Amazing New Media Technology

More procrastinating finds.  With most of the computers today being sold with cameras integrated some companies have started using full advantage.  When viewed through a certain website a symbol on a page can call up a full 3D digital model on the screen.  The model moves which ever way you move the paper, giving you tactical control to see the model at which ever angle you want.  This site is in german, but it has a video showing the process of making one of these adds.

Eames Shell Chair Production

Finals have been consuming all my time hence the lack of posts, and I will finish up Barcelona and Paris after I'm done with finals.  On a quick study break I found this great video that shows the process of making an Eames shell chair.  The film is a great 70's period piece and the soundtrack is a great jazz score.

La Pedrera Part 1 of 3: The Facade and Roof

This is the outside of La Pedrera the Gaudi museum and apartment building.  The top two floors and roof are museum and the rest is either residential or retail space.  Gaudi's twisted art nouveau style is on display with the organic bay windows.  Notice the nature inspired wrought iron work for the railings.

The iron work continues here on the main gate with curved art nouveau shapes and symmetry.

Heres a look at the building from the line to get into the museum.  I love the mix between the straight lines of the stones being put together and the flowing curves that are carved around them.

This is one of the two interior courtyards.  They were not in the original building but Gaudi added them to bring light into all of the rooms in the apartments.  He was a champion of bringing in as much natural light as possible and therefore a hero of mine.

Here is another one of the courtyard, I just liked how the sky came out on this one.

This is the courtyard from the roof down.  You will notice that the shades are metal hurricane style shades.  An odd choice I thought.

This is the rooftop sculpture garden on La Pedrera.  For the most part these are the chimneys, exhaust pipes and water towers that are disguised under Gaudi's odd perceptions.

This is one of the mosaic covered water towers.  I suppose all of the swirly lightness was supposed to look like clouds, to me it looked like a cool whip commercial or Marvel soft serve.

The chimneys almost look like roman legions.

Some of the chimneys were covered in green glass, or staying with the theme, green sprinkles.

The lighting was great as the sun was setting, there were also great views of this section of the city from the roof.  On the corners of the roof there were little caves that you could hide in incase of rain.

Other Things on Mount Juic

Some other things we saw on Mount Juic, here is an old palace that is not one of the cities art museums.

It has an highly decorative and elaborate fountain system that leads from the street level up the mountain (there are more outside escalators too but they are hiding behind the trees).

Here is a view of Barcelona from the steps of the above palace.  In the middle is the Magic Fountains.  Unfortunately we missed the show but they supposedly give the Bellagio fountains a run for their money.

Here is the 92 olympic stadium.  The day before this was the ending point for a marathon that was run through the city.  They were cleaning it so we couldn't go down onto the field but it was a massive stadium.

On the other side of the mountain by the castle you can see the brilliant planning that went into Barcelona.  The industrial harbor area is completely hidden from the main city by Mount Juic.  There is no residential area on this side of the mountain but it looks like a complete city of its own.

Surprisingly Fun Slides

On the way from the top of Mount Juic to the Olympic Stadium, we stumbled across a pair of fairly long super fun slides.  It had been so long since any of us had been on such good slides that we spent a good twenty minutes here going up and down.

Mount Juic Gardens

On the way up Mount Juic or the Mountain of the Jew (didn't get the story behind the name) there are beautiful gardens. Here are the steps with lily ponds that cascade down the slope. Quite the serene spot.

Guell Park

Guell Park is the park up in the hills of Barcelona that Gaudi designed.  It is a breathtaking blend of nature and the man made.  There is a surreal feeling of being in the blended wilderness while in this park.  Most of the Park has beautiful trails that overlook the city.  Above is a section of the worlds largest bench.  It is made of tile and there are beautiful mosaics all along it.  There is a dirt plaza surrounded by the bench where people can mingle and perform.

Here is a close up of the tiled bench.  It looks really uncomfortable, but on the contrary its comparable to the comfort of an Eames chair.  I later learned at the Gaudi museum that Gaudi studied the human body and designed this bench to match the curve of the spine.

Here is a hall that looks like a wave crashing over into the pillars of the left.  All of the curves and round features gave a very easy flowing feel through the park.

In somewhat of a juxtaposition there is a hall of pillars under the plaza of dirt that is surrounded by the bench.  Each of the pillars acts as a hollow funnel of rainwater from the plaza down to the fountains below.

The wave hall that you saw before has many pillars, the outside of each has some type of pattern or sculpture on the out facing side.  Each and every one is unique, this one looks like Aunt Jemima.  Unfortunately there was no syrup to be found.

Here is a whole series of pillars, click on the photo to see the patterns and sculptures close up.

Notice the swirling spiraled pillars in the top peer of this out look.  It is incredible how organic Gaudi was able to make stone work look.

Here is the famous mosaic lizard fountain that is fed by reclaimed rain water from the dirt plaza.

Along the main staircase the walls are covered with tiles of beautiful mosaic patterns.  Below the lizard is this fountain that reminds the visitors of the importance and beauty of nature.

At the lower entrance of the park the gates are flanked by two houses that are of the late nineteenth century gingerbread style.  One houses the gift shop and the other houses the park offices.  Guell Park is a must for anyone visiting Barcelona.