The Ghost of Architecture Past

Architecture critic John King laments the could-have-been: a beautiful Toyo Ito museum designed for UC Berkeley and killed for financial reasons. And yet the un-built project represents a new connection between town and gown, says King.

1 minute read

November 24, 2009, 2:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur


King writes, "The city of Berkeley traditionally has acted as though its downtown bore no relation to UC, despite their shared border. The university repaid the favor by treating downtown like a back alley, necessary but of little note.

In the course of two years of design work, town and gown began to see how their interests are linked. Berkeley's long-struggling downtown can only benefit from the addition of a cultural anchor. As for the university, it now seems to grasp that in an age of urbanity and mass transit, there's a benefit to looking west."

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 in The San Francisco Chronicle

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

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