boldtoad blog

Last weekend the last of the concrete for the Learning Center was poured, as described here.

The construction of the EPFL Learning Center is going into high gear this weekend, with the completion of the undulating concrete floor of the structure. The floor surface is being constructed in two extended continuous pours: the first happened some time ago, and the second is taking place now (July 11-13). According to the construction blog, some 4,300 m3 of concrete will be poured between today and Sunday, with the work continuing through the night.

And, it’s possible to follow the progress on two webcams: here and here.

I should have known, heading on the train from Lausanne to Sunday’s race in Neirivue, that it wasn’t going to be a beautiful clear sunny day like Saturday had been. I was actually glad for the clouds - from what I’d heard this race can be really hard on a hot, clear day. I wasn’t mentally prepared though for the sudden heavy rain, thunderclaps and powerful winds that met us near the treeline, leaving visibility at something less than 100m and turning the mountainside into a mudslide.

Still, it was a fun (and memorable) race! I’ll especially remember the many people who stood on the side of the course, offering some words of encouragement and an orange slice as we trudged by. These were the heroes of the day - whole families out for a walk in the mountains, who didn’t even seem to be bothered by the change in weather. Seeing them it seemed shameful to even think about stopping, and that kept me going in the last two kilometers.

The day of the Rochers de Naye race was hot, with only a slight breeze, but it was comfortably cool in the shade. The race was a memorable experience - and the best part was seeing Kamni and Noah waiting at the top! (They took the train up from Montreux).

My time was 2′12″ - I was hoping for 2′07″ but lost momentum and resolve around kilometer 15, with the most difficult 4k to go. It’s good to have room for improvement next year!

Next race is Neirivue - le Moleson, next weekend.

If I could be anywhere today, I would choose to be either here or here.

Switzerland should be a good place to celebrate the life and work of a man who spent a good part of his life in Zurich, and is buried there, but I don’t know of any public Ulysses readings in Lausanne or Zurich either … I guess I’ll have to be content with reading a few passages at home tonight … or listen to Ulysses on tape …or  even to a recording of Joyce reading Joyce.

A recent episode of On the Media (one of my favorite shows on National Public Radio) focused on ‘Space and Media’: topics about the way people inhabit their environment. This is a show that I’ve long appreciated for its thoughtful interpretations of the media, and it was  a pleasant surprise to hear them taking on a topic that’s close to my own research interests.

There’s a description of the show’s several segments on this page (and a download link).

The most interesting parts to me were:

• An interview with Paul Goldberger about the design of two recent newsrooms at the New York Times and Bloomberg (a re-hash of an article he wrote for the New Yorker).

• A discussion with Virginia Heffernan of the New York Times Magazine about Japan’s ‘immersion pods‘ and digital media as a driver of change in the design of the contemporary home.

• A discussion of the urban impact of a decision to ban outdoor advertising in Sao Paulo.

• An interview with Emily Thompson (author of ‘The Soundscape of Modernity‘) about architecture and sound.

• An interview with Ben Rubin about the ‘Moveable Type‘ installation in the new New York Times building.

Overall, a great hour’s listening!

I’m not sure whether this billboard on the Basel SBB is a permanent feature or a special addition for Euro2008. I’m also not sure whether it should be considered as ornament.

It’s interesting to ask what elements of the facade are ornamental, as opposed to decorative. The bas-reliefs, statuary, column capitals, and keystones? What about the rusticated stonework and the patina of the copper roof (the Re-Sampling Ornament exhibit cites weathering as one type of ornament, although presumably the type of weathering that is anticipated in some way by the architect)? And what about the various types of signage, and the brand messages? The flags, clocks, and SBB signage? Can a billboard become ornament by acknowledging the architectural context, like this cut-to-fit canvas? I think Venturi would approve of this complex superimposition of signs. But is it ornament?