BUILDINGS THAT ARE SKIN DEEP

Architecture's ability to express its place in history remains one of its most fascinating and revealing features. Cesar Pelli’s architecture locates the primary mode of this expression in the building’s enclosure. Next week, ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Michael J. Crosbie will explain why Pelli views this expressive function of the building skin as a constant yet changing signifier across various architectural periods and cultures.

A MASTER COMES TO REST

in October 2000, Seattle architect Grant Gustafson completed a 20-month project that wasn't a building but a burial. He had taken responsibility for disposition of the remains of his mentor, the late Bruce Goff — eighteen years after Goff's death. At the grave site, we'll recall why this unique teacher and iconoclastic architect is noted for his wildly creative buildings.

NEW COURTHOUSE IN THE DESERT

"I have always been struck by the pervasive nature of the desert in the midst of downtown Tucson and the magical qualities it bestows upon the urban experience." So says Norman Pfeiffer, FAIA, principal of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates, which last year completed Tucson, Arizona's Evo A. DeConcini Courthouse. Next week we'll see how the courthouse celebrates the special character of the desert: a collection of diverse elements rich in form, color, and texture.