Archinect - News

This 3D virtual tour lets you explore the ancient tombs of Pharaoh Ramses VI

2020-07-16T13:33:00-04:00

A stunning 3D virtual tour from the Egyptian Tourism Authority takes viewers deep into the heavily detailed tomb of Pharaoh Ramesses VI. Named Tomb KV9, the underground structure has a long corridor leading down to the now-broken sarcophagus, and both walls and the ceiling are inscribed with writings from ancient Egyptian texts and astronomical renderings.

If you're ready for some archaeological adventure but find yourself pandemic-trapped at home and unable to make it to Egypt's ancient Valley of the Kings right now, try the virtual tomb tour of Pharaoh Ramses VI who reigned in the 12th century BC.

Take a look at some screenshots of the ruler's spectacular eternal digs below.

Come on in! Welcome to my crib.

This must be the master bedroom. Literally.

Whoops, the mummy's out.

Exit through the gift shop.

Looking for more virtual tours on Archinect? Click here.

Check out Archtober 2019's Buildings of the Day (and our handy map to find them all)

2019-09-26T15:21:00-04:00

Archtober 2019, New York City's month-long festival of architecture & design, is only days away now.

As in previous years, the festival calendar also features exclusive tours and events again at nearly 30 Buildings of the Day in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island. Registering early is recommended — many events sell out fast.

Take a look at the full Building of the Day list below and use Archinect's handy interactive map to easily locate each building. The map also allows to rediscover 2018's buildings, in case you missed some of them last year.

Oct 2: Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Photo: Chuck Choi/Rafael Vifioly Architects.

Oct 1: Hispanic Society Museum & Library
Original architect: Charles Pratt Huntington (1906)
Renovation Architects: Selldorf Architects + Beyer Blinder Belle (ongoing)

Oct 2: Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Original architect: Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates (1977)
Renovation architect: Rafael Viñoly Architects (2008)
Rooftop canopy: Toshiko Mori (2...

Don't miss: walking through the Economist Plaza

2016-07-08T05:45:00-04:00

The Economist Plaza was designed by Alison and Peter Smithson in the 1960s and still serves as a seminal example of an inviting and approachable urban space in Central London. The project is successful because it bravely addresses the clash between the aesthetic of the Smithsons and the surrounding historic fabric.

St. James’s is steeped in history and tradition. The Economist Plaza itself shares a wall with Boodle’s, a historic private member’s club designed with Palladian windows and other classical features. In contrast, the Smithsons advocated the aesthetic for New Brutalism by examining and questioning the work of modernists like Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier. They were hired for this project after completing the Hunstanton School in Norfolk.

The Smithsons scheme may appear to be modernist but it subtly addresses the surrounding architecture. The original complex contained an office tower, residential building and bank. The Portland stone cladding references classical mater...

Architecture for the people: the rise of Open House Worldwide

2014-09-16T17:32:00-04:00

The gilded opulence of a Buenos Aires ballroom, the hidden tunnels beneath Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, and the cavernous innards of the biggest gasometers in Europe are some of the off-limits sites that can be glimpsed around the world this autumn, thanks to the growing phenomenon of the Open House weekend. The initiative, which began in London in 1992 and celebrates its 22nd edition this week, has since spawned a global network of over 20 cities [...].

Johnson’s Glass House re-opens to self-guided tours

2014-05-16T12:14:00-04:00

Diane Daniel calls attention to the fact that Glass House in New Canaan, Conn., will now have a twice-monthly option of taking a self-guided tour.

Previously

Rice Design Alliance’s "Additionally" tour highlights modern updates of 8 historic houses in Houston

2014-01-08T12:46:00-05:00

If you're in the Houston, Texas area and want to "add in" some well-in-advance weekend plans, Rice Design Alliance from Rice University will be hosting their 38th Annual Architectural Tour "Additionally" on March 29-30, 2014.

RDA is inviting its members and their guests for a weekend to visit eight historic houses originally built between 1885 to 1964 throughout Houston. Within the past 12 years, local architecture firms individually crafted modernized additions that complement each house's historic nature.

Check out some of the tour's destinations:

216 Avondale (1906); Addition: 2012, m+a architecture

707 Sabine (1885); Additions: 2000, Gary Eades; 2009, Janusz Design

3503 Audobon (1920); Addition: 2011, Interloop–Architecture

5503 Sturbridge; Additions: 1960, Marshall S. MacDougal; 2008, Dillon Kyle Architecture

For more info on the tour, head over to Bustler.

Images courtesy of Rice Design Alliance.

Tour the stunning "The Fish Church" in Stamford as part of the Docomomo US Tour Day

2013-10-04T18:44:00-04:00

Docomomo US will begin its 7th annual national Tour Day program at the First Presbyterian Church on Oct. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Stamford, Connecticut. The Docomomo Tour brings together architects, designers, historians, enthusiasts, and organizations for exclusive tours and related events devoted to the appreciation of US modern architecture and mid-20th century design. Tomorrow's event at the First Presbyterian Church is the first of more than 50 Tour Days in 23 states throughout October.

Built by architect Wallace K. Harrison, the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford is also known as The Fish Church because of its fish-like shape. The Fish Church is -- excuse the pun -- quite a gem with its interior that is bathed in a sapphire light and made of 20,000 pieces of dalle de verre glass in 86 hues.

At the altar stands a Visser-Rowland (Opus 87) organ. The instrument is a 4-manual, 51-stop, 74-rank organ with 4,026 pipes, 244 keys on 4 keyboards and 32 pedals. The chur...

Homes by Frank Gehry, Eric Owen Moss, Neil Denari open for tour

2013-06-19T13:41:00-04:00

"Tip the world on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles," Frank Lloyd Wright reportedly said. That looseness -- a spirit of experimentation, a refusal to be bound by convention -- will be on display June 23 when the MAK Center for Art and Achitecture hosts a tour of groundbreaking modern homes by Frank Gehry, Neil M. Denari Architects, Eric Owen Moss and artist Peter Alexander.

Eclectic Revisited: Preserving Venice's Architectural Context

2013-05-14T18:35:00-04:00

In Venice, Sandmeier wanted to tell the story of a whole neighborhood, not just emphasize the architectural merits of any one structure, and in doing so build a history of architects and artists working together. "Buildings are important for different reasons. Sometimes it's the architecture, sometimes it is the history, and sometimes it is the context," she explains. "Venice is a place with such rich cultural context that underlies the whole community, there is a lot to talk about."

Mimi Zeiger reports from the self-guided tour "Venice Eclectic: Modern Architecture from the '70s and '80s", part of "Curating the City Modern Architecture in L.A.," the Conservancy's ongoing contribution to Pacific Standard Time: Modern Architecture in Los Angeles.

Section of L.A. River through the Valley opens to tours

2012-07-16T13:13:00-04:00

The 70-foot channel has for years operated as a flood-control channel, wildlife sanctuary and escape valve for treated waste water befouled with chemicals and trash. Now, the soft-bottom swath of weedy islands, dense brush and willows draped with fast-food wrappers, plastic bags and clothes is one of the newest summer attractions in town.

Portland Architecture by Streetcar

2012-03-09T15:00:00-05:00

Hop aboard the Portland Streetcar to discover the city's hidden architectural gems. Disembark along the route and reflect on the stonework of the Armory. Hop on the next car and travel a few blocks to Tanner Springs park. This photo essay is a sample of what one might see between the South Waterfront and Northwest portland.

Architecture meets art in the 'DesCours' nighttime optical adventure

2011-12-02T14:08:55-05:00

In its five-year history, DesCours has become my favorite annual art outing, but it hasn't become any easier to describe. You'd be accurate if you called it a self-guided nighttime tour of lighted experimental architecture installations set in little-seen downtown locations.