Book excerpt: This text collates Stan Allen's writings and projects that propose architectural strategies for the contemporary city. It presents speculative texts outlining Allen's general principles with specific projects created by his office in an interplay of theory and practice. Projects include: the Cardiff Bay Opera House, Wales; the Korean-American Museum of Art, Los Angeles; the Museo del Prado, Madrid; and White Columns Gallery, New York. Each project is accompanied by explanatory text as well as drawings, models, photographs and computer renderings.