[PREV - FLAME_SPOTTERS]    [TOP]

MODERN_DECAY

                                     December 12, 2003 
                                     (from ideas much older)

A block away from where I live is the Noe
Valley Recreational Center.  Essentially a
gymnasium, set in a building that looks like
it was supposed to be oh-so-*modern* when it
was first built.

It's got what I guess is the classic
"cantilever" roof, meaning that the
main structure of the roof are these
gigantic lever arms resting on
concrete pillars at the low end,
stretching up at a 45 degree angle to
the high end of the building.  
   
At the low end, they stick out         
past the edge of the building        
where it looks there are          
counter-weights hanging; but              
this is a cheat: when you look            
closely, you can see that the             Presumably the           
flat conical disk shapes turn             architect's concept ran  
out to be hollow.  The actual             up against the realities 
anchors are buried underground.           of building codes (and
                                          perhaps physics). 
   The lever arms are made                
   of laminated wood,                     And thus the structure-made-visible
   tapering so that they're               that was central conceit of 
   thicker near the                       modernism became structure-       
   fulcrums where they need               that-only-looks-visible-           
   to be stronger.                        but-has-really-been-hidden-again.  
                                                                               
   The wood is clearly rain                        (Tom Wolfe had fun        
   damaged in places.                               going on about this      
   Repair-plates and tar                            in "From Bauhaus to      
   paper have been slapped                          Our House")              
   on the sides here and                                                     
   there.                  
                                                                             
      The walls of the                                                       
      building are clad in    
      corrugated fiberglass:    
      once a high-tech wonder,
      now a cheap-looking,     
      sun-faded eyesore.      
            
         And the crowning touch:   
         At some point, someone  
         decided to paint the    
         concrete portions of      
         this structure Women's 
         Bathroom Pink.         
                               

Ah, decaying modernism.  

   They meant so well.  

      They really thought they had it.
                                         
         History has not been kind to this future.
                    
                    
                    This is probably my 
                    favorite building in
                    San Francisco.      
                           

--------
[NEXT - EXPOSURE_TO_VACUUM]