A group of Savannah College of Art and Design students completed a two-part installation that is designed to commemorate slaves who worked on the LeConte-Woodmanston Plantation. The installation includes a series of wooden structures mounted in the same rice fields that slaves once worked in as well as a 231 foot instalation along walkways that go through the plantation. The second part includes a chapel that can house up to 125 people for events. Join discussion...

Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset saw beauty and potential in an old water-pumping station in suburban Berlin. These two artists (formerly a couple, now just artistic partners), after having lived in Berlin for some years without investing in property, finally took the plunge and purchased the out-of-place space. They soon began renovations with the help of two young architects, Nils Wenk and Jan Wiese, and completed the project in about a year. Keeping most of the original architecture, the two artists saw the space as a spatial challenge, "somewhere we could apply the concepts we had been working with in our art." For example, four large vents in the upper floor once used for ventilation have been transformed into a fireplace, a table, a guest bed, and an embedded bathtub. Now the water-pumping station is both home and studio, and perhaps a work of art in itself. Join discussion...

In Rome, an ancient auditorium was dicovered, believed to be dated around the 2nd century. This auditorium was the "center of culture." It was a placed where people, such as politicians, had debates. About 200 people could fit in the auditorium. Join discussion...

My article is about a new art museum that was built in Qatar around last year. Not only does the museum contain collects of Islamic art, but the building itself is a piece of art because of its modern, yet still Islamic, style. It was designed by a 91 year old Chinese man named I.M. Pei, (who grew up in Hong Kong where my mom is from) and is also famous for designing the East building of the National Art Gallery in DC. Pei had to study Islamic culture before the museum was designed, and considers the museum itself a piece of sculpture. Join discussion...

The Miami Design Preservation league is celebrating the 30th anniversary of it's success at saving Miami's art deco architecture from bulldozers, and getting the district designated on the National register of Historic Places. The preservation is celebrated because it was a crucial part of the South Beach renaissance. The art deco architecture has now become a popular backdrop and theme for cafés and hotels. Many of the old buildings were renovated and now serve as an important relic of Miami's latin history and culture. Join discussion...

This story is about recent trends in modern hotels involving art. Specifically, this article details the Thompson LES, a hotel in Manhattan, New York. Above each bed is a giant light box featuring a picture of a tree from a specific artists series. This adds an organic element to the rooms. There is also a large pool in the hotel that boasts a giant picture of Andy Warhol on the bottom. This shows how art has been fused with architecture in more obvious ways than in the past. Join discussion...

I.M. Pei designed the Museum of Islamic Art, which is located on a man-made island in Doha, Qatar. It is a serene building, sharp in its chiseled angles and simplistic in its geometric from. It fuses past and present architectural styles, which I.M. Pei believes is crucial for all architecture -- to have roots. He says too many building designs are overly modern. We have to acknowledge the past. The Museum of Islamic Art fuses urban modernism and primitive fundamentalism, both characteristic of the Middle East. I.M. Pei is most notable for designing the Louvre and the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Join discussion...

Recently a $621 million addition of a visitor center was made to the East side of the Capitol; a project with an original budget of $265 million. The east side used to be the simply-landscaped, calmer side of the Capitol building, but now it has been swallowed up in a jumbled mass of architecture and walkways. The effect of the 580,000 square foot structure is minimized by placing most of it underground, but the bucolic air of the past has been lost. Moreover, the interior is all about sterility and smooth surfaces, making it feel airport- or hospital-like. Join discussion...

This article talks about plans for the new art museum in Berkeley. The current museum is old and has suffered damage from earthquakes. The new building in planning is designed by Toyo Ito, a well known Japanese architect. It has a honeycomb pattern and is very sturdy to withstand earthquakes and still have thin elegant structures. The plan is to have curved corners for maximum gallery space. The design is very open and fluid, but some features may have to be altered due to the budget. With the economy at its current status, officials are trying to cut back on as much as possible, still keeping the architectural beauty. They are currently in a state of compromise and fine-tuning the design. Join discussion...

Lawrence Halprin has a very well developed and supportive belief about the arts in our society. At age 92 he has seen many of his works of art develop and redevelop, until what once was a thought out landscape becomes a field of dirt or a new building. The reason, he explains, is that his landscapes are so thought out that they take more understanding than simple architecture of a building. Anyone can note a beautifully created structure, but understanding why the artist chose to design a landscape takes much more thought and is often over thought. People are starting ways to preserve the landscapes, but with developing lands and industrial mindsets, sometimes it can't be done as it would be preferred. Because of this, photography is getting more precise at documenting these works of art that can have such a lasting impression. Landscape architecture definitely deserves more than this, but it is a step in the right direction Join discussion...