INNOVATION AT IRVINE

For residents of Los Angeles, California, the county line to the south is often referred to as "the orange curtain." Stereotypes of Orange County depict a different world politically and architecturally: "red" versus "blue," suburban versus urban, predictable versus vivacious. The orange groves after which the county is named have all but disappeared, replaced by office parks and subdivisions of million-dollar houses.

THREE POLSHEK PROJECTS

One's memory of a physical place is a complex emotional and intellectual phenomenon, depending, as it does, on affect as well as on contextual appropriateness, human function, and constructive logic. Affect separated from these last three elements can result in idiosyncratic memorability — "art for art's sake."

SWISS RE TOWER BY FOSTER AND PARTNERS

During construction, London's newest highrise conjured up many emotions from visitors and locals alike: here was a building that would bring a major change to the skyline. It became affectionately known as the "Gherkin," but was it worth it? Was it a white elephant?

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