A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books

American Folk Art Museum in New York, NY by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Associates, 2001 On December 11, 2001 the long-awaited American Folk Art Museum , designed by New York City's Tod Williams Billie Tsien Associates , opened its doors to the public. The following text and design sketches are by the architect; the following dose will feature a critique and images of the built museum. Located on 53rd Street, this new eight-level building devotes the four upper floors to gallery space for permanent and temporary exhibitions. The Museum will be capped by a skylight above a grand interior stair with openings at each floor allowing natural light to filter into the galleries and through to the lower levels. Art will be integrated into public spaces, utilizing a series of niches throughout the building that offer inform...

Eyebeam Atelier in New York, NY, 2001 Featured here are the three finalists to build the new home of Eyebeam Atelier , a non-profit organization "established to provide access, education, and support for students, artists, and the general public in the field of art and technology." The finalists include New York's Diller and Scofidio, Leeser Architecture, and Dutch firm MVRDV (left). The following text and images are courtesy Eyebeam Atelier. Diller + Scofidio (now Diller Scofidio + Renfro ) is a collaborative, interdisciplinary studio involved in architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts. The team is primarily involved in thematically-driven experimental work that take the form of temporary and permanent site-specific installations, multi-media theater, electronic media, and print, as well as a...

Museum of Archaeology and History in Montreal, Quebec, Canada by Dan S. Hanganu Architects, 1992 The following text and images are by Dan S. Hanganu Architects for their award-winning Museum of Archaeology and History (aka Pointe-à-Callière) in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, completed in 1992. "Memory and inventory" constitute the major themes employed in the elaboration of this project. Given the significance of the site, the architecture of the museum's components is influenced by the events which have taken place here since the founding of Montreal, and where more than six centuries of history are superimposed. The museum is comprised of three elements: a new building called the "Eperon", a crypt, and the former Customs House. The "Eperon" constitutes the focal point of the project. A work of mason...