Noted here on March 22, Charles Addams’s New York runs at the Museum of the City of New York through May 16, 2010.

Architect and cartoonist Amy Hwang has produced an amusing pictorial review of the exhibition. Check it in full at Urban Omnibus. Fantastically fun stuff.

A few more examples from Hwang’s review after the jump.

In yesterday’s NYT, Edward Rothstein reviewed the newly opened International Civil Rights Center and Museum, in Greensboro, North Carolina. He finds the Museum, located in a former “F.W. Woolworth Co.” building, itself an artifact of both the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement, to suffer some of the same faults as other institutions covering the topic (I personally begin to think of Cincinnati’s Freedom Center and Memphis’ National Civil Rights Museum). There is a tendency toward the ahistorical, and a subtle undermining of the story when drawing (rightfully so) the powerful local history into the broader international milieu.

From an individual perspective, located a museum focused on Civil Rights in a historic building linked to the history of the subject has great impact. In Memphis, visitors end on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, standing on the spot of MLK’s assassination. It has little rival for impact, but set a strong president for using relics of the Civil Rights movements to house museums about its history and legacy.

Read the full review from Rothstein here.

A few images from the related slide show follow.

While I’ve already posted on 41 Cooper Square, I’m so taken by Alexandra Lange’s architectural criticism that I figured it was worth further mention. The new sustainable building at Cooper Union houses academic space and was designed by Thom Mayne of Morphosis. As usual, Lange brings the building into full context, discussing it alongside its neighbors and also bringing into the full focus of Mayne’s other work. Read the review at Design Observer.

DesignObserver’s Eve M. Kahn reviews Emily Pillotin’s Design Revolution, making sure not to gloss over any problems the book brings up. Pillotin has compiled over 100 designs that make an impact on people – or, in fact, empower people. As Kahn points out, these range from wickedly expensive tents to food packaging. All well and good, but perhaps not lending to a concise catalog of design or a precise definition of empowerment.

Regardless of downfall, the 26-year old designer has managed to produce an approachable tome on design. This, in and of itself, should be applauded to a degree. Read the full review here.

While the stadium has been tested, this Sunday things become official. Cowboys Stadium has received a fair share of press – beginning (in my memory) with an early story in Sports Illustrated focusing mainly on Jerry Jones. In today’s NYT Ouroussoff questions if, despite its mass, the stadium is really big enough for football. Check the interactive walk through, it is a quick and entertaining look at the structural components of the stadium.

“As maddening a show as I have seen all year, Telling Tales: Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design at the V&A is not to be missed.”

So opens Richard Dorment’s review of the exhibition, which highlights (mostly) Dutch designers who focus on witty conceptions of furnishings not entirely devised for actual use. The show runs until October 18, 2009. Read the full review at the Telegraph.

A book that should appeal to many of us, Obsessive Branding Disorder focuses on the implications of brand-centric marketing. Rather than do a poor job explaining, it’s best to check the excellent review of Conley’s work over at Design Observer.

OBD is available from Amazon.