Critical Juncture: the Work of Joseph Rykwert, critic

CICA, AA and V&A organise events to mark the occasion of the RIBA Royal Gold Medal awarded to CICA President…

Power, Corruption and Architecture

Transparency International released its annual report some weeks ago, and this year’s corruption perception index, which ranks 177 countries from least to most…

Ice Fishing in Gimli, a book project by Rob Kovitz

One of my favorite publishers, Treyf Books, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Treyf is offering, for the first time, Ice…

2014

Media-TIC, another Sad Spectacle?

In an article I wrote a few years ago on Barcelona’s Media-TIC building, for Mark Magazine #25, I concluded my optimistic…

Spanish Steps

[Originally published in Azure, Nov/Dec 2013] One thing becomes immediately apparent when approaching MediaLab-Prado. There is no confusing old with…

Old Buildings, New Buildings

“I don’t know whether we should be designating heritage buildings.” — Frank O. Gehry Why is preserving old buildings only…

Hotel Agbar?

Barcelona’s La Vanguardia newspaper reported three days ago that the Agbar Tower, an office building designed by Jean Nouvel and completed in…

Sagrada Familia Doubt

A recent video illustrating “the final stages of Gaudí’s masterpiece” represents, we are led to believe, La Sagrada Familia completed. However,…

Sociability Generator

[Originally published in Azure, October 2013] Gràcia, with its narrow streets and the atmosphere of the former village still intact,…

How Much Does Your Conscience Weigh, Mr. Koolhaas?

Mr. Koolhaas, you designed a daring and ambitious building for CCTV, China’s state-controlled television broadcaster. But it is from this…

Adam’s House in Paradise

The courtyard house may be ancient, but it is still contemporary and modern. This became apparent to me on a…

A Barcelona Hotel gets Graphic

[Originally published in Azure, September 2013] For Pau, its new hotel in Barcelona, the Room Mate group sought an interior…

Learned from Las Vegas: DHUB Design Museum, Barcelona, by MBM

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #45] This building is important. It occupies a prominent site at the intersection of three of…

Step Right Up. Architectural Monumentality. Three Boxer Shorts for Only 6€.

Flea markets are normally found under bridges, in empty parking lots, or in old industrial sheds. This flea market (which…

Remembering Marshall Berman

I think it was in 1985. I would have been in my second year of study at University of Waterloo’s…

Product Placement / Emplazamiento publicitario

Product Placement [Originally published in Arquitectura Viva #153 under the title “Marcas y contextos”. Translation: Eduardo Prieto] “Designed by Apple…