April_1970 — Page 7

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Planning forum in Canberra

'Towards the City of the 21st Century' is the theme of a planning forum to be held in Canberra from May 23 to 29.

Within the framework of this theme the forum will discuss: urban and metropolitan planning; architectural design; housing crises in the countries of Eastern Region; industrialised housing; social problems connected with high density housing; urban land problems and regional collaboration in the field of planning, housing and building.

Speakers will include: Prof. Percy Johnson- Marshall (Edinburgh); Prof. John Andrews (Toron- to); Prof. T.J. Manickam (New Delhi); Dr. Kaneko (Tokyo) and Mr. Zvi Miller (Israel).

The forum is jointly sponsored by the Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Housing; the Royal Australian Institute of Architects; the Australian Planning Institute and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects. Library design by Pei honoured

The Daniel Reed Library of State University of New York College at Fredonia, New York, was

among the 12 structures named as winners in the 1969 US Prestressed Concrete Institute Awards Programme. The design was by I.M. Pei and Part-

ners.

'A very powerful statement', said the award jury. 'The library is well detailed without trying to be exhibitionistic. Great reserve was exercised in choice of materials. Exposed precast concrete is used in the interior successfully creating a stimulat- ing and appropriate atmosphere'.

The library contains 72,000 sq.ft., has a capa- city of 200,000 volumes, and provides seating for 900 students. Precast curved fascia units on the west, flat units and boxes on the east, and specially designed fascia units on the north and south eleva- tions were cast in epoxy-coated forms to provide smooth, dense concrete surfaces contrasting with the board textured cast-in-place concrete.

The curved units were 20ft. 9in. long; side units were up to 60ft. 8in. long, 6ft. high, and weighing 27 tons. The 15 boxes were approximately 15ft. high, 17ft. wide and 9ft. deep.

Reynolds Award for Israel project

The Biblical city of Beersheba in Israel, where a completely-planned 'new town' is being built in the ancient desert settlement, has been honoured by the second R.S. Reynolds Memorial Award for Community Architecture.

The US$25,000 to be presented at the AIA an- nual convention in Boston on June 25, will be used for study grants in urban design under the ad- ministration of Technion, Israel's technical univer- sity.

'Beersheba was selected as an outstanding symbol of the Israeli new urbanisation programme

Curved fascia of the Daniel Reed Library, State University of New York College

Far East BUILDER, April 1970

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