Architecture

How do you design a White House fence to keep out intruders, without making the president's front lawn feel like a prison yard? Architecture critic Alexandra Lange tells NPR's Scott Simon.

City authorities in Paris are removing engraved padlocks left by lovers on some bridges over the Seine river. On Monday, 700,000 locks were taken off just one bridge. Officials say the romantic gesture has become so popular it now threatens the structure safety of the bridges.

A startup company called The Third Fate envisions virtual reality as a way for architects and builders to offer tours of their designs before they're even constructed.

Hundreds of ancient artifacts have been damaged or destroyed during violence in the Middle East. Researchers are using the power of crowdsourcing and 3-D imaging to re-create the ancient artifacts.

In northern Lebanon, a complex of sweeping buildings designed by renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer reminds people of more peaceful times.

For decades, the museum was housed in a concrete fortress with few windows. Its new home offers striking views of the Manhattan skyline, but critics say the design draws attention away from the art.

The 2,073-foot-tall Shanghai Tower, the world's second-tallest building, opens this year. More than just a skyscraper, it's a symbol of Shanghai's — and China's — soaring ambitions.

The famed Cleveland Clinic is building a new cancer center right around the corner from a competing cancer hospital. Both institutions are confident there will be plenty of patients.

Cooper Union architecture professor Diana Agrest has influenced generations of accomplished architects. Agrest was one of the first women to teach in the largely male-dominated field.

NPR's Philip Reeves recently visited the earthquake-battered cathedral in New Zealand built by a 19th-century ancestor. He found his family history entwined in a fierce contemporary controversy.

The developer was known for well-crafted tract homes that dotted California suburbs after World War II. "The architecture really does inform the way you live," says Eichler homeowner Adriene Biondo.

Palm Springs was the desert playground of golden-era Hollywood. Then its glamour faded. Now its midcentury architecture, its retro style and the allure of its past are fueling a rebirth.