Saturday Links

The best new building in Europe, “Mona Lisa” underground, the return of Harlan Ellison, the perfection of Bach’s fugues, and more.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Good morning! Is this the best new building in Europe? It won the biennial Mies Award: “Standing as an elegant white steel and glass pavilion, nestled among trees on the edge of the university campus, the building houses an open-plan arrangement of flexible study spaces across two levels.”

The Louvre may move the Mona Lisa to an “underground chamber” to improve the viewing experience for visitors: “According to museum officials, the painting is the main draw for 80 per cent of its nine million annual visitors. On some days, 25,000 people queue to catch a fleeting glimpse of it. But with viewers getting an average of 50 seconds to admire the piece, tourists recently dubbed it ‘the world’s most disappointing masterpiece.’”