Previously Published 14 December 16
Sagrada Familia. If there is one building that we encourage everyone to see, it is the Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrade Familia, by the Architect Gaudi, in Barcelona. During a recent trip there, we were nearly overcome by the experience of being inside the building. For us at least, no other building that we have ever been in gives such an unbelievable mix of wonder, awe, delight and peace.
Previously Published 18 November 16
The Hanson Aggregates industrial plant just outside of Oriskany Falls, NY is an amazing place. We happened to be driving down 12B and basically had to stop in the middle of the road. This is a fully functioning gravel processing facility that conveys material across the road. While there is no doubt that aggregate mining is environmentally destructive, there is a stunning beauty to this type of industrial fabric. And a quick consultation of the DEC website states that mineral production contributes substantially to the New York State economy.
Previously Published 21 June 2016
One of our favorite days of the year is when our fields are cut for hay. It’s not like we do it ourselves. Rather, Roger Erway and his family, harvest the hay for their cows. The Erway dairy farm is one of the last in the area. Roger and his son, Terry, have International Harvester 1066 tractors that were recently rebuilt and repainted. They have inline 6 cylinder turbo diesel engines. The tractors were built in 1974, which makes them, to use Roger’s term, antiques. And with the love and care they get, they will run forever.
Previously Published 11 May 2016
One of life’s great joys is to go on what we call Industrial Walking Tours. This can be done in large cities, or in smaller towns. Walks like this yield the most unexpected, wonderful and interesting features. The photo below was taken in nearby Albany during an industrial spelunking session. We have engaged in these sessions in Boston, Montreal, Amsterdam, you name it. You just have to get your radar sensitized to where the industrial areas are when you get to a locale. And then have fun.
Previously Published 22 February 2016
This is another installment in our continuing series, Buildings Without Architects, or BWA. Today’s tribute goes out to Harold Berry and his wonderful work building in his stone yard on Route 166. Back in January of 2012, we introduced the phenomenon of BWA, and their typical use of a wood frame and translucent panels. Harold’s building is a masterpiece. Note the translucent center courtyard, clarity of structure, subtle shifting of alignments, changes in translucency, etc. It sensitively integrates with the landscape, yet it is absolutely modern; an inspiration to us all.
Previously Published 7 January 2016
If you grow up surrounded by steel industrial buildings. If you grow up with excellent examples of architectural styles from deco to prairie. If you are continually exposed as a kid to old barns. Does this make you a better architect? Does this give you a propensity to be an architect in the first place? We pondered these questions as we visited Evansville, Indiana after a 20 year hiatus. Although we will probably never know the answers to these questions, one fact remains. Evansville has great buildings.
Previously Published 23 October 2015
As this column attests, we have a tendency to visit modern buildings by famous architects. While we typically are proud of what our colleagues have accomplished, we felt nothing but embarrassment when we visited the City of Cuture in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. This project, by Eisenman, was supposed to do for Santiago what the Guggenheim did for Bilbao. The City of Culture was supposed to be a world cultural magnet, with art galleries, concert halls, etc. The fantastic curving forms are meant to reinforce the hills and the city geometry. Alas, this is not the reality. The building complex is not finished, and likely never will be, given enormous cost overruns. Some of the stone cladding is already crumbling and streaked with rust. Unlike the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the City of Culture is completely divorced from the city fabric; it seems that the only way to get there is by an indirect car route. When you walk around the buildings, there are very few other people. I had the impression that the building was a product of some sort of alien intelligence. But I think that our son, Max, said it best, “It seems to me that all of this will need to be torn down.”
Previously Published 6 May 15
We love public hearings. Whether citizens make negative or positive comments, we are always heartened by the passion of their statements. An event like a public hearing demonstrates how deeply we care about our buildings, and what our buildings say about us as a society. The fact that citizens take time out of their day to sit thru a long meeting and make comments in a room full of people about architecture is an amazing phenomenon. Architecture is called the mother art, and a public hearing only reinforces that precept.
Previously Published 27 February 15
While in Seattle last week, we saw a James Turell Skyspace. This is our second Turell experience, the first being the Guggenheim installation mentioned below. This was an oval cylinder that you entered via a bridge. There is a reclining perimeter bench which makes it easy to put your head back and stare at the mysterious hole in the ceiling. This one stays with you; I keep seeing this dark blue oval light at the most unexpected times. All we know is that we are going to be the first on the plane when he gets Rodin Crater finished.
Previously Published 14 July 14
We happened to be driving around Canastota, NY and came upon this great ruin. Typically you can’t get next to relics like this nor can you see inside. Yet we were able to do both, as the photo below demonstrates. Another amazing thing is that the interior was completely clean. You can still see how natural light entered the building from roof clerestorys. The north wall of glass most certainly contributed to the quality of the interior workspace. And lastly the central interior space was clear span. It is such a great feeling when you stumble upon something like this in an out of the way corner. Buildings like this speak directly to the past industrial might of New York State.
