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skylines


skylines
Photo Information
Copyright: anna colli (amcolli) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 224 W: 0 N: 258] (1258)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-12-03
Categories: Architecture
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/320 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-01-31 12:49
Viewed: 547
Points: 31
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
the great hall of the british museum was created in 200o By Foster and Partners. Although it seems that Foster's answer to almost any problem is a glass dome with interesting geometry (Berlin's Reichstag, London's City Hall and Swiss Re 'gherkin'), his glass-covered court at the British Museum is particularly compelling. Visitor numbers at the museum had swelled far beyond what the buildings were designed for, and the main galleries - which doubled as arteries as well as exhibition spaces - were crowded by visitors trying to get from A to B. While the Louvre in Paris solved its comparable problem by creating a new circulation space beneath its massive courtyard, topped by I.M. Pei's pyramid, the British Museum has instead covered its rather smaller court, to create a magnificent central space leading directly into the galleries on each side. Dominant within the original courtyard was the squat, cylindrical tower of the Reading Room that was part of the British Library (where Marx wrote Das Kapital, among its other claims to fame). To cover the space between the four sides of the court (92 x 73m) and this central cylinder, Foster has created a glass roof in the shape of the top half of a donut - but no ordinary donut, since this one has a circular hole in the middle but is square around the outside. The resulting curves, traced out by the structural glazing (and by its shadows on a sunny day) give the space much of its character. A slightly unearthly quality of light comes from the mass of green ceramic dots covering the outer panes of glass to limit the amount of sunlight entering the court.

To make sense of the space, the project also involved extensive re-facing of the existing buildings, especially the outside face of the Reading Room, where a new limestone casing hides twenty concrete-filled steel columns that support the new roof
In contrast to the controversy that surrounded the Louvre pyramid, this space at the British Museum has been created with no loss of what was there before. The courtyard was never previously open to visitors, and was filled in with storage, but became available as space following the move of the British Library to its new building. In fact, as part of the Foster project the area in front of the museum entrance was turned from an employees' car park into lawn, so the available outside space for visitors has actually increased.
timleahy, RhythmThief, Janice, degani, Teresat, pablominto, cunejo200, black_dream has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To black_dream: skylinesamcolli 1 10-22 07:25
To degani: skylinesamcolli 1 02-01 08:46
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Good 
  • Lars Silver Star Critiquer [C: 28 W: 0 N: 0] (454)
  • [2008-01-31 13:04]

Great POV. Great Picture.

  • Great 
  • karith Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1067 W: 80 N: 1171] (7409)
  • [2008-01-31 14:00]

Spendid abstract, with a well-spotted POV of these panes. I like the off-set composition and the radiation of the lines. The patterns are organized yet hypnotic. Excellent!

Anna,

Good shot, the patterns are mesmerising, like an elaborate spiders web! Very good note also - thanks.

Ciao....

...tim

nice detail of the museum, good graphism, easy but efficient
regards
jo

  • Great 
  • limba3 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1081 W: 436 N: 421] (13302)
  • [2008-01-31 15:07]

Hi
Interesting presentation. Great POV.
TFS
Anna

Hi Anna,
great detail and PoV, I like the fading of the sky from top right to bottom left here. Good pattern and sharpness.
Cheers, John.

  •      
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3265 W: 267 N: 7730] (32968)
  • [2008-01-31 18:02]

Scrolling the page up and down gives a rolling movement - itmakes me feel seasick :)))
Excellent capture Anna, very impressive.
I enjoy your notes too,
Thank you
Janice.

wonderful geometry here with the lines and shapes

Bongiorno Anna,
questa fotografia è spettacolare, piena di linee che si intrecciano regolari e con un bel colore verde-azzurro, molto ben fatto, brava
ciao
franco

Ciao Anna, splendida composizione con grande grafica, brava, ciao Silvio

It´s a beautiful composition and originality is there congratlations.



my regards

teresat

Hello Anna,
Creative framing of this amazing pattern of lines!
The shades of green are attractive colours, and the image has sharp fine details...
Greetings,
Pablo -

10 e lode! Preziosa semplicità.

Roberto

Scatto grafico molto interessante.
Ottimo colpo d'occhio, luce perfetta.
La bellezza spesso si nasconde dietro le cose più semplici...
Se si pensa che al British Museum non credo che i visitatori ci vadano normalmente per guardare il cielo!
Ciao, Antonella

  • Great 
  • Vasy Silver Star Critiquer [C: 10 W: 0 N: 6] (318)
  • [2008-03-17 5:24]

Bello!
Mi piacciono i soggetti astratti.
Ciao!
Mihaela

Hello Anna,
Fantastic lines and graphism from the ceiling. Superb isolation. You have a good eye for composition. My compliments...Danilo

Anna, I simply adore the geometry here, the composition is excellent, so is the overall quality of this posting, Congratulations!
Best regards,
Diana

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