Architecture

The Architecture Project Behind Obama's Chicago Presidential Library

8:52am July 02, 2016

The Obama Foundation named Tod Williams and Billie Tsien as the architects of the presidential museum and library. Scott Simon talks to Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin.

Rolf and Daughters, in Nashville, Tenn., boasts exposed brick, bare bulbs and ceiling pipes.

Arts

Why Does Every New Restaurant Look Like A Factory?

4:58pm June 29, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

The stripped-down look of exposed brick, poured cement floors and Edison light bulbs is popular in restaurants across America. One reporter dares to ask, "Seriously, why?"

This composite of drone images shows architectural details and measurements (left) and a close-up view of a monumental structure near the center of Petra in Jordan.

World News

Massive Structure Found 'Hiding In Plain Sight' At Ancient Site Of Petra

3:27pm June 10, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Researchers using satellite images and drones discovered a structure the size of an Olympic-size pool near the center of the ancient city in Jordan. But what exactly it was used for remains a mystery.

U.S. Agency Tries Radical Rehab Technique On Aging Government Buildings

4:29pm June 02, 2016

by Mark Urycki

Love them or hate them, modernist buildings of the 1960s and '70s are beginning to need renovation, and the U.S. General Services Administration is trying something unusual — putting a 32-story office tower under glass. The double wall exterior will not only save energy but protect the inhabitants from a bomb blast. NPR explores whether the repairs are worth the $120 million and if the outer wall will ruin the original architecture design.

The Triborough Bridge is seen under construction in New York City on July 10, 1935. The bridge, now known as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, connects Long Island with Manhattan. The Dutch Prime Minister is a fan of the biographer of Robert Moses, who was i

#NPRreads: Take A Tour Of These Three Stories This Weekend

9:19am May 21, 2016

Correspondents, editors and producers from our newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading, using the #NPRreads hashtag. Each weekend, we highlight some of the best stories.

Architect Mark Kushner on stage at TED in 2014.

Arts

How Do Buildings Make Us Feel?

8:36am May 20, 2016

by NPR/TED Staff

Architect Marc Kushner explains why architecture tends to swing drastically between traditional and experimental styles — and why the future of building design is going to be different.

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National

Words You'll Hear: Gentrification

5:06pm May 01, 2016

This week is the 100th birthday of Jane Jacobs, who resisted gentrification in New York and became a respected thinker on urban planning. Author Roberta Brandes Gratz talks about Jacobs' legacy.

The Shanghai Rowing Club (middle) was rescued after preservationists fought a proposed demolition. In the background to the left is the futuristic skyline of Shanghai's financial district, Lujiazui.

World News

After Decades, A Shanghai Preservationist Heads Home To America

12:13pm April 07, 2016

by Frank Langfitt

Retired American diplomat Tess Johnston, 84, made a second career working to preserve the rich colonial architecture of Shanghai.

Just Turned 40? An Architect Says It's Time To Design For Aging

6:30pm April 04, 2016

by Meredith Rizzo

An architect looked at communities that serve older adults, and didn't like what he saw. By changing habits earlier in life, he says, we can create vibrant communities that will sustain us.

Arts

Renowned Iraqi-British Architect Zaha Hadid Dies At 65

10:27pm March 31, 2016

by Andrew Limbong

Architect Zaha Hadid died on Thursday at age 65. She was the first woman to win the Pritzker Prize, architecture's highest honor.

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