Coyote Urban Boutique

Construction is set to begin on Coyote Urban Boutique in downtown Fort Worth. Located on Houston Street across from Reata, it will offer women's clothing and accessories with an "urban edge". The major feature of the interior is a curved ledgestone wall defining a variety of display areas. It's also worthwhile to see the beautiful store identity and website designed by Bill Brammer at fusion29.

Ciudad Universitaria

I recently visited Ciudad Universitaria, the main campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. The entire 1,100 hectare campus is a UNESCO World Heritage site and includes a nature preserve and museums in addition to the university buildings. The campus also functions as a popular park serving the immense capital city. The Central Library, with murals by Juan O’Gorman, is the most recognizable building on the campus. The entire complex acknowledges history while creating an optimistic and progressive vision of the future. Definitely worth a visit...

Karl Benjamin

Karl Benjamin, a self-described "hard-edge abstractionist" and a major figure in post-war California art, passed away recently. I discovered his paintings several years ago when they were featured in a show on West Coast Modernism. His reputation has grown as more attention is been paid to artists outside the New York Abstract Expressionists canon. Hopefully a major retrospective of his work will be organized soon.

The latest from SILO

I just returned from Nashville, Tennessee, where I checked in on the progress at SILO, a Southern-influenced bistro in historic Germantown. As you can see above, the restaurant's centerpiece, a birch basket weave, has been installed, along with the reclaimed red cedar on the walls.  Both materials will be stained this week and the walls painted in warm, rich hues. The grand opening is scheduled for August 17, and excitement is building for this new venture by Chef Clay Greenberg.

Amphibian Stage Productions Theatre

As our design work continues, interior demolition is underway at 120 South Main, future home of Amphibian Stage Productions. The project consists of a black box theatre and offices for Fort Worth's most innovative troupe, which will now add to the emerging urban district just south of downtown. Special thanks go to our team:  Schuler Shook (theatrical), Summit Consultants (MEP), 2c Lighting (lighting), and Fort Construction- for their excellent work.

Opening

We will soon have an opening for an intern architect. This is because the very talented Juliana Ho is leaving the firm to move to Singapore. Juliana was our first full-time employee and has made invaluable contributions to our work. She will be missed but of course we wish her all the best in this new adventure.

Applicants should possess a professional degree and excellent design and presentation skills. Some experience is a plus but is not a requirement. Qualifications should be sent to info@ibanezarchitecture.com.

Neglected gem

While in Washington DC last week for the AIA National Convention I visited the M.L. King Public Library. This is one of Mies van der Rohe's last buildings and it was plagued with ill-advised "value engineering" from the outset. Because of it's poor condition there is a debate regarding demolishing the building and replacing it with a new structure. Mies' buildings are indeed difficult to maintain in pristine form, but clearly if it was restored properly this structure could take it's rightful place among DC's architectural treasures. Krueck + Sexton's masterful restorations of Crown Hall and 860-880 Lakeshore Drive show the potential beauty of this neglected gem.