In the seasonal spirit of good will we need a game to sustain us over the holidays. Let’s play high five – inspired by Nick Hornby’s anti-hero in High Fidelity (John Cusack in the film version). Competing best fives on any topic. This round is architecture and design.

Top 5 old churches

Christ Church Spitalfields, UK, Nicholas Hawksmoor
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris France
Sagrada Familia Barcelona, Antoni Gaudi
Chartres Cathedral Eure-et-Loire, France
Cathedral Church of the Risen Christ, Liverpool, Giles Gilbert Scott

OK, Hawksmoor’s is more town hall than church, which makes it best.

Top 5 new churches

St Mary’s Cathedral, Tokyo, Kenzo Tange
Temppeliaukio Church Helsinki, Finland Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles, Rafael Moneo
Metropolitan Cathedral of our Lady of Aparecida, Brasilia, Oscar Neimeyer
Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool, Frederick Gibberd

And no Tadeo Ando here.

Top 5 architects that worked for Frank Lloyd Wright

Rudolph Schindler
Richard Neutra
Antonin Raymond
Bruce Goff
Paolo Soleri

There are more than 50, so take your choice.

Top 5 books on environmentalism

Death and Life in American Cities, Jane Jacobs
Silent Spring, Rachel Carson
Only One Earth, Barbara Ward
Spaceship Earth, Barbara Ward
Limits to Growth, Donatello Meadows

Notice the link, no Bucky here. Just the originals.

Top 5 houses in LA

Schindler’s duplex Kings Road
Ray Kappe’s own (he was a great, vale in 2019)
Eames own (with Eucalypts)
Gordon Drake’s (check it out)
Frank Gehry’s own

OK the last is there because I once had dinner there and spilt spag bol on the cardboard dining table. But I did bring two bottles of Jacob’s Creek.

Top 5 modern houses not in LA

Villa Mairea, Finland, Alvar Aalto
Villa Savoye, Poissy, Corb
Villa Tugendhat, Brno Czech Republic, Mies van der Rohe
Butanta Houses, Casa Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Sao Paulo Brazil, Paulo Mendes da Rocha
Kaufmann Desert House, Palm Springs, Richard Neutra

Well it’s not in LA is it. Maybe the top 5 in Palm Springs would work.

Top 5 readable books on modern architecture

Architecture of the Well Tempered Environment, Reyner Banham
On Architecture: Collected Reflections on a Century of Change, Ada Louise Huxtable
Pioneers of Modern Design, Nikolas Pevsner
How Architecture Works: A Humanist's Toolkit, Witold Rybczynski
From Bauhaus to Our House, Tom Wolfe

Nothing there by Roger Scrutton or Dimitri Porphyros, it’s about readable. That’ll make an argument.

Top 5 architectural pilgrimages

Ronchamp, France, Corb
Tombe Brion, S Vito di Altivole, Italy, Carlo Scarpa
Villa Mairea, Finland Alvar Aalto
Sea Ranch Northern California, MLTW (mostly Lyndon and Moore)
Nakagin Capsule Tower, Tokyo, Kisho Kurokawa

There’s a Sony reel to reel tape deck in the original Nakagin Capsule. I have a photo. You should never talk about a building until you’ve been there. Discuss.

Top 5 most disappointing architectural pilgrimages

Wortruba Church, Vienna, Fritz Wortruba
Fire Station #4, Columbus Indiana, Venturi Rauch + Scott Brown
Cemetery San Cataldo, Modena, Aldo Rossi
Primary school in Fagnano Olona, Italy, Aldo Rossi
Gallaratese Quarter, Milan, Aldo Rossi and Carlo Aymonino

You’d think one visit would teach me. But I gave Rossi so many chances and he never failed to disappoint.

Top cities beginning with B

Bologna
Berlin
Buenos Aires
Barcelona
Brisbane

Spot the ironic one.

5 best sit downs

Eames lounge chair and ottoman, Ray and Charles Eames
Eames LCW, Ray and Charles Eames
Eames DCM, Ray and Charles Eames
Eames aluminium series, Ray and Charles Eames
Artek Aalto stool, Alvar Aalto

Never ever buy a copy. Or copy my lists. Top 5 silly. I need to sit down now. I’ll talk with you in the new year, thanks for the support in this one. Any quibbles then write to toneontuesday@gmail.com, no reply offered unless it’s smart.

The views expressed are solely those of the author and are not held or endorsed by A+D.

Tone Wheeler

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