At least it isn't Frank Gehry. God, I hate that dick.

It's a non-monochromatic box.

Gehry does suck. Why is the ego of an architect typically so much larger than that of an engineer, or even most artists'.

Oops ^^^ should close with a "?"

Charles thanks for this post. As usual your architecture writing is erudite, insightful and brilliant. Seattle is lucky to have a genius like you. You are a local treasure. Your Urban perspective makes living in this racist hicksville a little more tolerable. Mazel Tov!

whitechapel, of course, is the former london slum where the jack the ripper murders took place.

& one of the Kray twins shot a man in the pub just down the road. Whitechapel's awesome.

Oh, for chrissake. An "idea store" is a local council's "rebranding" of what used to be called a "public library". No, really. They have a "strategy document"! It's full of classically British typographical errors and solecisms, too, and probably cost a million pounds -- not for the libraries, for the document.

I guess this is what happens when former slums see a massive influx of new wealth, and council tax rates go up out of all proportion to need or sense. Where's OUR Idea Stores?

It's a box.

yup modern egotechture is just shiny, glassy, concrete-y boxes.

A celebration of the rectangle.

Of course if you line up all these projects nex to each other the streetscape will look like hell.

They are designed to live in perpetuity as a photo separate from the environment, gracing the walls ofthe office of the super egotecht who designed them.

Yes this includes the downtown library which insults the street on 3 or 4 sides. Harsh, cold, not vey usable and not part of a coherent livable streetscape(look at the Brooklyn home, they are crazy to have such big windows in NYC).

You're right Charles, that is one the most remarkably ugly buildings I can recall ever seeing. What an incredible eyesore! Good eye!

Is the roofline finished, or have they just started gutting it?

I like the new Contemporary Art Museum in Denver he designed, even though it was just barely open (and still had a few unfinished bit) when I saw it.