Archicritics

Blair Kamin levels a blow to the new Ronald McDonald House, in terms of its lasting contribution to the skyline. It's a touchy thing to lay into any structure that exists to serve a fragile population— families of hospitalized children. Thus, Kamin takes care to issue a split verdict: it's "enormously attentive to the families who use it", while being a lackluster addition to the skyline and something of an offense to it's broader constituency: everyday passerby. In an attempt to be contextual and respectful, the Antunovich-designed building wound up mired in mediocrity. The brick cladding looks "like wallpaper", the east and west facades "resemble stacked layer cakes", and the aluminum storefronts are "banal". In sum, the vibrant "community of healing" comes up short in aesthetics. [Cityscapes, previously]