A new documentary attempts to alter how we look at St. Louis's infamous public housing project. The first Pruitt-Igoe building to be demolished was imploded in 1972. Click on the slide show button to view additional images. The Pruitt-Igoe housing project seen before its demolition. Accepted wisdom will have us believe St. Louis' infamous Pruitt-Igoe public housing development was destined for failure. Designed by George Hellmuth and World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki (of Leinweber, Yamasaki & Hellmuth), the 33-building complex opened in 1954, its Modernist towers touted as a remedy to overcrowding in the city’s tenements. Rising crime, neglected
Photo courtesy First Run Features The DVD version of Eames: The Architect and the Painter was released on December 13. Photo courtesy First Run Features Ray Eames with an early prototype of The Toy, made of cardboard triangles. Related Links: Stamps Commemorate Charles and Ray Eames Under the California Sun, Architecture Blossomed Even without footing in the design world, the name “Eames” is instantly recognizable. The Eames chair was such a game-changer when it was unveiled in 1956 that it has found a place—either literally or through designs it inspired—in countless homes and offices in the United States and around
The new documentary marks the finale of filmmaker Gary Hustwit's design trilogy. Photo courtesy Gary Hustwit The film features scenes from Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai. Photo courtesy Gary Hustwit Hustwit critically assesses the Stuttgart 21 project, which calls for tearing down a landmark train station and handing over a large parcel of public land to private developers. The project has drawn considerable opposition. In the echo chamber of American documentaries, Gary Huswit’s films reverberate for all the right reasons. They are open explorations, not narrow screeds, that encourage insiders and philistines alike to robustly and respectfully debate the cultural
