Category Archives: Architecture

Color film of Berlin in 1900

Posted on September 13, 2017 by David Brussat

Although three decades had passed since the Franco-Prussian War and another decade and a half awaited World War I, the Berliners in this 1900 color film (with some 1914 scenes toward the end) of their city appear depressed. The elegance … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Video | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Carbuncle Cup victor of 2017

Posted on September 12, 2017 by David Brussat

This year’s Carbuncle Cup, awarded annually (three years now) to the worst new building in Britain, goes to a development called Nova Victoria, so called because it is what you see when you emerge from the Victoria Station tube stop. … Continue reading →

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Brief interlude at the DNA

Posted on September 11, 2017 by David Brussat

When I was “Dr. Downtown” – my nom de plume at the Providence Journal – I was there at the creation of the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance, which met at the Regency under the presidency of my friend Maria Ruggieri, the … Continue reading →

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“In the Modern tradition …”

Posted on September 8, 2017 by David Brussat

Here is some more from High Rise, by Jerry Adler, a description of the process of erecting a skyscraper in Manhattan during the 1980s. Here Adler describes the design philosophy of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill – the modern era’s McKim, … Continue reading →

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“Shabby little old walkups”?

Posted on September 7, 2017 by David Brussat

Today at 7, Books on the Square, 471 Angell St. on Wayland Square, will host a book event for Lost Providence. But you already know that, so what about this: The landscape of New York in fact is filled with … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Development, Lost Providence, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Lost Prov’ reading Thursday

Posted on September 6, 2017 by David Brussat

Books on the Square will host a reading of an as yet undisclosed (and in fact unselected) chapter from Lost Providence on Thursday evening at 7 o’clock. I will also answer questions and sign copies of the book. My first … Continue reading →

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Crane, yay! Building, boo!

Posted on September 5, 2017 by David Brussat

Providence breathes a sigh of relief at the appearance, finally, of a crane on its horizon, standing between Canal and North Main streets just north of Steeple. Enjoy the crane, folks, because you may regret the building. Developed by Vision … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

ICAA’s Winter Intensive

Posted on September 4, 2017 by David Brussat

The search is on, in New England and throughout the nation, for students and young professionals to participate in an intensive workshop on classical design for a week plus a day from January 6 to 13 at the Institute of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A new Kennedy Plaza plan

Posted on September 1, 2017 by David Brussat

A new plan for Kennedy Plaza is described in this morning’s Providence Journal. “Kennedy Plaza plan envisions ‘true civic heart’,” by Donita Naylor and Jacqueline Tempera, describes a proposal that makes a lot of sense. It does not seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mom rendered as a building

Posted on August 31, 2017 by David Brussat

I tried in my last blog, “The architecture of the wife,” earlier today, to link to a column I wrote in 2004 to honor my late mother, Mona Brussat, and downloaded from the archive of the Providence Journal. It didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Lost Providence | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments