Herzog et de Meuron Tavole House. Within the plethora of contemporary domestic houses, I continually return to study the Tavole House (Stone House) designed by Swiss architects and 2001 Pritzker Prize Laureates Jacques Herzog (1950-) and Pierre de Meuron (1950-)—the first Pritzker Prize given simultaneously to two architects.
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Carlo Scarpa Gavina Showroom, Part 1. Recently a former student and I discussed progress on the design of his infill project. He presented a compelling argument as to how his proposal emanated from an urban concept, and how he wanted to create—at the pedestrian level—a public and hybrid gallery space to accommodate various functions such as car shows, science fairs, a night club, a pickleball court, wedding venue, lecture hall, and movies theatre, all in addition to the required retail space.
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The nature of being: Shaker architecture. Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill is located near Harrodsburg, Kentucky, and remains on a list of my fondest places in America. Prior to moving from New York City to Kentucky, I remember a phone interview with the architecture dean at that time.
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Stuffed basil mashed potatoes . The pleasure of dining in a restaurant is a well cherished social treat, especially among family and friends. As a customer one is waited on; the food is tasty and attractively presented; there is no need to shop for groceries, cook or clean up after a busy day; and menus frequently include a cornucopia of items offering patrons an easy way to mix and match between appetizers, entrées and desserts.
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Carlo Scarpa Gipsoteca in Possagno, Italy. North of Venice, Italy, in San Vito d’Altivole, lies the cemetery of the Brion Vega family—the magnum opus of Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa (1906-1978). Nearby, in the village of Possagno, is another of the architect’s projects. Modest in scale, his addition to the existing Gipsoteca Canova, familiarly called the Museo Canoviano, forms an ensemble dedicated to the plaster sculptures of Italian artist Antonio Canova (1757-1822)—the name Gipsoteca meaning collection of plasters in Greek.
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A question of preservation. Today there is a call to order in how architecture defines the environment, and more than ever, there is a need to practice principles of adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, renovation, and restoration, and within this the subcategories of repurposing, refurbishing, and retrofitting. If there is to be a true and honest commitment surrounding issues of preservation (also termed heritage preservation or heritage conservation), it must resonate strongly among professionals of all disciplines who are engaged in enhancing and protecting our environment.
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Hubert Robert: Painting as a source of knowledge. I will admit that my passion for painting is equal to my passion for architecture, although I have practiced and taught architecture for many years and, for fear of embarrassment, never taken my personal attempts in the art of painting seriously. During my own architectural studies, a faculty member who was also a graphic artist, introduced me to the foundation of the science of color. She enticed me to learn how the subjectivity of color could trigger sensations; this would become the source of a lifelong astonishment and appreciation of color and painting.
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Housing complex in Alcabideche, Portugal, Part 2. Housing has always been key to modern architecture in Europe, and interestingly, remains a relevant topic throughout the old continent today. I visited some of the most seminal works by Portuguese architects who have tackled this topic with fervor and commitment.
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Cafe do Cais, Portugal. During my first visit to Porto, the northernmost city in Portugal, I strolled through the charming historic neighborhoods and streets lined with beautiful facades, of course, stopping far too frequently to sample freshly baked pastel de nata, the country’s famous custard tart.
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Over the past decades, many European cities and towns undertook robust and sympathetic revitalization programs within their historic centers. By transforming narrow, picturesque streets into human-friendly environments—often restricting vehicular access to the city centers—the notion of a pedestrian zone was re-invented; at least in contemporary terms, as I am not sure that medieval streets were places of visual or olfactic charm.
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