Paris.

L'Institut du Monde Arabe, designed by Jean Nouvel, is covered in light-sensitive mechanical irises. (This page from 1998 says "the system no longer works.") Via Kottke. Update: Red says, "Actually, I think the irises have been broken at least since 1996." Techno-architectural fraud.

They totally ripped off our idea!

The NYT's Herbert Muschamp likes Richard Meier's new apartment buildings in the West Village, seen here on 5.13.