It’s Everywhere!

By Domenica Di Piazza, Editorial Director, TFCB

Remember my post about visiting the High Line elevated walkway (left) in New York City at the end of May? Well, now that I’m back in Minneapolis, it—the High Line—is following me everywhere.

For example, the Walker Art Center (right) here in Minneapolis invited Lisa Switkin, lead designer of the High Line, and Robert Hammond, one of the two main Chelsea neighborhood idea people behind the project, to speak last Wednesday (June 16) about their experience developing the High Line. Click this link to listen to their illuminating talk, complete with slide show.

As you know, I’m also an opera fan. One of my favorite divas, Renee Fleming, has been in the spotlight these days for her crossover pop CD–Dark Hope (CD cover left)–which was released on June 8 in the United States. It’s created a lot of buzz, as crossover albums do. I’m not sure yet if I like Dark Hope, but I was amazed to see that the music video for the lead track, “Endlessly,” is filmed at—guess where?—the High Line!

Seven Wonders We at Lerner Publishing Group take an interest in architecture and creative public projects as part of our publishing program. In recent years, we’ve published the star-reviewed Great Building Feats series about monumental design and architectural feats around the world. We’ve also published a biography of renowned Los Angeles-based architect Frank Gehry, and in our Seven Wonders series, we’ve published a number of titles about engineering, design, and architecture, including Seven Wonders of Architecture (cover above) by our own Ann Kerns. Take a look at these titles–and at your community–and let us know about exciting architectural projects in your neck of the woods. And send photos; we’ll post them, if we like them.