POSTCARD FROM OVIEDO

Dear ArchitectureWeek,
With its 263-foot- (80-meter-) high spire visible from most parts of town, La Catedral de Oviedo serves as a city symbol and directional landmark in the heart of Oviedo, Spain (not to be confused with Orvieto, Italy!). The cathedral stands one side of a historic square with government buildings lining the other sides.

PRISON IMPERFECTION

Prison design has long been controversial. During the 19th century, when wide-scale prison construction began in the western United States, prisons were criticized for providing a better quality of life to their wards than was available to some law-abiding citizens. Conversely, in recent times human rights groups have sought to improve prison conditions worldwide by criticizing the quality of the facilities themselves.

SCREENS TO INFINITY

In the 1950s, Austrian-born sculptor Erwin Hauer designed and built architectural screens and walls whose complex and intriguing geometry attracted much admiration at the time. But they have been largely forgotten, and some have even been destroyed. Here are his thoughts on one example of this extraordinary work. — Editor

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