Park51
I’m trying not to get caught up in the political debate about the Islamic Center, Park51 Community Center, proposed near the World Trade Center site, but it is very controversial, particularly here in DC and I have my own firm views. Regardless of the political debate, I was taken aback by the official conceptual designs on Park51’s website, which I hadn’t seen until recently, described here by Philip Kennicott as an architectural review in The Washington Post. These are preliminary concepts by Soma Architects.
Well, imagine my surprise as I tried to find their website, which surprisingly was hard to do, http://www.soma-architects.com/ and I discovered that they are literally right around the corner from me in Alexandria, VA. This is a little frightening, if they take any heat for their involvement…and as I delved into this further, there may be a mystery here.
Their website is weirdly under construction but also nerve-wracking with how they have displayed the work that they have done — a navigational nightmare but still worth seeing — if you can get those pictures to stay still long enough.
Even with all of this, I can appreciate good design and I really like the concepts for this building. Where it’s supposedly going to be built is a whole other matter entirely. Here it is, just stunning at night. Look how that fretwork just changes and is an exact reversal of the daytime exterior.
casart
I'm an artist, wife and mother of two boys. I started my illustration business, The Occasional Palette over 35 years ago, when my oldest son was an infant. Once my children were in school, I began painting decorative, faux finishes and murals through my second business, Casart, now over 30 years old. My third business, Casart Coverings, is a springboard from my second. Click on the link on the sidebar to see innovative, custom, designer wallcovering, removable and reusable wallpaper and coordinating decor.
