Tag Archives: France

Save Lille’s Chapel St. Joseph!

Posted on February 6, 2021 by David Brussat

The Chapelle Saint-Joseph, in Lille, situated in the northernmost tip of France, should remain standing in testimony to the beauty of France. The chapel has been abandoned by the city government. The French ministry of culture has refused to classify … Continue reading →

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Review: “Villa of Delirium”

Posted on April 12, 2020 by David Brussat

In our reading of the novel Villa of Delirium, we last left our hero, Achilles, hanging on the ledge of beauty at Villa Kerylos. Would he fall? As a boy, Achilles was adopted by a wealthy French family and raised … Continue reading →

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People’s Notre-Dame contest

Posted on July 8, 2019 by David Brussat

GoArchitect offers “The People’s Notre-Dame Design Contest,” supposedly as distinct from the international design competition announced by France after the cathedral fire in April. So far as I can tell, the announcement has not been followed up officially with a … Continue reading →

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Henry James inhales Nimes

Posted on June 25, 2019 by David Brussat

Here is a passage from A Little Tour in France, by Henry James, published in 1884. In this passage he is in Nîmes, a town in Provence best known for the Maison Carrée, a survivor from Roman days that inspired … Continue reading →

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Save the Chartres Cathedral

Posted on February 5, 2019 by David Brussat

In my 2014 blog post “Change at Chartres” I discussed New York Review of Books critic Martin Filler’s “Scandalous Makeover at Chartres,” a critique of the interior restoration work at the famous cathedral about 60 miles to the southwest of … Continue reading →

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Driehaus for the Breitmans

Posted on January 19, 2018 by David Brussat

The annual Driehaus Prize, named for Chicago philanthropist Richard H. Driehaus and administered by the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame, recognizes the career of work in the classical style by living architects. It has been handed … Continue reading →

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Best worst buildings of 2017

Posted on December 26, 2017 by David Brussat

‘Tis the season to wax mirthful about the architecture of the previous year. Here are the favorites of ArchDaily.com, “The Best Architecture of the Year: Most Viewed Projects,” summarized and presumably selected according to popularity among its readership, and then … Continue reading →

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Flirtation and architecture

Posted on November 22, 2017 by David Brussat

The progression from flirtation to seduction may be comparable to the progression between the stages of embellishment in architecture. The parallel may be drawn from an article by the Associated Press on how the French are reacting to the sexual … Continue reading →

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City devitalization in France

Posted on March 4, 2017 by David Brussat

Towns and small cities in France have experienced in recent years something similar to what happened to towns and cities in America during the last half of the 20th century. In France they call urban renewal and suburban sprawl by … Continue reading →

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Is this possible anymore?

Posted on February 19, 2017 by David Brussat

Above is a photo of a town, Sémur-en-Auxois, in the Côte-d’Or, a department of northeastern France. Below is Sarlat-la-Canéda, in the Dordogne, another deparment, in the northeast. They are both beautiful, and it makes sense to wonder whether there is … Continue reading →

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