### http://www.nytimes.com December 17, 2009
A Few Triumphs Pierce the Clouds of a Bleak Time
According to columnist Nicolai Ouroussoff, the future may be bleak, but at least some architects can look back on the year with a sense of triumph. He lists projects by architects Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Toyo Ito:
“What all of these projects share, besides being splendid architecture, is an ability to infuse a drab, lifeless neighbourhood — whether it be a derelict postwar area at the far edge of Rome’s historic centre or a generic new development outside Copenhagen — with a sense of joy. Like much great architecture, they create a sense of place — of collective identity — where there was none.”
Ouroussoff suggests the greatest shift of all has been a renewed interest in infrastructure:
“Encouraged by the debates that surrounded the unveiling of President Obama’s stimulus package, American architects, curators and students have thrown themselves into the task of rethinking the networks — train lines, freeways, bridges, levees, ports and waterfronts — that bind our communities together.”
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Post by Elizabeth Kerr
