Tag Archives: David Brussat

‘Ask Dr. Downtown’ revisited

In my last post, “Modern Diner, USModernist,” I promised USModernist talk host George Smart (aka Mr. Modernism) to send him an example of my old “Ask Dr. Downtown” columns, from when I did a column of architecture criticism every Thursday … Continue reading

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Lost Providence still giftable

Lost Providence, by yours truly, would make a great gift for anyone keen on the history of Providence, the blessing of traditional architecture, or the bane of modern architecture. Or, dear reader, get it for yourself. Most bookstores in Providence … Continue reading

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“Lost Providence” at age 1

My dear wife, Victoria, just a moment ago reminded me, for some reason, that today a year has passed since the publication of my first book, Lost Providence. It had sold 548 copies as of the end of last year. … Continue reading

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‘Lost Prov’ show at PPL Wed.

Tomorrow the Lost Providence road show will appear at the Providence Public Library for a slide lecture at 6:30 p.m. The real show here, however, is the exterior of the library on Washington Street, which opened in 1900, the balustrade … Continue reading

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Living under bridge now

Seriously, it’s not that bad, but your architectural correspondent was in fact laid off yesterday from his job at the Providence Journal. A newspaper chain recently purchased the paper. Tomorrow’s column will be my last for the Journal. I will … Continue reading

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Shoe slips on other foot

Michael Rouchell sends to TradArch a wonderful sketch of the new addition to the Villa Savoye, Le Corbusier’s pathbreaking modernist house of 1931 in suburban Paris. As intended, the addition raises interesting questions. Modernists are wary of additions to their work in … Continue reading

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Column: The secret to making great streets

The secret to great streets is that there is no secret, that great streets were once the norm, that making them is easy, and that we can have them again, even in America, if we want them. This is the … Continue reading

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

Proposed for Benefit Street

Yesterday I posted about several projects in Providence, including an excavation of a front yard at 43 Benefit, the Joseph Jenckes House. I talked to Jason Martin of the city’s planning office and he sent me PDFs of the project, … Continue reading

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“Screams art museum”!

It sure does. That’s a direct quote from Thomas Lenz, head of Harvard Art Museums, intended as praise. The top comment after Harvard Magazine’s article about the Renzo Piano addition to the Fogg Museum of Art was “Is this really the … Continue reading

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Two to watch in Providence

While some people in Providence are upset that the owner of a big house at 200 Hope Street, by Russell Warren, across from the Wheeler School, is to be broken up into apartments, and with no intent to alter the … Continue reading

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