generation gap

Posted by MadScientist (Düsseldorf, Germany) on 6 July 2008 in Cityscape & Urban.

In addition to yesterday's post now we're moving a few meters further and turn our head a little bit more southwards. The building site with the crane in the background is the same one as seen yesterday. And this time again we're looking at an architectonical landmark: the central office of the German pension insurance fund in the Rhineland. The building from 1978 uses a completely different grammar than its newer neighbour, lots of glass and steel, but its appearance is much massier.

I'm sure the architects of GAP 15 told something about the exciting dialogue between these buildings of two different generations, making a duo of two solitaires.

Comments (6)

Observing from Local, United Kingdom

You have transformed an ordinary urban scene into a beautiful photo. I think it's lovely. The tree is a great natural frame, and the building against that stormy sky looks great too.

6 Jul 2008 6:13am

@Observing: Thanks, Mike! That's amusing, because skyscrapers are not necessarily the landmarks I would like to see in that park. At least there's something to watch :)

Japanalia from Yokohama, Japan

Another excellent view of the park...I like all that green, so clean! And the sky helps a lot to make the building less invasive!

6 Jul 2008 6:55am

@Japanalia: Monday I'll show them both in one image.

JoeB from Brampton, Canada

This is a very typical monolith of the 70's. The absurd thing is that this be in Canada, with an ocean apart the designs are not that different.

6 Jul 2008 9:49am

@JoeB: That's the international style ("old school") I mentioned earlier. With an impressive skyline (as seen in big American cities) this may become an interesting eye-catcher, but a single skyscraper always appears somewhat helplessly.

António Pires from Lisbon, Portugal

The building is nothing to rave about, but you managed to integrate it perfectly well. The trees on the opposite side of the lake are lovely. the sky is vivid and the composition is perfect. In the end, a beautiful photo

6 Jul 2008 11:10am

@António Pires: Thanks very much! The only problem I have with the buildings is that they don't give any shelter to pedestrians. That's no fun, especially in bad weather conditions.