THE PLAN 143, the eighth and final issue for 2022

THE PLAN 143 is the eighth and final issue for 2022. It includes an editorial by Mónica Ponce de León and the columns Zoom, Letter from China, and Viaggio in Italia, by Valerio Paolo Mosco.

The cover of THE PLAN 143 is dedicated to the Blade Residence project, designed by Mino Caggiula Architects, in Canobbio, Switzerland. This issue brings a variety of topics together, ranging from residential complexes to stadiums, theatres, homes, towers, and foundations.

It opens with the editorial “Constructing Culture” by Mónica Ponce de León, founder of MPdL. By examining several significant examples of architecture, the author invites architects to rethink their design approach.

The Letter from China column examines the Quzhou Stadium project by MAD Architects. Remaining with the theme of cultural and entertainment projects, the Zoom column focuses on the open-air theaters designed by the Flanagan Lawrence studio, in particular the Helena Majdaniec Theater in Stettin, Poland.

The focus of Valerio Paolo Mosco’s Viaggio in Italia column is MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, a studio that works with an extremely modern architectural language, adapting it to a range of situations and needs. From its portfolio, the column focuses on the Luigi Rovati Foundation in Milan.

In the United States, we look at Steven Holl Architects’ project for the Rubenstein Commons Institute for Advanced Study, a multifunctional building in Princeton. The strength of this project lies in its juxtaposition of curving walls and ceilings and, in particular, its skillful use of light.

212 Stuart Street is a residential tower in Boston designed by Höweler + Yoon. An unusual feature of the design phase of this building was the way it combined parametric modeling and real experimentation, using scale and full-size models.

Greece is next on the agenda and a home on the Aegean Sea. Dubbed Ridge House and designed by AREA (Architecture Research Athens), the home grows out of the morphology of its surroundings and, through the skillful use of materials, adapts to its setting to become a focal point on the landscape.

This is followed by Star House by atelier GRATIA, a jewel box of a home in Taiwan, in which an apparently monolithic volume that’s closed off to the outside hides an interior glazed patio area and a garden roof.

The issue closes with Blade Residence, designed by Mino Caggiula Architects. Just like a sculpture by Richard Serra, blades of weathering steel give shape to this residential complex located in Canobbio, on steep terrain between the lake and woods.