RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Ornate’

Architectural Geodes: Subtractive Sculptor Carves Ornate Spaces

17 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

carved stone sacred space

Combining the raw exterior remnants of source stones with the finely-tuned architectural details of sacred spaces, these marvelous fossil-like miniatures combine compelling elements of organic forms with heroic amounts of human effort.

architectural geodes

carved stone pillars

Matthew Simmonds studied art history before becoming a stonemason, then turned his knowledge and skill toward a hybrid pursuit: sculpting spaces from sandstone, limestone and marble.

carved interior architecture space

What he uncovers inside each chunk becomes part of a graceful juxtaposition with the rough and unaltered exterior shells that remain. His works also convey a sense of discovery, as if archeologists had dug down to find these marvelous wonders buried in history.

sculpture interior revealed

“Making a play of architectural spaces on a small scale, the solid stone is opened up to reveal internal worlds, often intricately carved, in which the changing viewpoint and light play a strong role in defining the sculptures.”

sclupture carved stone space

“Drawing on the formal language and philosophy of architecture the work explores themes of positive and negative form, the significance of light and darkness and the relationship between nature and human endeavour.”

set in wood

Geoff Manaugh highlighted Simmonds work but also connected it to similar approach taken in a stellar piece of museum advertising set in wood, a promotional image of modern architecture hewn from a log, made for the Cité de l’Architecture.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Urban Geodes: Crystal Street Art Hidden in Broken Spaces

Breaking open even the dullest rock may reveal amazing crystals. This street art project exposes formations in cracked concrete, broken brick and rusted pipes.
Click Here to Read More »»


Encyclopedic Landscape: Artist Carves 24-Volume Book Set

In his most voluminous undertaking to date, this book artist bids farewell to the long legacy of printed Encyclopedia Britannica sets with a mountainous …
Click Here to Read More »»


Architectural Light Graffiti: Image Projection Bombing

Architectural light graffiti, or projection bombing, falls somewhere curiously in between street light art and large-scale temporary installations.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Architectural Geodes: Subtractive Sculptor Carves Ornate Spaces

Posted in Creativity

 

Sculptural Skyscraper: Ornate NYC Design Redefines Tower Decor

11 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

ornate manhattan skyscraper concept

Architect Mark Foster Gage has unveiled stunning plans for this 100-story, skyline-defining structure for Midtown Manhattan with views of Central Park. Commissioned by a developer to explore a statement-making skyscraper, the work includes carved figures and ornate balconies.

ornate midtown tower design

No expense was spared, at least in this conceptual stage: limestone-tinted concrete cladding and hydroformed sheet-bronze details are accompanied by brass-tinted alloy wrapping structural extrusions and enclosures. The program features ballrooms and restaurants at various heights as well as a mid-structure retail ‘sky lobby’.

ornate facade balcony level

Early skyscrapers puzzled architects initially, and many were envisaged as lower-height buildings (featuring a plinth at the base and crowned with decorative roofs) with the central portion stretched vertically. Then Modernists came along, smoothing out lines and discarding sculptural effects for glass and steel. This design goes a step behind recalling early towers, including iterative and undulating embellishments from top to bottom.

ornate street view building

Of course, there was a logic to architectural predecessors with elongated central zones – they were street-friendly at the bottom, and sky-friendly at the top, saving cost and complexity in the middle.

Whether such an extravegant reinterpretation of skyscrapers as this represents is indeed desirable or even feasible remains an open question. Still, there is something to be said for attempting to bring non-minimalist beauty back to tall buildings.

ornate towering structure nyc

In many ways, this approach represents a hybrid of old skyscrapers and new city-in-the-sky attitudes championed by contemporary architects, mixing programs at various levels to create a sort of self-contained structure for living, working and recreating.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Crowdfunded Skyscraper: Record-Breaking Tower in Bogotá

With over $ 200 million from more than 3,500 supporters, the world’s largest crowdfunding campaign has generated the means to create the highest …
Click Here to Read More »»


Triangle Tower Approved: First New Paris Skyscraper in 42 Years

At nearly 600 feet (180 meters) tall, this structure was narrowly granted permission to be the first skyscraper to grace the Parisian skyline in nearly half a …
Click Here to Read More »»


Tower with a Twist: Very Top-Heavy Vancouver Skyscraper

This is what creative design is all about: taking a familiar typology and turning (or twisting) it around … not merely to show off something new and unique.
Click Here to Read More »»


Share on Facebook



[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

[ WebUrbanist | Archives | Galleries | Privacy | TOS ]


WebUrbanist

 
Comments Off on Sculptural Skyscraper: Ornate NYC Design Redefines Tower Decor

Posted in Creativity