Starchitect talks sense?

Frank Gehry blogs for the Guardian about designing a new Guggenheim for Abu Dhabi.

The talking sense part? This paragraph:

"I'm really excited by the level of intelligent engagement by the local leaders in Abu Dhabi although there's still a big discussion to be had about the planning of new buildings. What they want from the architecture, by me, by Zaha Hadid and others, is a "string of pearls", stretching to the water to form a new "cultural quarter" to attract tourists; but, there's a bit of tendency to want a nice new building from each of us without enough thought about how they'll all hang together. I'd like to be more involved in the urban planning, but that's a lot to ask; you can't just say, especially when you've just arrived, hey, I'd like to redo your city."

So often it appears that these starchitects don't have enough concern for context. Or perhaps they're not allowed to. I suspect the practices are handed a plot and have very little input on its surroundings. We see that in competitions we've entered at work - someone else has done the masterplan and we get given a plot number to design a building for (especially with housing developments).

Gehry ought to be concerned about the setting of his building. A poor setting will detract from it and poor access will deter visitors. His client won't be happy.

PMA

I think I've figured something out.

Now I've passed my driving test I can drive. I think to myself "I've passed my test that means I can drive".

Before I'd passed the thought was ore like "I haven't passed my test - I can't drive".

Maybe Linford Christie was right about that Positive Mental Attitude stuff after all...

I read books as a kid...

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Lutyens' Cathedral

The model of Lutyens' RC Cathedral design for Liverpool is finally restored and going on display at the Walker Art Gallery. The Guardian have included an article about it today in the G2.

I was going to post about it, but Andrew Cusack has beaten me to it. While his post is good, I don't agree with what he and some of his other readers have to say about Gibberd's design.

Gibberd's cathedral has to be seen from the inside. I suggest Andrew Cusack's readers (and the rest of you) start here.

I think that the Lutyens' design would have been completely out of scale with the city and probably outgrown by the modern liturgy. Adrian Gilbert Scott's pared down version would not have done justice to the original scheme and, I think, suffered the same liturgy related issues. I suggest there would be problems with an older style building and the modern liturgy because of the vast numbers of churches having their interiors reordered these days - I've worked for a practice where that was our bread and butter. Gibberd's in-the-round design allows for a more modern approach to the acts of worship. Many Anglican and Catholic congregations are seeking this approach rather than the 'old fashioned' sanctuary and high altar at the far end of the church. I think this is a Good Thing - more inclusive worship.

I hope to get down to Liverpool to see the model at some point before April, however it is rather far away these days. Perhaps I'll have to wait until it is installed in 3XN's Museum of Liverpool in 2010...

Sarah skiing home

Sarah skiing home
Originally uploaded by Don Sean.

It did snow.

So, last night - late last night - we went skiing in the field at the back of our house!

Windy weather

As I've been commenting on other people's blogs, it's really not been windy up here. We've missed out on all the gale force and hurricane type fun. In fact, for January, the weather's been fairly nice....

I just wish it would snow. My skis are still new and shiny and untouched. And I need the practice before Ski Alpine in March.

Pass Plus

I finished off the last two hours of my Pass Plus last night. It isn't tested as such, but the instructor has to mark on a form whether you've Achieved or Exceeded the required standard. I got all As - but he did say that they're told to mark harshly...

Driving

Today I will be doing a Pass Plus course. However, Sunday night's drive home almost did away with the need for it. I drove from Southport to Gretna, up the M6 in the pouring rain. A big achievement for me!

So, we will see how well today goes. I wonder how many bad habits I've picked up in the last couple of months...

Losing the clone city fight?

World's oldest record shop to close?

PostSecret

PostSecret

Calendar

It appears my father in law has been busy making a calendar with his own photos. I've seen some of these pics framed in his house and they are very good.

Blogger beta

It would appear Blogger would like me to move to the beta version. This is apparant because it insists on trying to sign me in with my gmail account and won't let me at my dashboard without telling me about the beta twice.

But I want to know if the beta is actually working properly yet. I have heard tales of people not being able to comment from a beta sign in on non beta blogs. I have heard tales of things going all to pieces after changing over.

Isn't a beta version so called because it is not yet a full version? Aren't betas versions still being trialled?

Is it worth it just yet?

Dark

It's dark...
Winter is a coming in. (to paraphrase).

There's snow on the mountains though. Soon it will be time to go and play with my new skis.

Woo Hoo!!

On Monday...

I passed...


My driving test!

First time!

(After 16 months of lessons. Patient instructor.)

I thought I'd failed by collecting too many minor faults. I got 11 - 15 is a fail. I can drive better than I did during the test - I made a few mistakes through nerves, snatching at the gears and that sort of thing (putting the car in 4th instead of 2nd at the first roundabout wasn't a great start). I felt like I was reaching in the wrong place for the gear lever after driving our car at the weekend.

A good chunk of test time disappeared in the drive up to Balmedie and back on the A90 to use the village streets for the manoeuvres. I was asked to demonstrate a turn in the road (3 point turn) and reverse around a corner. Thankfully I didn't have to parallel park or bay park and no cars came when I was reversing. My controlled (emergency) stop was a bit ragged (did better in my lesson beforehand), but only picked up a minor fault. I should have asked the tester to move his seat forward when I was reversing, really, but I bottled it and peered round him.

Any way, I passed. Now I have to pluck up the courage to get out on my own. Then figure out if my insurance cost will be reduced by doing the Pass Plus course.

Northern gardening

I've noticed that my garden up here seems to run about a month behind the one we had in Chesterfield. It's also true of the wild plants. There were ripe blackberries in the Lakes at the beginning of August, the ones near us weren't ready till September. There were masses though - is this a sign of cold winter coming?

I also still have roses and gladioli in flower, but I suspect spring may be slower to appear up here, so this good fortune will be balanced out.

Any way the point of the post...
I have Michaelmas daisies in my garden. They're are the first example of them that I've ever seen flowering at the time of Michaelmas. Which is actually quite pleasing.

What we did last weekend...

He was running with his sister and I was marshalling. I'm not as daft as they are.
Spent a pleasant five hours in Coniston in a car park checking teams on to the mountain section.

No Conkers?

Move to Aberdeen. We've got loads...

PARK(ing)

At first I thought "That's a really cool idea, we could do that outside the office". Then I remembered - on the other side of the parking spaces outside there is a park.

The toll of the bell

I have a bell on my bike, but generally I find that should someone step out in front of me squealing brakes are more effective as an audible deterrant. That or a shouted warning using some short anglo saxon words.

World Premiere

Last night at The Belmont Cinema in Aberdeen the World Premiere showing of The Planet was held.

I've never been to a World Premiere before. Six of us went from our office - one of the co-producers (who did the special effects) also does our IT - and fun was had by all.

As the name suggests the story takes place on a random planet in space somewhere, when ten survivors from an attacked ship land. They then get set upon by some unknown entity, which they do battle with at the end. I won't spoil the plot further as I'm sure you'll all be rushing out to see it...

The planet scenes were shot on Balmedie Beach, to the north of Aberdeen (which is also the home of the Balmedie Beach Bash (scroll down for post) - a fearsome 3.5 mile run over the dunes). Others were apparantly shot in the producers' living rooms.