New Blog: Design Faith
designfaith.blogspot.com
Modernist design was rooted in a faith that architecture could improve human lives and that it could be of service. That’s the essence of what I want to explore in my new blog.
Other Musings
 The Gates
February 2005
It was almost eleven o'clock Friday night when I arrived in New York. As my taxi came down 60th Street towards the park, I turned to look for "The Gates" and the first thought that came to mind was that they resembled a large advertising campaign without a written language. In the next moment I was surprised how shiny they were - even in the darkness.
I woke up early Saturday and went to my hotel window where I could just see a little corner of the park with orange ribbons dotting the landscape. I felt like a kid again, like I was seeing the park for the first time. For three days I walked with old friends who had come from all over the country.
As soon as I entered the park I was struck that all the gateposts stood up straight despite the uneven ground plane. The feet were a little clumsy, but reminded me of the project's impermanence. Over and over I kept thinking how Buddhist it was. All that work for something so simple, so infinite. No center, just the being there. Few people were rushing; the entire day was like a little European village just before dinner when the townspeople promenade. Everywhere I went people were respectful and kind. People who would never have met otherwise stopped to chat and share a moment together.
On Monday morning everything changed. Snow covered the tops of each gate and evened the color across the park. Children flew down snowbanks in plastic toboggans. Within a few hours we had all returned home and within a few days the Gates were gone.
My year-end letter reflects on a wonderful trip my partner Paul and I took the winter of 2004.
Articles
Here is a list of my articles from the last few decades, with links to the text of recent ones.
Kenneth Caldwell Bibliography
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