We started the day off bright and early with an exploration of the significant architectural features of Uni Stuttgart. It's a technical university, so naturally it's about as scenic as the science quad of RPI. Nevertheless, there are some cool, experimental constructions.
This pedestrian bridge was designed by Jörg Schlaich, the very prominent structural engineer.
The intent was to make the bottom chord as close to perfectly horizontal as possible. Of course, technically it's not possible, but visually, it's quite successful!
ILEK: Institut für Leichtbau Entwerfen und Konstruieren (Institute for Light Construction- Design and Construction)
The building was designed by Frei Otto (of Munich Olympic Stadium fame). Scattered around the site- and inside the building- are all kinds of mockups of different experimental construction systems, like this glass and ridiculously thin steel arched truss in the foreground.
Afterwards we started making our way south through the Black Forest.
It's such a beautiful area, and I'm sure when these first inklings of spring turn into summer it will be even nicer!
We saw all kinds of "typical" things en route. Cuckoo clock outlets
Farmhouses and barns with the local enormous roofs, covered in PV panels :)
Wind turbines- complete with parasailers in the foreground! (not sure how typical the parasailer is)
And of course, the Deutsche Bahn crossing an awesome, arched masonry bridge!
At one point we happened upon the Brigachquelle, which is one of the two sources of the Donau (Danube)!
A tiny little spring just in front of the farmhouse trickles into this pond, which then empties into a stream to carry it away. This is the beginning of a mighty river.
It's also protected by giant squirrels! ;)
We found a quiet bench under a tree in a farmer's field and had a quick picnic lunch there.
Took in the scenery
and were off!
We had a place to be by the end of the afternoon, so as nice as it was to hang out taking in the fresh air and scenery, we had to continue on.
Our destination was none other than Weil am Rhein, the home of the Vitra campus!
This is the new showroom building by Herzog & de Meuron.
A few years ago, I visited the de Young Museum in San Francisco, also by Herzog & de Meuron. While they are two very different buildings, both have a large, low(ish), covered open air separated from the actual building entrance by a courtyard of sorts.
De Young:
Vitra:
Since it's a showroom, the entry to the Herzog & deMeuron building is free. We were each given a little "credit card", which we could scan to add to our furniture wish list, customize features, etc. Ahhh, I think I'm just going to keep mine as a little souvenir, thanks!
Each house-extrusion made for a nice, large-but-cozy space inside, with a great view out.
The cacti clearly enjoyed spectating. :)
There was a short video showing how these paper lanterns are made.
And of course, lots of icons of modern design:
including these ADORABLE Eames elephants!
A cloudy place to sit if all the sunniness is too much for you:
A cozy garden space to curl up with a good book and your pet elephant:
Pretty light and shadow play,
shiny elephants,
and elephants, um, thoroughly enjoying their free time outside!
Fittingly -and awesomely- the path to the showroom was illuminated by Birds Nest light fixtures!
Next up: Gehry's contribution, the campus museum.
I have to admit, I'm not nearly as enamored with it now as I was during freshman year in college.
When I first learned about it, it was eye-opening to see that people could, and did, build things that were exuberant, non-rectilinear, and playful. This is what I liked about it.
Now in visiting it, there's a lot going on in a small amount of space, but I'm not sure it's doing much other than creating a lot of busy-ness. I hope that means that I've got a more sophisicated sensibility, and not just that I'm getting old!
There was a nice, monochromatic arrangement here:
...although I liked it much better with a small splash of color! :)
Finally, we continued on to Tadao Ando's conference center, passing the Claes Oldenburg sculpture on the way!
There's a narrow and very deliberate path to get there.
It turns very sharply, and directs the visitor to walk right next to the wall.
At this moment I understood something that I never grasped from the photos. Tadao Ando may work with concrete, but his media really are light (which I knew), and sensory experience.
As you step into the shadow of this wall, you also feel the coolness of the concrete so close to your left arm.
Then, as you turn the corner, you step back out of the shadow, and into the brightness, but also the warmth of the sunshine.
The thermal mass of the concrete makes this shift palpable beyond what your eyes tell you.
The overall effect of this simple, yet deliberate processional entrance is very meditative. I now have a profound respect for what Ando accomplished here.
Of course, we arrived late in the afternoon. The orientation of the walls is such, though, that the experience in the morning would be very similar, just in reverse: warm daylight first, then cool shadow. Well, that would change the experience dramatically, but the presence of temperature awareness would be there nonetheless.
The shadows of the cherry tree are just beautiful on this canvas.
We crossed the border for a quick stop in Basel.
Then crossed the border again, this time to France, to have dinner in Elsass!
OS made the fabulous suggestion that since I'm part Alsatian, I should at least see a bit of the region and enjoy their yummy Käsespätzle!
Elsässisch is much closer to Schwiizerdüütsch than the Hochdeutsch I learned in school. Looking at a map, it's perfectly obvious, but it never occurred to me before! So the thick dialect I learned to understand, if not speak, is much closer to what my ancestors spoke than the (imperfect) proper German that I learned to converse in! Wow! How awesome is that?! :)
