TOKYO'S MAGIC LANTERN

There a new landmark in Ginza, one of Tokyo's leading shopping and business districts. Designed by the Italian architecture firm, Renzo Piano Building Workshop, the building is the corporate headquarters and store of Hermes Japan, a company famous for its handmade leather bags and apparel. Piano's central idea was to create a "magic lantern," with light evenly spread across its entire volume, illuminating the district in soft light. Next week Mahoko Hoffmann will explain how the architect's approach reflects a devotion to craft in keeping with the Hermes tradition of artistry in its leather goods.

ANNIVERSARY OF A DISASTER

One year ago, an architectural symbol of U.S. economic power was destroyed in a terrorist attack. Since then the country has experienced complicated emotions and begun processes of rebuilding. In September, 2002 proposals for design and construction on the site of the World Trade Center are making slow progress amid contentious debate. Next week New Yorker Tess Taylor will present a year in review and present the latest on the city's recovery.

ECOLOGY PARK AT TURTLE BAY

For decades, the natural landscape of northern California has been devastated by mining, damming, and other resource extraction. Water has been routinely redirected from rural areas to urban centers. Today, an ambitious environmental education park in Redding is working to reverse this legacy through the use of sustainable architecture and ecologically sensitive exhibits. Kim A. O'Connell will describe the collaboration of three design firms to merge indoor and outdoor learning, with a particular focus on the local watershed.