MANHATTAN INSIDE UPDATES

Like putting a new engine in a classic car or an updated graphics card in an old computer, a few New York architects are giving high-tech interiors to historic buildings. In each case — car, computer, building — the external appearance of the original can be maintained while its function is upgraded.

GEHRY'S DISNEY CONCERT HALL

Crowning Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles, the stainless steel curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) by Frank Gehry shine in the Southern California sun. They shine in quick flashes glimpsed through nondescript high-rises, throwing fortuitous reflections among the shadows. The taller forms stretch up and out toward the city, while the lower forms bend down toward passersby.

A HOUSE ON PUGET SOUND

For over 50 years, a secluded spot at the bottom of a cliff facing Puget Sound in Washington has been home to a cluster of unassuming cottages and cabins, known locally as "camps." Down here, at the watery edge of an otherwise predictable Seattle suburb, a small group of neighbors and friends have enjoyed salmon derbies, sunsets, and an incredible level of privacy with little change for two generations.

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