Ghostmodernism

www.lifewithoutbuildings.net

Harold Lime, Walter Gropius, and others look on as the Static Engine is activated for the first time.

French playwright Alfred Jarry invented practical time travel in 1899. In an essay that shattered the scientific community, he theorized that a time machine “is no more difficult to conceive of than a Space Machine,” and continued to describes his design for an an ebony and ivory apparatus of levers, springs, and flywheels that isolates its occupant from the passing of time. This pivotal discovery was almost lost to ahistory when, just moments moment before he completed the famous equation that would make time travel possible, the Father of Pataphysics was murdered by an splinter group of non-practicing Ghostmodernists. Thankfully, the Established Lobbyists simultaneously traveled back in time to prevent the murder of Alfred Jarry from taking place. Yet this was not the end of that particular story. The rogue Ghostmodernists persevere with their efforts to destroy chrono-liminality - and so continues the atemporal crusade that will eventually never be documented as “The Perpetual Lobby.”

The above is an excerpt from my contribution to Junk Jet no4. Check out the full issue to learn more about Static Engines, Paradox Designers, and the Alt-Bauhaus.

A Day Made of Glass

publice in archidose.blogspot.com

This video reminds me of a few architectural projects from years ago:

- The Digital House (1998) by Hariri and Hariri, a house "organized around a Touch Activated Digital Spine...a glass enclosure made of active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCDs)." The project was sponsored by House Beautiful Magazine.
- The Kramlich Residence and Media Collection (1997) by Herzog and de Meuron, an "inhabitable media installation tailored to meed the daily requirements" of the clients, avid collectors of media art (video, films, slides, etc.). Glass would have been the surface for the projection of their media collection.
- The Phantom House (2007) by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, a project that proposes "a green architecture that satisfies our quest for the good life." The project, located somewhere in the American Southwest, was commissioned by The New York Times.

Corning's vision, "A Day Made of Glass," which seems to integrate some of the ideas found in the above projects, is comprised of specific elements centered on glass and technology. But the integration of all of these various pieces into one day, where our interactions take place with screens more than anything else, is kind of depressing. It's a scenario where technology dictates the directions of things. But I think criticism is needed. Just because we can make something doesn't mean it shouldinfiltrate our lives. I think our current course is to let technology lead the way, so in this sense many people will find that this vision makes sense, and is cool to boot.

(Thanks to Mum for the link.)

Subway Stations in Moscow

The Subway in Moscow deserves a special visit.   You will have the opportunity to go thru these images and appreciate Moscow’s Subway Stations’ Architecture…

Work on the Subway started in 1930 - Its length is approx. 256 km (159Miles), actually the subway has 138 stations, and the most beautiful stations are located near the center of the capital.

                                                                      Baumanskaya

A Special Visit is very impressive to the foreign tourists,  who will think they’re in a museum or even a palace with very spacious hallways.

                                                                     Baumanskaya

One is pleasantly surprised by the marvelous decorations, by the monumental richness of the marble decorations: medalions, columns, mosaics & sculptures that display the Great Events in Russian History

                                                                     Belorusskaya

For example, in Revolution Square Station , The Bronze statues represent  revolutionaries in 1917 «Red Octomber», in Komsomolskïa Station - Kutuzov maybe seen, who beat  Napoleon, in Kievskaïa Station , Peter The Great at the Battle of Poltava, in Teatranlaïa Station there are ballerinas in national costumes and columns of flowers.

                                                                    Belorusskaya

During World War II, The Moscow Subways, due to its depth, offered shelter for thousands of moskowites during the Aerial bombings.

                                                                Dobrininskaya

Each year the Subway Lines get longer and get deeper into the far away

Suburbs where new subway stations are built Subway is extended to

 Remote districts and metro stations are built new, where the

 architecture is sober.

                                                                     Dynamo

Subway in Moscow houses 9 lines which are color coded on large signs helping passengers to go where they need to.

                                                            Electrozavodskaya

Subway hours are between 5:30 a.m. ―1:30a.m. trains come at 1 minute intervals, sometimes even less especially during the evening hours.

                                                                   Kievskaya

……….continue to view the following photos.

                                                                           Kievskaya

                                                                           Kievskaya

  Komsomolskaya

                                                                   Komsomolskaya

                                                                      Komsomolskaya

                                                                      Komsomolskaya

                                                                     Krasnopresnenskaya

                                                                     Mayakovskaya

                                                                       Novoslobodskaya

                                                                         Oktiabrskaya

                                                                           Park Kultury

                                                                         Paveletskaya

Ploshad Revoluţia

Prospekt Mira

Semionovskaya

Taganskaya

This is the End of our Virtual tour of the Moscow Subway System