BROAD CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has traditionally been known for two things: its status as the largest encyclopedic art museum in the western United States, and its schizophrenic campus. Bolstering the former and addressing the latter, LACMA has unveiled a long-awaited free-standing addition to its collection: the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM), designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop in conjunction with executive architect Gensler. — Published 2008.0507
	A BLOCK IN TEMPLE BAR O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects spent ten years working on one block in Temple Bar, the cultural quarter of Dublin, Ireland. We started on conversion of the former Quaker Meeting House into the Irish Film Centre in 1986. Meeting House Square, with the National Photographic Archive and the Gallery of Photography, was opened to the public in 1996. — Published 2008.0130
	CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM OF CASTILLA AND LEÓN The Contemporary Art Museum of Castilla and León (MUSAC) by Spanish architects Mansilla + Tuñón, located in León, Spain, reflects van der Rohe's philosophy in its minimalist architectural language — and the museum won the 2007 Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture. At the same time, its design works to redefine both the role of a museum with respect to its cultural context and the way people experience museums. — Published 2008.0102
	DAVID CHIPPERFIELD STIRLING PRIZE The Stirling Prize for 2007 has been awarded to the Museum of Modern Literature in Marbach am Neckar, Germany, designed by David Chipperfield Architects. With a spare colonnade around its boxy, minimalist form, the Museum (Literaturmuseum der Moderne) is something of a neoclassical Parthenon, helping the larger cluster of buildings — which also includes the National Schiller Museum (1903) and the Archive for German Literature (1970s) — come together as a seeming Acropolis atop its ridge overlooking the River Neckar. — Published 2007.1010
	THE SUSTAINABILITY OF NINA MARITZ Architects practicing in wealthy countries are becoming increasingly aware that our resources are finite and that if climate change goes unchecked, we could face a much warmer, harsher environment. Scientists present us with images of expanding deserts, sinking water tables, and material scarcity. For Namibian architect Nina Maritz, the challenges of working in a harsh environment with limited means are already an everyday reality. Her work presents a model for making compelling buildings despite "a poverty of resources." — Published 2007.0613
	ART DEPOT Museum franchising seems to be a growing trend. The Guggenheim is a well established worldwide franchise, and The Louvre is on its way. The New York-based Museum of Modern Art and Dia Art Foundation each have two sites, while the London-based Tate has four. — Published 2007.0530
	NORTHERN STAR Creating dramatic architecture can be challenging in an icy climate where people prioritize function over flamboyance and where the natural environment can satisfy their desire for beauty. The state of Alaska has breathtaking vistas of mountains, snow flats, and the dancing aurora borealis, but its urban landscapes have tended to remain resilient and simple. — Published 2007.0502
	KUROKAWA ART CENTER According to architect Kisho Kurokawa, the new National Art Center Tokyo is a perfect expression of his philosophy of symbiosis. Rather than trying to iron out irregularities and resolve contradictions into what he calls a "dull, flat harmony," his distinctly non-Western idea seeks to apply conflicts and tensions in positive ways to achieve interesting and energizing effects. — Published 2007.0404
	MERCEDES-BENZ BUILDING With the bulging prow of its aluminum and glass skeleton looming beside the fast lanes of Highway B14 in Stuttgart, Germany, the new Mercedes-Benz Museum lives up to the German automaker's refined engineering image. On entering the structure designed by the Dutch firm UN Studio, visitors ascend eight stories to the top, then wind down twin ramps through a collection of 160 vehicles displayed over 178,000 square feet (16,500 square meters) of exhibition space. — Published 2006.0830
	POSTCARD FROM ROME Dear ArchitectureWeek, In April 2006, the new Ara Pacis Museum in Rome, designed by Richard Meier & Partners, is scheduled to officially open. But as I found on my recent visit, there's still a bit of work left to be done, and much of the museum is still under wraps. — Published 2006.0329

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