Category Archives: Architectural

Berlin Wall 1986



tower at berlin wall

A typical part of the Berlin Wall, including a guard tower and “death strip.”

berlin wall

“Destroy the wall.” The wall had already been crumbling from within as more and more people from East Berlin and the former East Bloc fled to the West through neighboring countries and past the Iron Curtain.

berlin brandenburger gate

In West Berlin the Brandenburg Gate could only be seen from the back.

berlin wall
It was one ugly wall…

I went to see the wall in West Berlin with a few friends in 1986 – three years before it came down. It was built in 1961 by the East German Government to keep their residents in East Germany because people were defecting to the West. Much of the Wall was constructed with barbed wire, landmines and other ways to secure it and actively guarded 24/7. The East German government claimed it was built to ‘protect’ its citizens from the fascistic neighbor.

When it came down on November 9, 1989, I couldn’t believe it. It just shows you that things can and will change – eventually. The politicians may get the credit for bringing the wall down, but it was the people that were locked in that wore it down over the years with protest and steadfast resolve.

Happy 25th Fall of the Wall Anniversary, Germany!

For an interesting viewpoint on what exactly ended the Cold War and brought down the Wall, including an examination of four contradictory explanations from the U.S., China, Europe and Russia, read here.

 

you are leaving west berlin - sign

“Attention – You are now leaving West Berlin”

you are leaving the american sector - sign

“You are leaving the American Sector”

 


Levitated Mass



Levitated Mass rock

underneath Levitated Mass
Levitated Mass from below

So here it is, the Levitated Mass at Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art or LACMA. It’s a 340-ton granite megalith and can be viewed from all sides. In fact the negative space and the slot underneath it are part of the artwork. The artist Michael Heizer had conceived of this installation many years ago and finally succeeded in completing his vision in 2012. If you’re planning on visiting, there are lots of great photo ops at and around this installation, including a beautiful park next door with gorgeous plants and open spaces, the La Brea Tar Pits and the Page Museum.

I read a comment somewhere that stated that this rock is almost as big as one of the boulders used to build the Great pyramids in Egypt – puts it all in perspective, doesn’t it? 😉

mel


View from Le Meridien in Munich



le meridien munich, sicht vom le meridien in münchen

After I’ve figured out the child proof lock (it was adult proof too – almost 🙂 ) I took my little Canon snapshot and reached as far as possible to get this shot. I think we were on the fifth floor; right across from the train station. The Meridien is newly remodeled and you can’t hear any noise from the train station at all. It’s a nice place, very clean.