Charged Bodies

Chapter 16John Chowning, Composer

Data sheets will probably never be acclaimed for their piquant sense of whimsy, or technical articles for the emotional catharsis they provide. But the centuries old division between the technical and the humanistic domains has begun to break down, in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. The posting of the bans, you might say, to a possible marriage of engineering and art.

In the hills above Palo Alto, down a eucalyptus-lined lane, stands a most peculiarly designed building. It sweeps across a hilltop, describing an arc of about 150 degrees, and from a distance appears to be a new-as-tomorrow structure of stunning design. Only when one gets closer is it apparent that this weathered old place has seen much better ...