Category Archives: Architects

Mission impossible in R.I.?

Posted on July 30, 2015 by David Brussat

Here is a 10-story Marriott hotel scheduled for October groundbreaking in downtown Spartanburg, S.C. It is lovely, and it is being proposed, designed and built by people quite as human as those who do such work in downtown Providence, R.I., … Continue reading →

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

Hypocrisy of the modernists

Posted on July 25, 2015 by David Brussat

A good friend who is also, by turns, a modernist sent me an old critique of his from when the Ruane Center for the Humanities, at Providence College, was dedicated. I referred to the center in a post today, “Take … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Providence | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Take modernist bull by horns

Posted on July 25, 2015 by David Brussat

The recent announcement of the Palladio Awards reminds me of how rare it is to find an active pursuit of self-interest, let alone boldness, in carrying out the classical revival since the death, in 2013, of Henry Hope Reed Jr. … Continue reading →

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

Eyesore vs. eyesore

Posted on July 23, 2015 by David Brussat

The Providence Journal ran an editorial yesterday, “Activity vs. eyesore,” that takes a conventional attitude toward economic development that could ensure that Providence’s economy will never be as robust as it ought to be. The editorial supports razing the city-owned … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Preservation, Providence, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Gehry’s Ike vs. the nation

Posted on July 22, 2015 by David Brussat

The New York Times’s editorial “Battle Over Eisenhower in Washington” falsely poses the debate over Frank Gehry’s proposed memorial for Dwight Eisenhower as pitting Ike’s grandchildren against World War II veterans. This is not so. The Gehry design is at … Continue reading →

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Bibliotopia in Tiverton

Posted on July 21, 2015 by David Brussat

Tiverton, which faces the twin threat of a mega-retail/residential development and a new casino amid its charms, may rejoice that it has a beautiful new public library under its belt. When the design was shown to me several years ago … Continue reading →

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Hari-kari for Ha-Ha bowl

Posted on July 18, 2015 by David Brussat

Zaha “Ha-Ha” Hadid’s design for an Olympic stadium for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo has been controversial since Japan was selected to host the games in 2013. Now Hadid’s proposal has been axed by Japanese officials. You might almost … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Art and design, Development, Other countries | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

“Up from Ugliness” at NYT

Posted on July 17, 2015 by David Brussat

Here is what I wrote about a New York Times column before learning it was published not recently but in 2011. Sigh. Well, the points do remain valid. * * * Ross Douthat, a regular columnist at the New York … Continue reading →

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De Botton’s sore bottom line

Posted on July 16, 2015 by David Brussat

Alain de Botton, who wrote a rollicking book a while back called The Architecture of Happiness, has produced a video, “The Ruin of London,” expressing his horror at what is happening in the favorite city of the super rich. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Art and design, Development, Other countries, Urbanism and planning, Video | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

We dodge a Gmail spanking

Posted on July 15, 2015 by David Brussat

Help! One click can let your tech-challenged correspondent keep sending these Architecture Here And There posts to you. You need not don the above Rube Goldberg device. That is my job. Your job: Hit “Follow,” the button just to the … Continue reading →

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