jože plečnik's courtyard divine

Plecnik's Courtyard in Ljubljana by SAL

On my last day in Ljubljana, I sat down at this cafe to try to use up the rest of the money I had withdrawn from the ATM, as I stated in the last blog. Unbeknownst to me, I sat within a courtyard that, again, was designed by Jože Plečnik. It was easy to spot his work. As you can see in the background, the oval/pear-type sculptural shapes on the stairs are stone representations of evergreen shrubs. Most architects would focus on the design of the stairs themselves and not spend any time thinking about how those steps should be decorated with objets d'art. Such a fun, wacky design.

Plecnik's Courtyard in Ljubljana by SAL

I don't know about you, but I became mesmerized as I began to explore the courtyard after finishing an incredible meal. The slender spaces decorated with a baroque-type decor in the photo above is divine. It reminds me of images of the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon (built by King Nebuchadnezzar II in 600 B.C.). In fact, Plečnik likely did study the Hanging Gardens of Babylon because excavation began in the 19th Century, after which artist renderings became prolific. The most exquisite detail, I believe in this photo are the stone vases encased in the building's facade at the farthest point in the photo.

Plecnik's Courtyard in Ljubljana by SAL

This is a wider view of the building and courtyard including the miniature Hanging Gardens of Babylon to the right and the cafe to the left. I love the play on the Italianate Renaissance Palatial style on the building. Plečnik studied in Vienna with Otto Wagner. Wagner's influence is also apparent in the ornamentality of the building's facade. The calamari I ate that day for lunch was the best I have ever had and the view was more than delightful.

tour of the frank lloyd wright home and studio in oak park

All photos in this blog post were taken by myself on a photo tour of the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park, Chicago. I was given permission by the Trust to take these pictures and do not use them to garner any wages from such.

While visiting Chicago recently, I made every effort to see as much Frank Lloyd Wright work as possible. I have been to see his work several times before, but each time I see something new or have an altered angle/perspective. Likely my impressions of his work are filtered through the lens of what I am currently thinking/writing about architecturally. 

target finds a gold mine

Image credit: Thomas Concordia/Getty Images for Target from the New York Times Article http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/14/business/demand-at-target-for-fashion-line-crashes-web-site.html?_r=1&src=tp

Target is brilliant. That is all I have to say. Finally, a group of entrepreneurs have recognized the social phenomenon that people will pay for excellent design. And, in this case, we don't have to pay much at all. It is no wonder then that the Target website almost crashed with revenue equal to that of traditional Black Friday sales.

I am convinced that if architects can understand sales the way that the executives at Target understand it.... we too could have some type of revolution. I have rarely met a "lay person" who understood that good design does not have to equal a higher than average cost. So, it is up to us to lead the way. Design it - and they will come.