Fox Plaza Entrancet

I was amused to see the photograph of Fox Plaza in Sam Hall Kaplan’s column “Fox Plaza Nice Style, Poor Design” (Aug. 20). Seldom I expect, even in this, the land of movie magic is a photograph the product of such an imaginative edit: no stage right, no stage left. I must confess, it never occurred to me that a visitor would commandeer the middle of the staircase and upon arrival, brain himself against no less than a 34-story column!

I have for some time, mistakenly perhaps, assumed a building built flush to the sidewalk in the middle of the block with no curb-side parking, is entered from the right or left side, neither of which exists in that remarkable photo to explain the entry.

And then there remains that larger, thorny distinction between style and design which I admit to habitually overlooking. You see, in our studio we are so busy just investigating form as a method of solving architectural and planning problems, that by the time we catch our breath and are ready to mount such debate, alas, the buildings are designed; the concrete is setting up.

Perhaps I will duck the issue and fall back on a lesson from Sam’s exemplary photo, likewise editing his headline to read “Fox Plaza: Nice Style--or Design.”

R. SCOTT JOHNSON

Los Angeles

Johnson is executive vice president, director of design of Pereira Associates.