The New York Times used to be nicknamed the Gray Lady for its stolid reporting style and its reliance on text rather than pictures, although, with the advent of color printing—and the addition of breezy lifestyle sections—the sobriquet no longer fits. Nevertheless, the newspaper's new Eighth Avenue home is not only gray but also—if I may risk an accusation of sexism—ladylike. Lacy screens shroud the cruciform tower like a Victorian dowager's veil and extend beyond the 52^nd floor to form a delicate tiara. From a distance, the overall impression is distinctly subdued, almost dull, and it makes you wonder what the architect, Renzo Piano, is up to.