Green Space
Brooks + Scarpa has unveiled a proposal for a new $12-million park in downtown Los Angeles. The land is available for development as a part of the city’s 50 Parks Initiative.
[Archdaily]
Artists Grounded
President Trump’s refugee ban is having repercussions in the art world. Artists are unable to enter the United States, or fear that if they leave they will be unable to return. “Scholarly exchanges and international collaborations are key to our ongoing work, and we are very concerned that a number of programs we have in place could be threatened, just at a time when the world needs more, not less, exchange and mutual understanding,” said Thomas P. Campbell, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
[Artforum]
Architecture Afloat
To combat rising sea levels, a California nonprofit has proposed building a city of floating islands in French Polynesia. While some see the plan as a smart adaptation, others doubt it will be a viable solution in poor countries.
[The New York Times]
Ikea Idea Wins Prize
The 2017 Beazley award for design of the year went to Ikea for its flat-pack refugee shelter. “We accept this award with mixed emotions—while we are pleased that this kind of design is honored, we are aware that it has been developed in response to the humanitarian needs that have arisen as the result of the refugee crisis,” said Johan Karlsson, interim managing director of the program.
[Independent]
Budget Cuts for the Arts
After reports that the Trump administration will eliminate federal funding for the arts, Graham Bowley of The New York Times has published a detailed summary of the debate.
[The New York Times]
Diversity in Design
The American Institute of Architects’s New York Chapter will put on an exhibition highlighting the work of black architects. The show will include 20 designers, including Roberta Washington, a principal at her eponymous firm, and Yolande Daniels, a principal at Studio SUMO.
[Curbed]
