m.arch

Though probably best known for the once abhorred but now treasured glass-and-steel pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre, master modernist architect Ieoh Ming Pei’s (RIP, *1917 – †2019) first major commission in 1961—construction completed by 1967—a flagship laboratory for the US National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, also deserves appreciation.
The Mesa Labs and headquarters building, the cubist structure suggestive of exhaust vents or ship funnels, remarkably continues to serve its original function all these decades later, conducting crucial studies climate change and modelling, and earned I.M. Pei the industry recognition that would lead him to other projects, including the Dallas City Hall, bank buildings, libraries and galleries around the world.

jet set

The TWA hotel housed in an incredibly restored 1962 terminal designed by Eero Saarinen (previously) has just recently celebrated its grand opening and welcomes its first guests at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Given the convenience and immersive atmosphere that perfectly captures all the best of Mid-Century modern glamour, lodging seems rather reasonably priced and it costs nothing to visit and walk through the main terminal. Learn more at CityLab at the link above.

morning sedition

Having debuted on the radio in November 1979, the opening theme for NPR’s Morning Edition by BJ Leiderman has become something sacrosanct and dear to listeners, like the prohibition against crashing the pips or how German state broadcasters tried to update the eight o’clock news music but quickly changed it back a few years ago, so we found it more than a bit off-putting that they changed it from the prosaic classic to something that sounds like an alarm designed by a committee of self-styled sleep hygienists to be a less jarring wake-up call. What do you think? Both versions are below for comparison—with additional lyrics from Conan O’Brien.

our polite society

As a vehicle to explore globalism versus localism and identity—plus dominance and obsolescence, a resident of the factory town of Åtvidaberg partnered with the above design studio in a visual research project on the office equipment manufacturer FACIT AB and its legacy through its ephemera. Founded in 1922, the Swedish corporation produced typewriters, office furnishings and mechanical calculators through the 1970s, losing its relevance to Japanese-produced electronic models. In business theory, the failure if the company to adapt and embrace a technological shift is called the Facitfällen—the Facit Trap, especially when there is no funding- or skill-gap.