BELFAST DRAWING VISITORS Mention Northern Ireland, and two images likely come to mind: rolling green hills and violent clashes dressed up as religious unrest. While the first are very much still in evidence, the latter are much less so. In fact, the region has transformed in the last ten years, with the capital city of Belfast bustling as a center of redevelopment. — Published 2007.0314
	SOUND OF FOUR SEASONS Inside the glass box of Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is the curvilinear R. Fraser Elliott Hall. Belying the elegance of the decor is a thoroughly researched and executed acoustical design. The stacking of the balconies, the selection of materials, the texture of the basket-weave plaster shell, and other carefully considered characteristics coordinate to optimize musical performance and listening enjoyment. — Published 2006.0621
	SONG OF FOUR SEASONS The newly opened Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects, Inc., combines the best features of traditional European grand opera houses within a thoroughly modern envelope. With a world-class opera company in each of Canada's three largest cities, it may come as a surprise that none claims a purpose-built modern opera house. Until now. — Published 2006.0621
	SOFT WALLS FOR CURVY SPACES Vancouver, BC-based architects Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen (Forsythe + MacAllen Design) have been studying ways to create simple and beautiful objects designed from a single material. Their latest effort is "softwall", a flexible partition prefabricated from 250-400 thin layers of soft, translucent paper or polyethylene nonwoven textile. — Published 2006.0208
	ICELANDIC CLARIFICATIONS Unlike most of Europe, Iceland has no stained-glass tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. Windows were imported until the 20th century. Against this backdrop, in April 2005, artists, curators, critics, and scholars from 14 countries gathered at Kópavogur for Iceland 2005: Architectural Glass Conference. Hosted by the Kópavogur Art Museum, participants enjoyed a comprehensive overview of the extraordinary developments in architectural glass art since the 1950s and speculated about the future of the art form. — Published 2005.0622

Janet Collins