DESIGN THIS WEEK       TENTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL ISSUE

KOLUMBA ART MUSEUM

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in January 2009.

In Cologne, Germany, a city ravaged by World War II, the Kolumba Art Museum embraces and preserves centuries of culture and pays poetic tribute to the layers of civilization unearthed on its site. Designed by reclusive Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, the museum provides a stunning exception to the city's drab urban landscape built after the war.

RENZO PIANO'S NEW YORK TIMES BUILDING

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in April 2008.

Ask most architects to name the most elemental ingredients of great architecture, and chances are they will say "space and light."

But these are not necessarily the first two words that come to mind when thinking about skyscrapers, especially tall buildings in New York City.

CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM OF CASTILLA AND LEÓN

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in January 2008.

The Contemporary Art Museum of Castilla and León (MUSAC) by Spanish architects Mansilla + Tuñón, located in León, Spain, reflects van der Rohe's philosophy in its minimalist architectural language — and the museum won the 2007 Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture. At the same time, its design works to redefine both the role of a museum with respect to its cultural context and the way people experience museums.

MAYNE COURTHOUSE

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in January 2007.

The new Federal Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon by Thom Mayne and his Los Angeles firm Morphosis, is in some ways an outstanding building for this small city. Mayne certainly delivers a strong dose of visual excitement. The depth of art in this architecture is more open to question.

MADRID TAKES FLIGHT

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in February 2006.

In 1930 Le Corbusier wrote: "the beauty of an airport is in the splendor of wide open spaces" and added that the most appropriate architecture would emphasize "sky, grass, and concrete runways." Barajas New Area Terminal (NAT) in Madrid, a joint venture between Richard Rogers Partnership (London) and Estudio Lamela (Madrid), lives up to that height of inspiration.

LIBESKIND ZIGZAG IN BERLIN

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in November 2001.

In an unprecedented happening, more than 300,000 visitors went to see a totally empty museum. During the 18 months between completion of the structure and its official opening, the edifice itself became an attraction in a city bursting with building fever.

88 WOOD STREET BY RICHARD ROGERS

Tenth anniversary special issue article—originally published in May 2001.

Wood Street, a relatively low-profile area within the east-central business district of London, is just emerging from its latest architectural makeover. The newest building is an important addition to the skyline designed by the Richard Rogers Partnership (RRP).

If there was one place in London to view a brief history of British architecture and the way in which one generation has reacted against the next, this street, on part of London Wall, provides the best illustration.

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