I don’t think you understand what I’m telling you. I’m not trying to open the door here. I’m trying to open your mind.
It’s a simple problem really. Just keep the rain off of them as they enter the building. That’s all you really need to do, right?. Hardly… This is the first impression this building will make. I’m not going to waste it. You’re not going to open the doors and just walk inside. You’re going cross this threshold into the rest of your life.
This space is going to compress as you pass. The metal panel ceiling is going to press down on you, Almost touching your head. Like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. And, just when you think you’re not going to be able to get through it, Just when you think the weight of your day is too much to bear, you’re going to slip through a narrow single door and the weight will lift. The space (and perhaps your life) will seem…. emancipated.
Yes, I said a narrow single door. I know all about the building code. This isn’t my first turn on the dance floor for Christ’s sake. But, I’m not trying to meet some arcane outdated sense of someone elses “idea” of “egress”. I’m not just trying to move an “occupant load” safely and efficiently in and out of here. I’m not doing calculations. I’m creating a “passage”. This is not just an opening in the side of the wall. Dammit. I mean, Jesus. Anyone can slap some hinges onto a slab of steel and call it a day. So, No, I’m not worried about panic hardware. Who’s in a panic? Don’t get me started. What are you running from? What’s the hurry?
Think man.
Oh no…, you’re not going to “pass-through” this space. Not on my watch. You’re going to stop and reflect a while. Oh sure, maybe you’re in a hurry today. Maybe you’re running late for that meeting with your lawyer. You’ll try to just rush through. But, then something will stop you in your tracks. Is that stainless steel? Is that a subtle dimpled texture? Next thing you know you’re frozen in place, slowly reaching for the wall with one hand. And, as you touch the wall you realize that dimpled texture is just a pattern. The surface isn’t dented at all. NOT… AT… ALL…. Is it etched onto the surface? is this just a pattern? How can it not have a 3rd dimension? And, then it hits you.
BOOM.
Maybe the world isn’t what it seems. Maybe all those things you thought were important, all the complications in your life, all the difficulties at work, all the stress. Maybe it’s all just an impression. Maybe what you thought was reality is just a projection of a texture on a simple flat surface. “It’s so simple” you’ll think… “It’s so… simple…”
Seriously, this is not just a way into the building; this is a way into your soul.
This Foyer is going to be epic.
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BOOM { coffee with an architect }
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(Istanbul, Sainte-Sophie) photo is from cercamon’s photostream on Flickr (used under creative commons license)
