July/August 2021: Glass

The biggest architecture story of the summer concerned the collapse of a Surfside, Florida, condo building in late June. While journalists have raised questions about the design of Champlain Towers, none dug into the career of its architect: one William Friedman. In this month’s lead story, AN contributor Bill Millard dug into public records to uncover Friedman’s identity and less-than-impeccable professional reputation. This issue also looks at development, casting it in both complementary and critical light: There are stories that give voice to individual developers (“Prince Concepts,” page 22, and “The Do Tank,” page 26), and others that portray development as a diverse practice comprising many actors (“New Tools for Development,” page 8). There are challenges leveled at this class for their handiwork (“The Opposite of Ticky-Tacky,” page 24, and “Against the Smart Worldview,” page 61), and there is also earnest affection for the very same (“Learning from Margaritaville,” page 16).

Elsewhere, we foreground the latest advances in glass envelopes and products in a series of compelling case studies and roundups.

Also included:

• Exhibit Columbus explores the interconnected ecosystems and built environments of the Mississippi watershed
• Comment: The Governors Island rezoning is Bill de Blasio’s good-bye gift to real estate
• Product feature: Leading global architects unlock the expressive potential of undulating glass
• In tribute: Historian Jean-Louis Cohen reflects on the work of the late Paulo Mendes da Rocha
• In Construction: Thomas Phifer and Partners revives an unbuilt Mies van der Rohe project in Indiana
• Studio Visit: Prince Concepts
• Review: The Invention of Public Space
• Review: 2021 Vienna Biennale for Change
• Pictorial: Andi Schmied on Manhattan’s obscene supertalls
• “In Case You Missed It,” the monthly news roundup