Function in stairway at the Cornerhouse, Manchester.
I love the way that it is not immediately obvious that it is a stairway, and that you are drawn more to the visual elements, so in a way, the function has been removed to highlight the more aesthetic components.
Robert Venturi declared that “less is a bore” in contradiction to Mies Van der Rohe who said that “less is more”.
The Business man’s rush
Vast!
Steps up to arcade. I love the light and shadows in this shot.
I was walking along the subway thinking ‘when is this going to end?’ Then I saw light at the end of the tunnel. (so to speak)
Quite a beautiful shot I think.
EXCELLENT NEWS!
Just an insight into what one blogger thinks of Boston City Hall. On looking at it, I immediately think the Boston City Hall looks rather like an accordion on stilts. I find it quite beautiful.
Une autre photo ici. Although Preston Bus Station is brutal aesthetically on the outside, I find it very sleek and stylish inside. I love the way the light glows in this shot, especially the 60s advertising of the men’s hairdressers. V. simple but confident in communication.
Rotala is a transport management company. Below is statement posted in February 2011, so I have found this rather late unfortunately. In short, they talk about how the bus industry is going through times of uncertainty, but by creating a hub for rotala in the North-west, this should change. I really think the closing paragraph reassures people of what Rotala is capable of.
‘We can bring PBL (Preston Bus Limited) out of its recent
period of uncertainty into a new era of growth………’
Preston Bus Limited (“PBL”). The board considers
the acquisition of the business to be a material step
in the progress of Rotala and is exactly the type of
acquisition we have been looking for. The enlarged
group, post acquisition, will have in the region of 570
vehicles, employ 1200 people and have an annualised
turnover of about £55 million.
This acquisition establishes a new hub for Rotala in
the North West region and we firmly believe that there
is further potential in the region for consolidation and
expansion, both organically and by more acquisitions.
Consequently Bob Dunn, a main board director of
Rotala for some years and formerly CEO of DunnLine Plc,
will become the Managing Director of the
North West region of Rotala with full responsibility for
business growth and development.
At the current time the bus industry is going through
a phase of major uncertainty and change as a result of
the Government’s Spending Review and the operating
difficulties caused by the huge volatilities in the price
of fuel. Nevertheless it is our intention to invest in and
modernise the current Preston Bus brand, whilst
retaining its unique identity and values. Our desire is,
as we have done with all our other acquisitions over
the six years of Rotala’s existence, to position the
Preston business so that it engages closely with its
employees, users and other stakeholders.
We welcome PBL into the Rotala stable of brands
and businesses. We are confident that, building on
the cooperation and enthusiasm of the existing staff
and management, we can bring PBL out of its recent
period of uncertainty into a new era of growth and
stability which is beneficial to employees, customers
and shareholders alike.
—The Human mind
Other shots of Preston bus station
More of my night shots of Preston bus station.
I love this shot. I have been trying to find out who took it. If I don’t find out, I will take a similar shot of my own as it is sleek!
‘Preston founded architects BDP (Building Design Partnership) led the way in uniting other design functions into architecture; until this break through, graphic design and signage were afterthoughts.’
The simplicity of the layout and signage is clear and stylish, an example of the early adoption of Helvetica. I decided to do abit of research into the derivation of Helvetica. I do not think the architects wanted anything to fancy as I suppose it would detract from their craft and design of brutalist, modern architecture. After all, simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication.
The Helvetica typeface is one of the most ubiquitous design classics of our time. And to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary this year, Gary Huswit has produced and directed a well-made film, with a sublime soundtrack, about its genesis. Full of examples of where, how and by whom Helvetica has been used, the film contains insightful interviews with many leading contemporary designers and typographers.
While Helvetica is variably at the top or at the bottom of designers’ favourite typeface lists, Huswit’s documentary shows that the history of Helvetica and the ways in which it has been embraced or rejected is bound up with more important things than the conflicting tastes of designers. The film couches this history in the bigger picture of the fate of the modernist project.
