I decided to take a day trip out of Yazd to see an abandoned Zoroastrian village and the crumbling citadel at Kharanaq. After a traditional breakfast and some coffee, a few of us set off in a battered minibus towards the outskirts of Yazd, past truck stops and zinc mines. After a wrong turn we headed off into the desert and towards the deserted village. We wandered around the crumbling ruins of the mud brick homes, occasionally walking onto the rooftops for a better view. Though the village contains the remnants of a Zoroastrian fire temple, little is known about it or the previous inhabitants. The village is slowly being reclaimed by the desert around it, though occasionally nomads passing through camp there. The skeleton of a recently dead camel was a reminder of the fragile natural existence there. By now, the heat had reached about 40°C and we had climbed to about 1000m. We drove further into the mountains for lunch in a walled garden filled with pomegranate trees on the outskirts of Kharanaq. We were treated to some fantastic home cooking and some local specialities, which made a great change to the ubiquitous shish kebabs, washed down with some lemon beer – non alcoholic of course!
Kharanaq's main importance was as a defensive citadel protecting the Silk Route. The citadel is though to be in parts about 2,500 years old and is now almost deserted, though parts are being restored. The modern village which adjoins the citadel is inhabited by farmers who make use of water channels running from the mountains to the dry plains to grow everything they need to be self sufficient, from pomegranates to cotton and raising sheep and goats. We wandered the crumbling mud brick alleys, enjoying the stunning views and trying not to fall through the crumbling floors. I didn't quite manage to climb the tiny staircase of the minaret of the village’s mosque, though the view from the top of a restored caravanserai down the road was just as good. After tea back in the pomegranate garden, it was back to Yazd as the sun set though the mountains.
Dexter Moren Associates is an architecture, urban and interior design practice to be noticed. Respected for innovation in the hotel and leisure sector, DMA has over 5000 bedrooms in the design and construction stage in the UK and overseas. Their expertise in housing, mixed use and master planning completes their offer of commercial, clever and creative design solutions for their loyal clientele. They are now exposing this expertise through their first solo exhibition at the dreamspace gallery, showing visitors what makes the practice so unique. The projects. The culture. And the people.
The debut DMA exhibition looks back at projects built in the last 12 months and celebrates the success of schemes on the cusp of being introduced into the public realm. Key projects on show include the prominent Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes, starting on site in November 2008, the development of which is set to enhance its already iconic presence along the French Riviera. DMA’s sustainable approach to architecture and interior design is commendable and can be seen in the soon to be complete Paddington Novotel which aims to achieve an excellent BREEAM rating.
Mention of these projects is just a teaser. Dexter Moren Associates intend to bare all, exhibiting more than just a selection of their built and pending work, opening up to expose what it is that makes their practice tick and how their 40+ strong team offers more than just design services. Through models, animations, photographs and storyboards, the viewer is sure to experience the DMA culture as if they were nestled in the very heart of their Camden Town studio. The exhibition will run from 29 September to 10 October 2008.
Whatever happened to a world created inwardly through innocent imagination? This is a question raised by a new exhibition at the dreamspace gallery in London’s East End. ‘This Tiny World’, a collaborative exhibition featuring work by Hannah Waldron, Sarah Fotheringham, Claire Scully and Jim Stoten, seeks to remedy the sometimes harsh reality of the world we live in and transport its viewers into a whimsical universe through a playful mix of illustration, graphics and photography.
Waldron et al’s most recent work is based on an imprecise brief, united by their common fascination with the intricacies that a fantasy and reality world can offer.
From the perspective of a giant, desperate to fit in but destined to stand out, the world can be hard. And for a lonely individual searching for a partner, it can seem bleak. But for the viewers of ‘This Tiny World’, a whimsical fascination is stirred.
Retreat into a parallel universe depicted by bizarre landscapes, inspired by urban surroundings and old science fiction movies. And a charming mock-reality world that depicts the Kingdoms we can create in our own space.
This colourful spectacle promises to draw you into an enchanting portrayal of the world around us. The exhibition will run from Tuesday 25th November to Friday 19th December 2008. Free admission, Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm. For more information go to www.adrem.uk.com/dreamspace.
A high speed taxi journey across town at five in the morning meant I saw little of Yazd to begin with, though staying in the heart of the old town and next to the Jameh Mosque, I was soon enveloped by it. The city has been inhabited for around 7000 years, with fascinating examples of local architecture, including badgirs (roof top wind catchers) and a complex system of water delivery through underground canals and reservoirs. Even in the strong heat of the middle of the day (40°C+), the courtyard architecture of the traditional house style, where I was staying, was still kept very cool. I took a day to wander across the old town, getting lost in its winding streets and finally retreated for lunch in the cool of a converted underground hamam. The pace of life was incredibly relaxing and, as a stop on many overground routes across Asia, it was also a great place to meet other travellers.
Since the 2003 earthquake in Bam destroyed most of the traditional mud brick architecture, Yazd has become one of the best remaining examples, and although many are crumbling, the ingenuity of the methods of construction is readily apparent. I visited a restored house in the old town, and climbed the slightly perilous mud steps behind the Hosseineh for some incredible views over the city, a landscape of mud houses, minarets and mountains.
After some sustenance in the form of an Iranian style pizza, I went to see the Zurkaneh, a traditional Iranian sports club that looks like a cross between a strong man competition and morris dancing. Held in a converted underground water reservoir, the 'performer' if that is the right word, went through a series of set pieces to the sound of an entrancing drum beat and singing. Luckily I only had had to sit and watch as I was fed fresh pistachios and many cups of tea. It was an extraordinarily atmospheric evening that is a real highlight of the trip so far.
Azhar of Azhar Architecture and a supporter of the dreamspace gallery, recently visited Venice’s Architecture Biennale, ‘Out There, Beyond Building’. Read on for his review of this popular event.
The event is organized in several ways. In the Giardini is a collection of national pavilions, where countries parade their architectural responses to the directors theme (or not). Some choose to show architects, some are installations.
The Corderie, in the Arsenale, is a beautiful ropemakers building which makes for a brilliant exhibition space where the Director curates a show based around his theoretical position. This year, this space was housed 20 or 30 installations of the great and the good (Co-Op Himmelbau, Zaha Hadid, Asymptote, Frank Gehry, Massimiliano and Doria Fuksas to name but a few).
The entrance to the Corderie was occupied by an interactive installation which was backed by multiple screens showing ‘architectural’ movies including Blade Runner, Clockwork Orange and the Wizard of Oz.
There were also Collateral Events occupying different areas of the city, ranging from Palazzos to a shop (Latvia once again appeared in a shop near the Arsenale).
The Giardin, the British pavilion (curated by Building Design’s Ellis Woodman) showed five architects, within the theme of housing in Britain and Europe. It was curiously entitled ‘Home/Away’. The architects chosen were Sergison Bates, Tony Fretton, De Rijke Marsh Morgan, Witherford Watson Mann and Maccreanor Lavington. All had a certain common theoretical position, or at least a similar style, depending on your viewpoint.
The Germans chose to fill their pavilion with elements of sustainable architecture and plants that were fed by drip feeds.
The Japanese pavilion was painted totally white with a filigree of pencil drawings. Externally the pavilion was surrounded by plants which didn't seem to be indigenous to Italy.
The Estonians installed a big yellow gas pipe pointing to the German pavilion and passing in front of the Russian pavilion. The pipe was rigged with cameras, which were beamed to the Corderies.
The French had an ingenious way of showing a lot of work, models placed on armatures from less well known architects.
Prizes are given to the best national pavilion. Nominated was the Nivea Pavilion, a structure sponsored by the beauty products company located at the entrance of the Giardini, which was maybe the right choice.
The Golden Lion lifetime award was awarded to Frank Gehry. Previously awarded to Richard Rogers and Peter Eisenmann.
The presentations and response was a mixture of very odd installations, which seem like bad art, and the chance to see some great new work as well as some older, more mature stuff (Svere Fehn, the great Norwegian architect in his own building, the brilliant Scandinavian pavilion).
If you have a chance to go, I would recommend that you do. Any show that tries to capture the ‘now’of architecture is always welcomed in all of its enigmatic, confusing, pompous glory. The real delight is that you will be in the beautiful city of Venice, and that really is unmissable if not totally addictive.
http://www.labiennale.org/en/architecture/
