Tag Archives: Hitler

Fascism, modernism paired

Posted on April 21, 2016 by David Brussat

Mother’s milk flowing from her gentle soul, a good friend expressed at lunch yesterday her dismay at the fascist tendencies of modernist architect Philip Johnson. She is no fan of his buildings (there are two in Providence), but she was … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Books and Culture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Why not resod the old sod?

Posted on June 9, 2015 by David Brussat

Unsurprisingly, there have been proposals to demolish and replace the Houses of Parliament along the Thames in London. The excuses are a perceived need for greater openness, to be supplied by glass of course, or for more accommodation of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Other countries, Rhode Island, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ghosts at a school for girls

Posted on May 17, 2015 by David Brussat

Reading a novel by Robert Harris called Fatherland, published in 1992, about a Berlin detective who gets caught up in crimes, circa 1964, arising from the protection of deep secrets in a Germany that had not lost World War II, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Other countries | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Kismet, but not in Mecca

Posted on October 2, 2014 by David Brussat

Kismet. A useful word. Taking a break yesterday from the authorship of a blog post on the destruction of Mecca by modern architecture, I went downstairs, made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and turned on the television. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Other countries | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

The destruction of Mecca

Posted on October 1, 2014 by David Brussat

Kudos to Erik Bootsma for posting this New York Times oped to the TradArch list. Written by Ziauddin Sardar, The Destruction of Mecca describes the transformation of Mecca, of all places, into a modernist hellhole – led not by Western … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Development, Other countries | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Philip Johnson’s Nazi decade

Posted on April 23, 2014 by David Brussat

Here is a brave piece by Matt Novak for the Paleofuture page of Gizmodo, reprinted at Archinect. It is about the designer of two buildings on the campus of Brown University, in Providence: the Albert and Vera List Art Building … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Providence | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Honey, I’m home (after 70 years)!

Posted on February 5, 2014 by David Brussat

Nazis occupy Paris. Lady fed up and leaves for south of France. Never returns but keeps paying rent. Dies at 91. Nobody goes into her apartment until recently, when it was found untouched since her departure 70 years before. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art and design, Blast from past, Other countries, Preservation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment