As world-class architects vie to design San Francisco’s Transbay Terminal tower, John King urges them to remember that “San Francisco doesn’t need an exclamation point. It needs a supple and subtle vision — on the ground as well as the sky — that stands as a symbol of what sustainable, elegant urbanity can be.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Taper Forum To Get $30 Million Renovation
“The Music Center’s Mark Taper Forum will receive a $30-million interior renovation beginning in July, Music Center officials said Monday. The remodeling project, expected to continue through mid-2008, will include doubling the lobby space by relocating restrooms to a downstairs lounge and upgrading the auditorium with more comfortable seats and improved acoustics.”
Theatre Troupe In Tow, Pastor’s Accuser Visits Church
“The former male prostitute whose accusations against New Life Church founder Ted Haggard led to Haggard’s dismissal as pastor has paid a visit to the megachurch. … Jones visited on Sunday with members of a New York-based theater troupe, The Civilians, who are researching a project on evangelicals.”
Online, Nickelodeon Gets Interactive
“Nickelodeon, the popular children’s cable network, is pushing hard into the online world with Nicktropolis.com, a new Web site that will let its young users enter their own world of Internet activities. The Web site, which is to be activated today, is aimed at children ages 6 to 14, and plays heavily to their appetite for games….”
Acceptance Speeches: One Rerun After Another
“Because this season has already brought three televised awards shows without a single surprise in the acting categories, the winners’ acceptance speeches have been hemmed in by an unusual problem: The same old people to thank and too many opportunities to do it.”
Evangelicals Move Dancing Off The Sin List
As evangelical colleges toss out longstanding rules against dancing, they’re mirroring an evolution in conservative Christian beliefs. “There are still conservative Christians, particularly in Baptist, Pentecostal and independent Bible-church traditions, who don’t dance, but they are growing scarce.”
From The Battlefield, In The First Person
“The aviator and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry flew in on his own plane. George Orwell took his pen to the battlefield and nearly died when he was shot through the neck. Arthur Koestler was locked up by Franco supporters.” A traveling exhibition examines the eyewitness journalism of the Spanish Civil War.
Israel Philharmonic: Cherished But Challenged
As the 70-year-old Israel Philharmonic Orchestra “prepares for a short American tour that begins on Tuesday at Carnegie Hall, the orchestra shows some of the same ills as traditional orchestras everywhere and special problems that stem from the special nature of Israel.”
Provenance Of Greek Royals’ Heirlooms Questioned
“Greece asked Christie’s International, the world’s largest art seller, to stop an auction of heirlooms belonging to the former Greek royal family, saying the origins of some of the objects were questionable. Culture Minister George Voulgarakis sent a letter to the auction house yesterday requesting it to cancel the sale, scheduled to begin tomorrow, and to prove the provenance of the items….”
Where Are The Female Directors? Sundance
“Female directors, as rare in Hollywood as obese actresses, are prominent at the Sundance Film Festival. Only 7 percent of the 250 top-grossing movies in 2005 were directed by women, according to a study by San Diego State University. But at this year’s festival in Park City, Utah, which runs through Jan. 28, 52 of the 196 features and short films were made by women.”