Author Archives: David Brussat

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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.

(Repost) Waterplace wig-out

A couple more examples of initial design proposals for buildings in Waterplace Park should suffice to nail down the veracity of the idea that a perverse hand was directing the Capital Center Commission and its design review panel in the … Continue reading

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My alma mater

Guess. More tomorrow.

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(Repost) Waterplace wig-out

A couple more examples of initial design proposals for buildings in Waterplace Park should suffice to nail down the veracity of the idea that a perverse hand was directing the Capital Center Commission and its design review panel in the … Continue reading

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

More best lost buildings

A correspondent regrets that my list in this morning’s column (“Providence’s 10 best lost buildings”) did not contain the Albee Theater on Westminster Street. I think he might have meant the Nickel Theater, which was demolished to make way for … Continue reading

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Providence’s 10 best lost buildings

Providence has no Penn Station, no lost building whose absence wounds deeply to this day. Union Passenger Depot, designed by Thomas Tefft and completed in 1848, was replaced by Union Station in 1898, arguably its equal in beauty. The Depot’s … Continue reading

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Past blast: Lost house found

Here, a blast from the past to whet readers’ whistles for my upcoming column listing the best lost buildings in downtown Providence. This, however, is about a lost house on College Hill, whose ghost I lived next to for six … Continue reading

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New date, time for Pennoyer talk

Fawlty information! Oops! Here’s the new, correct information on Peter Pennoyer’s talk in June at the Boston Athenaeum. Sorry for any confusion: Thursday, June 12 – Lecture by Peter Pennoyer, classical architect in New York City and national board member of … Continue reading

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Upcoming classical architecture dates

Here, briefly, are a number of upcoming events sponsored (or not) by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. Details and registration, where applicable, are here. Wednesday, March 26 – The inaugural Boston Design Week, beginning the 20th, features a panel … Continue reading

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L’Abattoir d’unité!

Malcolm Millais, author of Exploding the Myths of Modern Architecture (2009), has some interesting comments picking up on the skit by Monty Python posted Saturday: Although mainly about Freemasonry, in the skit the John Cleese architect designs an abattoir instead of an office block. … Continue reading

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Vote: “Happy” or “Stayin’ Alive”

The American Institute of Architects has announced its basic lack of seriousness as an organization by announcing that the artist who recorded “Happy” will be the keynote speaker for its upcoming convention. Now, I just watched/listened to “Happy” for the … Continue reading

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