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HOTEL TRESSANTS IN MENORCA
When Italo Calvino wrote his 1972 novel about magical cities based on places he imagined Marco Polo might have visited, he was probably not thinking specifically of the Spanish island of Menorca (Minorca). — Published 2004.0121
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MANHATTAN INSIDE UPDATES
Like putting a new engine in a classic car or an updated graphics card in an old computer, a few New York architects are giving high-tech interiors to historic buildings. In each case — car, computer, building — the external appearance of the original can be maintained while its function is upgraded. — Published 2004.0107
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GEHRY'S DISNEY CONCERT HALL
Crowning Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles, the stainless steel curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) by Frank Gehry shine in the Southern California sun. They shine in quick flashes glimpsed through nondescript high-rises, throwing fortuitous reflections among the shadows. The taller forms stretch up and out toward the city, while the lower forms bend down toward passersby. — Published 2003.1217
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A HOUSE ON PUGET SOUND
For over 50 years, a secluded spot at the bottom of a cliff facing Puget Sound in Washington has been home to a cluster of unassuming cottages and cabins, known locally as "camps." Down here, at the watery edge of an otherwise predictable Seattle suburb, a small group of neighbors and friends have enjoyed salmon derbies, sunsets, and an incredible level of privacy with little change for two generations. — Published 2003.1210
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AUSTRIAN ALIEN
Something unexpected has appeared on the bank of the River Mur in Graz, Austria. Between the red brick roofs of neighboring historic buildings, "the friendly alien," as it is locally known, has landed in Austria's second largest city. — Published 2003.1203
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TOTALLY TUBULAR KOOLHAAS
As a commuter train roars into a college campus in Chicago, its noise is suddenly muffled when it enters a stainless steel tunnel that sits atop the new student center. The tube and the building below it are the work of Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his firm, the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). The school is the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), still bearing the stamp of its mid-20th century modernist origins. — Published 2003.1119
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SHOPPING JAPANESE STYLE
Despite dips in the economy over the past decade, Japan maintains a strong commitment to urban development. Retail construction appears to flourish. And unlike the boxy shopping centers that blight U.S. suburban and rural landscapes with their featureless design and sprawling parking lots, some recent Japanese developments set examples for combining dynamic design with urban sensibilities. — Published 2003.1112
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CONCEPTUALLY IN BETWEEN
Architects and glass artists in Portland, Oregon collaborated in designing and building chandeliers in a 2001 project called Multiplied Light. This year, architectural critic Randy Gragg curated a second experiment: to form glass and steel into architectural screens and to explore what he presents as a fundamental condition of architecture, "betweenness." — Editor — Published 2003.1105
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PARLIAMENT LIBRARY, NEW DELHI
The recently completed Parliament Library in New Delhi, India is a response to its monumental context and yet is ingenious in its originality. Designed by architect Raj Rewal, the library is a fine example of postcolonial Indian architecture. It displays high technology with a regional expression, it is modern yet rooted in precolonial history, and it responds thoughtfully to its challenging colonial and political context. — Published 2003.1022
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ART DECO PHOENIX
The City of Phoenix, Arizona may be admired for its maverick spirit and the beauty of the surrounding desert. But this sprawling city of more than 350 square miles (900 square kilometers) has never been known for high-density living. The residential redevelopment known as Orpheum Lofts, however, sets a more urban example. — Published 2003.1015
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