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About Buildings + Cities
United Kingdom
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2017
Previously audio only, now also in video! A podcast about architecture, buildings and cities, from the distant past to the present day, plus detours into technology, film, fiction, comics, drawings, and the dimly imagined future, hosted by Luke Jones and George Gingell and edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts.
John Soane 6 — Monuments — AB+C 116
In the sixth part of our series on John Soane, we discussed some major monumental buildings in and around London. We began with Dulwich Picture Gallery, perhaps the first purpose-built public art gallery in the world. Then we discussed his church buildings in Marylebone, Southwark and Bethnal Green respectively.
Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts.
Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content: www.patreon.com/about_buildings
Edited by Matthew Lloyd Roberts.
Support the show on Patreon to receive bonus content: www.patreon.com/about_buildings
มุมมอง: 608
วีดีโอ
John Soane 5 - London Improved - AB+C 115
มุมมอง 812หลายเดือนก่อน
In the fifth part of our series on John Soane, we discussed his designs for speculative housing developments in central London, another building in the middle of the city for the Bank of England's National Debt Redemption Office, and his various hypothetical schemes for transforming the city with a thick encrustation of Corinthian columns. We also discussed his work for the Royal Hospital Chels...
John Soane 4 - Westminster - AB+C 114
มุมมอง 8672 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this fourth episode of our miniseries on John Soane, we discussed his projects conducted over many years in and around Westminster. This is a tale of confusing canceled schemes, designs by committee, thwarted architectural vision and some of the most electrifying lost interiors of 19th-century London. If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us by subscribing to our Patreon feed, to...
John Soane 3 - The Bank of England - AB+C 113
มุมมอง 1.7K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
In the third episode of our ongoing series on John Soane, we discussed his magnum opus, and one of the most entrancing lost buildings ever: The Bank of England. This vast administrative complex signalled the transformation of London into the capital of a modern imperial state, but by the 1930s, after just a century of its existence, the bank had outgrown Soane's intricate and weighty toplit cla...
John Soane 2 - Rustic / Classical - AB+C 112
มุมมอง 9745 หลายเดือนก่อน
In episode 2 of our series on John Soane, we discussed the projects he worked on after returning from his Grand Tour of Italy, but before he got his career-defining job as surveyor to the Bank of England. These include several built and unbuilt schemes for country houses, a proposal for a pair of enormous prisons in strict geometrical manner, and several rural outbuildings in a rustic classicis...
John Soane 1 - "Visions of Early Fancy" - AB+C 111
มุมมอง 1.7K5 หลายเดือนก่อน
We're back!! In this first episode of our new series on John Soane (1753-1837) we discuss his origins: the child prodigy draughtsman, son of a bricklayer, apprentice of George Dance, winner of a studentship at the Royal Academy, and later with his Design for a Triumphal Bridge, winner of the Royal Academy and a travelling scholarship to Italy, enabling him to join the aristocratic young men of ...
Rem Koolhaas's 'Delirious New York' - AB+C 110 - 3/3
มุมมอง 9978 หลายเดือนก่อน
The final part of our series on 'Delirious New York'! We discussed the culture clash between European high modernism and Manhattanism. We also discussed the Appendix at the end of the book, a set of speculative, wry, ironic and beautiful visions of where next for the retroactive manifesto, featuring the work of Madelon Vriesendorp, Zoe Zenghelis, Elia Zenghelis and Richard Perlmutter. If you en...
Rem Koolhaas's 'Delirious New York' - AB+C 109 - 2/3
มุมมอง 1.3K9 หลายเดือนก่อน
In our second episode on Rem Koolhaas's Delirious New York, we covered his discussion of three heroic skyscrapers of Manhattanism's golden age: The Empire State Building, The New York Athletic Club and The Rockefeller Centre. We also tried to further explain Koolhaas's unique way of thinking about history, and the particular emphases of his project. Support the show on Patreon and get access to...
Rem Koolhaas's 'Delirious New York' - AB+C 108 - 1/3
มุมมอง 4.3K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
In this episode, the first of a 3-parter, we began our discussion of 'Delirious New York' (1978) by Rem Koolhaas, a 'retroactive manifesto' for Manhattan. In this first part we discussed Rem's reputation, his style and his vision of the historical origins of the skyscraper and its formal qualities, a key part of the book's thesis. This takes us from the tabloid sensibilities of the Coney Island...
Steward Brand's 'How Buildings Learn' - AB+C 107
มุมมอง 1.8Kปีที่แล้ว
In this one-off summer episode we discussed 'How Buildings Learn' (1994) by Stewart Brand. The book is concerned with the whole lifespan of buildings, and "What Happens After They're Built?" This is a valuable and necessary agenda in architecture, however Brand's methodology is sometimes a little slapdash, often to comical effect. Come for the timeless wisdom of the Duchess of Devonshire, stay ...
Antoni Gaudí 7 - La Sagrada Familia - AB+C 106
มุมมอง 1.4Kปีที่แล้ว
In the final episode of our Antoni Gaudí series, we discussed his magnum opus, one of the most famous buildings in the world: La Sagrada Familia. However, as is always the case, not everything is as it seems. We discuss the complex origins of this remarkable building, Gaudí's work on it over decades, the tragic circumstances of his death, and the life of the building after his death. In the nex...
Carlo Scarpa's Castelvecchio (1959-73) #shorts
มุมมอง 525ปีที่แล้ว
The Castelvecchio Museum (1959-73) by Carlo Scarpa in Verona is an elaborate spatial narrative, weaving together historic structures and ingenious design elements to create a fragmentary and multi-layered story about the site, the city, and the objects contained in it. If you want to learn more about the Castelvecchio, watch our podcast: th-cam.com/video/MRspp76hQc0/w-d-xo.html Don't forget to ...
Antoni Gaudí 6 - Colonia Güell Church - AB+C 105
มุมมอง 886ปีที่แล้ว
In this episode of our ongoing series on Antoni Gaudí we discussed the unsolved mystery of the Colonia Güell Church. Perhaps the most enigmatic of Gaudí's projects, and the apotheosis of his method and principles, wholly unrestrained. Only the crypt of this vast proposed church was actually built, in a language of burnt bricks, reclaimed stones and baffling geometries. All that survives to us o...
Antoni Gaudí 5 - Güell Projects - AB+C 104
มุมมอง 911ปีที่แล้ว
Antoni Gaudí 5 - Güell Projects - AB C 104
Antoni Gaudí 4 - Casas Calvet, Batlló & Milà - AB+C 103
มุมมอง 1.5Kปีที่แล้ว
Antoni Gaudí 4 - Casas Calvet, Batlló & Milà - AB C 103
Antoni Gaudí 3 - Gothic Projects - AB+C 102
มุมมอง 1.1Kปีที่แล้ว
Antoni Gaudí 3 - Gothic Projects - AB C 102
Antoni Gaudi 1 - Bad at School - AB+C 100
มุมมอง 4Kปีที่แล้ว
Antoni Gaudi 1 - Bad at School - AB C 100
Ubik by Philip k. Dick - Gnostic Paranoia - AB+C 99
มุมมอง 6Kปีที่แล้ว
Ubik by Philip k. Dick - Gnostic Paranoia - AB C 99
The Primitive Hut - The Design of the First Building - AB+C 98
มุมมอง 2.6Kปีที่แล้ว
The Primitive Hut - The Design of the First Building - AB C 98
Richard Rogers' Reith Lecture - Cities for a Small Planet - AB+C 97
มุมมอง 1.6Kปีที่แล้ว
Richard Rogers' Reith Lecture - Cities for a Small Planet - AB C 97
Palladio's Churches - Palladio Part 6 - AB+C 96
มุมมอง 1.5K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Palladio's Churches - Palladio Part 6 - AB C 96
Quattro Libri - Palladio's Four Books on Architecture - AB+C 95
มุมมอง 2.6K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Quattro Libri - Palladio's Four Books on Architecture - AB C 95
City-Building - Palladio's Civic Buildings - AB+C 94
มุมมอง 1.9K2 ปีที่แล้ว
City-Building - Palladio's Civic Buildings - AB C 94
Palladio's Urban Palaces - Andrea Palladio pt 3 - AB+C 93
มุมมอง 2.5K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Palladio's Urban Palaces - Andrea Palladio pt 3 - AB C 93
Greatest Villas - Andrea Palladio pt 2 - AB+C 92
มุมมอง 4.5K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Greatest Villas - Andrea Palladio pt 2 - AB C 92
"The Most Imitated Architect in History" -- Andrea Palladio part 1 -- AB+C 91
มุมมอง 8K2 ปีที่แล้ว
"The Most Imitated Architect in History" Andrea Palladio part 1 AB C 91
"I Want A Pharoah To Pay Me to Build Him A Pyramid" - Scarpa 4/4 - Brion Vega + Olivetti - AB+C 90
มุมมอง 2.6K2 ปีที่แล้ว
"I Want A Pharoah To Pay Me to Build Him A Pyramid" - Scarpa 4/4 - Brion Vega Olivetti - AB C 90
Invented History - the Castelvecchio Museum - Carlo Scarpa 3/4 - AB+C 89
มุมมอง 3.9K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Invented History - the Castelvecchio Museum - Carlo Scarpa 3/4 - AB C 89
Venetian Sci-Fi - on Querini Stampalia - Carlo Scarpa - 2/4 - AB+C 88
มุมมอง 5K2 ปีที่แล้ว
Venetian Sci-Fi - on Querini Stampalia - Carlo Scarpa - 2/4 - AB C 88
Kings Arms Pub How COOL 😎
el Durand del renacimiento (avant la lettre) pero con mucho más talento
Thank you for this, I remember it was a series on tv. I would like you to cover Prince Charles-'A Vision of Britain' (1989) and Ian Nairn-'Paris' (1968).
the best architectural channel ever! great job!
I was always told it was.🎉🎉🎉
Love your podcasts 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤
Who doesn't LOVE Johnny
I have no idea how you guys sit like that, and for and hour no less. I couldn't sit like that for even one minute.
Y.o.u.t.h.
Orange shirt guy interrupts way too much.
A small but important note. The photo at 41:13 of the Flatiron Building, taken in 1904 by Edward Steichen, was taken on a rainy night, not in the smog.
The Early Fancy painting was of Soane’s unexecuted designs. See “Sir John Soane’s Museum London” - Tim Knox
1:09:35 This story of a boss going up and down with an elevator office to check on employees is completely true. Tom Scott, youtuber, did a video on such a topic.
45:15 The skyscrapers do generally look like chairs or thrones.
I deeply appreciate you both taking the time to upload these conversations about all things architecture. Thank you
Good job guys! I turned this on whilst waiting in the queue to enter the palace. It ended being such a nice audio guide! Heartfelt thanks to you both! Sending some sunny vibes from Barcelona. Cheers, Rob
Visited I meant to say
I loved this podcast!! Thank you guys. Greetings from a Mexican in Germany
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you very much for that exploration of the Sagrada Familia, I remember visiting it about 40 years ago and I loved the church chime tune that was produced by it. Seemed a very fitting soundscape. I wonder if it still rings out. Have you done a podcast on Steiner's Gotheanum in Dornach yet? Similar to S G in some ways....
❤❤ great episode ! thank u
Yall Aint No Gangsters. Facts.
I know who we're supposed to lionise as the hero but Yvonne Gallis, alcoholic ex-prostitute and good time girl is STILL way out of the league of skinny Sid Little impersonator and 'absolute shit' Corb. I wonder what first attracted her to the millionaire architect?
Thank you. That’s most kind. I’ve now managed to establish contact with Luke Jones now too so I’ll be in touch.
Another excellent podcast wherein Luke and George manage to throw out the bathwater and still make fun of the baby. It's interesting (perhaps) that Corb was writing at a time when the cinema WAS a superior place to live compared to the home, for many, which doubtless added to its attraction. On another note, I look forward to the time when police officers, instead of pulling us over and inquiring whether we are in fact Lewis Hamilton, tap on the windows of our Ford Fiesta, parked in a lay-by following a marital split, and ask us whether we are in fact Le Corbusier and 'is this truly a machine for living in, sir?' In Byzantium, paricularly in Constantinople, churches were stripped of decoration in the period of iconoclasm (thirty years in the ninth century) but the restoration of Orthodoxy embraced the icon and visual finery which it has not lost since.
A dazzling hour! At this time of universal dumbing down how inspiring it is to hear such a sophisticated and knowledgeable conversation! You have brightened my day up considerably! Having written a play about Soane and Gandy and am now completing a novel about them too, I would like to contact George Gingell but finding information about him has totally defeated me. Does anyone have any advice?
drop us an email on aboutbuildingsandcities at gmail dot com and we will get back to you!
Excellent podcast- thank you.
Thank you Nicholas! So glad you are enjoying the show
A question: how much can and do architects protect their designs to prevent intellectual theft when submitting for competition? I am reminded that the design of Birmingham Town Hall was open to competition and I believe the city elders used this as a means of distilling their views as to what they wanted- this must be devastating and potentially damaging for the losing competitors.
Great stuff as usual George and Luke- thank you. I'm glad you mentioned the skyscrapers' likeness to Gothic steeples but George's reference to the extended plan behind the tower of Mead Howells' and Hood's winning entry is suggestive of a nave in these secular temples to business. The phallic symbolism of skyscrapers is a tired cliche but the resemblance to a stack of coins reaching vertically contrasts with the Palladian spread of old money which came from the land.
Birmingham UK, like other cities, has its malls and even a 'Resorts World'... this is very telling, I think. Our junkspaces are consumer-fuelled resorts where you're not supposed to stay, just visit and spend; the gangs of youths who loiter and gawp but don't buy are just tomorrow's junkies. I've never been but I imagine Florida to be a junkspace state. Take away the buck and these spaces are meaningless. Horrible.
th-cam.com/video/3E-Zrg9CB_Q/w-d-xo.htmlsi=EsRjFy6WVspxAJrc
Thank you Luke and George... looking forward to the freeing up of impending death!! Great podcasts: intelligent, elucidating, funny and respectful- a genuine achievement which makes spinning plates look a piece of piss.
If I can add my six pennyworth, these podcasts are both illuminating and entertaining- you are always critical but never facile in your criticism. You tear down the pompous but leave standing the essential quality of the architecture you analyse. I have found them excellent listening and very educative without becoming pedagogical. Good work!
Brilliant stuff as usual- thank you George and Luke
Luke Jones and George Gingell: deconstructing bullshit since 2021
Thank you George and Luke for another fascinating podcast, and for the new word (for me)- aleatoric design. I am very old and I still believe in vertical truths as opposed to the horizontal free-for-all that is postmodernism but this doesn't mean that every building has to be logical or even metaphorical for me to be happy. BUT I am a wee bit averse to architects who seem to be contrarians and cause nightmares for bricklayers. Keep up the very good work!
You guys should read a story about Peter Eisenman and Villa Pisani in Montagnana when he was travelling with Colin Rowe in 1961. It will be helpful for you to understand architecture of Palladio.
Another great series from Luke and George- I'm visiting the Soane museum soon, so this provided much of the backstory of the man and his work. I like your comments about how he was adept at 'fudging' but agree with you that this is a sign of the flexible, imaginative architect rather than one who has somehow failed- Palladio did something similar in his town houses, I believe. And your observation about constraint bringing out the best in Soane is spot on- too much licence and creativity dries up (eh Frankie Boyle?). A great three-parter.
Thanks so much Nicholas! We've got more episodes on Soane coming soon
The Barbican is a weird one; magnificent architecture in the towers and slabs but fundamentally unlovely- maybe because the residents are bourgeois and joyless. I think it's post-Brutalist in as much as it coquettishly exposes its pilotis, the concrete has been (expensively) prettified and it feels tinkered with, as if after a series of five-year-plans. I still love it but I don't love it like I love the bold and lived-in constructions in Belgrade. A great podcast though- thank you Luke and George
George and Luke deconstruct Dirteen Eighty Four, among others ... this is wonderful stuff, and a breath of fresh air.
A superb series- thank you. You have managed to pull off the near impossible by presenting a fully informed and fascinating subject with wit and humanity- I loved it. A suggestion for the future if you haven't already tacked it would be Byzantium; the political and cultural significance of the New Rome being outlived by the new New Rome of Venice, which plundered much of the treasure of Constantinople, is intriguing and might even have echoes in some of the architectural features of the Serenissima.
This is my second time watching this series (its that good) and I just wanted to say that I love the use of music, and I think it'd be great to use it more often, as it seems to be an excellent feature lost in later series. Love your work!
This is amazing - your understanding of, and insights into, this complex building that hasn't existed for 100 years have blown me away. I used to work at the Royal Pavilion, and a local VR modelling enthusiast was reconstructing the now-missing parts of the site from George IV's day. I wonder if he would tackle this challenge...
McKim Mead and White were obviously fans.
I absolutely love the pink poche' sections. Thanks my friends. As always, I am enjoying and learning with each episode. Great stuff
Epic
Very interesting thank you.
I really enjoy these videos but... please don't play with your feet on camera! With this habit you'll never make it to the next level! ;)
You have managed to bore me
Love your podcast! The Le Corbusier series saved my butt while trying to read his polemic. I found him infuriating but learning from you guys what made him who he was allowed his writing to be more palatable. Keep it up!
Deep dive into Soaneanism. Brilliant. Interesting comparison to Adolf Loos. You briefly discussed "Ornament and Crime" in an early show, but Loos would be a good full show, suitably twisted story for your like, set in the midst of the Fall of the Habsburg Empire. I'd love to hear your take on him and his work.