DESIGNING A SMITHSONIAN ROOF Foster + Partners won an invited international architecture competition in 2004 to design a new courtyard enclosure for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, housed in the Old Patent Office building in Washington, D.C. Early in the project, the firm's Specialist Modelling Group was brought in to advise the project team on modeling techniques, to develop new digital tools, and help solve the complex geometric issues involved. — Published 2010.1027
	WOOD FLOORING - BORDERS It may seem counterintuitive, but an ornate floor that runs all the way to the walls of a room can often look less impressive than one surrounded by a simple border. When you walk into a room with an ornate floor like this, no hierarchy exists to tell the eye where to look and the floor can start to seem almost ordinary. — Published 2010.0728
	GLENN MURCUTT GOLD MEDAL In locations from the far reaches of the Northern Territory to suburban New South Wales, Australian architect Glenn Murcutt has created modernist houses remarkable for their supreme sensitivity to climate, surroundings, and environment. A true sole practitioner, Murcutt chooses mostly to design single-family dwellings, and only in Australia. The resulting structures attest to the depth of attention he affords each project. — Published 2009.0114
	GREAT PUBLIC MARKETS The activity of buying and selling food has shaped our cities and towns for centuries, since an urban population by nature depends on others for agricultural production. At the heart of this activity stands the public market — the buildings and spaces in which vegetables, meat, and other commodities intended for human consumption are sold by diverse persons from numerous spaces or stalls, all under a common authority. — Published 2008.0709
	PALLADIO AWARDS 2005 Architecture fans who think they can identify the age of a building after a quick glance may want to take a closer look at the ten recipients of the 2005 Palladio Awards. This program honors outstanding achievement in traditional design, but far from mimicking centuries-old styles, these projects pay homage to the best of architectural traditions while cleverly inserting thoroughly modern adaptations. — Published 2005.0727
	CALATRAVA'S CLASSICAL GREEK To those who have followed the illustrious career of Spanish-born architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava, it was no surprise that he was the top choice of organizers of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. In planning and designing the expansion of the historic sports complex, he was given a daunting task: not just to prepare the host city for the athletes and onlookers, but to consider the lasting purpose of the architecture. — Published 2004.1020
	POSTCARD FROM THE CYCLADES Dear ArchitectureWeek, Traveling in the Greek Isles often entails long trips on a ferry. Any tedium, however, in a journey through the Cyclades is amply offset by gorgeous views of passing islands, each dotted with tableaus of striking white, boxlike buildings. In port towns, these buildings generally stand out as individual cuboids with streets and alleys between them. — Published 2004.0915
	CALIFORNIA PRESERVATION AWARDS 2003 Every year, the California Preservation Foundation presents awards to notable architecture and engineering projects statewide that have been rescued from deterioration and restored to use and beauty. They also honor the work of preservation researchers and of architects designing contemporary buildings in historically sensitive environments. — Published 2003.0326
	POSTCARD FROM ATHENS Dear ArchitectureWeek, If you think of Athens as the once-upon-a time capital of the classical world, you may be surprised to find out that after the fall of the ancient Greek civilization, the "city" dwindled at one point to a village of about 400 individuals. — Published 2001.0228
	PALLADIO'S FOUR BOOKS ON ARCHITECTURE Editor's Note: In the 16th century, the great architect Andrea Palladio wrote "I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura." The influence of "The Four Books on Architecture" is still felt by professionals four centuries later. Octavo, a publisher of rare books in digital formats, has recently issued a CD-ROM reproduction of a first edition of this classic of architectural literature. The following is excerpted from a commentary by architectural historian Robert Tavernor, which is part of Octavo's publication. — Published 2000.0719

Greek Architecture