Kastrup Søbad

“My idea was to achieve a sculptural, dynamic form that can be seen from the land, from the sea and from the air,” says Fredrik Pettersson. “The silhouette changes as the spectator moves around it.”

The aim was to use the shape to build in functions such as changing, sunbathing and bathing areas in a simple design that compares favourably with the wide expanse of the sea. A clear concept that is also faces the beach in a welcoming manner. This is nothing private or exclusive, rather a facility open to everyone, regardless of age, physical mobility or needs. Bathing is not compulsory, even thought it looks inviting. More here.

“The circular construction offers shelter whatever the wind direction, and all the platform’s 870 square metres of wooden deck are at the disposal of the visitors. The structure in the water is complemented by a new sandy beach and adjacent service building, with toilets and dressing rooms adapted for disabled visitors. Azobe timber was chosen due to the material’s durability and strength in salt water. It is not attacked by shipworms and has the same lifetime as steel.”

And here are a few more shots from Kim Holtermand on the Behance Network.

More here.

Here is a Flickr group called Lidos.

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The High Line in 2008

Here are some updates for those of you curious about New York City’s beloved restored elevated train line, The High Line.

Newsletter here.

And here is a recent shot of a section of  The High Line in winter. “Judging by the effect of last Friday’s snow on the High Line, we’re eager to see the High Line join the likes of Central Park, Radio City Music Hall and the Empire State Building in the ranks of New York City landmarks that are altered spectacularly in the winter to become memorable and historic parts of the New York City landscape.” Story here.

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Some Views From 780

Some shots by Jacob Larsen. This building and the housing along the north side of Cazelais will be demolished under the current Turcot re-do plan. Almost ironically, there is no talk of tearing down the  Home Depot.

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Dorval Cirlce Update

Article in today’s Gazette says that the workon Dorval Circle will go until 2013. The print version also mentions that this project will “allow” for a high speed train from the airport to downtown without actually mentioning any specific plan or route for such a rail line. Yet wouldn’t that make for a very strong commitment to something specific? It s always a slippery slope when you committ millions of dollars on theoretical possibilities. And given that the Turcot redo is scheduled to go to 2015, not to mention Bonaventure and the Ville Marie, we are going to see some intense freeway infrastructure building on the island over at least the next 7 years and it will be happening while many, many, highway overpasses are being replaced around Quebec.

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500 Repairs At Turcot Last Year

And it cost 12 million bucks according to this article blogged by Kate over at Montreal City Weblog. The  building of a new interchange at Turcot will take at least 6 years. That means continuing to maintain the old interchange for the duration. I can’t help but imagine when the bills start coming in and we are only half way through that project what it’s all going to look like. Bottom line? We are going to be paying through the nose to maintain a structure we plan to demolish in 6 or 7 years. It’s not too late to go to plan “B”.

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Piece Of Turcot Falls Down

From CJAD.

Wed, 2008-09-10 12:59.

Tim Parent

Transport Quebec says the dislodging of a 3-foot-long piece of concrete, that fell from the Turcot Interchange Tuesday afternoon, will have no last effect on the structure itself.

Down below, however, that’s a different story.

Under the interchange, next to the Centre Gadbois just of St. Jacques in the Sud-Ouest borough, small pieces of jagged concrete and dust huddle around the base of a lampost, its light fixture sheared right off by a piece of falling concrete.

Transport Quebec says the concrete was only cosmetic, meant to cover and protect the rebar from the elements.

At street level, however, it’s best to keep your head up.

Transport Quebec spokesperson Mario St. Pierre says work crews are going around searching for loose or crumbling pieces of cosmetic concrete and removing them.

However, tt’s going to take time and St. Pierre warns vibrations from the traffic could dislodge another piece from any road structure so there’s no guarantee this won’t happen again.

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Griffintown Update

Latest rendition for Griffintown over at Save Griffintown.

Well, if your central nervous system has been technofied, this may look pretty cool. Sad to see Montreal’s uniqueness being transformed into an international generic that has no true home or cultural value.

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desertchick

You can catch desertchick’s Flickr pages here.

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El Caminito del Rey

Ok, it’s not urban, but, whooo! this is awesome!

As posted by Orbitbrown on YouTube.

El Caminito del Rey (English: The King’s pathway) is a walkway, now fallen into disrepair, pinned along the steep walls of a narrow gorge in El Chorro, near Álora in Málaga, Spain. The name is often shortened to El Camino del Rey.

HISTORY:
In 1901 it was obvious that the workers of the Chorro Falls and Gaitanejo Falls needed a walkway to cross between the falls, to provide transport of materials, vigilance and maintenance of the channel. Construction of the walkway lasted four years. It was finished in 1905.

In 1921 the king Alfonso XIII had to cross the walkway for the inauguration of the dam Conde del Guadalhorce, and it became known by its present name.
The walkway has now gone many years without maintenance, and is in a highly deteriorated and dangerous state. It is one meter (3 ft) in width, and is over 700 feet (200 m) tall. Nearly all of the path has no handrail. Some parts of the walkway have completely collapsed and have been replaced by a beam and a metallic wire on the wall. Many people have lost their lives on the walkway in recent years. After four people died in two accidents in 1999 and 2000, the local government closed the entrances. However, adventurous tourists still find their way into the walkway.

The regional government of Andalusia budgeted for 2006 a restoration plan estimated at € 7 million.

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Polarizer

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Abandoned Swimming Pools

In the current edition of Polar Inertia there is an excellent series of abandoned swimming pools by Gigi Cifali.

“In the Thirties London’s outdoor lidos were at the peak of their popularity.
Gradually tastes have changed, resulting in a drop in attendances,
leaving the pools uneconomical to run.
Many fell into decay and many were demolished.
Only a handful of pools remain today as a symbol of a bygone era.”

Poem by Adriana Cifali

Without hard work from this site
I imagine movement in other dimensions
I feel coolness and roundness of nude bodies
touching themselves in the frank gesture of the game
I feel the sun, the water, the voices, the dive
I do not feel the time
hiding in the small wave
that is broken off the face of the curly-haired child
crying surprise and already wrapped
in the embrace of her mother’s outstretched arms
I feel the fluidity of the water
melting with the excited screams of the adolescents
the fulfilled faces of the men afloat
the sensual stroke of the swimmer
the light speeches of warm summer
I myself, feel the need to take a swim!
Now I turn around and I try to reveal in the city this ancestral aquifer’s feeling
(I would love you to give me a swimming pool!) thoughts of a citizen who is looking for his local swimming bath.
the sport, the meeting place, the community………
behind this is the simple but magical contact with water.
This contact that rips away from the mayhem of the city evoking
a moment of pause, a sultry summer afternoon, another time,
another place.
Plunging into the amniotic fluids of secure liberty.
Here, every man need to take a dip.

Gigi Cifali

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The Doney Spur (4)

Continuing the journey with Avrom Shtern and Andrew Dawson.

Here is a map of this leg. We started at Sources and went east.

As far as I know the La Belle Province on the left is the only open 24 hours place on the entire West Island.

Trains used to go right up to that door. (right in?).

Avrom and Andrew checking out one of the countless sidings, wyes, and backtracks that have been pulled up but attest to how busy the Doney was in it’s day.

They used to load up here but the doors are bricked up.

Avenue Andre.

Had to follow this one.

There was all kinds of these on the tracks. Maybe they like the warmth? This was a very hot day. It’s usually about 3-5 degrees warmer on the tracks as the steel gets hot, but the ballast also holds it in like a good old brick oven!

It s astonishing how much rust the rails can take and still be usable ( at very slow speeds I would guess).

Start of the Saint Francois Spur.

Here it splits. That is Golf Dorval (what’s left of it) due south.

I don’t think you will see a diamond crossing with a switch going into a building like that too often.

Back on the Doney, still active over in there.

Approaching the bridge that crosses the 40 otherwise known as the Trans Canada Highway.

Looking west.

Looking east. This was a Sunday afternoon. Traffic, what traffic?

And we called it a day up ahead at rue Douglas -B- Floreani.

We had taken the 215 bus from Cote Vertu Metro to get out to Sources and took the 215 back to Cote Vertu. While I am often critical of our (lack of) public transportation, I am quite willing to offer praise when it works so damn well as that!  Cars, on the other hand, are not very good for this kind of trekking as you have to walk all the way back to where the car is parked. Was a good one.

More to come.

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Spreepark, Berlin

Have to admit to having a weakness for abandoned amusement parks. There is just something so profoundly surreal about them and the eerie feeling that you have been there!

Spreepark from Wiki.

Here are some images from Dennis Gerbeckx who has a great Flickr page here.

There is also a group pool on Flickr.

Dead Dinosaur from naomi.

riesenrad by ill phil

and these two by urbtravel who has lots of images of other abandonements.

And a video from twoblueberries.

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Ratsters

Some images from this urban explorer.

And here is Ratsters’ photo page.

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Hole Halts Traffic On Turcot Interchange

Story here.

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