ArchWeek - Cathedral of Light, Oakland, California

[Kevin Matthews]

Discussion related this ArchitectureWeek story:

More recent California architecture...
http://www.ArchitectureWeek.com/places/california-01.html

[bryants]

What an incredible architecture! I would like to visit this place on my next california vacation trip. I have been to the Bay Area and liked it a lot.

[erjavi]

This is a human melting pot mail. Where is the light and where the shadow in architecture buildings? Maybe it depends of your point of view.

Checkpoint Charlie building reflected the transition lights between two extremes; ancient Portuguese sailors had terror to cross the Equator line, “hic sunt leones”, they said, here “there are lions”, they did not wanted cross the end of the world; nobody wants cross this transition line were lights became shadows and shadows became lights, putting all certainty in question, like photographically proposed Gian Paolo Barbieri http://www.amazon.com/Equator-Photobook-Gian-Paolo-Barbieri/dp/3822866237; but Portuguese sailors crossed and humanity became closer, wit all the consequences; and somebody told me than sailors which crossed the Magallanes Strait had right to put a ring in the ear like sign of they courage, and they was not forced to incline before kings. Liberty is always looked, even looking at star lights till the end of the earth, like the followers of Camino de Santiago does, some of them till arrive Finisterre (Finis Terrae) where the unknown ocean opens the perspectives.

Looking for world architectural lights Spaniards crossed the legend of Athlantic continent-ocean for rescue the Silk Road. No one nation in Earth was so prepared for advance with a fix idea like them, after a crusade of many centuries moving other different worlds. They prepare they see respect sea with almost Neolithic guanches of Canary islands. During the first 50 years of the Conquest (the initial intention was the Commerce) practically no Spaniards women appeared, the politically correct was control territory, and mixed races appeared in big proportions. Spanish women arrived after, and Church opposition too respect abuse of Indians (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_de_Montesinos ), changing them for African people, till Quakers began make campaign again this.

Without forget the economical initiative of Jamestown, Falther Pilgrims passed their first winter thanks Squanto and other discover people http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squanto, so liberty cannot be understood without solidarity although you build many statues, because if not what is illuminating the torch?

The tension between races, oligarchies and equilibrated urban development still do not let see how people really is in Latin America, more than 500 years after, and the tension between Sleeping Street (the homeless), Main Street and Wall Street do not let perceive the others clearly too in some countries of North America.

The global village is an archipelago, Afroeurasia is the biggest island, America is the second, Australia the third, etc, so more discovers are needed instead of conquerors. Nobody wants severe climate changes, is better talk about them and solve it, although I don´t know the future. But I our laziness is bigger, may be thanks history we can perceive lights and shadows in our architectural buildings for find the beauty.

Nice building, the Cathedral of Light, it remembers me some Polynesian buildings. Remembering history inside the building context, a humble building was used in Jerusalem, and in certain conditions even building was not required. There are catholics of all status living together that share all their goods and destiny surplus for help others (http://beatitudes.org/ , www.adsis.org ,etc) but this is other story.

[fherry]

Image on Perforated metal Project is an innovative thing and full of potential.

If you want to make your own perforated metal pattern design based on your own image, you can try Image2Punch.

Please visit www.image2punch.com if you want to know how to generate perforated metal pattern based on your image for your architectural project.

best regards,

Fransiscus Herry
www.image2punch.com

[erjavi]

Voice.Voice, voice, voice, voice, voice……………………………

Echo. Echo, echo, echo, echo, echo, echo………………………

Echo!!!!!!. Echo, echo, echoe, echoeoeoe, echcoeoe……………

123 party!. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphorn, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu%C4%8Da_trumpet_festival,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/06/tate-modern-bodyspacemotionthings-turbine-hall,
http://www.nowpublic.com/ten_international_cities_to_be_built_in_tate_moderns_turbine_hall.....

Melody, music, musical!. Meodyso, maldymus,mdxnoiux,dnincxuin……..

Which music use, Gregorian chant?. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_chant? Did you know some chants became popular and even forced to others only for adapt them to the building structure of some Roman basilica?........

[erjavi]

In the reply about sounds in buildings I talked about a Roman basilica, but I did not remember exactly the name. It was the old Basilica of San Peter. I am going to copy the relationship between the building structure and the Gregorian Chant, but in Spanish, my English level is not an half (“Shelter”, page 120 in the Spanish version):

“En Planning for Good Acoustics Hope Bagenal explica cómo las condiciones acústicas de San Pedro conducen por su propia naturaleza a un tipo particular de música. Cuando el sacerdote deseaba dirigirse a los fieles no podía hacerlo con su voz normal. EN caso de ser ésta lo suficientemente poderosa como para oírse en todo el templo, la reverberación haría amontonarse las sílabas en una mezcolanza ininteligible. Era necesario hablar de una manera más rítmica, recitar o entonar. En las grandes iglesias con una reverberación del sonido muy acusada suele existir lo que se conoce como “nota simpática” (es decir “una región bajo la techumbre en la que el tono aparece reforzado”). Si la entonación del sacerdote se aproximaba a la “simpática” del templo, las sonoras vocales latinas llegaban al auditorio en toda la escala musical. Una oración en latín o uno de los salmos del Antiguo Testamento podían entonarse con el ritmo lento y solemne que ajustase el tiempo de reverberación.

El sacerdote iniciaba la recitación entonada para dejar después a su voz perderse en una cadencia, subiendo y bajando, de manera que las sílabas principales se escucharan perfectamente diferenciadas y luego se desvanecieran dando paso a las siguientes como en una modulación. Así se eliminaba la confusión creada por la reverberación. El texto era una canción viva en el templo que, de esta manera, se hizo lugar de audición musical. Tal es el origen del canto gregoriano, especialmente compuesto para la vieja basílica de San Pedro de Roma”.

You can see a latest reconstruction of the building, bigger, in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica

Talking now about colours, living in the Pueblos Blancos you desire see more variety in the houses. It is true than other tonalities are used but are minorities. In the other hand the changing landscapes colours (different types of forest and crops) integrate the villages like a colour more.

In general terms different colours are not allowed for preserve common beauty. Although with the speculation and the returned immigrants the panorama is each time more diffused, but unfortunately the search of common beauty is not a priority, the new houses are not so artistic refined like the older even if the older have been made by illiteracy people, so variety or new ideas do not means necessarily popular admiration. In fact many times the houses follow just some prestige architectonical details repeated everywhere in the national geography, the houses are more comfortable, yes, but usually are less eco-efficient so the spend in money is over the common sense.

Of course the solutions are not colours by itself, http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-around-the-globe/curacao-brilliant-pastel-colors.html in this splendid villages the colour white was prohibited, the extremes are linked. The challenge maybe consists in full liberty with common beauty.

Today I was at http://www.misas.org/p/parroquia-de-la-santisima-trinidad-madrid , this church has an inside structure of white pillars of concrete and metal remembering a forest with a central open space, and with some bricks areas and crystal areas than remember in some aspects the Cathedral of Light. Has some little stained glass windows. In a moment I perceived than this windows began change suddenly of colours, it was the effects of the lights and shadows due the movement of the trees outside by the wind, so sometimes the colours depends of light for appear.

[erjavi]

http://www.avilamistica.com/ (I refer the Spanish version because a 3D map of the building is included in the frontpage of the web ) A brainstorming or a brainpleasuring of experiences? A veces, cuando veo algunas perspectivas en los edificios, tengo ganas de tocar sus superficies y oír cómo gime todo hasta reventar, en un estallido de gloria sin estallar, sintiendo el pulso de su latido.

Da miedo decir sí a que se abra el Cielo más en la Tierra porque eso implica volver a pedir que se cierre pasado un punto, y eso frustra, hasta el próximo latido. Me siento temblar, pero respiro.

[erjavi]

(just add to the last mail than many buildings I mentioned were not religious).

Hi! now I am in Elvas, Portugal, in "the other" land. I did not saw this days the forum but I did not find the Fred Singer one. What happened?

Talking of Portugal, some years ago I prepared twice the crossing of Tagus river, from the birth to the Ocean. It was really impressive see the history of Humanity from a boat (mentally), from a moving natural element. Then I discovered the Equator Line, in the International Tagus path. Finally I did not made the trip, even if I got the license for navigate with two canoas the Spanish part. I did not asked license to Portuguese authorities because I do not know why I did not saw then the project clear.

Afterwards I went to a wedding in Tras Os Montes, and a big fire in galicia forced me enter to the country in an un expected road, it was the unique time I enter in a country in a forced way, a natural one. Now, I am so good visiting Elvas today, the world biggest baluartes system in a city, encountering with people, so friendly. I did not did the trip thinking in all this, I wanted just enjoy.

I continue my holydays so I suppose I will not look the forum in some days. I hope find see the Fred Singer forum, I hope find discovers. I discovered Portugal today, the other.

Enjoy!

[erjavi]

Hay en Jerusalén un edificio que voy a visitar al atardecer, tiene un problema en la puerta que me llama la atención y aprovechando que estoy en una web de arquitectura quizás alguien pueda encontrar una solución.

Cada noche desde hace siglos tres hombres se van turnando y permanecen en su interior: uno armenio, otro ortodoxo y otro católico. Antes había más. Voy a proponerles jugar una partida de cartas al aire libre durante toda la noche (es una partida de descubridores, no de conquistadores) ahora que todavía hace buen tiempo. Supongo que el primero que saldrá a jugar es el armenio, suelen ser los más espabilados.

Yo soy católico así que imagino que la siguiente noche vendrá a sustituirme otra persona. En paz, por supuesto, según parece el origen del asunto era que muchos querían ocupar la primera plaza en vez de la última.

El edificio ha tenido sucesivas reformas, las ampliaciones no han seguido ningún orden, por lo que tampoco será difícil improvisar un elemento nuevo adosado para seguir jugando las noches de mal tiempo, junto a la puerta, que quedará día y noche abierta.

El sereno se quedará sin trabajo, pero estoy seguro de que a su familia, tras haber realizado con gran esmero su delicada labor durante siglos, no les faltará labores que realizar: es más, en consonancia con el edificio, pueden suprimirse todos los cepillos excepto al destinado para financiar las nuevas labores de dicha familia. A un español no le cuesta entender esto porque ha estado peleando por su tierra en nombre de lo que representa ese edificio y, paradojas del destino, lo ha estado haciendo durante tanto tiempo como esa familia ha custodiado las puertas del inmueble con objeto de que sus inquilinos no se peleen por ver quién la cierra.

Por supuesto si alguien que ande por Jerusalén tiene una baraja de cartas podría pasarse al atardecer. Me parece que los planos de ese edificio están disponibles.

[erjavi]

Finally I arrived to the city, but Tikum Olan people did not answered. A man called Ali helped me. Just afterwards I went to a commented building and I understood the heart is the key of all the doors. I went to the same building afterwards too, and a third one too. In this last time I went with a card game and I was playing with them during many minutes, with discretion but visible, but nobody saw the opportunity. But solutions to doors are possible.

I think it happened something similar to other bet, in other forum. Now more and more people is commenting the bet, specially in my country.

Anyway I'll keep two days more in the city just like tourist, may be somebody will add to this opportunity.

Afterwards I go to Tel Aviv before take the plane.

[erjavi]

Hi summergrowe, baptist, evangelical people. But you not have Jerusalem contact place or person. Then...I continue waiting

[erjavi]

Excuse me, the mail from Baptist people I think was spam, because just afterwards there was something asking for money, but I did not saw it, and was not classified like spam. I am sorry for ,misunderstandings/

Anyway tomorrow at 2000h I ll be with the cards in the door of the building, and may be some Protestant will want replace my post in the table, if people wants look towards unity in the diversity/ Then architects surely will find a solution for the door.

Thanks

Javier

[erjavi]

What a pity! No one Protestant people arrived, man or woman.

Bueno, de todas formas creo que ya esta todo. La puerta esta abierta, siempre lo ha estado. Architects must wait for additional building works.

[erjavi]

un taxista judio, tras la ausencia de Tikun olam, me llevo a New Palm Hostel and Hotel, enfrente de la Puerta de La Mezquita. Ali no me conocia de nada y me ha facilitado mi estancia en Jerusalen. Ibrahim era hospitalario.

A mis amigos judios:Oi al Gran Rabino Askenazi decir algo en casa de Jacques Hachuel que creo os va a ser de gran utilidad para entender lo que esta sucediendo. Era en Santander, en 1991, en un seminario organizado por la UIMP, por Ernest Lluch. Yo estaba junto a Mauricio Hachuel, que asintio frente a lo que decia Askenazi.

Pero me falta todavia oir al Gran Rabino Rosen, estuvo a punto de venir a Toledo pero a ultima hora no pudo ser. Habia en Santander un hombre que os puede ayudar, ea un profesor de universidad, creo. Era bajito, muy simpatico, rubio y de ojos azules. Se acordara de mi porque le pregunte, ?eres sefardita o askenazi? y me dijo. Tres dias a la semana soy sefardita, tres soy askenazi y el domingo descanso.

Le pregunte que porque haba venido, y me dijo que Espana se estaba abriendo y esperaba algo. El entendera cuando oiga lo que dijeron los dos Rabinos cabalistas. Y si quereis un dia nos reunimos con Rosen y con el..

[erjavi]

La cábala ni me va ni me viene, ni sé lo que es ni quiero saberlo, y lo mismo le pasará a un judío con el final de un libro.

Cuando la gente tiene intención de abrirse transmite cosas buenas, y Askenazi dijo en el fondo una cosa muy sencilla. Oí hablar de Rosen en el mismo sentido, y por eso quería oírle, por su talante. Muchas veces la gente que he juzgado por ser diferente es la que me ha puesto en mi sitio, eso es una constante.

Ya no escribiré más en este foro.