Author Archives: David Brussat

Unknown's avatar

About David Brussat

This blog was begun in 2009 as a feature of the Providence Journal, where I was on the editorial board and wrote a weekly column of architecture criticism for three decades. Architecture Here and There fights the style wars for classical architecture and against modern architecture, no holds barred. History Press asked me to write and in August 2017 published my first book, "Lost Providence." I am now writing my second book. My freelance writing on architecture and other topics addresses issues of design and culture locally and globally. I am a member of the board of the New England chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art, which bestowed an Arthur Ross Award on me in 2002. I work from Providence, R.I., where I live with my wife Victoria, my son Billy and our cat Gato. If you would like to employ my writing and editing to improve your work, please email me at my consultancy, dbrussat@gmail.com, or call 401.351.0457. Testimonial: "Your work is so wonderful - you now enter my mind and write what I would have written." - Nikos Salingaros, mathematician at the University of Texas, architectural theorist and author of many books.

A city’s steepled horizon

Shot these photos after penning a strategy for the beautification of Providence that ran last Monday, Nov. 10, at GoLocalProv.com (where I now do a weekly column). The basic thrust of the plan requires the demolition of the city’s 10 … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Nouvel but not novel

There is nothing unique, these days, about an architect who loves to throw ugliness in the eye of the world. There is nothing novel, alas, in architecture by those who keen to a sado-masochist ethic. I refer to Jean Nouvel, … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Books and Culture | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Don’t feed the hypotenuse!

A Dagwood, the skyscaper of sandwiches, cannot be cut in half, however you slice it. But this intriguing piece, “Rectangles vs. Triangles: The Great Sandwich Debate,” from “All Things Considered” on NPR (with no author listed), slices and dices the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Humor | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Philip in black and white

Philip Jameson, an extraordinary photographer who dabbles in black and white, will have an exhibition of his work at the Dryden Gallery, 27 Dryden Ln. (Providence Picture Frame behind Benny’s off North Main on Branch), opening on Saturday, Nov. 22, … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Photography | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

God’s eye on Burj Dubai?

Above is a photograph, unadulterated I assume, from one of those emails with long strings of beautiful, adorable, humorous, salacious or otherwise remarkable photos, usually unattributed to any photographer. At least I can thank Leon “Big Lee” Juskalian for sending … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Art and design, Other countries, Photography, Providence | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mod church or Red crib?

Hats off to my friend Bill Patenaude for sending this test of architectural erudition courtesy of ChurchPOP.com. Some you will know. Others will knock your block off.        

Posted in Architecture, Humor, Other countries | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Operable window washing

Another set of window washers almost died on a New York skyscraper, this time at One World Trade Center. The cable broke yesterday and the two window washers hung on, waiting for firemen to cut through two sheets of thick … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Girding against the Granoffs

A neighborhood meeting I had thought might blow up in anger last night instead displayed a steely determination to resist a sneaky subdivision of the Granoff estate behind a stone wall at Blackstone Boulevard and Rochambeau Avenue. Last week’s meeting … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Development, Landscape Architecture, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bulfinch awards Wednesday

Originally posted on Architecture Here and There:
Charles Bulfinch (1763-1844) Coming up Wednesday is the ceremony at the Massachusetts Statehouse for the Fifth Annual Bulfinch Awards. The winners are known. You can may see their entries here. But you may…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

More Zaha stadium flap

Please don’t misinterpret these remarks as in any sense a defense of Zaha Hadid. Her proposed 2020 Olympic stadium in Tokyo has been mired in controversy and budget cuts, and  now one of Japan’s leading architects, Arato Isozaki, has sent … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Other countries | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment