San Diego Architectural Foundation

In August of 2010 Mayor Jerry Sanders and Qualcomm co-founder Irwin Jacobs announced a plan to eliminate vehicular traffic from Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama. The estimated $33 million project is intended to restore the Plaza to its original 1915 state by allowing only East-bound traffic across the Cabrillo Bridge and then directing it to a 900-space parking garage to the South of Spreckels Organ Pavilion via a new bypass. Diagrams of the plan can be seen here and here.  
Though many have expressed their support for getting rid of the approximately 70 parking spaces within the Plaza, opposition to the proposed plan has continued to gain momentum since the Park Committee held a public discussion on the matter January 8th. At the head of this opposition is the Save our Heritage Organization, arguing that while restoring it to its intended purpose is a good idea, this plan would require dramatically altering other areas of the park, and damaging landscapes and views of the park from the South.
   
What are your thoughts? We encourage you to check out both sides of the issue and tell us what you think.
  
Related stories:
Ban cars from park bridge, public says; Roger Showley, SignOnSanDiego 1/8/11
Zoo questions parking solution for Plaza de Panama; Roger Showley, SignOnSanDiego 12/22/10
Plaza Plan for Park Unveiled; Roger Showley, SignOnSanDiego, 8/31/10
 

Our friends at Rebuild Global, a local non-profit, are giving designers an opportunity to give back to their community. The 2nd annual ProjectFIND Design Competition is asking all socially responsible designers to return to the drawing board and take a stand for something that is important to you and submit a design for anything worth doing in your community and Rebuild will make it happen. Last year's winner submitted a network of school gardens across San Diego county. Rebuild has already built out the first garden in Little Italy and Architect Kevin deFreitas has volunteered his time to assist in the design of the second garden in Sherman Heights.
 
After the success of the competition’s first completion in November of last year, Rebuild Global continues with the effort to create a shift in the way designers collectively think about and act upon the challenges in the communities they live, love and grow in. The organization is once again seeking the talents of individuals in San Diego to be the voice that will educate and inspire others to seek out creative solutions. For more info visit projectfindcompetition.com/about

Due to the level of excitement over this project and to accommodate those entrants who have been busy studying and preparing for and taking finals, Rebuild Global has extended the competition through the holidays. The new deadline to register and submit will be January 15th, 2011 with the winner announced on February 1st. They  have also added up to $500 cash prize for first place. They are anxious to see all of your inspiring proposals, so keep them coming!

^{(clockwise: Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (Gehry), National Museum Abu Dhabi (Foster), Museum of Islamic Art (Pei), Louvre Abu Dhabi (Nouvel)}

NEW MUSEUMS OF THE MIDDLE EAST

In "Blueprints for the Mideast," New York Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff explores two cities on the Persian Gulf, Doha and Abu Dhabi; the settings for vast construction projects, including major new museums designed by some of the world’s most celebrated architects. Have a look at these fascinating interviews with the architects, conducted by Ouroussoff.
  
Related articles include Ouroussoff's Critic's Notebook entries, "Building Museums, and a Fresh Arab Identity", and "In Arabian Desert, a Sustainable City Rises"

Members, Supporters and Friends -

At this time of Thanksgiving celebration our thoughts turn to you with deep appreciation. May the beautiful things of life be yours in abundance on Thanksgiving and throughout the coming year.

Enjoy a warm and wonderful holiday. Cheers!

^{The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City by Ennead Architects, the Firm Formerly Known as Polshek Partnership.}

On June 24 Polshek Partnership, a prestigious 50-year-old architecture practice,  changed their name and are now known as Ennead.

Check out Robin Progrebin's interesting 9/29 New York Times piece, Architecture Now Building New Names, discussing the evolution of architects' approach to identifying themselves and their firms, and the various reasoning behind it.

More reading about Polshek's name change may be found here.

The day has arrived for city dwellers everywhere to transform metered parking spots into temporary parks for the public good!! Our friends from Sezio and Holiday Matinee may be found hanging out on a stretch of NewGrass on India Street in the vicinity of Burger Lounge (listening to some music, no less), and our friends from Agitprop Gallery will be grillin' up some eats at the Corner of Fairmount Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard in City Heights.

We encourage you to get out there and take part in the creative adaptation of pavement and painted lines!!

Nothing is worth more than this day.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

There are so many exciting events around town this weekend as part of Art San Diego Contemporary Art Fair! We're excited about all of them, and will be making the rounds tomorrow night including stops at Orchid nominee The Periscope Project and Set & Drift's show Current at The Bakery in beautiful Barrio Logan. This is a perfect weekend to get out there and drink in some innovation and art!!

Arts Month San Diego is a collaboration between dozens of local visual and performance art organizations, arts and civic leaders, artists, philanthropists, and committed public and private partners.
  
Leaders from numerous arts organizations in San Diego joined together to launch of Arts Month San Diego / September 2010. Arts Month San Diego will unite a broad array of the city's arts and performance entities under one marketing umbrella. A diverse cross-section of arts and culture programs will be showcased throughout the month with participating galleries, artist-run initiatives, public art museums, performing arts events, and festivals. The month’s events will be kicked-off at the Opening Night of ART SAN DIEGO Contemporary Art Fair on Thursday, Sept. 2nd, 2010.

There's so much going on that it may be hard to comprehend, so we suggest you click here for a comprehensive event listing - and make it a point to check out as much of it as you're able, for as Lauren Buscemi writes in the above linked Contemporary Art Fair program, "SAN DIEGO: The city’s wide-ranging art scene is finally making waves … and hitting critical mass." We agree, and couldn't be more pleased.

Because…

He inspires awesomeness, always.
Holiday Matinee keeps us informed
and makes us happy.
He is the host with the most.
He possesses incredible, infectious energy.
He Swears to Good We Are God At This.
He has the coolest shoes.
"Love your work, work your love." He coined it.
He is open to whatever comes next.

And because he tirelessly donated his time and energy to both Team D3, and emceeing PechaKucha Nights, the San Diego Architectural Foundation supports celebrating and declaring this August 24, 2010 Dave Brown Day.

Celebrate Dave Brown and his Day at Starlite tonight.

Happy Day, Dave Brown.
Big love, many thanks, and a fond adieu to you!

^{Leslee Schaffer with Dave Brown, David McCullough and Dave White (a.k.a. D3)}