SNOW IN FLORIDA

Perhaps you know this very well, but there is a place called Celebration, a small town in Florida, built by the Walt Disney Company. An early example of New Urbanism put into practice, the people in this town seem to be living (that's right, they live there for real) on the very edge of reality as we know it. The idea of letting it snow in Florida is rather surreal by itself, but accompanied by music and voices seeming to come from nowhere in particular, it's beyond weird, seen with my European eyes.

And on the other hand: What if this works for the people who live there? Celebration is a walkable town, and people make real friendships there, just by passing each other by on porches or the sidewalks. At least it's an alternative to suburban sprawl, isn't it? And what are the alternatives? How much "real" traditional urbanism is there in the US?

I'd never live in Celebration, but perhaps we'll have to let fantasy play a bigger part in architecture when dealing with the need for reshaping society to meet the ecological crisis ahead. Is Celebration a definite answer? Absolutely not. Is it an interesting question? I would say yes.

SKATING IN ORDOS

What do you do with a city built for 300 000 people, but with a population of less than 10% of that? (It's Inner Mongolia, I don't blame humanity for not moving.) We're talking large urban spaces, attempts at innovative architecture, oversize bronze horses galloping across stone plazas, organic concrete shapes and four-lane roads without cars.

You bring your skateboard, of course.

The poetically named Kangbashi New Area, Ordos. Not Bregna.

FICTIONAL FRIDAY: THE THIRD AND THE SEVENTH

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Please watch this beautiful little film of architecture real, imagined and re-imagined (in fullscreen); it's a nice reminder of how architecture sometimes can be an art.

One of the most important buildings featured in the film is Louis Kahn's Exeter library. The more I learn about Kahn, the more I come to love his work. There's a rather huge Kahn exhibition at the Oslo Museum of Architecture right now. Anyone who hasn't seen it, really should go. Last day of the exhibition is 26th January 2014.

Finally, thanks to Joan, who made me aware of the film a long time ago. I love it.

PS. TOEFL test tomorrow, needed for my applications to the schools I want to get in to in the US. Wish me luck!

LIVING BRIDGES

I stumbled upon this video in the Facebook group of my school. It describes the ingenious bridges made from live ficus plants that can be found in Meghalaya, Northeast India. Have a look!

SCALE (AND ARPEGGIOS)

In architecture, we talk about scale a lot. In my first year spring project, I added a tower to an already quite large barn that I remodeled into a house. The tower was twice as tall as the barn, and I was accused of not understanding the scale of the place.

This autumn, I've been working with urban fabric in a part of Bergen where the buildings and streets have very different scales.

I even have a book called "Scale in Architecture, and let's not forget the architect's scale!

The only problem is this: Every time someone mentions the word 'scale' (including yours truly), I immediately start humming this song. It's unstoppable. Help me.

PS. I love "The Aristocats" (and their house).

FICTIONAL FRIDAY: KITCHEN CLIMBING

I want this!

(Thanks to my classmate Mats Børseth Østang (who by the way is very talented and nice), for showing me this video.)

FICTIONAL FRIDAY: THE GRIFFIN'S CAVE

From my favourite live action version of the classic Alice in Wonderland, a strange and beautiful little scene, set in a piece of gravity- and proportion-defying classical architecture, in the form of a cave. (No point in going to richardland.com, by the way.)

THE BEGINNING

Back in school. More than a year has passed and I really am a different person in more than one way. And ready.

The music is from the movie 'The Truman Show' from 1998, featuring some really cool sets, including the very real town of Seaside, a traditional-looking new town in Florida, and a place where I'd really like to go.

THE FANTASTIC FLYING BOOKS OF MR. LESSMORE

Watch this amazing short film about a man and the books he meets. The quality on Vimeo is ok, but I recommend downloading it cheaply at http://morrislessmore.com/. Have yourself a very Fictional Friday!

(Fictional Friday is a series of posts on my blog, where I present fantastical and fictional architecture from books, television, films, computer games, art etc. every Friday.)


("Less is more" - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)


("Less is a bore" - Robert Venturi) 

MUSIC FOR STAIRWELLS

An old favourite of mine: "Hard Knock Life" from the 1982 film "Annie", based on the musical by the same name. I don't know if these are just sets or if the building is real, but those girls sure can sing and dance! Best movie choreography of all time.

MEDIANERAS

This is a strange and wonderful little film about people living in the city, and how architecture interacts with their daily lives. Great pictures and good music.

FICTIONAL FRIDAY: OLIVER!

Thank God it's Fictional Friday! In this new series of posts on my blog, I'll present fantastical and fictional architecture from books, television, films, computer games, art etc. every Friday.

Today's contribution is the gloriously silly "Who will buy?" scene from the 1968 musical film "Oliver!", which won an Oscar for Best Picture. Although this may look very much like a real London street, and some even believed it was filmed at the Royal Crescent in Bath, it's all a gigantic film set which was built at Shepperton Studios. According to movie-locations.com, the designer was John Box, Production Designer, and the inspiration is of course classical terraced houses, garden squares and architectural crescents such as the aforementioned Royal Crescent.

Not only is the street and park beautiful, and most definitely a place I'd like to live myself if it was real, but the scene, which by the way took six weeks to film, also has a great interaction between choreography and architecture, with dancing and stunts following the rhythm of the facades.

WEAR SUNSCREEN

We were talking about this song in the classroom some time ago. I'm doing great in Kenya, but I miss you guys!

ANDERS IN OSLO

BAS OSLO 2011 from Anders Sletten Eide on Vimeo.

My friend and classmate Anders Eide made this video when BAS was visiting Oslo last week. It seems to me he's onto something.

Things you should know about Anders: He really loves architecture and is always ready to discuss it. He can be a bit silent, but if you talk to him, you are guaranteed to get an interesting observation or question to make you think. He knows how to dress properly. He has good taste. He's fun. He's nice. Finally, he's talented, but always looking to improve.

Some parts of the video were shot in the apartment in which I live in now. It's in the attic of the red building on the left side of the street in this picture:

MAGICAL CONCRETE CAVE

I found this strange place in Stavanger not too long ago. Lying just up the hill from the train station, it's a sort of underground crossroads and not exactly a classical beauty. However, with the daylight flowing in from a circular hole in the ceiling, dark corners, strange yellow-greenish lamps and the sound of running water from the fountain and the underground brook, it has a very special atmosphere, and is definitely worth checking if you're in the neighbourhood.

MUSIC FOR ANOTHER FUTURE

This is for all you ruin porn lovers out there.

CLASSICISM WITH DANCING HIPPOPOTAMUSES

If this doesn't cheer you up a bit...

The brilliant version of Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours from Disney's 1940 film Fantasia. Notice the slightly absurd, very formal pieces of architecture and lanscaping. And watch it in fullscreen mode. ("Hippopotamuses"!  How I love the English language.)

Edit 8th May 2012: Had to find the video somewhere else on Youtube, as the one I posted originally has been removed. Please ignore the voice speaking (in what sounds like a slavonic language) during the first twenty seconds; it disappears quickly.

PETULA CLARK

Promoting mixed-use development since 1964.

"Downtown everything's waiting for you".

Song composed by Tony Hatch.

SLOW

I especially like parts with the falling liquids. Those sort of shapes have always fascinated me.

SOUNDS AND SAMPLING (AND ALICE AGAIN)

We're working with sound at school, in a project called Acoustic Space. We've recorded sounds from all over the city and put them together to form montages, music and rhythms. When my piece is finished, I may publish it here. In the meantime, this fabulous collage of music taken from the animated feature "Alice in Wonderland"by Walt Disney.