Beauty in Brutalism

Beauty in Brutalism. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. August 2017.

Washington, D.C., USA. August 2017.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is one of the more interesting brutalist buildings in D.C. Modernist Marcel Breuer designed the building and included two of his style signatures: the concrete curve and the deep-set rectilinear windows. The "curvilinear" shape of this 10-floor building was designed to ensure the maximum amount of light to shine into the offices while the seemingly endless grid of windows reminds you just how immense the concrete structure is. I am not typically drawn to brutalism, but HUD is striking to me because it integrates these two opposing design aspects. 

Stop Wars You Will

Stop Wars You Will. Miami, Florida, U.S.A. December 2016.

Over the weekend I traveled to Miami to attend Art Basel and its surrounding art shows for a dose of creative inspiration. The city is always colorful, alive, edgy, and during Art Basel it is even more so. I took this photo in the Wynwood District, Miami's artistic beating heart. Wynwood is renowned for Wynwood Walls, however the entire neighborhood is an urban graffiti park. 

Artists from around the world have left their mark in Wynwood including Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra who painted this mural during Art Basel last year. Kobra is known for his colorful, kaleidoscope wall murals. If you were in New York last year, you may have caught his large tribute to Alfred Eisenstaedt's "V-J Day, The Kiss" off of 25th St. and 10th Ave near the Highline (it has since been painted over). Similar to "The Kiss" mural, this one also addresses the topic of war, this time featuring the all-knowing, powerful Jedi Yoda. Murals in Wynwood get painted over so if you are in Miami, make it a point to catch this one and Kobra's entire wrap around this building while you can. 

Moment of Zen

Moment of Zen. Washington, D.C., USA. September 2016. 

If you are a looking for a quiet hiding spot on D.C.'s National Mall, you will find it in one of the two garden courts at the Smithsonian's National Gallery of Art West Building. As a D.C. resident, this is a free and accessible retreat that I do not take advantage of enough.

The Hirshhorn has a panoramic room on their top floor, the National Portrait Gallery has a glass ceiling courtyard created by Foster+Partners, and the National Gallery of Art has this neo-classical garden. This photo was taken on a Sunday afternoon and while the gallery was bustling, the garden was perfectly still. 

So, "Here it is, your moment of zen."*

*Thank you Jon Stewart

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.