It's that some of his most revered buildings — from the Brasília Cathedral to the grand Monumental Axis of the city itself — have been marred by the architect's own hand.
Lit up by night in coats of many electric colours celebrating high days and holidays, its spire sometimes vanishing into low cloud, at others crackling with lightning, this commanding and supremely elegant skyscraper is, beyond doubt, one of the world's most revered buildings.
However, Roger F. Duffy, a partner in the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which is designing the additions to and restoration of the building, said, "We clearly revere the building and its history".
It has happily accommodated art students for more than a century, and has been scuffed and worn in ways that make it all the more endearing: here is a revered and listed historic building that is truly a functional work of art.
"Being from Europe where older buildings are revered I was amazed that old barns in such perfect condition would be torn down," she said.
For a precious few minutes, that ridge top, those 15,000-foot violet hills, those buildings so revered by an extinct civilization, were ours, and our sovereign desire was horseplay.
Because the central library building is widely revered — initial criticisms included concerns that it would be turned into a glorified Starbucks — Mr. Foster said he knew better than to desecrate a masterpiece.
How could this sport-sedan maker, revered by car lovers everywhere for building near-perfect cars (we admit up front to being guilty of BMW lust ourselves) go and build a truck?
We also revere its emphasis on intersectionality, which aids in creating, building and sustaining community while striving to bring about the liberation of all marginalized people, queer or not.
