Sally B. Woodbridge
The inclusion of the word, light, in the name of Oakland ’s new Roman Catholic cathedral inspired the architects at the San Francisco office of SOM to design the cathedral as the embodiment of light. Thus, the building now nearing completion on the west shore of Lake Merritt is wrapped in translucent walls that convey the impression of layered light.
More... Oakland’s Luminous New Cathedral
The C. V. Starr East Asian Library on the University of California’s Berkeley campus opened in March 2008. Designed by Billie Tsien and Tod Williams, the building occupies a site on the north edge of the Memorial Glade that is part of the campus’s landmarked Classical Core. Yet, while honoring its context, the architects have created a building that has more in common with the tenets of Modernism than those of Classicism.
More... UC Berkeley’s new East Asian Library
Herzog & de Meuron’s de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is nearly three years old. It’s time to review its design, construction, and landscaped setting. A tour of the building and grounds follows.
More... The de Young Museum Revisited
This densely written and wonderfully illustrated book seeks answers to questions such as: what is wrong with the cities we have created and what can be done to correct our mistakes?
More... Book Review: Design for Ecological Democracy