Posts by Eva Baron

Eva Baron

Eva Baron is a Queens–based Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. Eva graduated with a degree in Art History and English from Swarthmore College, and has previously worked in book publishing and at galleries. She has since transitioned to a career as a full-time writer, having written content for Elle Decor, Publishers Weekly, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, and more. Beyond writing, Eva enjoys beading jewelry, replaying old video games, and doing the daily crossword.
Architecture
August 10, 2025

Sculptural Tree Is a Vertical Park With 56 Elevated “Petal” Terraces

In Xi’an, China, the city’s Center Culture Business District (CCBD) has finally emerged. The district, whose design was spearheaded by the London-based firm Heatherwick Studio, is nestled just south of the city’s historic center, lodged between the ruins of the Temple of Heaven and the prominent Shaanxi TV tower. This rich heritage informs, but doesn’t stifle Xi’an CCBD, which brilliantly combines ancient influences with contemporary forms and functions.

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Books
August 8, 2025

New Antony Gormley Monograph Explores His Relationship With the Body and Urbanism

For sculptor Antony Gormley, the question isn’t about how a body adapts to a built environment, but rather about how to build a body in the first place. Across his decades-long career, the British artist has considered that fundamental question from various angles, most prominently through his chosen materials. His portfolio is packed with sculptures rendered in clay and iron, many bearing traces of the human form without being completely figurative.

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Books
August 6, 2025

Man Who Kept Track of All 3,599 Books He Read in His Life Gets Posthumous Site for 100-Page List

By the time he died at the age of 92 in July 2025, Dan Pelzer had read at least 3,599 books throughout his lifetime. That number may seem precise to the point of being hyperbolic—and yet it’s entirely accurate. In 1962, long before the advent of Goodreads, Pelzer began keeping track of his reading on his language class worksheets while stationed in Nepal with the Peace Corps.

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Architecture
August 2, 2025

Shanghai’s Dynamic Grand Opera House Resembles an Unfolding Fan

Peppered throughout Snøhetta’s prestigious portfolio are several performing arts centers, found all over the world. Throughout the past 20 years, the Oslo-based architecture and design firm has conceived of such renowned projects as the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, the Busan Opera House in South Korea, and the Isabel Bader Center for the Performing Arts in Canada. Now, that expertise has been translated into the firm’s latest venture: the Shanghai Grand Opera House.

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My Modern Met

Celebrating creativity and promoting a positive culture by spotlighting the best sides of humanity—from the lighthearted and fun to the thought-provoking and enlightening.