If you'll pardon the melodrama, but tonight, my two worlds collide.Andrew Katay and his wife Catriona have been my friends since we served in InterVarsity (EU) at the University of Sydney. They have embraced Dr Laurel and we enjoy the rare times we get to spend with them. Andrew is the Rector (Senior Minister) of Christ Church Inner West Anglican Communities in Sydney.
They are here in NYC for a very unusual reason: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on West 53rd St has an exhibition called "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling." Basically, they are rebuilding 5 exceptional homes in the vacant lot next to the Museum.
What has this to do with Andrew and Catriona?
Andrew and Catriona have a vacation home 4 hours north of Sydney, and theirs is one of the homes that is being rebuilt here in NYC. And so they are here for the MoMA opening tonight, and one of the architects of the project, Jeremy Edmiston, has invited us to tag along.
Dr Laurel and I visited the home, in sleepy North Haven, about 3 years ago now. Back then, it was only just taking shape (and an unusual shape at that). It will feel very strange (and nicely out of place) to see that same home reconstructed in busy Midtown New York City.
As I said, my two worlds will collide.
- You can see more in the pictorial journey in this MoMa site (Click on Burst*008 for pics).
- You can read the NY Sun, which has some great slides of the Katay's home in North Haven.
- Click for an article in Metropolismag, where Andrew talks about the 'Drive-bys' in the sleepy town.
- Or click on the Sydney Morning Herald for more.
The house is made of plywood and decorated with giant flower cut-outs. But the oddest thing is the completely asymmetrical exterior; there are no straight horizontal or vertical surfaces or lines in the frame of the building, apart from the columns supporting it.Indeed, who does?
We're not really living in a symmetrical time, says architect Jeremy Edmiston. "Who has symmetry in their lives?"
Should be fun tonight.
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4 comments:
Justin, I share your weirded-out sensation.
I need to go check that the sun is still up there in the sky now...
for a sec, i thought they were building the Ark!!!!!
That's one of the coolest things I've ever heard of! I love it.
that's great! I have seen this house in its original location because my parents also have a holiday house in North Haven. I'm so glad it's travelled to NYC!
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