Noémie Goudal 'Observatoires' 2015

I can't get these mesmerizing images by french artist Noémie Goudal out of my head.

Surreal, barren landscapes where abandoned architecture meets nature in a dreamy, theatrical setting...

(Inspired by Jantar Mantar, built in Jaipur, India, in the 18th Century)

Esparon, the house on a mountain

I just got back from helping architect friends to build their house in South of France. One hour from Nîmes, the town with the beautiful light there is a small village on top of a mountain. They bought an old ruin, and preserving the old walls and the layout, they are now building on to it.

There was a full moon, and you could see the moonlit valley and the unfinished roof.
So quiet, you could hear the owl sounds and see the mountains 280 degrees around you.
Everything about this place is just magical.

Daniel Libeskind's home. A film by Matthew Donaldson

Alternative Landscapes by Benoit Paillé

Landscapes and poetry - Photography 'Alternative Landscapes' by Benoit Paillé

Arnarfjörður, Iceland by Haraldur Diego

Accidentely on purpose / comme par hasard by Kate McBride

Not long ago one of our friends had an exhibition at La Chambre Claire in Paris, her name is Kate McBride and she is based in Florence. She has since the early 1980's taken polaroids and written short poetic narratives as a travel journal. The polaroid being an instant medium, it catches exactly that moment and feeling of the place and the landscape.

It became a collection book with over 200 polaroids and eighty-four poems, called 'I journey with you here'. I just love polaroids, and I love the milky dreaminess of this journal, it makes you want to travel, travel, travel...

We were there - Porto

Three years ago we visited Leça Swimming Pools by Alvaro Siza, north of Porto, Portugal.
Porto is a fantastic place to go for architectural visits (go if you haven't been!)
The pools were finished in 1966, but they have aged gracefully and do not feel decayed, despite the Atlantic oceans tough treatment.
The area is completely sunken down, out of view of the cityscape on the side and disconnected from the city, melting into the ocean as apart of it.
You are lead as in procession through the changing rooms, via a ramp down towards the ocean.
The pools are molded into the the cliffs with concrete of the same color as the stone, mixed with the natural water gatherings of the ocean side, it is sensational place.
I would love to revisit in the summer, it was early spring when we were there.

Photo credits: Camilla Levin

Photo credits: Camilla Levin

Photo credits: Camilla Levin

You framed it so now I can see it

Krijn de Koning is exhibiting in Paris right now at Centquatre until the beginning of april.
When I woke up this morning I was looking at images of his Het groene huis from 2014 and it completely captivated me.
The effect that colors has on me (you as well?) is amazing and the way that he works with the environment around, the light and the perspectives framing it altogether is dreamlike to me.

He often works with rich environments like nature and ruins and in these photos,
it's just like scenography or footage.

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

Photo credit: http://www.krijndekoning.nl/

American Bar by Adolf Loos

I went to Vienna last year and got a chance to re-visit Adolf Loos American Bar.
The first time I was there was in 2006 when I just started studying architecture.
This time I traveled alone and I decided to go back in the middle of the day.

This place definitely deserves a blog post of it's own, Loos created something so unique in my opinion.
When you come in, it's like entering into another world, where you feel jet lagged or something reminiscent of it, time stands still.
It always has the same light and atmosphere that lingers, no matter what time of day. The noble marble and the glass above the door gives of this jewel-like glow, like jasper stone or amber carnelian. The space is in fact small, but the use of mirrors creates an illusion that it goes on for ever.
I can just imagine cigar smoke and early 20th century cocktails, but as time stands still it works just as well now.

Dignity, but not of an intimidating kind, more like you just want to be there, stay around in a very comforting way and pass your time there. I just love it, the warm wood, down to the leather, illuminated tables and brass handles.

Petra, Jordan / a rose-red city half as old as time

It seems no work of man’s creative hand,
by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;
But from the rock as if by magic grown,
eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!

Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,
where erst Athena held her rites divine;
Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,
that crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;


But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,
that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;
The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,
which man deemed old two thousand years ago,
match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,
a rose-red city half as old as time.

—John Burgon, 1845

Al Khazneh or The treasury at Petra, 1st century AD
Photo credits: http://www.ereduvoyage.ch

Photo credits: http://www.unp.me

Photo credits: http://www.unp.me

Photo credits: http://www.unp.me

The eucalypt forest

This winter we went to Australia for a month. It was hot, but up in the Blue mountains the air was cool.

The Blue mountains north-west of Sydney is a national park (of 267,954-hectare) with mountains, rivers, waterfalls, an abundance of magical scenery and natural beauty.

The Blue mountains name derives from the sheer blue haze over the mountains, said to be produced by the dense forest of oil bearing eucalyptus trees.

This summer after a walk, the rain came down heavy and as I walked by the eucalyptus trees I could breathe in the fresh eucalyptus fragrance that the big eucalypt forest was giving away. Like a big, blue healing lung. That's sublime.

Photo by Emelie Nielson 2014