Architecture – Page 6 – Sally Wakelin

The Salk Institute in San Diego

Jonas Salk, the developer of the first inoculation for polio, had a distinct vision for the Salk Institute as he worked with scientists and architects to create a new paradigm for research and collaboration. Salk worked closely on many of the construction details of the Institute.

In December 1959, Salk and architect Louis Kahn began a unique partnership to design such a facility. Salk summarized his aesthetic objectives by telling the architect to “create a facility worthy of a visit by Picasso.” Kahn, who was a devoted artist before he became an architect, was able to respond to this challenge.

Truth to materials, unadorned marble, cast concrete and raw teak in perfect symmetry around the narrow rivulet running down toward the hidden pool make this space a place of contemplation. At both the Spring and Autumn equinox the sun sets directly in line with the water channel.

Colour and Texture in Decay

Architecture, Photography

A poorly cared-for building in Clynnog Fawr in North Wales, so many textures and colours, faded red paint, purple slate, green algae, green moss, green plastic hose, rusting iron railings, I could go on! The painted out window, I waited hoping that someone would come and look out through the broken pane but no-one came. The white paint is peeling on the board door, the rough stonework is mossy but the roof tiles are perfectly cut and aligned.

France Sojourn : Medieaval Limestone Towns

Architecture, Photography, Travel

Cher river — Reflections on the Cher at St Aignon

Chateau de Loches - French pollarding — Chateau de Loches – French pollarding

Even on a cloudy day the stained glass windows lay rich patterns across the pale stone floor in Cathedral de Bourges.

Marquetry, Varnishing (French Polish) and Furniture Repairs. Monsieur J. Feuilet is sadly long gone.

Sunlight and shadow on an intricate tiled floor in the house of Jacques Couer in Bourré — Sunlight and shadow on an intricate tiled floor in the house of Jacques Couer in Bourges

The palace of Jacques Couer in Bourges, these two figures lean out to to look, not at each other but in opposite directions from the windows above the entrance to their palace.

Cuba – Grilles

Architecture, Photography

Traditionally houses in Trinidad are high single storey in long terraces running between the cross streets . They have grilles, rejas de la ventana over their tall windows and wooden shutters, contraventa inside. Historically these grilles were made of wood, madera, in simple rod-like designs or for the Spanish sugar barons, ornate turned verticals and carved top and bottom boards. Grilles were also made from wrought iron, hierro forjado where the iron-workers were adept at making wonderfully decorative swirls and details, latterly grilles might be made with simple rebars (reinforcement bars) barras de armadura, efficient but not as attractive.

Just an old grille photographed from within a moving coach but it sums up for me all the things I like about grilles, the rusting iron, the crumbling walls, the late afternoon shadows and the traces of light blue paint over the original brown paint on the wooden shutters.

A modern grille, what flights of fancy here as well as a fine example of drawn thread-work in the curtain too.

A modesty screen made from wooden louvres with a flourish of carving to decorate the top.

The owners spent their extra cash on an air con unit instead of new shutters!

It seems that some time ago the owners decided not to repaint the shutters light blue to match the plastered walls but I love the faded paint.

Again photographed from a moving coach, I just missed the whole of the painter’s body and the grille but the modern design and bright red paint are good even if not wholly visible.

Weimar and Erfurt

Architecture

Weimar is an elegant historic town, one of the most visited in Germany with its long cultural history and its political importance. The city has been home to the composers Lizt, and Bach, the writers, Goethe and Schiller and the artists and architects, Kandinsky, Klee, Feininger and Gropius at the Bauhaus, the most important German design school of the interwar period.
Standing high on a nearby hill is the memorial tower of Buchenwald concentration camp, it can be seen easily from almost every part of town serving as a reminder of its dark history.

Strolling around the town soon after dusk we came upon the start of an extraordinary evening, a musical event involving the whole town, it began in Theaterplatz, with people stood still, looking forward and holding various music players. There were to be concerts, community bell-ringing, everyone in the town contributing to the musical night. Alan Bern – Sound Installation