color and the tropics

"Up rose the merry sphinx,
And crouched no more in stone;
She melted into purple cloud,
She silvered in the moon;
She spired into yellow flame;
She flowered in blossoms red."
--William Shakespeare


The poetic twist of words brings to my mind the effect of color and the strength within it. The power of color to effect moods and bring about thought. The culture of color makes me wonder! However, How monochromatic does it get before we are captured by our boredom. The very boredom that arises from artists and architects engulfed by the words... " Hey, i'de like mine to look exactly like the one over the fence."

And the architecture of the tropics always responds, "Please sir, can i have some more color."

the bubbles chaise longue: the chair made from corrugated cardboard!

Yup, Frank Gehry, noted american architect.  In this design, Gehry works with an unexpected, throwaway material—corrugated cardboard—in two series of surprisingly sturdy and humorous home furnishings. The instant success of the first series, Easy Edges, introduced in 1972, earned him national recognition. Gehry conceived its cardboard tables, chairs, bed frames, rocking chairs, and other items to suit the homes of young as well as old, of urban sophisticates as well as country dwellers. The Bubbles Chaise Longue belongs to Experimental Edges, the second series, which was introduced in 1979. These objects were intended to be artworks; yet they are sturdy enough for regular use. As the cardboard wears, it begins to appear suedelike and soft. Gehry's material lends itself to the curving form of this chair; its rollicking folds are, perhaps, a play on the corrugations themselves.

Heavily marketed and intentionally inexpensive, this furniture epitomized Gehry's interest in promoting affordable good design. The choice of "lowbrow" cardboard for Bubbles reflects Gehry's broad interest in using industrial, commercial, and utilitarian materials. An award-winning architect, he has worked with exposed chainlink fencing, corrugated metal, and plywood in concurrent architectural projects. In both the furniture series and the buildings, Gehry has given value to seemingly worthless materials by using them to create lasting designs.

And yes, it is real! Looks comfy to me.. 

where is african architecture headed?

Personal thoughts, ideologies and studies have been brought forth that directly link the human society to architecture .
Can we efficiently say that architecture in africa should show a hint of corruption, self centered, political unrest. i would seriously love to design with such inspiration to see how powerful these attributes are when they are put into the design fabric.
Anyway, i believe that we as architects in africa have a major role to play in the society. Kudos to those who have made it count. Those who have wielded architecture or design, so to say,  to make environments that suit africans and african culture, that deal with the culture behind the veil, the culture so overlooked it seems to be a myth.

A few weeks ago, we visited Almeida's house. Anthony Almeida is one of the oldest Tanzanian architects who over the past fifty years has produced remarkable works in Tanzania and is known for his strong willed personality and zeal.
In addition to his long talk with us on various topics, we discussed his architecture. I was very impressed to note that his respect to the society and to the norms in which it thrives gives rise to a different type of design. A design that is in touch with the being of the society. Design that is so intimate with the society, it lives and breathes life into it.

Kariakoo Market Building Dar es Salaam. a mash up of architecture and society that works!!  

Society and architecture must breed together like husband and wife, to produce art in a form africa has never seen before.

The beginning

Wow....some rude awakening...

Still can't believe we had to wait for a german from zurich...'tongue in cheek'...but anyway this is great and we should keep it going.

Lets go...... bloggers....!