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New York Times, Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Author:
David J. Kahn
Editor:
Will Shortz
David J. Kahn
TotalDebutLatestCollabs
1843/15/19948/14/20195
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4451326571326
ScrabbleRebusCirclePangram
1.5514231
David J. Kahn

This puzzle:

Rows: 15, Columns: 15 Words: 76, Blocks: 36 Missing: {QXZ} This is puzzle # 183 for Mr. Kahn. NYT links: Across Lite PDF
David J. Kahn notes:
I've been an admirer of I.M. Pei's work ever since he designed the original Newhouse School building at Syracuse University, my alma ... read more

I've been an admirer of I.M. Pei's work ever since he designed the original Newhouse School building at Syracuse University, my alma mater. And when in Paris two years ago, my granddaughter and I got a kick out of seeing the Louvre Pyramid up close. Even so, I'm not sure I would have written this puzzle unless it included the nice theme crossings.

Jeff Chen notes:
RIP IM PEI, passed away May 16, 2019. A life worth lauding. He designed so many buildings that it's hard to know which would be most ... read more

RIP IM PEI, passed away May 16, 2019. A life worth lauding. He designed so many buildings that it's hard to know which would be most appropriate to include within a tribute puzzle. I'd bet that his glass pyramid in front of the Louvre is the first one that comes to most people's minds, so it's appropriate to put that in a featured location.

STARCHITECT is a fun portmanteau. I wondered if it's in common usage? The real question is, what similar portmanteau can we constructors create to self-describe? I hereby declare myself a BEACONSTRUCTOR. Get it, BEACON + CONSTRUCTOR = BEACONSTRUCTOR? A shining guide in the sea of crossed words?

What, you say that it sounds like B-constructor? As in a second-rate hack?

WELL, WHO ASKED YOU?!

I'm not sure why a lot of constructors are so enamored with themer interlock. I did enjoy LOUVRE PYRAMID crossing IM PEI, that's neat. But ROCK AND ROLL (with HALL OF FAME elsewhere) and STARCHITECT crossing, too? Inelegant to have that partial in a featured position, plus it creates gridwork problems. It's akin to IM PEI's firm designing the Hancock Tower, only to find that the reality of physics made that implementation a disaster. ISOLE, AFOR, ASL, IRAE, SKUA, now those are some plywood cover-ups.

I applaud the decision to celebrate one of the best minds in the world of architecture, a person whose work has influenced millions of lives all around the world. I'd have loved something more architectural, though, like a masterpiece dedicated to the Guggenheim … or one to PEI himself!

David couldn't have straight-up copied Liz's brilliant concept, but it'd have been fun to brainstorm other visual implementations of other PEI buildings.

1
B
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I
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G
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D
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A
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Y
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J
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A
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H
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M
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B
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K
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© 2019, The New York TimesNo. 0710 ( 25,446 )

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Across
1
One's marriage or graduation : BIGDAY
7
Ring punch : JAB
10
Operate smoothly : HUM
13
Charm City baseballer : ORIOLE
14
Be shown up : LOSEFACE
16
___ City Hall, 36-Across-designed building (1978) : DALLAS
17
Sites of some strikes : OILWELLS
18
"The Winding Stair" poet : YEATS
19
Ballerina's hairdo : BUN
20
Omnipotent and all-merciful one, in Islam : ALLAH
21
Chicken ___ : KIEV
23
Place for an Atlas : SILO
24
With 10-Down, 36-Across-designed museum (1995) : ROCKANDROLL
29
Do a little stretching? : FIB
32
Under control : INHAND
33
Ricotta cheese source : EWE
34
Get an ___ effort : AFOR
35
Come to nothing : FAIL
36
Subject of this puzzle (1917-2019) : IMPEI
38
Runner's space : LANE
39
Script unit : LINE
40
Land in the ocean : CAY
41
Claymation pal of Wallace : GROMIT
43
It's a big stretch : ERA
44
Portmanteau for 36-Across : STARCHITECT
46
Help for the disabled? : TOWS
48
On ___ (running by itself) : AUTO
49
Sicilia and Sardegna : ISOLE
51
Jack (up) : AMP
52
Classic opera in which every leading character dies : TOSCA
57
Asian capital designed by British urban planners : NEWDELHI
59
With 26-Down, 36-Across-designed Hong Kong skyscraper (1990) : BANKOF
60
Warty arboreal creature : TREETOAD
61
Mystical and puzzling : OCCULT
62
Stick in a boat : OAR
63
Stand in (for) : SUB
64
Places : STEADS
Down
1
Soul mate? : BODY
2
"Dies ___" (hymn) : IRAE
3
River to the Colorado : GILA
4
Noodlehead : DOLT
5
One who calls Nome home : ALASKAN
6
"Thumbs up!" : YES
7
Enroll in : JOIN
8
"Talking" with one's hands, for short : ASL
9
Bawl over : BEWAIL
10
See 24-Across : HALLOFFAME
11
Sch. near Hollywood : UCLA
12
Fit well : MESH
14
36-Across-designed Paris landmark (1989) : LOUVREPYRAMID
15
Cut down : FELL
19
Sack, so to speak : BED
22
Legally charges : INDICTS
23
Magician's skill : SLEIGHT
24
Rummage (through) : RIFLE
25
TV booth alert : ONAIR
26
See 59-Across : CHINATOWER
27
Moolah : KALE
28
Be shy : OWE
30
Kind of column : IONIC
31
George with a .390 batting average in 1980 : BRETT
34
Gazillions : ALOT
37
Goat's bleat : MAA
42
Lecturer's reading? : RIOTACT
44
Word that rhymes with treats, appropriately : SWEETS
45
Trophy : CUP
47
Shoppe description : OLDE
49
Excited about : INTO
50
Some hospital supplies : SERA
51
Fictional captain whose nickname is "Old Thunder" : AHAB
53
Back in the day : ONCE
54
Arctic seabird : SKUA
55
Nowhere near the target, in a children's guessing game : COLD
56
When soap operas usually air, informally : AFTS
58
Bud's bud in old comedy : LOU
59
Winner of four World Series in this century, on scoreboards : BOS

Answer summary: 5 unique to this puzzle, 1 unique to Shortz Era but used previously.

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