Barcelona is hosting its fifth eme3 architecture festival, which this year explores what they call "proactive" architecture: The evolution toward a new discipline in which the architect is no longer a celebrity but a transversal professional that embraces a diversity of disciplines and broadens their scope of action. The actions starts tomorrow and lasts until the 9th of October. More at eme3.

After exploring typography in Helvetica, then industrial design in Objectified, Gary Hustwit has unveiled that the the focus of his third documentary to complete his design trilogy will be the design of cities. I had a hunch. Stayed tuned to Urbanized, which premieres sometime in 2011.

What is a skyscraper in the 21st century? In its search for a new architectural discourse of economic, environmental, intellectual, and perceptual responsibility that could ultimately modify our cities and improve our way of life, the annual eVolo Skyscraper Competition is open for submissions, with no restrictions in regards to site, program or size. Register by January 11, 2011.

In a history-making journey across the Pacific for a boat made from from 12,000 recycled plastic bottles, the Plastiki has finally reached land. Congrats to David de Rothschild and the entire team for making such an epic journey and raising awareness on the preservation of our oceans.

"Does what you do have anything to do with law, in any way?" Frank Lloyd Wright: "Unfortunately, yes." Don't miss this epic footage from the architect's 1956 TV appearance.

Motion artist Martin Allais from boolab explored the concept of "impossible buildings" in this 90" animation with miniatures for Elisava's Building Engineering Department, depicting the construction of the Sunflower Building, a would-be feat of architectural engineering.

We've seen arcade themes brought back to life in CG-enhanced footage like Pixels and Tetris, and here's another wonderful addittion by Andreas Heikaus, in which he transposes Super Marios Bros. onto pavement. How's that for a thesis project!

Turns out this IS NOT Archidose's tumblr account like we previously thought, but it still is as a fascinating resource of architecture, mostly focused on students work. Follow it here and enjoy!

It's not surprising that China's keeps producing new ghost towns, considering that a dozen superblocks are thrown up every day in an inverse process: They only get built after the government builds the roads, utilities lay infrastructure and developers scramble for contracts. More insight at The Economist.

A powerful video documenting the demise and demolition of the infamously failed housing project of the 33 eleven-story buildings of Pruitt-Igoe in St. Louis in 1972. A classic case of overly-scaled design lacking in humanity. via Architizer.