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MIT sues Frank Gehry
I don't know much about this developing story, but it's interesting on its face... M.I.T. Sues Architect Frank Gehry - New York Times (and here's a longer piece in the NYT):
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is suing renowned architect Frank Gehry, alleging serious design flaws in the Stata Center, a building celebrated for its unconventional walls and radical angles.
The school asserts that the center, completed in spring 2004, has persistent leaks, drainage problems and mold growing on its brick exterior. It says accumulations of snow and ice have fallen dangerously from window boxes and other areas of its roofs, blocking emergency exits and causing damage.
One interpretation: award-winning "radical" designs aren't great if they can't keep snow off the emergency exit.
Update: This seems to be supported by this Boston Globe article (emphasis mine):
After learning of the lawsuit yesterday, Silber said Gehry "thinks of himself as an artist, as a sculptor. But the trouble is you don't live in a sculpture and users have to live in this building."
Update: Rodney Brooks, Gel '04 speaker, supports the building:
“It is a joy to work in this building,” said Rodney Brooks, a professor of robotics, “and I know that many of its occupants feel the same as I do about it. We asked Frank to give us a building that fostered communication, and he delivered.”
Interesting twist. You might enjoy Jim Kunstler's always entertaining take on the design here: Eyesore of the Month by James Howard Kunstler