Monthly Archives: October 2015

Haunting if not haunted

Posted on October 31, 2015 by David Brussat

Now this is more like it. Here, courtesy of Mental Floss, are “26 Hauntingly Beautiful Photos of Abandoned Homes Across America,” houses that look haunted, that may be haunted. They are merely abandoned, and too bad! They are more the … Continue reading →

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Haunted houses in America

Posted on October 31, 2015 by David Brussat

GTECH headquarters is certainly the scariest building in Providence, even with the recent relocation there of Capital Grille (from Union Station!), following in the brave footsteps of Ruth’s Chris Steak House. But GTECH is not haunted. It is scary. Not … Continue reading →

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Rhode Island turning point

Posted on October 30, 2015 by David Brussat

Rhode Island is at a turning point. Going forward it can encourage new development that strengthens its brand of beauty or it can throw away a competitive advantage by allowing developers to build projects that will transform the Ocean State … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Development, I-195 Redevelopment District, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Sweet breather at the BPL

Posted on October 29, 2015 by David Brussat

Took the MBTA up to Boston yesterday evening to a meeting of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. After emerging from the Back Bay stop into Dartmouth Street, there is always the difficult choice … Continue reading →

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BIMBY: Beauty here, too!

Posted on October 28, 2015 by David Brussat

BIMBY stands for Beauty In My Back Yard. It is a website launched by the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community – Prince Charles’s architectural shop in Great Britain. Even though Britain has tougher official laws against beauty there than we … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Zaha, FLW & arrogance

Posted on October 27, 2015 by David Brussat

Far be it from me to defend Zaha Hadid. Any ammo you can blow up under her reputation might rock her architecture – its reputation if not its actual existence. Let ‘er rip! I have defended Zaha from accusations that … Continue reading →

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Into London’s age of grit

Posted on October 24, 2015 by David Brussat

It suddenly occurred to me that, having done a post on the beautiful Renaissance digital imagery of the video game “Assassin’s Creed II” – it was called “Gaming the Renaissance” – I should check out “Assassin’s Creed I.” I just … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Blast from past, Book/Film Reviews, Other countries, Urbanism and planning, Video | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Handsome rectangular box?

Posted on October 23, 2015 by David Brussat

I had hoped to remain mum to “Brown’s handsome rectangular box,” as the headline over my friend William Morgan’s piece in the Providence Journal describes the university’s latest foray into the avant garde. Not very far into it, Morgan shrugs, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

“Unfinished New York”

Posted on October 22, 2015 by David Brussat

The journal Places has a long and fascinating essay by Belmont Freeman (a New York name for you!) called “Unfinished New York.” He is a columnist for Places and an architect in private practice in the city, no doubt a … Continue reading →

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Will Stirling quote Wren?

Posted on October 21, 2015 by David Brussat

Take all the nominees for the Carbuncle Cup – a British contest for the year’s worst architecture – and all the nominees for the Pritzker Prize and its British equivalent, the Sterling Prize. Mix thoroughly. Now separate the buildings to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment