Happy Halloween...

last year, convinced nothing was more important, i stayed home on halloween and watched "horror" films (mainly pre-dating the genre) from the 50s.

this year, i go do the societally-accepted halloween thing. i feel like i already know the ending to it, though.

there's nothing like... bad singing

australian tourism ad, for your viewing pleasure. (15% away from a completed application for ANU, fall semester, beginning February 2011).

Library of Babel, and others, photographed

I can't believe I haven't done a post on libraries yet. They are the cream in my architecture pastry.

One of the better artistic renderings of Borges' Library of Babel, 1941

Salt Lake City Main Public Library in Salt Lake City, Utah by Moshe Safdie and Associates, 2003

 

Stockholm Library by Interior Architects Armel Neouze, Jacques Gelez, and Olivier Charles, 2007

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt, Architects: Snøhetta, 2002

And lest any of this make you homesick:

Harper Library Reading Room, The University of Chicago

Reykjavik-Rotterdam (stp.) PRAGUE

The 600 Years from the macula on Vimeo.

via fuckyeahryangosling.tumblr.com

has fyrg been reading c&uw? evidence:

aaaand you're welcome. p.s. can't legally show you these and then not promote either blue valentine or all good things and since kirsten dunst has a monopoly on my heebeejeebies and also was never in dawson's creek, i think we all know where my cinematic dollars lie.

six things i learned reading the six finalists for V&A Museum in Dundee press release

1. Dundee is a city in Scotland

2. The V&A has branches? Like, outside of London?

3. The director of the V&A is a knight (or baronet, but most likely knight) and therefore may brush elbows with Sir Peter Crane at knight functions. Sir Peter Crane, of course, designed the Kew Gardens before his real life began and he received the honourable distinction of becoming my natsci prof for the "biology of algae" quarter.

4. Scotland has a waterfront. Like, one that people occasionally frequent as they would a waterfront in a non-arctic continent.

5. Seriously though! Dundee = not just an Australian icon! Actually a city! In a country! That is not Australia!

6. Obviously who will win the design competition for the V&A branch in Dundee, Scotland. And here's a hint: Americans.

the sustainable underground, under-desert (before dessert?) structure

I guess my earlier entry on the most beneficial architecture belonging to the southwest, exclusive Arizona, forced its hand. And boy would I ever force it again, with this result:

The sustainable, underground building, using the space of an abandoned pit mine. The idea, called "Above Below", is the brainchild (I hate that word, but n'est-ce pas or let them eat cake or whatever) of Matthew Fromboluti and goddamn if it isn't something.

The sustainable building will feature its own power source, water recycling system and mechanisms such as a solar chimney that will help control the artificial climate. Lest you think something that dark and cut off from the natural way of things be ugly and torturous to look at, here are some designs-

I could not be more into this whole thing, as it combines my earnest desire to see everyone live underground and in the southwest along with a very real understanding that no one will front the cash for this unless Lex Luther is looking for a new lair, or the Green Party needs a good hiding space from neocons with teacups. (Don't we all.) It's a formidable design, from what I can see, spot on and, yes this word again, sustainable. Which in 'Above Below's case, has more than just green implications, but certainly needs to project livable, workable, and, above all, doable. And here's a shot of the Lavender Pit Mine outside of Brisbee, AZ, as it sits, untouched, today-

Where the fuck do I sign up as early investor in what is surely going to be the COOLest (so punny you forgot to laugh) building in Arizona.

Night Windows

Edward Hopper, 1928, oil on canvas

everyone can find this edward hopper painting beautiful, or not beautiful, for whatever reason they have.

my second quarter of rocks for jocks, this one astrophysics for those who say ick (CAME UP WITH THAT ONE MYSELF THX BE HERE ALL WEEK TRY THE VEAL), included 'night labs' where we stood on the roof of kersten and "sketch"ed whatever we saw in the night sky, which wasn't ever much because of our proximity to downtown. so much of that time was spent looking into the mid-evening happenings of snitchcock, the lamest traditioniest of the UChicago dorms where students could engage in late-night bouts of dungeons and hobbits, or merely banter amidst (amongst) the century-old walls (and decor). this is that exact view, one which flashes back to me numerous times a day. one which comes to me in vague shapes, curved arches, vertically-stretched panes, overworked upholstery. 

oh, and by the way, the painting is called "Night Windows". 

days like these it physically pains me how much i miss you (@londonuk)

i tried my hand at this and was surprisingly having more success at the piccadilly (from terminal 1,2,3 and terminal 5 to cockfosters) than the line i actually lived on. damn that was a great little area of the tube, kensington olympia. but my complete inability to sketch the ends of the DL, i think, is because of all the damn starts and stops. would i start at ealing broadway, richmond, wimbledon? what about the edgware road branch? why are these all on the same line?

damn.

longchamp, nyc

i've been meaning to post on longchamp's new york store for a few weeks now, since a daily dose mentioned it in a top list of new york architecture and then it was in one of the many design mags i've been hoarding on my desk. it seemed serendipitous except that i could never bring myself to actually do it, which may have been subconscious protection. in any case, now that i'm delirious with sleep i'll cave to it. without any further ado, the epitome of a modern design aesthetic, the prototype for all future shopping experiences, the reason new york is so much more than a fashion capital but a destination for multidisciplinary lovers of beautiful aesthetic-