Architecture Archives - Page 14 of 26

January 5, 2016January 5, 2016

Two Cathedrals

This is a composite of the inside of two cathedrals in Barcelona. One is the gothic Cathedral of Barcelona and the other is the post gothic Sagrada Família which was designed by Antoni Gaudi. The two edifices could not be more different. The only thing they have in common is they are Roman Catholic. The architecture of the gothic is filled with repeating lines and arches and domes whereas Gaudi has created a masterwork of modern art and design that is both organic and audacious.

Big heavy words alert!!! 🙂

In both photos I was standing in the middle of the cathedral looking straight up. I since wondered what would happen if the two were merged, and this is one possible result. A clash of ideas, a combination of opposing forces.

To me this might highlight the idea of the duality and its fusion back into singularity. Simply put, duality is two halves of a whole. We see it in every aspect of life around us. But what happens if we merge back to a singular state rather than opposing perspectives. This quickly gets metaphysical and takes us into uncharted waters, but you get my drift. Its just a crazy idea I’ve had from time to time.

In effect, this image is an abstract thought exercise that imagines the re-combining of two ideas into one. Or, if you prefer, this is how I doodle and daydream.

December 22, 2015December 22, 2015

Bormuth Tapas Bar

Bormuth Tapas Bar is located in the El Born / La Ribera section of Barcelona. It’s in a labyrinth of streets and shops. Of all the places I visited in this city, this area was most enjoyable to get lost in. I snapped this shot as I was walking around at night, but later learned from TripAdvisor that it has great ratings. Had I not just left another Tapas bar a few minutes before I would have stopped here for a quick nosh. This area is so fun I could imagine living in Barcelona just to hang out here and talk late into the night, or wander around with my camera.

Tapas is the way to go, a little bit of this, a little bit of that and some good Spanish wine to wash it all down. I’ve noticed a few Tapas bars popping up near my home in Florida lately. If I were to make a prediction I would guess that Tapas will grow in popularity here in North America. It just seems like a reasonable way to eat, kind of like a Spanish version of Dim Sum.

To take this photo I used an ISO of 5000 which is quite high. That and the in-camera image stabilization allows me to capture a night scenes like this that would not have been possible a year ago without a tripod. Capturing images at night is one of my favorite types of photography, the mood is transformed from the stark light of day and somehow it evokes more feelings and imagination, at least for me.

So here I am, lost in a labyrinth, having just had Tapas and wine, and lost in the joy of my favorite type of photography at the same time. What could be better?

December 9, 2015December 10, 2015

Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

I took this iPhone photo of the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona rather than with my normal camera. It was the day before I went inside and was traveling in an open roof tour bus. I used photoshop to remove the construction cranes towering above. I did it as an experiment to see what it would look like without the distractions. Little did I know the cranes have been there for years and will be for about another ten years until construction completes in about 2030. In the meantime this is my idea of what it might look like when complete.

Sagrada Familia Wikipedia

According to Wikipedia the chief architect Jordi Fauli announced in October 2015 that construction is 70 percent complete and has entered its final phase of raising six immense towers. The towers and most of the church’s structure are to be completed in 2026, the centennial of Gaudí’s death; decorative elements should be complete by 2030 or 2032. That is one long construction project. But perhaps, compared to some of the great cathedrals of old, it’s right on target.

December 7, 2015December 10, 2015

Beach Houses on Anna Maria Island

Beach Houses in Anna Maria — Beach Houses on Anna Maria Island Obtain a fine art print

Walking around the beaches of Anna Maria Island you’ll find houses along the water with a view of the gulf. Some are located on relatively isolated stretches so that even if there are a lot of people at the beach these sections are quiet. Walking past this area the beach was was quiet and undisturbed as evidenced from a colony of skimmers that nest and feed here. As I walked past they paid me little heed as they rested on one leg. I live only twenty minutes away but I keep telling myself that one day I’ll just rent a beach house and do a staycation. I think this remote strip suits me just fine.

December 4, 2015December 10, 2015

Gigondas Village

This is the village of Gigondas which is in a mountainous area in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur northeast of Montpellier. Like many places in this part of France, Gigondas is known for its wine. Some of the vintners here refuse to change the methods of production that have survived hundreds of years from generation to generation. The town is on a hillside over looking the vineyards and these narrow streets climb up to a church overlooking the village. I took this on the way back down after surveying the surroundings and wondering how it is that these people manage to live apparent tranquil lives without all the big box stores and high tech gadgets. I think I know the answer to that.

November 30, 2015December 10, 2015

Cathedral Barcelona Photo

Cathedral Barcelona photo using a Sony A7rII

This is a photo of the interior of the Cathedral Barcelona. I assumed I wasn’t allowed to bring a tripod but was surprised when I saw several other photographers that did. Nevertheless, my Sony camera did a good job of picking up the details in the low light even though the photo was handheld. I suppose the new stabilization technology is getting to the point where we only need tripods in a very few situations. That certainly makes it easier to get interior architecture shots when touring a big city like Barcelona. This is the main cathedral in the gothic section of town. I came here twice, first in the morning when it was empty, and then again around noon when it was crowded. This is from my second visit but by aiming the camera slightly up, I avoided capturing the crowds. Sometimes people add an interesting dimension to a photo, but in this case I thought the architecture was pretty amazing in its own right.

November 26, 2015November 26, 2015

Montpellier Courtyard

If you walk the narrow streets of villages and cities throughout France you notice doorways that lead to courtyards. As residents open the doors to the street I would get a glimpse of the courtyard beyond. In a few places like this there is public access, as it leads to a restaurant. These remind me of scenes from movies, but in fact they’re quite normal for folks who live in European city centers. Here I am looking straight up and wondering what it must be like to live here.

November 23, 2015

Pink Clouds Above Barcelona

Pink Clouds Over Barcelona — Pink clouds above the rooftops of Barcelona Obtain fine art print

I was amazed at these clouds above the Barcelona rooftops as I stood atop a downtown hotel. Those two buildings on the right are the tallest buildings in the city, yet millions live here in these apartments that have much more character than glass towers ever will, especially when you consider the mix of architecture and design displayed throughout the city. I took this from the rooftop bar at the Grand Hotel. We’d come up here after a day out and relax to ambient music with a Sangria as we watched day turn into night. This was one of those times, just chilling at the rooftop lounge.

November 13, 2015

Casa Batllo Stairway

This is another image from inside Casa Batlló in Barcelona, a home designed by Antoni Gaudi and designated a world heritage site by UNESCO. As I wound my way though the house I was presented with unique design at every turn, nothing is repeated. Even the very last stairwell to the roof is an exquisite expression of art. It’s as though the house was constructed by an artist, which of course, it was. Antoni Gaudi was a rare soul who elevated architecture and design into an immersive expression of artistic mastery and this house is just one of many examples.

November 10, 2015

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert

This is a small village in southern France that has maintained its medieval state through the centuries. In one section I notice construction on a home, the builder was building walls of stone as perhaps no differently than ages ago. It’s nestled in a gorge along a river which was nothing more than a stream when I took this. It was incredible walking through the narrow streets and it was easy to imagine I had been transported back in time.