James S. Russell

Architecture Critic, Journalist and Consultant

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Enough of Bogus “Placemaking”

by James Russell on April 8, 2015 - Get free updates on posts here

Enough of Bogus “Placemaking”

Is this placemaking? The Campbell Fitness Center at Columbia University's sports complex at the northern tip of Manhattan looks strange to a lot of people. But the more you know the context--an elevated train rattles past it; industrial uses collide with with residential and institutional ones—the more you appreciate why its unconventional form is so right for its place. The building, on paper, could have been a windowless box, walling off Columbia's athletic complex from the residential … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Agile City, Architecture, Cities, Parks

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About James Russell

James S. Russell is an architecture critic, journalist, teacher and consultant. He's the author of the book, The Agile City, and has written for publications like Architectural Record, Bloomberg News, NY Times and more. Continue reading

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