God is in the Detail: Scaling Memory

It had been five years since my last visit to Berlin and before that, 31 years.  That latter visit was so memorable because 1979 were those steely Iron Curtain days when West Berlin was an "island" of the country.  A mysterious and surreptitious air surrounded the visit: the gloomy and somewhat uncomfortable Checkpoint Charlie and, although the Unter den Linden was beautifully spruced up to give foreigners the impression that all was well in the East, occasionally, a small black car passed the desolate wide streets.  My godmother and I were the only visitors to the Pergamon Museum that day.  Our only other companions were the sound of her heels clicking on the marble floors in those giant pantheonic rooms and the tired but nonetheless "at attention" guards, watching over the enormous installations.

My recent visit was a vast contrast to my first.  This time it seemed as though all was in technicolor: lines of people buying entrance tickets, bus loads of tourists decamping, headsets, and racks of vibrant postcards.  And although part of the museum is under restoration and there were hundreds of people scaling the Pergamon temple and crowding the surrounding rooms, my past memories were wonderfully renewed, and it was nice to relive that cherished and exciting moment from my childhood.


  

The temple of Pergamon, built in 250 BC as a gift to the gods after
the assassination attempt of King Pergamon failed.

processional gate of Babylon (560BC)...glazed terracotta
tiles cover the entire structure

 

fragments from colossal emperor statues

A model of the original temple



God is in the Detail: Hotel Bauer

I'm raising a glass to my favorite place to rest whilst in Venice, the Hotel Bauer.  Its combination of old Venetian palazzo and fantastic Gothic architecture (designed by the 16th Century architect Andrea Palladio), combined with a mixture of opulent details, including eclectic doses of Art Deco, makes for a dazzling spectacle for the eyes.

Say a Little Prayer

I love these votive chapels, most tiny, as small as 5m x 3m.  There are literally hundreds to be found on any of the Greek islands.  One finds them dotting barren hill and mountainsides, along the roads, beside crowded and quiet beaches, and in the village squares.  It is said that each local family has built (most in the last two centuries) and continues to maintain a chapel.  Some even have a little old lady dressed in black sitting solo, keeping a watchful eye over the church, or you might catch them head down, peacefully asleep.  Some churches are private but there are many, especially ones designated as monuments by the Ministry of Culture, that anyone can enter.  If one enters, it's best to give an offering to express one's gratitude to the spiritual world.  I've seen so many different types of votive offerings, from money, photos, and food to pieces of paper and wood with writings of praise.  I find the tradition of these tiny alters quite beautiful, and I hope it continues for a very long time.

God is in the Detail: Grand Entrance

While there are definitely grand pieces of architecture and cityscape throughout Istanbul, I love stumbling across details that might normally go unrecognized if simply using a tourist guidebook.  Recently, on one of my walks through the city I noticed this amazing door on an unassuming Ottoman ministry building.  It reminded me a bit of Andre Arbus and those other French designs from the 1930s and 40s employing metal and star bursts.  Sometimes a little detail or accessory can make up for what might pass as ordinary.

Light Ascending a Staircase

I'm very proud to finally present some photos from the Istancool 2011 gala dinner, which included celebrity guests Kirsten Dunst, Michael Stipe, Stephen Jones, Terry Gilliam, and Tilda Swinton.  Cem Hakko, owner of Vakko company was the generous sponsor.  The stunning location was chosen a long time ago, so upon seeing it, I knew that I had to bathe the space in candlelight.  The mood was quite extraordinary.  Held in one of the oldest institutes of higher education in the world, Istanbul University--which has helped shape the cultural landscape of the city--the space, the design, and the event truly meshed well.

 

 

 

Palace is Burning

One of the best parts about having a home in Istanbul is being the occasional tour guide.  The beautiful architecture, paired with a very long and extravagant history can be overwhelming, so when someone visits me, I'm able to slow down and take in a few details.  Yesterday I spent some time with a friend and visited the Çırağan Palace and took a few snapshots with my phone camera. 

Built between 1863 and 1872, the palace was the last in a long tradition of sultans building their own palace instead of using one of their ancestors.  In 1910 a great fire destroyed most of the palace, and it wasn't until 1989 when it was bought by a Japanese company, which restored the structure to its days of glory and added a modern hotel next to it.  The scale of the palace is staggering: rooms with 8 meter tall ceilings and 5 meter tall windows.  When visiting, one can sense the life of the Sultans who lived here . . . the traffic of the boats on the Bosphorus, the opulant costumes and food, and the lush gardens that once surrounding this beauty of architecture. 

    

Türkiye Dinner

I am a bit behind on my postings.  The idea was to show you before and after pictures of locations I used for some dinners this past weekend for Istancool. Saturday I had the good fortune of recreating the amazing space you'll see in images below for a dinner hosted by Jefferson Hack amongst others.  Located in the middle of Istanbul University, this fantastic lofty atrium felt perfect for the dinner I envisioned for the 200 guests: long black lacquered table and chairs, branches from fig trees, hundreds of candles, and dramatic architectural lighting.  See what your imaginations come up with before I post the party photos in a few days.

Spring has Sprung!

I had the fortune of being in the Hamptons over the long Easter weekend, and finally on Sunday, the sun and the warmth blanketed the countryside. That day an acquaintance of mine named Bob Tortora took me to a new project he is developing in Sagaponack, NY--a township close to East Hampton. He has built a house in the style of a barn. I like the fact that it's neither ostentatious nor a cookie cutter McMansion. While I took some photos of the inside of the house--the scale is quite stunning--I want to tease you a bit first with the exterior and the splendor of the beautiful spring day that surrounded the structure. I love how the muted colors of the house and the enveloping nature mesh so well together.

I'll post photos of the interior very soon. In the meantime, check out Tortora's website, which he's in the process of updating. Enjoy!

Schnabel's West Village Palazzo

Located at 360 West 11th Street, Palazzo Chupi is a residential building created by artist Julian Schnabel. The lower floors were once a part of a horse stable and after Schnabel bought the building he began building on top of the existing structure. The building now contains five condominium units and Schnabel's studio on the ground floors.

Some regard the building as a piece of art . . . others think it's an extension of Schnabel's ego and completely out of context in the neighborhood. I personally like the building and had an opportunity very recently to design a small private party on one of the terraces. I wanted to take the colors of the building and transfer them to the tented balcony to create a playful youthful environment.

The party was a success and it was definitely a rare treat to finally see inside the infamous building.
Interior photography by Yale Wagner.