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This Week in Social: Le Corbusier's Lost Mural, The Spirit of Diana Vreeland at Sight Unseen, and #HungryMistakes

By Katherine Wisniewski

Welcome to Curbed's new weekly round-up of architecture and design on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and (god forbid) even LinkedIn. Collected from retweets, intra-office chats, and, well, anything that sent us into a 140-character tizzy, this is what Curbed editors actually read this week. Please be in touch if you have a recommendation for next week.

I love #setup #LeCorbusier #collectivedf

A photo posted by Patrick Parrish (@mondoblogo) on


1. It's kind of a funny story how a forgotten Le Corbusier mural, originally intended for Jørn Oberg Utzon's Sydney Opera House, found it's way into Collective Design Fair's impressive #NYCxDEsign showing. The mural—Les dés sont jetés—has been under lock and key ever since Utzon was quietly dismissed mid-construction from the Sydney Opera House project, but resurfaced in an auction of Utzon's personal effects. Now, the stately mural is enjoying the high society debut it never got the first time around. Patrick Parrish, proprietor of Patrick Parrish Gallery, has caught the mural mid-installation and, oh boy, ain't it a beaut.

2. This week's sob story is Tokyo's Hotel Okura, which is famous for being more or less untouched since its opening on the eve of Tokyo's 1964 Olympic Games. As far as midcentury trophy pieces go, this one is exemplary: Intricate latticework, hexagonal pendant laps, subdued tatami mats, and a dimly lit vibe that's integral to Mad Men-era cosplay. For the sake of variety, do also check out Curbed's Hotel Okura epitaph.

3. If you haven't read the most recent contribution to IconEye by Sam Jacob—founding director of FAT Architecture and generally incisive human—then, please: Stop looking at a social round-up and read this instead. Here's a choice quote for the unconvinced among you, "Their Turner shortlisting should be a wake-up call to the thing that likes to call itself "the profession". If you don't value real disciplinary innovation, you'll forever find yourself defensively protecting your ever-decreasing patch."

4. Blair Kamin, architecture critic at the Chicago Tribune and a member of the class of '79, makes a plea for Amherst's imperiled fraternity houses in the college's Spring 2015 issue. It comes at a pretty politicized time: Just last year, Amherst banned underground fraternities and 2012 was marked by some pretty hefty allegations of sexual assault on College Row. However, Kamin, who tip toes around the fraught affair for the sake of an Alumni quarterly, makes a salient point, "Our tasks are to appreciate these buildings and to weave them into the fabric of vibrant college life."

5. There's a veritable Thanksgiving dinner of beautiful design offerings to be consumed at this year's NYCxDesign, but Curbed associate editor Jenny Xie caught one of our favorites at Sight Unseen OFFSITE: A bank lamp by a Montreal-based design duo, Lambert & Fils.

6. Felix Burrichter, PIN-UP magazine guy, channels the late, great spirit of Diana Vreeland with the help of textile designer Caitlin Mociun and Sight Unseen collaborator Print All Over Me.

Vreeland swagger w @michaeljbullock #offsite

A photo posted by Felix% (@febubufe) on


7. In case you don't know who Derek Walker is, let this be a short lesson. Designer of Buckinghamshire's Milton Keynes, he belonged to the old guard masterminds behind massive, planned cities. Often mocked as the "mecca of roundabouts," Milton Keynes is a nod to both the futuristic and the sentimental—he was equal parts inspired by Buckminster Fuller and old world English traditions. For example, the town's boulevards align with the sunrise during summer solstice. Here, co-founder of Ordinary Architecture Elly Ward remembers the late, great master planner.

8. As documented by editor-in-chief Kelsey Keith's Instagram, the Curbed crew went on a field trip this week to see the Javits Center on the eve of ICFF madness, exploring the city's largest green roof, making feathered friends with the 11 species of birds that live there, and finding out how a 1.3 million square-foot building cuts down on a hefty energy bill. Check out the full story here.

Javits Center like you've never seen it.

A photo posted by kelseykeith (@kelseykeith) on


9. This week's #TBT holds a special place in our hearts. The time has come to say goodbye to Williams College's 1975 Sawyer Library, a top heavy Harry Weese-designed brick monolith that was equal parts reviled and loved. In Weese's honor, take a moment to peruse a sampling of his work here.

10. For one moment, cast aside your general exhaustion with "brands' Twitter feeds" and look upon Snicker's brand-spankin'-new ad campaign with fresh eyes. Posted up at every botched urban amenity in New York, Snicker's #HungryMistakes posters poke fun at the failures of New York's architects and urban planners.

· All Too Short; Didn't Read coverage [Curbed]