ARCHITECTURE AS SIGNS AND SYSTEMS

Two kinds of functionality — of the immediate users and of the broader community — must be satisfied in any design. Resolving the issues that arise where they meet is much of the fun, according to Denise Scott Brown. In the design of the Hôtel du Département de la Haut Garonne, in Toulouse, France, by the firm Venturi Scott Brown and Associates, the street was both a ceremonial place and potentially a part of the city's pathway system. Next week the architect will explain how she expected the public way to serve many functions. (Photo by Matt Wargo/ VSBA)

HASHOMER APARTMENTS AND SHOPS

Preserving the spirit of a historic district does not necessarily mean a strict repetition of its language. The Nachalat Binyamin quarter at the heart of Tel-Aviv, Israel dates back to the early 1930s, the "eclectic period" when European architecture was brought to Israel and integrated with the local oriental architecture. The new Hashomer Apartments project, by architect Nili Portugali, demonstrates an effort to design a contemporary building that will preserve and enhance the spirit of the existing place.