Thanks. I KNEW it was expensive. . .!

This thread is purdy.

John Soane did a series of drawings showing his proposal for the Bank of England in ruins, which is really cool.

Just a thought, but the great buildings that we seem to be referring to have materiality and detailing that is very "internalized", and some of their facades are well, a bit brutal, or only architects could love. You can walk past the same detail and enjoy it again and again.

Those projects that have about exterior form, or their principal architectural move is manifest in the facade, unless their is a fastidious client who cares for their piece of built sculpture (I'm thinking Gehry), then eventually they start to look a bit worse for wear.

I wish I could find interior shots of Scharoun's buildings in Berlin.

Hang on, antipodean -- I just happen to have an old book out of the liberry. . .

Hans Scharoun - Berlin Philharmonie - 1956, 1960-63

SDR, nice images. That plan is crazy...it hardly has a 90 degree wall junction in it. Scharoun designed all the light fixtures, and the theatre itself is a wonderful space. I'd live in Berlin just so I could go sit in the reading room at the State Library Scharoun designed everyday. He's da man.

and students get a massive discount as well.

the library is amazing and has been featured in several german films.

Today, those vertical exterior walls would be exchanged for something more "organic" ? There's an interesting disconnect between them and the wild section and plan -- yet if they were load-bearing brick, say, the choice is perfectly rational ?

I guess we've hijacked a thread about aging. Maybe somebody has some current close-ups of the building ? What is that exterior material ? (And what explains that curious little deviation in the wall at the highest point ? Is that an "attic vent" ?)

I'm still hoping we'll get some examples of poor building performance.

Hmm -- it's a little "peak" -- or "beak" ?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55798582@N00/1462887252/in/photostream/