February 19, 1998

Evelyn Nieves column on Angelo Nardone, controversial Nutley, NJ, collector who wants to turn his dilapidated house into 'Renaissance museum'; photos (M)

Peter Passell column on looming confrontation between International Monetary Fund and Indonesia as Pres Suharto pushes for creation of currency board, which would lock in an exchange rate; IMF opposes that effort and has threatened to pull the plug on its roughly $40 billion rescue effort; Suharto may have his eye on his family's businesses and sees currency board as sure-fire way to prevent further declines in nation's currency, the rupiah, and therefore in family fortunes; currency boards have in recent years stabilized currencies of Argentina and Bulgaria--economies in worse shape than Indonesia's; chart (M)

After finding that $80 of the drug AZT will cut in half the transmission of AIDS from mothers to their newborns, Government health officials are canceling heavily criticized overseas studies that left some pregnant women with the disease receiving only ineffective dummy pills.

David Rockwell emerges as Flo Ziegfeld of American architecture, designing public spaces that deliver what he calls 'the immersive experience' or 'the Big Wow'; gained his first notice with extravagant restaurant designs and is applying this same vision today to projects that range from the new food court at Grand Central Terminal to a quiet lakeside cafe and orientation center for Bronx Zoo; photos (L)

State Sec Madeleine K Albright, Defense Sec William S Cohen and national security adviser Samuel R Berger take part in unruly public forum, Ohio State University, Columbus, in bid for public support for attack on Iraq; face tough questions, catcalls and concern about American goals; chanting by some 200 anti-war protesters sometimes drowns out officials; forum is televised live around world (M)