Tag Archives: London

The great cities after WWII

Posted on August 14, 2015 by David Brussat

Today is the 50th anniversary of the day Japan’s surrender in World War II was announced – a holiday still celebrated in no U.S. state but Rhode Island. It is a day to remember those who died, those who sacrificed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Other countries, Preservation, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

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

De Botton’s sore bottom line

Posted on July 16, 2015 by David Brussat

Alain de Botton, who wrote a rollicking book a while back called The Architecture of Happiness, has produced a video, “The Ruin of London,” expressing his horror at what is happening in the favorite city of the super rich. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Art and design, Development, Other countries, Urbanism and planning, Video | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

More grace in glass additions

Posted on July 14, 2015 by David Brussat

In researching glass additions worthy of downtown Providence’s Grace Episcopal Church, I came across the image above of the Royal Opera House (formerly Covent Garden), designed by Edward Middleton Barry and completed in 1858, with its elegant glass addition followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture Education, Architecture History, Art and design, Development, Preservation, Providence, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A high-rise schimflexicon

Posted on July 6, 2015 by David Brussat

H.L. Mencken assembled and published Menckeniana: A Schimflexicon, in which he collected all the abuse of his writing that he could find, mostly from newspaper reviews of his books. I have set myself a much easier but less amusing task … Continue reading →

Posted in Architects, Architecture, Art and design, Books and Culture, Urbanism and planning | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 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

Michael Palin on London

Posted on May 17, 2015 by David Brussat

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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‘So let’s build 500 Shards’

Posted on April 23, 2015 by David Brussat

I’ve posted about Create Streets before. The London urbanist organization’s Paul Murrain, who once worked with Andrés Duany on downtown Providence, has written a thoughtful and passionate “J’Accuse!” – called “London Deserves Better Than This” on PDF at the website … Continue reading →

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

What monuments tell us

Posted on March 15, 2015 by David Brussat

Recently, as museums to remember the stain of slavery in America are under construction in Washington and planned in Charleston, there has arisen the vital question of whether memorials should speak in a traditional language everyone can understand or a … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Architecture History, Art and design, Blast from past, Development | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Polemicists in pen and ink

Posted on February 28, 2015 by David Brussat

Someone recently twitted me for displaying on my blog beautiful drawings of a proposed new Boston City Hall designed (and illustrated) by Aaron Helfand. My correspondent said the building might not look as nice as the drawing when it is … Continue reading →

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