Recent attention on the condition of Frank Lloyd Wright houses in LA have preservationists hoping that Angelenos will decide “that care of the buildings is a civic responsibility. But in a city where distinctive architecture has been overwhelmingly driven by the resources of affluent owners, it is no easy task. For one thing, while the city’s popular midcentury modern houses have come to represent a way of life that is appealing to many wealthy people, Wright’s crumbling concrete buildings, remain an acquired taste. They bear little resemblance to his earlier and later work, and none of them were designed for conventional family living.”
Tag: 08.14.05
America’s Best Orchestras?
Which are the best American orchestras? After a year in which he heard most of the contenders, Mark Swed has some observations about where the new powerhouses are… and what it takes to be the best.
Treasure Hunters Looking For Nazi Art Threaten Lake
At the end of World War II, the Nazis used military trucks for months and months to dump in crate after crate of stolen art, money and treasure into Austria’s Lake Toplitz. “The Nazis eventually commissioned locals to do the deed, bringing the crates by oxcart, transports which occurred more and more frequently in the frantic last days of the war.” While some of the treasure was recovered after the war, much is still there, and authorities are now worried that repeated search missions are harming the lake.