Category Archives: Books and Culture

Cafe Pushkin comes alive

Posted on May 22, 2016 by David Brussat

No doubt inspired by photographs of mahogany antiques crammed with romantic abandon into a lovely building in downtown Providence (see my post “Tilden-Thurber memories“), Malcolm Millais, author of Exploding the Myths of Modern Architecture, has sent me a tale, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Interior Design, Other countries, Preservation, Uncategorized, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tilden-Thurber memories

Posted on May 21, 2016 by David Brussat

The Tilden-Thurber Building, erected in 1895, designed by Shepley, Rutan & Coolidge, of Boston, was sold last week but remains, so far as I can tell, as it was built, inside and out. Stanley Weiss, the local developer and fine … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Development, Interior Design, Photography, Preservation, Providence, Providence Journal, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Miniatures, near and afar

Posted on May 19, 2016 by David Brussat

Clay Fulkerson, designer and sculptor of miniature temples, sent me a photo of his latest temple, a Baroque incense burner, shortly after I posted a video of pencil lead sculptures by Salavat Fidai, which elicited from Andrew Reed a photo … Continue reading →

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Not the ‘male gaze,’ but …

Posted on May 15, 2016 by David Brussat

I know, this may seem to be drilling down more deeply into the sexuality of architecture than most readers of this family blog would like to drill, but I just could not resist. My last post, “Playboy and modernism,” referred … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture, Video | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Playboy and modernism

Posted on May 14, 2016 by David Brussat

I am pleased to inform those who love Playboy magazine and revere Hugh Hefner as a paragon of modernity that Architect magazine has an interview with the curator of an exhibit based on research that blames (or maybe I should … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Interior Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Capt. Aubrey’s dad’s house

Posted on May 12, 2016 by David Brussat

I am on the seventh volume* of my fourth circumnavigation of Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series of 21 novels, set during the Napoleonic Era. Much of it takes place between bouts of naval warfare, at home as an half-pay officer with … Continue reading →

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Walking in Zaha’s shoes

Posted on May 2, 2016 by David Brussat

Here is my monthly blog post from the last issue of Traditional Building. The post was written shortly after the passing of Dame Zaha Hadid, one of my least favorite architects. “Walking in modernist shoes: Zaha Hadid” was my attempt … Continue reading →

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My Jane Jacobs river tour

Posted on April 30, 2016 by David Brussat

Wednesday would be the 100th birthday of Jane Jacobs if she had not died in 2006. Saturday at 1 p.m. is my third tour of Providence’s new riverfront for Jane’s Walk, the international conspiracy to spread her urbanist wisdom around … Continue reading →

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Hart’s humanist architecture

Posted on April 27, 2016 by David Brussat

The Lincoln Memorial – The dignity humanity, and success of a man framed in classical virtue, reminding us of how much we’ve forgotten about building monuments. [Sketches by Albrecht Pichler] Robert Lamb Hart has sent me A New Look at … Continue reading →

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Scruton, Haussmann, Syria

Posted on April 25, 2016 by David Brussat

The British philosopher and architectural theorist Roger Scruton, whose 1995 book The Classical Vernacular is one of my bibles, has recently written “Rebuilding a new Syria without the divisions” for The Times of London. Syria’s history as a French protectorate … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Book/Film Reviews, Books and Culture, Development, Other countries, Preservation, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment