I love Paris in the fall
Views from our recent twelve days in Paris.
All posts tagged: Architecture
Architecture, disability, and modern culture
Influential moments when designers engaged the embodied experiences of people with disabilities.
Challenging a narrative of rupture between past and present
A conversation with the editors of a new book on the writings and work of Gustavo Giovannoni.
A voracious curiosity for the built environments of the world
G.E. Kidder Smith’s life work captures a transformational era in world history.
Just in time for Halloween
Christine Madrid French’s new book on the built world in the films of Alfred Hitchcock is spooky good!
For lovers (of cities)
Cities are living organisms where we should add vibrant new chapters to history without eradicating it.
Architecture, art, and craft in Asheville
Great communities connect people to place, know where they want to go, and work tirelessly to make it happen.
I.M. Pei, Rest in Peace
Eight days before the revered architect I.M. Pei passed away at 102 years of age, I had the opportunity to visit one of his last—and more remote—commissions: the Miho Museum in Japan. Standing amidst the Shiga mountains in a protected nature preserve, Pei’s Miho Museum, which opened in 1997, fits in well with the other modern yet very accessible works of this master who left an indelible mark on the world before his passing on May 16th of this year. Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural historian and author Paul Goldberger wrote a lovely obituary for Pei in the New York Times, capturing the architect’s expansive work and spirit. When thinking of Pei, my mind naturally turns to the beautiful East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a museum I’ve visited many times. One feature that always brings a smile to my face wasn’t exactly designed by Pei. Etched into the stone is a listing of all those who made the East Building possible—politicians, National Gallery leadership, architects, and more. At one point the beautiful …
Exploring Savannah’s Gem of a Cathedral
A week would generally be enough time to explore large sections of a city the size of Savannah, Georgia. Time to linger among the live oaks and Spanish moss in the historic squares, eat at the growing list of restaurants, visit the museums, and share stories with friends and strangers in the coffee shops and bars scattered throughout the downtown. Plenty of time…unless one has a conference to run. Well, run is actually much too strong a word. While technically responsible for ensuring that last week’s PastForward 2014 – the National Preservation Conference went off without a hitch, there are many staff members who carry a far heavier load as we worked to reach that goal. Much of my oversight actually took place over the past 18 months. Once the week of the conference comes, I just “enjoy the field trip” as Candice – the former elementary school teacher – says at times like these. At the conference, I often have my day structured by others: be here to welcome this group, then go there …
From the silly to the sublime
Today we played tourist in Chicago – a great city with way too much to see in one lifetime, let alone one day. Work takes me to Chicago three or four times a year, so with the exception of a 90-minute architectural tour taken by boat on the Chicago River – something everyone should do once (or more) in their lives – I turned Sunday over to Claire’s interests. We left Aunt Susan and Cousin Zoe’s home in Evanston and took the CTA ‘L’ train into the city. When we stepped out from the below-ground station at Lake, Claire started looking around and said, “This feels like New York.” What she meant as a first time visitor was that the crush of people, the canyon walls of buildings, and the energy felt like a big city. The pep in her step was quickly evident, as we headed out to Millennium Park. Why Millennium Park? Because what self-respecting tourist to Chicago these days doesn’t want to take a selfie at Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (or – …
MORE TO COME... 