Category Archives: Architecture History

“World’s Greatest Buildings”

Posted on August 3, 2015 by David Brussat

Below is an “Infographic” depicting the great structural innovations of architectural history, kindly sent to me by Andrew Sweeny, of Pennywell, a company in Ireland that produces upscale kitchen work surfaces. Sweeny entitles his Infographic “The Greatest Buildings of World … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Books and Culture, Development, Humor, Other countries, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

De Botton cracks abstract

Posted on August 3, 2015 by David Brussat

Among the most cogent defenses of abstraction in art and architecture comes from Alain de Botton’s The Architecture of Happiness, which I am rereading. How does a building speak? How should people read houses? I have long believed that architecture … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Epson pano photo winners

Posted on August 2, 2015 by David Brussat

Here is a dramatic set of swooping shots taken by video of winning 360° panoramic photographs – stills taken in the round – from throughout the world, cities, the wild, geographic formations – it’s all here for your pleasure from … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Landscape Architecture, Other countries, Urbanism and planning, Video | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Save market in Porto, Port.

Posted on July 29, 2015 by David Brussat

The blog Old Portuguese Stuff is crusading to save the interior of the Mercado do Bolhäo, in Porto, one of Portugal’s most storied cities. It is home to the British architect and engineer Malcolm Millais, author of Exploding the Myths … Continue reading →

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Design for a WWI memorial

Posted on July 28, 2015 by David Brussat

Not long ago I wrote of an open competition for a national monument for World War I to be built at Pershing Square. The square has honored Gen. John “Black Jack” Perhsing, commander of U.S. forces in Europe, for decades. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Just for the Palladiophobes

Posted on July 27, 2015 by David Brussat

Here is a brief quote from Humberto Eco’s Prague Cemetery that might shiver some timbers, or not: And I could tell you about the Knights Templar and Scottish Freemasonry, about the Rite of Herodom, the Rite of Swedenborg, the Rite … Continue reading →

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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

Des “passages” de Paris

Posted on July 23, 2015 by David Brussat

In the late 1800s, long after Baron Haussmann supposedly transformed the Paris of rabbit warrens into a Paris of bowling alleys for cannoneers, the protagonist (if you can call him that) of Umberto Eco’s novel The Prague Cemetery (2010) – … Continue reading →

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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