I.M. PEI HONORED FOR LIFETIME OF INNOVATION

The National Building Museum and Turner Construction Company announced in March that I. M. Pei, FAIA, will receive the Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology. The prize recognizes notable advances and high achievement in construction methods and processes. During his 55-year career, Pei worked closely with engineers and contractors to create buildings that set new standards for construction quality. One example is the Cour Napoleon, Phase I, at the Grand Louvre in Paris (photo by Serge Hambourg). Next week we'll learn more about Pei's life's work.

WEAVING COMPONENTS INTO BUILDINGS

Weaving is most often associated with textiles, but it is also relevant to architecture. It is a construct and a craft that can purposefully and aesthetically order building systems. Just as a thread can be pulled from a woven fabric and a new one inserted in its place, so too can building and urban systems be removed, replaced, or added when the whole is conceived as a tapestry. Next week we'll see how the Philadelphia firm Kieran Timberlake Associates weaves their design work into this fabric.

NEW CHIC AT VILLA MODA

An unused dockland area on the outskirts of Kuwait City may seem an unlikely setting for one of the Middle East's most revolutionary and luxurious fashion retail destinations. But the new Villa Moda is breaking rules and erasing preconceptions. Designed by Italian architect, Pierfrancesco Cravel, with interiors by the British firm, Eldridge Smerin, the building is a glass box, with more glass boxes inside. Next week ArchitectureWeek contributing editor Don Barker will explain how the building's luxurious appearance was achieved on a modest budget.