RIVER CITY SERIES SPOTLIGHTS INNOVATIVE URBAN DESIGN IN KOREA

Thanks to all who attended the April 9 opening of Deconstruction/Construction: The Cheonggyecheon River Project in Seoul, our new exhibition exploring the complex ecological and cultural redevelopment of Seoul's once-buried urban waterway. To continue the conversation, we’re presenting a series of public programs putting the Cheonggyecheon’s reinvention in context, exploring innovative urbanism in Korea and beyond. Please join us for these upcoming events, and take part in the debate about urban waterfront design!

On Thursday, April 25, authors Jinhee Park and John Hong consider Korea's last decade of dynamic architectural design, drawing on their recent book Convergent Flux: Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism in Korea. Please join them in conversation with Mark Rakatansky, Principal of Mark Rakatansky Studio and Adjunct Associate Professor at Columbia’s GSAPP, as they discuss a range of new and compelling work examined through the lens of five conceptual streams: density, history, topography, materiality, and infrastructure.

Then on Thursday, May 9, Peter G. Rowe, the Raymond Garbe Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, presents his research on the historical factors, planning concerns, environmental effects, and impacts on property development that the Cheonggyecheon’s restoration has catalyzed. This lecture, drawing on Professor Rowe’s publication A City and Its Stream: The Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project, will examine these profound transformations on the city’s urban conditions and future aspirations. He will be joined in conversation by Jinhee Park and John Hong.

We'll have more events to share, so stay tuned via our River City website and Van Alen's Facebook and Twitter feeds.

All River City events take place at 6:30 p.m. in our ground-floor, pop-up exhibition space at 30 West 22nd Street. Please rsvp to rsvp@vanalen.org.

SHOP HERE NOW: THE VAN ALEN BOOKS ONLINE STORE

We started Van Alen Books as a storefront space for unbounded conversation about the world of architecture publications, but we know those seeking a special design title can't always stop by to peruse our shelves. To that end, we're thrilled to launch the Van Alen Books online store. Click on over to search and browse our entire inventory, snap up discounted titles, order online, and have books shipped direct to any destination you desire. Happy shopping!

LAUNCHES AND EVENTS AT VAN ALEN BOOKS

We're in full swing with springtime events at Van Alen Books, and invite you to stop by, join the conversation, and enjoy cool refreshments care of Brooklyn Brewery. All events take place at 7 p.m. at Van Alen Books, 30 West 22nd Street.

Stop by on Thursday, April 24, for a special evening with Georges Teyssot, author of A Topology of Everyday Constellations, in conversation with Writing Architecture Series and Log editor Cynthia Davidson. They will discuss his new book, which explores the home as a site of negotiation between the technological, the physical, and the psychological—a place where the public sphere and private space have become provocatively intertwined.

On Thursday, May 2, we welcome Phyllis Lambert, founding director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal, who discusses her newly launched volume Building Seagram in conversation with Cynthia Davidson. This comprehensive personal and scholarly history documents how at 27, Lambert, daughter of Seagram founder Samuel Bronfman, took over the search for an architect to build a corporate headquarters and chose Mies van der Rohe, resulting in an iconic modern landmark. Join us as the author reflects on the Seagram Building’s role in shaping the city’s skyline, focusing on its significant impact on zoning laws in New York City, including its key role in the development of incentives to encourage public-private open space and its transformative effect on midtown Manhattan's redevelopment.

Then on Saturday, May 4, Van Alen heads to the IDEAS CITY StreetFest with Van Alen Books: Reader Exchange. As part of this public festival of ideas on the theme of “Untapped Capital,” we’ll host a day of hourly book readings and discussions about new titles that explore the role of architecture publications in framing the future of the built environment. Visit our StreetFest outpost from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Stanton Street between Chrystie and Bowery, where we hope you'll join in the conversation.

Events at the bookstore continue on Friday, May 5, with Fabrico Próprio, a 332-page celebration of Portuguese confectionery and its relation to design, filled with written and photo essays by architecture and food critics, commissioned illustrations, and more. We will host an evening with design critic Akiko Busch in conversation with authors Rita João, Pedro Ferreira, and Frederico Duarte, as well as designer and food blogger Naz Sahin, on the intersections between confectionery, culture, and design, and the making of this remarkable volume, for which the authors have ferreted out the stories behind Portugal's iconic cakes. As a special treat, Portuguese pastries will be available for your critical appraisal! This program is the kick-off event for Counter/Point: The 2013 D-Crit Conference.

On Thursday, May 16, we’ll discuss how we might radically rethink suburbia with June Williamson, whose new book Designing Suburban Futures: New Models from Build a Better Burb offers concrete but visionary strategies to take the sprawl out of suburbia and create a vibrant, new suburban form. She will be joined in conversation by Jocelyn Wenk, Kazys Varnelis, and Rob Lane.

For more information and the latest from our upcoming events calendar, visit the bookstore website at www.vanalenbooks.org.

APPLY NOW FOR NYSCA INDEPENDENT PROJECT GRANTS

Van Alen is accepting applications for fiscal sponsorship for New York State Council on the Arts Independent Project grants. NYSCA’s 2014 program in Architecture + Design makes grants of up to $10,000 available for individuals or teams to creatively research an issue in architecture, design, and/or historic preservation that advances the relevant field and contributes to the public’s understanding of design. Van Alen will select up to twenty applicants; find full details here on how to apply by April 21.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DESIGNERS AND PLANNERS

The Center for Architecture Foundation calls for submissions to the Douglas Haskell Award for Student Journals, intended to support student-edited journals whose subject matter may include architectural design, history, and theory. Submit by May 1.

London’s Architecture Foundation has issued its annual international call for independent installations at the AF Project Space. The program offers a testing ground for modes of exhibition, open studios, public residencies, and other diverse formats. Apply by May 10.

Operation Resilient Long Island announces The 3C: Comprehensive Coastal Communities competition, seeking innovative ideas focusing on resilient coastal planning that will catalyze the discussion of post-Sandy rebuilding and enhance coastal communities. Register by June 30.

The 2013 One Prize seeks submissions to Stormproof, an open international design competition for building resilient cities. Entrants of all backgrounds are asked to deploy design that addresses severe climate dynamism and enhances urban ecosystems. Submit by August 31.

SUPPORT PUBLIC DESIGN WITH VAN ALEN MEMBERSHIP

Now is a great time to show your support for Van Alen Institute, as we launch new public programs, design competitions, and exhibitions investigating the role of architecture and design in civic life. And as you join us for our bookstore events this season, don’t forget that members receive a 10% discount at Van Alen Books, as well as invitations to special events and other benefits. Our ongoing work is possible in large part due to the active participation of Van Alen members in all our programs and events, and we thank you for your generous contributions. Find out more about our membership opportunities and how you can join us here.