Pritzker Prize–Winning Architect Arata Isozaki Dies at 91, and Other News

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Arata Isozaki, an architect who melded styles from Japan and the West, dies at 91. 

“Arata Isozaki, an architect who fused styles and sensibilities from the West and his native Japan during a career of restless exploration, including a twisting metal obelisk at the Art Tower Mito in Japan and the meditative halls of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, died Dec. 28 at his home on Japan’s Okinawa island. Isozaki’s wide-ranging architectural interests defied easy labeling and his innovations could sometimes bring local objections, most notably clashes with the museum project overseers in Los Angeles in the 1980s that almost led to Mr. Isozaki walking away. Even late in his career, his work was debated in architectural circles over why he had not been awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize—which he eventually received in 2019.” [H/T The Washington Post]

The Museum of Modern Art is being sued over a Nazi-looted work by Egon Schiele.

“The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in California are being sued for the return of an Egon Schiele work said to have been stolen from a holocaust victim by Nazis. Timothy Reif and David Fraenkel, the heirs of Austrian Jewish cabaret crooner Fritz Grünbaum, who was killed at Dachau in 1941, are suing MoMA over Schiele’s 1912 painting Prostitute, and have targeted SBMA over the artist’s 1915 pencil drawing Portrait of the Artist’s Wife. The suits allege that Nazi officials forced Grünbaum to relinquish his assets while he was imprisoned at Dachau.” [H/T Artforum]

Laura Poitras’s All the Beauty and the Bloodshed is shortlisted for an Academy Award.

“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022), the Laura Poitras documentary about Nan Goldin and her quest to bring members of the Sackler family who fueled and profited from the opioid epidemic to justice, is one of the 15 films shortlisted for the documentary feature film category at the 2023 Academy Awards. The film, which was released this year and has received critical praise, chronicles Goldin’s recent activism —which has included leading protests at the Musée du Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and other institutions that have received donations from the Sacklers and named wings after them—and her photographic practice. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, one of the major international awards considered indicators of possible Oscars success.” [H/T The Art Newspaper]

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM mega-city reveals plans for Oxagon, an island development. 

“Plans for a new floating city design that’s part of Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project have been revealed, offering a glimpse at the Gulf state’s full vision for a megadevelopment program that includes Trojena ski resort, an artificial island called Sindalah, and centerpiece 110-mile-long smart city dubbed The Line. The Oxagon is formed by a series of floating squares connected by a network of canals and will contain factories, logistics centers, and housing for 90,000 residents by the time it’s completed in 2030. It is strategically located near the Suez Canal to give the country an enhanced position within the global supply chain.” [H/T Archinect]

Nike Training Club starts streaming episodes on Netflix just in time for New Years.

“It’s not always easy to motivate yourself to exercise, but the option to feel the burn and then directly transition into one of your favorite shows does have a certain appeal. And now, that’s exactly what you can do: Netflix members can now stream fitness content from Nike Training Club for the first time.  Each Nike Training Club program has multiple episodes—a total of 30 hours of exercise sessions released in two batches. The programs will be available in multiple languages on all Netflix plans, with workouts for all fitness levels and interests.” [H/T Tudum] 

KPF unveils a proposal for a mixed-use neighborhood near Seoul’s Yongsan Park. 

“KPF has unveiled an ambitious design for The Parkside Seoul, a mixed-use neighborhood in Seoul that will bring ample residential space, hotels, and retail, to the nearby Yongsan Park. The development, designed for Eleven Development & Construction, will cover 5.2 million square feet. KPF’s prior work in the South Korean capital includes the city’s tallest building, the 1,800-foot Lotte World Tower, completed in 2017, and the Bundang Doosan Tower, among other commercial, transportation, and cultural projects.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]

Fontainebleau secures $2.2 billion to complete its long-delayed Las Vegas megaresort.

“A partnership between Fontainebleau Development, a builder, owner, and operator of luxury hospitality, commercial, and retail properties, and Koch Real Estate Investments, the real estate investment arm of Koch Industries, has secured—with J.P. Morgan as administrative agent—a $2.2 billion construction loan to complete Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the highly anticipated 67-story hotel, gaming, meeting, and entertainment destination on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip. The financing, a monumental achievement for both companies following their joint acquisition of the property in 2021, paves the way for Fontainebleau Las Vegas to make its debut in the fourth quarter of 2023.” [H/T Business Wire]

Today’s attractive distractions:

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has crept upright 1.6 inches over the past 20 years. 

Step inside the sumptuous Greek villa from Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Fake heiress Anna Delvey has sold more than $340,000 worth of self-portraits.

Florida becomes the country’s fastest-growing state for the first time since 1957.