Comments update: readers are calling on Miami's city officials to reconsider their decision over Zaha Hadid's car park design, which was rejected just weeks after her sudden death.
Clamped: Miami developer Craig Robins sparked the discussion after urging local residents to lobby for the Zaha Hadid-designed car park to be built, adding that it would be "sad" for the city – which has become a hub for landmark architecture – to miss out.
"For Miami Beach not to go ahead with this exciting proposal is just unbelievably ignorant," said Philip Michael Wolfson. "Miami Beach, wake up to the potential of your architectural heritage and move forward with this project!"
"Rejecting Zaha's design as they did was a disgrace," added a guest commenter. "I think this will get built in the end though."
But not everyone wants to see the decision overturned. "They should not build it for the sake that she died," wrote another guest commenter. "I hope the city will consider something better."
Should Miami reconsider Zaha Hadid's car park design? Let us know what you think in the comments section »
Vocal Viñoly: commenters found themselves in a strange position this week as they defended Rafael Viñoly's 432 Park Avenue from criticism by the Uruguayan architect himself.
Viñoly hit the headlines after speaking candidly about "screw-ups" with his Manhattan skyscraper, which is currently the tallest residential tower in the western hemisphere.
"432 Park Avenue is lovely and if it is a 'screw-up', it is a very elegant one indeed," said regular commenter Kay.
"Viñoly should be praised for this building,"added Jesse Lockhart Krause. Others described it as preferable to his Walkie Talkie skyscraper in London.
The Uruguayan architect later sent Dezeen a public letter apologising for his comments, but not before some readers accused him of deflecting responsibility for problems with his designs. Read the comments on this story »
InstaOops: mobile photo-sharing app Instagram ditched its retro camera logo in favour of a colourful "flat" illustration last week. Many criticised the move, describing the new design as "generic", while others simply poked fun at it.
"Great way to just end up looking like every other icon," said Brennan Murray. "You have a strong brand, why dilute it?"
Others lamented the demise of skeuomorphism – making icons resemble real-world objects – in favour of the flat-design trend.
"This makes Instagram look like one of those generic third-party apps you probably shouldn't download," concluded a guest commenter.
What do you think of Instagram's new logo? Let us know in the comments section »
Life after death: OMA founder Rem Koolhaas said Zaha Hadid Architects could continue to grow despite the death of its founder by following the example used by leading fashion houses such as Alexander McQueen and Chanel. But will losing such a prominent figurehead be too much for the firm to deal with?
"This is one reason I like firms that are not named after their founders," wrote James McBennett. "If I was founding an architectural firm, I would prefer a name that allows senior staff to carry the importance they deserve."
"The cult of personality is clearly a double-edged sword," added Oliver Salway. "Do you play down the founder's contribution to just providing the DNA and maintain that, or do you acknowledge the gravity of their loss and boldly step into a new era?"
Others speculated whether Zaha Hadid Architects would lose the influence of its founder over time.
"After a while the founder's DNA is forgotten and consumers believe anything brands say," said James. "Say it enough, say it loud enough and people will believe it." Read the comments on this story »