21.10.08

Edale


For so long had it eluded me.

For too long had I burned - with frustration, bitterness, disappointment, anxiety.


Being able to cast all that aside just magnified the impact of Edale. To be washed over with peace completely; every iota - physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Everything didn’t matter anymore; not in the engulfing vastness of epical landscapes; not in an ocean of complete silence; not in the sweeping majesty of awesom
e creation.

And besides,

Why fight so hard to change the world, when the world doesn't want to be changed?


For two precious minutes, I revelled in absolute peace.

For two minutes, I felt absolutely free...

Absolutely free...




12.10.08

Cubic Houses (Kubuswonig)


We visited the Cubic Houses (Kubuswonig) in Rotterdam a few weeks back. It was definitely an experience to remember. Designed by Piet Blom back in 1984, it’s a whole forest of tilted, cubic housing units skewered on concrete circulation cores.

It’s quirky and strange, to say the least, and I was admittedly very put off in the beginning. But, after an hour or so of delving into its bowels [yes, bowels. cuz it truly feels like you’re moving through the depths of a monster], it won me over with its unique spaces.








The quirkiness kind of justifies itself when you’re inside - having your view pitched downwards to the internal courtyards when you're in the study and living room and then upwards to the sky when you’re hanging out in the attic, all thanks to clever use of form and slanted windows.


Alas, ants burrow cylindrical tunnels underground; birds weave blobs of twigs to form nests and for thousands of years human have generally lived in orthogonal dwellings. I think there’s good reason for that. And as fascinating and fun as it was to experience a different spatial environment, it got pretty darn claustrophobic and uncomfortable in there after awhile; definitely not home material for me.



This encounter, along with the other sights and sounds around Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Delft firmed up a general impression of Dutch Architecture in my mind. I feel it’s a general disposition towards boldness and bravado. Boldness - minus any connotation of heroism or courage; Unapologetic; Unsympathetic; I will do as I please.

Fun and interesting? Yes.

Long-lasting and endearing? Hmm, maybe. Perhaps. Time will tell.

8.10.08

Chatsworth House


Chatsworth House, built in 1553, is the country home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire. The complex has passed through so many hands crediting its creators would be a history lesson in itself (and a pretty dry one at that). More interestingly it’s the site f
or the upcoming movie The Duchess, starring the very beautiful British-born Keira Knightly.



I recall reading an article back in History of Western Arch about the general convention back in the day to segregate circulation from living quarters and for rooms to be placed back to back, leading through from one to another. Not an experience I relished. It was too staccato. Furthermore, it didn’t help that the rooms were highly opulent and stocked full of master-crafted furniture. Can you say visual-overload?



The Garden though, or should I say, Forest, was breath-taking. It was a Tour de Force of the English Picturesque. T'was an immense outdoor space, so huge and open you felt like running around like a child and screaming your lungs out. It’s a great piece of work by a man we were introduced to back in Lillian Chee’s lectures – Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. It even boasted a gravity-fed water fountain as one of its centerpieces, engineered by Sir Joseph Paxton of Crystal Palace fame.



Soaking it all in, I could understand why the Picturesque still held sway over much of today’s landscape designs. It was hard to tell the difference between nature and Nature because when done to such perfection, the latter blended in so well with the former, whilst retaining that recognisable hand of man. It felt so so peaceful I didn’t feel like talking at all.


Wouldn’t mind going back one day and taking a nice long meditative walk alone.

3.10.08

Architours 08


Architours will take place over 3 weekends in October starting this Friday, 03/10/08.

For more info, hop over to http://www.archifest.sg/architours.html and then book your tickets through Sistic. Students prices are available.