A note of cautious optimism hovered about the group of design professionals convened by the General Services Administration in San Francisco last month.
The Denver Art Museum addition represents both fulfillment and vindication for Daniel Libeskind. While the architect witnessed the erosion and diminution of his plans for Ground Zero, he has been able to realize an enriched, lively urban ensemble on the streets of Denver.
The sight of thousands of passengers in the long lines at Heathrow Airport, JFK, and LAX, snaking through the arrival halls or waiting patiently outdoors in rain slickers on August 10 produced a familiar kind of dread mixed with acceptance: Since September 11, 2001, our world has irrevocably changed.
The AIA convention in Los Angeles exceeded the record books, with more than 25,000 attendees enjoying the cool California air. Members packed the trade show floor, gathered for continuing education sessions, and jammed the Art Mile and other social and artistic venues.
Standing in the construction dust of the megasite near the roaring heart of the city, watching the massive building rising from the scaffolding, then surveying the scene in relation to the urban core, the comparison is inevitable: Beijing is getting what New York should have built: the long-awaited CCTV headquarters.
We cannot design ourselves out of Katrina. No matter how well intentioned we architects may be, no matter how many plans and volunteer hours we commit, the scale and complexity of this disaster exceeds the grasp of design alone, despite the fact that many of us are trying hard.
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