Inside the Rib Cage Lies a Resilient Heart

Inside the Rib Cage Lies a Resilient Heart. NYC, USA. July 2016. 

Oculus, this distinctively Calatrava creation, is an intriguing addition to downtown NYC. Was it over-budget and is it unconventional? Absolutely. However if there is one American city that can showcase a piece of non-conformist architecture, it is New York. I love the glean of the white marble, the natural light that pours in through the spine of the rib cage, and the grandeur of the empty space. The steel ribs give me the feeling of walking through a modern day cloister and, to me, it is a fitting sentiment for this particular site. 

It is a busy transit hub, but catching it in a quiet moment between trains allows you to appreciate the size, scale, and location of the project. I found the second floor to be the best place for some contemplation and observation. While many would say it does not fit in with the skyline, I would argue that inside this rib cage lies the resilient heart of the city; commuters and observers give Oculus breath and life and they are the beating heart of New York.

Ciao Bello

Ciao Bello. Milan, Italy. July 2015. 

One of the benefits of living in Milan is being in the middle of high fashion. The same day Expo Milano 2015 opened, so did Armani/Silos, a fashion museum dedicated to creations by Giorgio Armani. When I visited last year, Armani/Silos was hosting a retrospective exhibition displaying 40 years of Armani's works over 4,500 square meters of industrial space designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Tadao Ando. The building was actually a silo for grain in the 1950s and is now home to roughly 600 dresses and 200 accessories. Walking through the corridors, you have to fight every impulse to touch and feel everything, although, on second thought, it would be a good way of catching the attention and starting a mild flirtation with one of the black-suited models/docents.

Downward Spiral

Downward Spiral. Copenhagen, Denmark. February 2016. 

Copenhagen is an architecturally rich city; knowing this I took the time to research and compile a shortlist of buildings to visit. On the top of my list was this iconic building on the waterfront. Aptly named Gemini, this modern building was converted from neighboring seed silos in the early 2000s. From an aerial view, the two silos look like a figure eight and the interior is this incredibly strange looking space ship. Designed by Dutch based architectural firm MVRDV, the most surprising part of the plan is that the living spaces are actually clipped on to the outside of the silos. 

In minimalist fashion, their is no obvious entrance into the building. I waited until a resident walked out of a silo and convinced  her to let me in to take videos and photos. I could not get enough of the black and white interior. I must have become hypnotized by the spirals because I took photos from every possible curve and lost track of time; it was hard for me to leave. I was just waiting for someone to report me and chase me out, however I think folks are used to having hypnotized strangers wander aimlessly in their atrium.