Mies van der Rohe: On first glance, you might find his buildings sterile. Look more closely, and you may discover elegant beauty in their minimalist design.
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Discover Otto Wagner’s Vienna
Austrian architect Otto Wagner brought Vienna a unique style for modern times. Believing that “something impractical cannot be beautiful,” Wagner combined colorful Viennese Jugendstil designs with functional geometric forms.
Discover Michael Graves
Michael Graves changed the world in ways that often go unnoticed. Although famous for his postmodernist buildings and for the houseware products he designed for Target and JC Penney, his most important legacy may be his work on accessible housing. Graves was born July 9, 1934, and died March 12, 2015.
View Projects by the Michael Graves Architecture Firm >>
(Photo: Steigenberger Hotel in Egypt. Architects: Michael Graves & Associates and Ahmed Hamdy. Photo credit: Wikimedia)
Celebrate Philip Johnson
Born on July 8, 1906, Philip Johnson became famous for his glass-walled house and for surprising designs like this New York City landmark, often called the Lipstick Building.
Explore the life and works of Philip Johnson >>
(Photo credit: Wikimedia)
Oh So Rococo!
Even in the 1700s, when Rococo was the height of fashion, some people considered the style excessive and absurd.
Gaudí’s Barcelona
Born on June 25, 1852, Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí defied established traditions and pushed at the boundaries of reality. To visit Barcelona is to discover Gaudí’s otherworldly designs, like Casa Batlló shown here.
Hay Castle, Home of a Self-Made King
Next time you visit Wales, be sure to stroll by Hay Castle, the one-time home of Richard Booth (1938-2019), self-proclaimed King of Hay-on-Wye. His title was well-earned.
Photo: Hay Castle, Wales. Crown Copyright, VisitWales.com
Whirlwind Tourists Do Japan
One summer, before the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear crisis, I think I saw Japan. I traveled the country on a motorcoach with 30 other Americans, mostly art students and their spouses and children. We were an odd mix…
PHOTO: Japanese Sculptures / Pzhere, CC 2.0.