BIG and CRI create an oasis of vertical urbanism in the heart of Singapore
by Dhwani ShanghviOct 04, 2022
•make your fridays matter with a well-read weekend
by Zohra KhanPublished on : Apr 21, 2020
At 11:23 pm on Thursday, they suddenly became aware of each other and realised that they had all secretly enjoyed this space for years. Seeking the same kind of freedom, the undesigned and sculptural world and the complex backsides of big cities were created. Liberated from architectural narrative, iconic gestures and state-of-the-art insta-friendly placemaking, they found a serene presence in the backsides.
Danish architect and self-taught artist David Bülow narrates The silent incident while visualising moments around what he calls the 'edge of architecture' – a landscape defined by the often-unsightly spaces such as terraces, back alleys, parking lots, and balconies. His black and white compositions reveal fragments of life that start to take shape from the time architects leave the building and human experiences take over.
A series of recent drawings by Bülow show cities submerged in the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic and people experiencing strange days of isolation. The work trigger our present collective emotions as it captures people in an array of hiding spots, either busy in virtual socialising or having a lone moment perched on their windows and terraces observing the time passing by.
In times when we cannot step outside to explore great architecture of our cities and the world, what we have and is in our capacity is to experience our own spaces in a new light, especially those that never caught our attention before. Bülow's work is an effort to do exactly that.
His sketches seem to weave a newly acquired relationship between the people and the spaces the former previously neglected in their everyday life – the spaces that were so close yet out of sight.
Here are a few such vignettes from his collection:
Urbanism comes across as a recurring subject in Bülow’s sketches that he fondly describes as the pressure cooker of humanity. “To me it is an ongoing social experiment. Often it is the fascination of so many lives living so close, and yet so rarely touching each other,” he reflects.
“When you look at films or read books, the most important emotional scenes often take place on the edge of architecture reminding us that we as architects need to leave a fray in our designs for life to unfold.”
Lastly, summing up his creative process, Bülow muses: “I find great inspiration in overhearing glimpses of other people’s lives, and then imagining the rest.”
by Mrinmayee Bhoot Sep 25, 2023
The landscape design, comprising a tapestry of usable green areas and natural habitat, has become a valuable community resource for the city of Manchester.
by Dhwani Shanghvi Sep 23, 2023
In order to ensure safety and comfort for the horses, the concrete structure typifies stable design through the use of natural materials and the optimum use of natural light.
by Almas Sadique Sep 23, 2023
The wooden pavilion is portable and can be customised to serve the functions of an exhibition space, recreational retreat, dwelling, bar, dinner table, and more.
by Aarthi Mohan Sep 22, 2023
STIR speaks with director Jonny Plant to explore the ethos of UK-based architectural practice Corstorphine & Wright and their commitment to humanity-centered design.
make your fridays matter
SUBSCRIBEDon't have an account?
Sign UpOr you can join with
Already signed up?
LoginOr you can join with
Please select your profession for an enhanced experience.
Tap on things that interests you.
Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch
Please enter your details and click submit.
Enter the code sent to
What do you think?