XMAS UK

 

Side entrance to the War Memorial Park. This was on the way back from buying milk. An avenue of trees with pollarding guides the eye to focus on a bandstand with clock and sheet metal roof.. Was any of this ever functional?

I don't much care because it works so well as part of the composition of this public Green space that I walk through already daily. Looking forward to observing the dramatic passage of the seasons, something that neither Zimbabwe nor Dubai have.

Those warm climates have been great but after 45 years away I'm ready for the drama of Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter again.

 

 

 

Work carried out in bits and pieces over Christmas. Mostly early morning sessions on the laptop before my son came to pick me up for the family activities of the day.

Still on the Privett church. Firstly some tweaks to the tower openings. Tracery and louvres, approximated. Then moving inside to add the large arches between tower and nave, nave and Chancel. The west door is in development, to ensure a convincing representation from outside, from inside and in plan view.

I have added arches striding down the nave sides, pews inside the nave, raised floor and altar in the chancel, and a first pass roof truss. I need at least one more session before taking a crack at the site context.

 

 

 

A Christmas gift to myself. Two books I found in Waterstones on Boxing day. One by the renowned Philip A Gaches, a book I knew about but was thrilled to see available in my local bookshop. Browsing through for the first time it doesn't disappoint, nuggets of wisdom and practical advice made very accessible.

The cathedral book is longer, and I have barely scratched the surface, but I think it will be a valuable addition to my library, now mostly located in Basingstoke, although there are still a few books in Dubai.

 

 

 

The interior of Holy Trinity is shaping up quite nicely. Not finished by any means, but almost ready to put on ice while I look at the context topo link. I am impressed with how Blomfield has mastered his craft. Balancing the solids and voids, the plain surfaces and the ornamented accents, setting up rhythms, playing with earth tones and textures.

I just have to keep going like this until I've brought all nine of his new-build churches up to a similar level, then reflect on the patterns such a data set suggests. I don't know if I will be able to convey the embodied knowledge that comes from undertaking a project like this. All I can say is, have a go yourself. That's the only way to really grasp what the work of a particular architect means to you. Collect data, images, descriptions. Visit actual buildings, make sketches, models, drawing sets. Write your own thoughts, repeatedly.

It's a wonderful way to learn.