There is something inherently abstract about the government archive. Storage of old records can too easily be seen as a utility function free of aesthetic aspiration. Compared to a classic library program, an archive might be seen as exaggerating the stacks while minimizing the interacting human element. In some archives this tendency leads to the place where the technical function of storage obliterates the impulse for architecture. — Published 2008.0319
A new pedestrian bridge, "Passerelle Simone de Beauvoir," now undulates across the Seine in Paris. It is the creation of Feichtinger Architectes with consulting engineers RFR, where I work, and Sepia. — Published 2006.1004
French architect Pierre Debeaux was known as an uncompromising artist, a rigorous geometer, and a passionate master builder. The Jacques Vion Firehouse in the city of Toulouse remains unquestionably his major work, the epitome of his late mature style. — Published 2005.0921
On May 23, 2004, a portion of roof at the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris collapsed, killing four travelers and injuring three more. Ten months later, an investigation of the innovative vault construction has resulted in a report citing probable causes. — Published 2005.0427
Architecture's communicative function was disregarded throughout the first half of the twentieth century. During the 1950s, Robert Venturi and I independently developed a strong interest in it. In the mid 1960s, we looked for a site where we could study architectural communication somewhat separately from architecture's other functions and away from complex urban patterns that would make the communication systems less clear. We found it in the Nevada desert on the Las Vegas strip. — Published 2005.0406
There's a newcomer to an otherwise typical Parisian suburban landscape of highways, railway lines, factories, and housing. In the fast-growing town of Nanterre, a fire station has become a new landmark, with a copper-colored facade that changes with the daylight.
Designed by the French architects Jean-Marc Ibos and Myrto Vitart, the fire station is also a redefinition of the building type, mixing conventional fire-fighting program elements with multifamily housing. — Published 2005.0216
In September 2004, the French Centre National de la Danse (National Dance Center) opened the doors of its "new" headquarters to students, professionals, and the public. Situated in Pantin, a town just northeast of Paris, the rejuvenated 1960s-era building symbolizes a growing cultural interest in the Parisian suburbs. — Published 2004.0922
Paris has long had a deep relationship with the lives and work of its artists. The city has been both home and inspiration to some of the greatest artists of the 19th and 20th centuries and to thousands more seeking such fame. Still, many greats and near-greats spend a lot of time searching for affordable working and living spaces. — Published 2003.0219
In the south of France is a house whose tent-like form follows the contours of the land and mimics the curvature of a nearby ancient stone wall. It is an example of "architecture by stealth." Not only does its green fabric covering blend into the natural environment, but the structure is nearly invisible to building officials.
"Maison Barak" is also figuratively green, with a geothermal heat source and a relatively light footprint in its grove of olive trees. — Published 2002.0529
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