Unexpected Architecture
Come to the wastelands of Holloway Road, and amongst the anonymous sixties concrete blocks and the hangdog looks of victorian buildings past their prime, you will find the London Metropolitan University Graduate Centre.
This is Orion, designed by Daniel Libeskind, the same person who won the World Trade Centre rebuild, and the Jewish Museum in Berlin. That he accepted this commision is quirky to say the least, that it is here is astonishing. This article is an interesting (if somewhat sycophantic) summary, but it amuses me that they don't seem to understand the connection with Orion, and Libeskind played up to it. It LOOKS like Orion. Simple really.
posted by Ham at 08:42 --
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post a commentInteresting- I am learning lots about architecture by following the DP blogs!
Fab pic, fab building, fab blog...kinda helps me feel I can stay in touch with 'home' a little :o)
That is an amazing building!!
Thanks for the info about it as well as the pic.
http://kansascitydailyphoto.blogspot.com/
great building...i imagine it shimmers in the sunlight
I did't realise there was a Libeskind in London. He design the Imperial War Museum North at Salford Quays which is a truly amazing and disorienting building. The architecture there plays a vital role in the putting across the story the museum is try to tell.
It should be turned into a bingo hall to make it more organic.
holloway road has an amazing amount of rich architectural diversity. i live in highgate and commute down and from the city everyday on the 271 bus and one day i decided to look up, instead of just ahead, and was amazed by the amount of rich details in so many of the buildings. i had an incling this was a liebskind because it follows his trademark designs, but its a real shame that it sits so isolated next to all the mundane shops of holloway road, now looking at this photo i see that it points up, maybe the architect also knew that to get away from the ugliness of holloway one should look up to the tops of the buildigs. how interesting.
I agree that this building looks great in your photo, that is to say from the other sie of teh street.
My main problem with it is that it does not seem very well 'finished' closer up - untidy corners, materials that will not stand the test of time, utterly pointless and badly fitted lights in the street below that produce no effect whatsoever. It seems to me a dramatic vision that has been executed rather poorly.