Although Archinect now and them seems to become somekind of lonely planet for architectural sight-seeing - I'm heading soon to Edinburgh for a couple of days. Interesting stuff to see? Art to see? People to see?
Architecture and Art
1. New Scottish Parliament (I havent personally visited yet, but is apparently well worth a look)
2. Charles Jenks Earthwork at Scottish Museum of Modern Art (SMOMA)
3. Paolozzi'z Studio (recreation) in the Dean Branch of (SMOMA)
4. Fruitmarket Gallery
5. Old Town Wander
6. New Town Wander
7. Botanic Gardens (Andy Goldworthys)
8. Calton Hill (Random Collection of follies on a hill) great views
9. City Chambers (St Mary Queens Close) underground tour
10. Portobello Seafront/Promenade (15 minutes by bus out from centre)
Good list, I went to see the new Scottish parliament recently, it was certainly interesting to see - it's not 'my kind of architecture', and the mysterious symbolism is a bit tedious, but I did see one of my favourite details ever - just under the first set of steps leading to the debating chamber - suggesting to me that there is at least one very good reason not to build anything remotely blobby or curvy :)
Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities in the world.
I was just there in January (I almost didn't leave thanks to a snowstorm) and I only got to see the Parliament at night, but it is grand. I'm not sure what kind of access you can get to it but if you can get inside, make sure you check out the lobby area with all of the skylights.....the pictures in Architectural Record looked amazing. The Scottish themselves though are very irritated by the whole project....it cost a LOT more than it was supposed to, but it is quite the piece of work.
Also, go to the Castle. Just go look at it or something. And if you have access to a car go look at one of my favorite bridges in the world, the Firth of Forth bridge. The Royal Mile, Princes Street, etc.....it's all good. And pricey. Have a pint for me. :o)
the all important: DRINKING! bars pubs restaurants etc etc
an infinite variety to sample from.
a 5-10 minute walk from the station to the architecture school (i did actually study once upon a time) will take you past approx 10-20 (at least) places to wet your whistle.
following a few returns over the last 6 months alot has changed since I was living up there (left in 1998/1999)
but
heres a top few
Old Town:
1.Ecco Vino (Cockburn St) very nice relaxed and quite grown up, but comfortable tables and good food once you have polised off a few pints or a couple of bottles.
2. Bar Kohl (george the 4th Bridge) Vodka Vodka Vodka (50 flavas plus 200 others) definitely sample the fine jugs: mad cow was a favourite [butter skotch vodka, tequila, milk and coke]
3. City cafe (blair street) pool and pre/post club diner
4. The brass monkey: just off nicholson st (down from the now closed sex shop!) Small cinema in the back which you cna hire out and watch dvd's
5. Kebab Mahal: Best kebabs in town (apparently)
6.Negotiants (late night drinking) forget queing for downstairs upstairs offers table service til 3 or 4am without the morocan bullshit and beere soaked rugs!
7.City Restuarant: not as the name sugggests but a good greasy spoon for the morning after
8.Summer at the beer garden of the pear tree off west nicholson place
The best thing about edinburgh compared to larger cities is that you can drink pretty much 24 hours a day, and you dont have to worry about how you are going to get home when you have had enough as you can walk pretty much everywhere or get a taxi for under a £5
I would certainly second visiting the Brass Monkey while your there. It really is quite a unique bar that Ive spent many a horizontal night on the huge 'bed' they have in the back room. A little hard to find though, you might have to get directions of JB!
The Scottish Museum is also worth a good look architecurally speaking, make sure though you get up on to the roof.
Also if you can, Dance Base, the new national centre for dance in Grassmarket by Malcolm Fraser architects, at the bottom of the Castle, is brilliant and has won countless awards. Its not much from the outside, squeezed in between buildings, but it grows up the hill towards the castle and is pretty impressive inside.
The new Parliament building is well worth a look if just to cringe and shudder at the vast vast waste of money.
Some would disagree that the seat of scottish democracy should be considered a 'vast vast waste of money'. It wasn't cheap to begin with, but the Client kept changing things.
Im sure many would disagree. Maybe I should have phrased it a bit better, I agree the new seat of scottish democracy was not a waste of money in principle and was certainly needed but it was hugely mismanaged, not the architects fault i agree.
A reception desk costing nealry £90,000? Ive seen it and cant see where the money went. Maybe It was worth it.
Intital estimated costs of around £40 million rose to some where in the region of £431 million!
Anyway its beside the point and I dont want to get in to that debate, I happened to quite like it in a strange way. I tried to go in with an open mind, Im not a big fan of Miralles usually but, apart from seeming very dark and oppresive in places, it certainly did the new parliament justice.
I just believe it could have been done for a lot cheaper!
When I saw the Parliament in person, I tried to imagine it compared to any similar structure in the States and I couldn't come up with anything at all, in size, scale, detail or cost. With the pound vs. the dollar I guess it cost something like twice as much as any of our major sports structures, for example an (American) football stadium that holds 65,000 people. But you have to take into account the assumed longevity of the building, its attention to detail, and the image of Scotland that it presents to the world. Does it do its job? Who's to say at this point, it's only just opened. Let's see if it leaks. :o)
BTW, I don't want to hijack the thread but what is the "Six Nations" football thing? I saw something about it on the Guardian and am curious.....
Check out Edinburgh College of Art. Although never any architecture displays despite it pedigree. (Grimshaw, Basil Spence, Kathryn Findlay)
and the only copy of the Elin marbles.
Always something going on there.
especially the Big Toes Hifi on fridays.
Do you guys know about the Maggie's Centres? I actually got to visit the original one in Edinburgh when I was there (for work if you can believe that) and now I'm in schematic design for a building in Cincinnati that is based on their program and design goals. Hell of a worthwhile cause.....will be interested to see how the community responds to the one Zaha is designing.
Edinburgh
Although Archinect now and them seems to become somekind of lonely planet for architectural sight-seeing - I'm heading soon to Edinburgh for a couple of days. Interesting stuff to see? Art to see? People to see?
lots and lots for you to see
lots and lots for you to do
my top 10/20 listing will appear soon
Architecture and Art
1. New Scottish Parliament (I havent personally visited yet, but is apparently well worth a look)
2. Charles Jenks Earthwork at Scottish Museum of Modern Art (SMOMA)
3. Paolozzi'z Studio (recreation) in the Dean Branch of (SMOMA)
4. Fruitmarket Gallery
5. Old Town Wander
6. New Town Wander
7. Botanic Gardens (Andy Goldworthys)
8. Calton Hill (Random Collection of follies on a hill) great views
9. City Chambers (St Mary Queens Close) underground tour
10. Portobello Seafront/Promenade (15 minutes by bus out from centre)
Might think of more
Good list, I went to see the new Scottish parliament recently, it was certainly interesting to see - it's not 'my kind of architecture', and the mysterious symbolism is a bit tedious, but I did see one of my favourite details ever - just under the first set of steps leading to the debating chamber - suggesting to me that there is at least one very good reason not to build anything remotely blobby or curvy :)
Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities in the world.
I was just there in January (I almost didn't leave thanks to a snowstorm) and I only got to see the Parliament at night, but it is grand. I'm not sure what kind of access you can get to it but if you can get inside, make sure you check out the lobby area with all of the skylights.....the pictures in Architectural Record looked amazing. The Scottish themselves though are very irritated by the whole project....it cost a LOT more than it was supposed to, but it is quite the piece of work.
Also, go to the Castle. Just go look at it or something. And if you have access to a car go look at one of my favorite bridges in the world, the Firth of Forth bridge. The Royal Mile, Princes Street, etc.....it's all good. And pricey. Have a pint for me. :o)
Some great bars such as:
Opal Lounge
Candy Bar
Rick's
Oh, and if you are there this Sunday I would suggest a trip to Murrayfield.
Here you will bear witnes to visitors Wales vs Scotland in the 6 Nations.
Bots:
Is that a shot with all the welsh rugby fans in attendance?
JB - in the local daily rag
sorry that one was a bit big!
we can see them flocking to the stadium already
hopefully!
ok
the all important: DRINKING! bars pubs restaurants etc etc
an infinite variety to sample from.
a 5-10 minute walk from the station to the architecture school (i did actually study once upon a time) will take you past approx 10-20 (at least) places to wet your whistle.
following a few returns over the last 6 months alot has changed since I was living up there (left in 1998/1999)
but
heres a top few
Old Town:
1.Ecco Vino (Cockburn St) very nice relaxed and quite grown up, but comfortable tables and good food once you have polised off a few pints or a couple of bottles.
2. Bar Kohl (george the 4th Bridge) Vodka Vodka Vodka (50 flavas plus 200 others) definitely sample the fine jugs: mad cow was a favourite [butter skotch vodka, tequila, milk and coke]
3. City cafe (blair street) pool and pre/post club diner
4. The brass monkey: just off nicholson st (down from the now closed sex shop!) Small cinema in the back which you cna hire out and watch dvd's
5. Kebab Mahal: Best kebabs in town (apparently)
6.Negotiants (late night drinking) forget queing for downstairs upstairs offers table service til 3 or 4am without the morocan bullshit and beere soaked rugs!
7.City Restuarant: not as the name sugggests but a good greasy spoon for the morning after
8.Summer at the beer garden of the pear tree off west nicholson place
New town to follow
The best thing about edinburgh compared to larger cities is that you can drink pretty much 24 hours a day, and you dont have to worry about how you are going to get home when you have had enough as you can walk pretty much everywhere or get a taxi for under a £5
I would certainly second visiting the Brass Monkey while your there. It really is quite a unique bar that Ive spent many a horizontal night on the huge 'bed' they have in the back room. A little hard to find though, you might have to get directions of JB!
The Scottish Museum is also worth a good look architecurally speaking, make sure though you get up on to the roof.
Also if you can, Dance Base, the new national centre for dance in Grassmarket by Malcolm Fraser architects, at the bottom of the Castle, is brilliant and has won countless awards. Its not much from the outside, squeezed in between buildings, but it grows up the hill towards the castle and is pretty impressive inside.
The new Parliament building is well worth a look if just to cringe and shudder at the vast vast waste of money.
Some would disagree that the seat of scottish democracy should be considered a 'vast vast waste of money'. It wasn't cheap to begin with, but the Client kept changing things.
yeah i saw the program on tv last night too ;-)
Im sure many would disagree. Maybe I should have phrased it a bit better, I agree the new seat of scottish democracy was not a waste of money in principle and was certainly needed but it was hugely mismanaged, not the architects fault i agree.
A reception desk costing nealry £90,000? Ive seen it and cant see where the money went. Maybe It was worth it.
Intital estimated costs of around £40 million rose to some where in the region of £431 million!
Anyway its beside the point and I dont want to get in to that debate, I happened to quite like it in a strange way. I tried to go in with an open mind, Im not a big fan of Miralles usually but, apart from seeming very dark and oppresive in places, it certainly did the new parliament justice.
I just believe it could have been done for a lot cheaper!
When I saw the Parliament in person, I tried to imagine it compared to any similar structure in the States and I couldn't come up with anything at all, in size, scale, detail or cost. With the pound vs. the dollar I guess it cost something like twice as much as any of our major sports structures, for example an (American) football stadium that holds 65,000 people. But you have to take into account the assumed longevity of the building, its attention to detail, and the image of Scotland that it presents to the world. Does it do its job? Who's to say at this point, it's only just opened. Let's see if it leaks. :o)
BTW, I don't want to hijack the thread but what is the "Six Nations" football thing? I saw something about it on the Guardian and am curious.....
The Six Nations is Europe's premier Rugby Union tournament, and is pretty fiercly competed in by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
atowle:
RE:Rugby
Thanks I was wondering what all teh fuss was about!
Check out Edinburgh College of Art. Although never any architecture displays despite it pedigree. (Grimshaw, Basil Spence, Kathryn Findlay)
and the only copy of the Elin marbles.
Always something going on there.
especially the Big Toes Hifi on fridays.
and the Bongo Club, best venue in town.
Ah, rugby. That explains it. Thanks.
Do you guys know about the Maggie's Centres? I actually got to visit the original one in Edinburgh when I was there (for work if you can believe that) and now I'm in schematic design for a building in Cincinnati that is based on their program and design goals. Hell of a worthwhile cause.....will be interested to see how the community responds to the one Zaha is designing.
Uh oh.
scotsman article
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