this month's provides a couple more, including the typical 'here's a design'-type article about a house up near Marin County (the crux of this one is its difficult site including a slope and extreme proximity to a freeway). But what really caught my attention (and my praise) is this article, on a sort-of award for innovative design ideas. Launched by the magazine and actually backed with $$ to pursue the building and/or further exploration of the award winners, this is a pretty keen concept and much kudos for the dollar award to take it beyond competition.
First winner up (they are having multiple) is also a concept that is totally enshrined in a key value of mine: Adaptive Reuse. More than just a archi-speak, this idea of re-inhabitation and urban re-use (rather than sprawl) is a big thing on its own, but to use the detritus from another project and to transform it into something radical and new is even more noteworthy (and worthy of praise).
Taking the now-redundant elevated roadway (and its structure) from Boston's Big Dig, the architects for the project saw in the castoffs a perfect long-span, wide bay structure with the capacity for great loads. Combine and erect together in new ways and you have a curvaceous housing development with high floor-to-ceiling space, cantilevers, total internal bay freedom and enough load capacity for all the pianos, libraries and weight rooms in the world, not to mention a full earth-depth park, pools and the like on the roadway-come-roof. A curtain wall encloses the whole thing, and unless one knew, one would be hard pressed on first glance to think 'Gardner Expressway'.
Obviously, the foundations and the curtain walls are not already there, so the project isn't uber-cheap, but with the structure already taken care of it's a long-way there already (not to mention perfect for loft-type spaces w/o the kitch!). Less landfill, more interesting spaces to live in. Mmmmmm.
Check it out. Myself I'm going to keep checking out Metropolis for articles like these. They may not be on how to solve all the world's problems, but little steps that add to bigger leaps.