[audiobook] Performing Cities by From Palgrave Macmillan at Arts-Photography

Review

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Nice WorkBy Joongwon LeeContinuing his first book; "Why Architecture Matters"; current edition is a compilation of thearchitecture writings of Blair Kamin; who is an architecture critic of the Chicago Tribuneand has won the Pulitzer Prize.This book is not organized in a choronological order; but rather in a thematic order.The book has five chapters; beginning with the 911 and Katrina; the book tells the readers howthe sense of security and the rebuilding energy has reshaped the airports and public areas; then the booktalks about architecturally significant high-rise buildings in Chicago; the third chapter isabout museums and campus buildings; the fourth chapter is about preservation issues; and thebook ends with the rise of President Obama and future predictions.The time frame of the book is more or less a decade; the destruction of WTC (2001) andthe opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (2010; the worlds tallest building); which givesthe title of the book "Terror and Wonder." It is in this decade that the world was under immenseconstruction boom.In Chicago; during this era; major high-rise commissions were executed by the star architects;the Milennium Park (Gehry and Piano); the Trump Tower (Adrian Smith); the Aqua Tower (Gang);and the contentiously unbuilt Spiral Tower Calatrava; and the campus buildings of IIT (OMA; Jahn; Mies)is covered in the book. The major works of Mid-West; Milwaukee Art Museum by Calatrava;Denver Art Museum by Libeskind; Kansas Nelson-Atkins Museum by Holl; etc is covered in the book.The major preservation issues and urban design issues are also covered in the book.I personally enjoyed reading his writings on Chicago high-rise buildings.In pg 100; Kamin writes; "... the skyscraper can; and should; be a thing of breathtaking beauty."what a fine writer Kamin is... Another detail point to mention is that when Kamin criticizesseverely; he uses comic metaphor; increasing the laughter of the reader more than fivefold.The awaiting of Blair Kamins columns in the Tibune makes one anticipate; What will he write?What will he cover? Whats the news? Its always a great pleasure to see how he leads the publicopinion of architectural scenes of not only Chicago and Mid-West; but also the nation as a whole.To double the pleasure; Blair has reorganized the decade of his daily writings into themesand perspectives for the reader to see synchronic issues diachronically.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Its very good..By InHyock KimIm a foreigner and Architect in MI.There were many opportunities to visit Chicago;so I really wanted to know about many history even behind stories; too...Because Id need to teach in my country.This book is exactly that I wanted..1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great look at todays architecture...By Jill MeyerBlair Kamin is the architecture critic for the Chicago Tribune. While he writes mainly about Chicago architecture; he also looks at building projects in other parts of the country and the world. After all; architects today - particularly those "starchitects" so famous for their spectacular designs - are doing projects world-wide. Frank Gehry; for example; while based in Los Angeles; is famous for buildings from Bilbao; Spain to Miami to Los Angeles to Prague.These architects are citizens-of-world; and they; along with other; lesser-known architects are building unique and "green" and; sometimes horrific; buildings in most of the worlds cities. But the world-city with the strongest architectural reputation is Chicago. And thats mostly what Blair Kamin concentrates on in his book; "Terror and Wonder: Architecture in a Tumultuous Age". The book is a collection of his articles in the years 2001 to 2008; with "afterwords" bringing the readers up-to-date on projects he talks about.The "terror" that Kamin refers to are the 9/11 attacks; which brought down two of the worlds most famous buildings. "Famous"; yes; but not particularly architecturally significant. Terror also refers to the natural kind; Hurricane Katrina which wrecked much (but not all) of New Orleans and areas along the Gulf Coast. But; terror could also refer to an economic downturn that occurred in the years from 2007 to 2012. Kamin gives plenty of examples of projects started and then let go when financing has fallen through on a project. One of the main examples of this was the Spanish architect; Santiago Calatravas; "Chicago Spire"; he was commissioned to build for an Irish developer. The Spire was going to be the tallest building in North America; before funding fell through in the late 2000s and the project was "dropped". All that is left of the Spire is the base - a dug-out hole - in prime Chicago real-estate. Another ultra-tall project that has made it completion is the Trump Tower/Chicago; which occupies the space of the old Chicago Sun-Times building along the Chicago River. Kamin goes into detail on the deals that have made such buildings possible; combinations of architects/structural engineers and developers. Some happen; some dont and largely a lagging economy is to blame for the ones that dont make it.Kamin also looks at the wide-ranging museum and library expansions that were so prevalent in the early to mid 2000s. Most were predicated on the success of Gehrys Bibao Guggenheim building. (I asked in another review of a book on architecture if people went to see the building or what was inside. I still cant decide...) Kamin describes the additions and how they were influenced by both the existing buildings AND by architectural trends. I havent been to see the new addition to the Chicago Art Museum; but; frankly; it looks rather complicated to me in Kamins description. And after writing about these often grand expansions; Kamin follows up by pointing out the eventual financial liabilities to the museums in the ensuing recession.These are just a few of the topics Blair Kamin covers in his rather idiosyncratic book on todays architecture. Its a delightful; interesting read; particularly to this Chicago Girl!