Category Archives: Urbanism and planning

De Botton contra Ionic Villa

Posted on August 7, 2015 by David Brussat

Above is a photo of a Palladian mansion in London’s Regent Park designed by Quinlan Terry, completed in 1990. It is really quite undeniably beautiful. Really? Undeniably? Well, maybe not quite. “We might expect the house,” writes critic Alain de … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A new design for Parcel 12

Posted on August 6, 2015 by David Brussat

The Capital Center Commission’s design-review panel took a look Tuesday morning at a pleasant, forthrightly classical hotel design presented by architect Eric Zuena, of ZDS, in Providence. There’s a lot to like in the new design for an eight-story extended-stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Art and design, Development, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Why can’t we recreate Bath?

Posted on August 4, 2015 by David Brussat

I am cruising through The Architecture of Happiness, wishing I had the time and energy to quote and then rebut its every line. Alain de Botton’s book is a masterpiece, but I have been forced to conclude that it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Preservation, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , | 6 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

Boston’s Olympic belly flop

Posted on August 1, 2015 by David Brussat

Boston’s Olympic belly flop has sent crocodile tears gushing down this critic’s soaking, heaving cheeks. The city’s withdrawal of its bid to host the 2024 Summer Games leaves your vitriolic correspondent bereft. An endless parade of proposals for modernist Bird’s … Continue reading →

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Easy street to civic beauty

Posted on July 31, 2015 by David Brussat

Even though there may be two, three or more street lamps for every building on a city street, street lamps are far less expensive than buildings. Lining a city block with elegant lampposts is a cheap, fast, easy road to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Development, Landscape Architecture, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Development, Other countries, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Top classical WWI entries

Posted on July 28, 2015 by David Brussat

Here, courtesy of the organization sponsoring the design competition for a monument to commemorate the First World War, are links to some if not all of the classical entries. These are considered “the best” from among a couple of dozen … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Landscape Architecture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

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

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