Cite s H 200 4 s u m m e r

LETTERS Cite Defending the Fort Worth Modern (he Architecture and Design Review of Houston Subscription < hie ^e.

OVER THE PAST IO-PLUS years, I have academicians, to discuss the project's N.uin been impressed by the efforts of the Rice evolution. It is evident to me that Mr. Design Alliance to keep its members and brctcll had his own agenda, regardless \J,li. -.. the Houston community informed relative of information he was provided to the City/State Zip to advancements in the fields of architec- contrary. His article does not represent ture, urban planning, and design. As .1 much, if anything, that I shared with U Check for $ enclosed. Texas architect with frequent business in him. Yes, there were changes made to the Modern. The Thomas S, Byrne that com- LI Gift subscription Houston, I have been afforded the oppor- building's design through the subsequent pleted the kimbell some M) years ago did The Rice Design Alliance tunity to enjoy a number of events hosted design phases following the competition. so under different ownership and with a The Kiei- Design Alliance, established in 1972, by the Alliance with mutual friends who However, the museum's hoard ol trustees villi ih.ii I-. Inn;.; since gone. I inbeck, on is .i am tnr profit organization dedicated Bo tin- advancement of arcJiifiectun, urban design, have been instrumental in the success of informatively approved design modifica- the other hand, since the '80s has success- UILI tilt- built environment in the Houston region the organization. tions as recommended by the project fully completed larger buildings designed through L-Juc.uioii.il programsj me publication For these reasons I feel compelled team, including Tadao Ando, to improve by Norman Foster, Ricardo l.egoretta, ol i He, .i quarter!) review "i architecture and dewgiij .nuf active programs t" initiate physical to inform you of my complete surprise the design's responsiveness to previously and the late Paul Rudolph. I.inbeck suc- inipriiviMiu-ws. Membership in tli,- KI>A is open and disappointment that an organization established programmatic, functional, cessfully completed the recent large-scale to [hi- general public. of the Rice Design Alliance's stature and and aesthetic guidelines. Tadao Ando renovation and expansion, designed by Individual M e m b e r s h i p S.*> academic standards could have allowed initiated a number ol the changes to the Phillip Johnson, of the Anion Carter richerdiscounts foi .ill Kl>A programs Free lubscripi to < i r<-. Tbt Architecture Richard BreteU's recent article OD the design that Mr. Bretell alleges were forced Museum, and is currently working with jtui Design Review >n.*i<»i Modern of Fort Worth ("Ando's Modern: by others less visionary than the design Michael Craves on a Federal Reserve Ins itationa to "members onlj - < an Reflections on Architectural Translation,'' architect. Apparently Mr. bretell did not Bank building in I louston. Participation in the annual membership nuTtini; .nuf mm Cite 57) to have been published in Cite. consult with Mr. Ando while preparing I had originally planned to challenge I'niKip.KHiii in tin* .iniiu.il architecture tout Speaking out on beliall ol the project research for his article. each misinformed accounting Mr. Bretell Student M e m b e r s h i p S i s team, as director of design ami construc- The most irritating aspect of the gave for the design modifications to All i>l llu- nhnvr benefit* tion for the project, I can comfortably article is Mr. Hretell's denigration of ladao Ando's original competition entry, Family Membership SsO All lit liic .ll.ou- hi-lli-llts hir youi l.illlih state that the article is fraught with mis- Linbeck Construction Corporation's abil- but decided the article's lack of merit did Sponsor M e m b e r s h i p $125 information, unfounded supposition, and ity to render an Ando design in built not deserve any more time on my part. All HI the benefits accorded to Family Members professional naivete. The most shocking form. Mr, Bretell stated that I.inbeck "is Suffice it to state that the building you Courtesy tickets to two aclecred 1U>A program aspect of the article is Mr. nrercM's callous not primarily known for its work with see in Fort Worth today is the result of an Patron M e m b e r s h i p S250 AH i>t the beneftts accorded in Sponsor Members and undeserved criticism of some of the major architects" (whatever "major" is| extremely successful collaboration among < oulfesy tickets In thrt'i- selected KDA programs very professional entitites that worked so and then went on to state that "many a visionary architect, other talented design Sustaining Membership $500 hard to make the building's realization the devotees of architecture in Dallas-Fort professionals, and a very capable, patient All nl (In- lu-ni'lits .inordcd to I'.nton MI-IIIIHTS ( uiiiti-sy tickets n> .ill RDA programs success that ir is. Based upon his observa- Worth had assumed that the revered local construction linn. For many logical, com- Corporate M e m b e r s h i p SI001) tions and conjecture, Mr. bretell must firm Thomas S. Byrne, which had built pelling reasons, ton numerous to address All of the benefits accorded to Sustaining Members have limited experience with the aspects the Kimbell and important Dallas build- in this letter, the Modern is not Tadao Recognition in the KJiA journal t it< and at of a project that take it from initial con- ings by Stephen I loll, Richard Meier, and Ando's competition entry in built form. .ill KDA programs I mk in your website from RDA's website cept, or vision, through design develop- Antoine Predock" should have received I he evolution ol tin- design is indeed a Corporate Sponsorship $1500 ment and construction to a successful the commission. great story to tell, as long as you d o it All (it tin- benefits accorded to t orporan Members completion. I have no ideas who these "devotees" justice. Sponsorship of .i selected KI>.\ program Special recognition on \onii announcements, As mentioned in the article, I met could be to have assumed such a thing. ,ii the program, and in < :nr with Mr. bretell, as I have done with The three important buildings he refers Peter Fdward Arendt, AIA Membership Application many other architectural critics and to are all houses that pale in scale to the h>rt Worth

Name CORRECTION "CiHii) BRICKS" (Ofe 57) misstated the while updating its classrooms and labo- Address name of award winner Frank Carvcy, the ratories. FKP replaced the clay tile roof developer honored for the Corinthian, and steel casement windows with care to TWO BRICKS SHY OF A LOAD City/State Zip ,i downtown special-events venue. The match the originals; repaired and restored article also omitted one ol the recipients tile mosaics and exterior columns; and Telephone of the 200.1 Good Brick Awards, given by used photographs from the Rice archives the Greater I louston Preservation Alliance and complex petrography tests to plan 1 tn.nl for heroic feats ol preservation. for the aging limestone. In this award, the The missing paragraph should Greater Houston Preservation Alliance Occupation have read: also recognized the efforts of laboratory Membership (. ategory "Rice University and FKP Architects planners CPR Planners Collaborative, tor Keck Hall. Chemistry labs are sig- Inc.; engineers Burns, Define ev McC oy Amount enclosed $ nificantly different now than they were Inc.; structural and civil engineers Walter lihctks should hi- sew to Km-1 fnlversity, Rice Design Alliance MS 51, in 1925, when William Ward Watkin P. Moore and Associates; restoration I'll BtU IK42 tjMnrrifi^ii designed one for Rice in the campus's architects David Hoffman c\: Co.; and Houston, li's.is 77251-1892. signature Lombard Romanesque Style. project manager and builder I.inbeck Telephone "1 J.348.4S76 www.rda.rice.edu Hie university lined I K.I' \i J i n , , l s In Construction Corp." preserve the building's historic integrity Cite regrets the errors. Rite University's Keck Hull.