When it comes to lighting design few companies come close to quality and design like Luceplan. And recently I noticed a few new fixtures that caught my eye, mainly the Titania fixture stands out as an example of modern times and manufacturing.

“The aluminium lamellar shell is made up of an ordered sequence of aluminium ribs, which reflect and dematerialise the source of light. The lamp assumes different shapes depending on its angle: transparent seen head on, solid seen from the side. The use of a pair of filters to the sides of the source of light allows the body of the lamp to change colour without interfering with the emission of white light.”

I recently found Waldilla, by a wood flooring manufacturer from Germany that can produce a  floor consisting of curved wood planks, custom made to fit your room. It’s obvious why wood boards are always straight due to the milling process, but it never occurred to me that curved can also be achieved. We have the computer gods to thank for this product and the installers looking at the shop drawings.

Let me know if you have this in your home and about the process.

 “Waldilla^® is a made-to-order wood floor so that the customer can enjoy a unique high-quality product, exactly fitting to his rooms. Thanks to modern computer technology we can achieve unprecedented accuracy thus fulfilling the highest possible standards.”

Today I was downtown (downcity) to run a few errands and took my camera along to snap some pictures on what turned out to be a picturesque spring day in New England. I have always admired these older buildings within a limited concentration of the downtown area. One aspect of the architecture reminds me of travels through Europe and the classical styles seen throughout.

Although I describe myself as a modernist with a deconstructive background, the beauty of these buildings are apparent and extremely inspiring to just about anyone. The buildings speak of skilled laborers and artists that collaborated for endless hours on every detailed inch of facade. The richness of detail is best viewed at the top of these buildings and accounts for the creation of a city as each building attempts to be more important than the previous. I can image a time when only the first building was in place and the glamour of viewing such an art piece from afar.

I have been connected with Providence since my childhood and then later interested in the city as a student of architecture. In my time I have seen the city transform with the additions of hotels, a mall, office and luxury apartment buildings. My first architectural reaction happened during the construction of the first Westin Tower One over a decade ago. As I recall my architectural criticism along the lines of “why not design a building to make a statement, why something that merely copies it’s context”. Since that time I have seen various other building styles come to fruition in the area and contrast the classic buildings I photographed today. The Westin Tower Two was just completed last year and is more of a traditional building style in contrast to the newer all glass office buildings near the shopping mall. I feel it’s design is more closely related to the evolution of the buildings in the pictures and truly fits into the Providence context.

As my years in the architectural profession mature so does my sensitivity toward environments, style and the continuity of history. And although I strongly proclaim a modernist design style, the process of learning from history is always and eye opening experience that can reclaim old ideas and generate entirely new concepts. I hope you enjoy the pictures and find your personal way to Providence to enjoy the views.