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Stairs to the Academic Quadrangle. One of two mosaic tile murals by artist Gordon Smith is visible. Photo ©Darren Bradley I was just in Vancouver, Canada for a quick two-day trip to visit family for Christmas. The short visit meant that I would have almost no time to see or photograph any architecture - despite Vancouver being full of great modernist treasures. Fortunately, I did find an opening on Christmas Day to sneak away for a couple of hours. Most people, when given the opportunity spend a couple of hours in one of the world's most beautiful cities, would probably head to someplace like Granville Island or Stanley Park, to take in the sites. I went to Burnaby...  The main entrance to the campus is through this low bridge/tunnel thing, which leads to stairs on either side. Walk to the light... Photo ©Darren Bradley Burnaby is probably not the first choice in any guide book on Vancouver, but it is the location of the renowned architectural masterpiece by great Ca...

The central courtyard of the Goodsill Residence by Vladimir Ossipoff (1953). Photo ©Darren Bradley While recently in Honolulu, I had the rare treat of visiting another home designed by renowned Honolulu architect Vladimir Ossipoff. I've had the chance to visit and stay in several of his homes around Hawaii over the years, and have also blogged earlier about my friend Bob Liljestrand's stunning house . Every time I'm back in the islands, I try to see at least one more. This time, I finally got to see the Goodsill House.  The pool at the Goodsill House is actually in the front yard, facing the street. But it's still fairly private. Note the Japanese-like pavilion behind, which is characteristic of Ossipoff's style. Photo ©Darren Bradley I first learned about the Goodsill Residence from the exhibition on Ossipoff's work that was curated by Dean Sakamoto at Honolulu Academy of Arts back in 1997. Photos of the house and that celebrated lanai feature prominently ...

John F. Kennedy Theatre, by I.M. Pei (1962). Photo ©Darren Bradley Pritzker Prize-winning architect I.M. Pei is perhaps best known to Americans as the guy who designed the glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre museum in Paris. He also designed quite a few notable buildings around the world, including the Dallas City Hall, the East Wing of the National Gallery in Washington, DC, the Kennedy Library, the Javits Center in New York, the Hancock Tower in Boston, and the Bank of China tower in Hong Kong, among others... But relatively few people know that he also designed a collection of buildings on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Jefferson Hall Conference Center is perhaps the most well known of the buildings, and shows the most Asian influence of the buildings at EWC. The Japanese garden behind it (shown here in the foreground) is known as the "Seien", or "Serene Garden", and was designed by landscape architect Kenzo Ogata. Photo ©Darren Bradle...

Rear elevation of the Charlot House. Photo ©Darren Bradley While in Honolulu for a few days last week (more on that later), I had the opportunity to spend some time at the Charlot Residence in Kahala. I had to admit that I was not familiar with the property. After now seeing the house, I have to wonder why not, as it deserves to be very well known.  The Charlot house is a beautiful blend of historical and regional design, as adapted to a truly modernist aesthetic.  Entry foyer, with those koa wood cantilevered steps leading up to Charlot's studio and the main bedroom. The ladder on the right leads up to a small loft space that was used as a TV room. Photo ©Darren Bradley Jean Charlot was born in Paris in 1898, to a French father and a Mexican mother. He was always fascinated with Mexican and Aztec cultures, and moved to Mexico with his mother, after his father's death in 1921.  Jean Charlot, by Tina Modotti.  He quickly took to the artistic community in ...