Maximum sobriety

We thank Suzanne Stephens for her extensive coverage of the New Acropolis Museum, but would like to note the irony of being faulted for succeeding at the very thing we intended to achieve. While Stephens criticizes the museum for not being “[our] most spectacular work,” the whole point was to resist building an architectural spectacle. To quote from our competition entry: “At the onset, it was decided to ‘play down’ the architectural approach and to address the site with minimalist simplicity. The aim was maximum sobriety …. Within the unusual constraints of the site, the project ought to appear almost undesigned.”

Stephens also regrets that the surface of the exterior concrete, which has no overpainting, sandblasting, or other cosmetic correction, does not compare with the marble of the Parthenon “up the hill.” Again, this is the whole point. The Acropolis Museum does not aim to compete with the ancients through egos or materials. On the contrary, as we stated in the competition document, “The goal of this orchestrated simplicity is to focus the viewers’ emotions and intellect on extraordinary works of art.”

Bernard Tschumi Architects
New York City

 

 

High expectations

Thank you for publishing the article and photos of New York City’s High Line. I enjoyed them tremendously. Both the photos and actual casual experience of the High Line are an affirmation of the anticipation produced by the design renderings. The project is magnificent. It is the product of the successful combination of recovered urban space, surprising adaptive reuse, historic New York City respect and reference, some transported Coney Island and Rockaway boardwalk flavor, and a small bit of my back deck thrown in.

James Fleming, AIA
Larchmont, N.Y.

 

 

Julius’s pink pig

Thirty years ago, as AIA director of continuing education, I had the privilege of meeting with Julius Shulman [“Remembering Julius Shulman, the illustrious photographer” ], and he shared with me his “pink pig” theory. ‘”One rainy day as I drove through the mountains in Jamaica,” he recounted, “a pink pig wandered out in front of my car, sat down, and looked straight at me. Before I could get out my camera to capture this wonderful picture, he stood and walked away. Always be ready to capture every moment!” This small piece of wisdom stayed with me through my career. “Always be ready to capture every moment”: wise advice from a warm and talented man. Thanks, Julius.

Jack Kelso, AIA
Las Vegas

 

 

CORRECTIONS

A News story in the July 2009 issue [page 20] about the Vancouver Winter Olympics athletes’ village suggested that Norm Hotson of HBBH Architects was the sole master planner. In fact, there were other firms involved, including VIA Architecture, Stantec, and the landscape architecture firm PWL Partnership.

 

 

Please send letters via e-mail to editor-in-chief Robert Ivy at
rivy@mcgraw-hill.com. Letters may be edited for style and format.

 

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