Another day, Another Time and Another Place
As Heraclitus said that "It is impossible to step in the same river twice", I wonder if people's perspectives are just not always the same. It seems like our perspective of certain architect's works or styles is a hot topic during the class today and "the Vessel" by Heatherwick Studio certainly caught my eyes , because that is actually my favorite spot when visiting New York City back in the winter 2019.
---If you don't mind, let me bring you back to a time when people did things.
When visiting NYC, It was exhausting trying to cover all the spots-(the MET, MoMA, Grand Central Station, the World Trade Center Oculus, Time Square, Central Park, Staten Island Ferry, New York Public Library... ) Cause there is just so much to see and I was determined not miss any of them within a 5 day time period.
Among all these places, visiting "the Vessel" brought me the most joy. I guess when we were visiting, it was rainy, cold and cloudy, the typical winter weather and walking the streets under skyscrapers made me feel small and suffocating, the only reasonable way of going to places is through subway and it was dark and grimy, I feel like a rat running through the gutter and being carefully not get run over by the cars passing by. So when we were finally able to come to a place that has some what an open space, get up high and for free in the middle of the city was certainly a joyful transition. Going from a rat to a rat that stands higher with a little bit of more space. I feel elevated and dignified when I was on the top platform. Soon after that, we went to the Guggenheims by Frank. I did not think it was a good building as a art museum because the vertical structural member limited the size of the art works to be on display and I did not get why it is so important, besides the form is kind of interesting.
| ||
I know the Vessel was an expensive project and a waste of space to some people and it does seem like the money and resource can be better used at some more urgent needs, but right when I was not feeling the "The Greatest City" ever deserves its reputation, I think "the Vessel" reminded me that there is always a space for someone at a certain time and place.
So, I think people do change, but do places change? They mostly definitely do, so does the change in a landscape or building going to change us? Do the untold stories of the past will be forgotten if the place is just not the same? Is the "History" we write and read always going to be an inaccurate account with fragmented pieces from here and there being put together?
First off, I absolutely loved reading this. Wonderful story! I think you wrote what I have felt visiting quite a few "you can't miss this!" cities. And I think each architectural piece is different for each person experiencing it. That's what I find amazing about the architecture that inspires almost everyone. Each person may feel similar, but come from wildly different contexts. I know that when I lived in Baltimore my experiences growing up in the country heavily influenced what I found comfort in while in the city.
ReplyDeleteI also loved how you touched on the fragmentation as time goes on between the buildings and the people engaged with them. I think there is a certain beauty in the ever evolving meaning of spaces for people too. Ironically, for an animal aware of the inevitability of time, we are very focused on trying to find ways for time to stop. Whether that we try to leave a legacy or our mark on the world, we want things to stay the same throughout time. But I'm not so sure it should. Especially with how much we've built in the last few hundred years. If spaces can't change, how will the next few generations inhabit these rigid locations?
Hello, Jenn with two n's, I feel like I am meeting you for the first time, thank you for your reply.
DeleteI want to visit "the Vessel" and hope it will be open again. Most of the time, the architecture looks different from the image and reality. Personally, I think the experience and feeling of the users, not only from the architects' perspective, is a necessary standard to judge whether the architectural design is excellent or not.
ReplyDeleteYeah, especially with these days the way we learn about architecture, a lot of time is very much Pinterest driven without taking into account of users of the building.
DeleteI absolutely loved the story, and I think it is has a good message on the significance of experience in architecture. I was told once by a professor, you haven't succeeded in life until a person runs their fingers across a wall in one of your buildings and I feel like you had a moment like that here with the Vessel. Of course, not all architecture will be for everyone, but how you experience your favorite architecture determines how you will design in the future. I think the "untold stories of the past" will never be forgotten because there will always be someone who has experienced them, whether it be directly or indirectly. For this, there is hope for architecture.
ReplyDeleteHello, Kimani, I love the description of " a person runs their finger across a wall in one of your buildings" and thank you for the reply.
DeleteI LOVE your metaphor of being a rat walking through NYC. Every time I went there, I always feel like I’m walking through a sewage system because of how awfully stink it is.
ReplyDeleteWonderfull story by the way. I haven’t been to the Vessel. Given my few exposure to the stinkiness, it is hard to say that I would go back to NYC to visit it. But I imagine that it would be so nice (like you said) to be away from all the rushing wind between the buildings and go up higher the have a see of the city. The Vessel is like an elevated park. Because of limited in space, rather than spreading out like a typical park does, the Vessel just goes up. I think it is a brilliant idea.
Thank you Tuyen for replying.
Delete