And You Thought There Wasn't an "A" in "Leisure"

If the hot, sticky weather of late has you yearning for one last hurrah before the reality of this post-vacation season sets in, head over to the Center for Architecture tonight for A-Frame Mania: The Rise of a Postwar Vacation Home Style.

Chad Randl, architectural historian working for the National Park Service, discusses the historical and cultural significance of this distinctive, woodsy, modernist icon (that generally takes a back seat to the stainless steel sex appeal of the Airstream trailer). Randl is author of A-Frame, a new book published by Princeton Architectural Press, sponsor of this evening's lecture. The book documents the emergence of A-frame shelter through its roots in (very early) Japanese architecture through its 1960s heyday as a symbol of recreation, and even includes construction documents for the retro-DIY set.

The Center for Architecture is located at 536 LaGuardia Place (between Bleecker and West 3rd). The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, please call 212-995-9620 x214.