PRESERVING DOO-WOP Visitors to Wildwood cross a bridge from the New Jersey mainland to the island beach resort and step back about 50 years. Rows of small-scale, multicolored motels sit beside swimming pools and copious bright green plastic palm trees. Beaming over the motels are oversized neon signs in pink, green, yellow, and blue. — Published 2001.1017
	VSBA EXHIBITION "Out of the Ordinary" is the new exhibit of the work of Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown (VSBA) at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. One of the most exciting components was a presentation by the two architects at the June 7th opening. — Published 2001.0627
	ENVIRONMENTAL REFUGE The new Cusano Environmental Education Center sends a message from its wetlands setting near Philadelphia: that environmentally sound construction can be attractive and not necessarily expensive. The center is an oasis on a site that could be an environmentalist's nightmare. The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is the most urban refuge in the United States, with giant jets from the nearby Philadelphia International Airport buzzing overhead. — Published 2001.0418
	BASKETBALL BUSINESS Architect James Carter had the task of recreating the spontaneous atmosphere of a pickup game of basketball. In designing the corporate headquarters for the small but growing sports apparel company, "AND 1," he also had to appeal to unpredictable basketball fanatics. — Published 2001.0404
	ARCHITECTURE HIGH SCHOOL AT ONE One day last October, four public high school students worked with four interior designers from morning till evening in an office in center-city Philadelphia. They were designing a new seminar space. Each teenager teamed with a designer. At the end of the day, the students coordinated their efforts with that of the others. Later that month, their ideas became a reality. — Published 2000.1220
	REAL DILEMMA FOR TIFFANY DREAM GARDEN Where does architecture end and interior art begin? In Philadelphia this question revolves around The Dream Garden, a mural designed by the Tiffany Studios in 1916. It was installed in the headquarters of The Curtis Publishing Company which had been designed by architect Edgar Seeler in 1910. The mural's fate now hinges on whether it is entitled to the same protections as historic architecture under the strong local historic preservation code. — Published 2000.1018
	NEW APPROACHES TO LABORATORY DESIGN The dark, smelly laboratories where scientists worked in isolation behind closed doors will soon be relegated to horror movies as science centers build increasingly elaborate facilities to compete for top researchers and grant money. An important design factor realized in 21st century labs is their open, inviting feel with work stations lit by natural light beaming through large windows. Another component is the absence of permanent walls, recognizing that scientific work is done in teams. — Published 2000.0802
	RITZY PRESERVATION SAVES PHILADELPHIA LANDMARK About 97 years ago, the Girard Trust Bank commissioned the New York firm of McKim, Mead and White to construct a monumental new facility in Philadelphia near the City Hall. Bank president Effingham Morris wanted to make a dramatic statement forecasting a change in Philadelphia's center of business by having the bank modeled after the Pantheon in Rome. — Published 2000.0628

Diane M. Fiske