Welcome to Architectonic.io, the newsletter putting the tonic into architecture!
This is what I've got for you this week
The Blueprint
This week, we look at how the old becomes new: industrial ruins becoming housing, a historic skyline challenging a Pritzker winner, and a 20-year-old invention that rethinks concrete entirely.
Fitzroy Gasworks: The "Village" Approach to Density
Melbourne is proving that "mixed-income" doesn't have to mean "low quality." Woods Bagot’s approval for the Fitzroy Gasworks renewal is a masterclass in density. Instead of a monolithic block, they are mimicking the rhythm of the area's historic terraces; layered balconies, pocket gardens, and a shared arcade.
It’s a 539-home answer to the question: Can we build big without losing the human scale? [Read the full breakdown here.]
Chipperfield’s Second Attempt at the Nobel Center
After his first design was rejected for being too dominant, David Chipperfield is back. The new proposal for Stockholm’s Nobel Center trades the brass box for a "respectful dialogue" of timber frames and reclaimed brick. The strategy? Break up the volume to mimic the Södermalm topography.
The permit is pending, but the debate is already heating up. Is this a genuine contextual response, or just a safer version of the original?
Marc Leschelier’s "Pre-Architecture"
In Florence, the Fortezza da Basso has been invaded by 18 structures that look like fabric but stand like stone. Marc Leschelier’s "Ancient / New Site" uses concrete canvas to critique our obsession with function.
His architecture are not about creating fixed buildings, instead he juxtaposes his interventions in the duality between “soft and hard." It’s a stunning reminder that architecture starts with material, not just program.
The Detail
We owe our built environment to human curiosity and the desire to discover new ways of creating, building and living. As an ode to this, this weeks deep dive will celebrate a new way of working with an old material.
Concrete Canvas: The Revolution on a Roll
Imagine a building material that arrives on site folded in a crate, unfolds like a tent, and hardens into a waterproof, fire-resistant concrete shell in 24 hours, just by adding water.
It sounds like sci-fi, but Concrete Canvas (CC) has existed since 2004. It offers:
95% material savings compared to traditional poured concrete.
10x faster installation.
Radical carbon reduction.
So, if this material is so miraculous, why aren't we building our cities with it? Why is it stuck in disaster relief and ditch lining?
In this week's Deep Dive, we explore the Concrete Canvas paradox: the immense potential of "fabric formwork" and the structural/regulatory hurdles stopping it from going mainstream.
The Studio
The "Delivery Mode" Mindset. We are in full-blown delivery week at the office. It’s chaotic, but it reminds me to pay attention to the details, because as we know - that’s where the devil’s at.
Pro Tip: In the heat of a deadline, the first thing to slip is usually the metadata. Check your Title Blocks. If the drawing is right but the revision number is wrong, the drawing is wrong.
See you next week,
-Johan