The advocates of urban renewal met their Waterloo in the Amsterdam Jordaan district. As recently as 1975, the Amsterdam city council made a serious proposal to demolish the Jordaan, but outraged district residents managed to scuttle the plan. In a structure which originally contained seven apartments, where at least 35 people lived, habits now four people. The district has changed entirely. This illustrates that new uses of a district in no way require demolition. The city's architectural sto...

In this in-depth conversation, illustrated by extensive plans, models, references and photos, the founders of Baranowitz Kronenberg Architecture, the acclaimed Tel - Aviv-based studio, provide a personal analysis of the thinking behind seven of their projects: two hotels, three restaurants, a store and a private home. Incorporating culture, time and place into the design process is fundamental to Baranowitz Kronenberg's approach. Symbolic starting points as disparate as, among others, the art...