What kind of building do you see yourself as? Hhmmmm have I really thought of myself as architecture before? Not really but, apparently I’m the MIRA Tower in San Francisco for one, and for two, quite dazzling to boot! Seeing myself as a 39 storey building containing 392 residential units is quite the feat but so was building this place; ironically the MIRA Tower was under construction 2014 when we bought this property. Our friends at the city of Vancouver had me pay for the type of infrastructure that could support the MIRA TOWER but alas Project 851 is what we got and I can’t honestly say I’ve thought of myself as a Tower. Not that that is a bad thing as that tower is quite spectacular if I must say so myself.
Taking a stroll through google-land I find not only am I architecture MIRA is also a constellation, a series of song, a city in Portugal and Spain, and also rivers, ports and streams. A name of nature and wonderment all right but for our artistic purposes today we’ll stick to buildings of a MIRA kind.
My eyes danced upon many Hotels that fall into that category and range from India, Hong Kong, Italy, Turkey and Morocco to name a few but Vietnam is where my eyes landed; ahhhh to be able to travel again. What a great adventure it would be to travel everywhere and stay exclusively in hotels named MIRA. I look forward to those days, post COVID19, in perhaps 2 years — fingers crossed and we should be so lucky! Ahhhh to imagine travelling around the world visiting my name in hotel architecture while listening to Hotel Mira. Thinking of all things MIRA while mastering Dolce far niente. lol what a blast!!!
I like this kooky game of “defining yourself as architecture” that I’ve created. It’s a great distraction from these COVID19 times and tents / encampment invasions. MIRA will not be found in Palaces and Castles. NOT being there is kind of a surprise, not that I think of myself as one of those, but because it seems deserving (smile). My life adventures have been far from those types of structures but their majestic presence certainly are worthy of exploration and awe: like the art of sweet nothing.
If I am to be honest the most appropriate architecture for me, MIRA, would be one of collaboration, collective /compound or sustainable structure. In fact, I did a gig about 10 years ago with the team from Garbage Warriors in Jamaica and that experience resulted in an art installation called Ballroom 584. Just for fun and a little bit of trivia the white ball used in the sculptural part of the installation, where the time lapse shows the community adding the felt balls, is now in the foundation of the cement staircase leading to the studio on this site (853A unit). There are more than a few of these types of “trivia” here on site at Project 851. That paper mache ball was filled with broken bits of ceramics from a piece I loved that became shattered and the mache was from many years of accumulated receipts of adventures to Croatia with my mother.
The 584 was a direct reference to my address at the time in Strathcona as Project851 is to the address here on Union St. When thinking about experience in life it’s interesting to see the patterns we create; I’ve done some patterning with numbers and spaces or places tied to art a few times. An art project of 248 pins was connected to my Mom’s address in Omisalj Croatia, which is no longer that address, and of course the Ballroom mentioned and now what I like to think of as a swan song Project 851 (or maybe just a masterpiece). Patterns continue to fascinate me.
Recently, an interview was conducted here with Courtney Healey who is writing an article for Canadian Architecture featuring this project and Marianne Amodio; well deserved for Marianne!!. Bravo Marianne!! I seemed to have picked great people to work with as unbeknownst to me, Reece Terris was featured in this magazine as well. It made me happy to hear Courtney’s article will be in September’s issue where we’ll be able to read about Marianne’s vision, talent and collaborative efforts. It’s so wonderful to see she will be recognized. Note to self: get a box of those magazines and fingers crossed Mom in her swimsuit will be featured on the cover!!
The trajectory we find ourselves on in life comes from the accumulation of these interesting, not often planned, experiences. As I say you always need to leave enough room for your boat to float!! — that’s when life takes you in the destined direction of a fabulous journey. I hope you find yourself thinking about what kind architecture you are and that suits you perfectly at this moment in life. Koko imagines herself not as a building but as a sign.
This has been a little write up of towers to signs… Here’s Art dog Koko’s share:
