Category Archives: Architecture

Thom Mayne Must Be Stopped

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Last weekend, I was finally able to get up close and personal to Thom Mayne’s Pritzker prize-winning (i.e. the “Nobel of architecture”) CalTrans 7 District Headquarters located across the street from City Hall in the heart of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Eyesore of the Month: Library of Birmingham

Posted on December 27, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: The architectural decadence of civic buildings continues. Here are a couple shots of the new library currently being built in Birmingham, England. Not only does the style clash with the surrounding context, but so does the scale. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Fact Du Jour

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: “Between 1950 and 1953, New York City spent $143 million on schools, $4 million on libraries, $70 million on hospitals, and $172 million on highways … Other cities went further.” I found the quote in this new book.

Posted in Architecture, Politics and Economics | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

DVD Review: “The Departed”

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: I sat all the way through Martin Scorsese’s 2006 movie even though I never felt more than half-involved with it. It’s a remake of the Hong Kong thriller “Infernal Affairs,” and it’s in Scorsese’s exuberant, burning-in-hell, “Goodfellas” … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Movies | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Palladio Award Winner

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Epaminondas

epiminondas writes: Palladio Award Winner Andrea Palladio was one of the greatest architects the world has ever known.  He was born in Padua in 1508 and died near Traviso in 1580.  He is mainly known for the 23 surviving villas … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 3 Comments

Down These Mean Streets a Man Must Go…

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Here are a few pics of some notable L.A. landmarks from my trip there a couple weeks ago (previous installments here and here). First, Union Station.

Posted in Architecture, Movies, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Linkathon

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Paleo Retiree

Paleo Retiree writes: Thom Mayne needs to be stopped. Link tks to Fabrizio del Wrongo. It’s good to be a retired EU bureaucrat. Nothing if not a dynamo. Birth Tourism Yarn Du Jour. A beautiful nude of Lee Miller by Man … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books Publishing and Writing, Photography, Sex | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

How You Finish a Skyscraper is the Most Important Part

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Epaminondas

epiminondas writes: A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.  So does a good skyscraper.  It should feel well grounded, like it is where it belongs.  As you look up at the building, your eye should be enchanted … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | 4 Comments

Europe Seems to Have a Thing Right Now for Twin, White, Abstract Towers

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Here are the “Torres de Hercules” in Spain, designed by Rafael de La-Hoz Architects. Pretty terrible, but nothing compared to the Bella Sky Hotel in Denmark, designed by a Danish firm called 3xn. This website calls it “a tasteful … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

City Sights: Bikes in Long Beach

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes: Back here, Paleo Retiree contrasted the asshole bicycle culture of the United States versus the more civilized one in Berlin. This got me thinking about the city I work in, which as I mentioned in the comments, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Photography, The Good Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments