Commentary & Criticism

‘Lunch on a Beam’ Explores the History of a Legendary 1932 Photo Captured Atop a Classic New York Skyscraper

Wed, 13 May 2026 23:45:56 -0400

Rockefeller Center archivist Christine Roussel’s book brings together art, architecture, and social history to delve into the story behind the famous portrait of ironworkers on break.

‘Out There’ Surveys 50 Architecture Practices Transforming Regional Cities and Small Towns

Fri, 08 May 2026 07:14:34 -0400

Read an excerpt of former RECORD editor-in-chief Robert Ivy’s introduction to a new book cowritten with Cathleen McGuigan and Peter MacKeith.

A New Book Charts the Career of Architectural Cartoonist Alan Dunn

Wed, 06 May 2026 07:06:31 -0400

The new book from RECORD contributor Gabriele Neri on Dunn, whose work frequently appeared in the magazine, is illustrated with drawings, photographs, watercolors, and unpublished sketches.

Glenn Kurtz Tells the Stories of the Workers Who Constructed the Empire State Building

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:01 -0400

The story of the workers who built it is ‘off the main path, overlooked, and only dimly legible,’ writes Kurtz in ‘Men at Work’ of the famed Manhattan skyscraper, which turns 95 today.

The Met Showcases Rare Medieval Architectural Drawings in ‘Gothic by Design’

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:28 -0400

On view through July 19, the show features more than 90 works, possibly one of the largest collection of Gothic drawings ever brought together in one location.

The International Mass Timber Building Conference Holds 10th-Annual Gathering in Portland

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 03:48:34 -0400

Featured speakers at the conference’s 2026 edition included Kengo Kuma and representatives from Amazon and Meta.

‘Latinitudes,’ an Exhibition of Architectural Photography, Opens at Chicago’s Graham Foundation

jim@jamesgauer.com (James Gauer) — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 00:00:41 -0400

The exhibition features photos by Leonardo Finotti across 12 Latin American cities.

‘Architecture and the Right to Heal’ Traces Displacement in the Wake of the Ottoman Empire

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

“What is perhaps most surprising about ‘Architecture and the Right to Heal,’ given its grim subject, is that at its core it retains optimism,” writes Izzy Kornblatt of Esra Akcan's new book.

Graeme Brooker's Hefty New Book Analyzes the ‘DNA of the Interior’

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:15:39 -0400

‘The Story of the Interior’ jumps between ancient history and conteporary art, modernist interiors and vernacular dwellings, medieval manuscripts and futuristic renderings to explore the features of human habitation.

Columbia University Mounts a Retrospective of Michael Sorkin’s Architectural Work

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 08:20:08 -0400

‘People Cross Against the Light: Michael Sorkin’s New York’ pairs eight unbuilt projects with excerpts of the famed critic’s writing.

Requiem for a Building: Romaldo Giurgola’s South End Branch Library

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:01:15 -0400

Boston architect Andrea Leers reflects on the brick-faced civic anchor, which has been shuttered since a 2022 flood and is awaiting demolition to make way for a new facility.

A New Exhibition Showcases the Precision of Austrian Architect Dietmar Feichtinger

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:43:17 -0400

‘Dietmar Feichtinger: Architecture of Connection’ is on view at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York through September 20, 2026.

In ‘Public Space NY,’ MOS Catalogues the Shared Urban Landscape of Manhattan

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 01:16:11 -0400

This follow-up to ‘Vacant Spaces NY’ maps and categorizes every type of public space in Manhattan, from parks to community gardens, cemeteries, and shared streets.

‘Material Worlds’ Celebrates Bruce Goff’s Miscellany

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:47 -0500

On view until March 29, the retrospective is the first at the Art Institute of Chicago in 30 years to exhibit the Oklahoma architect’s inimitable practice and sprawling archive.

A New Exhibition at the Noguchi Museum Brings the Artist’s Unrealized Works in the Public Realm to Life

kuthg@bnpmedia.com (Grace Kuth) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:12 -0500

‘Noguchi’s New York’ presents a vision of the Big Apple in which momentous playscapes dominate whole city blocks.

Brooklyn’s Pratt Institute Gathers Hundreds of Sketches for the Exhibition ‘Levers Long Enough to Move the World’

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:30:25 -0500

On view through February 27, the show features work from 62 contributors, including several recent RECORD Design Vanguards.

The ‘Divine Darkness’ of Architectural Determination

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:39:13 -0500

Nader Tehrani reviews Sven Blume’s new documentary on Swedish architect Sigurd Lewerentz.

A New Book Serves as a Comprehensive Guide for Effective Communication About Design

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Coauthored by Steven Heller and RECORD contributing editor Molly Heintz, ‘The Education of a Design Writer’ features essays, criticism, and more.

‘Neuro-Inclusive Community Design’ Learns from the Example of Sólheimar, Iceland

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 03:29:48 -0500

“An essential aspect of architecture that is often overlooked, especially for the neurodivergent population, is the life between the buildings,” writes Charles Durrett.

‘Breathing Space’ Explores Respiratory Modernism as a Force That Shapes Buildings and How We Live With Them

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:52:10 -0500

Author Tim Altenhof has 'given us an excellent history lesson that carves out a small place for breathing,' writes Russell Fortmeyer.

‘Sick Architecture’ Probes the Relationship Between the Built Environment and Health and Wellness

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Read an excerpt from editor Beatriz Colomina's introduction to the book, which features 36 essays on topics ranging from mosquito mitigation to toxic masculinity.

A New Book Theorizes Mannerism as an Inescapable Stage in the Creative Process

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 08:58:11 -0500

Read an excerpt from the intriguingly titled eighth chapter, ‘Chunky, Bizarre, Sophisticated: The Peter Pan Syndrome.’

‘Incorporating Architects’ Forensically Documents the Rise of Megafirm AECOM

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:02:54 -0500

Aaron Cayer’s book traces the history of one of the first built-environment companies to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

A New Book Argues for the Poetic Potential of Reusing Architectural Waste

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:33:30 -0500

‘Reuse of Architectural Components’ proposes a circular construction industry in which the reuse of waste materials could provide new aesthetic and symbolic value.

The First Biography of Ella Briggs Tells the Story of an Extraordinary Woman and Early Modern Architect

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:09:21 -0500

The book compiles essays by 15 historians documenting the largely forgotten yet remarkable life story of the Vienna-born architect and interior designer.

‘New York 2020’ Concludes Robert A.M. Stern’s Six-Volume Series Documenting the City’s Built Environment

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:45 -0500

The colossal new book is 'sweeping in its detail, insightful in its selections, and astonishing in its research' writes architect Mark Foster Gage.

A New Book Chronicles the Strange Saga of Belgium’s Contribution to the 1939 New York World’s Fair

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

An obscure Modernist landmark, the Belgian Friendship Building has lived many lives since being reconstructed on the campus of a Virginia HBCU in the 1940s.

In a New Book, Béatrice Grenier Ponders the Evolving Role of Cultural Infrastructure

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Read an excerpt from ‘Architecture for Culture: Rethinking Museums’ by the director of curatorial affairs at Fondation Cartier in Paris.

‘Encounters’ Presents a Decades-Spanning Trove of Photographs Captured by Denise Scott Brown

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Edited by RECORD contributing editor Izzy Kornblatt, the book features nearly 400 photographs depicting everyday environments from Las Vegas to Levittown and points in between.

‘The Hero of Doubt’ Collects the Writings of Ernesto Nathan Rogers for the First Time in English

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Read an excerpt of the introduction to this new anthology, which features essays penned by the British-Italian architect between 1932 to 1965.