Berlin vs. L.A.

Nicolai Ouroussoff’s “Berlin and L.A. Form a Tale of Two Cityscapes in Transition” (Dec. 26) mixed apples and oranges and wrongly added the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach into the city of Los Angeles.

To quote Ouroussoff, “For now, Berlin is the center of the architectural universe.” This is because its city and federal governments dare to encourage mixed architectural visions and spend $18 billion a year to rejuvenate Berlin. A good example is the new, beautiful federal chancellery, which is ultramodern Gothic with modern antique influences.

Berlin need never envy Los Angeles because it does have long traditions, experimental creativity and the willpower to save the remains of its destroyed ancient buildings with modern architectural planning and building.

A self-intoxicated Ouroussoff sits on his “Alice in Wonderland” mushroom boasting about a Los Angeles that never was nor can be in the future. He can learn from Alice; the girl had sense.

EMZY VEAZY III

Glendale