Note: https://hell.twtr.plus/media/dbf29245edf70d3d7191229517958263cbc4c941ca3b9af559c43aad48493ec3.file

This text reminds me of the old debate about colors in ancient architecture. While I have no doubt the ancients painted their stone, it fitted well with their religious traditions and their times. On the other hand, the naked stones of our times fit well with our religious traditions. It is fine to leave it unpainted. But I do think we should restore more of these ruins at least structurally. Perhaps our descendants will some day feel the need to paint them again but at least they will be grateful we left them with standing architecture and not heaps of rubble.

“One must spend at least a whole day in the ruins to understand the life of stones in the sun...In the morning the Paestum limestone is grey, at noon—honey, with the sunset scarlet. I touch it and feel the warmth of human flesh.” — Zbigniew Herbert, 1962 https://hell.twtr.plus/media/f8d5b43f9e1736987e33c57baad2ac5ccb8936b8c6f1b76b6bfc6272c7270595.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/7a5b132dc2fd16d2e8a2d44cbf2985b66a053d83df75a8cf796093a28e25b202.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/d035fc5c91f859a40500b3dc412752e8448cf102eea97c103407f055228c6cc1.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/5820eec8d4ba88b1e62a258957f511a6067d206ac15e17587573d07ed77e0fe6.file

The Obama Presidential Center is under construction in Chicago's Jackson Park. Let's compare with what was there already (and what it had once looked like) and see how considerate, fitting, well-scaled progressive architecture handled the challenge of the new building. https://hell.twtr.plus/media/1a523f05769e398df8d6abc14c6f778f975fa53bcbdacbfab920b9fe7a93bc44.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/06bb87d817ef341a7582586edafbe06896d7213e1a5411b04dece5a8e8c538c2.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/fe7d4687cbd8cf38d8784efc7be6fd9a5ace10f8938750289245a0bf8909e4a8.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/7f52c17b2b27286c31187bc28630272c4fa64703326de9726f55b3b22890f7ff.file

The Obama Presidential Center is under construction in Chicago's Jackson Park. Let's compare with what was there already (and what is had once looked like) and see how considerate, fitting, well-scaled progressive architecture handled the challenge of the new building. https://hell.twtr.plus/media/1a523f05769e398df8d6abc14c6f778f975fa53bcbdacbfab920b9fe7a93bc44.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/06bb87d817ef341a7582586edafbe06896d7213e1a5411b04dece5a8e8c538c2.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/fe7d4687cbd8cf38d8784efc7be6fd9a5ace10f8938750289245a0bf8909e4a8.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/7f52c17b2b27286c31187bc28630272c4fa64703326de9726f55b3b22890f7ff.file

Interesting. Spain mined about as much gold in a century of American "colonization" than Peru did alone (officially, real figures likely higher) in a bad year (2024): 100 metric tons.

“Modern people do not live in the present. They live the pastness of the present—confronting each moment as it will be from the vantage-point of future time. Modern people live as though they stepped into the present from the future.” — Sir Roger Scruton, 1996 https://hell.twtr.plus/media/9ca680abce8b16dc895689fb32aedef86b5be16dd31a59471d22d9ef764bc522.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/3c9e235e66ae58c371fc48064ca16573e236a7f503043046bff5fffe730ceece.file

The largest rammed earth building in Norway is Skinnarbøl, built 1809-1849 in the Empire style. It was the summer residence of the Queen of Sweden and Norway, Sophie of Nassau. The walls are 70cm thick. It has been preserved as it was when the court resided there. https://hell.twtr.plus/media/48ffac82d1924727064dfeda41b94ef8aef1dcc564c2d8ecabf3ef617986c177.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/9a0a4a03d50fa8da60b4742ea21bc49e7f20ae7c9a1aef2bb3b68d1007421f57.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/98ac7a885d017a162fd3526029739ab7334806b8743e5abe993c6641c871e7a6.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/187dbeca2d402dd011c25dc9ffaf8dc25fd71bec453de8bb4f0c6a31e32bf90c.file

RT @cusackandrew@twitter.com: The Brazilian monarchy was overthrown in a military coup in 1889. From then until 1961, there was never a single peaceful transfer of power between an incumbent government and the opposition. https://hell.twtr.plus/media/8264a4cd1ac7d16e69fa3e981ea5902d599915d08b125c61361fd7eaebf0a09f.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/0ca5ef8cbfee5125078a10b171fb10f74b12aab841151eef56025dbeadb2fe64.file

The current El Mallol Civic Center in Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà, Spain, is an 18th century baroque rammed earth building, renovated in 2019. Most of it was in awful shape except the rammed earth walls which were untouched by the centuries. https://hell.twtr.plus/media/d9e3ef15ba974c70fd9bdd9c58bf906012bdad9e01c8d571efea4c7f7ee7350e.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/d538b48d1446cb38b64d9890541b0bf8ed940a17406ef088f653688c3a5a29ae.file https://hell.twtr.plus/media/cb53e497b505fff921ce611c5751a35f1fbb53a194e73b6384f701e2db7a5b5c.file