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I do love a good castle. Not that I’ve actually seen many in the cold hard flesh, so to speak. I’ve been to England so I’ve seen a few. But I’d love to see some Spanish castle magic, or some Japanese fortresses. One day.

So many castles are in ruins. But it adds character to them. Like a crinkly old man showing his battle scars and spinning yarns. Then there are the modern castles built by people with too much money and too much power and not enough taste. And the castles look ‘orrible.

But for the most part, you can’t go wrong with a castle. They’re the Land Rovers of architecture; sturdy, practical, mechanically sound, powerful workhorses that have lasted the distance, and garnered much respect along the way. It’s an odd analogy, but it’s early in the morning for me. I’m still on my first coffee.

I’ve always enjoyed medieval design, and as a boy I was fascinated by the idea of a moat, with hungry crocodiles swimming in it. What a glorious defence system. Pull up the drawbridge and no one can get to you, and if they try, well, chomp, chomp, chomp. Certainly back in the day this was a foolproof way of remaining isolated from any enemy that was trying to invade your stronghold. These days, unfortunately, a moat wouldn’t really be good for much, apart from being home to frogs and fish.

I enjoyed the Gormenghast books by Mervyn Peake as an adolescent (although I never finished them). That castle was an imaginative feat in itself. I would dream of exploring it, becoming lost, entering some alternate universe, and having wild, hair-raising adventures. Castles are good for those kinds of mischief.

I’ve written a movie set in a castle; a diabolically-charged castle, home to a succubus and her minion. It’s set in the northern region of Spain. Y’see I really do love my Spanish castle magic (even though I’m half English, part Bavarian). My castle was a kind of hybrid, a monstrous fusion of Gothic exteriors and Tuscan villa interiors, which shifted and changed; a sentient manifestation of the demon princess whose lair it was.

I’d love to visit the famous Bran castle that was once visited by Vlad the Impaler. The story goes that he stayed a few nights in the Romanian castle, which gave inspiration to author Bram Stoker, who concocted his brilliant novel Dracula around the idea of a bloodthirsty count holed up in a castle.

Castles are inspirational. Countless songs have been sung about them, they’ve featured in all manner of movies, both dark and light, and we see them in travel brochures luring us to the Black Forest or some windswept highland plain in Scotland. Eventually all the ruins will have crumbled away forever. But at least we have photographs to remind us of their rugged beauty and architectural brilliance.

Some spectacular homes there, huh?! Perhaps a little drafty in the winter, but hey, one makes those concessions when you've got the lay down your arms, fuck off best weekender in town! Excuse my French. Actually they've built some fine examples too. I guess my three favourites here would be Kruezenstein, Castel del Monte and the Spanish castle second from bottom. Mind you that red isle "cervena" is pretty impressive. But, hey they're all magnificent in their own defiant way.

Image of Dolwyddelan Castle courtesy of Wales Directory

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: architecture

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skyscrapers

August 6th 2007 03:25

I grew up in a small city, more of a big town really; population about 400,000. A cosmopolitan city though. But the buildings weren’t very tall. The tallest was about 30 stories high. So when I first traveled to New York City, aged five, you can imagine how impressive the skyline looked.

When I returned to Manhattan aged sixteen I photographed the World Trade Center from the plaza, looking up directly between the twin towers. Wow. I visited my uncle who worked on the 78th floor. I remember leaning against the glass window staring down. Wow.

There is no way in hell I could do that now. My fear of heights has intensified as I’ve got older. I think I always had the fear, but as an adult it has become more pronounced. It’s almost a mild form of vertigo. Well, what I imagine vertigo to be like: the inexplicable sensation that if I get to close to the edge I’ll become top-heavy, won’t be able to help myself, and will helplessly fall into the void. It’s a weird, unsettling feeling. I can’t even watch others balance precariously on balcony railings or teeter near cliff ledges, a knot tightens in my stomach and my fist clenches uncontrollably.

But I’m fascinated by tall buildings and structures. They are an undeniably powerful and awe-inspiring modern architectural form. Some will argue they are simply crass, while others will marvel at their streamlined majesty. The new ones being built are ludicrously high. The Freedom Tower being constructed at ground zero in lower Manhattan will be an absurd height; 1776 feet to be exact (the year of the American Declaration of Independence).

Bu it gets even more absurd; the Burj Dubai (estimated 2047 ft), the Shanghai World Financial Center (1614 ft) and The International Commerce Center (1588 ft) in Hong Kong are all under construction and will have the three highest roofs in the world respectively when completed, but not for long.

There’s the proposed Chicago Spire (2000 ft) and The Pentominium in Dubai (1693 ft), which when completed in 2010 and 2011 will be the two tallest residential buildings in the world, second and third behind the Burj Dubai.

It all seems like a pissing contest to me.

The Flatiron building, NYC's first skyscraper

International Commerce Center artist impression

Shanghai World Financial Center artist impression

Those artists' impressions look scary, like something out of a science fiction movie! I'm nostalgic at heart, so even though the Big Apple's Twin Towers have fallen, they have a fond place in my heart. And those other New York fixtures are also my favourites; the Chrysler, the Flatiron and the Empire State.

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: architecture

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