Aloha High School, Portland, Oregon Architects: Hewlett, Jamison & Atkinson, Portland, DOOR.WAY NOTES ... GLASS-PANELLED CUSTOM DOOR_S R,f:QUIR_E FVLL CONTR_OL OF OPENING AND CLOSJNG SWINGS. CONCEALED CLOSERS ANSWER THE NEED FOR_ OUT-OF-SIGHT CONTROL AGAINST ABUSIVE TR_AFFIC AND UNUSUAL DRAFT CONDITIONS. LC N ALLOWS THE WIDEST CHOICE OF CLOSER_.S CATALOG ON I R..EQUEST SWEETS, SEC. 8. LCN 5010 Series closers provide the neces­ sary concealed door control. General speed. latch speed and spring power all adjustable. Hydraulic back check standard. LCN CLOSERS, Princeton, Illinois 61356 On Reader Service Card, Circle 301 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF William Marlin MANAGING EDITOR 4 LETTERS Paul R. Violi 11 BOOKS ASSOCIATE EDITORS Janet Bloom 14 FOCUS Suzanne Stephens ART DIRECTOR 18 FACETS Terrence Edwards A monthly review of events and ideas. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT 23 FORUM Cindy Tarver ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 24 FORMED UP JN FAITH Joel H. Cleveland The Christian Science Center in Boston's Back Bay embodies a regenerative attitude toward our society and cities. CORRESPONDENTS Carleton Knight II I (Wash. D. C.) 40 RETURN OF THE MEGASTRUCTURE Roger Lang (Boston) A one-building campus counters contemporary thinking George McCue (St. Louis) but has been warmly received by users and public. M. W. Newman (Chicago) Peter Papademetriou (Houston) 48 ROSEMARY AND TIME Imponderables become instructive elements of this well-sited Connecticut school. CORRESPONDENTS-AT-LARGE Edward K. Carpenter 56 SENSUOUS SURFACES Fran P. Hosken Glossy materials and geometric forms dramatize a new headquarters for a savings bank. BOARD OF CONTRIBUTORS 60 EUROPEAN TRAVELERS Vernon R. Alden Visitors to 19th century America made many interesting Bertram Berenson and acerbic criticisms of its architecture. Charles William Brubaker, FAIA By Mireille T. Ayoub. Donald Canty 66 NOTES FROM A PASSING CAR Ivan Chermayeff The problems of art in a mobile environment. George A. Dudley, AIA By James Wines. Henry Fagin, AIP 79 PRODUCTS Martin Friedman R. Buckminster Fuller 86 PRODUCT LITERATURE C. Richard Hatch Philip H. Hiss Cover: The Christian Science Center's Colonnade Samuel Kaplan building photographed by Yukio Futagawa. Donlyn Lyndon, AIA i Charles W. Moore, FAIA John Naisbitt Edmund D. Pellegrino M.D. Roger Schafer Patwant Singh Barbara Ward Beverly Willis, AIA Douglas Haskell, FAIA 1 PUBLISHER Charles E. Whitney THE ARCHITECTURAL FORUM: Published 10 by Whitney Publications, Inc., subsidiary times a year, combining Jan./Feb. and of Billboard Publications, Inc., all rights July/Aug. issues, at 130 E. 59th St., New reserved. Title registered ® in U.S. Patent Whitney Publications subsidiary also pub­ York, N.Y. 10022, by Whitney Publications, Office. The contents of this publication lishes Industrial Design, Interiors and books Inc., subsidiary of Billboard Publications, may not be reproduced in whole or in Inc. EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES: part without consent of the copyright in the Whitney Library of Design. Other owner. Controlled circulation postage paid Billboard publications include Amusement 130 E. 59th St., New York, N.Y. 10022. at Cleveland, Ohio 44114, and New York, Business, Billboard, Gift & Tableware Re­ Telephone: (212) 764-7300. Sent without N.Y. 10022. Postmaster, please send 3579 to porter, Merchandising Week, Photo Weekly, charge to architects registered in the U.S. Whitney Publications, Inc., 2160 Patterson Vend, American Artist, High Fidelity, Stereo, and Canada. 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I -WEKNEWWrDCUT OWNING AND OPEBATING COSTS 1 WITH llJF GLASS.. :- - Avco Financial Center, Newport Beach, California • Owner: Balboa Insurance Company • Architects: Welton Becket and Associates • Consulting Mechanical Engineers: James A. Knowles & Associates, Inc., Los Angeles • Glazing Contractor: Golden State Glass Company, Los Angeles 2 RAY BORING The Avco Financial Tower at Newport Beach soars Building Manager into the California skies in everchanging beauty. Avco Financial Center Many things about the building are gratifyingly predictable, however. The engineering consultants-James A. Knowles & Associates-predicted that the use of Thermopane® insulating units made with Vari­ Tran® coated glass from LOF would save Avco almost $20,000 annually in owning and operating costs when compared to conventional bronze plate glass. Additionally, LOF reflective glass enabled the owner to install smaller fan-coil machinery on the upper 15 floors, thereby gaining more than 6,000 square feet of rental area for the owner. Now, the Avco Financial Tower has won the 1972 Utilization of Energy Award in Southern California, a tribute to sound design and selection of materials that is made more meaningful by the energy crisis that afflicts many parts of the country. An LOF architectural representative can't guarantee that yours will be an award winning building, but he can show you how building owners can conserve on operating costs. For the entire story, s e n d for our b roe h u re, "Re a ch for a Rainbow." Libbey-Owens-Ford Company, Dept. F-973, Toledo, Ohio 43695. On Reader Service Ca rd, Circle 304 pilotis; order = column grid, and all architecture can fall the critical policy issues which light; view = free facade). These claim to, no architectural issues must be resolved if the United five points indicate a general were discussed. States is to have a housing as­ [ETTERS] rather than a specific attitude Unfortunately if Colin Rowe's sistance program of any major towards building. This attitude article was more carefully con­ dimension in relationship to the is amplified by the metaphoric sidered, important issues might housing needs of low income and symbolic content alluded have been discovered, such as families. Messrs. Hirshen and to in Colin Rowe's article as the discussion of the schism be­ LeGates have performed a valu­ the "spirit of the age." (A de­ tween formal content and social, able service by introducing the FIVE ON FIVE sign symbolizing a rocket ship moral and political constructs. dialogue into The FORUM. FORUM: Next in the develop­ or 747 would be closer to Corb's It can be argued that a one-to­ The article should really be ment of the "Five Architects" ideas than steamships, an o n e relationship cannot be entitled "Low Income Housing's polemic (May '73) could be a eclectic attitude similar to copy­ found, however one must also Dreary Deadlock Revisited", for rebuttal by the original Five, a ing column capitols which was ask if any significant architec­ the reasons why public housing criticism of the second Five by decried by Corb.) This gen­ ture can be produced without has not been "widely embraced" another Five or a presentation eral attitude is most clearly ex­ both present, or the former or "become a popular and ac­ of the second Five's work in emplified by the houses in the tested by the latter. Or what cepted program" are that, even order to clarify their positions. 1910 - 1929 Oeuvre Complete. effect does the 'hope' or 'guilt' in its limited scope, it continues To avoid a time lag and to Villa Meyer, Maison Cook, Villa of the architect have on the to probe and test the unpopular continue to spark public dia­ a Garches, Villa Savoye are building's meaning? Can there issues which must be resolved logue, I urge you to give the studies and statements for the be a rich architecture based on in any low income housing ef­ second Five the opportunity to Immeuble Villas proposal of form alone, or must it not be fort. Basically, these issues are: publish their work. minimum housing requirements tested, informed and enriched • Where shall low-income fam­ New York, N.Y. ANDREW MacNAIR for workers. Maison Citroen, by polemics? Can forms be ad­ ilies live in a community? Guiette, and Weissenhof led to mired when they serve only the • What kind and quality of The original Five were given the Unite. "decor de la vie for Greenwich, housing shall be made available the opportunity to reply but There is enough information Conn.," a too often unescapable to them with public assistance? they declined.-ED. in the "Five Points" to realize and unchallenged trap for to­ • How shall housing manage- 1 that the "Five Architects" have day's architects? ment be geared to total oppor­ FORUM: It was stimulating to little in common with LeCor­ JON ;';fICHAEL SCHWARTING New York, N. Y. Architect tunities for the family: employ­ read such literate observations busier. None of the buildings ment, health and education? on architectural design, a sub­ represent a conviction or defin­ BAL-KRISHNA DOSHI • What level of federal assist­ ject so seldom discussed in re­ ite attitude toward these ideas. FORUM: The basic honesty and ance is required, and will have cent years. They are either generalized pro­ humaneness of Bal-Krishna Do­ acceptance for a low-income Venturi certainly deserves posals about other ideas (Eisen­ shi's work (May '73) and its housing program? much of the credit for creating man, Hejduk), or they are great good sense and humility No program, other than pub­ this provocative atmosphere.