Gothic Architecture

I LOVE the little figures and creatures on Gothic and Romanesque buildings that look like they support parts of the building. I think my interest in these architectural elements came from going to Prague and being up by the Castle in the old area of the city. It was miserable weather, and It was Halloween, so there was an electricity in the air as well as the rain. I went into the Cathedral primarily to warm up, not necessarily to check out the artwork and architecture. I wandered around in the Cathedral and when I was sufficiently warmed up and ready to explore the city some more I emerged from the building where I realized I was getting dripped on, so I looked up into the cloudy sky and the gargoyles were spitting on me...It is such a vivid memory even to this day. I will even look around to see what images, if any, I have of Prague to post. If I don't have any pictures I will just have to go back someday.

Last week I walked out of the Subway stop at 53rd Street and 5th Avenue and just knew I had to explore the church in front of me. My exploration began with the first images here. (I will post more later.)

St. Thomas Episcopal Church
5th Avenue at 53rd Street

Merging the Human With Nature

This caught my eye when walking on the upper west side of Manhattan. I am going to get better at noting locations, but for now this is a bit of a treasure hunt.

This element is on the north side of West 93rd Street somewhere between Columbus Avenue and Broadway.

90's Facade

Look at this! Crazy 1990's.

This is around 50th Street in western Midtown.

Looking out

I don't usually like iron work unless it's artfully done. I don't think this pattern is especially aesthetically pleasing, but it caught my eye nonetheless. I think the silhouette against the great natural light helps.

Mohonk Mountain Resort
New Paltz, NY

Interior View: Duct Work

Another architectural view of the mall.

Interior View: Elevators

I never thought I would be visually interested in an elevator because they usually gross me out. The lines and colors in the back of this one caught my attention however.

Interior View: Light

The light is really what caught my attention in this composition, which is not an architectural element. But the windows are, and notice the lights...they are permanent fixtures and they look quite a bit like construction lights. It's amazing that many companies spend a lot of money on light fixtures, and these are so simple and probably much cheaper.

Interior View: Mall

This is a mall that I do not find especially aesthetically pleasing, but it is much more interesting in photographs.

Inspiration For Blog

This building's elements are what inspired me to create this blog. (Sorry for the picture quality.)

Washington Blvd.
Hoboken, NJ