Architecture

Here Are The 2017 MacArthur 'Genius' Grant Winners

5:10pm October 11, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Jason De León, Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Derek Peterson are among the 24 winners of this year's MacArthur Fellowship, which honors "extraordinarily talented and creative individuals."

Environment

With Major Floods, It's "When," Not "If" For Many Cities

4:03pm August 29, 2017

"The big one" is practically inevitable — and so is the one after that.

The porches of the 1890s Allison Buildings, shown above in 1910, were later enclosed to provide more space for patient beds.

'Architecture Of An Asylum' Tracks History Of U.S. Treatment Of Mental Illness

11:54am July 06, 2017

by Susan Stamberg

Founded in 1855, St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., grew from 250 patients to 8,000. A new exhibit at the National Building Museum explores the links between architecture and mental health.

Queue Listen Now

Krisel said he wouldn't like to live in the desert, "but I like it as a locale for my architecture." Above, one of his designs perched on a mountain in California.

William Krisel, Architect Who Helped Define California Modernism, Dies At 92

4:54pm June 06, 2017

Krisel is particularly known for the scores of tract homes he designed in Palm Springs, which featured open floor plans, "butterfly" roofs and enough variation so they didn't look cookie-cutter.

A three-dimensional model of the proposed Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Here's How The Obama Presidential Center Will Look

2:50pm May 03, 2017

The Center will be located in the Jackson Park neighborhood of Chicago's South side and it will include three buildings — a museum, forum and library that surround a public plaza.

Arts

Getty Museum Acquires Collection Of Architect Frank Gehry

8:04am April 01, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

The Getty Museum in Los Angeles has acquired a major collection of work by the architect Frank Gehry. It includes more than three decades of Gehry's drawings, photos, models and ephemera.

French President Georges Pompidou, shown here in 1969, launched an international competition in 1971 to design and build the museum.

At 40, Paris' Pompidou Center Is Still 'An Unexpected Trip'

3:04pm February 22, 2017

by Eleanor Beardsley

The modern art museum, which opened on Jan. 31, 1977, holds a secure place in the heart of Paris — and in Parisians' hearts. But it wasn't always so. Horrified critics compared it to an oil refinery.

The design of the Brooklyn Bridge allowed for two wine cellars, one on each shore.

A Sip Of History: The Hidden Wine Cellars Under The Brooklyn Bridge

12:25pm January 30, 2017

by Nicole Jankowski

The cool, dark caverns were a perfect place to store even the most delicate wines — and the income they generated helped offset construction costs of the massive 19th-century engineering project.

622 Pieces — That's How Many Legos It Takes To Build An NPR Headquarters Model

6:05pm January 15, 2017

Tyler Williams is on a quest to get the Lego company to make a new kind of lego set...a replica of NPR Headquarters.

Queue Listen Now

The Millennium Tower has gained notoriety as "The Leaning Tower of San Francisco." Residents of the luxury condominium building and the city are suing the developer.

San Francisco's 'Leaning Tower' Has Residents Fuming

7:01pm January 04, 2017

by Stephanie Martin Taylor

A luxury high-rise in San Francisco is sinking. The Millennium Tower has sunk more than a foot since its completion in 2010. It's also tilting, which makes life difficult for residents on high floors.

Queue Listen Now