Category Archives: Humor

Monopoly, Hasbro, P’tucket

Now that the film Monopoly has been announced by the game’s owner, Hasbro, headquartered in Pawtucket, R.I., one can imagine where it might be shot. Of course, the street names that make up the most memorable aspect of the game … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Book/Film Reviews, Humor, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

House of (52,000) Cards

Here’s something from CBS Evening News involving architecture – a Harvard grad named Bryan Berg who builds houses of cards. He may not have (as he admits) a full deck but he certainly uses more than one of them to … Continue reading

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Costly design in Pyongyang

It appears that the architect of Terminal 2 of North Korea’s international airport, Ma Won Chun, was executed because the Dear Leader failed to appreciate the design. This according to “Kim Jong Un EXECUTES airport architect because he did not … Continue reading

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Art and design, Development, Humor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Cellini: Pearls before duchess

In the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1572) he discusses fighting and money a lot. Designing the settings for jewelry – his craft as a goldsmith and sometime sculptor – is the topic to which, after fighting and money, he has … Continue reading

Posted in Art and design, Books and Culture, Humor, Other countries | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ugly Belgian House blog!

I just spent some good quality time with the Ugly Belgian Houses blog. Its originator, who self-identifies only as “@hannes_BHC,” has only this to say to explain the blog: “Because most Belgian houses suck. Even mine. Seriously. My English sucks … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Development, Humor, Other countries, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Klaustoon: Pimp my Warsaw

It looks like Warsaw, which during Poland’s communist era restored the beauty of central Warsaw after the wreckage left by the Nazis, is selling itself the rope with which to hang itself. Is this what Poland jettisoned communism for? At … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Development, Humor, Other countries, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

“No tears for tankies”

Here, from way out in total left field, is something completely off the radar of this blog. Yet I found it so perversely fascinating that I had to post. Last time I posted on a subject from the Charnel-House blog, … Continue reading

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

NYT cartoon speaks for itself

Hats off to Charleston architect Christopher Liberatos for posting this to TradArch!

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Michael Palin on London

Here’s another passage, this one from Diaries, 1969-1979: The Python Years, about development trends in London. Sadly, this is from 43 years ago. I wonder what Palin would think about the same subject today. Friday, Oct. 27, 1972. From the … Continue reading

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Preservation hits the bottom

The New York Landmarks Preservation Commission has almost hit rock bottom. It has approved a restoration project that preserves a building – and its graffiti. The website New York YIMBY reports the ruling in “Landmarks Approves Restoration and Conversion of … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Development, Humor, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments