Sintra, Portugal: a small tower in a pond in the gardens of the Pena National Palace. I’m told this is a house for ducks in the middle of a duck pond.
Portuguese ruins
Category Archives: Architecture
New York Market, 1917
Interior retail stalls at Washington Market in New York City in 1917. New York Word-Telegram & Sun Newspaper Collection
While this is much larger and brighter, it still has the same feel of an indoor market I found in Toulouse, France in 1970:
Of course, such places still exist: here Quincy Market in Boston:
I’ve always loved spaces like this, and I think we need more of them.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
The Brick Story
No, not the one about the lady on the airplane and the guy with a cigar. That’s from about 1960. This one is about 600 years older than that.
Jiayuguan or Jiayu Pass is the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall of China, near the city of Jiayuguan in Gansu province. It has also been called “Jiayuguan Pass”; however, this form is tautological since “guan” means “pass” in Chinese. Along with Juyongguan and Shanhaiguan, it is one of the main passes of the Great Wall. Construction began sometime around 1372.
Among the passes on the Great Wall, Jiayuguan is the most intact surviving ancient military building. The pass is also known by the name the “First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven” (天下第一雄关), which is not to be confused with the “First Pass under Heaven” (天下第一关), a name for Shanhaiguan at the east end of the Great Wall near Qinhuangdao, Hebei.
There is a famous legend regarding the building of this amazing monument. I have heard two versions, so I present them both here:
- A fabulous legend recounts the meticulous planning involved in the construction of the pass. According to legend, when Jiayuguan was being planned, the official in charge asked the designer to estimate the exact number of bricks required and the designer gave him a number (99999). The official questioned his judgment, asking him if that would be enough, so the designer added one brick. When Jiayuguan was finished, there was one brick left over, which was placed loose on one of the gates where it remains today.
- During the Ming dynasty, a talented architect named Yi Kaizhan was tasked to build this important outpost and finishing point for the Ming dynasty’s monumental construction effort. After finishing his plans, Yi announced that it would take exactly 99, 999 bricks to build the Jiayuguan structure, no more and no less. Yi’s supervisor thought that Yi was too arrogant and worried that any miscalculation on Yi’s part could reach the ears of the emporer with serious consequences, so he threatened that if Yi’s calculations were off, Yi and all of the workers would be punished. When construction was completed, there was one brick left over and the supervisor delightedly prepared to punish Yi for his arrogance. However, quick-witted Yi immediately told him that this extra brick had been placed by some supernatural being during the night to guard Jiayuguan and prevent its collapse, and that even the tiniest movement would cause the collapse of the entire outpost. The surpervisor, unwilling to take the risk, let the brick stay and was unable to punish Yi , and so the brick remains to this day.
Regardless of which legend has merit, the brick is there for all to see:
“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson
The Old Wolf has spoken.
Cointe Observatory, Liège, Belgium
Cointe Observatory, built by the University of Liège in 1881-82. In the course of renovation with the intention that it should house the Service Régional des Fouilles Archéologiques. (Wikipedia)
Hoot Hoot I Scream
Source: Unknown. Date: 1935
The Hoot Hoot Cafe was built in the shape of an owl. The head rotated; the eyes, made from Buick headlamps, blinked; the sign: Hoot hoot, I scream, used elements of a theater marquee. For over 50 years, Tillie Hattrup ran this L.A.-area refreshment spot designed and built by her husband, Roy in 1926-27. It was demolished in 1979.
According to information found at Southgate High 56:
The cafe was built at 1201 Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, CA and stayed there from around 1926-1928. The land was sold to a new owner, and the building relocated to 8404 Long Beach Boulevard, three blocks away. Information from the South Gate Directory, dated July 1st, 1945, shows the building at this address from 1928 – 1949. It relocated again in 1949 to 8711 Long Beach Boulevard, and remained there until its demolition in 1979.[1]
For what it’s worth, I loved this unusual aspect of America – many things of this nature still existed when I was a kid in the 50’s, and they were always great entertainment for motoring families. Another example is the Wigwam Motel in Arizona:
Dated and now somewhat politically incorrect, old motels like this were eye-catching and amusing.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
[1] Information regarding the two South Gate addresses was supplied courtesy of the South Gate Historical Museum.
Barbie would feel right at home
My wife, not so much; pink is anathema to her. But back in the day, things like this were (tragically) not so uncommon.
Pink mini-car and mini-trailer
Pink Kitchen
Pink Kitchen, version 2.
We bought a home in 1992 that had been built in the early 50’s and updated slightly in the 70’s. The two upstairs bathrooms were, respectively, avocado green and fluorescent orange. What about that decade that brought out the Colors of Cthulhu I’ll never know, but I’m glad the madness passed.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
Villa Akbar – Kuwait
The Lullaby Factory
Deliciousness like this cannot be hid under a bushel, but rather must be set atop a hill for all to see.
An architectural project, a secret garden of music and healing, dwells in an unlikely space between London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital and a neighboring building. It looks like Animusic crossed with the Pompidou museum in Paris, sounds like the Swingles on magic mushrooms and accompanied by a chorus of angels; and feels as though Agatha Heterodyne had landed on Pandora and tried to recreate the world of Alice in Wonderland.
Click through for the project’s website; a writeup on Neatorama; and a sample of the lullaby itself, which can only be heard locally at special listening pods or by tuning in to the secret radio station.
The Old Wolf has listened, slack-jawed, and tried to speak worthily.
Abandoned building, Berlin
A former beauty. The exterior architecture is wonderful – sad to see buildings like this fade into history.
The Old Wolf has spoken.
Voss, Norway
Someone in the HOA is clearly not doing their job.
Now this is the way a proper neighborhood should look! (Found at RemoveYourLensCap)
The Old Wolf has spoken (and has fined you $100.00 because there’s a weed growing in your driveway).
Playing in the World Game 
