"A beautiful face wearing a VR headset" says commenter
In this week's comments update, readers are discussing the arched entrance added by Japanese studio Kengo Kuma to Angers Cathedral in France.
Unveiled earlier this month, the concrete arches double as a gallery, and frame the medieval sculptural doorway on the west side of the Angevin Gothic-style cathedral.
"A beautiful face wearing a VR headset"
The juxtaposition of the modern arches with the original doorway stoked plenty of debate in the comments this week.
"It's very disappointing," wrote Grace Plus. "The design reduces the all important central medieval doorway – the focus of the design problem – to an incidental, secondary event."
Similarly dissatisfied, David Chase Martin wrote, "The arches should have stood alone as pure objects, the flat top is completely antithetical."
Commenter Winterberg agreed, "The cathedral looks like a beautiful face wearing a VR headset."
Other readers took a more practical approach. "Proportionally and graphically it makes logical sense, but the arches do not speak to the engineering that made these churches so impressive," said Michael Wigle.
For Architect Incognito, "a more unassuming, sturdy but elegantly detailed and put together oak structure could have done the job as well and would have left a bit more room for the cathedral to breathe."
Still, some commenters were pleased with the design, with Mari Fisher writing, "I can see how the arches repeat and reflect the shapes in the cathedral, and I was delighted by the visual framing of the pieces inside."
"I like that it seems to be completely disengaged from the original building," said Heywood Floyd.
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"How about coloring the trees red and making the grass white?"
Also causing a stir in the comments section this week was US president Donald Trump's plans to repaint the base of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC.
The majority of readers were unimpressed by the decision, with most using it as an chance to crack jokes.
"Anyone worried this is gonna look like mouthwash?" questioned Ghost of Mike Brady, while A1 asked, "how about colouring the trees red and making the grass white?"
Other commenters were more measured in their assessment, critiquing president Trump's proposed repair methods.
"If the reflecting pool is truly leaking then the granite base should be refurbished and relaid over new membrane and mechanical lines," wrote Frank Lloyd Wrong, "Painting granite is a sin."
In a similar vein, JZ added, "Wait, he doesn't just want to install mirrors (or polished brass a la Trump Tower lobby)? No leaks... hell, no water or electricity bill after that."
For BT76, "Making the bottom so bright kinda defeats the whole "reflecting" part of the reflecting pool. This is the equivalent of a flipper painting a mid century brick house white with black trim."
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"Uitmuntend Studioninedots"
Readers were overwhelmingly positive towards Dutch practice Studioninedots' five-storey home in Amsterdam, which was wrapped with glass bricks and metal grilles.
Ferran Espin had nothing but praise, "elegant and pleasant use of space, materials and natural light."
David Chase Martin was on the same page, writing, "uitmuntend Studioninedots," which translates to a laudatory "excellent, Studioninedots" in English.
Reader Marius was similarly positive though offered his own suggestions, "I like the house although the ceramic tile kitchen island reminds me of the project done a long time ago that taught us not to use tiles with grouted joints on the counter (ever).
Other readers were more observational. Andrew S.t.y.l.ish said, "Pierre Chareau's Maison de Verre comes to mind," referring to the early modern steel and glass house located in Paris.
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Comments update
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