The Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace
Have you been to Trammell Crow's Infomart in Dallas? It's a huge facility for computer trade fairs and such on Stemmons Freeway, modeled on the Crystal Place. Like everything built in Dallas after 1960, it's all kind of faux, but one thing I really liked was the see-through escalators, with the mechanisms exposed behind Plexiglas.
here is infomart. typical dallas dreck. it looks more like the original palace from elevated stemmons just above eye level.
The original world's fair, and the debut of the dinosaur in pop culture. The Waterhouse Hawkins sculptures were state of the art at the time, but dinosaurs have come a long way since then; further than in the previous 60 million years. Too bad the Central Park project ran afoul of Tammany Hall. Always loved the idea of the dinner held inside of Iguanodon.
"Where am I sitting?" "Rather near the gizzard, I think."
Bill, in mild defense of Crow's building, it was more successful on the inside than that picture looking down on the replaced roof would suggest. It was faux, but kind of good faux.
looking around for an image I came across that birds eye view which dramatises it's fascadeness. I've not been inside and will have to take your word on it's value. I have seen the well cituated stemmons view and it is much more convincing, perhaps the primary pov. the problem for me is the po-mo main st disney fakery of form not following function as in the original. good buildings (like good sculpture) should hold together from every (reasonable) angle. I would certainly make exceptions to that rule in sculpture, but not buildings.
But the original building was a Victorian confection, wasn't it? Not sure if Mies-ian principles apply. Its function was exhibitions, and the Infomart's is constantly changing trade shows. Either function is well served by having lots of light and open space inside. The Disney-esque "recreation" aspect is definitely problematic, though. It shows Crow's conservatism--his only vision is looking back to landmarks of an earlier era.
That reminds me, one thing I did not see out west was the fake façade, ala those old cowboy movies, where the top of the building is just a fake front with supports visible from the side. I guess Butte was too sophisticated for that. There's a pomo building across from the Met, the Stanhope maybe? which quotes that idea. I guess the question is what's a "reasonable" angle? Or, re: WTC, does the angle of incident equal the angle of collapsion?
an engeneered confection worthy of eiffle and leading directly to meis. the building on 5th ave across from the met is by phillip johnson and almost pokes fun at his own chippendale crested att building on madison (double yeach) / only I dont know if he's in on the joke. the ghost town fascades make the most of what little they had and probably provided room for signage.
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- bill 7-17-2002 7:11 pm
Have you been to Trammell Crow's Infomart in Dallas? It's a huge facility for computer trade fairs and such on Stemmons Freeway, modeled on the Crystal Place. Like everything built in Dallas after 1960, it's all kind of faux, but one thing I really liked was the see-through escalators, with the mechanisms exposed behind Plexiglas.
- tom moody 7-17-2002 7:24 pm [add a comment]
here is infomart. typical dallas dreck. it looks more like the original palace from elevated stemmons just above eye level.
- bill 7-17-2002 7:52 pm [add a comment]
The original world's fair, and the debut of the dinosaur in pop culture. The Waterhouse Hawkins sculptures were state of the art at the time, but dinosaurs have come a long way since then; further than in the previous 60 million years. Too bad the Central Park project ran afoul of Tammany Hall. Always loved the idea of the dinner held inside of Iguanodon.
- alex 7-17-2002 8:22 pm [add a comment]
"Where am I sitting?"
"Rather near the gizzard, I think."
Bill, in mild defense of Crow's building, it was more successful on the inside than that picture looking down on the replaced roof would suggest. It was faux, but kind of good faux.
- tom moody 7-17-2002 8:48 pm [add a comment]
looking around for an image I came across that birds eye view which dramatises it's fascadeness. I've not been inside and will have to take your word on it's value. I have seen the well cituated stemmons view and it is much more convincing, perhaps the primary pov. the problem for me is the po-mo main st disney fakery of form not following function as in the original. good buildings (like good sculpture) should hold together from every (reasonable) angle. I would certainly make exceptions to that rule in sculpture, but not buildings.
- bill 7-17-2002 10:12 pm [add a comment]
But the original building was a Victorian confection, wasn't it? Not sure if Mies-ian principles apply. Its function was exhibitions, and the Infomart's is constantly changing trade shows. Either function is well served by having lots of light and open space inside. The Disney-esque "recreation" aspect is definitely problematic, though. It shows Crow's conservatism--his only vision is looking back to landmarks of an earlier era.
- tom moody 7-17-2002 10:56 pm [add a comment]
That reminds me, one thing I did not see out west was the fake façade, ala those old cowboy movies, where the top of the building is just a fake front with supports visible from the side. I guess Butte was too sophisticated for that. There's a pomo building across from the Met, the Stanhope maybe? which quotes that idea. I guess the question is what's a "reasonable" angle? Or, re: WTC, does the angle of incident equal the angle of collapsion?
- alex 7-18-2002 12:05 am [add a comment]
an engeneered confection worthy of eiffle and leading directly to meis. the building on 5th ave across from the met is by phillip johnson and almost pokes fun at his own chippendale crested att building on madison (double yeach) / only I dont know if he's in on the joke. the ghost town fascades make the most of what little they had and probably provided room for signage.
- bill 7-18-2002 12:55 am [add a comment]