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Architect Thom Mayne, in his own words

By Christopher Hawthorne
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At the opening of the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech in Pasadena, which I review in today’s paper, I asked its architect, Thom Mayne, about the challenges inherent in putting up such a conspicuous piece of contemporary architecture in a city not always known for welcoming new design. He answered that question and then some:

--Christopher Hawthorne

Culture Monster Blog
Christopher Hawthorne

Christopher Hawthorne was the architecture critic for the Los Angeles Times from 2004 to March 2018. Before coming to The Times, he was architecture critic for Slate and a frequent contributor to the New York Times. He is the author, with Alanna Stang, of “The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture.” Hawthorne grew up in Berkeley and has a bachelor’s degree from Yale, where he readied himself for a career in criticism by obsessing over the design flaws in his dormitory, designed by Eero Saarinen.

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